Finally!!

Chopper has fixed the computer!!  It's been nearly a week and I feel cut off - even despite the fact that I can access things from my phone I haven't been able to update like I've wanted to!!!  So for now, here are the videos of Abby's gymnastics skills show.  Not all of them (wait, you took more than 4???) and some are long and some are short but I thought that these showed her "skills" well but also her excitement over the show itself.  In fact, she was in here watching me upload and asked if she could do it again!!

This is the back of her medal -- I couldn't get her to show me the front.

In other news, we have a date!!  Our induction has been set for February 25th if I don't go into labor before then.  It's highly unlikely that I will of course although I feel like the baby is settling lower.  Or it could just be that I'm feeling heavy and tired in general.  Actually having a date has put me in gear though and I'm now organizing and purging and getting a ton of stuff done.  Even to the labeling of my pantry shelves!!  And I'm going to write up schedules for what our day typically looks like and what the kids generally like to eat -- I feel frantic!  But I'm also preparing to be "gone" for several weeks, not just a few days like my past deliveries and I want it to go as smoothly as possible.  

Also in the meantime I'm planning a birthday party for Megan.  She's inviting girls from church and from school and she's excited about having a Disney's Frozen theme which means we're making a ton of snowflakes right now for decoration and searching the web for fun game ideas.  These next few weeks are going to fly by with everything going on!!!

I'm experimenting

So let's see how easy this is on my phone. Our computer is down and I figure I'll be doing most of my baby updates in the hospital this way so I'd give it a shot!

William had his 18 month check up. He's only 23 lbs and 6 oz (17%) and 31.5 inches (27%).  I'm not too worried since he seems to be just continuing the trend among our children!!  He's good though. Not a lot of clear words but he's vocal for sure and communicating.

I'm a month out from baby day!  The induction has been  scheduled for February 25 and as of today he is head down and looking good.

Megan has a loose tooth and Chopper wants to pull it so badly!!  I won't let him though and Megan definitely won't!

Abby had a gymnastics skills show on Saturday. She did a fantastic job and I've got lots of pictures and video to upload when the computer us back up.

Yeah, typing all this out with one finger on my phone is pretty annoying but it can be done!  It probably keeps me from being too wordy anyway!

No Pressure

I forgot this picture of my birthday cake.  The cookies on top were weird but the rest of it was really good.

It feels really good to not be the Relief Society President anymore.  And I'm not saying that to be negative about the calling -- I'm saying that because I'm 6 weeks away and tired and heavy.  It feels good to not have that to worry about when simply going to the grocery store or running after William runs me down.  And boy does he ever.  At home of course he can pretty much do what he wants (and he does), but in public -- well it's simple things like carrying him or holding his hand in a parking lot while he fights to be free, same thing in a grocery cart, following him around at the library or other people's homes.  Although he is finally 18 months old and has been having a great time in nursery so it's really nice to get in a little break from keeping him contained on Sundays!

He is so boy.  He makes car noises when he plays, runs around and tortures his sisters (already!) and has more injuries than I think the girls combined had by 18 months.  This was a bad one though. 

He and Abby were chasing each other around and he doesn't watch where he's going.  He ran smack into the corner of the wall.  I watched this bump literally rise on his forehead!!  It's still a decent bruise too!

Megan is back in school and so tired.  It's been a major effort to get her up in the morning and she tells me every morning how tired she is.  Friday she was really excited for the weekend and said to me: "mommy can I sleep longer tomorrow??"  But she is doing great and got 2 awards at their 9 weeks awards ceremony.

One is for knowing her letters and sounds and the other is the star student award for character and citizenship!!  There's only 1 student from each class every 9 weeks that receives this award and I was very surprised and pleased.  She walked to the front to get it all by herself as well which is a huge step forward.  She consistently gets greens and purples (the highest 2 on the color behavior chart) and is moving along in her reading and math.

We had to celebrate of course which meant watching a movie, eating Ring Pops, and a brand new box of markers.  She was really really excited about that and I'm glad that simple things make her happy. 

This is Abby's "spot" for tv viewing.

We've moved into a new building and a new time slot for church on Sunday.  1 p.m. to 4 p.m.  I don't love it.  Mostly because of the lack of naps.  But what are you going to do?  We've had pretty quiet mornings though -- breakfast, baths, activities.  All my kids love puzzles and I've been able to get them cheaply at the dollar store or in the dollar aisle at Target.  Again, I'm really grateful for simple things that make them happy! 

Cute shot of William in his diaper.  He loves sunglasses and the fireman's hat but it drives me batty because he screams when he can't get them on right and he very rarely can get them on right!  He's also taken to screaming when he sees something he likes: construction equipment, cars, birds.  He does a lot of screaming when we go places unfortunately . . . 

It's so hard to get a good picture of him because he's always going but I had to show this one because you can kind've see the tie I made him -- it's a fly fishing tie!  I have a pattern for little boy ties that I love.  The clip on ties he just pulls right off.  These velcro around his neck and I love that I can make them with whatever fabric I want.

A few shots from Megan that show my pregnant self. 

Look at that belly!!

I don't think I've put this on either -- Abby is finally a sunbeam and loving it.  I subbed in sunbeams on Sunday (so exhausting!!) and they are a good class.  I had 6 kids and only 1 meltdown and 1 escape artist.  Not bad!  But her first week her teacher gave her a CTR ring.  I cannot tell you how excited she has been about this ring but the best part is that she can't remember "CTR" so she calls it her "ree-see-tar" ring.  Megan constantly corrects her and helps her practice saying CTR but she always reverts back.  I think for the rest of my life whenever I look at a CTR ring I will think ree-see-tar!  It's adorable!

