First Game!

Jacob's first official t-ball game was Thursday night.  Ironically, it was a year to the day after our visit to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.  A year later, Jacob was starting his baseball career!  Fortunately the hot and humid weather we've had for a couple weeks had finally broken, so it was a nice, pleasant night in comparison...but still warm!  I rushed out of work, rushed to get Carter, and rushed to the game.  It had already started when I got there, but I think I saw Jacob's first at-bat...

Swing!  Sorry, there were a lot of people in the way!

Safe at first!  Of course, there are no outs...

Waiting on third to run home!

Scoring his first run!

The rules for this level of t-ball are a little crazy--four innings, everyone bats, no outs, only advance one base at a time, no keeping score.  It's all about learning the fundamentals and having fun.  He's got seven other teammates, all cute kids, and it's going to be an interesting season watching them learn.  One kid spends all evening crying, one girl is tougher than the boys, and the coach's son is just as distracted as Jacob can be, without the skills!  For all of his obsession with sports, Jacob can be terribly distracted.  I think at times he forgets that he has a lot to learn, and I think he's got his own agenda sometimes (what else is new?).  We knew that playing with teammates and any sort of structure would be a challenge for him after so many years of doing his own thing.  He liked the game a lot better than practice, though, and he did well.  His team was definitely better than the other team, at least. 

After the game we took a couple pictures...

And here's some video of his second at-bat.  It's hard to follow (sorry, lots of people in the way again and it was hard to see the ball in person because it was so sunny)...


It's going to be a long season since the rules make for a scattered ballgame, but like I said, watching the kids grow and learn will be fun.  The coach's son (who is adopted and has overcome some disabilities) and the kid who cries (we guess that he might have some social anxiety issues--poor kid) got the game balls.  Of course Jacob asked afterward why he didn't get one, but we told him those kids had the best game they could have had and he just needs to keep working hard if he wants to earn one.  That should give him something to work for. 

This could be the first game of many we'll have as sports parents, and I'll blog more about my feelings on that topic soon.  But for one night it was nice to see a "first", and it'll definitely be an adventure!

The Trouble with Three

We're in a nice little sweet spot right now with Carter.  He's past a lot of the newborn difficulties, he's super smiley and sweet, and he can't run off or talk back yet.  While I can't even fathom having another baby anytime soon (or ever), Carter's been a sweet enough baby that if I could be convinced, he'd probably be able do it. 

But of course I know that not every baby is as sweet as him, and he's a prime example of how babies can bring about the unexpected (hello, $2,500 for formula!), so when I'm thinking logically, there is no way we're doing this again.  I'm not sure my body can take it, for one.  Jacob was 10 days early and Carter was three weeks early, so where would that leave another baby?  Yeah, probably two weeks late!  I was so uncomfortable last time, and so miserable that I didn't feel well enough to take care of Jacob the way I would have liked.  And if we were doing this again, we'd have to do it soon because of my age...but doing it with a challenging big kid AND a toddler?  UGH.  I don't want to go through labor again, because now we know these kids come out sunny side up and it hurts.  We don't have the money for more daycare, and I don't want to have to get another new vehicle to fit three kids after I just bought a new one (though Craig is lobbying for a minivan when he finally gets rid of his car).  I don't want to feel like we need a new house.  And while I love my boys, three of them might be more than I can handle.  I don't have enough time for the kids I have now, and I can't even imagine adding a third to the list.  Having another baby is just not logical.

But there's a tiny part of me that still wants a daughter, and if I could guarantee that next time we'd get a girl, I'd really have to think long and hard about it.  Of course we can't do that, so it's not an issue, but the mere fact I'd consider it says something.  I've really enjoyed watching Carter grow this time around.  I think the knowledge that this needy baby turns into someone (someone difficult, perhaps, but a real person) makes the entire ride that much more interesting the second time around. Part of me is simply curious to see what a third would be like, especially if it's a girl.  Also, there's just something about three kids that sounds pretty great.  It's just enough to make holidays and get-togethers that much more fun, without it being overwhelming.  I've heard things about how having three makes sure that one kid always has someone else to turn to when the other sibling isn't cutting it.  Of course, I've also heard that three is the hardest number since you have to transition to zone defense instead of man-to-man, and you no longer fit in a world made for families of four--restaurant booths, kitchen tables, cars, amusement park rides, etc.  But once in a while, it still sounds pretty cool if we could pull it off.

