The push to have a girl's name ready...just in case

Here are the girl names we've come up with so far, including names suggested by our children. Tell me what you think, you won't hurt my feelings. :) Well, okay - you might but I'll get over it. ;) And just to remind you of our other DD's names: Elizabeth Jane, Katherine Martin, Anne Lancaster. (Katherine bears my maiden name. Annie has my maternal g'mother's maiden name and our boy name is my mother's maiden name)

• Mary Annette (Puppet's cousin on The Upside Down Show...Elizabeth's suggestion - can't tell you how hard we laughed)
• Mary Arline (DH's paternal grandmother)
  
• Mary Beatrice (I love that Beatrice means "blessed" or "she who brings happiness")
• Mary Carissa (Carissa means "grace" - some friends at church have a daughter named Mary Charis - I think that's too close for me to feel like I'm not "stealing" their name)
• Mary Claire is my cousin's daughter and his other daughter is Caroline so both Claire and Caroline are out.
  
• Mary Celeste
• Mary Charlotte - not sure I'm wild about how that sounds together
• Mary Eden - I love the name Eden, but this doesn't work for me
• Mary Elaine - I like the name Elaine (the French version of Helen)
• Mary Ellen - Ellen is the English variation of Helen...hmm, interesting that I like several versions of Helen...but does it smack too much of The Waltons? "Goodnight, Mary Ellen. Goodnight, John Boy."
  
• Mary Genevieve - Brad suggested this, I couldn't tell if he was kidding or being serious, but I kind of like it
• Mary Georgina - it's funky, I like it
• Mary Grace - classic, I love it - but is it too common???  Yes.
• Mary Gwen/Gwendolen/Gwendolyn/Gwyneth - our brother-in-law's mother is Mary Gwen so these are all out.
• Mary Joelyn (pronounced Jo-Ellen) - there's a reason for this name but since people I know read this blog I can't tell what it is not even privately (sorry) -- but this name means the world to me.
  
• Mary Juliet Katherine (Katherine's suggestion including the "Katherine" part and Brad told me last night it is his favorite minus the "Katherine")
  
• Mary Louisa - I love literary names and that's part of the reason my first child is Elizabeth Jane (Barrett Browning and Austen). I love Louisa May Alcott's books. I like the way this sounds.
• Mary Olivia - Love Olivia but not with Mary. Would also make my child's initials MOE. Larry and Curly,anyone?
  
• Mary Rachel - Like Rachel but not with Mary.
• Mary Rebekah
  
• Mary Rose - a very old-fashioned sounding name (kind of like Mary Louisa) and I love it. My only issue here is that initials would be MRE and would that be an issue?? (you know - MREs in the military)
  
• Mary Susanna/Suzanne
• Mary Violet - another botanical name...but not sure I'm wild about it and I have issues with the fact that I love purple and refuse to name my child after my favorite color.
• Mary Wynn - Too close to Mary Gwen

Missile Defense?

This is copied from my iVillage blog...

[Yesterday] morning I was laying in bed with the girls and Elizabeth said, "Mommy, I hope God put two babies in your tummy. That would make me sooooo happy." (Which seem to be in the water around here; three couples in our church have had twins in the past three months and a couple on our street had twins in April). I said, "Oh, Elizabeth, I really hope not. Just one baby would be good."

Nin said, "Mommy, you have to have two babies." She points to my chest and adds, "You have two missiles."

I'm still trying to catch my breath from laughing so hard.

Father's Day in the bathroom at church

Well, we had a very interesting Father's Day. For a little over a week I'd thought I might - possibly - be pregnant again. Major heat waves, kicking off the covers at night, turning down the AC again and again and again. Then Friday night I started feeling dizzy. Uh. Oh. Dizzy + hot + late = pregnant! Always has.

Brad had nursery duty during Sunday School and I decided to make a WalMart run since we'd gotten to church early. Bought all the important things: coffee filters, soap for the girls' bathroom, a pregnancy test. Drove back to the church Put the test in my purse and went into the bathroom to take it.

The test line was positive before the control window was even wet. Yep. Good and pregnant. Brad already knew I was certain I was pregnant - so I took the test to him to confirm that yes, my gut instinct was right. I'm glad he was in the nursery with the woman who was in there. Her husband is an OB/GYN and they have nine children. She is so sweet and so encouraging. I'm sure she was just that to Brad. He was a little bowled over, despite having been told several times over the previous 24 hours I was pretty sure I was pregnant.

He's coming around and is getting excited about the idea of a new baby. He's such a great dad - FABULOUS. His biggest worry? Let me quote him: "I have twenty four boxes of girl clothes in storage. I do NOT want a boy!" Have to laugh. And you know, if this is a boy - he'll be thrilled.

Aut Tagged Me

Okay, I think it's a chain-letter tag or something. I'm not sure. But following directions...

Remove blog in top spot, bump everyone up one and put your blog in the bottom spot. BTW, I only have links for Autumn and myself.
Wendy
Donna
Crystal
Autumn
Gina

Next, select five people to tag.
Um....
Susan
Kellye
Amanda
AnitaW (who needs to do this before she has to move out of her house)
Angi

Now the questions:
What were you doing 10 years ago?
1997...eww, that was a very difficult time in my life. My marriage was hanging by a thread, literally. This isn't the appropriate forum to share what was going on, but trust me when I say it was incredibly serious. I had pnemonia, I had a kidney stone. BUT, I did have a new nephew that year, too. That was fun! And, my husband had gotten a new job that year, too. So there were a couple of good things that happened.

What were you doing a year ago?
I had a six-month-old baby, a two-year-old and a three-and-a-half year-old. I was struggling with the deepest, darkest post-partum depression I'd ever dealt with and was borderline suicidal (didn't attempt suicide but sure didn't want the next day to come, either). It was a pit that threatened to suck me in and keep me there. Thankfully it didn't.

5 snacks that you enjoy
Peanut M&Ms
Low-fat cream cheese on graham crackers
string cheese
cheese dip and chips
cheese and crackers

5 songs that you know all the lyrics to
I Love You, Lord (including and especially the lyrics by John Piper)
Blessed (Martina McBride)
Have You Ever Been in Love (Celine Dion)
I Could Not Ask for More (Edwin McCain)
Live Like You Were Dying (Tim McGraw)

5 things that you would do if you were a millionaire
Fund my children's educations
Get this house ready to sell
Buy some land
Build River Bend Farmhouse (Southern Living Houseplans)
Buy a van

5 bad habits
Losing my temper
Being impatient
Being lazy
Playing the car stereo too loud (when my kids aren't in the car)
Not going to the dentist

5 things that you like doing
Taking naps
Reading magazines
Digital Scrapbooking
Doing Crafts with my kids
:) Yes, I know I only listed four. ;)

5 things that you would never wear again
Polyester pants (okay, not that I ever wore them anyway!)
Satin shirts
a MULLET
huge shoulder pads (I don't need the help there - I look like a linebacker anyway)
Shorts

5 favorite toys
My girls' Littlest Pet Shop toys
Fisher Price Little People
Ty Pluffies
My computer
My coffee pot