At Full Capacity

Back in Utah

2012-02-15T10:56:00.003-07:00

We made it back to Utah...it's good to be home.

Yesterday I was able to spend a few hours with my family before catching our flight. After the graveside service Ryan picked me up and I was able to join everyone (brothers, uncle, grandparents, parents...we had quite a group) to go out to lunch. I was exhausted, dressed in sweats, and I hadn't showered in three days...but I was there! I was so glad to be with my family on such an important day.

And then after a delayed flight we made it home at about 2 in the morning. It was an exhausting trip to say the least. Ryan had to hop back on a plane this morning CO bound for work...ouch.

A few pictures of Rory's drama.

In the ER getting some oxygen.

She had to be transferred in an ambulance to another hospital...we couldn't drive her.

I'm scared to see the bill on that one.

Our home for a couple of nights...I told you it was small!
I will not miss that chair!

RSV

2012-02-14T10:12:00.003-07:00

I'm sitting in a hospital room with my little Rory by my side...in CA. She was admitted because her cold has turned into RSV. This closet of a space they have put us in has been my home for since Sunday. Seriously, I really haven't moved from this chair. Lots of sick kids on this floor...and as you know I'm pretty paranoid about illness...so here I stay. We have a roomie, a little boy also with RSV...so there is no shortage of hacking in this room.

I'm depressed about my situation and starting to feel sorry for myself. The sole purpose for this trip to CA was to attend my grandfather's funeral...and I missed it. I spent more than half this trip in a hospital. I'm so sad to have missed the services, missed being with my family. I feel absolutely no closure in the death of my grandfather...something I was hoping to gain by being here.

But I do realize it was the right thing to do, to bring Rory in. She was pretty bad off on Sunday. She was having a lot of trouble breathing: chest retractions, nose flaring, and grunting and wheezing with every breath. I had no choice. But to be honest, I had no idea it would turn out to be a hospital stay.

She's doing so much better today and we have been given the okay to leave. One problem though...my entire family is in Riverside (at least an hour away) right now for the graveside service. I so wish I could be there.

Well, at least I know I'll make our flight tonight. I really want to be home.

Life can really throw you some challenges. But I'm ready for a break from them.

Leaving on a jet plane...

2012-02-10T08:35:00.003-07:00

We're jumping on a plane tonight, CA bound for my grandfather's funeral next week. I'm very grateful for my grandma who has helped us with the tickets. Otherwise we'd be driving...and that would be a lot of driving for just a short trip.

We haven't all been on a plane before. The last time I flew, I was alone,Haley was 2 and Morgan was an infant. So, this trip will be interesting now with four children.

Dear fellow passengers,

Please go easy on us. We will be doing our very best to keep our children in line! I promise!
A friendly smile goes a long way...really, it does.

Thank you, Me

So, needless to say I have a lot to do in preparation for the trip. I have to change my packing strategies and simplify everything. I can't rely on the "Just throw it in the car." mindset.

In other news, today is Cowboy Day at school. Hmmm, I wonder what Morgan will be wearing?

Trying to move forward.

2012-02-07T09:56:00.004-07:00

Since hearing the news of my grandfather I've been trying to process it all. All I want to do is...well, nothing at all really...but, life continues to go on. Kids need to be fed, dressed, and bathed. Homework, laundry and errands still need to get done. And as of lately, sick kids need to be cuddled.

A Valentine craft the kids did over the weekend.

It happens to make a nice mobile for Rory.

Saturday morning I had the opportunity to attend a ladies only skate ski clinic at the Nordic Center. Actually, they had both skate and classic...I chose skate. I loved it! I'm going to go to their next clinic in March and maybe even squeeze in an outing myself. Unlike downhill (where it becomes an all day outing), cross country fits fairly well in my small windows of time that I can be away from Rory.

I need a haircut.

I have been obsessed with paint colors.

Hopefully I'll make my decisions soon.

Morgan has become obsessed with being a cowgirl. She wore this outfit all day on Sunday, and then again on Monday at school...hat and all! She is now requesting a pair of cowboy boots. By the way, I prejudged that dress and deemed it too ugly for the girls to wear in public (it was an old hand-me-down) and I threw it in the dress-up bin. But, now seeing it on her...it's actually pretty darn cute!
We have an awful cold going through the house. First me, then Morgan, then Ryan and now Piper has it. Piper's cough seems to be the worst and she's getting very little sleep (which means neither are Ryan and I) because of it, so she is absolutely miserable! She was even checked for pneumonia yesterday...luckily, the results came back negative. So, no meds are given since it's a virus...we just have to tough it out!

So far Haley and Rory have been able to avoid this dreaded cold! Knock on wood!

Grandpa

2012-02-05T11:18:00.003-07:00

My grandfather passed away last night. He was diagnosed with cancer in December so we were preparing ourselves for this, but we had no idea it was all going to happen so fast. The cancer spread so quickly.

At Christmas we were able to see him when we were out in CA visiting. When I was hugging him goodbye he told me he would be coming out to Utah to visit this Summer...but deep down we both knew that moment was going to be our final goodbye.

I can't believe how one moment someone can be so healthy and then the next their health can deteriorate so quickly. He was always so active, always building something in his workshop, always staying busy.

He was a man that never used the phrase, "I love you.". However, I never doubted his love for us...he showed it in other ways. But, five days before he passed away I did get to talk to him briefly on the phone...I told him I loved him and for the first time ever he told me he loved me too and that he loved my family. I will always remember that moment...it meant an awful lot to me.

A portrait my brother, Andrew, drew of him.

Last Summer, building the playhouse with my dad and Ryan.

I've never experienced the loss of one my grandparents. I've been so fortunate that all four of them have always been an important part of my life. So this process of losing my grandfather has been very difficult for me.

We'll miss you, Grandpa.

The week so far.

2012-02-02T08:49:00.002-07:00

My little Rory is now two months old! At her check-up she weighed in at 10 lbs, and is 22.5 inches long. Everything looked great! She sleeps nearly 12 hours straight at night and I was worried that she's not getting enough to eat. But the doctor assured me that her growth is great so just let her sleep! No problem there! I guess she makes up for it when she eats every two hours in the day!

Look at those blue eyes!

In other news, Morgan has been sick this week. It seems she has picked up that nasty cold I had a couple of weeks ago. But unfortunately, she's got it a little worse...she's had a fever and a yucky tummy to go with it. So maybe it's not what I had...but whatever it is I hate to see my kids sick.

Cuddling on her bean bag this morning.

When Piper sees Morgan all cuddled up, she wants in on it too!

I've been working on my chairs...I have one more to go! I think the next project will be painting the family room.

We got a little snow last night, just a dusting really, but it's something right?

We finished watching the first season of Spartacus last night. Wow, that's a good series! I'm hooked! There is definitely no shortage of blood and gore, and the sex scenes will make one blush, but the story line...oh, the story...so many twists and turns!

So there you have it. The week so far.

Weekend Review

2012-01-30T08:44:00.002-07:00

Saturday was Morgan's turn to go skiing with Ryan, and goodness she was excited! She got a little nervous here and there, but she's getting the hang of it.

I cannot believe how much Morgan looks like me when I was her age...especially in this photo! She's my little mini-me!
While they were out skiing I tackled some of my projects. Slow going with three kids home, but at least I got started.

First up, recover the chairs in the kitchen. I found some fabric (wait, my friend totally found it and I was sold instantly), and bought new foam pads (which was the most expensive part!) and some clear vinyl go over it.

Before: ewww, so dirty!
I got crazy with a staple gun and voila!

I think it turned out pretty good...and hopefully my handy work will hold up! One down, now three more to go.

After I ran out of staples I moved on to another project: my curtains. Remember my failed curtain rod hanging session the other day? I CANNOT drill holes where I want the curtain rod...there must be some kind of metal in the wall blocking my path. So I decided to use the old holes that were already there to just hang the curtains...in the meantime, I'll try to figure something out so I can have it they way I want it!

So, in this picture the rod is NOT where I would like it to be. I would like it hanging above the window several more inches. So, my curtains aren't hemmed yet...but you get the idea.

I'm thinking a blue-gray color for the walls. Slowly, but surely, I'll get there!

Sunday we celebrated Jeffy's birthday. I had a little family get together and served up some Parmesan chicken...oh, and we had a HUGE chocolate cake! Good times.

Rory and a much needed break!

2012-01-26T08:56:00.003-07:00

Rory is smiling more and more...and I've even heard the starting of some cooing! And I'm just loving her blue eyes! All my babies have had blue eyes that slowly turned to brown within their first year. But it seems Rory's are more blue than the others, and I'm really hoping they stay...they are so pretty!

Dare I share that she is sleeping through the night already?! I know, I'm a lucky gal! I certainly don't want to jinx myself, but I'll take it while I have it! I lay her down by 8 and she gets up around 5ish to eat and then sleeps again until 9 or so. It's as if she knows how frazzled I am in the day so she gives me this little gift of sleep...thank you Rory.

And speaking of being frazzled, in the day she definitely lets me have it. It seems that all my projects are going to the wayside. When ever I try to sneak away during a peaceful moment...these children realize what I'm up to. Someone will all of a sudden need something, Rory decides she's hungry, Piper gets into something, a cup gets spilled, a fight breaks out, a kid is crying about something, or someone is poopy.

Yesterday I spent an hour trying to hang a curtain rod in the dining room. And at the end of that frustrating hour I was left with numerous holes in the wall and a curtain rod that ended up too short for the window. And to add to my lack of handy skills, I had a fussy baby by my side which just fuels my frustration. That curtain rod almost met an untimely death by being beaten against a tree. Luckily though I didn't resort to that but decided to walk away from the project and call my mom...and complain. She never minds listening to my woes and always makes me feel better!

So after a week of trying to squeeze some kind of project in when ever I get a chance and half the time failing...today, I decided to give it a rest! My friend is coming over during Piper's nap and we are going to indulge something sweet and rich while watching "Drop Dead Diva"! I need some girly adult time!

Weekend Review

2012-01-23T08:35:00.002-07:00

Ryan had to work over the weekend and my quest to be a super awesome mom while he was gone was proving to be more difficult by Saturday. First of all, it was raining all day so the idea of going anywhere with everyone just sounded exhausting to me. And then the girls were just bickering and fighting nonstop which drove me bonkers!

To add things to the mix I discovered that our basement window well filled up with water and began to stream through the window flooding our basement. So, in the pouring rain I had to lower myself into the well amongst prickly berry bushes to empty it using a 5 gallon bucket. Morgan was a sport, and helped me quite a bit!

It was pretty comical actually watching her drag the buckets of water away from the well to dump out. Water kept splashing up all over her. And as you can see, she was only wearing a big T-shirt, jacket, and boots...her choice by the way. Pretty good look.

Haley snuck away and then appeared in the window with little signs that cheered me on.

Luckily, I managed to stop the water from destroying our basement and fixed the rain gutter that caused all the mess. Of course this was all after my panicked phone call to my dad, "What do I do...water is coming through the window?!!!!" Thanks for you help dad!

Sunday went a little more smoothly, thank goodness!

Some Valentine decorations we made. I thought the girls did a great job! Although, after this project it looked like a glitter bomb exploded in my kitchen! I think I'll be finding glitter in there for months!

Oh, and we finally got snow!

Oldie, but a goodie.

2012-01-18T21:00:00.002-07:00

Can I just say how much I love this show...only the first couple of seasons though, after that the show just goes downhill. But it's a bit nostalgic for me when I watch it. Plus, it just looks like so much fun to live in a town where everyone knows everyone. Ryan got me the first two seasons for Christmas and I've been watching it while he's been gone.

And speaking of him being gone...I'm killin' it with my super awesome mom skills this week! Yeah, that's right...even with a nasty cold, which I have. Yeah, pretty proud of myself.

All my children.

2012-01-17T09:23:00.002-07:00

I love looking through old photos. And after we did Rory's newborn picture I couldn't help but go back and look at the other girls. They are all so precious, so many memories come rushing back when I look at them. I truly love that newborn stage...even with the sleepless nights.

Haley, August 2004.
Morgan, July 2006.

Piper, April 2010.

Rory, December 2011.

In other news, Ryan left yesterday morning for Denver. He'll be gone til Thursday, but then he's working in SLC at the Outdoor Retail Convention for the rest of the week and most likely the weekend. So, in other words, I'm on my own this week...my first time with all four children. And Monday being a holiday (no school) I was a little worried how my day would go with everyone home.

But all went well...really well actually! Started out with waffles, then to the Life Science Museum, lunch, Piper napped while the girls played, afternoon movie, more play time, made their own pizza's, bedtime. The only time it got crazy was trying to get everyone in bed, but we survived.

Unfortunately, I've got a bit of a cold...okay, a pretty bad cold. After feeding Rory at about 5 in the morning I had a coughing fit that just wouldn't quit. Basically, I was up for the day. I pretty much feel like crapola today...and to make matters worse I think Haley is coming down with the same cold. She went to school and all, but we'll see how the week goes.

I think some good old homemade chicken noodle soup is on the menu for tonight!

Weekend Review

2012-01-16T13:54:00.003-07:00

The weekend update:

Saturday Ryan took Haley skiing for a good chunk of the day. She loved it!

The girls did some bike riding in the cul-de-sac.

While we were in California we brought home my brother's old mountain bike from when he was a kid for Haley to ride. She has to get used to the brakes and gears but it won't be long and she'll be out on the trails!

Morgan has now taken over Haley's old bike.

We're starting to see Rory's first smiles! Melts my heart!

Hanging out watching a movie.

Haley got a hold of the camera. And when she does, I get a bunch of blurry pictures to go through...like this one.

And there are always a ton of pictures of the dogs....blurry too.

And a few weird pictures, like her feet. Thanks Haley, I'm glad we were able to document your seven year old feet.

Rory's cheeks are getting chubbier...I love that!

Piper giving her kisses. Doesn't Rory looked thrilled?

Funny story:

A while back Morgan accidentally clogged the toilet. It was very traumatic for her as she thought the water was going to spill all over the floor. It didn't...and Ryan promptly fixed it. But she has not forgotten the whole ordeal. Flushing a toilet is a very terrifying experience for her, and she always makes a huge fuss and she insists that we are by her side the whole time. She would even prefer that we stand there with a plunger in hand at the ready, but we won't go that far though.

So as she's making a huge fuss about going to the bathroom I say to her, "Well, if you don't go in the bathroom I guess you'll have to go outside and go behind a bush."

She gets a huge look of relief on her face and says, "Okay".

Well, that backfired.

2012 here we come!

2012-01-14T14:15:00.000-07:00

As you probably already know, 2011 was a challenging year for us.

* Ryan put in his resignation at Reynolds to become a full time Independent Sales Rep. With the economy in the dump, saying goodbye to a steady paycheck and free health insurance was a risky move.

* Right after a he put in his resignation we discovered that I was pregnant...oops. I mean surprise!!

* Had to scramble to find health insurance only to discover that no one would take us because I was pregnant and therefore a liability...and they wouldn't take Ryan because he was married to someone knocked up. So in the end we had to go with COBRA which unfortunately came with a hefty price!

* Then we discovered I had a subchorionic hematoma and had to be put on strict bed rest. That turned into 7 weeks of sofa surfing. It was a crazy time to say the least! Ryan taking on more responsibilities around the house while adjusting to a new work schedule was extremely challenging! Thank goodness for our parents who swooped in to help us out!

* I got off bed rest and we had an a somewhat relaxing Summer.

