Snaggletooth

Aren't those cute pictures? I think so, but I could be suffering from that parental abnormality of not being able to tell when your kid is kind of funny looking. Not that I think Stomper is actually funny looking, it's just that his mouth is a little...in transition right now. I am so enamored with Stomper's funny little mouth! This child is losing teeth faster than he can spit sunflower seeds. I don't think I lost my first tooth until first grade! And now the permanant teeth are coming in fast, and his tiny little mouth just doesn't quite have room for them, so it's a little snaggly in there. Plus, even though he lost his two front teeth with in a short time of each other, one grew in weeks ago and one just took its time. Frankly, when I look at his little cock-eyed grin I imagine one of those cartoons where the bad guy gets slammed in the face with an anvil or something and he sits there with a dazed look on his face while half of his teeth crumble out of his mouth before hitting the deck himself. I forsee braces.

Kinda Pathetic

Well, I hate to be a name caller. But I'm going to do it anyway. Somebody's pathetic!!!

Troy has spent the week driving to and from Orem every day for some training with his company's new thermal imaging camera. (It's very cool.) On Friday he noticed that at some point during the week someone had vandalized our jeep. When he said that to me over the phone I was shocked that he wasn't more upset. I was thinking keys along the paintwork or something like that. Turns out, it was a bumper sticker. A couple of years ago I went to a womens' football clinic up at the UofU with The Misty (yes, Misty, I believe you have earned the title,) and I got this very nice bumper sticker firmly declaring, "Go Utes!" Here's what the loser did:



Seriously? Ooooo! Now I feel really bad about our perfect season. Okay, I might be venturing into the realm of "being a poor sport." Just a little bit. But come on!

It Begins.

There has been a line in the sand ahead of me, and I knew I'd have to cross it sometime. It was unavoidable. Crossing it is not a bad thing, but I knew it would change my life forever. That line? Signing up Stomper and Bitty for extracurricular activities. For Stomper, soccer. For Bitty, ballet. They have both been begging and begging me for these classes for a very long time and I'm sorry to admit that I've been putting them off in any way I could. I just knew that once I opened that door we were in it forever. And I know that it's actually a good thing. Especially now that they've both started. It is so fun to see them be so excited about their activities, and so fun to see them participating.

Stomper started soccer on Saturday. I was nervous that he'd be the only kid who had never had five minutes of actual soccer play before. Okay, he and Troy have kicked a ball around in the back yard a little, but nothing to prepare him for running up and down the field with a pack of kids all aiming for the ball at once. There were a couple of kids there who obviously had plenty of experience, but also a bunch of kids with as little as he had. I was so proud of him for sticking with the game pretty much the whole time, for running along with the gang and even getting some really good kicks in. He even kicked the ball in the right direction. Luckily the game was a tie, so there wasn't a loss to start him off, although he didn't seem all too concerned about the score in the end. I'm really pleased.



And Bitty. She, like I said, has been begging me for ballet lessons for at least a year now. I held her off a little bit by having Santa deliver her a ballerina tutu and slippers for Christmas, but now that summer is here and we don't have much going on I thought it would be a good time to start a little class. What a kill. Fifteen little tutu-ed and pony-tailed 4 year old girls all on cloud nine, doing twirls and jumps and pointing their toes; all the good stuff. My heart just about exploded with happiness watching Bitty's look of total ecstasy as she followed every word uttered by her now beloved teacher. Fun.




It is totally worth it to have to get up and get everyone dressed and fed and haul a baby around and feed her in public and all that just to see my kids be happy and active. I totally love it. Of course, we'll see how we're doing in a few weeks. Perhaps the novelty will wear off, but I sure hope not. Sign me up as an official soccer mom!

Celebrating the First Week

Well, it's starting to happen. No matter what, you can't stop time from flying by. Already a whole week has gone by since we welcomed Bundle into our family. She's still tiny and sweet and small, but I know that stage will keep on slipping away. I do look forward to all that's ahead - the smiles, laughs, holding her head up, making more cute noises - those are wonderful things. But no matter how much you treasure any moment in your life, no matter how carefully you savor and enjoy it, you can't keep it. You can't hang on to it! It's kind of sad. Maybe in heaven we can have some of these times back. Having Bundle around has sent me back in time repeatedly to Bitty's arrival, so much so that I often call Bundle by Bitty's name. I have opened up the scrapbooks from both kids to try to remember more clearly their infancies. What tender times. I sure am loving and enjoying Tiny Bundle. I'll have to change her web name soon, I know.

So far things are going really well. I know that as babies get older they can get more fussy and maybe start sleeping less at night than they do right now. I'll cope with all of that when it comes and for now just enjoy the fact that I'm not nearly as sleep deprived as I expected to be - partly due to the fact that Bundle sleeps well at night, and partly due to the fact that I'm surrounded by terrific people who entertain my children while I catch a nap here and there. Thank you!

