oh the joy

I've been thinking for several weeks about weaning Ethan. It's time for me and for him but it was definitely more bonding with him than with Emma. I think I was a little sad with Emma but it was for a purpose of getting ready to get pregnant again, so I felt resolute about it.

This time, we don't know what the future holds. We ask ourselves (literally) daily if we want to stay with two kids or go on to have a third. There are so many pros and cons to both arguments. It is the toughest decision ever. Up until a few months ago, it was just "in my heart" to have more. It felt natural. It felt right. Then, we thought of all the great things staying with two affords and we began to plan wonderful vacations and thought of how much easier it is to ask someone (my mom, mainly) to watch two kids instead of three. I didn't prepare myself, though. I didn't prepare for Ethan to be my *last* pregnancy, my *last* birth, my *last* breastfeeder. But do I have a third baby just for that selfish reason? Is it selfish?

Every day we ask each other "how do you feel today?" And we respond differently every day. Sometimes I say 2 and he says 3 or he says 2 and I say 3. Isn't that the answer? We can't agree whole heartedly agree on one day, so we should wait?

::sigh::

Total topic change. We've been hanging out with Samuel, Levi and Isaac quite a bit and I like to write down the funny things they say. Enjoy:

Playing with the hot wheels car garage thingy that Adam got for the kids:
     Samuel in his funny shouting voice: This is the best. day. ever! This is better than going to Colorado!

(Always so randomly and matter of fact, from little Levi): If you fart in my mom's face, you owe her a dollar.

In the car:
Samuel: Our house is really old
Me: What do you mean?
Samuel: We've been there for like THIRTY days already!
(I didn't know that's what made it old. Thanks for the heads up, buddy!) :-)

Levi: Even if a dinosaur stomped on me and ate me, I'd still be in his stomach and that would be SO COOL!

We didn't know the boys were up yet when Adam and I were making breakfast. All of a sudden, we just hear this little voice and it was Levi talking through the white gate doors we have going from the playroom (where they were sleeping) to the kitchen. He just starts telling us about his dream. It was hilarious:
   Levi: Um, I dreamed I was swimming and a giant turtle was with me and then he ATE me but I didn't die.

In the car:
Me: Samuel will you count with us?
Samuel: I don't want to count. It's SO BORing!

:-)

And then last night, they came over but Annie and I are making things easier with no baths and no toothbrushes (cuts down on the STUFF) and so this is what Levi said after being told there was no bath:

Levi: Are we even going to brush our teeth?!?
Me: No, mommy didn't pack toothbrushes or toothpaste
Levi: . . . But my mom says. . .
Me thinking in my head "crap, crap, crap what does mom say??"
Levi: on the verge of tears. . . But my mom says my teeth will turn yellow and fall out!
Me: . . . Well that's not going to happen tonight, I promise. . . Look, Dino Dan!
Levi: Aww yeah!
(The power of distraction is strong with this one)