Scruffy

I heard an interesting conversation in the bathroom today. Jon was shaving and Dominic was watching.

"Daddy, can I PLEASE shave?"

"No, Dominic, only grown-ups can shave"

PLEASE, PLEASE Daddy?"

"No, Dominic."

"But Daddy I'm so scruffy!"

A pause -

"Wow, you are pretty scruffy, but I think it's left-over breakfast, let's wash your face"

A big sigh! "Oh, okay."

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it, but Dominic's hands talk to each other. Mostly they just argue about things. But they've had some very enlightening (for me) conversations. It lets me have a peek into what my child is thinking. Today he informed us that his left hand was named

Dom Dom and his right hand was named Doc Doc. So I guess I was wrong about him not having an imagination to name things. Not sure where the names came from, but at least they aren't Tolkien and Caitlin. =)

George

If you aren't familiar w/ our monster George, please see previous blogs.

Today on the way home my mother-in-law and I could hear this conversation going on in the back seat. Dominic was trying to convince George to come into the car and put his clothes on. He was flying outside the car naked (or in Dominic's words "nakey bum"). Dominic told him to put on his shoes, then his pants. I guess he didn't want to put on his shirt so they had an argument and Dominic threw his shirt out the window. Then Dominic told him to go get our red car so he could follow us home. I told him that Daddy was driving the red car and Dominic said George needed to borrow it so he could drive home and be with us where he belonged. Then Daddy could drive it later.

We had been to Walmart earlier to pick up a few things and his Grammy had gotten him a teddy bear. Dominic has no imagination when it comes to naming things. Everything is Tolkien (our cat) right now. So Grammy had to help him name the bear.

Yet this child can clearly picture a monster that is red, flies (sometimes naked), talks to him and can drive red cars. Go figure!

Christmas & other things.

Here are a few random pictures that I wanted to post. They really don't go together, but I didn't want to do a separate blog for each one.

Dominic really enjoyed his Christmas. We had it early since Jon's dad had to leave on Monday to return home. Dominic got some more tools so he can help his Daddy. I think they were his favorite.

Caitlin's hair is pretty straight except for her little cow lick. But it always gets curly when it gets wet. She had her 1st bath on Saturday night. She didn't like it very much.

We went with the Clarks to see the lights. There is a family just a few miles from us that goes all out every year for Christmas w/ their lights. They include 3 homes and a huge field in between. The boys love running around all of the displays.

Not sure if you can see Dominic. He's inside the lights.

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Pregnancy pictures a little late.

Jill took these pictures of me the day before I had Caitlin. She is excellent with a camera and I'm so thankful I have these. I know I'm a little late posting them since I have already posted pictures of our little angel. But I like them, so, better late than never.

Jill took a ton of pictures, but this next one is my favorite. Isn't Dominic precious?!

More pictures!

Here are some random pictures that I'm throwing into my blog while I talk about Caitlin's first week home. I know it's only the 1st week, but this little girl is a doll. She only cries when she's hungry and is very alert for large periods of the day.

I was playing with the color settings on my camera. She looks like a porcelain doll.

Look at the cheeks on this kid!

My mom came to help while I was at the hospital and for about a week after. Dominic had fun w/ his grandma and I think it helped the transition. He certainly adores his little sister when he remembers that she's here. =)

Here is a picture of Dominic opening a present from Grandpa. He has gotten so many presents from friends and family who don't want him to feel left out that a few days ago he saw a bag w/ a dirty diaper in it and got excited thinking it was a present for him. Talk about disappointed. Poor kid is going to have a rough January. =)

This next picture isn't very clear. But I had to put a picture of the suitcase/backpack that Caitlin "brought" Dominic from the hospital. It was full of books. He was so excited.

We have been reading this little book for the past 2 months about a new baby coming to our house and Dominic being a big brother. Part of the books says babies are "Too little to walk. Too little to talk. Too little to play with toys. Too little to eat pizza or apples or ice cream." Dominic loves this book and can repeat most of it word for word. So I'm not sure why he didn't question Caitlin getting him a gift. But I think he was too excited to question a present from anyone.

She's Here!!!!!!

Our little girl is FINALLY here. I tried Thursday night to post one last picture of me pregnant and my computer wouldn't let me up load any pictures. So now you can see me w/ a bit less stomach.

