Girly Shower

You know, I have made some really great friends while living out here in Columbia!  It is going to be a hard, sad place to leave.... two of those really sweet friends (Becca Dalton and Ashley Hampton) threw a "Girly Shower" for me to stock up on the essentials - adorable girl stuff of course!  =)  Here's  a group shot of the guests...

And me with Becca and Ashley right behind me....

They even thought to have a "sugar free" dessert that I COULD eat, since cake would have been out due to the gestational diabetes.  The layered sugar free jello in babyfood jars turned out to be delicious as well as cute! My boys are now using the jars as their drinking cups - they are the perfect size and fairly durable for glass!

And this is back at home, showing off all the gifts to the boys.  Eli and Owen got to open them all up for a second round of fun.  There was even a surprise just for them from "Grandma Betty" - she got them each a watch and they have been wearing them around telling us what "time" it is (ie. my watch says it's time for a snack, or time to read a book etc). 

Eli took this picture... a 5 year old photographer in the making! =)

All the girly outfits!  And just the right amount of pink, with a good mix of other colors I'd say =). 

It was a pleasant day!  The boys got to attend a birthday party with Brad while I was at the shower.  After a full day of playing and opening gifts with me they were ready for some snuggles... I was trying to prep my Sharing Time Lesson for Primary the next day, but I guess I'm not allowed to sit in the "big chair" without a couple of kids on my lap =). 

 

I'm so grateful for the wonderful people we have been blessed to know and have in our lives during our stay out here!  Some of them are truly "family" away from home, and I don't know what I'd do without them! I'm also just so thankful for everyone who attended - it meant a lot to me to be able to have a celebration in anticipation of this baby... even though she is #3 in our family, she is unique and special and I LOVED being able to have a little party with some gal pals!

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!