Happy Easter

Finally! The table is in and ready to go. Just in time for Gretta's blessing day feast. We had a great time. Sean gave her a beautiful blessing, and it was nice to have so much family gather for the occasion. Rumbi's catered the feast, and it was delish, as always. Gretta did great and was nice and quiet both during her blessing and afterward at home. I think everyone had a good time.




All the kiddies lining up for the Easter egg hunt at Nunn and Poppa's. From left to right: McKinley, Olivia, Eli, Gabe, Madison (in back), Emma, Carter, and Maggie. Whew. Hard to believe next Easter we'll have 2 more girls running around!








Here it is. The famed table. It is huge. We have 6 chairs around it now, but there is easily room for 2 more. It's nice to have extra room for guests and not have to squish. Notice the centerpiece and runner, courtesy of Sean.






Sean and Gretta, pre-blessing. Aren't they darling?

Picture day

Well, we did our Easter pics today, courtesy of Aunt Jill. She has real professional photo potential. Gretta's blessing day is today, and we, (and by we, I mean Sean), have been working our little tails off getting ready. He has repainted the yellow, (as previously blogged), finished the computer table, moved the computer over and ported all my info from my old puter to the new one, installed an external hard drive, finished the flower beds in the back yard, and, drum roll please, FINISHED THE DINING ROOM TABLE!!! Wow, who knew he had it in him? He has been up working non stop since monday doing paint coats and lacquer coats. He's a real champ. It is now midnight, and he is getting ready to mop the floors, whilst I sit and blog about it. Ah, the good life. Oh, he also bought 3 new bar stools, a huge basket for the table centerpiece, a table runner, and a new computer chair. He was totally getting his gay on at at Down To Earth. I think he just likes that the girls flirt with him. But more than all the projects he has finished, he has one more task at hand. He gets to give Gretta a special blessing. And knowing that he will be doing that makes me count my blessings as well.

It's a very Good Friday

I've lost it. My brain has officially been fried by baby-brain-sucker number 3. I called my mom this morning at home. My sister from Las Vegas, Jill, answered. When she told me mom was at the office, I said, "Why is she working on a Saturday?". It feels like Saturday since Sean is off work for Good Friday, and is doing Saturday-like projects like filling in the flower beds with dirt, and golfing. So now I plan on telling everyone I see to have a good Saturday.

Before and after

Before.













After




Can you even tell a difference? There is one, really. We had this horrible Lemony Yellow color that I swear to this day was mixed wrong, because I would have never picked such a yucky color in my right mind. Finally, two years later, we, (meaning Sean), fixed it with the correct color. A more mustardy, baby poop colored yellow. I actually love it. Maybe I love baby poop. Weird. Either way, Sean impressed me yet again with his painting perfectionism whilst Meg and I went on a lovely 15 mile bike ride to enjoy Saturday's pleasant weather. Next on the docket: The TABLE!!! Now if we, (again meaning Sean), could just get that one done in time for Sunday's blessed event.

2 Months

Wow, the last 2 months have flown by! Hard to believe that 2 months ago I was still pregnant, and in two months from now it will be Memorial day, and the pool will be open! Yippee!!!

Gretta is weighing in at a hefty 8 pounds, 15 ounces, and measuring 21 inches in length. My little Sumo. She's still so skinny and little, it's cute. She got her 3 shots, and a Polio "drink", and is still holding a grudge. Poor little girl.

Vacation Fun!

This is Gretta and her newest cousin Gracie. They were born just 3 weeks apart, both being 3 weeks early. Gretta has the green binkie. My sister lives in Vegas, and we went down a couple of weeks ago to see her and see the baby. Both girls make the same squeeks and grunts, and their cries are so similar, we had a hard time telling them apart!





Here is Emma mid backflip courtesy of dad's big muscles. She is quite the flipping pro, thanks to endless summers spent in our pool. This pool is in St. George, and even though it was in the 70's that weekend, it was still covered with a huge bubble. The kids thought that was pretty neat.





