The Final Streeeetch!

I thought it was about time to give a little bump update.... I'm 32 weeks along this week!  Although the third trimester has it's challenges (wobbly painful hips, trouble sleeping, trouble bending, Gestational Diabetes and resulting DIET and constant finger pricking/blood testing - yuck) it honestly is my favorite part.  Maybe because I know it's finally going to be over soon, haha.  But I also love that the baby is big enough to feel at any time now just by poking around.  More than just mysterious thumps and bumps, I can pick out a foot, or a back, or even the head sometimes.  I LOVE that part.  Brad does too... it's fun to reconnect in the evenings and sit together on the couch when the boys are finally asleep to watch tv and have Brad poke at the baby and feel her move.  He really gets a kick out of it, and I love that he loves it.  It's also nice to have the tummy issues mostly resolved (no more hideous nausea or nasty reflux).  Though now my food selections have to be based on carb allowance and not just my nausea, so it's still not that exciting to eat.  I look forward to just being able to relax and enjoy a meal again without being either repulsed, or having to push it away because it will spike my blood sugar. 

We were told after our 20 week ultrasound that the baby was in a breech position - really too early to worry about because babies can flip whenever.  BUT I'd never had that with the boys so I wanted to take extra measures to make sure she flipped down sooner than later.  I followed some of the exercises on http://spinningbabies.com/  and also had Brad perform regular OMT (Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment) for my sacrum, pelvis and back in general to keep everything lined up.  Who knows if this was all necessary or if she would have eventually flipped on her own, but we were able to tell a few weeks ago that she had turned around, and had an ultrasound at 30 weeks to confirm it.  Here is one of the fun "inversions" I had to do nightly.  Laying this way for about 15 minutes is SO FUN when you are totally pregnant, haha. 

The boys are just thrilled about this baby too.  They must feel like I have been pregnant FOREVER, cuz I sure do!  Haha.   They love to talk to her and about her.  At dinner everynight, we go around the table and have everyone share their favorite things and least favorite things about their days.  The boys always want to know what "baby Sissy" has to say, so I get to report for her in my most convincing high pitched baby voice... they think it's hysterical and believer every word I say.  They are so looking forward to her coming out to "join us" and Owen especially prays every night that the baby will come out safely.  They get a kick out of being able to feel her move.  I love watching their eyes widen in surprise when they actually feel her bumping around in there.  They also love to look under my shirt and laugh at my belly button starting to poke out.  She gets lots of snuggles from her big brothers already...she is one lucky girl to have them!

And this is my 32 week belly shot.  It's rare that Brad is home at a time of day that I have cute clothes on, makeup, and my hair done.  So after we went shopping the day after Christmas I made sure we went outside and snapped a few ... of which only one turned out decent enough to post!

And this is what I usually look like in the afternoons.... haha.  Comfy clothes, hair back!  I made a sling for "Sissy" and Owen really wanted to try it out.  He still LOVES being wrapped and has been helping me test all my wraps out and get the "wrap stash" perfected.  Though it's getting tough to get him enough on my hip and off my belly to be comfortable more than 60 seconds, haha.  This is what it looks like with a snuggly 3 year old perched on a big ol' belly!

And that's the update!  Only a little over a month to go... now that birthdays and holidays are over, I can obsessively nest.  I've got my newborn cloth diaper stash nearly set, the drawers stocked with 0-3 month clothes that need washed (can we get a big YAY for children's resale shops?!), but still so many odds and ends projects that I feel the NEED to get squared away before "B" day! Wish me luck =).

PS.  Her name is not "Sissy" (someone asked that, haha).  Just a nickname for "sister" since we aren't 100% sure of her name yet.  We'll just have to save that announcement for after she is born. 

Christmas Morning and Beyond

Looks like the jingle bell trick worked... Santa found us!

Stocking joy... flying the little owl finger puppets they found stashed inside... later they pigged out on the Swedish Fish they found in the toe.... one of Grandpa K's favorites they have inherited. 

In spite of the serious expression, Eli was excited about his baseball glove.  We have all been practicing a little catch in the house.  Baseball gloves take some getting used to!

Perfecting the paper tearing skills....

And finally, the BIG old box from SANTA!  Could it be?  Did he honor the desperate wish of two little boys?

YESSSSS!  Like magic I tell ya!

Thankfully Daddy is good at setting up tracks and installing batteries....

And this is what they did for the next six hours.  The C batteries were completely dead by the end of the day... the boys were sad that all the stores were "closed" because it was Christmas, and they had to wait until the next day for us to go get more. 

