D...

Thanks for all the opinions on Facebook and here on the blog. After much deliberation and changing our minds countless times, the name on Little D's paperwork is ...
Dexter Li Coston (aka "Dex")!

Can't wait to squeeze him!

A...B...C...D

Alrighty, the paperwork has to be over-nighted today. The only blank we have on his paperwork is the name blank!

Our other children's names have started the alphabet ... A ... B ... C ... why break with the pattern now? We all know how I like symmetry and patterns. :o) So, it's either a "D" name for our little guy or skip straight to "Z." But, then, that seems so final?
Anyway ... our top two choices this hour are Drew Garrett Coston and Dexter Li Coston. I like Drew Garrett just because I like it. I also like Dexter "Dex" Li because my brother, grandfather, and other men in past generations on that side of the family carry the middle name "Lee." "Li" captures that and still maintains a bit of his Chinese heritage. "Li" is a uni-sex name meaning "strength, beauty.
"
What's your vote?

Digging to China

We have dug through a mound of paperwork and appointments and evaluations for the past year -- enough to make it to China -- and have found the treasure! A little guy named Min Yi Liu who is waiting to join our family. He will be 1-year-old on September 23rd, and we anticipate being able to have him home by his first birthday!
Nick and I have felt a desire to adopt since even before Abi was born. We just never felt like it was the right time. However, last May we both knew it was time to start on the journey of adoption. While the prospect of adding another child to our family is both terrifying and exciting, we know it's what we've been called to do and wouldn't miss the opportunity of loving him for anything.
We'll share more details of our journey soon, and when the appropriate paperwork is final with China, we'll be able to share pictures of his chubby little cheeks and spiky fuzz of hair.

Livin' on Tulsa Time

This weekend, we made a trip to Tulsa. Despite not being able to find a radio station that played "Livin' on Tulsa Time" all the time like Nick wanted, we did find a lot of things to enjoy as a family: the zoo, the aquarium, the Kaleidoscope Museum, and the Leapin' Louie's Lagoon in the hotel.

Petting stingrays and baby sharks

Brandon was perfectly happy there was a "one-finger" rule when petting the aquatic life!Cami enjoyed "doctoring" Daddy in the doctor's office in the Kaleidoscope town. And checking groceries. And playing dress-up on-stage.I need one of these jail cells at home!Postman B stayed busy delivering packages all around Kaleidoscope.And I got to enjoy a hairwashing at the salon.

The kids could have spent all day at Leapin' Louie's!

The zoo wore everyone out!

My little icicles at the snowhouse.

They got to "pet" lots of dead things at the zoo.

He Knows Me Well

Precious, lump-headed Brandon made a Mother's Day gift book for me at Mother's Day Out today. He answered questions about me, proving just how well my sensitive little man knows me.

• "My mom's favorite color is ... purple."

• "My mom looks very pretty when she ... goes to church." About the only time I'm not in stinky workout clothes. :o)

• "I like it when my mom ... puts me to bed." Such a sweet snuggle time with him!

• "My mom makes me laugh when she ... hits Daddy's head." Don't know about this one! Swear!
  

• "My mom's favorite thing to do is ... clean up the carpet!" I love that kid!

All Since 7:45 p.m.!

How and why do these things happen to that boy?!
Brandon is now sporting a jumbo egg-sized knot on his head. Nick surprised us with a picnic dinner at the park to watch the sun set and play on the playground. I was looking at the kids, including Brandon, thinking, "What a delightful bunch, munching on their dinner, making small talk." All of a sudden, Brandon simply disappears from the picnic table! Sounded like a watermelon cracking when his head hit the concrete! How?! Why?! Because these things happen so often, I've taken to carrying several instant cold packs in the car.
We're getting the kids ready for bath, while repeatedly promising Brandon "I won't wash your bump!" and we find a tick on his "weenie." After much struggling, Nick was able to remove the tick, and a conversation then begun about "what are those things with round balls in them under my weenie? Does Abi have those? Why not?"
All in one night.

Be Still My Heart

I think I'm in love!

My steam cleaner died a few weeks ago, and I can't go very long without one. A dog, a cat, and three kids necessitate at least weekly quick clean-ups. So, since the Bissell and Hoover models don't seem to last very long, I decided to look at the next step up. I googled "steam cleaners," and a link to the commercial-grade Rug Doctor came up. My heart skipped a beat, my pupils dilated, and my palms started sweating .... I was in love! Then, I found it at Kohls.com for 33% off, added an online promotional code for another 15% off, collected enough Kohl's bucks to buy the kids jeans for next fall ... and set off on the inaugural cleaning. At risk of embarrassing myself, here are the fruits of my labor -- from about 25 square feet of carpet!!