Adventures in the Life of the Pometto Family

Words cannot begin to describe the last two days in our home. Or my emotional state for the last 2 days (or 8 months) But, of course, I'll give it a whirl. :)

To make the irony even greater, let me start by telling you that on Monday evening I was talking to Lindsay on the phone and telling her about my compulsive nesting habits. I told her that we are getting everything in the house super organized in anticipation of Judah's arrival (and by "we" I a mean, I have a list, and I do my best to conquer one item per day. I also force Joe and Tony to check off as many things as they can everyday.) I also add about 5 things to the list everyday, which is rather counter-productive, I know, but I can't help it!!

Anyway, I was also telling her that "Roman is going to stay in his crib until after Judah is born". I mean, "he can't get out yet" and "there will be plenty of time for him to transition later because Judah will be in our room for the first few months".

Famous last words.

No sooner than 6:45 am on Tuesday morning, did I hear a loud thud emerge from Roman's room. Joe and I were both awake and knew that Roman was too - remember, he likes to talk to himself a lot. :) I have been slightly paranoid about him figuring out how to escape his crib for quite a while, but I thought to myself, "Ruth Ann, you are probably over reacting. I bet he just kicked the side of the crib".

Then I heard his closet door open.

I turned my head to Joe with wide eyes, "Did he just...? Oh my gosh. Is he...??"

Joe runs into Romans room and announces "He's definitely out".

Perfect.

He didn't hurt himself, and he wasn't destroying anything so I guess part of me should be happy.

To make the day a bit more eventful, later in the morning Roman and I were playing in his toy room when he decided he was bored and was going to head to the living room to see what exciting endeavors might await him there. Of course everything in our house is "baby proof".

I finished picking up the blocks that we were building (apparently very dull) towers with, and then headed after him. I could hear his voice but it sounded like it was coming from kind of far away. Now, Roman really likes to get into the trash closet and find the broom. He'll pull it out and say "I'm gonna sweep up". He has also successfully closed himself in the laundry closet in the past. So, I start looking over there. He's not in either closet, so I head back out to the living room. Keep in mind, he has only been without supervision for about 27 seconds.

That's when I realized that the sliding glass door, which was LOCKED, is now wide open...and Roman is outside...standing on the cement slab...with his sippy cup...

I stand at the door dumbfounded for a moment.

He looks up at me. "I see trees and skies".

SERIOUSLY???

Needless to say, I have been on the verge of tears for the last 48 hours because I can't even keep my child in the house, much less in his crib.

Fun with Roman and Carter

I was just going back through some OLD posts that I started and never finished when I came across this one with some adorable pictures and video.



I believe this video was taken sometime last spring, which would have made Carter probably around 8 months old? Pretty close to Judah's current age! Funny!

As I recall, Roman and Carter "made up" this game all on their own and were quite entertained for about a half hour! It was very entertaining for me, too! :)

I loved that bear crawl!!

Since these pictures were taken, Jim, Chelsey, and Carter have moved to Virginia. Jim got a job at the Pentagon. He's such a VIP. :) I miss them all so much, but especially my little buddy, Carter. I was blessed to be able to spend so much time with him for the first year and half of his life. I was so thankful that Jim and Chelsey asked me to watch him overnight a few times because we got to have SO much quality time and fun together!
And, seriously, how much does he look like Judah??
Love you, Carter!

I feel like there is so much to say right now. And really, none of it will probably be of any interest to you. As I am sure you've noticed, I work best with lists:

1. It's currently 12:30 am and I'm blogging. What the heck am I thinking?? I should definitely be sleeping...

2. I got to spend the day with Roman and Carter. It was amazing. They are so cute and have so much fun together right now. I can't wait to see what they will be like in a couple of years. Hilarious photos and videos to come...let's just say they involve Roman teasing Carter with a blanket...which they both found to be funniest game ever.

3. Have I mentioned that we have to put Roman to bed in backwards PJs these days??? Oh yes, that's right. He has figured out how to remove his PJs and his diaper immediately upon awakening in the morning. This made for several days of serious cleaning upon me entering his room. I know what you're thinking, "why not go for the two piece PJs with a onesie underneath"? Yeah...tried that too. He's a little Houdini, what can I say?

4. Joe is headed to Nashville on Sunday for GMA (Gospl Music Association) week. He is going to be talking with several different Christian labels on behalf of Vow of Silence...so please pray for God's will to be done there! We really have been feeling that we are at a crossroads, and who knows where God will lead us next? Just pray that we will have ears to hear and wisdom to obey whatever he asks of us.

