By Popular Demand...

Here are 4 pictures for your viewing...1. The zebra rug. Suggestive photos for a Valentines gift for your spouse can be scheduled by appointment when we are not home. 2. Pregnant belly almost 6 months. 3. Side view of the belly. 4. Tommy's latest shot.

Embracing Zebras

About seven years ago I was first introduced to the idea of taxidermy. I'm from Kansas where the largest thing ever shot is a deer, and even then it probably wouldn't be worth the money to have it hung on the wall. My father-in-law, however, is a taxidermy animal (pun intended). I've never been hunting and probably never care to go, but when I first walked into my in-laws' home and then their farm I was shocked. A million animal eyes were staring at me. And not just the eyes you see on this continent. Giraffe eyes, elephant eyes, lion eyes. David had tried to explain to me that his dad was an African hunter, but nothing could prepare me for what I saw.

I fully admit that at first I was judgmental. Especially after David told me how much an African hunting safari and then returning home with stuffed animals cost. I still think the money would be better spent on feeding hungry people (although John says they eat all the meat they shoot or give it to the natives). I was sad for the animals too; their lives taken by a wealthy Texan to put in his trophy room. But as time has passed I've loosened the reigns a bit on my judgment. Everyone gets to choose how they spend money, and hunting is just my father-in-law's deal.

So you can imagine David's shock when I excitedly accepted the offer of a zebra rug for our living room. The Lisenbys have about 7 zebra rugs (yes, shot and killed in Africa and then flattened into rug form) in their house and offered to give us one. I just set it up in our living room and have to admit, I like it. It's funky and interesting. While Tommy Lisenby will NEVER be allowed to hunt outside the state of Texas or own a riffle, while David freaks out a little bit about our values being misrepresented by the rug, and while our neighbor asks us if the rug is a "real" zebra because as a fellow Kansan he has never seen anything like it, I am embracing my in-laws and the part of me that wants to have conversation starters in my home. One zebra at a time.

Forgot One

I forgot one of my resolutions: Wear my hair curly. What is the point of having naturally wavy/curly hair if I blow it dry straight every day? I spent my Christmas money on a new diffuser and some product that works miracles. With my new tools and the pregnancy hormones my hair is looking gooooood, if I say so myself.

PS-Went to the OB today and gained 7 pounds in one month. Boo. Four months to go.

New Year Resolutions

1. Build the practice of yoga into my schedule at least twice a week, and use that time to re-center and be with David.
2. Re-enroll Tommy in music class, and use that hour each week to have special Mommy/Son time.
3. Take 15 minutes every day to do an activity eye-to-eye with Tommy. Be present in that time.
4. Read 30 minutes every day. Something not on the computer. An article. A novel. Stuff for school. Less TV, less computer.
5. Continue to eat well and exercise throughout this pregnancy and be content with what happens.

Addict

I'm not really surprised that my 2 year old son is an addict. I mean, we both have addictions in our families, and I can be a pretty impulsive decision maker. I thought maybe we had at least 15-20 more years before dealing with any addicted children, but now is the time.

My son is a crack addict. And his crack is Thomas the Train. When we named him Thomas we thought it might be fun if he ended up being into Thomas Trains. Little did we know we would have a severe addiction on our hands. Tommy always has to have 2 trains. One in each hand everywhere we go. Usually the two trains are Thomas and Percy, but sometimes George the Steamroller makes into one of the hands. If anyone looks at his trains while we are out he quickly pulls them toward his heart and says, "MY trains." When we accidently left a Thomas at the doctor's office last week Tommy went into a complete panic. We had to immediately go back and get the train, with Tommy sprinting into the room where we were to rescue his precious goods.

At home, we have a Little Thomas, a Medium Thomas, and a Big Thomas. We also have Party Percy and Normal Percy. There is only one George. In addition there are about 9-10 coal cars in the mix. Tommy asks to watch Thomas on TV at least 4 times a day. Usually he gets his way at least once. When we go to the gym, what does he play with? The trains. What is is favorite thing at school? The trains. Tommy sleeps with his trains as well as a Thomas book. His favorite Christmas story? "Thomas' Christmas Delivery."