* When I was 29 weeks pregnant I went into early labor and had to stay at the hospital for nearly a week. Luckily my cervix decided to hang in there and I was sent home for some more bed rest. Another 8 weeks of that!

* Finally, when I made it to 37 weeks I was given the okay to get off bed rest. But as luck would have it I carried my baby all the way to term. And in the end I was induced on my due date.

* We welcomed our newest member of the family, Rory, on December 1st!

So yeah, 2011 pretty much revolved around a crazy, scary, unpredictable pregnancy...and a lot of bills!!

We're hoping this year will be a little easier on us...I think we deserve it.

Some things I want to focus on for 2012:

* Catch up on some home decorating. Painting the walls and complete a few projects that I have in mind.

* Get back to my sporty self...I miss it.

* Having more fun with my kids instead of getting caught up in everyday tasks. Enjoying the little moments more!

So, with that...2012 here we come!

Not feeling the mom thing today.

2012-01-11T08:39:00.005-07:00

I woke up this morning really missing being sporty. I miss being fit. I miss being skinny. I miss being strong and athletic.

I don't want to do laundry today. I don't want to change diapers or nurse or clean up messes today. I'm feeling selfish.

I'm craving some dirty mountain biking...weird? Perhaps.

Family Night Failure

2012-01-09T21:28:00.004-07:00

I've been trying to stay consistent with having family night every Monday. I think it's important...I do. Plus, the kids love it! I'm kind of a rookie with the whole thing, but I'm learning...kind of.

So tonight we were all going to sit down together and come up with goals for the new year. One goal in education, another in sports, and finally a goal for family/home. Each person would record their goals on paper and decorate it all cutesy and then hang them in their room. Ryan and I even made ours before hand so we would have a model of what they could look like for the girls. So we all get together around the table, have our opening prayer (which Haley gave beautifully), I'm feeling like a super awesome mom because my family looks so perfect at that moment. Everyone is eager and happy.

Ryan and I talk about goals so they have some understanding and show them our samples and what our goals are for the year. Okay, so far so good. We lay the markers out, give them paper and they get to it.

Then everything went downhill from there. The girls spent way too long writing their names at the top of the page, making it all curly letters and swirls and this and that all over their letters. I guess I made the mistake of making my letters in my name a little too cutesy because they focused mainly on that instead of my goals! Rory screamed the entire time in my arms. Piper kept scribbling on the walls and on herself. Markers kept falling on the floor and caps went missing. And then when they were finally ready to write their goals, they ask, "What's a goal?" WHAT?! Are you kidding me?! Where were you when I just explained all that?!!

Anyway, at that point all I wanted to do was rip their papers into teeny tiny pieces and throw the markers across the room! Yeah, super awesome mom...not so much.

They didn't even finish...I was too frustrated. Maybe we'll try again tomorrow...maybe not. But do you know what the worst part is? My goal for the family/home was to "RELAX! Don't stress over the little things!" Damn...failed again.

Finally some snow!

2012-01-07T16:23:00.002-07:00

After an extremely dry December without any snow, today we finally woke up to a Winter Wonderland. I just love new fallen snow on the tree limbs...it's so pretty. After breakfast the girls headed outside, jammies and all! This is the first time Piper has been able to play in it...and let me tell ya, she loved it!

Long Beach

2012-01-05T13:25:00.002-07:00

Yet again I failed at taking pictures...maybe one day when I get a new camera I'll be more motivated. But I got a few.

As soon as I recovered from my mysterious stomach bug we headed out of town to my folks house in Long Beach. We crossed our fingers and just hoped nobody else came down with it. Luckily, no one did!

This was our first trip in our new (to us) Suburban! And the first with four children too! I must say, it was so nice to have all the space, and not to have the kids breathing down our necks in the car the for once.

While there Andrew's girlfriend, Nicole, surprised the girls with a trip to Disneyland! She scored four free tickets for our family! So on Friday Andrew, Nicole, my mom and our entire family spent the day at Disneyland. The girls were overjoyed! Unfortunately, the park had record (RECORD, I tell you) crowds that day...it was insane! Thank heavens for fast passes! They save a ton of time! The two bigger rides we took the girls on were Big Thunder Mountain, which Morgan absolutely LOVED (although I constantly thought she was going to fly right out of her seat the entire time) and Splash Mountain. And Haley's favorite was the Jungle Cruise.

We celebrated another Christmas with all the Grandparents. Everyone got to meet Rory.

With celebrating Christmas, New Year's and just later nights in general, this was a common site:

Haley falling asleep in random places.

Lets see there were also outings to the beach, a breakfast date for Ryan and I, family New Year's picture (it will take the place of a Christmas card), Rory's newborn photo, and lots of visiting with family. Another enjoyable trip! Now we're home and I'm looking forward to a nice quite January to catch up on everything I put off last month.

Happy New Year Everyone!!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-28T12:51:00.003-07:00

We had a fabulous Christmas weekend! We celebrated Christmas Eve with some friends and my brother's family. We did a progressive dinner...starting at our home for appetizers and then walked to our friends' home for dinner and dessert. We did the Nativity together and sang carols. Even Haley and Morgan sang for us! It was a wonderful evening!

Christmas morning the girls slept in until 7, which was a Christmas miracle in itself!

Piper with her candy necklace. Boy, was she thrilled to find that in her stocking! I think she had it finished by lunch!
I think the big hit was the dollhouse! The girls ended the morning with a scavenger hunt to find it finally in the basement.

The house is huge...Morgan needs a stool to reach the attic space.

Piper playing with her bowling set from Grandma.

Rory relaxing.

And speaking of relaxing...that is pretty much what we all did Christmas day. After a hardy breakfast we enjoyed a lot of down time. The girls loved their new bean bag chairs. Remember when I started those things a couple of months ago? Yeah, I finally finished them for Christmas. They have already gotten tons of use!

The girls watching a movie on their new bean bags.

Morgan relaxing by the fire. I love this picture, she's so content.

And this is pretty much where I spent the day. In my jammies, by the fire, with my little babe next to me. Bliss.

We had a lovely evening at my brother's house where they whipped up a turkey dinner and we exchanged more presents. A pretty perfect Christmas if I do say so myself!

Monday was cleaning and packing to get ready for our trip to California on Tuesday. Unfortunately, Monday night I got hit hard with the stomach flu. It was bad...bad, bad, bad. That's all I'll say about that. So needless to say Tuesday road trip wasn't happening. I was pretty much comatose all day yesterday. And even today I'm still not completely myself. So now, our plan is to leave Thursday...that is assuming everyone is healthy. I hope, I hope!

Goings on for the week.

2011-12-22T10:03:00.003-07:00

Wow...it's almost Christmas! How this month has flown by! Thank goodness for online shopping, it has been my saving grace this year. If it wasn't for the Internet, Christmas would never happen in this house!

Let's see...here's what's been happening around here.

* Rory is sleeping a little better at night, and when I say "little" I mean little! It seems she just doesn't want to settle down until around 12 or 1 in the morning, and then she'll give me a few hours of uninterrupted sleep before we start again. Oh, and let me just say how I despise Kirkland Signature diapers from Costco! EVERY single night I change Rory's jammies and have to switch out her blankets at least twice because she is wet from head to toe in pee and or poop. Thank you for nothing Kirkland, your diapers suck.

* The girls had their Christmas programs at school...which, the logistics getting to both with other children was quite interesting. Haley's was in the morning, so getting four children dressed and fed (and nurse Rory) and out the door in time was a major challenge. But I did it...it was a miracle!! And then Morgan's program was in the afternoon, so it was back in the car to do it all over again. But let me just say how much I loved watching my girls up there singing! My eyes immediately swelled up with tears...goodness, I'm such a sap.

* Last night Ryan's brother and family came for a visit. They're in town for a little skiing, so it was a treat to spend some time with them. The girls were so excited to see their cousins! It was such a nice evening, all the kids played so well together. Megan was completely in love with Piper and spoiled her rotten with attention. Haley watched Liam play the Wii and I heard her yell out every now and then, "Liam!! You are awesome on that!!" Our family is a little clueless with anything electronic and we're still trying to figure that Wii out. So it was nice to see someone know what they're doing on it!

* Christmas break has officially started today for the girls. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I love the fact that we don't have to rush around in the mornings, but having all four kids home at the same time ALL DAY is a major challenge for me! It's 11:00 and we are all still in jammies (except for Rory, I had to change her entire outfit as soon as she woke up...we'll thank Kirkland diapers for that one!) and I'm surrounded by messes, dishes in the sink, breakfast stuff still out, toys scattered everywhere, I've already had to play referee between Haley and Morgan multiple times, and Piper decided to unwind an entire roll of toilet paper. Give me strength!!

So on to the final countdown to Christmas! I'm super excited about it, we have some fun things planned for the weekend!

Now, if it will just snow!!! I would like to have a white Christmas if possible.

Who's who?

2011-12-17T13:21:00.002-07:00

Babies sleeping on their bellies are the cutest things ever! Their little bottoms in the air and feet curled under...oh, how I love it!

Can you tell which is Piper and which is Rory?

One day at a time.

2011-12-14T10:36:00.004-07:00

A lot of things are going through my mind lately, and although I know it helps me to write it down and get it out, the truth is I've been avoiding my blog. I don't want to admit that I'm struggling to the world. Yes, Ryan is aware of my woes...sheesh, I complain enough to him that's for sure. But to let people know it's not all roses right after a baby is hard for me. Mainly because so many people helped me get through this pregnancy, I feel I don't have the right to complain. Plus, how can I complain when I have these four precious, healthy children?! And, this is my fourth! I should be a pro at this, right? Well, I'm realizing I'm not. Plus, when I complain I feel people will judge me, like I don't love my children or something. Certainly, that's not the case! But I will say, this has been a very difficult transition for me.

I know that some women go through a bit of depression after having a baby. I don't think I'm depressed, but I sure do have low moments. I get angry easily (most likely because I'm getting very little sleep). I'm sad...I feel that I'm not being the mom I want to be. My kids see me frustrated more than happy...at least that's what it feels like. I'm overwhelmed with all the household chores: homework, cooking, cleaning, errands, laundry (oh my, the laundry...how it adds up!) And the messes, oh the messes...toys permanently scatter the family room.

Over the weekend I folded a ton of laundry onto the dining room table...it's still sitting there in neat little piles. Yes, every time we need something I go to the dining room. "Oh, you need underwear? It's on the dinning room table". Poor Ryan has had to come down stairs in a towel after a shower to find his clothes. And, I still have two baskets waiting to be folded in the laundry room! I'll get to it...maybe.

My recovery has been on the slow side. Apparently I had a pretty good tear when I delivered Rory (what can I say, I'm good pusher). And when the doctor was getting out the placenta, the cord broke so he had to "manually" remove it...it pretty much bruised me up pretty good. I know, too much info, but it's the facts. I need to remember that I'm not going to bounce back immediately. Because, lets face it...looking in the mirror right now is just not a pleasant sight. That in itself is depressing.

I'm missing my parents too, which adds to my sadness. Yes, I know I'll be seeing them in a couple of weeks, but it just feels right when they're here.

I need to find my groove again. I need to get out of this funk.

I think now I'm going to throw my chores to the wind and make some cookies with Morgan. It's okay that my house is messy. It's okay that I have laundry on my dining room table. It's okay that I haven't brushed my teeth yet today. It's okay that I'm wearing the same the same sweats for the last week now. It's okay that I'm relying on cup after cup of coffee to get through the day. It's okay to have the TV playing movies constantly for the kids.

Bottom line...my kids are fed, dressed, safe, warm in a nice home (albeit messy one at the moment), and most importantly, they are loved...and those are the things that are important!

I'll get through this!

House of Crazy

2011-12-09T14:52:00.004-07:00

My little Rory...how sweet you are.

I really can't imagine life without this new bundle...she fits perfectly...like she's always meant to be here. She doesn't mind: the loud volume of Morgan's voice, poking from Piper, the fighting between the girls, mommy getting frustrated and raising her voice at the kids, sloppy kisses from her sisters, lots of rubs on the head, and so on and so on. Hopefully she's not thinking, "Get me out of here!!"

If it wasn't crazy before...life just got crazier!

A few more pictures.

2011-12-08T13:00:00.003-07:00

I got a few more pictures from my dad's camera and so I thought I'd share.

It's been a week since Rory was born and we are still adjusting to life with a newborn. Half the time I'm a walking zombie as the nights are pretty brutal. We have Rory and Piper in one room and the first night Piper woke up every time Rory fussed. So I was calming two babies all night. I thought perhaps we would need to re figure the sleeping arrangements...but, thank goodness, Piper decided to give it up and accept the fact that she's sharing a room because she hasn't made a peep since that night. Yep, she sleeps right through all of Rory's screaming! Go Piper!

Welcome to the World

2011-12-05T11:30:00.005-07:00

Rory Grace

7 lb. 7 oz. 19 inches

Born December 1 at 6:17 pm.

Ryan and I headed over to the hospital around 1:30 for me to be induced. Thank you to my wonderful neighbor and friend who watched all three of my girls for the entire evening! I know my kids are NOT easy at times...so I'm grateful!

Unfortunately, the doctor wasn't there yet, so we had to wait for him before we could really hit the pitocin hard (we had to have him there before we started since I'm still considered a VBAC). So, we had a couple of hours of very minor contractions and lots of waiting.

Do I look nervous...because I am.

Waiting.

Note the board in the background, under Goals for the next 12 hours.
It says "Make Baby" if you can't read it...very funny Ryan.

Luckily the doctor did show up, broke my water and I was complete within the hour.

Pushed a few times and out she came.

Healthy and perfect baby girl!

Proud Daddy!

My parents were with there as well for the delivery...I'm so glad! My dad has more pictures that I'll have to post sometime. Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of them with my camera. Darn.

Haley and Morgan came the next day to see their new baby sister. They are both just thrilled! The first thing Haley said to me when she came in, "Oh, Mommy, I'm so proud of you!!" and gave me a hug. What a sweetheart!

Of course one of their favorite things to do when they visit me in the hospital...watching TV and eating all the snacks the nurses bring in for them.

Okay, I know I have extreme puffy face in this next picture but here we are just about to go home!

So, I've been home for a few days now and I'll be honest and say the weekend was a bit rough. I'm feeling quite overwhelmed, sore and achy. Plus, my folks are leaving to go back to Long Beach on Wednesday, which makes me sad. I've been so used to them living right down the street I really don't want to see them go, especially right before Christmas.

Ryan and I need to find our new groove...it's seems a bit chaotic right now, but I guess that's to be expected.

There's a lot to do this month so I've got to pull myself together.

But my little Rory, oh what a sweetie. I can't believe I made it to the end...finally. What a nine months we had! I'm so grateful for a healthy baby...all those fearful days of losing her in the beginning of the pregnancy and all those scary ultrasounds. And then to look over at her now, laying beside me...a perfect little bundle. I am one lucky mom.

Getting closer.

2011-11-30T12:45:00.004-07:00

Unless I go into labor on my own, tomorrow is the big day...tomorrow at 2:00. I don't like being induced. I've said it before and I'll say it again...when I'm induced there is so much build up and my anxiety goes through the roof. Or like Ryan says, it's like shopping for a baby. This time and date on the calendar staring back at us. "Okay, it's Thursday, 2:00, time to get our baby." It's just weird.

But, with that said...I'm so super excited to meet this little one!! She has already completely rocked our world! What will it be like when she's born?!