Maggie and "Aunt Mimi". Meg is our eternal vacation companion. It just doesn't seem right to travel without her. I think she's been just about everywhere with us whenever the trailer is involved. In fact, I can only think of one vacation without her, and that was our very first trip 2 years ago! That is what sisters are for!

Soccer Summer

Maggie having a close up moment at the soccer practice











Emma juggling the ball like a pro. Thanks to Spencer, she knows exactly how to do it.











Poor, poor Gretta. I think this picture obviously captures that fact that she is sick of having a camera in her face everyday.


Well, Thursday marked the beginning of soccer for Emma. This is the first year she has played, and is very excited. She keeps telling me she needs a Bowflex to get in shape for soccer. Think advertising works, or what? At the end of soccer practice, they have the parents play against the girls. We won, and now the kids all have to do one chore for their parents. I think that's a great way to get the kids motivated to play their best. The first official game is next Tuesday, the 27th. I'm anxious to see how the other teams measure up.

$3.00 a gallon for gas? Not here!

We get our gas for free! Well, Gretta does, anyway. She has got to be the gassiest baby ever. But it makes for cheap entertainment.

It's all good

Well, I have officially made it to 6 weeks postpartum. Yay for me. And according to my awesome OB, it's all good. I guess Sean is out of the desert now, and I can commence a regular exercise program. Yay for me again. I really hate exercising, but it is a fact of life. I have a friend that teaches Ballet for Adults. Sounds kinda fun. I would say "Adult Ballet", but that sounds kind of X rated. Ha ha ha. I may give it a try. And to comemerate the 6 weeks mark, Gretta celebrated by sleeping through the night! Yay for her. 10 PM to 4:30 AM. That is through the night enough for me. And she went back to sleep til 7. Not too bad. It seems we are getting on some semblance of a schedule.

My beautiful baby

Here are the latest and greatest. I'm thinking one of these will make a good birth announcement photo, but I need some input. Keep in mind they can all be made into black and white, Sepia, or Antique.

Thanks, Aunt Kik!

Valentines day sucks.

Okay, not really, but I have never been a fan. I don't need a day set aside to remind me that I love Sean. And he concurs. But, alas, we have to conform to the marketing beast. A card and a hug will suffice. But I'm doing a list of things I love, and hate, at this particular moment in time to pay homage to Valentines day.

Things I'm loving:

1. Strawberry Ice Cream
2. White Cherry Blossom Bubble Bath
3. Game Show Network and Vintage Game Shows
4. My Nice Warm Bed
5. Sleep

Things I'm hating:

1. Milk Flakes When You Open the Milk Lid
2. Headaches
3. Cold Weather
4. Rude People
5. 3 Year Old Attitude

My new toys

Funny how when I told Sean our washer was on the fritz, he thought it would be fine for a few more years. And yet, when for the last month he had to take over the laundry duty, he suddenly gets the itch to buy a new one. And of course the dryer to match. Either way, I got the ones I wanted, regardless of how it came to be.

Do I have a story for you.

Here's Emma and Maggie at the hospital on the day we brought Gretta home. What a wonderful day it is, bringing home a new baby. They're so sweet and vulnerable. Well, notice in the picture that both big sisters are looking a little pale. I should have known to stay an extra night in the hospital. The paleness should have been a dead give away for what was awaiting me that fateful night.

Here I am, a new mom for the third time, two days post op, and battling a particularly heinous bout of the baby blues. As I lay crying in bed at 2 AM, wondering what I was thinking having a third child, and knowing in my heart that I have ruined all our lives by doing so, in walks Emma. Now, Emma is a known early riser, but this was especially early, even for her. She then announces she doesn't feel so well. I ask her if she's gonna throw up, and she says she doesn't think so. I tell her to get her bowl anyway, just in case. About 10 steps around the bed later, and out it comes, all over my bedroom floor. Now I know I've ruined our lives. I burst into tears, just knowing that Emma is going to give Gretta some tropical disease that will kill her, and Sean calmly cleans up the mess. Now in addition to me feeding the baby every hour, and crying constantly, Sean is up emptying the barf bowl every 10 minutes for the rest of the night. At the doctor the next morning, we find out she has Strep. Again. 10th time this year. No kidding. But they assure us that Gretta can't get it, so we both feel better about that.

