Baby #4 Update

Finding a name for this baby girl is proving more difficult than I thought.  I've been through hundreds of names, and so far I've only found one that I liked enough to consider, but I don't have any that are jumping out at me as "the one".  I guess it's good that I still have 4 1/2 months to figure this out. 

I'm now 20 weeks which everyone likes to call the "halfway point".  I don't like that at all.  First of all that includes two weeks where you aren't really pregnant.  It also include 4-8 weeks (or more) when you aren't even aware that you are pregnant.  So saying I'm "halfway there" makes the "second half" seem much longer.

And with that I am posting my first belly pic. 

 Here I am at 20 weeks. It's a little blurry, but it's the best I could get with the timer.

 

Belly is showing a bit, but I can't say that the chubbiness is all baby, because I haven't even gained 10 lbs yet.  I'm hoping not to hit 40 like I did with the others.  But I tend to gain a lot toward the end, so we'll see how it goes.

Baby girl is definitely there.  Over the last couple of weeks I think I might have felt a flutter, or a small slow kick. However yesterday I am certain I felt her move!  I was putting Amy down for a nap, and there was a lot of movement.  I even stopped reading the story and told Amy to be quiet.  When she asked why, I said, "because I think I felt the baby move".  "Why do I need to be quiet for that?"  Good question.  But I had her feel my tummy, and when I felt her move again I said, "Did you feel that?"  Shea said "yes," but I don't know if she really did or not.  I've felt her move a few times again today.  It pretty exciting!  I think I will feel much more comfortable in about a month once I get past the "viability" benchmark.

I think that about sums it up.

Blooming!

 Remember how I was going to wait a week until I took more pictures of the yard and garden?  Well I couldn't wait.  And here's why:

 The peonies are finally blooming!

 They are so pretty!

 And two of the rose bushes have a lot of blooms

 Look at all those strawberries!

 This is where Aaron planted the extra tomatoes and peppers that didn't fit in the terraced garden

 The neighbor's mini roses are beautiful!

 We have pasture grass growing finally!

 Here are the tomato and paper plants in the terraced garden

 The cucumbers are coming up!

The kohlrabi is coming up

 And the radishes are coming up!

 Tomatoes and peppers

 The peas have blossoms!  (sorry about the blurry picture)

 The zucchini is coming up!

 Aaron transplanted some of the pumpkin plants that started in the compost

 One of the watermelon plants is coming up

New corn plants!

 Neighbor's grapes

 Then we discovered several tomato plants that were also growing in the compost!  I wonder if they will survive! ( again sorry for the blurry pictures)

A few other garden tidbits - we finally pruned the apple tree.  There is no way it would hold 30 apples, so we kept the biggest ones positioned strategically to help the branches go where we want them too, and ones close to the trunk so they don't damage  the small branches.  We ended up with only about 6 - but that's 6 more than I expected this year!  Also between yesterday and today I finally have enough strawberries to make a batch of jam.  I did that while Amy was a preschool today.  Maybe next time I'll do freezer jam - it doesn't call for quite as many strawberries.

OK so now maybe I'll wait another week to take pictures.  Unless the squash or cantaloupe finally come up!

Memorial Day 2012

I really wish I had taken some pictures.  However, we were having so much fun I forgot to bring the camera.  So my words will have to do.  Our ward does a Memorial Day Breakfast which is a fun tradition.  This year a friend decided to add a fun run to the tradition.  Br D* said he might dub it the Chellethon - her name is Chelle if that wasn't already obvious.  It was only about 2 miles, starting at the church and going down to the cemetery, then past the "downtown" area, and back up to the church.  I decided to do the walk, part of the "Run, Walk, Bike".  The boys were mad that I didn't tell them they could ride their bikes.  I figured David would run ahead, and Timothy would stay with me while I pushed Amy in the stroller.  Well, David took off and Timothy went with him.  I figured that wouldn't last long and soon I'd catch up to him.  There was no way I could push Amy in the stroller and catch up with him.  So I let him run.  I walked with a couple people for a bit, until they decided to jog.  Amy and I jogged for a bit from time to time, but pushing her in an umbrella stroller wasn't great for jogging, so we mostly walked.  About 3/4 of the way through the course I finally caught up with Timothy.  He had a map, but it's not like it helped him figure out where to go.  I'm just grateful he was still on course.  I actually had to slow down so he wouldn't get left behind.  It was fun.  Maybe I can convince the kids to take a morning walk with me during the summer.  We'd have to drive somewhere because I can't push Amy's stroller on our gravel road, and I don't want the kids walking/running on the highway with cars zooming past at 55mph.  So maybe the park or the church will be a good starting place.