I'm at a loss as to what to do today. I have tons of chores to catch up on: laundry, cleaning bathrooms, mopping...I should probably plan meals for the next couple of days. Or then I think I should get out a bit...hit the town...do something fun. But then who am I kidding...the only thing that sounds appealing right now is taking a nap. Which I'll probably end up doing. I've been feeling terribly uncomfortable, fat and ugly lately. Ever since my appointment on Monday I've been a bit down. I was weighed...I should not have looked. This is the heaviest I've ever been during a pregnancy...I've put on 40 lbs...40 lbs!!! I'm usually around the 30 lb. mark...but 40?!! Ugh. The only thing that fits me anymore is a pair of sweat pants...and I pretty much where them everyday. I am not feeling glamorous...at...all!

Okay, enough complaining. I know, woe is me.

So anyway, I'm nervous about tomorrow. Hospitals, IV's, more needles, catheters, stitches, having an "accident" during pushing (yes, that's always in the back of my head), pain, lots of pain...it's amazing how I never get used to it. I wonder if that Dugger lady with 19 kids get nervous before she has a baby...probably not. She's like a robot or something.

BUT, I can't wait to meet my new baby! After everything that has happened with this pregnancy, I just can't wait to hold her!!

So, all the yucky puck is worth it...I would do it all over again.

Inductions and Mice

2011-11-29T12:48:00.003-07:00

First off, (just in case you're wondering), baby has decided to take a back seat on the whole labor and delivery thing...apparently she's quite comfortable in there. I'll be getting induced Thursday afternoon. However, I'm still hoping that I'll go on my own...and I'm doing everything in my power to make that happen! Minus, the caster oil. I'm even considering going over to my friends house and jump on her tramp...although, that kinda scares me.

In other news (I'm very apprehensive to share this, but since Ryan has shared quite a bit on his blog, I might as well), we have a mouse problem. There, I said it. It started out with some evidence (poop) of mice in the pantry. We found where they are coming in, set up traps, cleaned out the pantry and secured all the food, cleaned out the garage, removed the dog food and straw and anything else that may have been attracting them in. We even trapped a couple mice...progress.

But then, the other evening (while my parents were over) Ryan spotted one scurrying around upstairs. That was it...I went totally ballistic! We were all chasing around this one little mouse all over the house with a broom. There was a lot of screaming, and several tears shed (by me mostly) as we tried to get that stupid thing. It was a total circus! The mouse finally met it's demise by running into an empty cardboard box where he got stuck...and then Ryan finished the job by whacking him to his death.

Since then we have discovered the mouse probably came in through a little attic door. We have now loaded up with traps, sticky tape, and poison. This is a battle I WILL win!!!

Thanksgiving Day Pictures

2011-11-27T21:06:00.004-07:00

I finally uploaded the pictures from Thanksgiving. What a beautiful day it was!

We started off the afternoon with a little Frisbee out front. Oh, and check out that sweet blue Suburban parked in the street...yeah, that's our new ride. We bought it from my grandparents and we could not be more excited about it.
I even joined in on the Frisbee action. Now, I hate this next picture of me and my large neck...but I can't help but laugh at Ryan in the background. He's actually making fun of me (everyone was getting a good laugh at me throwing and catching a Frisbee). Apparently that's what I look like when I'm getting ready to catch it.

Jeff's girlfriend, Jen, was in town. The girls absolutely adore her...they completely swarmed her as soon as they saw her. Jen spoils them a bit too by putting makeup on them or giving them perfume...of course Haley and Morgan love it.

Piper trying to figure it all out.

Me, very pregnant, with my three girls.

The table looked so pretty! All the kids got an ornament on their plate...this was a tradition I had growing up on Thanksgiving.

It was great to have my grandparents in town!

Piper with cousin Jett.

So the baby cooperated and stayed put so I could enjoy my Thanksgiving meal...thank you baby.

Tomorrow morning I have my ob appointment. The doctor may go ahead and induce me tomorrow or Tuesday...or later I guess, we'll see.

Oh, and if anyone wanted to know...my sweet potatoes came out pretty darn good.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T08:38:00.002-07:00

Thanksgiving morning.

Dining rooms are great places to build secret hiding places.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! In a few hours we will be off to my folks house to completely stuff ourselves...this being one of my favorite meals of the year! My task are the sweet potatoes, and this marks the very first time I have ever cooked one. Crazy huh? Hope I don't screw them up!

Of course I'm grateful for our home and our health, but this year I'm especially grateful for family and friends. This year has been a difficult one...job change and health insurance issues...but mainly dealing with a very unpredictable pregnancy. There were a lot of scares during the entire nine months. It's been an emotional ride for sure...and it's not even over yet. I could not have gotten through it without the love and support of those around me. My family did not hesitate to come to our aid when I was on bed rest. Taking over the entire household and child care for those 15 weeks I was laid up. The power of family is amazing and I'm forever grateful! I owe them so much!

Morgan

2011-11-22T12:57:00.003-07:00

This is a picture of Morgan right before she left for school. The little bead necklace that she has on her head a friend gave to her a while back. She wears it all the time. However, not as a necklace...she prefers it as a headband, hippie style. She mostly wears it to school. I never gave it much thought when she darts out the door, but after she leaves I often wonder what her teacher thinks, or my friend that drives her to school everyday. Do they think I put it on her everyday? I always forget to explain to them that it's Morgan's little special style...I had nothing to do with it.

A little behind

2011-11-18T08:38:00.004-07:00

Lookin' good Piper.

Wow...it's been a while since I posted last.

Let's see...I'll try to sum up.

* I've been thinking about Christmas a lot! Trying to get stuff done, quick, before this baby comes. I just got the girls' big ticket item purchased today, so I'm feeling pretty good to have that out of the way. I really, really want to be able to relax (ha, ha...relax, who am I kidding...but you know what I mean) the month of December instead of stressing the whole time.

* We're missing Thanksgiving in Sedona with Ryan's family this year, this is the first time in a great long while. It's hard, since this is the only time of the year we get to see Ryan's sister and her family. But, I am grateful that my family has stuck around here (everyone is waiting for this baby!), and my grandparents are coming into town as well! So, we'll have a crowd, which will be nice. I just hope this baby doesn't decide to come on Thanksgiving...I am looking forward to this meal and I certainly do not want spend it in a hospital!

* I'm feeling very fat and uncomfortable. I haven't worn my rings in a while, they were getting a bit snug on my fat fingers. And every evening I have swollen feet...which grosses me out. I just don't feel very glamorous. Kind of depressing. And the heartburn is getting very, very old. I'm getting pretty tired getting up in the middle of the night to pop some more TUMS...bleh!

Alright...that's all I can think of for the moment. I'll try to do better keeping up this week.

The Little Things

2011-11-15T13:31:00.002-07:00

It's getting close now. Close to meeting this new addition to our family. As frustrated as I am with the fact that I haven't given birth yet (after preterm labor, five days in the hospital, and 7 weeks bed rest...yeah, I'm not bitter or anything)...truth is, she'll be here within the next couple of weeks. This I know for sure. Anyway, I'm getting a little nervous about it. I'll have two kids under the age of two and in diapers. I'll have to orchestrate naps, feedings, little sleep and diaper changes (among other things), while still being there for my older two: homework, getting to and from school, yadda yadda. Oh, and Christmas is right around the corner! Yeah, I'm a little scared.

But, it's funny that when I'm feeling a bit frazzled, or scared that I won't being able to be the mom I want to be. I see something like this:

Haley actually wrote this while in trouble in her room. She never brought it to me...she had left the notebook open on the floor of her room. I needed that.

Today while dropping off Morgan to her Kindergarten class I knew Haley was at lunch at that exact time. So I poked my head into the cafeteria to see if I could see her real quick before I went back home. Sure enough there she was sitting at a table with some classmates. I walked over and she was so surprised and excited to see me. She did not hesitate to give me a big hug and kiss. I love that! I love that she's still at that age that seeing her mother in the cafeteria, in front of her class no less doesn't phase her a bit. I didn't want to leave.

It's these little things that give me so much joy. It reassures me that I'm doing okay...even when I'm so frazzled or at my wits end as a mother.

Little conversation with Haley the other day:

Me: "Haley, you need to help clean up the family room."

Haley: "WHAT?! I didn't even make that mess!!! So I don't need to help!"

Me: "Well, I don't NEED to make this dinner for you...I don't NEED to fold your clothes...but I do those things because I love you and we're a family and we help each other."

Haley: "Well, Mom...you are kind of the master at those things."

Hmmm...the Master. I kinda like it.

Sour cream and snowflakes.

2011-11-12T13:30:00.003-07:00

Little Piper....I was wondering why she was so quiet. She helped herself to some sour cream, a little pre dinner snack. I tell ya, you leave a kid alone for two seconds and this is what you get!

Haley went a little crazy with some construction paper, scissors and tape. She says when she lays down to sleep it feels like real snowflakes falling on her. And just in case you're wondering...yes, that's a baby mobile hooked to her bed. She put it up a while back and claims it helps her sleep. Also, she has a bug catcher box and purse hanging from her wall...don't ask. And please pay no attention to the floral wall paper, it was there when we moved in and the girls think it's absolutely beautiful. I, however, have a little different opinion of it, but I'll leave it for now.

The other day I was getting dinner on the table and Haley comes in...

Haley: "Mommy, I'm making a book with drawings of all of us. Do you want me to draw you with a skirt or sweat pants?"

Me: "It's your book, do whatever."

Haley: "Okay, I'm drawing you with sweat pants, because you're always in sweat pants."

Great. I should have said skirt.

37 Weeks

2011-11-10T16:15:00.003-07:00

I had my weekly check-up this morning...I'm now 37 weeks. Last week, the doctor checked me and I was dilated to a 2.

Now, it's been one week that I've been off bed rest. I done tons of walking...housework...chasing a toddler around...errands...cleaning (kind of)...going up and down the stairs...and yes, some "business" time with Ryan.

Any change?? Nope. Still a 2.

I'll be carrying this baby to term...I'm convinced of that! Unbelievable. After 7 weeks of bed rest, this is some sick joke.

Getting my groove back.

2011-11-06T16:45:00.003-07:00

Haley is our official doggy belly scratcher.

Fours days now since I was given the okay to get off my rump. I was SORE the first couple of them...my poor little pelvic muscles were screaming! But, I think I'm coming around and feeling pretty good. Although, I should have rethought the idea of wearing massively tall heels and walking to church...owee!! I may have been slow, but we made it...even though Ryan claimed church would be over by the time we got there (don't worry, he said it a very loving way).

It felt good to get out again and be with my family. And although I struggled quite a bit with putting on tights and my tall boots (a very unflattering chore when 9 months pregnant)...it did feel good to get dressed up.

The weather has turned cold, we even got a little dusting of snow last night, and to be honest...I kinda like it. I like snuggling up, being able to bake again, soup simmering on the stove, and just feeling cozy in my home on a cold day.

Mouse costume and some good news!

2011-11-03T17:23:00.004-06:00

I told you that mouse costume had some history! Yes, that's me! I think I'm around 6, but I'm not sure. I was in a tap and ballet class...this was the end of the year performance, "Pop Goes the Weasle", or something like that. Knowing my dance/coordination skills, I'm sure I rocked that dance too! I mean look at that pose! I'm a natural!

So, I got some good news today at my appointment. I'm off bed rest! And the doctor took me off my meds. Sweet relief! Although, I have this terrible fear that I'll still be pregnant at Thanksgiving. I better not be, or this is going to be one ticked off pregnant lady!!

I've already walked around a bunch today...I even swept the floor. This afternoon I've been alone with the kids for the first time in 7 weeks. To say I'm a bit frazzled is an understatement! My parents aren't leaving me cold turkey though...they'll be back tomorrow to walk Haley to school. I know it's weird, but when I've been sitting all day, everyday for 7 weeks...I need a bit of help still to transition back into full time motherhood. My poor little muscles are shot...it's pretty sad.

So put your bets in now on when you think the big delivery day will be! My dad is shooting for 11-11-11.

It just better be before Thanksgiving, that's all I have to say!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-02T10:30:00.001-06:00

We had a great Halloween, and now we have candy up to our eyeballs! And this pregnant lady is enjoying the extra chocolate around the house a little too much...but hey, I may as well live it up while I can!

The girls did their annual Halloween parade at school. My mom was able to snap a few pictures for me.

Haley waving.

Mom tried to snap a picture of Morgan, but at the last minute she turned her head.

So, here's the second try.
Mom was saying "Wait Morgan!" trying to get the shot. And here's a typical Morgan pose when she's frustrated.
You can just tell she's saying, "GRANDMA, I've got to go!!!!"

Luckily, mom got another when the parade went outside.

That evening the family got together to celebrate my dad and brother's birthday and then of course the kids went out trick-or-treating.

The spooky birthday cake we made.
When Haley came home from school and saw it she immediately says, "Wait a minute, I saw this cake in a magazine!" Yep, she's right...we copied it exactly from a Woman's Day magazine. I think it turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself!

The girls with their cousin, Jett, all ready to hit the streets!
Morgan's mouse costume has some history...I'll share that story soon.

The birthday boys.

The whole gang...minus my other brother, Andrew.
We miss you Andrew!!

And me...barefoot and pregnant. Nearly 36 weeks.

I actually bathed, did my hair and put some make-up on. And let me tell ya, it felt like a ran a marathon after all that!

I've becoming a little sloppy with my bed rest. I'm walking around the house a little more...truth is, I'm coming to the end of my rope...I'm losing it! I do feel more contractions when I move around, so I try to keep it to a minimum. I'm hoping when I meet with my doctor tomorrow he'll take me off my meds and maybe allow me to move around more...then I won't feel like I'm breaking any rules!

Keep you posted.

Pumpkin Carving

2011-10-30T18:04:00.002-06:00

This afternoon was all about carving the pumpkins. The girls came up with some great faces and did just about all the carving themselves. I even got in on the action...I'm so tired of missing out on EVERYTHING!

Tomorrow is the big day. We are celebrating my dad and my brother's birthday too...their birthdays are both on Nov. 1 and it's tradition to celebrate them on Halloween. All the festivities are going to be at our house...because, you know...I'm tired of missing out on EVERYTHING!

Their masterpieces.

I was really debating putting this next picture of me in the bunch...I know I look like crapola.
But, I want to document that I was a part of at least some things that are happening around this house. So yeah, go easy on me please.

You know, I haven't put make-up on in 7 weeks.
I haven't done anything with my hair other than pull in back in 7 weeks.
I haven't driven a car in 7 weeks.
I haven't...you know...with Ryan in 7 weeks.
Okay, I'm way off topic...we're talking about pumpkins here!
Bottom line...bed rest is awful.

Halloween, here we come!

Pictures of the week.

2011-10-28T09:42:00.004-06:00

Haley was scootering home from school and as she pulled up the walk to our house I could hear her say, "Oh my, look at all these leaves!!! I have a lot of raking to do!". And she pretty much got right to it! What a helper...and in her tutu no less. Just because you are working in the yard doesn't mean you can't still be glamorous!

When Piper sees me with the camera she smiles big and says "Cheese". Actually, it's more like "Eeeeeee", but we know what she's trying to say.

Morgan LOVES being a big sister...maybe too much. She is ALWAYS picking Piper up and carrying her around the house or smothering her with hugs and kisses. Half the time Piper screams out to be left alone...a girl needs her space every now and then!

I am now 35 weeks. 2 weeks left of bed rest...oh, how I long for this to be over.

All hyped up.