Owen's favorite part was running the controller.  He got it figured out really fast and could make the train go forward, back, come to a stop, blow it's whistle, and shout "All about the Polar Express!"

Eli's favorite part was watching the train chug on the tracks, really up close!

Owen took a train break to play "washing dishes" with his new dish set that he got.  What fun that's been!  Both boys have had a good time playing with them in the sink... they like washing them more than playing food with them.

Eli finally got a turn with the controller....

Brad had to work again Christmas night... so while we was gone we snuggled up in Christmas PJ's, had some snacks, and finished the night watching the Grinch. 

The day after Christmas we took a family trip to Target and the Mall (one in the same out here) - and yes, Daddy was home with us!  There is a carousel in the food court - a nice reward for boys who try hard to be good in Target. 

Back home, Daddy got the trampoline assembled.  This ended up being a joint gift from the grandparents on both sides... and oh the jumping joy we've had on it! 

We also busted out the "Cat in the Hat, I can Do That!" game that Eli got for Christmas.  It has all kinds of funny tricks in it that you have to do... it was especially funny to laugh at Daddy crab walking with items from the game on his head!

Overall, a super fun holiday.  In spite of Brad working some overtime shifts, it was nice and relaxed.  As much as we miss our families at the holidays, it was really wonderful this year to be able just to enjoy each other and our home, with no crazy packing/cross country driving/dealing with kids on vacation etc.  The gifts were well chosen, but fewer in number this year which was also nice... trying to keep the house from being over run when we have to pack and move in the spring.  And it reminds us to keep focused on the most important part of Christmas holiday - enjoying each other and making lasting memories!  I think 3 and 5 year olds at Christmas are the BEST!  They really made the magic for Brad and I this year!

Christmas Festivities

We had a lot of fun getting ready for Christmas this year.   We used our Family Home Evening Nights to talk about the real reason for Christmas.  One night we set up our little Nativity under the tree, and the boys had fun "playing away in a manger" as they called it.  The little figures were rearranged on a daily basis.  We also set up a "treasure box" under the tree and each  night (when we remembered) we would talk about kind things they had done for others that day, which is like giving a gift to Jesus.  They would then get coins to represent their good deeds and put them in the box. 

 
 

We also re-enacted the Nativity; a tradition from my childhood that I love carrying out with my kids!  They voted for me to be Mary, Eli was Joseph, Owen the Shepherd, and Brad got to be the donkey AND the angel.  Lucky guy!  The boys took their roles seriously and called me Mary for the rest of the night!  They took great care in watching over baby Jesus, making sure he was swaddled, and bringing him to me if they felt he was hungry or needed a snuggle. 

And of course we love to play along with the Santa Myth too.  He's definitely not the focus of our Christmas traditions, but we don't see any harm in pretending.  We tell the boys that the reason Santa does "good deeds" of bringing gifts to children is to remind us all of the most special gift of Christmas.  They seem to understand the concept just fine.  We had a fun time at Bass Pro shops visiting Santa this year.  Eli and Owen were both so brave and walked right on up to sit with him and request "A Polar Express that moves by itself!"  Santa was a little thrown since he'd already prepared their gifts for Christmas, so there were some last minute returns and quick Amazon orders to get it right, haha. 

A favorite at Bass Pro is watching the Christmas train they have set up every year.

Earlier in the month of December, just days before Eli's birthday, we ended up with a Winter Wonderland for a few days!  I was glad I actually bought snow gear this year, because the boys were finally able to get out and experience the magic of winter.  In fact, they like playing outside in the snow more than in nice weather I think!  The snow has since melted and we've had a lot of warmer sunny days, and it's like pulling teeth to get them outside!  Here they are catching snowflakes with their tongues.

We also got a basic sled this year - we have the perfect little bunny hill in our backyard for sledding.  I told the boys I wasn't going to be hauling it up and down the hill for them, so they could play with it however they choose.... well I was surprised and proud when they figured out how to hold it for each other and take turns pushing each other down the hill!  It was so fun!

Another of our FHE nights is a Columbia, MO tradition - a visit to the Magic Tree.  One man has taken it on himself to spread Christmas cheer by decorating this tree top to bottom every year... actually it used to be a tree at his home, but traffic got so heavy over the years that it is now a tree in a shopping area that he uses... the lights slowly morph and change color as you watch.  The kids LOVE running around under it and trying to touch the lights.