Other things I'm grateful for? The kids adore their sister, and Troy is the most wonderful husband ever. It's a little hard for daddies to have new babies around, I think. We've taken to calling Troy "Farm Boy" because he fetches so many things for me, and for that I'm grateful. He is willing to get me anything from a drink of water while I'm nursing to running to Babies-R-Us at 7:00 in the evening to get us a bouncy seat. (I had a little melt-down moment when I was feeling like I didn't have anyplace I could set Bundle down for a few minutes - she wasn't loving the car seat or bassinet - and he fetched me a bouncy seat that moment.) Thank you, Troy. And I'm now very grateful for said Bouncy Seat because it gives me 20 minute chunks of time in which I can shower, slick up the kitchen, get food for the kids or whatever. Thank you, bouncy seat, and thank you, Bundle, for sitting in it.



A couple of funnies from Bitty -

There has been much interest/questioning/discussion regarding nursing babies. Bitty, who is not a 'dolly' kind of girl, has taken to holding a dolly, carrying it around, putting it down for a nap, and changing its diaper. She has drawn the limit at nursing, however. She pulled up her shirt and started to pretend to feed her dolly when she paused with a look of deep thought on her face and said, "I think I'd rather give my dolly a bottle." A littler unnerving there, honey?

The other evening Troy was trying to get her to put something away and go to bed. I think it was a pencil or something sharp like that. She started running through the house and Troy hollered out, "No running! Just walking!" She stopped and said, "Uh, how about tiptoeing?" I guess that's a reasonable substitute. Heaven forbid you actually walk anywhere!

Over Already?

It just doesn't seem that long ago that I was taking Stomper in for his Kindergarten assessment and getting him all registered and set up for Kindergarten. And suddenly it's over! I have to say that we have simply adored Stomper's kindergarten teacher, Mrs. McDonald. She has been terrific and a really good match for our big boy. I've had so much fun watching him learn and grow, doing homework with him and especially helping him learn to read. I spent a lot of time in the classroom this year - something I probably won't be able to do again for a year or two - and that has been great. I feel rather devoted to Mrs. McDonald, and wish I could be in her class again! Maybe Bitty will get her as a teacher in another year. I hope she sticks around a little longer.



With Miss Alisha, the teacher's aide. She was great too.



The class singing a song on the last day.



Proud Mommy!

1 Night Down; 6,570 To Go

I think the first night home from the hospital is always the most daunting. I'm happy to report that not only did we make it safely home from the hospital but that we survived our first night. And I don't seem to be doing too much of that uncontrollable "I don't know why I'm crying!" thing. I hate that.

Troy and I actually convinced the hospital staff that we could walk home from the hospital - it is just across the street, and it seems ludicrous to have to drive. Troy brought our big stroller over with the connecting car seat. We packed up Bundle and headed out. Of course, that's when we realized that it was raining! Luckily the stroller has full coverage, so we were okay.

I was a little nervous about the night time. At the hospital, babies seem to sleep pretty well in their little plastic buckets, but I can never get them to sleep in a basinette. Besides, they seem to wake up right when you're ready to go to sleep. So last night, after Troy collapsed in a heap of exhaustion, Bundle and I snuggled, nursed and watched a video recommendation from a friend. If you have a new baby or are thinking of having a baby, you must watch this video. It's only like half an hour long, and I thought it had great new-baby advice. It's called "The Happiest Baby on the Block." I think it's actually a book, but there's a companion DVD - I just checked it out from the library and I'm excited to try a few things out. Thanks to watching the section on good swaddling, I think Bundle was a very happy bundle last night and we had pretty decent sleep. We'll see how tonight goes.

The kids are both darling as can be with their Bundle. Stomper loves holding and holding her. Bitty would prefer to just do things to her like get her dressed and trim her nails and give her her bink and on and on. Her comment today? "Mom! She's as cute as a pinkie!"

She Is Here!!!

You know, the whole time I was pregnant, I really tried to remind myself from time to time to enjoy the special parts of carrying a baby. Troy and I are not planning on any more kids, so I knew this was my last pregnancy. There really are some things to treasure about pregnancy, like having a belly that's supposed to be big, like feeling the kicking and squirming, like trying to imagine what your baby's face will look like. I am going to miss those things. But I'll tell you, they are paling in comparison to having our baby here at last. I'm already so nuts about her I can hardly stand it.