2011-10-26T15:28:00.002-06:00

I'm sure my kids aren't the only ones who get super excited around the holidays. If it was possible to keep them in the dark until the day of the actual holiday I totally would! But, you just can't keep Halloween secret, or Christmas for that matter...they are old enough now that they are keeping track of every day that passes, counting down the days. And in the meantime they are wired in the day and sleeping very little at night. It happens every year in the Fall. No matter what time we put them to bed, they are up early with tons on their mind. Yesterday Haley and Morgan were going full blast preparing themselves for "jammie day" at school. After school they both ran upstairs picking out their favorite jammies and immediately putting them on. That's right, jammies already on at 4:00 in afternoon. And of course they were both up around 6:15 completely geared up for the day...at least I didn't have to worry about them finding an outfit to put on this morning.

So with all the excitement comes more behavior issues...it's bound to happen when kids are so hyped up and not sleeping well. Anyway, today Morgan was talking back and refused to go upstairs when I told her to. Now remember, I'm on bed rest so I can't really take her by the arm and escort her upstairs myself. So, I used the infamous line, "Morgan, if you do not get up those stairs right now...........then something REALLY bad is going to happen." I know, totally weak...but I could not think of any good consequence at the time. I was certain she would call me bluff. But, she didn't. She decided not to stick around to find out what the "REALLY bad thing" was and went straight upstairs.

I love it when a bad parenting moment actually works out. I don't think that phrase will work too much longer though.

Cross Out Cancer

2011-10-23T14:50:00.003-06:00

Yesterday Ryan took the girls to Wheeler Farm in SLC to participate in the Cross Out Cancer event. They held a run in the morning and cross races the rest of the day, complete with children's races. The funds went to the Huntsman Cancer Institute and Livestrong. When he was registering, Ryan asked the guy if he could chose exactly where his money went. The guy quickly responded, "Oh, you want to make sure your money goes to Huntsman huh?" Hmmmm, something tells me Ryan wasn't the first to ask this question. (We have some strong feelings about Livestrong, and where exactly that money is going. But that is a completely different post...and we won't go there!) Unfortunately, the funds just go into one big pot...so there is no telling where it goes...I'll very well assume that our money went to the Huntsman Institute.

Anyway, enough of that. Back to the races. Of course again I'm super bummed I missed out on yet another fun outing...such is life.

The girls were super excited, even though neither one has any experience off road. The turnout was huge...well over 50 kids. Ryan said it was complete chaos, but everyone was having fun.

On the line, ready to go.

Ryan said that Haley was near the back when they were getting everyone to the line. In seconds she had wiggled her way through the crowd to the front of the line with all the older kids. Wow, she's just like her dad! She also insisted that her stuffed monkey remain in her basket for the race...oh, and some water.

I'm thinking we may have to upgrade their bikes next Spring, they're looking a little big on them. Shessh, kids grow too fast!

It looked like a lot of fun...and what beautiful weather! We've been very lucky to have such a nice Fall!

What did I do while they were gone? Oh, I read the paper. My dad stopped by for a visit. I watched an "Up All Night" and a "Modern Family" episode on Hulu. And I bought a couple of things for the girls for Christmas. Yeah, that's right people...I'm on it this year!

Thrilling afternoon for me, huh?

My mom is on the mend after her grueling day with the flu. I'm still a little on edge that the girls or I may still get it. I just don't want to go into labor at the same time as having the flu...what a nightmare that would be!

On a different note...I've been in my jammies all day so far today. One of these days, when I'm off bed rest I'll be able to dress in something other than sweats (or jammies in this case), do my hair and put on make-up...maybe then I'll feel pretty again. That will be nice.

Halloween Houses

2011-10-21T09:58:00.002-06:00

The girls have Thursday and Friday of this week off...Fall break. Fall break is originally because of the deer hunt...a little perk of living in Utah. So yesterday a friend came over with her daughter to make Halloween houses with the girls. What a fun project! I sat outside for over two hours. It felt so good to feel the sun on me and chat the afternoon away with her and my mom while the kids played. I needed a good dose of Vitamin D!

I had Morgan take pictures of the houses for me, so the quality may not be all that great. But, I think the houses turned out really cute...er, I mean spooky!

Haley's

Extra house that Haley started.

Mine

My mom's

Morgan's

My dad drove in yesterday from Long Beach, it's so nice to have him back in town. Unfortunately, I think my mom is down for the count. She woke up this morning with what we think are the startings of...yes, the dreaded flu. I just feel awful about it. I thought we were all in the clear now, apparently not. Damn.

Mid week update

2011-10-19T18:28:00.003-06:00

My mom and I have been going through all my bins of girl clothes and getting them organized. They were organized at one point...honest. I guess after a few years I just got lazy and started throwing things into whatever bin I could get my hands on. Now, they are all neatly labeled: 0-6 months, 6-12 months, 2 T, 3 T, 4T...you get the idea. It's wonderful having things in their proper places. Hopefully, I'll keep it that way. But anyway, we pulled out all the newborn stuff. I know it hasn't been all that long since I had Piper wearing that stuff, but oh, how I loved seeing it all again! Little layettes, and sleepers...dresses, and booties! So cute! It makes me very excited to see our newest little member of our family.

We're still working on names. One name keeps coming to the table, so we may have a winner. But you'll just have to wait to find out what it is. Don't you just hate when people do that!

Illness update. Ryan is on the mend today. He was sick ALL day yesterday...it was awful! But he went back to work today and seems to be feeling much better, thank goodness! Piper was next...she threw up 3 times in about an hour span and then she was perfectly fine for the rest of the day. In fact, she was starving at dinner! Scarfed down everything! Aren't kids weird when it comes to being sick? I mean how can she been barfing one second and then inhaling her food the next? Strange...but a good thing I guess. Everyone else seems to be doing fine, but then I've been there, done that. Just when you think you're in the clear...BAM, someone else gets sick. And why is it we are always dealing with a stomach bug in this house?! It has only been FOUR months since the last time the kids were harfing! What's up with that?! I just can't win.

By the way...I'm going on 34 weeks (did I already mention that).

I'm thinking a picture is in order in soon.

My poor Ryan.

2011-10-18T11:41:00.002-06:00

As if things couldn't get any worse...now Ryan's sick. And I mean sick, sick...like harfing sick. Why????? Talk about bad timing. Poor guy, he looks absolutely miserable. After a rough night he says to me, "It's okay...I think I can still go to work." Uh...yeah right, Ryan...nice try. He's been quarantined in our bedroom for the day. No children can enter that room! I cannot have anyone else getting sick!! We'll just open the door a crack and throw in an occasional Gatorade or Sprite. "Here Ryan, CATCH!" Just kidding, we're taking good care of him...promise.

Had my check-in with the doctor today. Come Wednesday, I'll have three weeks left of bed rest. I'm on the downslide now...I think it's uplifted my spirits a bit. He may take me off my contraction meds at 36 weeks...we'll see. I go back in two weeks. I can do it!

Mountain on Fire

2011-10-16T19:50:00.002-06:00

The view from my porch.
It looks much better in person...trust me!

I'm glad I have this amazing view from my front windows...it makes me happy.
I love where I live.

Feeling a bit down today.

2011-10-15T19:16:00.003-06:00

I've been confined to a silent house all afternoon and evening...going on 6 1/2 hours now. Ryan took Haley and Morgan to a Fall type carnival thing and Piper is at my mom's house. I know having a long uninterrupted break from a chaotic household sounds lovely to any other mom. And normally it would be pretty nice for me too. But, I'm limited with what I can do to pass the time. And something about this very quiet house makes me really miss my family. I get sad very easily. I miss being a normal family. I wanted to go with them today.

Why is this so hard for me?

People may think, "How hard can it be? Give me a break?"
But seriously, bed rest is torture for me.

Having my mom here during the week helping me has been my saving grace. I know she's working really hard with keeping our routine with the kids, but we get to chat throughout the day and that helps pass the time. There's also meal planning that we have to do and I do homework with the kids and my mom and I have been doing a lot of organizing (well, as much as I can do from the couch that is)...all these things keep my mind occupied. I feel a bit more involved during the week...which is nice.

But come the weekend...I really start to get down. I want to join in with the family activities...making a big breakfast, taking the dogs to the park, going on a hike to see the Fall colors (which look amazing from my window by the way), just normal family stuff. I miss it. Sometimes I long for the week to start again, just so it's normal everyday stuff (school, homework, dinner) I don't feel like I'm missing out as much. But, I'm glad my family is having fun. I know the girls are having a great time. I just wish I could see them having a great time...hopefully Ryan got some good pictures of them running around today.

This is TEMPORARY...I need to keep reminding myself.

Yes, I know I'm wallowing again. But you know what? This is my journal! And if I feel sad or down or frustrated, I need to write about it. It helps...a little.

Half way baby.

2011-10-13T13:48:00.004-06:00

Movie night with the girls. Feature attraction: Balto.

Morgan and Piper enjoying their juice drinks outside.

Every time I begin a post I start to complain...I've written so many, just to delete them in the end. I'm tired of complaining. And really, I have no right to complain...not when everyone around me is working so hard. Yes, I'm frustrated! But my life isn't the only one that's been disrupted. So, I want people to know how much I appreciate them...because I do.

Just so you know...I'm now 33 weeks. I'm at my halfway point! 4 weeks down...4 to go.

Highlights

2011-10-07T15:23:00.003-06:00

* I went to the doctor yesterday for a check-up. I got to bypass the waiting room and went straight back to see the doctor...they didn't want me out of "bed" for more than I needed to be. So that's a highlight of bed rest...I get quick service! They gave my mom some major kudos for looking after my family...they even gave her a free flu shot! Now everyone has been given a flu shot in this household (except for Ryan who is a flu shot hater). But, no matter how hard we try to avoid illness, someone always still gets sick.

So yeah, the doctors visit...when talking, he told me that if I were to go into labor right now, the baby would most likely be about 3 pounds and have to be in the NICU for 4-6 weeks. This kinda put it all in perspective for me. A reminder that it's not about me...my job is to protect this little baby...no matter how hard bed rest is! I need to be more positive instead of wallowing around...THIS IS TEMPORARY!!

* We got our first snow of the season yesterday. I couldn't believe it. Granted it was a slushy, wet snow that didn't stick on the ground or anything...but still, it was snow falling from the sky! It's been quite chilly all week and for the past two days I've had the heat on in the house. Actually, it's a cozy feeling sitting in a warm house looking out the windows while it's raining/snowing. My mom made chili and corn bread last night...it was the perfect meal to complement the cold day. I do look forward to all the comfort food Fall and Winter bring!

* My neighbor got my mom and I started on Drop Dead Diva, a show that I think airs on Lifetime. Anyway, she came over Monday and we watched the first show of the first season on her Netflix. We can get together when Haley and Morgan are both at school and Piper is napping (quiet house!) It made for a very girly afternoon watching TV and eating fruit and chocolate!

Another week down...go me!

3 Weeks down...hoping for 5 more.

2011-10-04T21:04:00.004-06:00

I know I've been MIA this past week. I just wanted to give a quick post to report that yes, I'm still pregnant. And yes, I'm still on bed rest. I'm going on three weeks of bed rest tomorrow...ugh. And of course I'm hoping that I will remain on bed rest for the rest of October and then some. It's a real pain to absolutely hate bed rest and being completely miserable, yet, I have to hope that I'll be on it for a long time. Weird how that is. In case you're wondering I'll be 32 weeks and the end of the week. Remember...I'm hoping to get to at least 37 weeks. Five weeks to go...oh my, give me strength.

My mother-in-law was in town last week helping us out. She left on Sunday and now my mom has taken over. Seriously...it's a full time job!! Have I mentioned how grateful I am for family? Well, I am!!

And of course Ryan has never been busier...what a guy! Working full time and taking over a ton more responsibilities around the house and nightly duties when children cry out or can't sleep, yadda, yadda. All this and no sex (doctor's orders)...what a bum deal. This is when a sister wife would come in handy...KIDDING!!!! You can see what sitting of a sofa can do...I'm getting crazy these days...saying what ever comes in my head. Better move on to something else.

The nurse from my doctor's office calls me twice a week to check up on me. We might start sharing recipes or something before we know it we talk so often. Anyway, she says that the doctor is actually having me leave the sofa to come in and see him on Thursday. Just a routine check: baby's heartbeat, my weight (I really don't want to know that one), and I'm not sure if he's going to check me (as in to see if I've dilated more since two weeks ago). Let's hope not!

I've got to schedule Piper's 18 month check up soon. I can't believe she's already 18 months! She's become a little more vocal...she knows "Mommy" and "Daddy" (although she tends to use Mommy for Ryan and Grandma too). She says "owie" when she's hurt. When it's time to go somewhere she says "Go, go, go" all the way to the door. And just recently she started trying to mimic the girls when the yell out "echo". Although when Piper says it it comes out more like "decho". What a cutie she is.

And since we're talking about what kids say I'll leave you with a Morgie quote for the day.

"You know...poop is a bad word. Like you don't say "I just went poop" to people. You shouldn't do that."

Words to live by.

What I've been up to.

2011-09-29T11:23:00.002-06:00

I know my life is very bland lately. The only big task I need to do that requires me to leave the sofa longer than a couple of minutes in showering. And I only do that every three days. Gross? Perhaps...but how dirty can I be when I sit on the sofa everyday?

So, I do a lot of reading (especially Monday-Wednesday when Ryan takes the computer to work on those days). Although, I admit most of the reading I do are magazines. I'm trying to gather as many decorating ideas as possible, mainly paint colors. Some magazines I enjoy: Country Living (that all started when I stole a copy from the doctors office a couple months back), Real Simple, Martha Stewart's Living (I never thought I'd see the day I would read one her magazines...but, gotta say, it does have some good stuff in it), Woman's Day (great recipes), and of course all the gossipy magazines like People and In Touch.

I also finished reading the Entitlement Trap...I loved it. I read it with a pen and notebook to write down all the good ideas I hope to use in my own household.

Richard and Linda Eyre are parents of NINE children, and of course they use a lot of examples from their own experiences. But they don't do it in a "My children are so perfect, this is what we did, and you should do it too if you want perfect children." kinda way. I hate that, don't you? No, their household was not perfect and they learned by trial and error...and they use a lot of humorous stories which I like.

Okay, these pictures are not in order like they were supposed to be...oh well.

I also watched (took me a few days) Pride and Prejudice. Very good. But goodness, that mom in so annoying!

Yesterday, I got a little package! Don't you just love getting things in the mail? My grandma sent me this movie, "17 Miracles". We watched it last night. It follows the journey of one of the last groups of Mormons to make the trek west to Utah. Amazing...it's hard to believe all the things pioneers had to endure.
I'm currently reading The 19th Wife. It follows the writings of Eliza Young, the 19th and rebel wife of Brigham Young. It also has a parallel story about a mystery revolving around a modern day polygamy family. It's interesting, and holding my attention...but I just don't know how I feel about it yet.
So, yeah...that's kinda what I've been up to. Thrilling isn't it?

This Stinks

2011-09-25T15:56:00.002-06:00

Today my girls had their Primary Program at church....I had to miss it. Bed rest. I heard they did great and they were as cute as can be, but dang, I wish I could have been there. Luckily, they had of course Ryan, plus both grandmas (my mom has been here and my mother-in-law arrived on Friday) and their Uncle Jeffy also showed up! It sounded like a great program.

Fall has arrived. The leaves are changing, I can see them on the side of mountain from my living room window. It won't be long and the valley will be full of color as well. Ryan, his mom and the girls went for a drive this afternoon up the canyon to see the colors. And of course here I sit while they're doing that. Can you see I'm feeling sorry for myself. I can't help it...this is such a beautiful time of year! The weather is perfect and the colors are amazing. It's the time of year I should be cranking out the apple pies with all the apples that are piling up. Or canning pear butter with the millions of pears we have. And I really, really wanted to have a couple of rooms painted before this baby. Oh well...those things will just have to wait.