"In medical terminology, an addiction is a state in which the body relies on a substance for normal functioning and develops physical dependence, as in drug addiction." Tommy cannot function normally without Thomas. I know David and I have enabled our son by hosting a train birthday party and decorating his big boy room with trains. We will all be seeing a family therapist if the problem continues to escalate.

Groping Problem

Apparently our son has a groping problem. We first noticed it last summer with Piper, who you can see below. When riding in a wagon together to the pool each day Tommy kept trying to give Piper unwanted hugs and touches. Next, we got the report from his school that he can't seem to keep his hands to himself with a little girl named Astra. He gives her kisses without asking if she would like one first. The thing that alerted us of the severity of our son's little problem was being paged at the gym to come to the kids' room. When I arrived thinking he had either a dirty diaper or had gotten hurt, one of the childcare workers informed me that he was bothering his friend Ava. I witnessed for myself Tommy chasing after Ava trying to kiss her ears. It looks like we have some redirecting to do before the age of 12ish.

1st Best Friend

Here are some pictures with Piper, Tommy's first best friend. She is 3 weeks younger and a head taller than Tommy, and we recently celebrated her 2nd birthday with a chef party. Everyone got to make their own pizza. Tommy keeps track of Piper's coming and going by looking out the window several times a day to see if her daddy's red truck is in the driveway. He squeals in excitement whenever she is home.

Thanksgiving

I'm a little behind on posts. David and I hosted Thanksgiving this year for my family. It was our first time to cook almost everything. The pictures you see are of Uncle Conor taking a nap, David carving the turkey, Tommy and Uncle Paul, and my table. We tried to start a new tradition by putting questions everyone had to answer underneath everyone's plate. It was fun to get the conversation rolling.

Disclaimer

I should have put a disclaimer in my last post that I started this pregnancy 10 pounds higher than I started with Thomas. So officially I have 13 pounds so far to lose. AND I got a little cocky after posting and have been eating a lot of Mac-n-Cheese, so I'm probably up a few more pounds now. :)

Pregnancy Update

I can't believe what I'm about to report. It truly is a Christmas Miracle. At 20+ weeks pregnant I've gained 3 POUNDS. THREE POUNDS! YAHOO! I have been eating healthier and working out with my trainer, but nothing too extreme. I've had my share of cookies and tacos too. More importantly, everything with the baby looks healthy and right on target. At my last OB appointment the doctor said something I never thought these ears would hear, "You haven't really gained any weight yet. Is everything ok?" Yes everything is great! Even if I gain 30 pounds in the next 20 weeks I'll be happy. Even David, who last time was a little concerned about the number of trips to McDonald's in a week, is now encouraging me to eat more. Now I have a chance after this little guy comes to not only lose the weight from baby #2 but also from baby #1 before being in my sister-in-law's wedding in August. Merry Christmas to myself. I guess lifting weights and following the South Beach Diet are my keys to success.

Christmas at The Lisenbys

It has been really fun this year for Tommy to start understanding Christmas. He knows Santa says "Ho, Ho, HO!" Emphasis on the last HO. He can sing "Jingle Bells," and went caroling at a retirement home yesterday. We've been doing a homemade Advent Calendar each day and baking lots of cookies. Tommy also loves to play with his nativity set even though Baby Jesus is often thrown down the stairs. I find it difficult not to laugh when I have to say, "Uh Oh! Throwing Baby Jesus down the stairs is a time-out. Please go to your chair."

Merry Christmas!

More Conversation

David at 8am this morning: "Bye Tommy and Adie, I love you!"
Tommy: "Where Daddy going?"
A: "Daddy is going to work."
Tommy: "Daddy's work to feed the e-wools (animals)."
A: "Oh really, what animals does Daddy feed?"
Tommy: "Daddy feeds the hippos in the cages."
A: "Does Daddy work at the zoo?"
Tommy: "No! Daddy works at the Hawkchalks (Jayhawks)."
A: "Oh. Well your Daddy is really good at feeding e-wools and Halkchalks at work."