We have not yet named our new little bundle, so for now, I think I'll just call her Bundle! As I mentioned, I was scheduled to be induced yesterday morning, but the day before, I went in to see my midwife and we were able to get things going a little bit, so that on Tuesday night I started contracting. I was in some form of labor all night, though not advanced enough to go in to the hospital early. We still went in at our regularly scheduled time, but progressing in labor at the same time. Yay! No pitocin! Margy, my midwife, broke my water and off we went. I labored pretty intensly for three hours or so and then things started to feel a little out of control. The contractions were getting so much more intense, but getting farther and farther apart, so the delivery wasn't getting any closer. I think I started to panic a little bit and I had a hard time really relaxing. I finally chose to have an epidural, and I have to say, I don't think I've ever been so happy or so grateful for anything in my life before. I really did want to go med-free, and I'm not going to lie and say I'm not really proud that I did that with Bitty. But this time around, that epidural made for a really wonderful birth. Even now, as I think about yesterday morning I keep feeling a rush of gratitude that I was able to have that medicine. What's really funny was that as soon as the medicine was in, Margy gave me just a whiff of pitocin to get the contractions progressing, my whole body relaxed, and Bundle was ready to come within 30 minutes. I really feel like it was a good birth experience, and that's the most important thing for anyone, I'd say!

As soon as Bundle got here, Margy just slipped her right up onto my chest - one of the most incredible experiences I've had in my life. The nurses let me keep her there for quite a while, (a lot longer than I got to hold Bitty), before taking her to clean, measure, weigh and warm her. Then I got to feed her right away and we just enjoyed her for a few hours before her first bath and all that stuff. Bundle's hair is lighter than either of the other kids' was at birth, and she has these cute little curly tufts over her ears. Her litte face is so round and squashy and wonderful. I can't tell if she looks like either of the other kids, and certainly over the next few days and weeks we'll get a better idea of who this little gal is.

Bundle met her siblings around dinner time last night, and that was a very sweet experience too. Both Bitty and Stomper were so excited and sweet and instantly proclaimed their love for their sister the moment they laid eyes on her. I know there will be lots of ups and downs these next few weeks but I forsee both kids being very grown-up helpers and adoring older siblings. I loved sitting here in my bed with Bitty on my left, Stomper on my right, and Bundle being passed between all of us.

I'm feeling great, and am really relishing these couple of days spent in the hospital with Bundle. There is nothing like those first few days and I'm savoring every moment. I'm so grateful that Bundle got here safely, that she already feels like she's always been part of the family and that I have so many blessings that I couldn't begin to count them.

Uncle!

I am now one full week past my due date, much to the shock of myself and everyone else I know.

Yesterday, in one of our many efforts to get this baby on her way, Troy and I enjoyed some nice spicy Chinese food. (Didn't work.) The fortune that came with the after-dinner cookie was pretty great, though. It read: "A short stranger will soon enter your life with blessings to share." How's that for telling?

Well, we've decided that we are ready for this "short blessed stranger" to get here already. I feel like I'm kind of getting what I deserve in being so vocal about my desire to let babies come when they're going to come. I still feel that way, actually, but I also have noticed that I, not to mention my husband, am going crazy playing the waiting game. Eight days is long enough. So we're being induced in the morning. I did run over to meet with my midwife today and she said that things have progressed a lot since last week and hopefully getting me started won't take much. I'm hoping to avoid the big P (pitocin) but we'll see how it goes. And who knows, I may still go into labor tonight!

We'll post again soon, hopefully with pictures of a beautiful new baby girl. Frankly, I'm still feeling like I'm in denial that this is all actually happening. Someone's going to hand me a baby tomorrow and I'm going to wonder where on earth she came from. A baby? Who said anything about a baby? Well, ready or not, here she comes!

Survey Says!...

Yeah, not so much on the pizza thing. Okay, it had me fooled for a minute because for about an hour and a half last night I did have some semi-regular contractions, of which I have had almost none up to this point. But then by around 11:00 everything had quieted down and I had a good night's sleep. I'm not complaining about that one, I tell you! And the pizza was so yummy that you should just have some any way, whether you're trying to go into labor or not. Maybe I'll have more today, just to make sure....

Putting it to the Test

What is that delectable looking pizza, you ask? I'll tell you. It's from Trio, it's called The Chicken and Mushroom, and it's fabled as being able to put a woman into labor. We've heard it from several people now. We decided that tonight was the night to put it to the test. After all, my hands are so swollen that I won't be able to wield a piece of pizza much longer. We'll let you know if it has effective results. For the record, it was delicious.

In other news, Bitty has finished her last day of her first year of preschool. We're really going to miss Miss Patti. I think she's going to retire before our next baby is old enough to go to her school. She's been awesome. For the last day the class had a swimming party in Patti's back yard, complete with Popsicles and a froggie pond, populated by amphibians of the plastic variety only.




Also, Stomper's school held its annual Student Art Gallery Stroll this evening. I'll be honest, I didn't expect to be attending, but since I don't seem to have anything better to do, we all walked over and enjoyed looking at some great art projects the kids have been working on this year. Stomper was really proud of what he had hanging on the wall and I think he loved showing it off.