Skip ahead a few hours to 6 PM that night. Here I find Maggie curled up in a ball on my bedroom floor, cheeks flushed with fever, and shivering. I just knew it. Strep. Sure enough, thanks to late night KidsCare, she has it too. Now I have two kids with strep, a brand new baby that I'm trying to nurture, and me with the baby blues. Thank goodness for Sean, who ran to get prescriptions, Ginger Ale, and various other necessities, who cleans up vomit with no complaint, and who rubs my back while I cry for the next 3 days. I knew I loved him for a reason.

So needless to say, I'm pretty sure that was the absolute worst situation imaginable to come home to, and I don't plan on doing it again any time soon. We've all recovered nicely, and the baby blues have passed. I think we're all to the point now where we can't imagine not having Gretta around, and that's a nice feeling. Not nice enough that I will do it again, but nice nonetheless.

My, how she's grown!

At todays 2 week check up, Gretta weighed in at a hefty 6 pounds, 9 ounces and 19" long. What a porker!









Spencer and Gretta. He drove down from Logan on Saturday just to see her. He got here at noon, and left at 4. A four hour drive just to see his newest niece. What a sweetie.

A week gone by

Well, a week has passed very quickly with our new addition. She is a wonderful little baby. She sleeps a lot, even during the night, and barely cries when she needs something. I'm sure that will change as she gets bigger, but for now I'm enjoying the serenity of a newborn again. Why can't they stay little forever? I'll post more pics when they get uploaded from Sean's camera.

Gretta Holland Clayton

Well baby Gretta has arrived. Now just so you all know this is not Keli it is her other half Sean and it is my first time blogging but I have strict instructions from the 'boss', so here it goes.

Stats=

5 lbs 6 oz

18 1/2 inches long

born at 4:42 PM (MST)

lots of blonde hair....and Grandma Jeanette's ears.

Keli and Gretta are both doing great!

Boil some water, get some clean sheets!

She's coming! 4:00 today. We're heading to the hospital now, so check back for pictures.

Can I just say....

Bed Rest SUCKS! There is no "rest" involved. It is way more stressful to figure out how you're going to get laundry done, the kids dropped off and picked up, the dishes done, the cobwebs swept, and fix breakfast, lunch and dinner for a family, all from the confines of ones couch or bed! Thank heavens Sean has a job that allows him to be flexible. Meanwhile, the blood pressure is stable, but we're hoping for a delivery date sometime next week. This week is just to fatten up the little fetus so she's nice and cute when she arrives.

Moral of this story: Don't be afraid to be VERY proactive with healthcare. Had I not "known" something wasn't right, I would very possibly be endagering my baby by wandering around with BP through the roof! Second opinions save lives, people!

He's baaaack.

Sean finally returned from Chicago. We really missed him. It's funny how you don't appreciate a spouse until they aren't around to do their thing and help out. And he helps out a lot! The girls were very excited to see him, and he brought them cute Teddy Bears as a welcome home gift. These pics are of the Bean in Millenium Park, and of the city from the top of the Sears Tower. I think the big black tower is the Hard Rock Hotel, where he stayed.

Guess what?

I just ate an entire loaf of garlic bread for lunch. And it was delicioso. Now I have a nice garlicky scent to share with Sean when he gets in from Chicago. Ha ha ha. Oh yeah, and our baby will be born on February 12th at 7:30 AM. Although I'm due on the 13th, and my dumb doctor won't schedule me before then, and I'm pretty sure she'll want to be born before that. But as for now, that's her day. Carry on.

