Life as we know it...

Things are about to change drastically around here. Baby boy #2 is just weeks away from his arrival. I'll admit to being both incredibly excited and somewhat anxious.:) I'm loving the stage that Max is at and feel like life has rhythm and somewhat of a routine. I'm prepared for routine to go out the window and to spend some time creating a new normal.

Max is rapidly closing in on 2 years old and I can hardly remember life without him!:) The boy talks pretty much constantly. We have actual conversations these days and there are no more quiet car trips. It's funny to listen to him in the other room playing as he talks to his cars and trains and keeps me apprised of what is happening. He is currently running his car down a ramp and declaring "nice!" when it reaches then end. He has taken a keen interest in his colors, which naturally makes my artist heart happy.:) Most of his toy cars are now prefaced and referred to with a color attached to them and bedtime is usually accompanied by a request for "green car" and "red car" to sleep with him. He also loves coloring with crayons-- although we have had a few incidents including writing on the wall, table and floor...:) He is fascinated by animals of all kinds and has nailed down most of their sounds. It cracks me up to see him develop opinions about things; he now has favorite shows on netflix. Some of which are more bearable than others.:) He loves "Thomas the Tank Engine" and somehow knows the names to at least 5 or 6 of the engines without having seen all that much of it. As a parent I have to say the most enjoyable kids show out there is "Shaun the Sheep". If you have young kids and need something that won't make you go crazy, you should check it out. That's my parenting tip for you.:)

Max recently met his cousin Emmi (my sister and brother-in-law just adopted her from China) who is just a couple months older than he is. He is pretty excited about her and most days tells me that he hugged and kissed Emmi.:) He seems to be somewhat in denial about the impending arrival of his baby brother. We talk to him about it and he has friends who have baby siblings that he is interested in, but if we ask if he's ready for baby brother we typically get an emphatic "no!". Hopefully he will acclimate quickly.:) He is so much fun and I love seeing how quickly he learns things and how much he loves life. Here are a couple recent-ish pics (I promise he does wear things besides pajamas!:):

 As far as the rest of life goes, we enjoyed a nice Christmas and New Year with family. This has been quite the year. Lots of great things mixed in with some sadness. As I mentioned in my previous post, the year started off with the death of my maternal grandparents, the year also brought the suspected diagnosis of Parkinson's in my Dad. My sister and brother-in-law's move to Colorado is also sad for me, although I am happy for the opportunity for them! We are thankful that amidst the challenges, God also blessed us greatly this year. We have a house, another little boy on the way and I was able to leave my job over the summer in order to be home with Max and to focus more on my art. We also had the privilege of being able to help fund raise and prepare for my niece to come home from China! Had I been working, I would not have been able to participate in the same way.

We are slowly getting things in order around the house and trying to finish up preparations. I found out I was pregnant very shortly after our move, so there was a lot that just didn't get accomplished. I'm thankful for the nesting instinct that comes in the third trimester.:) I finally got some of the motivation and energy I needed to get things done! Luke has a had a few holidays too, which has helped. We both do so much better working on big projects together and it has been rewarding to get some things under control. We love having a house of our own. It's not without its challenges and frustrations, but we are really happy with our home and our location.

We also finally decided on a baby name. That's big news around here as it obviously took some time. It is of course subject to change, but we are 98% sure we know his name.:) Life as we know it is definitely about to change, but we are excited about meeting little buster and being a family of 4!