Warm Houston Weather

We have been enjoying the warm Houston weather for the last couple weeks (sorry to all of you who are in Utah and still dealing with snow). Last year we didn't get very many hibiscus flowers, this year they have been amazing. Everyday there are new blooms. Lonnie took some great shots of them. Enjoy!

30 Weeks pregnant

My belly is getting bigger and bigger, especially when I hold it on the underside and show off my psychedelic swirls.


Out in the garden in a more conservative outfit.

You may notice that all the belly shots are taken in dresses, well that is due to the fact that I have gotten to the point where I only require myself to get dressed nice and fix my hair one day a week, Sunday. Blow drying my hair on any other day requires too much effort and I have to save my strength for more important things, life gestating babies. :)

I'm looking forward to the days when we have baby photos to put up and not just photos of my belly.

thank you

To Do List:
Thank you notes:

Aitran
Maggie Ascanio- Gift certificate, dinner
Sister Johnson *-gift card
Liz Brown*- gift card
Kathy Holt*- gift card
Seanna Jolly-
Seminary Teachers-play gym
Marian Pickard*
Andrea Nelson*
Paula Jurinak*
Carolee Weber
Behtany and Andy- CD, doula
Emily Van Orman* *Blankets, towels, pacifiers and gowns
Doula supporters
Leah- clothes, onity, coming to help, doula
Johanna
Ann
Tiffany
Shima
Jessie
Grandma Allred- Blankets*
Tyler and Andrea- Lot of baby clothes
Jared, Debbie, Kyle and Daniel- Gift Certificates
Kelly- preemie gowns*
Mom-preemie clothes
Bridget- dinner*
Tanya- Dinner*
Samantha- quilts
Help-Jacki, Jana, Samantha, Sister Stay (diapers, Onsies) Marci, April Young
Susan- Quilts
Tara- Thing 1 & 2
Patsy- visit and afgans
Ann- onesie- Big Lots*
Sister stay- diapers, onesies, dinner
Terri and Toby- Snugglies and Clothes
Laura- lots of clothes/help
Cuban neigbor- clothes
Lopez- clothes*
jacki- Pecan candy, teddy bears
Dawn- clothes
sandy and suzie-clothes blanket*
Tara Bauer- Blankets*
Bauer Family- Target card*
Place Family-*
3185 W 132 Place
Leanwood, KS 66209
Peggy Willams- Check
Fiet- Target card*
DeGraffs- Childrens Board Books*

Names, names, names...

So we've been discussing baby names for some time. It's complicated enough when you just have to think of one name, but we have the duty to name two kids at the same time. We're pretty settled on the name Maya for a girl, and we even have a back up girl's name in case both are girls. But we haven't really settled on a name for a boy. We have a front runner, but we thought we'd do another poll to see what you (our friends and family) think of various boy names. Please feel free to make comments and add suggestions. You aren't going to hurt our feelings, so fire away. By the way, we reserve the right to name the children whatever we like, and you might want to be careful about expressing your opinion to Alisa once the names are set. You know how mothers get protective of their children. :)

-Lonnie

all in a name

Which names do you like? (Select all that apply)

.....one of my recent favorite painting by Brian Kershisnik

and the winner is......

I went to the doctor's office again today and had another ultrasound.

Of course we won't know 100% until the babies are born, but we were told that baby A is a girl and baby B a boy! Yes, a set. One of each.

I guess we won't have to ever worry about telling them apart, we can always just check.

We are thrilled! (of course we were thrilled when we thought it was two girls also) It is so fun to think about what life might be like with two little babies.

24 Weeks Pregnant

what would faustina do??

Since getting pregnant, we have started to think more specifically what type of parents we want to be. I have also been stressing about gathering all the equipment, gear and stuff that babies require....car seats, strollers, crib, cradles, pack and play, swings, bouncer chairs, bottles, changing table, clothes, baby toys, monitor, custom quilts, boppy, carriers, diapers, wipes, just to name a few.

What would Faustina do? This is a questions I ask myself a lot these day. Faustina is an amazing mother of 5 who lives in Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan, Guatemala. I first met Faustina when I was on a BYU Anthropology Field Study in the summer of 2000. I lived with her and her family in a small Mayan village in the Guatemalan highlands. Faustina and I became good friends and I have returned to visit her her several times. I took Lonnie to met Faustina in May of 2005.

Faustina does not have a lot of material possessions. She lives in a very small adobe home and cooks her meals on an open fire. I am quite certain that her children never had any of the list of the things that I consider necessary for a baby. Yet she manged to raise her beautiful, happy children. Of course, many of the things available to me will make my life easier and the babies lives safer. Also, Faustina lived in a different type of society than we live in; her sisters, mother, and extended family all live within feet of her home and all took part in raising and watching over her children. Still, it seems like we become convinced that we need so much stuff in order to have a baby living in our home. So where is the balance? What do we really need? What can we do without? How do we find the balance between consumerism and necessity? Can all of that baby equipment distract us from the actual baby and deny our natural abilities as mothers?

we're not so sure anymore....

So we thought we knew the sexes of the babies, confirmed twice by an ultrasound.....and we were keeping it only just a little bit quiet (I usually told anyone who asked).

But then yesterday I went to the doctors and had another ultrasound. Now we are not quite so sure. The nurses discussed and could not come to a consensus, other than to tell us to wait for another ultrasound in another two weeks.

So the voting is still open. Feel free to change your vote, if you so desire.