baby

Off to Dr. Beck yesterday for appointment #1. It was confirmed, via ultra-sound, that there is ONE baby in my belly with a lovely heart, waving hands (hi mom!) and kicking feet (oh boy, can't wait to feel that in a few weeks). I really think twins would have killed us, despite the highly efficient nature of birthing 2 for one pregnancy. Besides that, we would have had to buy and new house and a new car - ouch.

Dr. Beck also SHOCKED me by offering medication to help with the blasted nausea. You can bet I was pleased to take him up on his offer. Last pregnancy he basically said he wasn't going to give me meds unless I was throwing up so much it was stunting baby's growth. I think this time, he looked a little closer at my pregnancy history list and thought to himself, "This woman has a 5,4,3,and 1 year old, she needs help." Bless that man. Thank you all, by the way, for your excellent advice and sympathy. I have the best friends. lalalalala.

Not much else is new here in AZ. We are getting our last slew of Spring visitors. Emily Hill is here today, Grammy, Aunt Mel, and Aunt Di are all going to be out for varying amounts of time over Easter (Poor Aunt Di has to get her wisdom teeth out - NO FUN - except the ice cream part). And then it will get hot and no one will visit for a while (and I don't blame them).

help

O.K. girls, I need all your remedies for morning sickness. I have thrown up and turn my tummy inside-out dry heaved enough, thanks. You see, I do not believe in throwing up. Before I got pregnant with Diana I had not thrown up in 15 years or so, not even in Honduras, where it's like the law you must throw up on a regular basis. Diana and Emily each made me throw up 1 or 2 times, livable, Nora a little more, Isaac lots and this one, almost every DAY. I don't know how much more I can take! Help me you mommy-one-kanobies - you're my only hope.

more birthday girl

I am 32 today - wowee-wow-wow. No big plans, but I was excused from mutual tonight so I can maintain my 8pm bedtime - a very nice gift indeed.

birthday girl

She's blond, she's beautiful and now she's three! Nora truly is our Sunshine and we had a great birthday. On a side note: I am so grateful little one's b-days are so easy - cake, a present or two and life is pretty wonderful!

do I smell pregnant to you?

Yep, due on October 31st (8 weeks along tomorrow). I was not planning on telling right away but it's hard to hide when one is sick, goes to bed at 7:30 and is just not acting like oneself. Besides, people keep asking me point blank and I have a thing with lying (I'm not terribly good at it). I humbly apologize for being a little grouchy, low energy, and not so very enthusiastic about anything. Rest assured, this was a planned pregnancy and we are VERY, VERY, VVVVVEEEEEERRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYY excited for number 5 to join us. Again, I am really sorry if I have been grouchy to you.

The kids are being total troopers and Ryan is a SAINT in big, bold, shining letters. Emily prays that the baby on my tummy will be a boy so Isaac will have a brother (Honestly, I hope so too, besides, it will make the bedrooms work out a little better for a few more years, and if how I feel is any indication it should be a boy), but boy or girl we are on pins and needles with trilled anticipation.

p.s. If you don't approve of all this (having lots of kids in not so many years cause I'm getting older than I'm comfortable with and pregnancy just gets worse the older I get) will you please keep it to yourself, I'm feeling a little sensitive these days. Thanks, love you.

why we need to move

It's spring break here and we have enjoyed less structure in our lives for a few days. However, I was HOT walking back from the mailbox today, and the kids were cranky and "making bad choices" with the paints they were playing with. I've heard AZ moms complain about summers here when their kids are home and I'm beginning to get the picture. Unless the kids are GREAT swimmers and in the pool in your backyard 24/7 and not getting bored there is simply nothing to do. It's hot outside (too hot for the park, zoo, etc, besides, both of those require mom supervision), and there is only so much to do inside (even my kids get tired of T.V.). I see the wisdom in my parents Idaho move where #1 it was pleasant outside, and #2 there was lots of work to do outside and inside, so the mornings were full or work and the afternoons full of fun. Anyhow, I'm not not feeling very loving towards the land of my nativity today (that would be AZ), for all it's virtues, I would still rather move.



sorry for whining.

mums and daddums

Today is my parents 34th wedding anniversary. Aren't they GREAT!