If it were to happen, it would probably have to happen in one of two ways--it would either have to be planned out to the day (like Carter), or it would have to be a miracle of epic proportions to overcome both the fact that I'm on birth control and my fertility issues.  So, unless something changes drastically, it's not happening unless God emphatically decides it's happening.  And sometimes I can't help but wonder how I'd react if that happened.  Fear?  Excitement?  Dread?  All of the above?

Well, the other day I read a couple really depressing blog posts by a husband and wife who have found themselves in a similar situation.  Read them here and here.  Their situation is a little different in that they already had one and went through fertility treatments for another, only to find themselves pregnant with twins.  They are completely overwhelmed and depressed about how their decision to up their chances of a pregnancy by implanting two embryos turned into something they are sure will ruin their family.  On one hand, their attitudes are pretty appalling.  They speak like the babies aren't real people, that they're merely a burden.  But on the other hand, I understand where they're coming from.  Heck, if we were surprised with an unexpected pregnancy, I think I might have some of those same feelings...though I'd hope I'd feel guiltier about my frustrations than they sound. 

I was on antibiotics for a few days following my hedge trimmer incident, and antibiotics can make birth control ineffective.  We took precautions, but it definitely got me thinking about how I'd feel if I accidentally got pregnant right now.  I would be absolutely terrified.  I'd worry about paying for more daycare and managing two kids so close together.  I can't imagine having Carter's birthday party while massively pregnant, or figuring out how to move kids into different rooms.  I can't handle all I have to do every evening right now as it is, let alone with another baby.  It would bring in so many extra expenses, probably make Jacob's behavior even worse, and in the words of those bloggers, possibly ruin our family.  I'd like to think we're stronger than that, but it would be scary, no doubt.  Still, if it happened, I'd have to keep in mind that God did it for a reason.  It wouldn't be easy, but I'd just have to remember that there's a purpose for it and hope that gets us through. 

I feel for those bloggers and pray for those kids--they're going to need it.  But as for us, as long as logic continues to dictate and modern medicine works the way it's supposed to, two is it for us.  That tiny part of me will always wish circumstances would have been different, but I think we'll be a happier family as a foursome. 

The Second Time Around

So...yesterday Carter went in to get an upper GI to investigate why he's still got a bit of a cough and figure out how problematic his reflux is.  I initially thought it was the same kind of test Jacob had done, but it was a little different.  Carter had to lay on a table, drink some barium, and they watched and took pictures as everything moved down his esophagus and into his stomach.  They turned him a few times to get different angles and see how things moved, and within about 15 minutes, it was over.  Jacob's test lasted a good half hour or so, and he had to remain as still as possible during the whole thing.  Carter moved a bit and it was OK, but we still had to hold him in different positions and he didn't really appreciate it.  Oh, and he hadn't eaten for three hours prior, so he wasn't a happy camper by the time we entered hour four.

And OF COURSE, they didn't see any refluxing.  Dude, the kid has reflux...or at least, he's got something going on that causes stuff to frequently pop back out of his mouth and onto his surroundings.  I know his spitting up isn't as bad as it could be, but it's annoying to have your kid spit up on you an hour after he's eaten, randomly.  I know that the cough was actually more of a concern from the doctor's perspective, and I get that, though Carter's cough isn't nearly what Jacob's was for a longer period of time. 

So...given that they didn't see any refluxing, I have no idea what the next step is going to be.  Carter is on three medications for it now--Zantac, Reglan, and Prilosec.  Each has a different function.  It seems like overkill, but yet he still seems to have issues.  I don't know if they're going to want to do more testing, or pull him off the meds, or what.  I think Jacob's history has led them to make some assumptions about what might be bothering him, but it's hard to say whether it truly is the same thing or something a little different.  I'm pretty darn sure that Jacob's cough was way worse than Carter's, and that Carter's spitting up is way worse than Jacob's ever was.  On one hand I'm glad they didn't see anything serious, but on the other hand I feel like we put him through all of that for nothing. 

Doing all this stuff for the second time around has been a little different than the first time.  The first time we obsessed over this testing and we agonized over his illness.  This time it felt a little more matter-of-fact.  It still wasn't fun to make him go through it, but I don't think we overthought the whole situation this time.  Heck, Craig didn't even go to the procedure.  We agonized over Jacob going on his medicines, but with Carter, we know everything went fine so it's much easier to go with the flow.

