What Are the Odds?

I have 2 sisters (Beth and Errin) and 4 girl cousins on my Dad's side of the family. That makes 7 granddaughters for my Grandma. Easy math, right?! With Elise and my niece Libby, that adds 2 great-granddaughters. Baby S #2 adds one more. And we learned today that my sister Beth is having a GIRL! That makes 11 consecutive girls in a row.

What are the odds?!? 1/20th of 1% or 1/2048.

Question: What are the odds that the next baby in the family will be a girl? The answer seems simple, but is it?

Fresh Brownies

Yesterday during dinner, the following conversation ensued:

Elise: I have stinky pants.
Paul: What does it stink like?
Elise: A brownie.
Paul: A brownie?
Elise: Fresh brownies!

Kids say the darnedest things!

When Life Hands you Lemons

We received some disheartening news on Tuesday. The sale of our condo has once again fallen through, this time for good. We are discouraged. We (or shall I say, I) trusted our buyers to follow-through with what they said they were going to do....close on our house as soon as their Michigan property closed. This was planned for 12/15, then the week after Christmas, then 10 days after that. Perhaps I am a little too naive. Due to some financial hardship that they've recently discovered, our backed out of our contract all together. We're back to square one.....

Because we've already moved out and have temporarily settled in Chicago, our next step is unclear and complicated. We can either move back to Canton and ask that all of our belongings be taken out of storage and returned to our condo. Or we can try to find some place to rent here that's reasonable priced and a similar size to our Canton condo so that all of our stuff will fit. The decision is overwhelming. No matter how you look at it, we lose. And depending on how long it takes to sell our condo, it could be painful.

So, when life hands you lemons, you're supposed to make lemonade. It's hard. Really hard.

Snow Bunny

We took Elise outside in the snow today. It's the first significant snow she's seen (which isn't much...about 4 inches or so). Paul had her taste the snow and when asked what it tastes like, she replied, "Ice." Smarty pants. Since we don't have a sled, we decided to try one of our laundry baskets. It worked out pretty well and she had fun. She also slid down the hill on her bottom, threw some snow at Paul and tromped around, up and down the hills for a little while. Finally, she decided her chin was cold, so we came inside. For a first timer, she was a trouper!

Big Mama

Here's the latest belly picture. The baby will be 23 weeks old tomorrow. I'm big....at least that's the way I feel. Hopefully that's not indicative of how big our little girl is! Oh, and Elise had a good time showing her belly too. Then she gave the baby a big hug and kiss. What a good big sister!

Congratulations Chicago Bears-ss!!!

It's been a great day for long-time Bears fans. NFC Champions for the first time since 1985....and they are headed to the Super Bowl! Paul, Elise and I watched the big game this afternoon. We had a good time teaching Elise the game. By the end, she was running around the apartment yelling "Chicago Bears-ss, Chicago Bears-ss". A true Chicagoan, accent and all.

Year of the Pig

Here's a little somethinge from this month's Parents Magazine:

"If your baby arrives in 2007, during the Chinese year of the pig, you're one lucky (Peking) duck. Piggy babies are said to be sweet, cheerful, and kind. They have excellent manners, make friends for life, and really enjoy their food. Oink, Oink! "

Good news for Baby Girl #2. I'm relieved!

Icky

Elise: Daddy, I eat icky from my nose.

Daddy: Eewww....where is it?

Elise: In my mouth (sticking out her tongue)

Good Read for 2007

I recently finished a really good book by Phillip Keller called "A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23." A lot of people think of Psalm 23 as comforting for those who are perhaps dying or who have a loved one who is nearing the end of life. It is really so much more than that. This book is written about the Psalm from a shepherd's point of view and it is such a good reminder of how God is our good Shepherd and we are his sheep. Here's a sample:

Human beings, being what they are, somehow feel entitled to question the reasons for everything that happens to them. In many instances life itself becomes a continuous criticism and dissection of one's circumstances and acquaintances. We look for someone or something on which to pin the blame for our misfortunes. We are often quick to forget our blessings, slow to forget our misfortunes.

But if one really believes his affairs are in God's hands, every event, no matter whether joyous or tragic, will be taken as part of God's plan. To know beyond doubt that He does all for our welfare is to be led into a wide area of peace and quietness and strength for every situation. (p. 70-71)

Anyway, it's a fast read (less than 150 pages) and is less than $5. Well worth your time and money.

The Ancient Chinese were.....

RIGHT! I had my ultrasound/sonogram done today and learned that Baby S #2 is a GIRL! And she is a beauty. I am still amazed at the detail of the pictures....while I'm not sure where her arms are, her knees are up by her face. The ultrasound technician said everything looks great. She also mentioned that the baby might be a little further along than 21 weeks. I'm measuring more like 23 or 24 weeks (and my belly now shows that too, if you ask me). So, her due date might be closer to the beginning of May. But, as I mentioned to Paul, it could just be that she's a big girl....Elise, if you'll recall, was a chubby baby. Maybe Baby #2 is just trying to compete. We'll find out soon.....