Giving thanks!

As everyone is compiling their gratitude lists this time of the year, I've been thinking about the blessings in my life as well. There are a lot of them; we’ve been truly blessed abundantly. But I can’t seem to shake the feelings and tears of gratitude for the PEOPLE in my life. So here we go…

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I’m grateful for my Mom. She is one of the greatest people I’ve ever known, and I’m so lucky to call her my Mom and my best friend!

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I’m grateful for my sister- and brother-in-law. They are awesome and they are moving to Utah! Hip, hip, hurray!

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I’m grateful for my mother- and father-in-law. They are the best set of second parents a girl could ever want. They are amazing, kind, loving people and I love them with all my heart!

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I’m grateful for my grandparents. I live so, so far away from all of them. It’s so sad. But I have pretty amazing and unusual heritage because of them and I’m so proud of it!

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I’m grateful for my neighbors. We live in the best neighborhood. I never want to move. Except we’ll have to one of these days. I think my little heart might break when that day comes.  But that day is not today, and for that I’m so grateful.

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I’m grateful for my friends, new and old. They brighten my day and make me feel so loved.

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I’m grateful for my Scott. He is my love, my rock, my strength, my sunshine. He is the perfect man for me. I love you, dear. Thank you for your love, your sacrifices, your hard work, your example. You are the best of the best!

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I’m grateful for these little nuggets (and one not pictured. Love you my little angel! Mommy misses you so much). They make me so happy!

My heart is full!

Kids talk politics

Benjamin overheard us talking about the presidential debate. He started asking who Romney was, why we have to vote to elect the President and why some would vote for one vs the other. So we tried to explain the difference between Obama and Romney, in simple 6-year-old terms...

Us: Obama wants to take money from the rich and give it to the poor. Romney wants for everyone to be self-efficient and have an opportunity to take care of themselves.

Ben: If I had money, I would want to share.

Us: Sharing is wonderful. We should always share. But sharing should come from the heart. The government should never force anybody to share.

Now fast forward to the next day. We're getting in the car to go drop some stuff off at DI. The boys have this huge bear they don't play with anymore. There is no room for it in our house. We've been keeping it stuffed in the closet. So we finally decided it was time for it to go. As Scott was putting the bear in the back of the car...

Ben: Dad, why are we getting rid of our bear?

Scott (something along these lines): You guys don't play with it anymore. There is no room for it. Another little boy or girl would really love to have it.

Ben: But I don't want to give it away to another boy or girl.

Scott: I know (and then reemphasizes the 'why' again)

Ben:  Dad, you're acting like Obama right now.

Ha! So funny! This kid cracks us up.

2 months

 

 

 

 

 

 

My little peanut turned 2 months this last week. Well, she is not so little anymore. She has become the chubbiest, softest, most kissable little bear ever!

Here’s where she’s at at 2 months:

·         a whopping 12 lbs (85^th percentile)

·         22.5 inches (50^th percentile)

·         She started to smile when she sees us, especially in the mornings when she is the happiest. I’m always greeted with the big smile first thing in the morning. Love it!

·         She has reflux really bad, her tummy hurts her quite a bit. Although I think she’s been getting better.

·         She loves to be held and does not like to be put down much.

·         She loves her mobile and will lay there staring and smiling at it for a little while (best purchase ever! pretty much the only way I can get about 15 minutes to get something done…really fast)

·         She sleeps pretty well at night, usually waking up once. Except for the nights when she wakes up three times and has a hard time going back to sleep because of her tummy. But,  thankfully, that doesn’t happen every night.

·         It’s been a bit of an adjustment having three kids. In all honesty, it’s been kind of hard. I can’t seem to get back into a schedule. But we’re getting there…slowly.

·         We love this little girl so much. She has been such a blessing to our family. We all adore her! Happy 2 months, Lils!

Lily's blessing

Peanut was blessed at church 2 weeks ago. All the family happened to be in town for various reasons, so we figured the timing was as good as any. Being that it was kind of a last moment decision, the hectic search for the perfect blessing dress began...and quickly ended. I could not find a dress small enough to fit her. Thank heaven for my talented mother-in-law! I got the fabric, told her what I wanted and she whipped up this sweet little dress in one afternoon! It was perfection!

 

 

 

Then I showed my Mom a picture I found on pinterest of these cute little "shoes" that I thought would go perfect with the dress - and she crocheted them for me JUST BY LOOKING AT THE PICTURE! They are the cutest things I've ever seen.

 

I did make the flower band - that was my small contribution :). There is just not much left for me to do when Lily happens to have the two most talented grandmas in the world. She looked beautiful and she received a beautiful, sweet and tender blessing from her Daddy. She is a lucky girl!

 

Meet LILY

 

Our little peanut, Lily Maya, was born on August 12th at 1:52 pm, 7 lbs and 19 1/2 inches long. It's been a month (say, what?) full of hugs, kisses, sweet cries, tummy aches, broken sleep, gazillion itti bitti diapers and pure joy in its fullest. I fell in love with this little girl the second my eyes rested on her. It is amazing how something so perfect can be created inside of you. What a miracle! I just can't get over it. Our family has pretty much fallen head over heals with this little girl. The boys LOVE her and just can't get enough of her sweetness. I can't blame them. She is so fun to hug and to hold and to kiss those perfect chubby cheeks...which is exactly what we do all day every day!

