Chloe told me yesterday, "Mom, I have a problem.  I don't want to get married.  But I don't want to get a job."

So apparently she has come to the conclusion that when she grows up, she has 2 choices: she can get married and stay home (but she doesn't want to kiss anybody, her words) or she can go out and get a job (which she doesn't want to do because it is really hard work and she doesn't want to get sweaty.)

 Girls Club has moved to the Living room. So as to spread the mess around the whole house.  (Macie got that box of goldfish from Don's parents for her birthday. She was pretty excited. And I was grateful it was not candy.)

 Valentine's Day...I tried to take the suckers away while she was sleeping. But she had a death grip on them.

too bad I have no pictures of Chloe on Valentine's Day. She looked so cute in her new Valentine's outfit.  We celebrated V-Day a couple days before, the day we found out we were having a boy.  We went to Logan's Roadhouse for dinner, sans kids, it was a much better idea than braving the crowd on Valentine's Day.  And the girls both came home with a stash of candy and Valentines, so all in all, everyone was happy.  And I spent the next 2 days picking up candy wrappers and stray valentines spread  throughout my house.

Today was the big day.  The gender reveal.  I didn't know what to wish for (well other than a healthy baby). Not that I have any control over the results anyway...so what's the point in wishing!  Nevertheless, I did. But my wishing went back and forth.

First of all,  my natural inclination is to always wish for a girl. I get girls.  They do things I like to do.  They get excited about Target.  And dresses.  And pretty things.  I get the way they think and I relate with how they play because I did the same things as a kid.  Tea parties, and playing school, crafts, cooking, dressing up, pretending to be a princess, and basically anything girly and pink.  I get all of this.  And plus, when they are babies, they are like my own personal dolls in which I get to dress and accessorize them any which way I want.  (Unfortunately this phase is very short lived and the rest of the time I mourn the fact that Chloe won't wear the beautiful dresses in her closet and instead chooses to wear costume skirts over jeggings. But I digress....)

On the other hand, I realized that it was rather selfish of me to wish for another girl, after all I do have 2.  I think *almost every girl wishes for at least 1 daughter, and I think *almost every man wishes for at least 1 son.  So I did also wish for a boy, probably for Don's sake more than my own.  Now I probably sound like a horrible person for saying this, and dear future son, I hope you are not offended, because I am sure I wouldn't trade you for all the girls in the world,  but you will soon learn a few things about me. 1. I am the most unathletic person you will ever come into contact with in your life.  2. I know next to nothing about football.  3.  I only wear pants on special occasions, the occasion being I am feeling very, very skinny.  4. I hate video games.  5. I don't like action movies or any comic book characters.  6. I don't understand dog piles.  Or wrestling.  Or contests that try to prove who is the toughest or the person with the least common sense.  7.  I don't like dirt. Or bugs.  Or camping.  Or making fires.  Good grief, I don't even like science experiments.  In conclusion, your Mother is probably the least qualified woman on the planet to be entrusted with a boy.  But here we are, you and I.  And I suppose that none of the above reasons will matter because I am banking on the fact that my love for you will overpower all of the things that do not come naturally for me.

I will tell you that all along I knew you were a boy.  It's easy to say that in hindsight, but honestly, I was 95% sure you were a boy.  And I was right, like always. Oh, that's another thing about me.  I am always right.  (The problem is, so is your Dad.) Anecdotally, this pregnancy has been different than your older sisters.  You have made me a lot less sick.  (thank you).  I hardly even threw up.  But tired and for longer.  (But that's hard to remember too.  It seems like I have been more tired).  And I just had that feeling you were a boy.  Let the record show your Dad thought you were a girl.  So I was not surprised when the ultrasound tech said, "boy!"

I am still trying to wrap my head around this.  I am a little terrified.  I've never been great with the unknown.  And I will probably still dress you in all my newborn dresses in private, because to be honest,  I am mourning a little that I don't get to pull those out again.  So here is the beginning to a new adventure.  And a change to our family dynamic.  For so long everything has been pink around here.  And it will be strange to visit the blue toy aisles in Target.  Oh crap. Now we are NEVER going to be able to get out of that store.

Macie Moo Turns 3

 Macie turned 3 February 5th.  I don't know how this happened.  wasn't she just born?  I asked her what she wanted for her birthday. She told me "Brooklyn, Wes, Sketti and Mac and cheese."  (she also mention cinnamon toast crunch, because that is what she was eating at the time.) So we had her little friends and my family over for a spaghetti dinner and a trifle, (I also convinced her she wanted this instead of a "pink cake" because cake is just so.... boring. (At least the kind of cakes I am capable of making). I *think she had a great day.  I took her to Target and let her pick out a toy, she picked out a little Elsa doll, her current obsession.  And she wore her Else dress to her party.

 Chloe made me put our "Frozen" action figures on top of the trifle.

 Our friends made her a pinata and the kids hacked away at it for a good 20 minutes.

we love having Macie in our family.  It is exciting to see her personality emerge as she gets older.  So far we can tell that Macie is a sensitive soul.  Her affections are easy to obtain  and her feelings are just as easily hurt.  She is outgoing with other children and friendly, but a little shy, with adults when she first meets them.  She loves to sing.  My favorite thing she does at this moment, is to sing "let it go" from Frozen. Although you have to hide so she can't see you,  if you really want to see her perform it its' full glory.  She also sounds like Daffy Duck because she can't say her "s" sounds.  She loves to ride her bike,  Don souped up her bike for her birthday with a basket and lights and special riding gloves.  She also loves to play with Chloe and loves to be included with the big girl activities.  Her best friend is Brooklyn, and they make the cutest pair of toddlers I have ever seen.  After the pinata broke, Brooklyn and Macie shared a bucket and collectively picked up the candy together.  I am so lucky to have such wonderful and good little girls.  They are kind and they are inclusive of others, and I am so proud to be their Mom.

2nd String Family Photos

 This must have been one of our last pictures of the shoot because Don looks genuinely happy.

I love every one of Macie's faces in these pictures.

 Now that's more like our typical family photo shoot...

 We always stand like this, especially in public .  We feel it makes other people feel very at ease and not at all uncomfortable when they try to talk to us.