Troy took Bitty home a little early so that Stomper and I could spend some extra time wandering the halls, doing the scavenger hunt and the the thumbprint project. I spend much more time with Bitty these days than I do with Stomper, especially alone, and I always love the chance to hang out with my boy. Frankly, he's so much more affectionate...well, more consistently affectionate than his sister. She flies between adoration and despair faster than...than...than her mother (!!!) For example, today she proclaimed that she was having "the best day of her life," which comment was followed not too shortly by, "this is the worst day ever!" She was with me when we went to pick up Troy's car which had been in the shop. She does not ride in this car often, and didn't even know it hadn't been at our house for a day or two. However, when she found out that it had been gone she burst into tears, saying that she had missed it so much and that she was going to give it a hug and a kiss when we got home. She is a thunderstorm, I tell you. Stomper, though, is pretty steady and seems to always like me. At least he's much more apt to hold my hand wherever we go, and I hope he doesn't stop doing that for a long time.

Okay, I've rambled enough. It's just that it's late and I'm waiting for the pizza to kick in. Let me know if you have other suggestions....

Worth the Wait

No, I'm not talking about our baby, because she's not here yet. I'm sure she also will have been worth the wait whenever she does arrive. What I'm talking about is my birthday present! Okay, I only waited one extra day, but it would have been worth it to wait a whole lot longer than that! Last night as I was doing something (worthwhile and productive, no doubt) on the computer, Troy was messing around in the kitchen. I stood up, turned around, and this is what I saw on the kitchen table:



Do you hear the angels and the harps? The choirs singing its praises? I sure did! A Viking Stand Mixer. I thought I was going to have to wait many years before one of these graced my kitchen counter. And by "grace" I actually mean "dominate." Move over bacon, here comes something really big. The kitchen now needs some serious rearranging, which I will enjoy doing while I'm waiting and waiting for a contraction to show up.

Thank you, sweet husband, for fulfilling my dreams of mixing joy. I can't decide what to start with. I really have no need for whipped cream at the moment, but the sight of the giant balloon whisk attachment is pretty tempting. And come on, how often have you been unable to find a use for a quart of whipped cream?

Due?!?

Here I am, on the eve of my due date, and I'm realizing that I'm a big fat baby. I have never made it to my due date before. I'm always early, and so I really really thought that after three other pregnancies I'd totally go early with this one too. Waaaahhhhh! I am trying to remind myself that people go up to and past their due dates all the time and it's normal, natural, survivable and I'll be just fine. I really don't like being induced; I like the baby to come when she's ready to come. Except that now I'm ready and I'm getting really impatient. See? I'm a baby! I think after the whole "your baby is turned the wrong way and we might have to induce or do a C-section this week" thing made me really ready. And still, nothing! Also, with this nice long weekend where everyone, from babysitters to my midwife to my husband, were perfectly available and ready for action, I felt like it sure would have been convenient to deliver some time in there. Guess not. It's a school day tomorrow and I'm wondering if I just go ahead with normal life like usual. Guess so!

Oh yeah, it's also my birthday today. Happy Birthday! I think I kind of wanted to deliver today because I think that May 25th is the most wonderful day of the year. It would have been fun to share the day, I think, though maybe in the long run the baby would like her very own day. I guess the 26th would be okay too.... We had a really fun day today. Because we really truly thought we'd have a baby by now Troy and I made exactly 0 plans. So when we woke up this morning we were like, "Uh, I guess let's do something for your birthday!" And we proceeded to eat ourselves silly for the rest of the day. Troy went and brought me breakfast from Eggs in the City, a great little joint. Nothing better than eggs benedict, I'd say! I was pretty satisfied with that, especially since I got to eat in bed while finishing up a pretty good book. But then a couple hours later a friend showed up with a giant cup of my favorite frozen yogurt - Luna Berry - you must try it next time you're on 4th South and 7th East. I recommend the plain yogurt with mangos and almonds. THEN Troy considered sending me off to lunch with a friend but decided he'd rather be with me instead (awwww) so my kind sister took the kids while we went to RedRock Cafe downtown. I must admit I was still a little full from the morning, but I managed to enjoy my sandwich - French Onion Steak Sandwich. Another must. Luckily I got a little afternoon nap after that before another friend showed up with a nice little gift and an invitation to dinner. Okay!!! You know, I've noticed that if you eat out all day long and neglect your children there are very few dishes to be done at the end of the day. Awesome! I still feel a little full, but hey, I'm still eating for two, right?

Good Baby!

Thanks everyone for your "flip that baby" energy and prayers that you sent our way, 'cause guess what. After a long night of yucky dreams and little sleep, I went into the hospital this morning for my version (baby flip) and they discovered that she had turned on her head all by herself like a good baby should. Now, she may not stay that way, so keep that "head-down" energy coming. I'm going for a walk now, though not with any pogo-sticking like the nurses recommended. We don't want any tinkle on the sidewalk. :)

Put That Thing Away!!!