We got to the hospital at 7am and Caitlin Brianna Murrell was born at 8:46am. She weighed the exact same as Dominic at 8lb 11oz. She was an inch shorter at 20 inches. It is amazing how much they look alike. Jon and my mom also think she looks like me. I just couldn't stop looking at her hair.

She is pretty good at sucking her finger already.

Jon was enjoying his daughter while I was in recovery. Looks like he was having more fun. =)

Dominic is absolutely in love with his little sister. Jon took some video of him and that caught his look of awe. He wants to hold her all the time and copies everything that I do with her. It is precious. In this pictures he's fascinated with her id bracelet.

This is right before we left the hospital. She has her brother's cheeks. Guess it was all of the chocolate that I ate while pregnant. =)

I know I'm biased, but I think she's beautiful.

Ginger Bread House

I found this blog and realized I'd never posted it.!

Melony had her annual ginger bread house party. Dominic has never gone before and so this year it was interesting to get his reaction. He doesn't eat candy. EVER! So I naively hoped that he would make the house and we wouldn't have to deal with the sugar part of it.

Boy, was I ever wrong. He started shoveling that candy in faster than Alyssa and I could stop him. I've never seen a kid eat so fast. Once I explained to him that he had to use the candy to build the house he calmed down and helped us make his little house. It was pretty cute.

Alyssa came with us because I'd been having a few contractions and needed to make sure I had a back up plan if I went into labor. She was a great help while I ran my errands as well. I wish I could keep her here. Dominic adores her and will miss her when she's gone.

Poor little kitty!

Dominic loves his kitty very much!!! He is always trying to hug him and carry him. Dominic weighs about 30 lbs and Tolkien weighs about 15 lbs. So it is very difficult for Dominic to hold on to him for long. We try to rescue kitty as much as possible.

Not sure if you can see kitty. He's being squished.

A couple of days ago, Dominic decided that kitty needed to have the Bible read to him. Dominic sat down beside him and every time the poor cat tried to move, Dominic would put him back on the couch and say "No, kitty! I'm not done reading yet!"

Christmas Tree

This last Saturday night we decided to put up our tree. We had so much help!

Dominic liked the wooden cranberries the most. He put them around his neck and informed us he was a princess. We corrected him and now he's a prince w/ a cranberry necklace.

He pulled out all of the stockings that I've accumulated over the years. He put the pet stockings on his feet and tried to get Jon to wear the larger ones. Finally he put the big ones on and he and Jon wore the Santa hats.

We had help putting the ornaments on as well.

Since we let him put ornaments on the bottom of the tree by himself the bottom looks very interesting. He put the pet stockings on as well.

He's Able!

Dominic was singing a song today and it took me a while to figure out what it was. Here is his version:

"He's terrible, He's terrible, I know He's terrible. I know my God is terrible to carry me far."

I gently corrected him and now he's singing it correctly, but it sure was cute.

Getting closer!

I had my next to last doctor appt today and he told me that while he doesn't think I'll go into labor this week, that I'm dilated to 3 cm. I am very excited. I know that this can last for weeks, but it makes it seem to much more real now. I've gotten everything ready and now I'm just waiting. Only 16 more days!!!

Playing

Jon and Dominic were playing with blocks last night. Not sure whose idea it was to put them on their heads.

Somehow I got sucked into the game as well. Jon thought it was funny and suggested that I put this on the blog. Funny how we never ended up w/ pictures of him w/ blocks on his head.

Pregnancy

It is after 1 am in the morning and I can't sleep. I suppose I could list all of the things that go or feel wrong when I lay down, but I'm tired of complaining. So I thought I'd get some thoughts out and try to go back to sleep.

It's only 20 days or 3 weeks and 6 days until I get to hold my little girl. I'm not ready as far as buying diapers and washing her clothes, but I am SOOO ready as far as meeting her. It will be nice to eventually roll over too. =) The 1st pregnancy was so exciting because it was new and everything was a new experience. While this pregnancy has been totally different in almost every way, I've gotten tired of being pregnant much quicker. I'm impatient to begin the next part of our lives as a family of four. I'm ready to be done with the waddle and fat belly. I'm ready to hold my little girl.