I guess with a second child you've "been there, done that" and you know things eventually work themselves out.  Rarely do your worst nightmares come true.  Of course, I have friends whose little girl is battling cancer right now, so I guess you always have that in the back of your mind.  But most of the time these sorts of things eventually resolve themselves uneventfully one way or another.  You have way too many other things to worry about (kid #1 included) to think too deeply about anything.  Going through this stuff the second time around is much easier, but I guess there's that tiny bit of risk you won't agonize enough and you'll miss something. 

I'm glad that Carter apparently isn't that sick, but I just wish we had gotten some sort of answer because I still know that something's off.  I'd rather not have my baby full of drugs if they're not going to help him.  But how do you know?  Ugh...perhaps I will overthink this just a little bit...

In other news...

Our busy weekend is over and we're basically in recovery mode.  The only problem is that it's going to be another busy week followed by another busy weekend.  This week officially starts Jacob's schedule of t-ball every Monday and Thursday, and as a bonus, tomorrow is our night to work the concession stand.  I may do it myself and let Craig stay with the kids.  However, I still need to find a day early this week to get my stitches out.  In addition, I just found out today that Carter is going in for his testing (the same test Jacob got) tomorrow morning.  Awesome.  This weekend we have a birthday party in Buffalo.  There are possible activities going on pretty much every weekend for the rest of the summer, so I'm wondering if I'm ever going to have a lazy weekend around the pool.  Ha!

 

Yesterday we were supposed to go to a lacrosse game.  Craig's team (Hamilton) was playing a road game in Rochester.  About an hour before we were supposed to leave, as Jacob was finishing his lunch, he suddenly felt sick.  At first he seemed confident it would pass, then suddenly he got panicked and ran up to the bathroom.  I sat with him, though he forbid me to talk, touch him, or leave.  I did have to leave a couple times, once to get a crying Carter and a second time to get Carter a bottle.  He cried and seemed very miserable.  I felt so bad for him, but I couldn't help but smirk at a couple things.  First, the whole thing of not letting me talk or touch him cracked me up.  I know how he feels because I'm pretty much the same way, but seeing him be so set on that sort of cracked me up.  That, and how ridiculous it was that I had to sit there silently and yet could not leave.  The other thing that made me smile was how he was literally willing himself not to be sick.  He kept whining and saying, "Don't puke," and "I don't want to throw up," almost as if he was telling himself not to do it.  It was so pathetic but so cute at the same time.  He was insisting that I should take him to the hospital because they could give him medicine to make sure he didn't throw up, but I told him they'd only give him medicine like that if he had already been sick for a long time.  It took a good half hour, but eventually his stomach chilled out and we exited the bathroom unscathed.  No game, though, which was just as well since Carter probably wouldn't have appreciated the heat.

 

Carter is adorable as ever.  Aside from his penchant to spit up on everyone and everything, he's insanely cute and very happy.  He's growing, too.  I had been suspecting that his size one diapers were getting a little small on him, particularly because he's been pooping out of them almost every morning.  So this weekend I went out and got size twos, and believe it or not, they weren't even really big on him!  And he pooped out again this morning.  The kid poops watery, but still.  Ugh.  I am really tired of cleaning poop.  My hands are getting raw! 

 

He's still a very good baby, though.  Everyone at daycare says it, and I know it.  Despite the fact that he's sometimes extra needy and wants to be held non-stop, he's still such a good baby when it counts most--at bedtime and at mealtime.  He eats and sleeps like a champ, and generally without a fuss.  I'm sure that won't last, but for now it's amazing.  Usually he's not the easiest baby to leave for a few minutes, but hopefully once he's more into toys and can grab things easier, it will get better.  Yesterday he actually managed to grab the toy on his vibrating chair that plays the music.  That was a big milestone!  I brought up his high chair yesterday so he can watch us eat dinner, because otherwise he just cries.  I also brought up the Jumperoo, but I haven't cleaned it or assembled it yet.  I don't think he's quite big enough, but just in case, I figured I'd check it out. 

 

Jacob had his second night of t-ball tonight.  His skills aren't bad, but he has a hard time listening and paying attention.  Some of the other kids don't have his level of skills, so it will definitely be an interesting season.  I'm not sure how to manage twice a week during dinnertime, but I better figure it out quickly!

 

Anyway, here's a few quick pictures from the last few days... 

He may not be smiling, but I love this picture.  It's just sweet and highlights his big eyes!