Holy Crap. That's about all I can think of to say. I asked Troy if we could snap a few pix tonight to show off my highly blossomed belly. Now that I look at the pictures, I'm not sure it was such a good idea. Woah. Well, that's how it goes, I guess.

An update: our daughter (not Bitty, the next one) is already turning out to be disobedient. I had an appointment today with my midwife to see how things were coming along. It turns out that our child has decided to stretch out side to side in my belly, like she's hanging out in a hammock. I'm sure she's very comfortable, the little stinker! I wouldn't mind so much except that I'm now past 38 weeks and could go into labor at any time. A spine-down baby is not a good thing for going into labor, just so you know. So on Monday morning we're going to go into the hospital and see if the docs over there can flip her around (from the outside). Hopefully that will work. We're looking at a possible C-section if she won't flip or won't stay flipped. I will confess that a C-section is not a part of my ideal birth plan. However, getting a baby here safely is higher on my list of priorities. I'm feeling calm and good we'll see if we can get this little gal turned around. She's squirming right now...maybe she'll do it all by herself!

I couldn't help but include a picture or two of Bitty,who already loves the camera. She sees it come out and instantly starts posing.





And me. Because I look funny. I will not be including the shot Troy took of my feet. Now THAT is scary.



Okay, friends, keep your fingers crossed that our gal starts somersaulting!

The Last Hurrah -or- You Know You're Pregnant When...

I have never been a major Star Trek fan, especially of the original series. I can appreciate it, and I did watch many many Next Generation episodes with my dad. But as soon as I saw the trailer, I knew I'd want to see the prequel movie that came out this weekend. I remember watching the trailers, and the date it would be released and wondering if I'd be able to catch the movie before this baby was born. Well, we made it. Troy and I don't go out on a whole lot of dates with just the two of us, but we pulled this one together. For one thing, my sister's girls have grown up and become great babysitters. We hired the eldest for the evening. She even put my kids to bed, the super girl! We called our friends, the Mayfields, and bought our tickets a week ago. And lo and behold, we made it out on a date. Dinner at Biaggi's in the gateway and then Star Trek. I am not sure if Troy and I will make it out on the town again pre-baby, so we were so excited for this fun evening. It really was fun. I have promised my brother to say NOTHING about the show, so I won't review it here. I do have to tell you that at the very beginning of the show there is a rather traumatic birth scene and I just had to laugh at myself. I'm pretty sure I'm pregnant because I sobbed through the whole thing. This is STAR TREK, right? Action/Adventure? SciFi? Not a lot of girly stuff going on. I couldn't help it. I had tears pouring down my face. I have a head cold so I'm pretty stuffy, and my nose decided to drain right then and there, and throughout the remainder of the show. Luckily Misty had some baby wipes in her purse or I would have had to leave the theater. Funny. Great movie, and that's all I'm going to say.

Bitty's New Hair-Do

I think every parent has gone through this. I waited and waited for Stomper to do it, but he never did. (Or hasn't yet, anyway.) So when Bitty gave her self a little hair cut (with my razor! Hello!) in the shower last night I wasn't really mad at all. When I got her out I noticed hair everywhere, and when I asked her what happened I think she thought I was going to go berserk, because she started crying, wrapped her little wet arms around my neck and sobbed, "I'm so sorry!" It took me a minute to find the hair cut's location, because I thought she would have just scraped the razor along the hair by her face or something. Finally I parted the hair on the back of her head and found quite an impressive bald spot back there. I'm surprised that she got it so cleanly shaven without cutting herself. She's actually been pretty happy to show people her new bald spot. I thought she might get upset about the lack of hair back there, but it seems to be a badge of accomplishment or something. I think I prefer the back of her head to a bang-snipping like so many other kids do. I'm just glad there was no blood involved.

New Toy

Troy and I have both been wanting a new camera for a long time. I used to have a little Nikon point-and-shoot, but it got destroyed somehow. (I swear it wasn't me.) I've been using Troy's work camera for anything I've needed for a while, but it doesn't really take the kind of pictures we've been hoping for. Well, Troy simultaneously got a bonus at work and had a trip to (tax-free) Oregon, where a camera shop is located not far from where he was staying. Of course Troy had been researching his camera choice for who knows how long. This is something I love about him. I hate doing that kind of research - I'm so lazy and impulsive. But when Troy shops he always ends up buying exactly what he really wants. It's great. So, we splurged and got the camera. A Nikon D90. Uh, it's so fancy I'm a little afraid to pick it up. The instruction booklet is novel-length, and I fear that I'll never really know half of what there is to know about this amazing piece of equipment. Troy's currently going at it a little at a time and then giving me lessons. What I do know is that when I push the button it takes really good pictures. We're in danger of filling up our hard drive in a few days with how many pictures we're taking, and they're so fun we're having trouble deleting any of them. Here are a couple of my favorites so far:





Troy did a blessed thing yesterday and took the kids up Emigration Canyon for a little stream-side playtime for a couple of hours. I think he took about 75 pictures. Don't you love kids and streams together? It's a wonderful match. And I got the house clean. Too bad I was so wiped out by the time he got home all I wanted to do was lie down...