5. I am in full-fledged nesting mode. My to do list is longer than Rapunzel's hair...and I add something new almost every day. I can't stop...and frankly, it's scaring the boys in my house. Tony told me the other day that he didn't know nesting was a real thing until the day I organized the pantry and compulsively tried to rake every single leaf out of our yard. For the record, I still feel the urge to rake, because we have aquired a few more leaves in the last week. Yikes. 7 weeks to go.

6. Did I mention there are only 7 weeks until Judah makes his arrival??????????

7. I got to go to th VOS concert at Veishea tonight because it was outside. I had to stand far away from the stage, but it was definitely worth it. So proud of my boys. :) And, I cannot WAIT for you all hear some of the new songs they have been working on. A-MA-ZING.

8. I have about 3,000 obligations this weekend and next weekend. It's very overwhelming to even think about.

9. I got to talk to my brother on the phone on his birthday (Wednesday). It was so good to chat with him! Miss you like crazy, Jimbo!

10. Seriously...I should sleep.

Our Lord's Passion

INRI

Sometimes it's hard for me to talk about Good Friday and know what to say. We call this day "good"? This is the day that Christ suffered.

I mean, I do understand why we call it good:

1 Peter 2:24

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed

We call it good because we know how the story ends. As my friend Allison so eloquently wrote about in her blog the other day...Easter is Coming.

I found this article on a blog that I read sometimes...I thought it had an interesting way of helping us to understand how we should approach Good Friday...even when it's hard for us to understand.

We were supposed to watch The Passion of the Christ with the kids from youth group tonight. Roman has had a fever, though, so we will be watching it at home instead. We have sort of made it a Good Friday tradition. I think it's an amazing movie; very well done and very God honoring.

So, I hope that you'll join me in remembering the sadness of today, and in celebrating the fact that the resurrection is near. I think it's important to be able to enter into this sorrowful day, and to see Christ's death for what it is...all part of the journey to Easter. It's all part of redemption.

Preggers

Had to share this lovely photo that Kathleen took the other night during Kim's bridal shower...I have lots more to post eventually, but this one is a beaute. I am 31 weeks along in this photo...Adam said he was 3 days pregnant....for whatever that's worth. :)

Gotta love that crazy guy!

My Recommedation of the Day

Better head over to the Stuff Christians Like blog and check this out:
http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com/2009/04/512-thinking-youre-naked.html

Six Words and The Crucifix

Roman has been saying a few 6 word sentences occasionally - I am usually driving or something and then forget to write it down when I finally arrive at home...but not today!! Today in the car he said: "I see da wain out dere" (I see the rain out there.) We had a lot of fun today even though the weather was yucky. :)

In other news, we went to noon mass at St Thomas on Friday and got to hear a great message from Father Dennis. He was talking about a church (I think in Great Britain?) that took down their crucifix because it was too "gruesome" and "unwelcoming".

W-O-W.

It SO baffles me to think about the things that are welcomed into family homes...the TV shows, the Internet content, the conversations, etc. Things that bear no fruit whatsoever...and I know I am just as guilty of those things.

But, seriously. The crucifix is the very definition of love. Scripture tells us so:

John 15:13

Greater love has no one than this,

that he lay down his life for his friends.

I was so in awe of what Father had to say about honoring our Lord's passion.

I really liked that he also talked about the opposite being just as ridiculous...it's pointless to remember only the crucifixion. Without the resurrection, the crucifix would be exactly what these people are claiming it to be - just a horrendous image...very disturbing... and certainly not something that draws people nearer to the Lord.

But, that's just it. The crucifix is not simply about a man who was mailiciously put to death.

It's when we see the whole picture...suffering, death, new life...that we see love.

What a beautiful sacrifice.

What a an overwhelming display of devotion.

One man on behalf of many.

The righteous on behalf of the unrighteous.

Him instead of me.

Am I always comfortable as I look upon an image of my Savior on the cross? No. And I don't think I should be.

Sometimes, in fact, I feel deep agony when looking at the crucifix...because I understand the weight of what he did for me...and I know that I will never, ever be worthy. I also know that he never, ever regrets it.

I guess what I'm trying to say, is thank-you. Thank you to the churches that still believe it's okay to make people feel uncomfortable sometimes. In fact, it's necessary. How would we grow if we didn't ever step out of our convenience-driven lives?

Thank you to the faithful who believe in spreading the gospel....in it's entirity...the hard-to-swallow, painful parts and the grace-filled, refreshing parts. The gospel is not an easy message to deliver. Being a Christian is certainly not always an easy way to live. Sometimes we don't like the way it makes us feel. You know what? Sometimes, neither did Jesus. Sometimes we don't like having to be obedient to God's plan. But, in the words of one of my heroes, Jim Ott,
"Jesus didn't like the nails".