It's A Boy!

So I caved and found out. Once I saw pictures of the baby I just couldn't resist the instant gratification of knowing. Plus, Baby had his legs up over his head, so even the untrained eye could see everything. We are very excited to have two little boys. We've both had several thoughts. Here are some in random order.

David: "This is so much more economical! And now we don't have to pay for a wedding!"
A: "No bows or redecorating. No daughter. Lots of penises in my house. Hmmm, maybe I need a female dog again."
David: "Now we can live in a two bedroom house if we ever needed to! The boys can just share a room!"
A: "I hope they are best friends. We know a few families where the brothers are best friends."

As you can tell, our thoughts have varied. At first I was a little sad to not have a girl, but I also have always thought I would only have sons. And David never thought he would be a boy-only dad. When I asked him though if he wanted to try for a girl now, he reminded me for the 200,000th time that he only wants two biological children. So it looks like we are probably done. I will carry two boys and possibly adopt a little girl in the future. We can't wait to meet you, little guy!

Cast Your Vote!

I still can't decide if I want to know the sex of our baby, but we COULD find out Thursday. David wants to find out, and I am torn. I kind of want it to be a surprise this time.

Cleaning Product Update

I've now completely switched to a combination of Mrs. Meyer's and Shaklee environmentally friendly cleaning products. I really like both products and feel good about using them except in a few areas. 1. I still like Comet for my bathroom. After a few weeks of the natural stuff I just didn't feel like the shower or toilet were getting clean. I think Comet really kills the germs in those areas even if it is bad. Same thing with my kitchen sink. 2. For laundry detergent and dishwashing soap Costco now has environmentally safe products in bulk. I think I will buy those next time.

I really like the Mrs. Meyer's hardwood floor cleaner and the Shaklee All-purpose spray and window cleaners. One other little comment is that when I clean my house I like it to smell clean. Unfortunately the Shaklee is scentless, which is why it is good for allergies, but kind of sad for me not to show off my hard work. We have noticed Thomas' allergies seem better this year so far, which could be a combination of a stronger immune system, me being more careful, and our air purifier.

More Birthday Pictures

These are all from my own camera. For some reason I didn't get any good pictures of my family that night, but they were all present. The blue jersey is a Todd Resing one, who is #5 on the Jayhawk football team. Enjoy!

Choo-Choo! Tommy is 2!

Both of our entire families were able to come over and celebrate Tommy's 2nd Birthday this weekend. We had a train themed party on Friday night and then all went to the Texas vs. Kansas football game on Saturday. The made-from-scratch cake turned out great! More pictures from my own camera to come.

Why I Voted for Obama

I know most people are sick of the elections, but I have been asked by many why I voted for Obama. I always articulate things better in writing, so I thought I'd take a stab at something that has been near and dear to my heart this week. A little background is that I grew up in a moderately Republican home, didn't vote in 2000, and voted for Bush in 2004...

1. Cultural Gaps: I believe Obama can bridge cultural gaps both within the US and around the world. Whether you like it or not, or know about it or not, minorities in our nation have been treated very poorly throughout history. I want the children of my minority friends to have someone that looks like them in the White House. I believe Obama's race and demeanor will promote peace and unity among all people groups. I also know that he will be better liked and respected by world leaders than Bush was.

2. Intellect: After working hard to earn a higher degree as well as having a husband working toward his doctorate, I could never vote for Sarah Palin. She graduated from a state school after years of bouncing around. She does not have a law degree, an MBA, or any other forms of higher education. We live in a country with some of the best and the brightest scholars in the world. Why would we not draw from the most intellectually bright to lead our nation?

3. Reflective: I believe Obama has reflected on his race, his upbringing, his past, his marriage, etc. Self-reflection is a very important quality to me. You can hear his humility and reflection in his speeches. He is passionate about admitting things are wrong and wanting to fix them.