I can't help trying to imagine what she's going to be like. Will she be dark at 1st like Dominic? Will she be a good baby like he was? She's already more wiggly, so probably not much hope of her being a still and docile child, but I can hope. =)

It won't be long now and I'll be tired for a totally different reason. But I'm crazy enough to actually be looking forward to it. Guess I'd better go back to bed and at least try to sleep. I still have church and a 2 yr old to deal with tomorrow.

Getting closer!

I only have 25 days left until I get to meet my little girl. I'm getting so excited to meet her and hold her. Jon and Dominic seem pretty excited as well, so this little girl had better be ready for us! =)

This will be the last or next to last picture that we take of my belly for the scrapbook before we can actually see what she really looks like.

Just stuff about Dominic!

I know that the tune of my blogs will change as my kids get older. I've been warned about that. But right now it seems that the good days far out way the bad and I can't get over how cute and precious my son is. Even when I have "bad" days with him I can still smile at how entertaining he can be.

Tonight I was unpacking the suitcase from our trip. (As a side note to all pregnant women - don't take a trip when you have a 2 yr old and are 8 1/2 months pregnant.) I put all of the dirty clothes in a pile and was putting away the clean items. Jon started laughing and I came around the corner to see Dominic putting on a pair of Jon's socks that had been in the dirty pile. He then spent the next hour moving that pile of dirty clothes all over the house. He'd move it and then dive into it.

This next picture is of Dominic proudly showing me a "boogie" he'd picked out of his nose. Notice the tissue in his hand that isn't being used? I'm not sure if it's a kid thing or a boy thing, but he's very fascinated w/ his nose and pulling things out of it.

Jill watched him the other day while I had a drs. appt and he was supposed to be taking a nap. He started crying and when she went in to check on him, he told her he "had boogies". He had very neatly lined them all up on her head board. =) It's a good thing she has a little boy.

Imagination!

Dominic is fully potty trained, but drinks to much water to make it through the night w/out a diaper or a pull up. We wake him up right before we go to bed and have him go, but he still doesn't make it through the night.

So last night I grabbed some night time pull ups I'd bought. Turns out that I'd gotten a size too big. So before I could put them up Dominic decided that he'd try using it as a hat. At first he walked around "blind" and then he found the leg hole to look out of. The pictures aren't the greatest because he wouldn't be still, but I think you'll get the idea.

He has new "ideas" every day that keep me on my toes. Yesterday he flushed the toilet w/ his nose. Can't say as I saw that one coming. When people told me that having kids was an adventure I had no clue. But I'm probably ten times healthier than I was before. Because isn't laughter good for your health?

Toddler Parade

Every year our town has a toddler parade. It's usually the day of Halloween and it allows the little kids to wear their costume as they walk down main street in town and at the end they have food and games. I like it because we live out in the middle of nowhere and so Dominic doesn't get to do the traditional trick-or-treating. I wouldn't let him eat the candy anyways so it seems rather pointless.

I asked him what he wanted to be and he said either a monster or a dragon. So I finally found a costume at the consignment store that he really liked. Thankfully we had several kid's parties that he was able to attend because he LOVED wearing this thing.

This is Andy, Lilly and Dominic before the parade started. It was pretty cold that morning so we had them layered in clothes under their costumes. Looked funny, but they didn't seem to care.

George again

Last night after putting Dominic to bed I heard a frantic cry. I rushed in there and he informed me that George (see previous blog) was stuck inside his water bottle and he (Dominic) was afraid to get a drink. "I'm thirsty Mom. Can you make him come out?" So I dutifully opened the top and told George to get out and go to bed like a good little monster. Dominic was happy and was able to drink his water. Where in the world did this child get his imagination?

One of those days

Today has just been one of those days. I have a cold and am tired so everything that my precious child does is exaggerated. After having him get into the jelly jar, put his fingers in my milk and then spill it all over my sandwich, pee on the floor, break a book, jump on the cat and several other things I was at my wits end. I called Jon and was venting a little. At the end I asked him "Are you SURE that you don't want to be a stay-at-home dad and let me go back to work." After he assured me he wouldn't, he also accused me of being a poor sales person. =)