Our Weekend

Just a glimpse of what we have been up to:

Friday: Went to Des Moines for a fun night out with Chrissy and Jon. We ate at Taki, which is always delicious, and then went to play some Wii at Chrissy's house. Roman was very excited. He kept saying "Chrissy. Jon. Toys." Those are the main things that bring him joy, so good night for him. :)

Saturday: I spent the morning hanging out with Roman while Joe slept a little bit. We watched Veggie Tales, talked about the zoo, and read some books. The usual. :) Then we went to lunch at Dutch Oven Bakery with my friend Brooke. So good to catch up! Roman was exhausted when we came home, but if you haven't heard, he's been on a bit of a "sleep strike" lately. Good times. Basically, what this means, is that once he actually falls asleep, he's good to g0 - will take his normal 2 hour nap or sleep his normal 12 hour night. It's the falling asleep that's really giving us trouble. You see, as of about a week ago, our naptime and bedtime routine went something like this:

read 2 books, sing two songs, read a Bible verse, say prayers, lay down

Now, Roman would sometime whine a little bit when I left the room, and he certainly didn't go to sleep immediately - he usually talks to himself/sings for a while before falling asleep.

No more, friends. No more.

We have not had any interruption in our routine, but for whatever reason, about a week ago, he just started screaming when we left the room - and will basically persist in hysteria until someone comes back to keep him company.

I have tried rocking him until he falls asleep or laying with him until he falls asleep. The problem with these attempts is that he doesn't ever actually fall asleep. Super. I laid on the floor for an hour with him the other night (keep in mind I am 29 weeks pregnant). Feels good on the hips at this point. :) But, still after an hour, he wanted to chat with me, and screamed when I left the room.

I have tried leaving the door open and the hall light on. I have tried complete darkness. I have tried to just give up on the nap - but by 4:00 he is screaming because he's so tired anyway. I have tried everything I can think of.

On the bright side, he usually goes to sleep a little bit better for Joe. Joe says he can talk to him "man to man"...that they understand each other. I say "whatever works". But, let's just say, I'm a little nervous for nap time tomorrow while Joe is at work. :(

If anyone has any ideas...PLEASE share.

Anyway, after the naptime fiastco, and Joe finally getting Roman to sleep, we went out to rake the leaves that have been in our yard since August. Yep. Good homeowners, I know. But, remember, we moved in November, so about a week later there was snow on the ground and the opportunity has really not arisen until now. Tony has been AMAZING help with everything around the house - I am so thankful!!

After Joe and Tony yelled at me for being pregnant and bending over to pick up leaves, they finally just sent me back into the house. They are so funny - they think I'm handicapped or something - although I wasn't going to question their decision to exclude me from yard work. :) So, I went to Wal-Mart and bought paint so that we could get Roman and Judah's rooms painted one of these days. Very exciting.

Later in the afernoon, my family came over - Grandma, Mom and Bob, and Chelsey and Carter. Roman was SUPER excited to see everyone. He and Carter had a fantastic time playing peek-a-boo, "sharing" (more like stealing) snacks, practicing their crawling skills, and laughing at each other.

When my family first came over, Joe and Tony were finishing the raking. I left the room to get something and I came back to everyone laughing. Chelsey says "Tony just threw a bag of leaves on the roof". I look out the window to leaves raining down. It was so funny. He thought he could throw the bag all the way over the house into the pile with the rest of tha bags. Definitely didn't even clear the roof, so nice effort. :) He's hilarious.

Sunday: This has been a rather lengthy post, so I'll give you the quick version. Went to church, went to lunch at Applebee's with Anna, got to chat with Mike and Joyce for a bit, went home. Got to skip horrendous naptime screaming because Roman fell asleep on the way home - and does pretty well transitioning from car to crib. I taped Roman's "big boy room" so that Joe and Tony could paint. They got the whole thing finished and it looks AWESOME. Such good men at my house. :) Agape (my small group of high school girls). Dinner with some of the girls from my small group. Youth Group.

Such a productive and fun weekend. I only have about 2,957 more things to do before Judah is born. :)

Pictures and Video

Roman loving on his brother

Joe raking and Roman "helping." :)
6 months pregnant!

Roman and Mommy




L0ts of love.

Roman and Daddy

Roman wearing Adam's shoes

Roman playing Daddy's drums...he's a natural. :)

My Little Chatterbox: Edit

One I forgot to mention:

The past few days, Roman has given me a play-by-play of what he's doing throughout the day.

Examples:
"I'm sitting"
"I'm taking bath"
"I'm running"
"I'm so sleepy"