fb.

baby tsai seems to be anxious to meet us as i've had a few signs of early labor this past week.  hoping he'll stay put at least a couple more weeks as i'll be 35 weeks tomorrow.

prior to the births of our previous children, i've always felt a little wistful over how things will change with the new addition.  i felt sad the last night i tucked mikey in to bed thinking how that was our last time being just him and me before allie joined us.  then, i felt sad over how big-yet-little mikey and allie were as they slept in their new bunk bed before lauren joined us.

it's not that we haven't loved welcoming each new little one into our family, it's more my thinking about how things will change for each of them, how there might be less attention available for each one, how they each might have to grow up just a bit faster in order to make room for one more.

turns out i'm not such a big fan of change.

but God was faithful to prepare the kids' hearts with each new addition to the family and the kids adjusted beautifully each time.  i couldn't have asked for a sweeter welcoming committee for each new baby.

and so, here we are again at that same place just before we welcome another little one home.  and i'm feeling a little wistful again.

probably brought on as i looked this morning through some of the first pictures i posted on facebook.  all for today's photo assignment.  darn you, fb.

assignment #23:  facebook

this was just after we had moved back to california.  mikey was three, allie was maybe 18 months.  wah.

mikey's first day of preschool.  he was four.  wah.

and here's lauren just after we brought her home from the hospital.  WAH!!!

but.

but here's something that i definitely don't feel too sentimental over, due in part to the fact that these were taken before phil and i ever met.  and for that, i am thankful.

nope, not feelin' it.

and again, no.

sometimes, there just aren't words to 'splain it.

like i said before, darn you, fb.

face.

alright, so i fell terribly behind with my joy of love posts.  what with contractions coming and going and the constant urge to close my eyes and sleep for the next month, it may take me a bit longer to get to them all.  but, i AM determined to finish the assignments one way or another.  and who knows?  maybe the newest tsai will get to join in the fun for a few of them, too!

assignment #22:  face (portraits)

makes friends easily wherever he goes

is a great big brother

keeps us smiling and laughing everyday

ernestly tries to do his best

yells when he's excited

always conscientious

loves to draw

likes to be known as mommy's helper

is a loving sister and friend

enjoys being with her family

loves to be a big girl

although still a baby

unique quirks which we love

relishes making mischief

ever-ready to test the limits

naturally affectionate, yet oh-so-stubborn

********

ok, so lauren wasn't quite in the mood to give me a smile.  here's one of her not making a face.

but i still think the other one captures what she's really like.  heh heh.

gone.

every afternoon, i put the girls down for a nap and then mikey and i tackle his homework.  when that chore is finished, he gets one treat out of our candy bowl and heads into the living room to watch one show of his choosing.  lately, his favorite show has been bubble guppies.  after that's over, he turns off the tv and then plays by himself while i go take a nap.  he finds this time to get kinda lonesome.  though he doesn't really complain about it, i know he'd much rather have allie stay awake and keep him company.  she's on the verge of not needing a nap anymore, but still does need one more often than not.  he can't wait for the day when his little sister can stay up and play with him all afternoon.  he even wrote about it in his journal.

but until then, he does have 'alone time' in the living room.  and he's very good about not disturbing me so that i can get a nap in, too.

so what does he do by himself all afternoon?

assignment #19:  when they're gone

his most favorite thing to play with everyday are his legos.  he plays with them by the hour.  but his most favorite thing is when everyone wakes up again so he's not by his lonesome anymore.

my poor little social guy.  even surrounded by siblings, there are still moments to feel lonely...     : (

in.

once the kids are all tucked in bed for the night, phil most oftentimes has more work to catch up on.  sometimes he'll be on the computer in his makeshift office and sometimes he'll bring out his little laptop and work in the living room.  and most times, i can be found lounging on the couch in the living room feeling pretty spent after another day caring for kids, meals, and home.  we're both totally beat at the end of the day.

but one thing we definitely look forward to is our weekly top chef night.  it's our most favorite show and usually all work is put aside so we can enjoy watching it together, discussing the dishes, and throwing out comments about who our most and least favorite contestants are.

and it usually means we end up having a late-night snack or dessert while watching because it's nearly impossible to watch a show about food without feeling the need to then eat something.

so instead of going out and painting the town red, ninety-nine point nine percent of our nights are spent staying in and chilling on our red living carpet.  it's how we roll.

assignment #17:  staying in.

hold on to your hats for yet another breathtakingly unawesome picture showcasing the stark wonder that is our bleak living room.  i switched it to black and white to spare you from being subjected to our bright red living room carpet once again.  you can thank me later.  ;)

a totally posed shot.  phil usually doesn't assume such a contemplative posture unless i tell him to quit making goofy faces and be normal.

us.

five things:

1) i am 34 weeks along now.
2) the next few assignments have required a certain other half to be around in order to be photographed.
3) further, if i wanted those photographs to be taken during daylight hours, it has meant waiting for the rare day when that certain other half was home (and conscious) while it was still light outside.  not an easy combination to come by lately.
4) my other half is a very good sport.
5) i very much dislike being in photographs.

with all that being said...

assignment #16:  together (self-portrait)

just us.  and the 34-week belly.

this is the face of my other half when he's up to no good.

and this is us just after he pulls off his no good plot.  which made me completely forget to conceal the camera remote.

still able to laugh together even when it's just us.  a very good thing in my book.

kiss.

the kids are getting more and more excited to meet their new baby brother.  perhaps none more than allie, who is over the moon to have another baby in the house.  she just loves telling everyone she comes across that there's a baby brother on the way.  she tells me all the things she's going to do for him.  and she seems to think my belly button works like a telephone, as she'll often come up to it and yell, "hi baby brother!  how ya doin' in there?"

i have a feeling this little baby is going to be the lucky recipient of LOTS of love and affection from his older siblings.  especially from big sister allie.

assignment #15:  kiss.

a kiss sent through the belly button telephone will have to do for now, until he comes out and she can give him the real thing!

bands.

after college, phil worked at a brain bank.  the salary was pitifully low.  but the one upside was that if a brain came in after hours, he'd get called in to process it.  and he'd get paid a flat rate per brain for those.  if we were together when he got called, i'd often go with him to keep him company while he worked.

i didn't know it at the time, but he was saving up that extra money to buy an engagement ring for me.  he later told me it took twenty-three brains to buy the ring.

after we were engaged, i'd still accompany him on those late night trips to the brain bank where he'd slice brains with an electric turkey knife while i flipped through wedding magazines and planned our [very] budget wedding.  que romantico, no?

anyhow, three years into our marriage, when mikey was just a few months old, ilostmyweddingring.  it was winter in minnesota and we were at the mall.  we were getting ready to leave and i had slipped the ring (my engagement and wedding rings had been fused together into one ring) off in order to put on my gloves and had put the ring in my pocket.  i remember it was a terribly cold, windy evening with snow blowing everywhere.  somewhere in the rush of trying to get all bundled up and dashing out to the car, my ring fell out of my pocket.

and i can't think about that particular event without a pang of sadness and regret.  but phil has never once gotten angry or reproachful over it.  not once.  instead, he ordered me a wedding band for me to wear until we can someday replace my wedding rings.  that day has yet to come.  but i love my wedding band.  it's a smaller version of the one he wears.  i've had it twice as long as i had my other rings.  it still serves as a reminder of the love and commitment he and i share.

assignment #14:  wedding bands.

they're both rather scratched up after years of wear and tear.  but i love that the matching rings are his and hers.  his and mine.

my most favorite thing about our two rings?  it's that mine fits perfectly inside his.

and that little heart inside our rings?  a perfectly serendipitous moment.