Anyway... back at the church several people were starting to gather for the breakfast.  Of course we didn't start right on time, so really I would have had time to run home and shower, but then getting the kids to leave wouldn't have been easy, and leaving them there wasn't an option.  Aaron was there, but he was also on call, and in charge of the scouts doing the opening flag ceremony.  So I stayed.  Amy enjoyed the stroller so much she stayed in there for a good 20 minutes after we were done walking.  Eventually she wandered around and played.  We enjoyed the short program beforehand, (flag ceremony, songs, prayer, and a short message and moment of silence) then we got in line for breakfast.  David took off and ended up finishing his breakfast before I even sat down to eat mine.  It was good food ( loved all the fresh fruit!), and I got to talk to a lot of people.  Although I realized that there were a lot of people I didn't get to talk to that I had hoped to.  Oh well.  We stayed until about 10:00.  Aaron ran over to the clinic and the hospital for a bit to do some paper work.  I went home with the kids and finally showered.  Then Aaron called and needed me to bring him some cash.  The grocery store next to the clinic closed a few months ago, and reopened for one day and put everything 70% off, but they were only excepting cash.  So we stocked up on a bunch of things.

When we got back it was time for lunch and naps.  Then Aaron and I worked in the yard for a bit.  Aaron had to go to the clinic for a bit in the afternoon, while Timothy and I made a dessert for our BBQ with friends.  David went to play baseball with Benjamin and some other kids, and Br. K* dropped him back off at the church at 5:00.  We met up at the pavilion (where we had breakfast) and had a BBQ dinner with the Rebecca W*'s family an Crystal K*'s family.  It was fun.  It got a little windy, but otherwise we had some great food, the kids got to play with a big bouncy ball, and frisbees.  And two dogs that came with their owners to use the field.  The adults got to talk a lot and have fun too.  Oddly the most entertaining part of the evening was when a frisbee got caught on the pavilion roof, and the dads were trying to get it down with the bouncy ball.  The kids were captivated!  We headed home around 7:00.  We were all tired after a fun and busy day.  I still wish I had pictures, but I hope this will be good enough.

Funny Things, Plays, Teeth, and More

More updates about the kids

• On my last post I did a bit of complaining about Amy's "scared" phase.  However there are many things that make me smile.  She really enjoys talking to me when I put her down for naps and bedtime.  After books and prayers she says, "What can we talk about tonight?"  She usually wants to talk about the baby, or when she was a baby, or when the boys were babies.  She is also becoming very imaginative.  Along with being scared to be without Mom, she's scared of monsters.  She told me there were skeletons in the closet, and they came out and walked down the hallway.  She also said there were people in the wall.  I don't know where she comes up with this stuff.  Also tonight while were were eating our dessert after FHE she said, "Smell my breath."  Aaron said, "Why would I want to do that?"  She answered, "Because I can't get my nose down there."  Then she attempted to smell her own breath.  It was hilarious.  We all got a good laugh.
• David was excited to get his National Fitness Test certificates.  He qualified for the Presidential Award in curl-ups - like sit-ups I guess.  He did 48 in 60 seconds or something.  They also had the music people come in to try out different instruments for next year.  He like the clarinet, and the trumpet.  He decided on the trumpet.  He was really excited, and so was I.  Then Aaron mentioned that he'd have to learn how to read music.  Then he said it would be too hard.  I think he already knows a lot, and hopefully I can teach him the basics, so he'll be ready for the fall. For scouts he had to create a meal plan for a week.  He had fun deciding what to eat every day.  It was nice to now exactly what we were having for each meal.  He also had to learn how to be flexible when we ran out of eggs we had to change a few things around.  I think he enjoyed being in charge of what we ate.  In his music class they put on a short musical about the constitution.  He got to play the silent viking. 

 David and Angel (who played Leif Erikson)

 David's parts include this sign that read "Too Bad" on one side and "Later Dude" on the other.

 These two 4th grades classes work together to put the play together.

 David knew all the words

 Amy and I had fun watching.  Aaron came too.  He had taken the morning off to come to my ultrasound appointment and the play.

• Timothy lost another lost tooth.  It was a week ago while Aaron and I were at the temple.  We didn't get the message, and thus the tooth fairy didn't come that night.  Timothy decided that because we were gone that night, and then the tooth fairy didn't come that she didn't exist.  Somehow I convinced him that she might have been busy and that she might come the next night.  He was excited to find the coins in the morning, even though the tooth fairy couldn't find the tooth.  I found it yesterday on the kitchen floor.  I have no idea how it got there.