So I'm spending my time cleaning about 1 square foot of my house at a time, reading, quilting, saying I need to get ready for the baby and taking naps during nap time instead!  And it's been quite nice actually.  I feel like I'm getting a little break before the dam breaks!  And I'm enjoying my children and really trying to get down the cute simple things because of the guilt I know will set in when I'm practically living at the hospital and because I fear not having those things with Aaron.  So I think it will be a good couple of weeks until then!

It's My Birthday!!

I actually really like having a birthday right after Christmas.  Maybe because it just keeps the celebrating around for a little while longer or maybe because so much stuff is on sale!  I don't know but I love it!

Actually we celebrated on Saturday.  I got my bi-annual Saturday of fabric shopping completely by myself (heaven!) and then we had some family pictures taken, cake and presents, and a late dinner date with Chopper!!  Top it off with 60 degree weather (it's 33 today so you can't be TOO jealous), and it was a wonderful celebratory day.  Today Megan is home one last day of break and we're taking it easy one day before getting back into the school routine.

A few months back, Abby's gymnastics teacher offered to take some maternity and family pictures for us.  She runs a little bit of a photography business on the side.  Well it's been easier said than done.  Texas weather is notorious for it's wintertime fluctuations (2 seasons of HOT and 2 seasons of 60 today, 30 tomorrow -- craziness) and everything we scheduled was weathered or sick childrened out.  So it finally happened on Saturday.  Of course you have to factor in 2 birthday-excited girls (bribery was involved), one toddler who doesn't listen and keeps wanting to explore and go back to the train, and a lot of wind.  These aren't all the pictures that she sent me, just some of my favorites.  And mostly with the girls because they were the most cooperative!!

Love this one!!

We went for a few shots with the girls kissing the belly but Abby wouldn't stay in that position.  She kisses and is done!  Chopper thinks they're cheesy and perhaps on some level they are but they're also very sweet to me because the girls actually DO kiss my belly ALL THE TIME.  Abby especially.  So it's more of a reflection to me of how they really are. 

Megan was an absolute sweet heart all day.  And she's also sporting her signature, tucked in shirt look.  She's doing this all the time right now.

Abby on the other hand was more of her cheesy self.

Chopper bought me a real tea set for my birthday!  I do love all things British.  It's small and simple but beautiful and we tried it out last night while watching the season premiere of Downton Abbey.  We had Greek for dinner out and now I'm craving it big time.  It was a perfect day!

And now I'm 34!!  I actually don't mind getting older.  I don't know why but it really doesn't bother me.  My brother James spent the week after Christmas with us before going back to school and I was a little jealous of his lack of responsibilities in life -- although I've had that time myself.  But there's a lot of things that I love about my current station in life: wife, mother of almost 4, 34-year old responsible adult.  So in no particular order, on my birthday I think I should take note of my favorite things about my life:

My wonderful husband.  There's a lot of good men out there and a lot of crappy ones.  I got a very very good one.

Awesome children.  They give me their share of frustrations but are generally fantastic little people.  Megan is coming into her own as a person.  She is so much into art and we have great conversations about a variety of subjects.  She is an avid learner and a sweet girl who shares her things (mostly), and loves her brother and sister.  Abby is the goofball for sure but she'll turn her brown puppy dog eyes on you in an instant if she feels the need to.  She had her first Sunday in Primary as a sunbeam yesterday and did fantastically.  A friend of mine who was subbing said she's never seen such an enthusiastic sunbeam before and I believe it.  She loves to participate and be in the spotlight.  William has the best laugh of all my children I'm afraid and it's worth it to tickle and chase and get it out of him.  He LOVES cars and trucks and already makes the noises that go with them as he drives them around.  He also loves books and milk but isn't really talking although he's definitely communicating!  RIght now he thinks it's hilarious to wander around with things on his head and run into walls.  He face is perpetually black and blue.

I love my hobbies.  That probably sounds weird because they wouldn't be my hobbies if I didn't love them but I still love laying around reading good books and I love picking fabric and patterns and putting quilts together.  I love seeing peoples' reactions when I give them a quilt.

I love having a house and a steady job (well Chopper right) and I love being a stay at home mom.  I love having my own schedule and running my own little bubble of a world.

I have fantastic friends and probably the best social life I've had in years!!  Book club, girls' nights, random play dates with friends and kids.  I am very blessed with friends right now.

Nap time.  I really really love naptime!!

Yesterday was my first Sunday in a long time with no calling and no children and I have to admit that it was really really nice.  But I'm also grateful when I do have a calling and kids because I like being needed.

There's just a lot at 34 to be grateful for!!

Last pictures from Christmas

My brother sent the pictures that he took on his camera.  He has a really really nice camera and knows how to use it.  Unfortunately, I don't always know how to download what he sends at a good view or whatever so I feel like these are small but that's ok.  Hopefully when I go to print them off the quality will remain good.

The yard of the rental house was covered in dandelions.  Thanks to my girls, it will continue to be covered in dandelions!!

Love this picture of Abby

A few of the cousins together.  I don't know why Megan refuses to smile.  I think she feels like she's on display or on stage when you have 10 adults all standing there saying "smile!" "take your hands out of your mouth" "look at the camera", etc.  But getting 5 kids this age to all take a good picture is near to impossible.

My whole family.  I don't know why it's cut off at the sides . . . I need to look into that.

And us.

Grey really is quite the adorable little chubby guy.

 Liam

 

Better pictures of the Riverwalk with the lights.

Sweet William.  And I particularly love this picture of him hanging out of the train.