Anyway, I'm looking forward to some better pictures showing up on the blog from now on!

Happy Birthday, Our Boy

Yesterday was our special Matthew day. Two years have now gone by since we said goodbye to him, and it's crazy to think about how much has changed. How mind-boggling that we're now counting down the days until a new baby arrives in our family. I have to say that our Matthew experience has made her arrival much more poignant for us in such a good way.

We had some plans to really celebrate Matthew, and we were able to pull a few of them off. Let's just say that Stomper and Bitty really make the concept of 'quiet reflection' next to impossible. And in some ways, that's a blessing. They certainly keep us grounded and moving forward. No wallowing here. And we didn't feel like wallowing anyway. We're in such a different place this year than last, that really, all we wanted to do was celebrate a little. So, like I said, some of those things happened, and some didn't. That's okay. We can turn our "Matthew Day" into "Matthew Week" and keep enjoying the process.

I think the thing I'm most excited about is that we made a paving stone in his honor, and bought a plant; a bleeding heart - my favorite. We have never had a place to go to remember Matthew. Due to the fact that he passed away before he was born we didn't think we wanted a grave for him. I'm not saying that I regret that decision, just that I never imagined how much I'd want one special place to go when I wanted to honor or think about him. We contemplated a tree for a long time, but that can be kind of a big deal. So, we made this stone out of concrete and had the kids decorate it with beads and rocks and stuff like that. We'll plant the bleeding heart in a shady spot by the house and put the stone next to it. I love this idea. Then if we ever move, we can take the stone with us and plant another bleeding heart. I'll post a picture of the spot when we're done.




We also did what is becoming a tradition for us - writing notes, tying them to balloons, and letting the balloons go. Gosh. It was kind of a comedy of errors. The kids just really made the whole day kind of frantic and the writing notes wasn't as quiet and peaceful as I would have hoped. Then when we went into the back yard to let them go, three of the four balloons got stuck in trees or power lines in our yard. Slightly anti-climactic. Super-hero Troy saved the day by unhitching two of the three, but his own balloon may still be lodged in the big tree it got stuck in. That's okay. We know Matthew knows what we wanted to say, and really the note writing itself is very therapeutic, even with kids bouncing all over you while you're trying to do it. Just taking a moment to say what you really want to say helps a lot.

So, little Matthew, to you I want to say that having a new baby makes you an even more special part of our little clan. I am sure that each time I hold her, wrap her and rock her, I will be both so grateful that I'm getting the chance to do that for her and missing the fact that I couldn't do it for you.

The Great Outdoors

Wow. I guess I don't blog much these days. Seeing as how I'm now 37 out of 40 weeks pregnant, I guess I'll cut myself a little slack.

I just had to post a couple of fun things. After and amid torrents of rain, spring has finally sprung in Salt Lake. We're getting some good outdoor time. Last week Bitty went on her first school field trip. She was supposed to have gone on one earlier in the season, but it was just too cold and snowy or rainy. So finally the class made it out to the local gardening store: Cactus and Tropicals. For an adult, 25 minutes of walking around a garden store can be fun but might not be that exciting. But for 10 little three- and four-year olds, it was a trip through a magical kingdom. They were convinced that they were actually walking through a tropical forest and the hot dry desert. Pretty fun. We nearly had one bystander get pushed into the koi pond, but her dad made a quick rescue and all was well.



Also fun to witness has been Stomper's foray into the world of all things slimy. On Friday he had a playdate with a girl in his class. This is actually the first time he's really wanted to play with one of the girls instead of a boy. I wondered how it would go, as in the past when he's played with gals in the neighborhood he's gotten really frustrated when they didn't want to play dinosaurs. Well, the two couldn't have been more compatible. Despite a cloudy and somewhat drizzly day, they spent their entire playdate outside. For at least three hours. It was awesome. Though some time was spent in the apple tree, their real fun came when they found a snail, and decided it needed some nurturing. Oh, the time they spent finding it a good home (a large empty plastic planter box) and giving it what Stomper called "its habitat." Grass, leaves, water, of course. But they really went above and beyond and gave the thing some toys (the plastic animal variety) and some friends - other snails, a worm or two and a millipede-looking thing. Amazingly enough, the snail even survived all the attention. His name is Slimy. Appropriate, don't you think?