Happy boy!

In the pool!

Quality time with Daddy!

I can't even keep my eyes open, so it's time for bed!  Ahhhh.

Belated Birthday

Because of various scheduling difficulties, Jacob's birthday party with the family had to wait a couple weeks.  His birthday didn't seem quite official without it.  His actual birthday was pretty low-key, and there weren't even really any blockbuster gifts so everything just seemed a little quieter than usual.  And with two weeks before his actual party, it was even stranger. 

 

Finally the big day came.  The weather was hot and humid with a chance of rain, but it ended up being dry and a perfect pool day.  Of course, with my hacked up finger I couldn't go anywhere near the pool, but I had plenty to do in the meantime...I had a cake to worry about. 

 

After a couple near-disasters and one total disaster, last year's soccer ball cake was pretty awesome.  This year Jacob had gone back and forth between a few different concepts, including a hockey rink and a cowboys-Indians-type cake, but settled on a baseball diamond.  I wasn't sure how it would go, but I pinned a few versions on Pinterest and plotted it out as much as I could.  I baked the cakes Friday night and lucked out with a fantastic nap by Carter Saturday morning to get as much of the cake done as I could.  Jacob kept coming in to watch me do the first layer of frosting, and was trying to be supportive for a change, which was cute.  After I finished the grass part of it, I called him in to see it, and I asked him if it was okay.  He told me it was better than okay, which was really sweet.  As a kid that doesn't get truly excited about much, it was nice to get a good reaction from him.  In the end, I was pleasantly surprised at how it turned out, which let me enjoy more of the party than usual...but more on the cake in a bit.

 

I was outside enjoying the day while everyone was in the pool, and at one point I walked back to the house to work on some food when our niece came out of the house and said, "There's a bird at the front door...", to which I responded, "What?!"  When I walked upstairs to the door and saw our houseguest, I immediately remembered--Craig had set it up to have the Knighthawks' mascot, R. Thunder, come to the party.  Jacob LOVES the mascot.  He has for years.  As a little bit of background...R. Thunder is an eagle who was added as a second mascot for the Amerks a few years back.  He also did Knighthawks games, and when the teams' ownership situation changed a couple years ago, I guess you could say that the Knighthawks got "custody" of R. Thunder.  That is how the Knighthawks ended up with an eagle as their mascot.  Jacob just calls him "The Eagle".

 

Well, when "The Eagle" walked into the backyard, Jacob freaked out!  He was SO excited.  He instantly started yelling to him as he paddled frantically to get out of the pool and go see him.  Here's a shot of him trying to paddle... 

And here he is once he was out of the pool...

Immediately Jacob ran into the house to get changed into his lacrosse stuff so they could play.  Now, as you look at this picture, keep in mind that it was about 85 degrees and humid...

Taking a break after the first round of lacrosse

And now think about how 85 and humid must feel inside this bird...

R. Thunder took a couple water breaks, but in between he played lacrosse like a champ...

I'll admit, it was really entertaining seeing Jacob and all his cousins playing with a giant fuzzy bird.  They had a blast and everyone posed for pictures at the end...

Shortly after the Eagle finished up his visit, it was time for presents.  There actually ended up not being a lot to open.  His present from Craig's parents (Legos) didn't arrive in time, one of my parents' presents wasn't wrapped, and godmother Lori ended up giving him money and offering to take him shopping to spend it.  He did have a lot of cards, and did open up some Legos from Craig's brother's family. 

The unwrapped present from my parents was a kid-sized table and chairs for his room. We had discussed getting him a Lego table, but all of the real Lego tables were surprisingly small (better for 2-3 year olds than for the big kids who actually play with Legos).  Just around the time we were trying to figure out other options, my mom stumbled upon a top of an old Lego table at my aunt's yard sale.  She scooped that up, had my very handy uncle work some magic with it (there was a hole in the middle that used to lead to a mesh storage bag), and got a taller regular table.  The good news is that instead of having to clear off the Lego side of the real Lego table to flip it to the flat table side, Jacob can just remove this topper...

What's this big one?

Lego table top!

However, we don't know yet exactly how it will work.  It has some felt pads on the bottom but may need some rubber pads too, to make sure it doesn't shift.  I tried to put the table and chairs together today, but there was a crack in the table top (ugh) so I put in a request with the company (after confirming that none of the Toys 'R' Us locations here have the right one to exchange).  I've had good luck with requests like that in the past, so hopefully this one will have a quick and successful resolution.  I can't wait to get it all set up and get all (or some) of the Legos off the floor!

