Whew!  Where has the time gone?  Has it really been an entire week since my last post?  I don't know if I've just been busy or if I lost some of my creative motivation the past few days...

{All photos courtesy of Mama & Ezzy playing with the silly settings on PhotoBooth}

We had a lovely, fairly low-key Labor Day weekend.  Max got a long weekend off, and it was great having him home and spending some quality family time together.  A dear friend, Netta, came to visit for a few days, which was awesome.  It was so good to see her, catch up in person rather than Skype, and to have some rocking discussions!  Plus, the kids pretty much adored her (I think I became chopped liver compared to her...) and even today, Ezzy was still calling for her, which was way too cute.

I have taken next to zero photos in the last week, so there is almost no evidence that she was even here (minus the one early-morning, greasy-faced picture I snapped, as we said our good-byes...), or that we went to the beach one afternoon, or that we had a 'State Fair inspired' dinner on Sunday, or that we had lively discussions and debates late into that same night, or that Max went fishing and brought home mullet for a fresh-caught fish dinner on Monday, or that my dear husband and I had a date-night-in, complete with cheesecake and a movie.  Oh well.  It happens.  I do so well sometimes, capturing moments, and then other times, I just plain forget or don't make it a priority.
It's hard to believe I am 38-weeks pregnant tomorrow.  That means that within the next 3 weeks, we will for sure have a baby!  The Doc said he will induce right around the 41-week mark, if Baby #3 hasn't made an appearance - I am not very comfortable going much past that point, because I might be slightly nervous about how big this babe will be.  I still go back and forth between having very little energy, to having a LOT - and nesting like crazy.  I can't wait for this little one to come, so we can meet him or her, and see his or her little face.  I am so eager to get to know it's personality and to transition to a family of 5.  The kids are getting more and more excited, which is fun.  Ezzy likes to tell me the baby needs to "POP!" out of me, and L asks when I will go get the baby out.

Max had another abscess last week (he had one a few months ago), on his leg, and when he went in to get it looked at, it was cultured, and determined that he is still colonizing MRSA.  MRSA, to our understanding, is a drug-resistant staph infection. He was treated for it a few months ago, after he was in the hospital, but he is still dealing with it.  Back on the heavy-duty antibiotics he went, along with some lengthy instructions for cleaning our house, laundry, himself, etc.

The past few days have been filled with doing lots and lots of laundry loads (our bedsheets had to be washed every single day, plus all of the clothes he wore had to be washed right away), wiping down the house with a bleach-water solution, loads of hand-washing, and multiple showers a day (for him, at least).  I'll be honest and say that it's been a bit discouraging and overwhelming, trying to keep up with it all - I feel like I am constantly cleaning.  BUT, I know it's important - for his sake, to get rid of the MRSA - and for ours, so that the kids and I (and baby!) don't get any MRSA infections.
On a more positive note, I am excited to start a Bible Study tomorrow at church.  I am really looking forward to doing the study, in community with other women.  I can tend to be a shy introvert, so this will be good for me!

Eliana and Ezra are doing well.  Ezzy is saying more and more words everyday.  He is starting to form super short sentences, which is cute.  He likes to describe objects, as cute or neat, which makes me smile.  That son of mine LOVES to help me - with the laundry or throwing things away or vacuuming or picking things up.  It's super sweet.

And L is - dare I say it? - mostly potty-trained.  She only wears a diaper for sleeping and has been doing great keeping her panties dry during the day, even when we are out and about, or at church.  I am so proud.  She is also back in her "big-girl-bed" again, after us putting her back in her crib a few months ago.  I am so happy that we have not had the same battle this time around.  She stays in her bed!  Definitely going much better, and I am so, SO glad we made the decision that we did.
The freezer is starting to stock up - thanks to everyone who commented on my freezer-meal question - I am going to try to get a post together with the things I ended up cooking and freezing away, along with recipes for each.  It's been fun working on it (probably because I like cooking in general!) - and not terribly demanding or draining, as I try to just "double-up" on a lot of our meals, and then freeze half for later!  I think it's worked out great, and I am glad to know we'll have meals for a few weeks, that are healthy, and easy to get on the table.
Oh boy, there I went, rambling again, ha!  There ya have it - our life, as of the last week or so.  It's about time for this mama to heat up our enchilada leftovers for lunch, and to feed my little babes before their nap.