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!