29 Weeks!

Hello!

So here is a photo of me at 29 weeks (this week!).  If you can see the previous post with my 23 week photo, you'll see that I am so much bigger!

Here are just some cute photos of my boys from the a few days ago, playing with some light up toys.
And Jack is a goofhead.  He stuck his finger in his nose just as I was taking the photo.  He is the clown of the family!
Have a great night!

Health update

Update!

I got the results from the 1 hour glucose test from last week.  My blood sugar was high.  So this Wednesday I am going in for a 3 hour glucose test.  It's the same thing:  I'll be fasting when I drink the glucose drink.  They will then draw my blood one hour after, two hours after and then three hours after.  Sucks-that's all I can say.

I will also be getting my Rhogam shot.  (I have a negative blood type.) I already knew about this since I had to do it with my other 2.  I'm not looking forward to it though since it hurts really bad!

And finally, the doctor told me my iron levels were really low.  My hematocrit and red blood cell count.  I have a minor case of anemia anyway, but she said the levels were lower than they ever have been in the past.  So I am taking ferrous sulfate pills daily.  I'm trying not to worry too much about what low iron means for the baby.  I am trying to focus on what I can control--taking my pills regularly, taking care of myself physically etc.  Worry and stress are counter-productive anyway. 

On  lighter note, I have been stressed that this baby is actually a boy.  I'm not sure why. I'm carrying low which makes me wonder (though I don't remember that with the boys).  So last night I was lying in bed scrutinizing the ultrasound pictures from Jack and from this one.  Jack was very obviously a boy.  And this one was very obviously missing something.  That only reassured me a little.  R-Jay came in and saw me hunched over these photos-the only thing missing was the magnifying glass!  I'm sure I looked like a crazy person!

Here is just a cute photo of Sam from our thrip to Park City a few weekends ago!  Such a beautiful day but bitterly cold up there!  We had lots of fun!

Serious Nesting!

Nesting!

I have been experiencing intense nesting over the last few days.  I decided to buy paint for the boys room and the baby's room this weekend.  We set a date to actually paint.  I pulled out all the baby stuff we have stored.  I bought a bunch of baby stuff today. Here's just a look:

Did you notice the makeup? R-Jay thinks that is part of the nesting. He may be right! I have no other explanation.
I adore these rainbow things!
A few months ago, we went to Target and got a registry started, just for fun.  I went there today just to look and saw that all the cute things we registered for were on clearance (and mostly gone!).  So I got some things.  I like things on clearance.  I loved these things because they had two of my favorite things-trees and birds.  And they were feminine without being frilly or cutsie.  I am having such a hard time finding girl clothes that I like for this very reason.

I went to the doctor today to do a 1 hour fasting glucose test.  I am waiting to hear the results.  I had gestational diabetes with Jack (my second son) and so I am sort of planning on getting it this time.  I am hoping and praying that I don't though. It was quite stressful and I was always hungry!  I'll let you know what I find out.

Anyway-just a quick post!  Have a great day!

It's a boy!

I just found out my little sister Jen and her husband Chandler are having a boy!  It's their first. She's due about 2 months after me!  That will make 3 boys and one girl.  Fun!

 

Their wedding day-October 2007

Congrats guys!

Makeup and Moleskines!

Makeup and Moleskines

Here are a few things I am really into right now.

First of all, I am learning to knit.  Slowly.  But I really love it.  I haven't moved past the knit stitch yet.   I think I am afraid.  But I really want to make some simple things for the new baby. We'll see if I can get past the mental obstacles and get something done.  I have aspirations for a small afghan, but I'm not sure. I've got to go to Logan and have my Grandma help me get started.  This photo is a scarf that I made for Sam.  He picked out the yarn himself.  It completely matches his personality.  He loves it!  It feels so good to make something for my little ones.  (Jack's scarf is in process.)

These are two scarves that I made before Christmas.  The purple one is mine and the other is for R-Jay.  It was supposed to be a gift, but I forgot to give it to him! Oops!  His was actually the first thing I ever made. 
The next thing I am really into right now is Moleskine notebooks.  They are so wonderful.  I love them all.  They are so well made and so sturdy.  They handle all the junk I do to them.  And they are the perfect sizes.  I purchased a pocket sized sketch book to use as a nature journal and I got a pocket sized ruled cahier to keep a list of the books I read this year. 
I am using a pocket sized red one as an all inclusive information book that I keep in my purse. It has important phone numbers, my visiting teaching list, the book list for my book club as well as a list of books I want to read.  This photo is my New Year's Intentions.  (Sorry the photo is sideways.  I had uploaded it before I realized and didn't want to do it over.  You get the idea!)
Here is a gentle reminder of the importance of my role as a mama.  Aren't my boys cute!?
Another pretty page with some quotes that inspire me.  These are from a wonderful book called A Year By The Sea.