casulties of climbing

Ryan is a climber and has two prodigy named Emily and Isaac. On Wednesday, I was in the family room trying to keep the troops happy until dinner (not an easy task, I tell you), when I heard Isaac cry, then scream, then wail etc. After a cry and a scream I got up to find him in an interesting predicament. He had the can of beans he had been playing with up on the desk and had climbed (let's remember he got this from Dad) up on the rolly chair and then reached for said can. I can only assume, that just as he got hold of the beans the chair started to roll and he was in trouble. I found him holding onto the beans for dear life, torso completely stretched, tippy-toes barely on the edge of the chair. He was happy to be rescued by his mommy and proceeded to take his beans into the family room and got his head stuck under the chair. It was a hard night for that kid. When I told Ryan about Isaac's adventure, his one comment was something like, "Do you have any idea how strong your core has to be to hold a position like that??!!?!?!" Then he proceeded to tell Isaac what a stud he is. hmmm.

Climbing story #2: This morning, Emily was avoiding getting dressed and playing with some cut-outs I have taped to the top of their wall in the bedroom. One had fallen and she wanted to put it back up, so from the top bunk she stretched her little body, but alas, it was too far, so she decided to use the mirror as a foothold. Kaboom - down fell the mirror. It, of course broke, and I was really sad because it is irreplaceable (I got it at DI for $15). It weighs a TON, had beautiful beveled glass that was 1/2 an inch thick, and was just straight cool. Ryan's comment to that one was, "Perhaps we better have a discussion of appropriately anchored holds." You think?? See the mirror and weep.

March, so far

Isaac LOOOOOOOVVVVVEEEEEES beans and rice (me too), although, I do not eat them with my foot on the table.



Uncle Brian met us at the zoo the other day and treated the girls to the merry-go-round - wow! It was fabulous to see him.



Nora's beautifully decorated castle. She told me it was ready for Christmas.



Yep, that's right, swimming suits in March. They couldn't wait another day, and hey, if I had legs like that, I'd want to flaunt them too.



I am a bad/lazy mom when it comes to the whole nighttime thing. Both Isaac and Nora, well past age one, would wake up in the middle of the night wanting a "little something" - translation: baba, and in order to keep life quiet, I would comply. Well, NO MORE sister, the tyranny must end. So, last night Isaac cried for a good hour and a half around 2 am. I did change his diaper and gave him a drink of water, after which he cried for another good long stretch. He is definitely determined - ie stubborn. The poor girls were not well rested this morning. Nora wandered into our room in the middle of it all wanting snuggles, but mean mom tucked her right back into her own bed to listen to Isaac next door. Anyhow, we had to take Em to the lab this morning for a fasting blood draw and so loaded up pretty early. This peaceful sight is what greeted me in Isaac's room lest you think my cruelty had mal effects. And when I woke him up he was happy and pleased as punch with himself. If you think he was STARVING from lack of food in the night - he only ate a so so breakfast so I am hopeful he will get the hint that the midnight snacks are ended, cause this mom is TIRED. By the way, are not his camo jammies (care of Josh) very handsome?

more aunt janice

Apparently, Aunt Janice ironed her P.J.'s - what do ya think of THAT?

the art of ironing

I girded up my loins this morning and committed to do the 3 weeks of ironing that has been piling up since before Utah. As I ironed I thought about Beehives. Last week for Young Women's we started a big project. We are making individual twin rag quilts - like I said, a HUGE project. For the first activity we had three stations, cutting. trimming and ironing. I was in charge of the ironing station and, did you know, there are girls out there who have NEVER ironed before in their life?? Well, there are. I was a little surprised.

Yes, yes, I know, you can hang most stuff up out of the dryer and it will be presentable, but there is something to be said for a NICELY pressed Sunday shirt. On a side note, there are some Young Men in our ward who I just want to strangle - they look so rumpled on Sundays. So yes, I iron Ryan's pants, shirts, my button downs and pillow cases.

My mom taught me how to iron beginning with pillow cases. I have vivid memories of ironing in the basement of the Bountiful house at 4 or 5 years old. So, this morning, I decided that Diana was going to get her first lesson. She did a fantastic job and ironed 7 or 8 cases. What a kid!