4. Anger vs. Hope: McCain chose to run his campaign out of anger. Obama chose to promote hope and unity. I just like that approach better. Obama is just more likable.

5. Social Issues: It's time to work on some stuff in our country. Things are unequal and unfair. While I could probably not have an abortion, I would hate to ignore all the other problems with existing people on this earth and vote solely for that one issue. We need reform for our minorities and that doesn't happen by encouraging rich, white people to privately give more money to charity.

6. Faith: After reading and listening to speeches about Obama's faith, I believe it is pretty similar to my own. He believes the church exists to promote social justice and civil rights. Same with politics. He looks at faith and politics holistically, not simply based on one issue. I believe Obama has the power to promote something more like what the Kingdom of God could look like on this earth due to his beliefs.

So, yes. I cried this week when I saw the administrator at Howard University unable to speak because she was so overcome with emotion. I cried after going to hear Obama speak in Kansas City a few weeks ago and seeing people from every tribe, tongue, and nation gathered together to promote hope. And I will probably be weepy on January 20th because it's just time to do things differently around here. I can't wait to see what happens next.

I've Been Tagged.

I was tagged by Katie Loop-de-Loop Foshea. These things sure are making a resurgence lately!! Ok so 7 random facts:

1. My bathroom counter is always VERY messy. When we bought this house David was so excited to have 2 sinks in the master bathroom, but unfortunately for him I only use his. Mine is full of my blow-dryer, curling iron, at least 2 brushes, and a diffuser. Then I tend to fill up the whole vanity area with other random products. This is all humorous to me because I'm not really that much of a product girl and the rest of my house is pretty tidy.

2. David and I had a pretty rough marriage in the start. At one point we both thought we wouldn't make it to the end of the calendar year. We had so many issues with his parents, our faith, and just being young. We got married when I was 22 right out of undergrad. Sometimes I still can't believe we've made it almost 6 years. I'm thankful for 2 wonderful counselors and that we happened to grow in the same direction instead of apart.

3. My mother-in-law works for George Bush, Sr. and consistently invites us to big Republican events. She doesn't know we are both registered Democrats. Oh and David and I once made out a little in GB's office. We've both met him several times, and he is very tall.

4. I think my son has picked up my imagination combined with David's ingenuity. I was really hoping for a creative little boy and was a little worried how I would respond to a kid that loved geology like David did. I think Tommy will like geology, but I could see him also wanting to dress up like a rock for Halloween. Currently he likes to pretend he is a baby and or a monkey, he makes my legs into train tracks, and he is really into making crafts like the "Turkey Pumpkin" I hear about all day long.

5. When we were dating I gave David a HUGE hickey on the side of his neck. We had just moved to Houston and were meeting all his parents friends that weekend. It was August, so a turtleneck was not an option.

6. Even though I hate pregnancy and this one has already been terrible, I'm a little sad that this will most likely be my last baby to carry inside me. We'd like to adopt and don't want more than 3 kids. I guess I'm also a little relieved that I won't be carrying any more children. It's a lot of mixed emotions.

7. I take a nap from 1-2pm daily. If I miss a day I get a little grumpy.

Pregnancy Prayer

Dear God,
Please give us a healthy little baby boy or girl to join our family.
Please help me not to gain more than 30lbs. this time around.
Please help me to continue working out and roughly doing the SB Diet.
Please help my boobs to not go above a D/E cup.
Please help this baby to latch and breast feed with ease.
Please give me confidence in decisions we make that are best for our family this time around.
Please help my v-jay to not be torn to smithereens during labor.
Please help my v-jay not to re-tear 6 weeks post-partum if it does tear.
Please no mastitis, painful clogged ducts, and strange large leaks in public places.
Please no back spasms left-over from the epidural.
Please don't let me lose all my hair in clumps in the shower.
Please no hemorrhoids.
Please no 12 straight weeks of bleeding.
Please help me lose the weight before my baby is 18 months old.
Please put some of the weight in my actual belly instead of just my chin.
God, please have mercy on me, since all these things happened last time.
Amen.