The next day Slimy's nuturing was continued. Bitty had a playdate with a gal from the 'hood, but they weren't getting along too well. Instead, the friend and Stomper spent a very rainy morning on the back porch playing with the snails. They actually had snail races going for at least an hour. I'm sure the snails were running for their lives at that point, but to no avail. The other snails were eventually dubbed "Sticky" and "Fred." Apparently Fred is a biter, so look out.



And now at this moment, the day is drawing to a close. Homework has not been done, dinner has not been eaten, but I cannot bring myself to call the kids inside. They are out in the back yard digging in the dirt, finding additional creatures to add to the mini-zoo in the bucket. They are completely filthy, and that is how it should be.

Buck Up! (or) Look Honey, I Did Something!

Miss Hannigan is feeling better today. (See previous post.) I'm trying to suck it up a little, and I thought it would help to mention some happy things.

Happy thing #1:

Today is laundry day, and by some miracle, this blue bucket is still sitting, empty, on top of the dryer. I'll explain. The blue bucket has been dubbed "The Oxi Clean Bucket." (You may notice the huge tote of oxi clean sitting right next to it.) The fact that I have not yet this week filled that bucket with nice warm water, a generous scoop of oxi clean, and some disgusting article of clothing that is nigh-uncleanable is a total miracle. Just think! Bitty didn't poo in her undies even once this week! (Of course, she hasn't pooed much at all, but that is depressing to think about and I'm trying to be positive here.) Also, I have not ruined any shirts of mine by splashing, spilling or drizzling something greasy on them. I'm a rather drippy eater by nature (Troy calls this quality 'endearing,' but I think he's just being nice) and now that I have a huge shelf jutting out from my midsection there's no way for any errant grease to escape landing on me. And look! No shirts in the bucket! Yay!

Happy Thing #2

I actually accomplished something! I have really wanted to get my emergency preparedness supplies going before our babe gets here. It's so overwhelming to think about not only a 72 hour kit but getting a 3 month supply of rotate-able items. I'm not ready to think about the year's supply yet. Anyway, I finally got the bare minimum of a 72 hour kit put together. And then I thought about how I could make a three month supply of food work for us. I decided to make a list of foods that we use regularly. It's not a list of absolutely everything we would use in three months, just a list of things that we always do use and that, if worse came to worse, we could survive on for a few months. I then went and bought a whole bunch of those things. The plan now is that I keep that list on the fridge, and every time I use something from the supply, I mark it off so the next time I go shopping I can replace the item in storage. It's actually working really well, and I'm super satisfied that I actually accomplished something. Most days lately I just look at my to-do list and decide I'd rather go sit down instead.



Happy Thing #3

Stomper had a couple of play dates last week - during our freezing cold, wet and rainy spring break. (It's going to be 80 today...) One day he and his buddy went in the back yard armed with nothing more than a roll of masking tape. Their goal was to make a fort. I think they did a pretty good job. I am just filled with warm happiness when I see my kids inventing things in the back yard, despite the often increased requirement for the use of the oxi clean bucket.


Happy Thing #4

Bitty's love of bike-riding has resurfaced after the long cold winter. Every day she straps on her helmet with only minor assistance and heads out to the back porch for a spin on her little bike. She prefers you to be out there with her, being her spectator. This duty is comprised mainly of applauding for her and shouting, "hooray!" every time she passes you. It does get a little tedious, but her super happy grin is worth it.

Okay! See? I'm not totally bitter about everything! This is good! (Of course, it isn't even noon yet, but let's show a little optimism, shall we?)

My Inner Miss Hannigan

I didn't actually know that I had one inside me. But I do. Miss Hannigan (of Annie fame - come on, you remember her!) is alive and well and living deep in the most bitter corner of my soul, and boy did she rear her mussy little head today. I don't think I'd better give you all the gory details. I'll just say this. How is it possible that the more pregnant I get and the worse I feel, the more my kids need me and are less and less able to help or entertain themselves at all? Can they not find one tiny bit of compassion, empathy or understanding inside themselves? I know, I know. Of course not. Nor should I really expect them to. (Hey there, 3-year-old daughter, let's close our eyes a do a little maternity visualization so you can feel my pain!) It would be nice, though, wouldn't it? I'm sure that they can feel what's coming and have already begun the rat race for mom's attention. Elbows are flying. I guess my question is, with how grouchy I was today, why on earth do they still want my company at all? (Oh. One other question. WHY do my kids like to join me in the bathroom? Can anyone explain this phenomenon? You'd think that's the last place they'd want to be with the things that go on in there, but no, they're pounding down the door. I guess it has something to do with getting their grips on the last shred of dignity I'm still clinging to.)