A friend called and I propped myself on the bed to relax for a few minutes. I could hear Dominic playing with his cars and then he started bringing them to me and lining them up on my leg. By the time I was off the phone my entire leg and most of my stomach had turned into a parking lot. He kept telling me "Don't move, mommy." After he'd brought most of them into the bedroom he crawled up onto the bed and we played for a while. I'd share a car or show him a favorite and he'd give me a big hug. One time he said "I love you mommy. I like it when you're here." He is such a sweet heart. I couldn't help having one of those ahhhh moments. I really DO love my "job". Even when he's being a pill I can't help compare it to two years ago when I was working. This pregnancy has been so much better. I'd liked my job then, but I love it now and wouldn't trade it for anything. So I guess it's a good thing I'm a poor sales person. =)

Pictures

Dominic loves playing with our camera and since I wanted to take an informal picture of us for Caitlin's scrapbook I tried using the delay for the 1st time. Afterwards we let Dominic take pictures. I now have several close ups of my belly and various other bad shots, but one of the family pictures turned out ok.

George

Dominic is a bit fearful of dark rooms and has been telling us for some time that there is a monster in the room. He'll take one of us in there and roar to "scare" the monster back into hiding. We learn new things about our monster every day. A couple of weeks ago we learned that he's completely red, including his eyes. He's about 3 feet tall. And his name is George. A couple of nights ago I had put Dominic to bed with his night light on. And I hear this little voice over the monitor.

"Go away!" Silence for a few minutes.

"ROOOOAAAAR!"

"George, go back over there."

Then all was silent and he eventually went to sleep.

Tonight he told Jon that George was hungry and I guess they decided that George wanted some of Tolkie's (the cat) food. Since they were peering into my closet I hope that they don't follow through. I told Jon that I was going to blog about Dominic's imaginary friend. Dominic informed me that George was NOT a friend. He was a monster.

"Fat" pictures

One of my dear family members asked me to post some "fat" pictures. So here it is! =) This was taken Sabbath morning.

My baby shower

Last night was my church baby shower. Jill did an amazing job. My take home outfit for Caitlin has a little cupcake on it, so she had a cupcake theme. It was SO cute. I got there before everyone else and so was able to take several pictures.

The little cupcakes were lip gloss party favors.

These cup cakes were wonderful. I won't tell you how many I had. And Jon was quite pleased when I was able to bring him home some.

Many thanks to Jill for a wonderful baby shower!

Best Friends

Dominic and Andy are the best of friends when they aren't around each other. Dominic asks every day to go play with Andy. But when together they seem to fight more than play. Andy was at our house a couple of days ago and Dominic decided to act out his Sabbath school lesson. (It's about Jairus's daughter being raised from the dead.) He got a couple of pillows from the couch and laid down on them. He announced in a loud voice "I'm dead now!" Andy immediately started to cry. Jill and I thought he might be upset because Dominic had taken his pillow. So Jill asked him what was the matter. He explained very tearfully "Dominic's dead!!!" Turns out they love each other after all. =)

This Saturday night we went over to the Clarks to have a bonfire (in the fireplace) and the boys had a ton of fun. I've included a couple of pictures of them trying to "fix" each other.

Swing Set

Jon has had plans for months to build Dominic a swing set and finally found the time to start working on it. He figured it would take him a weekend or two. What he forgot to figure into the time frame was Dominic.
Dominic adores his Daddy and so wanted to be right there helping. Jon came in and got his (Dominic's) tools and found a little cloth nail apron for him. He found a tape measure that he wasn't using and Dominic "helped".

Jon built the swing set on the ground and then planned to somehow lift the set up onto it's feet once it was completed. He asked our neighbor to help and it became a huge production. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures because they wouldn't let the pregnant lady close enough to take ones. But it ended up taking them over an hour, tons of rope, 3 people, one truck and a 4-wheeler to get the thing up and standing. Once it was up I figured out why. It was HUGE.I'm not sure if you can see Dominic down there, but that swing was so high I could look out the 2nd story window of our house and look it in the eye. After Jon sunk the legs into the ground several feet it looks much better, but it is still a HUGE swing.

Jon attached his hammock to the other side and last night he finished enough of it to put up Dominic's kiddie swing and his hammock. It was precious watching my two men enjoy their work.

New Blog

I've decided to start a new blog about Dominic and Caitlin. My web address is about to expire and since I've had numerous problems with it I don't really want to renew my contract. Since this is free and several of my friends use blogspot, I thought I'd try it.

These blogs will be about my kids mostly, since they are the main source of entertainment in our family. =)

I also have a new email address for those of you that don't want to make comments on here or have something longer to say. It is tmurrell@vol.com.

Would love to hear from all of you!