My content is really going to suffer during this time of bed rest. There just isn't much to write about when my life consists of sitting on the couch all day. I'll try to do better.

A visit from Jen.

2011-09-24T12:32:00.003-06:00

Before I got put of this horrid bed rest my good friend from Long Beach (we've been friends since the 6th grade!) was planning on coming out for a visit. I had all these plans...make a yummy dinner, go to lunch at Sundance, see the falls and so on. But, then came my ultrasound, the signs of early labor, a hospital stay, to now...back on the sofa. However, that didn't bother Jen a bit and she still pressed on with the visit. I'm so glad she did! She made herself at home and whipped up a scrumptious dinner for the whole family the day she arrived. The girls were heaven, and absolutely adored her. Jen bought them a pedicure kit, so the next the day after school they came racing into the house super excited for their "pedi party" Jen planned for them. My mom made a delicious dinner for everyone that night before she had to get back to the hotel in the city.

You know, as I'm sitting here so many memories are popping into my head about Jen and I when we were younger. The year we met in 6th grade, I kid you not, I think we were connected at the hip...we did everything together. And the funny thing is, that was the ONLY year that we were at the same school! I find it very impressive that we remained such close friends all those other years in different schools to now.

I think every kid needs to have a close friend growing up...or as Anne (from Anne of Green Gables) would say, a "Bosom Friend".

I'm thinking I may have to scrounge up an old photo of the two us along with a memory...I'm feeling a bit nostalgic all of a sudden.

Sitting on a$$ again...

2011-09-20T21:08:00.004-06:00

I did get to go home Sunday night...what a relief! It's good to be home, but hard watching everyone around me work so hard while I lay around reading magazines. I hate it. It's different this time around though because instead of hoping bed rest ends and I have to hope that bed rest lasts at least 7 weeks...that's if we're lucky! So 7 weeks bed rest during my first trimester and now I'm shooting for 7 weeks bed rest for my last trimester. I've got to make it to term!!

I'm so lucky to have such great people around. My mom is here everyday taking care of all my daily duties. We had a great neighbor bring us dinner last night, and a friend came over and cooked for us tonight. Tomorrow I have a friend coming in from the LBC to visit. We planned the visit before this whole bed rest thing. I haven't seen her in over a year so I'm super bummed I'm layed up obviously. But that didn't stop her. She's still coming and she's even making us dinner! So, we are so blessed to have such great family, friends and neighbors!!

I just have to keep reminding myself...this bed rest is only temporary! Plus, I'll get a cute baby girl out of the whole thing! A pretty small price to pay considering what I get out of it.

Chicken Caesar Wraps or Chicken Tenders for dinner??

2011-09-18T15:22:00.003-06:00

Seriously, these are my big decisions during the day. Is it sad that I look forward to and enjoy looking through the menu and ordering my meals. "Ooooh, it's 10:00...time to order my lunch!!" "3:00! Yeah, I get to order my dinner!" At this point I've pretty much sampled everything (it's a short menu), but it still feels a bit like I'm ordering room service when I make the call.

But of course the big highlight of my days are when my family comes to visit me! It can be very lonely here and I feel very secluded. And I think I'm watching way too much TV! I end up just leaving the TV on for background noise because it gets too quiet in this hospital room! Plus, I figure I may as well watch it, because I won't have it when I get home. So I'll just save all my good reading for bed rest at home. Which by the way, I'm hoping I'll be sent home this evening! The doctor is coming by in a couple of hours to let me know. Finger crossed.

I'm averaging two contractions per hour now...compared to five an hour when I first got here! So I'd say I'm on the up and up, right? Yeah...I'm going home...I know it.

Where do I begin?

2011-09-15T14:21:00.002-06:00

I guess from the beginning.

I dropped Haley off at school and the other two at my parents' house yesterday morning so I could get to my ultrasound. Thinking it was just going to be a routine check and I would be home in a couple of hours...WRONG.

The specialist immediately discovered my cervix was thinning out and showing signs of early labor. Not good. He sent me directly to Labor and Delivery to be monitored. I sobbed the whole way walking down the hall...weak moment. Although, has I'm standing there sobbing in front of the desk at L and D trying to explain what had happened the looks on those two nurses' faces were priceless. They wanted to help, but had no idea what I was talking about. Luckily, the specialist at ultrasound called and explained for me at that moment.

In a matter of moments I was admitted and hooked up to an IV. They are giving Magnesium, for the babies brain and steroids for her lungs in case she does decide to make an early appearance. I've been having contractions for last couple of months but have been dismissing them as just standard Braxton Hicks, and this being my fourth I'm used to them. Well, I'm thinking I probably should have been paying closer attention. The doctor checked me and I was 50% effaced and dilated to 1. Hopefully, it's not getting any worse than that! I'm also on medication so slow my contractions and relax my muscles. They want to keep me in the hospital for at least 48 hours and then we'll see what the doctor says. I'm hoping to be sent home tomorrow...but I know I'll be given strict orders for bed rest...here we go again. My goal is to STAY pregnant!!

I'm so lucky my parents were here! Not sure what we would have done if they weren't. With Ryan out of town they have come to our rescue and are holding down the fort with the girls. They have their work cut out for them as Piper has come down with a fever this morning. My poor little one.

I'm staying optimistic! I had a good cry about my situation yesterday, now it's all about doing what I need to do to protect this baby! I'm so blessed to have family here with me...what would I do without them!!

Too many appointments!

2011-09-13T21:08:00.003-06:00

So this happens to be a week of appointments for me. Today was my glucose test which requires fasting, which is never a good thing for a pregnant lady! I had to rush out the door this morning to get Haley to school on time and then get myself to the lab for my test, pronto, because if I had to starve any longer and may have jumped the guy coming out of the gas station carrying a box a donuts! The good part is that Piper and Morgan were angels during the whole process...thank you, thank you!

Tomorrow is another ultrasound with the specialist. Again, they want to monitor everything going on in there and just make sure little baby is growing properly. Oh, and I'll be getting my Rhogam shot while I'm there (remember, my blood type is A-). Then, on Thursday, it's back to my doctor for my regular OB check-up. Whew!

So early this morning, around 4:30 I hear Morgan yell out "MOMMY" real loud and kinda mean. I'm half asleep, and don't move too fast...actually, I didn't move at all. I though, eh, she'll probably fall back asleep. Then a few moments later she's face to face with me standing by my bed.

Morgan: "Mommy! Turn off the music!!"
Me: "Huh.......Morgan, what are you talking about?"
Morgan: (long pause) "Oh....um, never mind....I was dreaming. Can I sleep in your bed?"
Me: "Whatever"

Hangin' in there.

2011-09-12T21:14:00.002-06:00

My mantra...this is hanging in my kitchen so I'm reminded every day!

I've realized that one thing that helps me keep my sanity while Ryan is gone is to not worry about messes. I've had a basket of laundry needing to be folded on the washer and another in the dryer for the last five days. The same toys (those darn Little People) scattered all over my family room, and one of these days we'll maybe pick them up. Clutter is piling up on the kitchen counter and there's little food bits stuck on the tile floor under Piper's seat that still needs to be mopped up. But, my living room is presentable! So if anyone visits me at least I have one room to be proud of, as long as they put blinders on to the rest of the house!

My moment of weakness today at Costco...Dino Chicken Nuggets. But look at that face...that girl is excited about dinner!

Piper's new hangout spot while I'm working in the kitchen. She loves watching me cook...even if it is only Dino nuggets!

Four more days to go!

No pictures today.

2011-09-11T20:59:00.003-06:00

Just when I said I was making it a goal to post pictures everyday...BAM, I fail.

This morning was a bit rough. The girls were not getting along very well, and it just seemed there was a lot of running around the house and yelling. Sleep for me has been awful! I try really hard to get into bed at a decent hour and then something comes up as soon as I start to reach that really peaceful sleep. Morgan needs her blankets, someone needs water, Haley waking up about something...on and on. And then I can never find that peaceful sleep again and before I know it, it's after midnight! So of course I've been a bit short fused with the kids. And it always seems I have a kid in my bed by morning. The first night was Haley, and then every night since Morgan has joined me. Bad habit brewing...I know.

We managed to make it to church and my folks joined us, it was nice to have them there. After church my parents had Haley and Morgan come over for the afternoon while I took Piper home for a nap, and I was able to get some much needed alone time!! I needed that!

After Piper woke up I joined them for dinner. It was delicious!

Oh, and just so you know, my eye is much better today! I did not wake up with my eye sealed shut, thank goodness!

Day Four

2011-09-10T20:46:00.005-06:00

I'm getting back on track and cranking out another post for the day. I've been making it a goal to snap photos of our happenings everyday, at least while Ryan is gone. Well, Morgan decided she would take a few of her own. I thought I'd share a few with you.

Okay...let me explain the misery that's plastered all over my face in this photo.

So, early in the day my dad stopped by to pick up a couple of things. As he was leaving, and backing out of the driveway I was holding Piper while she waved goodbye to him. She can be a little jerky with her waving (quick up and down motions using her entire arm). Well, one of her fingers nailed me DIRECTLY in my eye...HARD I might add. I was basically blind for nearly an hour until I could finally open it a little. So all day my poor little eye has been bloodshot, half open, watering, and sometimes oozing yellow stuff. Every blink is quite painful. I'm pretty sure she scratched my eyeball...thanks Piper. I'm absolutely terrified about what it may look like in the morning...you know, all sealed shut with icky yellow stuff. I bet Ryan is pretty bummed he'll be missing out of that good stuff! So, anyway...hence the look of complete misery on my face.

Of course Morgan had to take her self portrait.

She took a picture of Piper too.

Today was basically a stay at home day. I was so exhausted from the fair the night before I wasn't really motivated to do much today. Plus, my scary eye and the fact that I could barely see...it probably wouldn't be a good idea to drive.

Afternoon in the garden. Haley actually did a fair amount of weeding! And I didn't even ask her to do it!! What a helper!

Dinner consisted of chicken noodle soup (from the can) and grilled cheese. It was a close one...I almost opted for cereal, but Haley found the soup way in the back of the pantry. But, in my defense, I'm nearly blind people! I even had to read their bed time story tonight with one eye! And even now I want you all to know that I'm fighting the pain to crank out this post...yeah, that's dedication!

Before I close, I wanted to include a few more pictures from the fair. These were taken by my dad.

It looks like Haley is running through a ghost town! I guess it was a little quite when we first got there, but boy, did the crowds come later! I was in constant fear of losing my kids the entire time.

My brother, Jeff, and I. We're admiring a litter of piglets. Boy, were they cute...too bad they grow up looking so darn ugly! Sorry pig lovers...but it's true...nothing cute about a grown pig.

And last but not least...nothing funnier than a pregnant lady doing the macarena.

Day Three...and I'm already behind.

2011-09-10T08:08:00.002-06:00

Goodness, I've already failed at trying to post everyday. But since we didn't get home until after 11:00 last night, doing a blog post wasn't top on my list of things to do. Sleep sounded much better.

We had a good day yesterday...after the girls got out of school (it was another early out) my parents, brother, and the girls and I all went to the Utah State Fair.

We saw all the animals.

The girls did a bit of dancing. It actually looked more like they were wrestling half the time.

We went through most of the exhibits, we had a picnic dinner (thanks to my mom for packing it), saw an hypnotist, a sea lion show, and rodeo. And then last but not least, we ended the day with funnel cake.

The girls at the end of the night waiting for the bulls to come out. I think they're getting a little tired...what do you think?

Quote of the night.

Morgan asked me, "Hey mom, what freaky chain did you pick out?!"

Translation (it took me a minute to figure it out): "freaky" chain = free key chain.

In one of the exhibits they were passing out free key chains...I guess she heard "freaky" chain instead.

I'll be calling mine a freaky chain...I like that much better.

Day Two

2011-09-08T21:35:00.003-06:00

I decided to try to update everyday for Ryan, and because my life is so exciting I know everyone else would love to know what we're up to.

Last night was awful! Ryan should be glad he missed it. Haley had a lot of trouble sleeping and ended up in my bed for the night. She finally settled down close to 1 in the morning. Then around 2 Morgan woke up to go to the bathroom, she saw Haley in my bed and pitched a slight fit..."Why does Haley get to sleep with you?!!". One thing after another, so sleep was pretty minimal. Thankfully Piper slept like a champ. So by morning I'm dragging and of course Haley and Morgan act like they got the best sleep in their lives going full blast...not fair! That is one thing about parenthood...you never know what kind of sleep you will have when you lay your head on that pillow!

I picked a boat load of pears this afternoon while the girls played in the yard.

Leftovers for dinner...pizza (no, I did not buy it...I made it). That's right, we haven't had pancakes yet...or mac and cheese for that matter. Oh wait, I'm only on day two though...I better not get too proud of myself yet.

After dinner we played out back with the dogs...picking berries.

And being silly.

Can you tell Piper got a hold of a few berries?

And then finally after the bedtime madness...it's quite.

Tonight I missed out on a garden party dinner for the women in the neighborhood. But a friend came by after my kids were in bed and dropped off a yummy plate of homemade truffles and chocolates from the party for me. What a wonderful friend! I will be devouring them after I write this post.

Not Much

2011-09-07T12:54:00.003-06:00

Not much really going on.

Ryan left today for Vegas. He's working the Iron Man expo, then doing the Outdoor demo thing, and then Interbike...yeah, I'm bummed. But then, he's scoring some major hours for the office...cha-ching! Love that money baby! Whoo! (Reminder: Taledaga Nights reference...I'm not that shallow...but seriously...the money is nice.) Anyway...I'll be holding down the fort for a while solo. Not so thrilled about that part. I'll try my best not to serve mac and cheese and pancakes every night. The good part is my parents are here close by...so that's helpful, and comforting.

In other news, baby names seem to be the topic of discussion around here. It's about that time when I would like to have at least a few names on the table by now. Maybe not anything set in stone yet, but options at least. We've definitely been dragging out feet. It's just so hard when it's the fourth girl! We've been through so many girl names...and the decision is such an important one! The other night I think Ryan and I made some major progress...and we may even have something we agree on. But then, we're known for changing things up at the last second too. You never know.

Well, off I go to enjoy the silence of the afternoon...two girls in school and one taking a nap.

A few pictures of the week.

2011-09-04T18:35:00.003-06:00

I took this picture through my kitchen window as I was cleaning up after dinner. They're picking berries...one of our favorite pastimes.

The area in front of our porch isn't landscaped and the girls love to play there. I'm actually hesitate to plant anything there for this reason. I had to document Haley's little house she created for her dinosaurs. Haley and Morgan used random boards, sticks and other things for the walls. They also found these little seed pods, they dug out the innards of them (which took some time) to create little bowls. Also, Haley scoured the yard for moss to use as the carpet...some of that moss even came from her school! I was very impressed!

Morgan wasn't quite as detail oriented...but she's getting the idea.

Piper seems to be a little more photogenic than the other girls. She saw me with the camera and wanted in on some of the action.

Pump up the Jam

2011-09-02T16:13:00.004-06:00

Today has been a beautiful September day! Not too hot, so I don't have to rely on the A/C...instead every window is open to let in the breeze...I love it!

This week has been all about peach jam! I have been cranking out jar after jar making a sticky mess of my kitchen. I love looking into my pantry and seeing the jars of salsa and jam that I've made, it's a good feeling.

