suspense is building

Assuming young Fetus R. Swint is not feeling shy, it's just 1 week til the big reveal by jelly-scope on July 21.   I am convincing myself that it's a boy.  I will honestly be really surprised if it's a girl.  In fact, even though we would be really excited to find out 'Girl!', I would also be somewhat terrified.  I can't tell you how many people say, "Boys are tough in the young years when they're so energetic, but girls are so much harder overall."  Being a sometimes bratty, catty and emotion-prone daughter/sister/wife myself, I don't have to imagine what they're talking about.  If I ask myself if I'd rather rear a potential Reuel or a potential Amy...well, we all know the answer to that one.  I don't think my boys are the easiest in the world, but they do recover quickly, they don't hold grudges, and I have a pretty good grasp of what's going on inside them...most of the time.  Could I say that about a daughter??  At the same time, who doesn't want to round out the family with a little of each :)  Owen is quite against the possibility of a girl.  He says it is another boy, and we will name him Owen.  Right.  Does narcissism know no bounds??!   He will concede that if the name really can't be Owen, it should be Rocket.  He's been so consistent with this choice, that it's beginning to grow on me!  Very spunky, if I were brave enough to go that far outside the norm.

Well, the conversation is futile, isn't it!  God gives good gifts, and we are more than happy to receive what comes our way, simply grateful for the opportunity to be parents again and to witness the many little miracles that happen every day when children are afoot.  But we *are* eager to find out!!

 

p.s.  Don't ever mention to your obstetrician that you may have consulted a book entitled, "Choosing the Sex of Your Baby" by Landrum Shettles.  He (or she) might chuckle softly, and then later in the appointment reveal his or her knowledge of a study which debunked the foundational hypotheses of the book.  Then, he/she may outright laugh while offering, "Hey, don't worry though, I've got a pill you can take if you want to change the gender!"  Ha ha, very funny, smarty pants.  We'll see, we'll see.

Alaska!

We had such a fun time.  I'm so horrible about recounting vacations; too many details.  Overall analysis:  family=megafun, Alaska=stunning and breathtaking at times, but a cruise encounter leaves you feeling like you didn't get the *best* experience of the countryside (though there was all the kitsch shopping you could want for a year!), cruises=undecided (prepped food and clean towels twice a day, who can argue, but by day 6 we were a bit stir-crazy, and I like feeling more independent about traveling.  But for a family reunion, being on a boat together is close to ideal!).

We cruised Seattle to Juneau to Skagway to Ketchikan to Glacier Bay to Victoria, BC, and back to Seattle.  I didn't realize til getting home what a tiny little sliver of Alaska we visited.  Amazing to think of the vast, wild, cold, hugeness of the place.

We also had a fantabulous time visiting my Aunt, Uncle and cousins a couple hours east of Seattle, over the mountains and into the desert.  What a difference in climate in just a 2 hour drive!  They entertained the kids royally and fed us delectable fresh fruit til we were set to pop (because even though it's a desert, irrigation water from the mountains is abundant, so it's a serious fruit-growing region).  Owen the tree-climber and Asher the fruitaholic are ready for another visit.

Jetlag is real, and we're all tired.  I guess I'll inch the kids earlier as the week goes on.  Asher napped til 5 today, which was much earlier than he has been, but still means a really late bedtime tonight.  First time the kids have slept past 9am!

Here's pictures:  https://picasaweb.google.com/amyswint/20110712?authkey=Gv1sRgCMSvvZ6cvvCrHg

Leaving on a jet plane

...tomorrow!  Packing, cleaning and letting kids watch way too much TV today so I can accomplish #s 1 and 2 are in progress.  A few pictures remaining to post so that once we get back there will just be gorgeous photos from Seattle and the Alaskan coast!!  Cruise ship, here we come!   

Imbibing

Big man, shirtless, with his bottle of 'root beard' for a treat on a hot day.  Made me laugh :)  And the pictures make me think, again, 'Sheesh, we need a new couch!'

Speaking of drinking, I was telling someone a story from high school the other day, and they didn't really laugh.  Maybe it's not funny or maybe they didn't get it (or maybe they weren't listening).  I can't remember who it was...hope it wasn't a blog reader!  The story was about when I gave an oral biographical report on an author in senior year British literature.  I chose Charlotte Bronte.  Toward the end of the report, I explained that she died of alcoholism (which seemed a bit surprising to me, but hey, that's what the book said).  My teacher was so shocked and asked me where I'd read that, and that she had never heard that.  To which I replied, "It was in such and such book...it said that she died of consumption."  Hee hee :)

(She laughed and explained to me that consumption is a synonym for tuberculosis, in case you also didn't know :)

Random snapshots

Opened up the downstairs bathroom doorway to put in a pocket door.  Crazy extra work, but it will be so worth it (yes, I pushed for this and Reuel will thank me later :). I continuously thank him now, of course.

Handsome DIY hubby!

 

Boys at breakfast

 Strawberry picking!  Sign on the way into field:  You're on the honor system.  99% of what you pick should be in your basket.  Asher's shirt on the way out of field:  indicting dripping red goo receptacle.  (Sorry guys, 2 year olds can't read.)

Owen was VERY strict about what berries were allowed in the baskets.  Only perfection!!  Daddo would have been proud.

Dad's Day

Fun Daddy-celebrating weekend of strawberry picking, bathroom project, playing with the kids, church, lots of food, and a bundle of gifts to tell Reuel how fantastic he is for loving and taking care of us so generously and sacrificially.  I think I did my job in calorie-saturating him.  Let's see.  Started with a 9x13 of peach cobbler on Friday night, then fresh-picked strawberries galore and grilled steak and shrimp dinner Saturday, strawberry and whipped cream waffles on Sunday morning, Chipotle burritos for lunch after church, rhubarb cake for the afternoon, and then Reuel cried uncle.  In contrast to Mother's Day where I got the day off, for Father's Day, Reuel took the day off of his projects and just played with the boys ALL day.  What a guy!  Nothing says we love you Dad like a power washer, an ultrasonic toothbrush, an LED headlamp and a 24 pack of coke, right??  We love him so much, we just couldn't stop adding to his pile :)  Thanks for all you are and do, Dad!

Gym Show

On Saturday morning, we attended the big culmination of Owen's gymnastics lessons...the 2011 GYM SHOW!!!! [insert excited shrieking]  This was a BIG DEAL.  There has been a lot of practicing, 3 weeks of curtains over the windows at class so the parents cannot see what is going on!  There is a special t-shirt and regulation attire for show day!  Owen was just a leeeetle excited.  For the delight of probably grandparents only, I have included the entirety of what we taped of the show (sorry to those who didn't need quite such a big dose), and without further ado...THE GYM SHOW!!!

http://www.vimeo.com/25011211

(Note:  the child received a trophy, as did all the kids, at the end of the show, and this trophy has been cradled in arms, carried from room to room, shown off to the Bedford cousins with vigor, and talked about ad nauseum.  Who knew...a trophy is the thing!)