Now, back to the cake.  As I said, I was pleasantly surprised with how it turned out.  Jacob was a little critical of my original design, so I ended up grabbing an image of a baseball field off the internet and using it to map out where everything needed to go.  I also changed the orientation of the field at the last minute, but everything worked out perfectly...

There's a "5" behind the second baseman.

Those baseball guys were actually used as potty training prizes a few years ago.  They were a couple bucks at the party store (I had gone looking for them after he became obsessed with hockey guys that Craig still had from one of his birthday cakes as a kid).  He earned three of them before it must have lost its lure, because I still had three of them put away.  I found the other three in with his sports guys, and voila...a full infield.

Jacob really liked the cake a lot, which was great.  It's not often he shows gratefulness for anything, so to see him so excited about this cake made me so happy.  And it was pretty darn tasty, as well. 

All in all, it was a great day.  There were a couple minor hiccups (mostly related to Jacob's ongoing problems with obedience), but everything went well--from the food to the cake, from the weather to the entertainment, from the presents to the company, everything was really pretty successful.  We were all exhausted, though, and everyone slept well! 

Now on to another week...

One of these years...(again)...

I say it every year, but one of these years we will see real fireworks on the 4th of July.  It hasn't happened since 2007, but one of these years, we will.  I swear. 

Growing up, I have fond memories of the 4th.  We'd usually go to some sort of family picnic--most memorably at my grandma's house when she still had a pool.  After dinner we'd drive over to the local park along the river, park in long lines of cars, set up our lawn chairs and blankets, bring out some snacks and drinks (the best of which was often a container of cherries!), and people watch until it was dark.  I'd lust after the plastic light-up crap the vendors were selling, and no doubt I probably got bored after a while.  But eventually the fireworks would start...and most of the time, I'd end up hiding in the car in fear of the giant booms.  But the colors were pretty, and I liked that part.  Regardless...it was a "thing" and that's how our 4th of July usually went. 

As I got older my parents no longer wanted to go, and I think I went to at least a couple displays with friends.  I worked a game on the 4th as a Bisons intern.  Once I was on my own I went to a sporting event or two and saw fireworks there.  We spent one in Vegas on our honeymoon, watching fireworks from our hotel room.  And back in 2007 we came down to my 16th floor office downtown and watched from the best possible vantage point.  But since then we haven't really done anything specific to celebrate the day, and that bums me out a bit.  Despite all that's happened in the years since those picnics and trips to the river, those activities still feel like what I should be doing on the 4th of July.

There are a few reasons why we haven't done anything.  Early on, the logistics of having a baby made the outing a little daunting--late night, loud noises, unknown comfort level--and that's the case again with Carter.  In between, and even now, we've just had stuff going on.  This year it was getting ready for Jacob's birthday party.  In the past it's been yard work and running around and catching up on sleep (or at least, not wanting to make things worse).  It never seems worth the effort...until I see everyone's Facebook pictures and realize that we didn't do anything to make the 4th of July special and unique.  And while I know Jacob's only five and Carter is even younger, I know so many of those good memories I have, the ones that compel me to feel like we should be doing that stuff, started when I was that little.  And so far we've dropped the ball. 

Also, to be fair, Jacob doesn't like fireworks.  He's slowly but surely warming up to them under certain circumstances--he liked them last year at the Bisons game but still doesn't like them at Red Wings games--but it's a bit hit-or-miss.  Carter may not like them for a while yet, but maybe by next year we can see if he's at least interested in them.

Another issue is that our town doesn't do a display anymore.  We live in a rather large town, but fireworks were apparently part of budget cuts somewhere along the way.  They did them up until a couple years ago, and then they stopped because the privately owned park that hosted them couldn't get enough volunteers.  So, in order to see them, we'd have to venture to another town, most likely in an area we're not familiar with.  It's not that we can't, it's just that right now it's still a bit awkward if we can't get a comfortable spot or know how early we have to go or what we might do when we get there.  This year it did occur to me that we could come downtown early, walk by the river, and then walk back to my building for the fireworks, but again--exhaustion and other busyness took over, so maybe next year.  But inevitably something else will come up that will keep us away again. 