It's funny because I've been super motivated to can food (which requires lots of kitchen time) but when it comes to making dinner it is such a chore for me. Blah! I'm sick of it. Nothing sounds good and I'm not really into finding new recipes. Hamburgers seem to be our old standby...you can always throw a burger on the grill and ta-da, dinner is served. And we are never short on burgers, buns, cheese, tomatoes, onions and lettuce in this house. One thing I've learned over the years...always have the necessary toppings to throw a burger together, so when you are clueless about dinner you still have a happy husband and the end of the day. What man says no to a burger?

Although, I'm guessing as the season changes and Fall approaches I'll get more into the comfort foods and be motivated once again. At least I hope so.

Sewing and Schedule Change

2011-08-31T09:20:00.003-06:00

Not only have I been doing some canning lately, I've started some sewing projects as well this week...yeah, I'm feeling very domestic. The girls have claimed two corners in my living room as their "reading/quiet" spots. During the Summer when Piper was napping I had them do their quiet time there...well, Haley is still claiming that spot as hers. I'm not sure how I feel about it since it's taking up space in MY living room, but as long as she keeps it tidy (she has quite the array of things...books, blanket, pillow, CD player, little toys) I don't mind as much. Soooo, Haley really wants a bean bag chair for her corner...and of course if Haley wants it, Morgan wants it too. But did you know that bean bag chairs can be pretty expensive?! So I'm making them...we'll see how they turn out.

This week Ryan has started going back to the office at his old employer. They need the help and of course we could use the extra money. It's only three days a week for maybe a couple of months, but it's killing me! I got so used to his flexible schedule it's hard to go back to him leaving at 7 and not getting home until 6. Plus, I'm really dreading next week...he's working the expo at the Iron Man championships in Vegas, and then staying for Interbike the next week. So, he'll be gone for ten days...ugh, ten days...oh, Lord give me strength!! Hopefully he won't come home to wife having gone completely insane! I'll try to keep it together.

Let the canning begin!

2011-08-30T09:12:00.003-06:00

I've only canned once before, some peach jam years ago. And I did it with my mom and aunt who knew what they were doing. Oh, and I just had a baby...Morgan, I believe...so I did a lot of sitting when I should have been paying attention. So anyway, I've decided to tackle it once again.

I have tomatoes up to my eyeballs, and they're coming in fast and furious! So I decided to whip up some salsa. The last two days I have done more chopping than ever and with every burner on the stove going full blast it makes a very hot kitchen. Summer time + hot kitchen + pregnant = a major case of sausage toes. Seriously, my feet feel so swollen by the end of the day. Gross, but true.

Hopefully, my salsa is good...Ryan says it is...but then he isn't the most picky of eaters either. Thank goodness. But, I'm super scared the jars aren't sealed correctly and then when people go to eat it they just find a yucky moldy mess. I just don't want to poison anybody. But they seemed to be sealed, so I'll just go with it.

Next up, some peach jam. I'm very excited about this one...I love peach jam!

In other news, after almost a year of living in this house I finally got a table for our dining room! I absolutely love it! It's no longer just another play room for the kids! One of these days I'll get it decorated in there too...paint on the walls...window treatments... a pretty hutch...hard wood floors...so many ideas... *sigh *,one day.

It's brand new and I won't even tell you what I paid for it...you'll hate me forever if I do.

Refreshed

2011-08-27T14:05:00.003-06:00

My little getaway to Snowbird for the night was wonderful! It's such a beautiful area up there! I arrived right when Ryan got out of his meeting and was on his way to dinner. I figured I wouldn't be able to join him since it was a pretty formal affair with tables already set for everyone. But, Ryan and I just so happened to run into the big man of the company and he insisted that I stay. I wasn't about to argue with that! So in I went. Slightly awkward for me since everyone was talking bike stuff...but the meal was fantastic and it was nice to put faces to names of the people Ryan works with.

The next morning Ryan had a meeting, so I lingered around the lodge while he was gone...it was very relaxing! I tried walking around the resort, but the elevation, heat, and pregnant belly pushing on my lungs just wasn't a good combo. I was pretty much out of breath where ever I went...sad. After Ryan got out we had a nice lunch on the patio, and then it was back home. Perfect little getaway.

I'm a lucky girl!

2011-08-25T09:56:00.002-06:00

So, Ryan is up at Snowbird Resort for a National Rep Meeting. He left yesterday and won't be home until tomorrow. His work is putting him up at the resort so he doesn't have to drive back and forth everyday...I know, isn't that the pits (that was sarcasm, just in case you didn't pick that up). And, it just so happens he has his own room...do you see where I'm going with this? You got it...I'm headed up there this afternoon to stay the night with him. My parents are so nice to spend the night with the girls while I'm gone...I'm so grateful!!

Tonight he has a work related dinner so he'll busy schmoozing...but I really don't mind hanging out. Hmmmm...reading, flipping channels, walking around the resort...BY MYSELF (gasp!). Yeah...I don't mind...it's sounds heavenly.

Plus I get to be with my Ryan without children ALL NIGHT...the possibilities are endless people!

Where's my energy?

2011-08-24T16:49:00.004-06:00

Can we say "exhausted"? Not only do the kids need time to get back into a routine...so do I! I feel like I'm just walking back and forth to school all day. Haley goes to school in the morning, then Morgan goes right after lunch, and then they both get out at the same time in the afternoon. So I'm walking back and forth three times a day! Luckily, when Ryan is home he can walk Haley to school...so I got that going for me...one less trip. And lugging around pregnant belly when it's about 100 degrees outside isn't the most fun. I feel like I'm always dripping in sweat! Lovely.

And sleep has been so crummy! When I'm pregnant I get restless legs so bad at night! It's terrible! Poor Ryan has to deal with all my tossing and turning.

This morning I was watching my little nephew for a couple of hours...it was a bit of a madhouse with everyone running amuck. These are the moments that I'm very thankful for T.V.

Granted, they only stayed in this position for about 15 minutes...and then it was back to mayhem. But hey, I'll take that 15 minutes!

And if you're wondering, I have to keep that coffee table in front of the TV to block Piper from all the DVDs and the buttons on the player. They always insist on sitting on it when they watch something...even after I tell them they'll probably go blind. They just don't seem to care...imagine that. Whatever.

New School Year!

2011-08-23T09:05:00.002-06:00

Another school year begins! I'm really sad to see Summer coming to an end...although it sure doesn't feel like it! This week has been blazing hot...it just doesn't seem right for school to start yet. But none the less, yesterday marked the girls' first day! I got myself up and going because I was determined to send them off with their favorite breakfast of blueberry pancakes...I did it...whew! I know that's nothing compared to the feasts other mothers send their kids off with and the elaborate traditions they keep...but I'm proud that they got their pancakes! And I'm so, so glad there was at least one cookie left to put in Haley's lunch...that was a close one!

Here they are with their new haircuts (It was hard for her, but Haley chopped about six inches and I'm so glad she did...it's slightly easier to comb now). And Morgan couldn't wait to have a short haircut! Although she wanted bangs, I was able to talk her out of it (I really hate maintaining bangs). New outfits, and new shoes...ready to start the day!

Haley ready for 2nd grade!

Morgan starting Kindergarten!

This week is all about transition. Getting back into a routine with earlier bedtimes, and getting dressed for the day before 12:00! So, I'm hoping teachers cut us parents a little break this week and don't send home any homework. Give me time to get our routine in place...please!

Summer's Bounty

2011-08-19T09:34:00.003-06:00

Oh Summer...how I love you.

Yesterday morning I picked a bowl full of tomatoes, tons of cucumbers and corn. Piper hung out with me to help shuck the corn cobs.

Which led to eating them.

BYU Education Week

2011-08-18T07:25:00.003-06:00

I had such a nice day yesterday with my mom and grandma attending classes at BYU. I was mainly interested in the parenting classes, and even though grandma and my mom are passed that stage of parenting young children they still attended a few with me. I'm glad...it was nice to have them there beside me. My support group.

One of the classes I attended was taught by Richard and Linda Eyre, authors of several books, but one in particular is called The Entitlement Trap. April, over at Power of Moms have had them talk at her retreats so when I heard they were at Education Week and I was super excited to see their class. They did not disappoint! What wonderful speakers they are! They brought so many good parenting ideas to the table and I tried my best to absorb everything they had to say. But since I know I can't absorb it all, I went ahead and pre-ordered my book this morning.

We went to about six classes (not all were parenting classes) and only one I considered a dud. It was a class on discipline and basically it was a load of crap. That teacher must have had perfect little children who never misbehaved. Her theory was always use reasoning with discipline and just stay consistent. For example, if a kid is jumping on the bed on an heirloom quilt you say, "Please stop jumping." If the kid still jumps, add reasoning..."Please stop jumping, you may damage the quilt and it is very special to me." And if still jumps, you need to just keep repeating in a calm voice until that child finally makes the decision to stop jumping. Now, I don't know how much time that lady has, but I have a gazillion other things to do...not to mention the other kids running amuck while you're trying to reason with this one kid! Call me old fashioned, but I think it's okay to be stern sometimes.

Anyway, I shouldn't go into a class I didn't really care about. The point is, there are so many great classes and great speakers...I'm glad I got to go this year.

I walked away from the day feeling empowered...I know that sounds silly, but it's true. As moms we just get drained over time, and this is what I needed to get me going again. Perfect timing with school starting next week. A fresh start with new ideas!

August Peaches

2011-08-17T07:35:00.002-06:00

Something I love about August...peaches are in season! And there are nothing like Utah peaches if I do say so myself! I feel very lucky to have a peach tree in my backyard. I'm hoping it survives though, since last year a deer decided to scrape it's antlers on it and nearly knocked it down (it was still a young tree at the time). We now have to keep in upright using some stakes and rope, but it still gave us peaches! Never mind the fact that it looks slightly pathetic...hang in there little peach tree!

Today I'm off for my day of fun...BYU Education Week day. I'm hoping I come home refreshed and ready to tackle the world!

Family Reunion/Tour of Utah

2011-08-15T21:10:00.003-06:00

I'm not one with latest book crazes...Harry Potter (never was in to it) and Twilight (meh). They're probably really good, but they just don't interest me. But, way back when, when I was on bed rest my sister-in-law sent Hunger Games my way. Loved it! I ended up buying and reading the second, Catching Fire, and now I'm not so patiently waiting for the third, Mockingjay, to arrive any day. I know this has nothing to do with family reunions or the Tour of Utah, but it just popped in my head.

Okay...now on to the real subject of this post.

We had a pretty good weekend. Attended a family reunion on Saturday. Haley and Morgan were all geared up for the auction they had. They both had their eyes on a couple of cash boxes (with combination locks). So they sat there at the auction with their little purses and grandma and great grandma by their side (they were determined not to have any broken hearts and had their pockets of dollars at the ready!) Well, Haley ended getting her cash box for $5...they had to battle it out a little with another lady. Morgan however lost out to that same lady, even though grandma was ready to throw down the money for her (she's very competitive!). But when the price for this little cash box went up to about $15, enough was enough...that lady can have it! Luckily Morgan took it very well. Of course we are now on a mission to find her a cash box of her own.

Sunday we drove up to Alpine Loop to see the Tour of Utah race come through. My mom and my brother joined us. We had a picnic lunch and had some fun with chalk while we waited. I'm always amazed how beautiful it is up there...I feel so lucky to have the mountains so close to my house!

Piper with jam on her face.

Some of our artwork:

After the race we met up with my grandparents at our house for a BBQ. Perfect ending to a pretty nice weekend.

What's new.

2011-08-13T08:22:00.003-06:00

My mom and grandparents arrived yesterday...have I mentioned how much I love when family comes to town! We have a few things planned...today is a family reunion up at South Fork. The girls are so excited about it! Haley has been preparing for it the last couple of days by scouring the house for loose change. You see, last year there was a little auction at the reunion selling homemade (lots of knitted blankets last year) or gently used items to raise money for next year's reunion. Anyway, last year there was this stuffed bear that Haley fell in love with and tried to bid for it with money she didn't really have (I had no idea she was even in the mix bidding). However, another girl got it for a dollar...Haley was crushed. She literally sat in the field and cried her little heart out for a while. Well, this year she's determined to buy something! Morgan and her and their little purses ready this time!

Next week is BYU Education Week. This is when BYU opens the campus for people from all over to come and sign up for classes on about a gazillion different topics...everything from religious topics to gardening. My mom and grandma go about every year, and they sign up for the whole week. Well, this year, since Ryan's work schedule is more flexible and I'm not nursing a baby for once in my life...I get to go! Well, not for the whole week, but I'm signing up for one day. But it a whole day...just for me!! I'm really looking forward to it!

Last week Morgan saw the movie Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs at Costco. It was only 8 dollars so I bought it. It seems they are pretty sick of all of our other movies and since we don't have TV I caved. Well, they have watched that movie EVERY SINGLE DAY since then. Seriously. I'd say it was worth the 8 dollars.

How did I get so lucky?

2011-08-10T17:24:00.002-06:00

Okay...so I'm going to post something that will probably bug the crap out of a lot of mothers. There is nothing worse than reading peoples' blogs about how wonderful and perfect their lives are. Seriously, you know the ones. Moms describing their delightful children and how they could do no wrong. Organized homes without an ounce of clutter anywhere. How the children ALWAYS put away one toy before pulling out another (that one really gets to me!). Firecracker moms who get a gazillion things done in one day and still have time for their cutsy little hobbies, PTA, church activities, sports, make a gourmet dinner, and then, just for the heck of it, paint the house while the kids sleep. (I had a neighbor like that...seriously...I thought she was a robot...kinda scary.)

Anyway, blogs like those bug me. BUT, I do want to share something that falls into one of those annoying catagories. Don't hate me...but Piper is the most perfect baby EVER. Now, don't get me wrong, I love all my children dearly! But lets face it, some are easier or harder than others. And I feel I can blog about my angel baby because I have put in my dues people!! I deserve an easy third child!!

Now, I have heard stories about how some children/babies willingly take naps, and willingly go to bed at night. No fuss occurs, they just are ready and wanting to sleep. I just didn't believe that could actually happen! Haley was my first and she was all I knew. And let me tell you people...she was a fighter for EVERYTHING!! Still is for that matter! Many nights Ryan and I listened to her wail for hours while she fought her bedtime. When I tried to lay her down for naps she just cried the entire time in her crib. BUT, little did she know, I'm a pretty stubborn girl myself and I was going to win the sleep battle no matter what! I'm a firm believer of the "cry it out" technique and I'm not one for sharing my bed with a baby...works for some people...not for me. So, I had a lot of rough times with her. It was hard...I remember a lot tearful calls to my mom sitting in my hallway listening to Haley "cry it out". And I won't even begin to share my potty training horror stories I had with her...I'll leave that for some other time.

Morgan was a little different. She slept a little better which was nice...but she hated everyone! Kid you not, if it wasn't me or Ryan she pretty much hated you. "Don't look at me, and don't touch me" were her rules. So, it made it very difficult when we were out and about because she was extremely clingy to me. The first time she finally gave her own grandparents a hug was a freakin' miracle! Luckily, that didn't last and she's very affectionate with others. Now she'll even say "Love you, see ya!" to the UPS man as he's walking away from the house. Talk about a complete turn around!!