 

 

 Lily with her Babulya. Mom, thank you for coming out (for 2 weeks!). I wish you were still here. Miss you!

 Here's my little love at one month old  

superheroes

I took the boys school shopping today. Lets just say that if there were any bad guys at the Mall and at Target today, they didn't stand a chance. We're so lucky to have superheroes in our family :o)!

pregnancy highlights

(disregard the odd looking picture, the huge belly is visible, that's all that matters, right?)

 

 

How far along: 37 weeks (the doctor pushed my due date back a week – how dare he, obviously he’s never been pregnant – anyways, I should be 38 weeks, but according to him I’m only 37, so we’ll just roll with it)

Total weight gain: 32 lbs GASP!

Sleep: Not getting much of it lately.

Maternity clothes: No go! Regular clothes work just fine. A little adjustment here and there, a belt over the belly and we’re set. I’m boycotting maternity clothes during this pregnancy.

Movement: Lots of movement…for the most part. Poor peanut is not allowed to sleep, I freak out.

Gender: It better still be a girl or poor boy will be in for some pink therapy.

Food cravings: Fruit

What I miss the most: A peace of mind. This pregnancy has been so stressful, especially this last little while. I’m pretty much a basket case all of the time.

Symptoms: I don’t know. 9 months is a long time. I’ve forgotten what is normal and what is not.

Best moment this week: Having everything ready for peanut’s arrival. Her room is ready, the house is sparkling clean, the car is cleaned out and the car seat is installed, pre-registration at the hospital is done, and hospital bag is packed, the boys are beyond excited. If she would just hurry and come already, I’d be one happy Momma.

What I'm looking forward to: Meeting my little peanut and bringing her home.

pregnancy highlights

How far along: 30 weeks

Total weight gain: 25 lbs (a little horrified about it)

Sleep: I’m always waking up either flat on my back (big no, no, I know), or half way on my stomach (squishing little peanut’s face, I’m sure). I just don’t know how to keep myself in the side-lying position.

Maternity clothes: Can I make a confession here? I HATE maternity clothes. I don’t think they are very flattering, or comfortable for that matter. And the prices are outrageous. I have one pair of maternity jeans and can’t stand how they don’t seem to stay on me – I’m constantly pulling them up. And as far as the shirts go, by the time I get them long enough to cover my belly, they are huge everywhere else. So for the most part, I just wear regular clothes that are larger in size.  

Movement: It’s been so comforting and fun feeling her move. I think this is my favorite part of being pregnant.

Gender: Still a girl!

Food cravings: Sugar.

What I miss the most: Being skinny. Just being honest here. As much as I love being pregnant and so grateful for this privilege of bringing these little precious spirits into this world, it’s not fun seeing your body expand in all these places other than the belly.

Symptoms: I no longer walk. I waddle.

Best moment this week: Having the boys feel the little peanut move. They are both so excited. Benjamin now climbs in bed with me every morning, puts his hands on my tummy and rubs the belly until she wakes up and kicks him. And Andrew loves putting his face on my belly and then telling me where on his face she kicked him.

What I'm looking forward to:

Getting her room ready.

 

Baby rivals a good-size cabbage in weight, tipping the scales this week at 3 pounds. (Length: about 15 3/4 inches, head to heel.)

Mother's day

I love being a Mom. More than anything in the world, I love being a wife and a mom. This mother's day was a great reminder of that. I woke up to lots of hugs and kisses from the boys, to a sweet gift and note from the husband. Our church service was fabulous. The primary kids sang and I reveled in the moment as I watched my boys walk down the aisle holding hands and then standing together with their arms around each other while they sang. Somehow, they must have known that it’s a special day for mommy, because they were being extra sweet all day long. Or maybe it was me, letting go of every care and just enjoying this precious little family of mine…enjoying every moment of that day. Scott made all the meals and did all the dishes and picked up the house.  I got to take a nap. I was on call all day for work and didn’t get called in – a miracle within itself. We went to the cemetery to visit Chloe's grave, which we do every Sunday anyway, but yesterday felt extra special. It was a good day.

Double birthday extravaganza

Our boys’ birthdays are less than 3 weeks apart (+ 2 years), so we asked if they wanted to have a combined birthday party and they were more than happy to oblige (hurray!). We did a Dr. Seuss theme and, naturally, the boys were Thing 1 and Thing 2 … well, naturally, because they are just as mischievous as those real Things are. It was a busy day but full of fun. The boys were so excited, they ran to bed the night before because they couldn’t wait for the party. They were up at 6:30 in the morning asking when their friends are coming over. Their excitement was contagious and I just love to see my little peanuts so happy. The smiles on their faces were worth all the hours it took me to get that party organized. We had so much fun!

The culprits

Some of the decorations - the Truffula trees and Lorax

The snack table. I had all these cute tags with clever names made for all the food and what Dr. Seuss books it was coming from. But, alas, I ran out of time and didn't get them printed.

