just in case you missed it...

For those of you not subscribed to our flickr feed, I didn't want you to miss this picture. It's too cute.



If you do look at our photostream, though, Happy Hallie's neighbor is a little disturbing. I'm not sure I like them next to each other.

Trifecta

posted by SKH

The first video has been in the hopper for a while. In fact, some of you may have already seen it on our Vimeo site. But in case you haven't, you'll want to see Calvin's very own Monkey George tattoo.


Monkey George Tattoo.

The second video is from a couple Mondays ago when I was working in the yard and older kids couldn't seem to stay out of my pile.


The Pile.

And finally, what many of you have been waiting for, some moving sights and sounds of the newest little Higgins baby.


It's a Baby.

i'm guessing this was the only one like it...

This is what Calvin requested for his first face painting experience. In his words, "a wy-ful gun", translated "rifle gun". Yes, we know it's not actually a rifle, but for some reason he thinks all guns are rifles.

This face painting occurred Saturday night when Sean-the-awesome-dad took the two older kidlets to the Fun Fair that our church had. I'm pretty impressed that one of my small group girls was able to paint such a nice gun with no previous experience (hi Bethany!). Here is Maggie's more traditional face painting choice, executed with glittery excellence by Kimmy...




Speaking of actual rifles, since I still haven't posted pictures from Maggie's birthday, you haven't been entertained by this one of Cal at her party.



Hey, how else is a future man supposed to enjoy a tea party?

like father, like daughter

You know how when a new baby arrives, everyone tries to decide who the baby looks like? There end up being a lot of discussions that include things like "oh, that's her mom's mouth", "he has his dad's eyes", etc., etc. Sean always likes to interject something along the lines of "You know what? She looks like both of them! It's amazing! It's like they're her parents!". Anyway, of course this has happened with our little ones as well, and continues to be a frequent topic with family and friends.

I have always seen a strong, strong resemblance to Sean in Maggie, but we frequently hear how much she looks like me. This has also happened in reverse with Calvin - he is a carbon copy of my dad at his age, but we always hear how he looks just like Sean. I'm guessing that this has a lot to do just with the fact that Maggie and I are girls and Calvin and Sean are boys. Hallie is still up in the air - the consensus is split between her being identical to Maggie or Calvin.

ANYWAY.

All of that to say that thanks to our friend Joan (and her apparently abundant free time in Photoshop), I don't think I'll be hearing any more about how much Maggie looks like me...




You may need to look a few times to figure out what it is exactly that you're seeing here. Is it Maggie? Kind of. Here's the majority of the picture...




But here's the (darling) face that's been Photoshopped on...



That's Sean's Kindergarten school picture. Look how cute he is! Anyway, I am very thankful that our girl can look so much like her dad and still be a beautiful little lady as well.

i really need to be sleeping, but here's one to keep you from hunting me down...

baseball or ballet

posted by SKH

I know you really want to hear about Hallie. That's understandable. Rest assured more will be said and shown of her soon. For now, enjoy the following exchange between Calvin and Maggie as they enjoyed dessert together a few days ago.

Calvin: "After 'ssert play ba'ball?"

Maggie: "Or, we could dance?!"

dinner conversation with calvin

Well, the title pretty much sums it up. He was in too good of a mood for skh to pass up the opportunity to catch it on film.

Dinner Conversation with Cal from Sean Higgins on Vimeo.

maggie aims for division done rightly

Mags and I have been cleaning out her collection of church papers that she feels strangely attached to so that there will be space for Hallie in her room. No, seriously, when you bring home 27 sheets of paper every week from church and insist that all of them are crucial to your happiness, it begins to take over your bedroom.

One we came across today gave me particular amusement - it was from Sunday school and featured drawings of various things - cats, pizza, carrots, etc. Maggie had written initials by each of the drawings, and she explained that these were the initials of people that liked the thing pictured. I admired the initialing and then suggested that we throw it away. She was appalled - "Mama! It's to help me remember that Annie...Annie...Annie, I can't remember her last name, but she's in my Sunday school, likes carrots!" I really didn't have a response to that one. I also enjoyed that the initials by the cats were "MH"...I guess just in case she forgets that she likes Newman? Let's not even get into what, exactly, this has to do with whatever they are doing in Sunday school.

Anyway, there was one paper that I felt was worth keeping, and skh took a quick picture for me to share with you.




It looks like Maggie is planning on attending skh's upcoming seminar. We're not sure where she's getting the $50 from, but maybe she's just counting on her dimples gaining her free admission. My favorite part is that her phone number is "2 am".

just a few shots from the iphone

I really have some great pictures to upload, taken with a real camera and everything, but I'm just not getting a lot of things done right now other than housing Hallie. But skh's iPhone has gotten a few pictures recently that I liked too much to pass up...

First, we had the fall episode of the semi-annual-pre-clothes-shopping-trying-on-a-thon a few days ago. This has been the bane of Calvin's existence previously, and I was dreading going through it. However, as he likes to do, Cal surprised us all by displaying great joy and a willing spirit, even through the piles and piles of shoes. When he tried on his snow pants, he asked if he could "go show Dada 'no pants!", and skh took a picture. Notice how badly Cal needs a haircut - it looks like he's growing wings above his ears.




Here's an ugly girl for you. :) Mags got to go on a date with skh to Starbucks the other night. They both had a great time, discussing many topics, including what subject she was looking forward to most in first grade - art, of course.




We got to go on a family outing to Albertson's a few nights ago for me to check my blood pressure for the millionth time - big fun! Actually, it was apparently lots of fun for the other three who can still hop on one leg...




And then my favorite picture from the recent past. skh took this one last night as Cal and Maggie were headed to the Greens with my parents.




And for all of you kind inquirers, here's a Hallie update.

• I have not had significant times of nausea for the past 6 days - praise God! There is no explanation for why it would stop at 35 1/2 weeks, but hey, I'll take what I get. :)
• My blood pressure remains elevated but not high enough for concern, so that is a praise as well - it's just causing some headaches and dizziness for me, no danger to Hallie.
• Here are the most pressing issues as of my appointment today - Hallie is still solidly breech and seems to have wedged herself into that position, the amniotic fluid looked a little on the low side and the placenta is still not ideally located (although it's better than it was a few weeks ago). All of that adds up to us not knowing anything and me having another good reminder that I'm not in control. So we're having a more detailed ultrasound tonight and depending on the fluid levels and the exact position of both Hallie and the placenta, they will be scheduling an external version next week - a procedure where they try to turn the baby into a head down position. Then after that...well, then we'll see what God has in store. :)

Thanks for your prayers!

i can't look away, and you won't be able to either...

HT: Purgatorio