So, back to those children who willingly take naps...yeah, the really annoying stories that I never could believe. Well, Piper is one of those babies!! She is a dream sleeper! When it's time to take a nap, all I have to say is, "Are you ready for your nap?" and she heads for the stairs and goes straight up for her room. I lay her in her crib and she cuddlles right down with her Pooh bear and pacifier and goes to sleep! She does the same at night too. Rarely, does she cry. And to top it off (or for you to hate me even more...which ever) she sleeps for looooong periods of time. If I have her take one nap during the day, she'll sleep up to four hours. Or on days when I have her take two naps (yeah...she can still take two naps...I'm a lucky girl), each nap will be 2-3 hours long! Plus, she'll still sleep 11-12 hours at night. Again, she's my angel baby!

So, there you have it...my annoying post. But like I said, I know I'm lucky, and I'm grateful because I know how bad it can be too! Remember...I've put in my dues!!

Checking off the list.

2011-08-09T13:14:00.004-06:00

With less than two weeks remaining before school starts we've been checking things off our "to do" list slowly but surely. Last week we went shoe shopping for new tennies...the state of their old ones are down right embarrassing! Anyway, I should have got some kind of award for surviving with three children shoe shopping in the afternoon when every single store is an absolute mad house! Seriously, did everyone decide to go shoe shopping on that very day?! Luckily, we made it out alive and with new shoes...check!

They already got a couple of new cute outfits for school, compliments of their great-grandparents! New clothes...check!

Yesterday we walked to the school to get them signed in and find out their placements. Haley found several of her friends from last year, it was cute seeing them catching up on their Summers. Morgan got afternoon Kindergarten (it's what I requested) and she is just thrilled to pieces to start school! Received placements...check!

Today, Morgan had her five year check-up and got caught up on all her immunizations. She needed three shots, poor thing. I tell ya though, she's my bravest child, she did super duper! Piper gave the nurse the evil eye the whole time since she was just there getting her shots the week prior...you would think she would have forgotten...but nope. I think she was very glad it was Morgan on the table and not her! Immunizations...check!

Now next week we have back to school night to meet their teachers and find their classrooms. And also next week they need to get much needed haircuts. Then I think we'll be ready.

Fremont Indian State Park

2011-08-08T11:24:00.005-06:00

Our overnight camping trip turned into a day trip...probably just as well. I felt too rushed to make it an overnight thing...because as you know, when three children are involved there is a lot of prep, even if it is just for one night. I didn't have laundry done, I never made it to the grocery, flashlights needed batteries, not sure if we had any propane left for our stove, I still needed to go through the camp cook stuff (it's been a while since our last camping trip)...so anyway, yeah, I just wasn't quite ready in time. So day trip it was.

We drove South to the Fremont Indian State Park via the 89 with a stop in Fairview along the way. Such a pretty drive! It's a just a two lane highway that winds around and goes through several little towns. We stopped in Fairview first to visit the visitor center and museum. We felt very special as we were the only ones there for a while. An elderly couple ran both the visitor center and museum and I felt that they opened it up just for us...sort of like a private tour!

Then it was back on the road to Fremont. We had a picnic lunch at the campground there...very pretty, shady with a little stream nearby...perhaps a future camp trip there. Toured the visitor center and museum before hiking around looking at all the petroglyphs in the area...very cool! But the big hit were the pit houses the Indians lived in during that time. They had a model of one in the kid zone in the museum that the kids literally could have played there for hours. They also had a replica of a pit house that we hiked to. The girls loved it!

Playing in the pit house in the museum.

It was a tight squeeze for Ryan, but he managed to get inside the replica pit house. They are not made for a someone who's 6'2"!

The girls were a little nervous to climb the ladder down to complete darkness...but they got over it.

Trips like these really highlight the differences between my kids regarding the weather. We can throw Haley into anything and she'll adapt...hot or cold climates, it doesn't matter. She's happy really anywhere and can entertain herself with anything, and she is VERY independent. Morgan is a little more fragile. She's not good in extreme weather climates...too hot or too cold. (It was quite warm hiking around) If she gets a little uncomfortable, watch out, she likes to let people know it! And she needs water with her at ALL times or she thinks it's just the end of the world and may die! I have learned to ALWAYS have water for her where ever I go! Morgan would be the one ordering room service and Haley would be the one cooking her meals over a an open fire.

Happy Anniversary

2011-08-07T07:42:00.002-06:00

12 years and still going strong!

Love you babe!

Summer Days

2011-08-04T08:54:00.003-06:00

Summer is coming to an end all too quickly...the kids start school in less than two weeks. I can't believe it. I'm desperately hanging onto the few Summer days we have left. Late wake up calls, jammies all morning, picnic lunches outside, movies at home, Popsicles and ice cream, grilling, water park, lazy afternoons on the porch, kids playing outside, and late nights.

The only type of routine I have in the Summer is daily quiet time (a mother's best friend). During Piper's afternoon nap the kids go to their "quiet corners" and can look at books, listen to their headphones, or actually rest like Morgan happened to do yesterday. Gives me a chance to lay down as well. After quiet time the girls work on their workbooks and do journal. Sometimes they do this willingly...sometimes not so much.

So as much as I do like not having a routine, it will be good to have some structure in this house again when school starts. I feel like my house is in a constant mess. Toys...are...everywhere! So perhaps I will be able to catch up on some cleaning. And although it's nice that the kids have hours and hours of play time...fighting, bickering, and arguing between them occur more often.

So with less than two weeks remaining we're going to take advantage of it! We're going to pack in the swim park, eating ice cream and walking to the pond, slip'n'slide, evenings walking to the dog park, perhaps a late movie night at home, gardening, more lazy afternoons hanging out of the porch and we're evening considering a last minute camping trip this weekend! The fighting, bickering and arguing I can do without...but we'll see, that's a lot to ask.

Ultrasound Update

2011-08-03T17:05:00.002-06:00

I had my ultrasound this morning with the perinatologist. Gosh, I was nervous. But luckily, everything will be okay. It's not a band stretching across my uterus for the baby to get tangled up in, thank goodness! It's some kind of membrane "sheet" that covers part of the outside of the sac. They're not sure why it's there or where it came from exactly, but it's not harming the baby...and that's all I really care about!

I already got all the jokes from my dad: "Don't let your sheet hit the fan." "Take care of your sheet." Yadda Yadda. Leave it to my dad to always see the humor in things!

So there's the good news for the day! Yay me!

Kick away baby girl!

Happy Birthday

2011-08-02T09:17:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday to my sweet Haley Girl!

Today you turn 7!!

23 Weeks

2011-08-01T12:23:00.003-06:00

December can't come soon enough...yes, that's right, you read that correctly. The sooner I am to have this baby the better.

I had my check-up this morning...all was routine until the discussion of my last ultrasound at 20 weeks...that's when reality set it, and a reminder that this pregnancy has been anything but routine! This mysterious tissue in my uterus basically can be one of two things. And I'm sorry, I know that I my non-medical language is not helping things. I refuse to try to look things up online because it just seems that I run across horror stories and I just don't need that right now. So, I'll do my best to remember what the doctor told me.

First, it could be a uterine band. A piece of tissue or membrane that stretches across the uterus. This is rare, but could cause potential problems with the baby getting a limb caught in it...not good, and this thought absolutely terrifies me.

Or it could just look like a uterine band at first, but it can actually be a separation of the sac. Apparently there are two layers of the sac and they come together as the pregnancy progresses. Yet, occasionally there is a separation. This actually wouldn't cause any threat to the baby...and if it has to be one or the other, this is the outcome I'm hoping for.

As the doctor was explaining these things to me I could feel my eyes starting to well up...I hate that. I hate losing it in front of people. Luckily, I held it together. But, he kept asking, "Are you going to be okay?". I said, yes...I lied.

Fact is...I'm so scared. This pregnancy has been been extremely challenging on me physically and emotionally.

The day I hold this baby in my arms for the first time will no doubt be one of the happiest in my life!!

I'm to go back to the perinatologist this Wednesday. I'll be praying for some good news.

Feeling Wretched

2011-07-31T09:53:00.003-06:00

I am having a horrible, terrible, no good, very bad morning. Can I blame it on pregnancy hormones? Well, I am.

Let's see...the girls have been bickering nonstop this morning. In our feeble attempt to get them to stop we put on a movie...but that just seemed to make things worse. "Haley is in my way!" "Morgan is on my side!!" "Haley's touching me!!" "Morgan took my pillow!!" "Haley looked at me funny!!" Blah, blah, blah.

And then Piper woke up a grump and basically just walked around and screamed all morning. To give you an idea of what her scream is like...just walk around with a very agitated cockatiel on your shoulder, one that squawks about every 10 seconds in your ear...yeah, it's kinda like that.

Ryan left on a mountain bike ride right after breakfast. I was a little salty on that one to say the least. In my fury that that he was leaving me hanging in a morning of complete chaos I may have taken out my aggression on one of the pancakes that I was flipping. The poor pancake didn't have a chance. I know...weak moment...very childish.

As soon as Ryan left Haley decided to make mud artwork on the outside of the playhouse. Little hand prints strategically placed all over it...and she's says, "It was an accident, Mommy!" Uh...yeah...Mommy's not falling for that one...nice try though.

Now...the house is somewhat quiet. Piper is taking a nap...thank the lord. And the girls are playing nicely (hallelujah) in the basement. My turn to breathe...change my attitude...and have a great day.

"Keep Calm and Carry On"

It's not because of me that my house is messy...honest.

2011-07-28T15:24:00.003-06:00

Piper is a full on walker now...she's everywhere. I had forgotten what a mess a little walker can make throughout the house. And with a new baby on the way it will be a while longer that I'll have to deal with these messes.

I have to accept the fact that my towels will never hang neatly on any towel bar. You want a towel...look on the floor.

My Ziplock baggies will never look neat in the box they came in. Everyday, Piper manages to scatter them all over the kitchen floor and then I consistently cram them back in the box.

The potatoes in the pantry will always have little bite marks on them.

Our shoes will be anywhere but the place you left them. Piper is obsessed with shoes and likes to put them on her hands and walk around. The trick is locating them when she's done playing. I couldn't find a shoe for the longest time...it finally turned up in the toy bin. I should have known.

Newspapers and magazines always looked crumpled and/or ripped. Plus, they are never neatly displayed on the table. Like the towels...look on the floor.

Finding previously chewed chunks of food in the carpet around the house. I should know this one by now. You give a piece of food to a baby, they walk off with it in their mouth, seconds later they decide they don't like it and toss it.

So on and so on.

But I guess, one day, years from now, I'll realize that I don't need to put the pillows back on the couch every ten minutes. Or maybe one day I won't have to live with the coffee table right up against the TV stand in my attempt to block Piper from getting into the DVDs. And maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to load the dishwasher without having one leg extended in order to hold Piper back from pulling out all the dishes I just put in.

Hey, you never know...I may miss all those messes one day. Then again, maybe not.

I love a good storm...just don't hurt my house!

2011-07-27T16:46:00.004-06:00

We've been having thunderstorm after thunderstorm lately...I love it. It's something I never had growing up in Long Beach.

Funny story: The first Summer we lived in Utah I kept hearing a very low (very distant) rumbling one afternoon, and my poor Coonhound would NOT stop howling because of it. Honestly, I had NO IDEA what that noise was. I really thought someone was doing some construction in the neighborhood and kept shaking some kind of sheet of metal. Once it became louder I realized it was thunder...Yes, I felt very stupid. Good thing I didn't ask a neighbor what the noise was...then I really would have made a fool of myself. So anyway, I was very thunderstorm deprived growing up in the LBC.

Yesterday we had quite a storm with a major downpour. Instantly, the water filled the streets and the sidewalk in front of my house completely disappeared under water! Then my entire yard became a lake...I was a little nervous it would creep closer to the house but luckily it didn't do much more than that. When the thunder had stopped my kids ran out to play on the slip 'n' slide that we left out in the front yard from earlier in the day. Yes...still raining...my yard a lake...the wind was howling...but my kids are playing (fully clothed mind you) on the slip'n'slide. They are crazy!

Party Pictures

2011-07-26T07:42:00.006-06:00

Since Morgan and Haley's birthdays are only a week apart we celebrated them on the same day this year. I know they'll probably hate that when they're older, so I might as well get away with it when I can.

We had a really nice dinner outside, good pinata fun, cake and ice cream, and of course presents. Probably their favorite gift were the CD players for each of them from their grandma...oh my, they LOVE them!! And the Justin Bieber CDs that Nicole gave them didn't hurt either!

The girls stayed up way too late with all the good party fun!!

Happy Birthday

2011-07-25T07:21:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday to my sweet Morgie!!

Today you turn 5!!

Birthday Season

2011-07-22T10:31:00.002-06:00

There are four birthdays within two weeks of each other in our family! Lots to celebrate!

My brother Andrew is up first, and he just so happened to be in town! So earlier this week we all got together for some BBQ tri-tip, cake and ice cream. There was a thunderstorm that blew through, but that didn't stop us from grillin'! My other brother, Matt, brought a pinata...which was probably the biggest hit!

The girls were up first hitting the pinata...this was the first time we had them do it blindfolded...it was so funny watching them. But nothing is as funny as watching adults hit pinatas!! Both my mom and Andrew gave it a go...oh my...it was pee-in-your-pants funny!! We were all hysterical...I'm sure all the neighbors were peeking out there windows wondering what on Earth was so funny at our house (aka: the loony bin).

Today is my mom's birthday...Happy Birthday Mom!! And next week we celebrate the girls' birthdays...lots to do!!

Playhouse Pictures

2011-07-21T11:07:00.002-06:00

My grandparents arrived in town last week and my grandfather was on a mission to get the playhouse moved to our house. The men worked all weekend, and the mission was accomplished!

Ryan, my dad and grandfather.

Morgan "working" as well.
My grandparents.

The finished product!

I've got to work on some landscaping now.

I love looking across the garden and seeing the playhouse sitting there. It looks much better at this house than it did at the other. It seems to fit better in this yard.

Spreading the Love

2011-07-20T09:44:00.004-06:00

I guess my little Miss Haley has been spreading the love. She likes to draw little pictures and write little notes to put into our neighbors' mailboxes. Also, I found out she made a little bouquet of flowers and put it on another neighbor's doorstep. Never mind the fact that she rang their bell at about 8:00 in the morning and ran off...leaving the flowers of course. A very nice jester I know...but I did have to tell her it may not be a good idea to ring peoples' doorbells that early. Not everyone is on Haley's early wake up call. But, my, what a sweetheart!

As a thank you, our neighbor gave Haley a little treat for her and her sisters. Again, this is all without my knowledge. One day Haley came home with three HUGE lollipops...when I asked where they came from this is when I found out about all the little notes and flowers she's been passing around. Half the time I have no idea what that girl is up to!

Piper loving her lollipop.

No bedtime in the Summer.

2011-07-19T11:16:00.005-06:00

21 Weeks

Does anyone have kids that can stick to a bedtime schedule during the Summer? I know bedtime gets pushed back for kids during the Summer...I can hardly blame the kids why they're not sleeping when sunlight is blasting through their windows at 8:00 at night...I wouldn't be able to sleep either! Plus, it's Summer! It's so much more fun for a kid to race around the yard barefoot in the evenings eating Otter Pops than going to bed...don't you think? But truth is...I'm tired, and I'm ready for some peace and quiet! We usually can get our kids into bed by 9:00...most of the time. But even when they're in bed they stay awake chatting, reading, or playing until around 10:00, or later. More times than not, Ryan and I are going to bed and they are STILL up. Makes it a little harder for Ryan and I to have some special alone time (if you know what I mean) when you have two Chatty Kathys next door...and our bedroom doesn't have a lock. Yeah...I know.

So anyway...Summer equals LATE bedtimes for everyone.

Last night as I climbed the stairs to my bed around 10:30, this is what I found at the top.