Other things that we did in the last week or so:

• Last Friday night we all went to the high school production of "The Wizard of Oz".  It was really fun.  The kids love it.  When the lights went down Amy was a little scared so I gave her my hand to hold.  She held onto it for at least the first 20 minutes straight, and off an on throughout the play.  It was a long night, and it was after 10:00 by the time we got home.  Amy was really tired, but behaved really well for being tired.
• Last Saturday we took our turn to clean the church.  When we got home everyone piled out of the van.  I unbuckled Amy and she insisted on going out the other door, so I picked up a a few things and then closed the garage door.  Then all the van doors.  About 5 minutes later we got a knock at our door.  It was a county Sheriff.  Apparently Amy hadn't gone inside like I had thought, but ha gone out to the yard, and when she saw the police car, she came running down the driveway to wave at him.  He just wanted to let us know where she was, and if we knew she was running out into the street.  How embarrassing!!!
• Aaron and I got to go the temple last Saturday.  In order to make the 6:15 session we had to have the missionaries over for dinner at 3:45, but it all worked out.  Rebecca (the babysitter) arrived just as they were leaving.
• The boys have enjoyed coach pitch baseball, and they only have a few games left. Of course they are looking forward to the pot luck dinner and awards in a couple weeks.
• I did some visiting teaching on Monday night.  Aaron got home just in time to eat dinner an take the kids fishing while I was gone.  When they got home they pointed out the rainbow in the sky.
• Thursday I gave everyone haircuts.  Including Amy.  I thought I would try to even out her hair a bit.  I started in the front, and cut about an inch off, by the time I got to the back I was cutting 6 inches.  I was so sad.  I should have started at the back, I should have given her a bath first, instead of just wetting it with the spray bottle.  I had no idea her hair was that thick!  I should have parted her hair better.  Oh well, it will grow back right?  So her long hair is gone.  

• Aaron has done a fair amount of yard work.  We have decided to replace our heat pump before it fails this summer or possible this winter (when we have a newborn).  In preparation Aaron cut off several inches of the bushes next the A/C unit outside.  If we had to rip out the bushes entirely that would be fine with us.  He's also been digging a ditch for a new sprinkler line.  Our neighbor said he'd help us dig the rest of the trench down the side of the fence near his property, however he's been dealing with the death of his mother and having a lot of family in town etc. so it might be a while before that happens.  Aaron also helped me plant the tomatoes and peppers yesterday.  After my tomatoes an pepper plants that I transplanted died we got some starts from a friend, and bought a few at a local nursery.  Hopefully these ones will survive.  I'd really hate to not have tomatoes and peppers this year.  We only have one quart of salsa left, and I'd really like to do several more quarts in the fall.
• What else? Last night David stayed up late to watch Star Wars Episode 6 with us.  He really enjoyed it.  Now the story makes more sense to him.  Of course I was exhausted, and dozed off a few times, and had to console Amy several times because she wanted to know why David could stay up and watch Start Wars, and she ha to go to bed.  She wanted to know why he couldn't watch it by himself so I could come up and sleep with her.  Oh many, what a night.  We were lucky that even thought Aaron was on call, the movie wasn't interrupted by any pages, and that he didn't have to go in.  

Well we have plenty going on this week. I guess I'd better get to bed, because I have a fun run (or walk) in the morning!

Oh and just for fun strawberries we picked on Friday!

Yard and Garden Yet Again

The garden is starting to take off now.  It seems to grow over night.  These pictures are a week old now, so I'll probably have to skip a week so I won't have old pictures to post.

 This was one days picking of strawberries.  Now we get at least a dozen or more everyday. 
The rest of these pictures are from the 22nd.  I have found several volunteer plants growing in odd places.  

I must have dropped some lettuce seed (or transplanted by birds) by the rocks we moved a couple of weeks ago.  It's really hard ground, I don't know how in the world it is growing so well.

 

We found these pumpkin plants growing in the compost pile.

 

Another pumpkin plant growing next to the tomatoes.  It looks pretty healthy

 These are either cucumbers or cantaloupe, but they don't seem to be fairing well.

 Here is the upper terrace I planted cantaloupe, cucumbers, radishes, and kohlrabi

 Potatoes - all of them have come up

 The onions are doing well this year

 Sunflowers and some peas

more peas

 beans

 lettuce, Swiss Chard and carrots

 zucchini planted

 I planted some watermelon here

 I had two volunteer potato plants where I waned to plant zucchini, so I transplanted them down by the watermelon (ignore the weed I had just pulled :)

 The new grass is coming in great, however there are a ton of weeds in it too.

The backyard looks great

 the maple

 The braeburn with its apples.  I found out our neighbor has a crabapple tree and that is most likely how our apple tree got pollinated.

 Look at those apples!

 I also planted some crockneck squash, an butternut squash, along with more corn

 some of the corn planted two weeks earlier was coming up

 strawberries almost ready

 With 35 strawberry plants, we'll have a lot of strawberries this year

 Peaches is checking out the rhubarb plant

 The blueberries are getting bigger

Some raspberries are forming  there are plenty more blossoms, and the bees are busy pollinating them!

Well that's all the pictures I took.  Now I need to catch up on what's going on with the kids