Well, I should shut up now. Do a little blessing counting. Like the fact that no one got out of bed tonight once they were tucked in. Like that fact that no one actually called me 'mean mommy,' or said, 'you're just like Cruella DeVil' or any of the other things that were running through my head. Or the fact that I probably won't hear the dreaded, "Mommmm-eeeeeee!!!!????!!!!" until tomorrow. Okay, let's face it, there's a good chance I'll still hear that tonight, but maybe it will be from only one of them at a time instead of that trick they have where one of them says it, then starts telling me what they need me to do, and in the middle of the sentence, the other one starts off, like they're singing a round of Row Row Your Boat or something. I think they practice that technique while I'm not around.

Okay. Deep breaths. I feel better. Well, better minus the perma-contraction I've had all day today. Time for a drink of water and a little shut eye.

'Night!

A Tribute to my Father -or- Happy Easter

This is perhaps a little mean. My father is currently living in Belgium and I just can't help but make him twitch a bit, all the way from Salt Lake City. And to make him twitch all I need to do is give him a peek at his worst enemy: Easter grass. He hates the stuff. It is not allowed in his house. It's kind of funny. But dad, guess what. I can feel your pain. This year I was pretty surprised at how easily the stuff spread itself around the house and managed to avoid my vacuuming attempts. It took many days to make our house completely grass free. It just keeps coming back!


We had a nice Easter. I was able to hold off the kids on the egg-dying all the way until the Thursday before Easter. I was then faced with the annual dilemma of determining how many eggs are enough for the kids to make without me having an entire fridge full of hard boiled eggs. It's a hard number to reach. I don't think the kids would ever get enough of coloring eggs. As it was they each got a dozen (I know, I'm kind of crazy) and they had so much fun dying them the first time around that they pretty much re-dyed all of them. Thus most of our Easter eggs ended up being an odd spotty greyish color, but that's okay. They had a great time.


Troy also took both kids to his boss's annual neighborhood egg and candy hunt. Seriously, I don't think the kids got this much candy at Halloween. I couldn't believe the caches they came home with. Fine with me - I got my bribery bowl restocked! (I've been doing a little nibbling myself...)

The big day itself was pretty mellow. Troy has church meetings early Sunday mornings, and we didn't want him to miss seeing the kids find their baskets. We devised a clever plan wherein the Easter Bunny leaves a note for the kids telling them to hurry and get ready for church and when Daddy got home (he planned to sneak away for a few minutes) he'd have a clue for them as to where to find the baskets. The plan would have worked great except that Stomper woke up at about 5:50 and wasn't to be dissuaded from getting his basket then and there. It made me fear this Christmas a little bit. So, fine, Troy helped him find his basket and all of my efforts in doing the notes was wasted. Oh well. Luckily Bitty woke up about 2 minutes before Troy came back and he helped her find her basket too. In the afternoon we enjoyed dinner with Troy's parents and playing with the kids. Nice day.

I have to say that I think it's kind of funny how into dinosaurs Troy and I have gotten. There's this one brand (Papo) that makes really cool dinosaurs. And when we found out that they had come out with a new one (the Allosaurus) of course that is what Stomper found in his basket. He's clearly shown a preferance for toys more squishy in nature, but we couldn't resist. And luckily Stomper's dinosaur passion has reignited and at least for today he's willing to lower his standards and play with a "non-squishy." Phew. (Allosaurus pictured at bottom of picture below...)

Axel Lives On

It turns out that Stomper has a passion for music. He's been begging me to purchase from itunes the theme from Jurassic Park. Trust me when I tell you that I should have bought that before, or perhaps instead of, my most recent purchase. It came about when Troy took Stomper to go see Monsters vs. Aliens. I guess there's a funny little part where the president of the U.S. is trying to communicate with aliens and plays for them "Axel F," the theme from Beverly Hills Cop. Stomper went nuts. He couldn't get enough of it. We tried having him listen to just clips of it from the itunes store. 30 seconds just wasn't quite enough for him. And then, oh then. I thought to myself, "I love to make my kids happy! I know that spending a measly little 99 cents on one song would thrill my child, so why not?" Why not? I will tell you why not. I think that on that day we listened to Axel F for approximately two hours straight. You have to admit that it's a catchy tune, but after two hours it gets a little tedious. Okay, Stomper couldn't have been any cuter. He just sat there, on top of the garbage can, with Troy's makita stereo on the counter next to him. He sat there and bobbed up and down in time (sort of) to the music, humming (sort of) along with the tune.


After two or three days of watching him bop around the house in a rather twitchy epileptic way with Axel F blaring throughout the house, we finally dug out the headphones and plugged them into the ipod and set it for repeat. I confess, it is much cuter to watch Stomper's little dance and listen to him hum along minus the blasting tunes. I really thought he'd be over it by now, but he's still asking to listen to it all night long. Like sleep with earphones in and the music going. I think it's time for me to buy the Jurassic Park soundtrack, don't you think?