Funny girl. I gave her those eye thingys for sleeping in her Easter basket this year...more like a joke gift. She wears them just about every night! She hangs them on a little hook next to her bed. Best one dollar I spent for that basket!! Who knew?

Baby Girl #4

2011-07-18T17:37:00.004-06:00

I'm 21 weeks...half way there baby! Doesn't it seem like I've been pregnant forever?! Does me.
I had my ultrasound last week to check things over. I was so nervous about it...all I want is a healthy baby, and I had so much anxiety going in. It just seems there has been one thing after another with this pregnancy and all I really want is to make it to the finish line with a little healthy baby in my arms!

Well, I'm happy to report that baby looks terrific! Boy, was that music to my ears! However, we are learning more about this mysterious tissue that has been lurking inside my uterus. First, they thought is must be scar tissue from a previous C-Section. Well, not anymore. Now, since things are a little more stretched out in there they can see that it's actually a membrane/tissue of sorts that connects from one side of the placenta to the other side. Very strange. The good news is that is doesn't seem to be effecting the growth of the baby. But, they do want to keep an eye one it.

Baby Girl #4. Look at that profile...what a beauty!

If you look closely in the second picture you can see that tiny strip/membrane (looks kinda like a rope) yeah, that's the mysterious tissue in there. And that little flower thingy by her forehead...yeah, that's her hand. Just in case you wanted to know.

Tree gone...Playhouse coming.

2011-07-15T08:42:00.002-06:00

On Monday when we came home from our Idaho Falls/Jackson weekend we discovered a large branch from our flowering plum tree in our front yard has fallen off. I knew it needed to be pruned, so now this was the motivation I needed to actually get it done. However, the tree guy said that the tree wasn't worth saving. Lots and lots of weak points in the trunk and it was already suffering from some iron deficiency. So, the tree had to go...sad, I know. But you know, I kind of like how it opens up our yard...that is once I got used to our house being more exposed.

Piper and Morgan watching the wood chipper do its thing.

My parents have been in town since Saturday...it's wonderful! I love having them close by again! And yesterday my grandparents arrived in town. My grandfather has been wanting to move the playhouse from our old house to this one. We are so grateful! The girls have been wanting it at our house since we moved. It's quite a project actually...the entire house needs to be taken apart, transferred to here, and then put all back together again. It will be nice to finally have it here!

Idaho Falls and Jackson Weekend

2011-07-13T13:04:00.002-06:00

We left Saturday around noon, hit a bunch of traffic in N. Salt Lake, kids were a little on the whiny side ("Are we there yet?", "Where are we?"...that kinda thing about every 3 minutes), Piper was extremely fussy (she kept spitting up chunky milk so it smelled like barf in the car...not sure why, maybe she had a little upset stomach). I don't think Ryan and I spoke once to each other the entire drive. With all the commotion going on...the girls yakking it up in a volume as if they were 100 feet from each other (seriously...it's such a small space...why do kids talk so loud?) and Piper's high pitch screams every 30 seconds, it was impossible. So, bottom line, the drive there was a bit on the horrendous side. But we made it to the race for the girls' age group with about 5 minutes to spare! Whew!

The girls were thrilled!

Morgan is not quite five yet, but we put her with Haley in the five-seven year olds. Here they are gearing up to go!

Haley coming in! She's busy looking at all the spectators.

Little Morgie to the line!

Ryan's race was later that evening. The girls did great and cheered like champs...even Piper! I have found that the key to ensuring everyone's happiness is to keep moving when at races...or anywhere really. The longer we stay in one spot the easier it is for the rough housing between Haley and Morgan to begin, plus Piper starts to fuss.

We didn't get back to the hotel until around 11:00 that night...and finally around midnight, everyone was settled and all was quite. Ahh, peace.

Haley was our wake up call at around 6:45 the next morning...ouch. We had a great breakfast at the hotel and went on our annual Idaho Falls river walk. It was a beautiful morning!

Then we packed up and headed to Jackson, WY for another race. Just like last year...the drive was beautiful! And luckily the kids were exhausted so they were either napping or just really mellow and barely made a peep. Quite nice for Ryan and I!

Again the girls cheered like champs for Ryan. Many crashes, but luckily my Ryan stayed safe.

The quote for the day came from a very new-agey/trail mix type lady. She was talking to me a bit in front of her chiropractic office, all the while, my two sweet little girls were literally rolling around in the grass fighting and yelling at each other. (yes, a little embarrassing) It was one of those moments you wish all you had to do was say, "Girls, that's enough!" and they would stop on the spot...yeah, didn't work out quite like that. So anyway, at one point she says to me, "Oh, I knew you couldn't be from here...Provo sounds about right with all those kids!" What!? Excuse me?! And then as I'm leaving, dragging my dirty children as they continue to bicker...she calls out, "GOOD LUCK!!". Whatever lady...I don't need your approval!

After the race we enjoyed a great dinner at a local restaurant (Ryan won a gift certificate there during the race!) and then went back to the hotel and all was settled and quite around 9:30...much better than the night before!

We toured around Jackson the next morning. It's a very touristy town! But we enjoyed it.

Headed back for home in the afternoon. Stopped in Bear Lake for shakes on the way and made it home around 9:00.

All in all...a great weekend!

Off for the weekend.

2011-07-08T14:36:00.003-06:00

I survived my two days without Ryan...although, my inner Hulk started to appear as my kids were driving me absolutely insane last night! It was one of those moments that everything seems to go wrong all at once. One moment it's peaceful and I'm so proud of myself for being able to handle everything...and then, all of sudden, all hell breaks loose. Kids running around, screaming at each other (lots of screaming), she said this to me, she said that to me, she looked at me funny, I'll get you for that, she took my toy, spilled drinks all over, Piper poopy, phone ringing...and then there's me in the middle of it all trying not to pull my hair out. Whew...I'm dizzy just thinking about it. Let's move on.

Tomorrow we're off to Idaho for the annual Alan Butler Memorial crit...a family favorite. The girls are doing their bike race as well so that should be fun. Then Sunday we drive to Jackson for another crit. We're staying there an extra day so Ryan can visit some shops and we'll get a chance to walk around a bit. So that should be nice.

Our berries are coming in! However, I have yet to eat a single one...Little Miss Haley snatches them up before I can get to them. I'll tell ya...as soon as they are slightly red she gobbles them up. But this house is literally surrounded by berries and grapes...so soon enough we are going to be up to our eyeballs in them...I'll be patient.

The girls painted bird feeders this week. I thought they came out very cute!

Do you see those apples coming in?!! Ooooh goodie!

Need to know where the poo is?

2011-07-07T07:30:00.004-06:00

If there is dog poop or gum in the area...Haley's feet will find it. No joke, it happens all the time.

Yesterday, she managed to step in both. I must have been slap happy when she stepped in the gum...I could not stop laughing! Watching her struggle to keep her flip flop on while dragging about 8 feet of stretched gum was cracking me up! Don't worry, she was giggling too! I'm not that mean!

But I was NOT laughing when she stepped in dog poop at the bike race last week...BAREFOOT (although she probably steps in dog poo barefoot on average of about once a week at home...but we have access to a hose, a tub and soap). But at a bike race, that's way different! And by the way, the poop happened to be about two feet away from our picnic...how my mommy radar eyes didn't see that, we'll never know. So yeah, kneeling down, holding a wiggly 15 month old, while trying to wipe dog poo out of in between Haley's toes with wet napkins is NOT cool.

But you know, Haley could care less. Her reaction every time, "Oh, darn...I stepped in dog poop."...."Oh, darn...I stepped in gum." If it was up to her at the bike race, she would have given her foot one good wipe on the grass...call it good...and get back to playing.

My little free spirit...that's what she is.

Time to decorate.

2011-07-06T08:06:00.003-06:00

I'm holding down the fort for a couple of days while Ryan is at a sales rep meeting in San Luis Obispo...I know, lucky him. Although is schedule is pretty jam packed for the 2 days he'll be there, so I'm not sure how much "fun" he'll have.

Again (I know I've mentioned this before) when he's gone I always have a major desire to spend money. Why is that? Like go grocery shopping and buy junk food, or order pizza for dinner, take the girls to something that costs money. I guess when he's gone I feel like it's a break from the "housewife" role...I don't need to think about dinners (mac and cheese or pancakes will do just fine), laundry doesn't get done, and I don't worry about making sure everything is picked up...basically, all chores get put on the back burner.

Speaking of spending money, I'm getting the itch to start painting the walls in the house and sprucing up my decor. We've lived here for about 10 months now and I haven't really done anything yet. Walls are still white and the girls room still has ugly flower wall paper (although they love it). We don't even have a single piece of artwork in our bedroom...or anywhere upstairs for that matter. I think it's time to do something about that. My only problem is I'm incredibly indecisive! It takes me FOREVER to pick something or pick a color for the walls. So I may be getting the desire to decorate, but it will probably take another three years before anything gets done (that's about long it takes me to decide on anything). We'll see what happens.

Freedom Days

2011-07-05T12:44:00.002-06:00

Hope everyone had a fabulous 4th! I have to say ours was pretty darn good. Although, I woke up a bit sad and down. Around the holidays I really miss family. All around the neighborhood you see tons of cars parked around different houses and lots of kids jumping out of them to run into grandma's and grandpa's house. Tons of cousins all around for all to play with. I'm lucky to have my brother and his family here...at least one cousin for the girls to see. But we didn't see them this weekend...their neighborhood does a pretty big bash for the 4th. So, it was just us.

We spent the afternoon at Freedom Days, a festival in our little downtown area. It was actually so much better than when we went three years ago. They had a huge kid area with crafts and different activities for them to do. We basically spent most of our time there.

Although, there was this one "game" that I thought was pretty lame. Okay, so there's this big sandbox thing, pretty huge so lots of kids can be in it at the same time. The idea is the kids dig around and find coins to turn in for a little prize. Well, after about 40 minutes our kids found NOTHING! And keep in mind that the sandbox is in the full sun...kinda miserable if you ask me.

Finally, they come out covered in sand, and sweaty, disappointed and empty handed. So I told them to go over to the booth and tell the ladies that you've been in there for close to an hour and found nothing and can I please have a prize. Well, that old hag said "NO" to my children. "Sorry, you have to find a coin!". So they go back into the sand pit to try again. Another 10 minutes and still empty handed...so they ask again. Now, if you saw my children at this point (looking like they came out of some mine, and little Morgan's bottom lip quivering holding back tears she's so upset) how can any person say no to that?!! But again, she said no. So I decide to go over there and punch her in face (okay, not really)...I explained that my kids have been searching for close to an HOUR in that box, don't you think maybe you should put more coins in there!!! "Sorry ma'am, I can't give her a prize...she didn't find a coin!", is all she kept saying to me. Turns out, the "prize" were little trinkets (maybe worth 10 cents each)...something you'd find in a gumball machine! And, she had a FULL basket of them in front of her!! Keep in mind too that this was the last day of the festival, and only a few more hours left...you have fun with all those left over trinkets at the end of the day. It's a freakin' festival you old lady! Lighten up!!

So, other than that, the festival was great.

The girls loved the hair dressing booth.

So pretty!

On our way home...exhausted.

We ended the day with some grilled hamburgers and more ice cream. The girls stayed up extra late watching all the aerial fireworks coming out of the neighborhood through their window upstairs. Every now and then I would hear Haley clap.

All is well...so far.

2011-07-03T09:50:00.005-06:00

Morgan and the dogs are healing up nicely. Morgan gets her stitches out tomorrow morning and the dogs are returning to their normal hyper selves. I even gave them a bath the other day (the dogs that is) and now they are super fluffy and clean! No more oil smell!

We went to an evening crit Friday night. Apparently the course was absolutely insane...it was definitely under a kilometer long...it should NOT have been passed as a course to race on! Anyway, our good friend went down after winning. His speed was too fast to make the turn and ended up breaking his elbow in several pieces. He's been at the hospital for the past two days and we have been taking care of his little poodle. We have learned, bottom line...this is NOT a household for little poodles!! Or any little house dog for that matter! The little thing is terrified at all times! Terrified mainly of our children. It's too bad because the girls absolutely love him, and all he wants to do is get away from them! He doesn't like to be walked by them and they basically just drag him along...they have no idea of course that the dog is miserable. They just skip along, oblivious, like he's having the time of his life! I bet he can't wait to get home! It definitely makes me appreciate our dogs a bit more. They don't mind the kids in the slightest! They actually put up with quite a bit!

In other news, our little Piper is starting to walk a bit more! Although she still relies on crawling, especially when she's in a hurry.

Last night was the stadium firework show in our area. We made a super good dinner of grilled Tri-tip and stayed up late eating cookies and ice cream. We live pretty close to the stadium so we thought maybe we would be able to see the fireworks easily from our backyard. Unfortunately, it wasn't as good as we thought, but the girls loved it regardless. We didn't go to bed until close to 12 and now I'm exhausted.

When it rains...it pours.

2011-06-29T15:40:00.003-06:00

Seriously...I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry. Well, I've already cried, so I might as well laugh now. But life just seems to be HARD this year...lots and lots of stress...lots and lots of worry. From Ryan's job change, to finding out I was pregnant, which was a big surprise, (remember that post on spontaneity...yeah, I guess we had a little too much spontaneity around here...hence, the pregnancy), then came 7 weeks of bed rest, health insurance woes (still dealing with that one), dogs escaping, strep throat, ear infections, and then the stomach flu...which now brings us to this week.

On Monday the dogs got out yet again. Ryan spent a good three hours trying to find them with no luck. We went to bed without knowing if our dogs were safe...it was awful. The next morning we found out they were at the local shelter. They had both been hit by a dump truck the evening before. Belle was doing okay, but Etta wasn't looking good. They suspected some internal damage and suggested taking her to a ER place that would cost us around $400...that wasn't happening. So, they gave her some good drugs and told us to keep an eye on her and make sure she rests.

We were on pins and needles all that night. Ryan even slept downstairs to keep an eye on her. Belle stayed outside...I know, not fair...but they needed to be separated. Well, I'm happy to report that she has perked up quite a bit since yesterday. Tired, but very alert at her surroundings. And she has even trotted around the yard a bit. Belle woke up with a major limp...she is really favoring her front leg. So currently, both dogs are quite gimpy...not sure if they're out of the woods yet. Etta especially...I'm worried about her.

They are incredibly mangy...just covered it dirt and oil. We can't give them a bath until they recover a bit.

When the girls got up this morning they were so happy to see Etta...gave her lots of love. My first thought is to give these dogs to a home that can handle them...obviously, we're having trouble. But then, I look at these pictures. How could I ever do that to these girls who absolutely adore them? It would break their heart. I think we need to invest in an electric fence.

So our house has now become a sick bay for dogs as we keep a very close eye on them. Then, if things couldn't get any worse, Morgan biffed it on her scooter this morning. She got a pretty good knock to the head. About an hour or so after she fell she started to get extremely sleepy and even started to fall asleep...which worried me. Then she got nauseated and thought she may throw-up. When that started to happen I was at the doctor's office within 20 minutes. Well, about two hours and three stitches later we were home. Because her symptoms dramatically improved while there the doctor did not think it was necessary for a CT scan. And she was so brave getting her stitches...not even a whimper. She kept saying, "Well, mom...I didn't cry, because it didn't hurt!!". Well...she was way braver than me! I was sweating buckets while we waited for the stitches...I was so nervous for her!

I think helmets are in order with those scooters now.

So, yeah...there's never a dull moment around here. But honestly, dull is sounding pretty good right about now.