The One That Got Away

Yes, yes, I know it's almost June but the leprechauns came to our house a few months ago and the kids were ready this year. Johnny helped them set up a trap complete with gold candy and a "Yucky" Charm trail. (Zack calls them "Yucky Charms").

That morning the kids were nervous to check inside the box...

But those sneaky green folks had sprung the trap and then used the ladder from the doll bunk bed to get away! They were in such a hurry to leave that they got stuck on the blinds and wiggled out of their clothes to make their escape. They even spilled their little pots of gold.

They did leave us a few surprises like some festive pictures on our TV and some green milk in our fridge. Lila thought it was pretty hilarious that they used our bathroom and forgot to flush!

After the excitement we sat down to a nice breakfast of green clover-shaped pancakes, green eggs, and green milk with our "Yucky Charms".

Here's our very own Superman using his big muscles to carve out a shamrock...

And those crazy leprechaun shirts that got left behind mysteriously fit the kids perfectly!! Lila was really amazed!

Don't worry though. She's already made big plans to catch those little rascals again next year!

Chubby

Though this title could refer to my rapidly expanding middle, it's also the nickname that Lila has affectionately given to the new little guy who is kicking around in my belly. If he's anything like the rest of our kids, I'm guessing that the name will fit! He's due in mid September (I'll do the math for you... Lila won't be 5 yet so we will have 4 kids ages 4 and under...)

It's strange after all of the years we ached to have a baby, that now I've got almost more than I can handle. Shortly after we found out we were pregnant, Johnny pointed out that we were going to be the kind of story I used to HATE to hear while we were trying so desperately to get pregnant "I have friends that tried for years to get pregnant. After they had 3 kids from IVF they just got pregnant on their own, so you never know... it could happen to you too!!" Anyway, don't tell your friends about me! :)

Johnny likes to joke that we really only tried to have two kids and are now having four. (Abby and Zack were a two for one package and "Chubby" was a surprise!!) Lila however is already planning for our next baby (a girl) so that Chubby can be a big brother. I tried to point out to her that if we always went with that plan we'd never stop having babies. That didn't really seem to bother her.

Zack thinks the baby wants to wrestle and he thinks Chubby likes it when he (Zack) kicks my stomach because the baby kicks back. I tried to explain the flaw in that too (the flaw being that a two year old kicking me in the stomach isn't my idea of comfortable) but he didn't get that either. And saying that Abby is thrilled about the baby is an understatement. This afternoon she said, "Yay, I get to have a baby of my VERY OWN to kiss EVERY day." I tried to tell her that the baby would be all of ours, but she's already claimed him as hers.

We are all excited for this new little miracle guy to join our family, though I'm feeling a little nervous about having 4 kids. I never thought I'd be surprised with a baby before so it's taken a little getting used. After Abby & Zack were born my doctor and I had a talk about birth control and I said that if "God wanted to send us a miracle baby we'd take it." And take him we sure will.