 Brad had to work all day Christmas Eve (even though it was Saturday), so the boys and I made sure to fill the day with fun.  The boys donned their hats and took their jingle bells outside... I told them they had to run around and ring the bells and sing as loud as they could so Santa would know how to find our house... they took this job very seriously!

Then we did some Yoga ABC's (really so fun - check it out from your library!) to re focus. 

Our house on Christmas Eve.... I made the stockings last year - they are burlap and muslin with distressed black wood letters for our initials... the tree is wrapped in burlap at the bottom with a burlap "garland" tucked in. 

Cookie making actually took place the day before Christmas Eve.  This is the first time I've really had the boys get down and dirty with cookies, and it was so much fun!  We made a modified ginger bread cookie recipe, and they got to help mix, and then roll it out and cut the shapes!  They really did a great job! It reminds me of so many fun Christmases from my childhood, making cookies with my mom and sister.  I think we usually got just as messy! 

A little dry-erase snowman art while the cookies were baking (these have been so fun - just print various mazes/drawing/writing activities from online and laminate them - dry erase is super fun with kids, especially perfectionistic ones who don't like to mess up!)

Finally, icing the cookies!  By far the boys' favorite part!  I got colored icing in little squeeze tubes which worked out perfectly for their little hands to be able to control and draw designs with. 

Santa was so lucky to get a plate of designer cookies this year!

When Brad got home Christmas Eve, we made sure to put out a plate of cookies for Santa (of course after the boys and Daddy had some too - poor Mommy is on a restricted gestational diabetes diet so NO COOKIES) and the boys insisted we put carrots out on the lawn for the reindeer.  We read some Christmas stories and put them to bed ... but funny enough they both had trouble falling asleep they were listening so hard for the reindeer to land on our roof.  Poor Santa had to pull a really late night to surprise these guys! 

The BIG 5!

Five years ago, when I held my first baby for the first time, and my world turned upside down, I could not have imagined how fast time would fly!  From those early days of just trying to figure out how to breastfeed, how to shower and feed myself with a newborn around, to watching him learn to walk and talk and feed himself, to potty training, sleeping the night in his own room, and everything in between... to now waking up one morning to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the birth of this beautiful boy!  He has been the one I've had to learn the most on so far, and he has been such a trooper.  What a sweet and joyful boy to have in our home!

On his actual birthday, Owen and I were able to come to preschool and bring treats - we had pudding cups and graham cracker sticks.  Eli even got a candle in his pudding, and was tickled that his class sang Happy Birthday to him.  Owen was THRILLED to get to spend a day at Eli's school, and I think Eli was just as thrilled to have us there. 

 

After Brad got home we had dinner and "birthday cookies" aka. Oreos.  Eli got to open his joint gift from us, Grandma and Grandpa K. and Great Grandma K.  It turned out to be a Playdoh tool kit, and a super fun and challenging Marble Run game called Quadrilla!  Brad set it up for him and he and Owen were transfixed by rolling marbles for a good hour straight.  We had to force them to get their PJ's on, then we watched home movies from Eli's newborn days before bed.  It's really funny to watch those old videos - especially just noticing how novice Brad and I both seemed as parents - just trying to figure out how to dress and bathe a baby!  Eli got phone calls from Kramer and Benson grandparents before bed... it was a lovely day!  He got his gifts from Grandpa and Grandma B. a few days later (though no pictures - a "rescue hero" action figure with helicopter, and "spy plane" from Cars 2 that opens and closes with room for a race car inside). 

Eli had a snowman themed birthday party the next weekend.  I managed to pull it together in a few days - including informal email invites to friends - I've been flying by the seat of my pants lately with all these bdays and holidays at once!  Anyway, here is the (very simple) Snowman cake!  Eli was tickled with it.  

Of course the boys helped clean the frosting off the spatulas.  Yummm.... coolwhip!

For games we played "cold snowball" which is basically like "hot potato."  The kids sat in a circle and passed around a styrofoam ball that looks like a snowball while "Frosty the Snowman" song played.  Whenever I would randomly pause the music, whoever was holding the snowball was out and had to leave the circle, but that just meant they got to come and get a candy cane =).  After that, we sat around the table and assembled giant marshmallow snowmen!

Then of course was cake and ice cream time.  Eli has trouble keeping his eyes open in pictures with a flash, so this is the best shot I got of him with his cake! 

 A great big breath!