In the back pocket I have some note cards for transitory information (dates I need to transfer to planner, shopping lists, scrapbook ideas, etc).  Also, some images cut from magazines that I want to add in somewhere.  Some other things in this book are photos of my family, words to hymns that uplift me, photos from the internet that inspire me (like photos of other people's moleskines!).  I love to just pull out the book and flip through the pages.  It just makes me happy!
Now for the embarrassing thing.  My 19 year old granola-girl self would be so  ashamed.  Right now, I love makeup!  There, I said it.  It's such a waste of time and money.  I don't feel any different when I wear makeup.  I don't think it makes me any more beautiful.  But I just love all the pretty packages and colors.  I love shopping in stores like Sephora and The Cosmetics Company Outlet.  Here are some things I got a little more than a week ago at the CCO in Park City.  These are all MAC things.  I love them all!  
These last 2 are some lip glosses from the Napoleon Perdis line at Target.  I love these glosses. They are so pretty and look great alone or over lipstick.  So nice!
Well, there you have a little peak into some of my loves right now.  Hope you have a great day!

Reflections and Intentions

So here we are, coming up on a new year.  It's exciting and a little frightening.  I'm excited for all the changes that will be going on.  But I am frightened of all the changes and the unknown challenges we may face.  We had some hard, hard challenges this year-personally and as a family.  I wonder what will happen in the months to come?

On the SimpleMom blog, there is a list of questions that you can use to reflect on this previous year.  I found them to be quite useful in thinking about the past year.  I also thought an interesting activity might be to answer the questions for the next year as if it turned out the way I imagined it.  For instance, one of the questions asks "In what ways did you grow spiritually?" I would like to answer something like this: "I gained a greater testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I found a connection with Heavenly Father deeper than any I have ever felt.  I have strengthened my faith and feel much less fear about the future.  I created a regular habit of scripture and gospel study and feel myself greatly enriched by these."  So if that is what I want to say, what are the steps I need to take to be able to say that?

I've found, in thinking about the new year, that 2008 was nothing like what I want my life to be. There are some factors that are out of my control (the way my kids behave, the choices my husband makes, where we live, etc.), but there are many things that are in my control.  Those are the things that I want to focus my energy on in 2009.  For instance, so much of my time is wasted on stupid things like watching You Tube videos and reading blogs.  Very few blogs actually leave me feeling uplifted and inspired.  So I will focus on those and leave out all the rest.  I have been amazed also that I have let so many things go that really fill me up emotionally and spiritually.  I used to (before I had kids) go for long walks everyday.  I would just look at the world and think and pray.  I would notice things and be inspired by the beauty that I saw in nature.  It's much harder to do any of that with kids, but this year I must ask for 

R-Jay's help so that I can have it again.

 

So here is my list of intentions for the new year.  (I wanted more general ideas rather than specific goals.  I want to be able to see how these things evolve during the course of the year without feeling like I have failed.)

2009 Intentions

• Significantly reduce our debt.
• Seek more intellectual stimulation for me personally.
• Spend more time outdoors studying and enjoying nature.
• Be more active as a family.
• Declutter our home and learn to live more simply.
• Grow closer as a family-spend more quality time together.
• Increase the spirituality in our home-become more Christ-centered.
• Gain a greater level of spirituality for me personally.
• Seek Serenity and Beauty.
• Lose baby weight and be more active for health and energy.

So there you have it.  I feel really good about all these things.  They make me excited.  Most importantly, they are all in line with how I want my life to be.  

Lastly, I just wanted to share some photos of the boys.  This first one is Sam last Christmas. (2007)

Then Sam on his 5th birthday in September. (2008)
This is Jack in December of last year  (December of 2007)
And Jack in the autumn of this year.
So cute!  

I hope you all have a Happy New Year!  Good luck on all of your goals and intentions.  God bless!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!!

Hope you are all having a very happy holiday!