The McEngland intrauterine swim team...

Starring Baby McAwesomepants England as the star swimmer has officially had it's first big practice. I'm guessing she's in there working on her flip turns because I have been feeling kicks and flips EVERYWHERE all afternoon. I'm not gonna lie, though, it's been pretty great and exciting... and I sure am proud!

 Oh yeah! Today marks week 18 so I guess that she can vote in her fetus elections and sign up for the fetus draft. Oh, this post is just getting more and more weird so  I probably should end it here. 

Love,

Katy England

...sorry for the hiatus...

Ok, So I'm trying to hop back on the blogwagon... As I'm sure you know, the McEnglands are growing a brand new baby McAwesomepants. Baby McEngland is due September 23rd, 2009. This is 2 weeks after our first wedding anniversary. It's been a pretty big year.

SO I guess I'll post answers (some of them a little snarky) to questions I've been getting pretty frequently (as in daily). I bet you can guess the questions so I'll leave those out...

#1. I am feeling great. Yes, I had horrible morning sickness and I threw up my toenails at night on a regular basis. I'm over that for the most part but I've got heartburn that could start a 4 alarm fire. 

#2. I'll be 18 weeks this Wednesday... Yes, It's almost half way there... 4 and a half months. Pregnancy is 10 lunar months. 

#3. No, we don't know what we are having. 

#4.We can find out at the next appointment but we are going to wait until Baby McAwesomepants gets here. 

#5. I feel in  my heart of hearts that it's a girl. Yes, Kip, I know Tom England didn't make girls and neither did Seth on his first attempt at fatherhood.  J.D. McDonald never sired girls (and he had 4 boys)... But guess who had 4 granddaughters? J.D. McDonald. 

#6. We have GREAT, well thought-out names picked out. We aren't telling because we don't want them stolen nor do we want people to try to talk us out of them. 

#7. Our baby was definitely the happiest surprise God ever planned for us up to this point. So yes, technically, this pregnancy was planned. 

#8. I am showing but not very well in scrubs. I lost 4 lbs the first trimester and I have only gained back 2 and a half. 

#9. I have been feeling her move and kick. It feels like a soft little poke and it happens several times a day now. Ben can't feel it from the outside yet but I'm betting it won't be long! 

#10. Yes, my darling husband is THRILLED!

#11. I'm sorry, my car is not for sale. I am determined to find a way to put a carseat in the back of the beetle. 

#12. The dogs are going to LOVE the baby. Pugs and Boxers are both breeds known to be EXCEPTIONALLY awesome with new little humans. 

#13. No, the nursery is nowhere close to even being started... 

Sorry it took so long! I hope everyone is doing well!

love,

Katy and Ben and Stella and Georgia and Iggy and Sweet Baby McAwesomepants England.

have you ever tried to write you life story in under 100 words?

9lb baby girl born to Catholic Feminist Hospital Folks. Catholic School and Catholic Church. Brothers born when 5 and then 13. Family, Theatre, Books and Music. Swimteam = Summertime= lifeguard. Catholic College turned from actress into nurse. 1st job Catholic hospital where folks met. 1,000 bad dates. 2 sweet puppies. 2nd job found purpose working with sweet sick kiddos. Bought little old house. Bought little red bug. Met sweet beautiful Ben at kiddo hospital (soulmate!). Married soulmate. Got stripey kitten. Made a love child with soulmate. Due date September 23rd, 2009. God is so GOOD!

Under 100 words! love, Mrs. McEngland!

the mcenglands...

have a little secret! Prayers are appreciated more than you'll ever know so if ya feel like sending up some special intentions up to the big guy on our behalf, we'd be much obliged.

Also, dear sweet husband and dear sweet father-in-law tiled the floor in our teeny tiny bathroom this weekend. I can't tell you how gorgeous it looks, you'll just have to see for yourselves. Next time you're in the neighborhood, stop on over and have a sit down in our ladies room (I mean big handsome doctor's lounge, Ben!).

Oh! P.S. Thanks for the prayers for Ben's fellowship! He got it! WOOHOO!

Our pretty new kitchen!

Ben and I became super-productive this weekend.  When I first bought the house about 4 years ago, the kitchen was ghastly. The backsplash and the countertops were vinyl... melted-plastered-and-painted-over-hunter-green vinyl. Friends came over and helped me rip it down and my brother, Jamesy, and his best friend for ever, Steven, came over and put up beadboard paneling on the walls where the ugly melty vinyl had been and then tiled the backsplash and countertops... SO SWEET except they ran out of grout and the sides remained tiled but groutless for almost FOUR YEARS... and the beadboard never got painted. Today, loved ones, I am proud to announce that the kitchen remodel is nearly complete! Have a look! We also painted the walls a pretty light aqua!

BEST.CHRISTMAS.EVER!!!!

Hi friends and family! I'm Sweet Georgia Brown England! Most people call me Georgia and Mama calls me Sweet George B or Georbie! Mama said I get to write the Christmas blog since it's my very favorite time of year EVER in the history of the world!

We had such a great Christmas this year! Daddy talked Mama into getting a real live  tree instead of decorating house plants and it looked SOOOOOOOOOO pretty! It was the prettiest tree ever ! The best part is that we get to plant it in the back yard so that in the summer time when I miss Christmas, I can go back and visit our tree any time I want!

Oooh! Did I tell you that Santa came, too? We thought he might skip us this year since Iggy knocked 3 ornaments off the tree and I ate a whole box of baklava... but it wasn't bad enough, I guess, because he still came! I got a new red bed and a pretty pink collar and some new toys and a raw hide. Stella got a round bed, purple collar and some new toys and Iggy got a new blue square bed and a bunch of mice toys... but Daddy got the best present of all... Mama had Daddy's old trombone polished up and guess what?!?! Santa brought him a NEW MOUTH PIECE... Daddy played a little bit in the living room and I got to sing along! Mama said I have perfect pitch!  Oh! Guess what else? Santa brought Daddy SEA MONKEYS!!! I am SO EXCITED that I can't even stand it one bit! I'll tell you all about them once they hatch!

Wanna hear the best part? Mama and Daddy have not had to work very much at all which means that we can all play even more! That's the best part about Christmas ... spending time with the people you love the most in the whole wide world!

Love,

Sweet Georgia B.

super fun!

Last night we went to dinner with Kip, Valerie, Seth and Laura (Ben's brothers and sister-in laws). My marvelous, super-sweet mother-in-law gave us all tickets to a fancy-schmancy super-yummy buffet at Crown Plaza hotel. The food was lovely but I think we would have had just as much fun if we met up at McDonald's or Chic-fil-a as it was just so much fun with all of us getting together.  I really wish we could get together more often.