All the little kiddos who celebrated with us!  We had 3 boys and 1 girl from Primary class, and Eli's best girlfriend and her big brother from playgroup.  In the back are Lydia and Grant; front is Jay, Owen, Andrew, Eli, Ali, Brayden.  It was sure a lively and fun group! So lively in fact that I sent them outside for balloon wars the last half hour of the party.  It was a little cold, but the snow had melted so it wasn't too bad (other than muddy!).   

Eli LOVED his party.  But the fun didn't end there.  The minute the last two kids were picked up, we had to jump in the van and head over to Barnes and Noble for Eli to sing Christmas songs with his Pre-school class. 

 

Lydia (who was at the party) was there too since they now go to school together.  They are bestest pals.  Eli describes her as his "really, really, really, really best friend."  She's a cutie for sure!

And a shot with his fun teacher, Ms. Garrett.  She has been THE teacher at Eli's school for 25 years!  She's pretty good at it!

After the singing, we were off again - this time to our ward Christmas party!  We had a lovely dinner, a singing program, then the kids got to walk down "candyland lane" for a surprise visit with the big guy in red!  And I promise, Owen is not picking his nose even though it looks like it in the picture. What a fun-filled day of celebration!  It must be interesting to have your birthday all wrapped up with Christmas excitement!  

The Basics at Five:
Height: 43.75 inches - 68th percentile
Weight: 43.6 pounds (hey, a pound an inch!) -70th percentile
Clothes:  Size 4/5 kids shirts and 5T pants with the adjustable waist - long but skinny torso!  12-13 Shoe.
 
Favorite Foods:  Eli is still pretty particular about what he will eat.  This summer he was evaluated for sensory processing issues, and is currently in occupational therapy to help with his eating, as well as some mild motor incoordination.  Some "new" foods this year are chicken nuggets, fish sticks (super skinny french fry kind) and only cut up in small bites and dipped in honey, Annie's Organic Macaroni and Cheese Bunnies (never thought I'd see the day!), String Cheese, smooth creamy yogurts with no fruit chunks, juice (any color) and egg nog!  That's quite a list of new things!  His favorites are still cheese "rollups" (melted cheese in tortilla rolled up) and peanut butter and honey sandwiches for lunch, toast with chocolate almond butter for breakfast.  We've cut way back on goldfish crackers, but they continue to be a special treat.  He also has a sweet tooth and will accept a lot more new "candy" type items than other things.  Marshmallows are also a new thing this year.  The only vegetable is still raw carrots, and fruits are apples or dried mango.  He's been very willing to earn stickers for his chart by allowing new foods to at least be on his dinner plate without complaining.  He gets different numbers of stickers for being able to either smell, touch, lick, or bite the new foods.  So far he has gotten brave about licking, but biting is still a challenge with most things - even familiar foods that are just on his "yuck" list.  We are really proud of him for trying and think he's doing great at trying to understand being healthy and working up the courage to try new things.  

Favorite Activities: 
Eli still loves trains, and has been asking Santa for a "real one" for two years now... we'll see if he delivers this time around.  He also loves racing cars with Owen, and playing all kinds of pretend scenarios with their animals.  He has discovered the joy of Hide and Seek, and loves riding his new "Big Trike" from Harbor Freight - the thing has monstrous inflated tires!  He has LOVED attending pre-school three mornings a week this year - much to my surprise and delight.  He also enjoys gymnastics, and has been making great strides in his upper body strength and balance.  He's been in occupational therapy for a few months and while he really enjoys the "gym" toys at the clinic, he has not been very excited about the fact that he has to try touching/smelling new foods when he is there sometimes.  He is making progress though!  Along with strength and balance, his fine motor with writing and cutting is coming along so well with practice too!  He recently got some dry erase books with mazes in them and can sit for an hour straight doing 30 or so mazes in a row!  He loves to think and figure things out.  He is often so lost in thought I can find him at the breakfast table 20 minutes after it's served with no bites taken, because he is busy "thinking."  He LOVES to ask "WHY" about everything, and is usually truly seeking an explanation for the world, not just asking for the heck of it. He has become a great helper, and is so excited about having a baby sister.  He explains to everyone that we already have 3 kids in our family - one is just in my tummy... he tells them she can't come out yet because her lungs are not ready.  Eli also loves reading books and is interested in letters and sounds.  He has picked up all on his own recently what letters make what sounds, what letters start words, and is also practicing basic math!  I don't know where he picked up the addition concept (probably preschool) but he is always telling me what number plus what number equals what.  He is a super smart, loveable cutie pie, and we are lucky to have him in our family!!!