But at some point I really do want to start a new tradition and at least mark the day with some activity that will remind the boys why the day is special.  And I'd rather that activity not be watching fireworks on TV in our living room.  One of these years...

News & Notes - Fickle Finger Edition

Well, 24 hours later my finger is hanging in there.  It looks ridiculous.  It doesn't hurt too much, thankfully, and I feel like whatever pain I do have is more just strain from holding it up out of the way when I'm doing things.  I can type pretty well, and it turns out I can still use it to click my mouse, but it does get in the way of my scrolling wheel on the mouse and does make typing certain letters a little more challenging.  But I'm glad it doesn't hurt and I'll be happy to get this bandage off tomorrow and just use a nice waterproof Band-Aid instead.  It's just annoying to not be able to properly wash my hand.  I did manage to figure out how to pre-treat laundry, so that was a plus. 

Speaking of laundry, Jacob is still having his pooping issues.  He's been on Miralax (or at least the Wegmans generic of it--that stuff is pricey!) for a couple days now and we've had a few poop in the butt incidents.  I can't tell if the poop is now too soft, or if it's just making it impossible for him to hold it in.  He's insisting he doesn't have to poop, but we tell him that if that's happening it probably means he does, even if it doesn't feel urgent.  He does the same thing sometimes with peeing--he'll admit to a drip in his undies but insist he doesn't have to pee.  So...I'm not sure if it's him being stubborn, or there really being some sort of mental block there that he can't get past.  Either way, it's getting annoying.  Guess I'll have to add that to my "Jacob" list of questions I have for when I take Carter to the doctor on Friday.

We're definitely still having issues with Jacob's behavior in general.  I am making a concerted effort to only yell when necessary and keep my cool at all costs.  It's not easy, but I feel like if I keep calm, there's a greater likelihood he will, and he'll get the message if I do have to yell.  Even still, he will fly off the handle for no apparent reason, and he doesn't always change his behavior when I threaten to yell.  It seems like sleep helps, but no matter how early we put him down he doesn't fall asleep until he feels like it.  Ugh.  And he's been waking up extra early lately to play Legos in his room.  I like how he plays when he does it and leaves us alone, but I'd rather he be getting sleep.

Baseball practice was canceled tonight due to rain, and because of the holiday he doesn't practice again until next Monday.  He's insisting he wants to be a catcher, and he NEEDS a catcher's mask, but we don't even think t-ball uses catchers.  Even once they transition to coach-pitch mid-season, we're still not sure anyone plays catcher.  So even though we tell him he needs to wait another year or so until they give kids the chance, he's insisting he wants to do it now.  Ummm, no.  Weird enough that he already has a cup.  That's enough for one season.  Lacrosse starts in the fall, by the way.  And I'm sure he will insist he wants to be goalie.

Carter is still ridiculously happy...

...but we do have our struggles with him, too.  Despite being on two medicines for reflux, the kid still spits up a considerable amount.  Sometimes it doesn't seem to phase him, and sometimes he seems upset.  He's still growing fine and is generally happy, but it's hard to manage when your kid is constantly spitting up something.  His poop goes between watery and a sort of dry mush, but I haven't seen mucus in ages, which is making me hope that the sensitivity is slowly but surely working its way out.  Maybe in a couple more months we'll do a test.  He's been a little extra needy at times lately, but I don't know if something's bugging him or he just likes being held.  He's drooling like crazy, but I think teeth are still a while away.  He seems to have rejected the pacifier now if he's upset, which is a bit of a bummer when we need it, but a relief in the long run.  He's still sleeping well, eating contentedly, and smiling a ton, and those are the most important things. 

The 4th of July is coming up, and I'm pretty sure we're not doing anything festive...again.  We pretty much haven't since Jacob was born.  It's a bit of a bummer, but dealing with crowds and traffic late at night just doesn't sound appealing.  But I miss fireworks and all of that.  Instead we'll spend the day prepping for Jacob's party and the boys will probably hang out in the pool a bit if the weather's decent.  I have a lot of cleaning to do, and the usual shopping and prep work.  Jacob wants a baseball field cake, and I've pinned a bunch of doable ones on Pinterest to give myself a guide. It's going to be interesting.  I hope I can at least do it respectably.  I want to get a "grass" tip for the frosting, and I'm nervous about having enough frosting...as usual.  But I'm looking forward to the challenge.  For now.

It's going to be a busy week, for sure...and in the meantime, don't mind my freakishly large finger!