The main attraction. I came across an amazing deal on an all-day bounce house rental that I couldn't pass up. So glad I didn't. It was a huge hit with all the 18 kiddos. It was craziness.

We made Lorax hats

We had to rush to Benjamin's soccer game right after the party. His team won 14 - 2. Ben kicking a goal in here. He loves soccer and is quite good at it. No surprise there though. I don't think there is anything this kid is not good at. Except for maybe listening to his mommy sometimes :o).

Then we were back home for some more bounce house craziness.

It was a full and fun day. There is nothing better than putting to bed two perfectly happy, grateful and completely exhausted kiddos.

Happy Birthday, little bugs! We love you more than words could ever describe.

Pink or Blue

How far along: 20 weeks

Total weight gain: hit the 10lb gain mark. Hurray! Let’s break it down, shall we?
- 2 lbs went to the tots. The glories of cleavage need some recognition here, ok?
- 1 lb of baby
- 3 lbs of placenta, increased blood volume, and all sorts of fluid-ness
- 0 lbs to my butt - it’s a little optimistic, but let’s just go with it. I figured I’m still wearing my regular pants, so I’m going to pretend I gained no poundage in the rear end…at least for now.
- 1 lb went to ankle swellage
- 3 lbs of pies, cookies, breads, and rolls that I consumed this weekend at Gunlock.

Sleep: Love it!

Maternity clothes: Regular clothes, just maxing out the fabric’s stretch limits in most of my shirts.

Movement: Started feeling the little peanut move a couple weeks ago. It’s very faint though and not very frequent. Grow little peanut, grow!

Gender: It’s a GIRL! A little unexpected. We thought it was a boy. A little nervous and scared. But so, so excited!

Food cravings: Anything with sugar in it. Urgh! It happens to me every time. I start out the pregnancy craving veggies and fruit and all things healthy, then right about half way through, all of the sudden all I want is everything I shouldn't have.

What I miss the most: Sleeping on my stomach.

Symptoms: A little tired. Nausea is gone. Belly is getting bigger. Feeling much better overall.

Best moment this week: Not really pregnancy related, but I LOVED General Conference this weekend. I’m feeling inspired!

What I'm looking forward to:
You know, getting bigger and more uncomfortable, getting swollen ankles, waking up to roll over in bed, waking up to go pee every 3 hours, crying for no sensible reasons, having excruciating Charlie horses in my feet and an awful heartburn and other gastrointestinal delights, having low back pain and contractions, hip and pubic bone pain, and all the other lovelies of pregnancy.
Bring it on, baby girl. No one is complaining here.

Baby is the size of a:

love them

These beauties are some of my favorite ladies in the whole wide world. It was so good to see them all again.

Reunited because of this stunning bride...

It's always been fascinating to me how some friendships you make seem to last forever. No matter what road in life you've taken or how long ago you've talked or seen each other, you can pick up right where you've left off. It's so easy and so natural. You know that no matter what, that friendship you've once made will always be there.

Love these girls with all my heart!

mother

http://pinterest.com/pin/29132728809047149/

Saw this on pinterest. Definitely feeling that definition today. Love the "see also..."

pregnancy highlights

How far along: 12 weeks

Total weight gain: 2 lbs

Sleep: Gosh, I sleep -- A LOT. Or at least I want to sleep a lot. I am so tired all the time. By the time evening rolls around I’m ready for bed by 8pm. Not that it ever happens, especially if I have to work that night.

Maternity clothes: Still regular clothes.

Movement: Still have a while till I feel the little peanut move. It’s been hard. I get anxieties over it.

Gender:Everyone has their guess! :)

Food cravings: It’s more like food AVERSIONS. It’s hard to find anything that sounds good.

What I miss the most: My energy. I just feel so wiped out all the time.

Symptoms: Nausea, exhaustion, and then some more nausea. And lots of anxiety. So much, in fact, that I ended up with gastritis.

Best moment this week: Seeing Baby on the ultrasound and hearing the heartbeat! Best. Sound. Ever. Ultrasounds have become a huge source of panic attacks for me. I don’t like them. I shake and I cry and I think the worst. All I can think of is the ultrasound image of my little Chloe – still, no movement, no heartbeat. It’s almost unbearable.

What I'm looking forward to: GETTING OUT OF FIRST TRIMESTER!!!

Baby is the size of a:

I've embraced the fact that I am just not a consistent blogger. I wish I was, because I have about a million posts in mind. But the fact is it's just not going to happen. So instead here's a quick review of our last year.

our TOP 10 moments of 2011
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10. 2 visits from the tooth fairy for Benjamin.

9. Camping with family and friends.

8. A very successful soccer season for Benjamin.

7. First year playing t-ball for Andrew. He loves batting, hates the field.

6. Family vacation at the beach house in California.

5. New job for Diana, who is now an ER nurse and loving it!

4. Kindergarten for Benjamin and he is having so much fun!

3. Officially becoming triathletes - twice.

2. Getting our running grove on by completing some half marathons.

#1. Finding out we are expecting baby #4!

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Here's to 2012!