More Genes, Luke, and Metallica :)

After my last blog, I heard some interesting comments from people, so I thought I would share them - and clear up a few things too! Heath was the first one... he said, "You give me too much credit!" See, I like the humility in him, too. :) That's another strength of his. -- Next, was my life-long mentor and friend.. he told me he could give me a longer list of my own qualities for our children to get than what I listed (and added that athletic ability wouldn't have ranked as high as I put it). My mom was the last one... she called and said, "I was reading your blog... and the whole point of it was what you wanted your kids to get or not get from you and Heath. And I thought, 'Oh no! She inherited that unworthiness (in talking about my struggles with pleasing God) trait from me!'"

So, here's what I probably should've mentioned... I've had to really reflect on these things in the last few days! But, I'm a really good listener. I am a loyal friend. I'm an optimist. I know how to love. I love making people smile and laugh. I'm pretty selfless and easy going. I'm honest. I'm forgiving. Helping others, for me, can make a bad day better. I'm a prayer warrior. -- These are all things I would like to pass on to my children. :)

Now, let me get back to Luke! I love sharing about him. It's so much easier to type than my good qualities - and more interesting, I think, too!

Praaaaaaisssee the Lord! Luke has FINALLY gotten through this last phase of separation anxiety. I love it. He played in the backyard all day yesterday by himself. When he wasn't doing that, he was in his room watching Toy Story. (Yes, he's 1 1/2.. and yes, I have a TV in his room. I put it in there when this separation anxiety started about 6 weeks ago to help encourage him to play in there.) Life is good.... I can walk out of a room without a whining monkey on my leg.

I would check on him often while he played in the backyard yesterday. One time, I went out to find this - He loves Izzy. He calls her "E-E".

He's putting 2 and 2 together all the time now, too. He knows when Daddy leaves, he's going to the farm. He says, "Dada bye-bye tractor?" -- We usually eat with my parents a couple times a week in town for lunch. So, when I get shoes on him and tell him we're going to eat, he says, "Eat Mimi Papa?" -- He sees Heath kiss me on my cheek every morning before he leaves, and the other morning, he climbed up and kissed me on my cheek and ran towards the door saying, "Byyeee!!" -- Oh, and Woody and Buzz are actually "Woo-ee and Buzz" now.

He loves doing things like Daddy, too. I was going to treat Luke last Saturday and go get us some donut holes. I couldn't get him to take a bite of one. The next morning, Heath got up and warmed some up and Luke ate them like they were going out of style after watching Heath. Easy as that! Daddy do it, Luke do it.

We went to the park and had snow cones on a pretty day about a week or so ago. He absolutely loved it and threw a huge fit to leave.

Now, with this new baby, I've almost survived the first trimester! We've been hearing mixed opinions on what the gender of this baby will be. I'm truly feeling boy. When I think about my complete family, I just imagine Heath and me with 2 boys. I think people assume that we want a girl since we already have a boy, but that isn't necessarily the case for me. I'd be satisfied with 2 boys. I've told people, "I'll be excited if it's a girl, but relieved if it's a boy." -- I've asked Luke if he wanted a brother or a sister, and he said, "Buzz?" I just hope I don't deliver a Buzz Lightyear... of all the things that could go wrong! haha :)

We plan on being through with kids after this one... no matter what. Even my Mom was like, "Really? But I'm so glad I had a daughter." -- Well, I was the girl who grew up with 2 older brothers.... I wouldn't have it any other way, don't get me wrong. I love my brothers to death and probably would've killed a sister. But I was a TOM BOY having 2 older brothers. I had 2 Penny Hardaway jerseys - one from the Dream Team and one from Orlando Magic... and I LIKED wearing them. Like this one....

While other girls were doodling their names with curlicues in elementary, I was doodling mine with lightning rods like Metallica because that's what my oldest brother listened to and had posters of. My name was perfect for it, too. SARA in all caps... written like lightning... with a big bolt of lightning bringing it all together at the bottom. Gosh, I hope I never signed a yearbook like that. haha :) Here's an idea of what I'm talking about.

I was mean, too. I see people now, and I'm like, "Man, I was mean to her. Or, man.. I shouldn't have treated him like that." I can remember fighting with other kids using empty giant pixy sticks as whips at the baseball park watching my brothers. I said "bull crap" in 1st grade and someone told on me for it. ----- So, needless to say, I think I'll stick to my plan and have 2 kids, no matter the gender of this one. Heath's feeling girl a little bit more than me... so, I guess we'll see. We're in the process of getting a bet going about it. Only time will tell!