Thanks, Phoebers.

My pirate name is:

Dirty Bess Cash

You're the pirate everyone else wants to throw in the ocean -- not to get rid of you, you understand; just to get rid of the smell. You're musical, and you've got a certain style if not flair. You'll do just fine. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

This week....

We've successfully recovered from Christmas and New Year's, and now a new year is well under way. I honestly cannot believe it is 2007. Wow, time flies as you get older. But this has been quite a week to start off this new year. Last Monday night we spent in Labor and Delivery, and nope, no baby, but almost. Gotta love a little preterm labor to get the adrenaline going. One little shot and all is well, at least for another 2 weeks. Emma started back to school (thank goodness!), and poor Maggie was left all alone at home with mom. The first day Emma was gone, Maggie wandered through the house calling her name. It was hilarious. Sean came down with a tragic killer cold (aren't they always worse when the men get them?), but managed to survive it by being in a drug induced coma for 3 days. We went and saw Happily N'Ever After, cute, but kinda weird for my taste. Sean left for Chicago today for the week. He "gets" to attend an expo on packaging and automation. Sounds superfun. He did visit the Sears Tower today, and said it's awesome. As for the girls and I, we plan on spending some relaxing time at home, and maybe getting dinner one of these nights. That's pretty much it for this week, hopefully next week we'll know our EXACT date for delivery. I'm hoping for the 5th, but I would take anything after the 1st, since that's when our insurance changes. Maybe I will just go on the 1st, and not have to wait any longer than absolutely necessary. Wouldn't that be nice.

Happy Anniversary

Nine years of wedded bliss. What more can I say?

Merry Christmas!

We had a great Christmas this year. Emma scored a sweet new Elektra Beach Cruiser, and Maggie got her much wanted Dora Talking Kitchen. It was a great time. I'll post more pics later.

To the North Pole we go

Sean and I have a tradition to help me through the Holidays. You see, I'm not a huge fan of Christmas. I mean, I'm a fan of the birth of Christ and all that, but I struggle to feel the true spirit of the Holiday due to stress and anxiety. So our first year married, we decided to go stay in a Bed and Breakfast a couple of weeks before Christmas, and get all of our shopping done that weekend. It turned out to be a nice idea. We plan what we want to buy for each person, and after a nice evening of dinner out without kids, we hit the shops. Our Credit Card is smoking by the time we're done, but It is such a nice feeling to focus on gifts for one whole weekend, and then the Christmas spirit is more easily felt. So again, we're heading for the "North Pole" as it's come to be called. The girls give us their Christmas lists, and we tell them we take a special road just for grown ups to the the North Pole. We give the lists to Santa, and return the next afternoon, the children none the wiser. Now don't get me wrong, I don't enjoy the fib that is Santa and the North Pole, but I think the kids enjoy the thought of Mom and Dad alone with Santa discussing their wants and needs for the Holiday. It makes them feel very important. And they get to spend the night with Grandma, which is probably more exciting for them. So off we go, to the North Pole. If there are any requests for Santa, be sure and get them in before tomorrow afternoon!

She's getting back to her roots.

When Maggie was about 7 months old, for Mothers day Sean gave me Bebe, our Shih-tzu. I remember it well because even though I still had a baby in the house, she was sleeping through the night. It was Bebe whom I had to get up with 3 or 4 times a night to tend to. It was definitely harder than having a newborn. But last week when we put up our tree, she copped a spot beneath it, I'm assuming to remind me that she was, and is, a gift. Now that we've had her for a couple of years, she has developed into a wonderful pet. She rarely bites, never barks, and has her own little doggy door to go in and out. I say rarely bites because she has this little thing with close eye contact. But it only takes once, and you learn your lesson. Needless to say, we love her, and she will always be my little gift.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

We set up our tree on Friday, and today we woke up to about 4" of snow! So fun! The kids came bouncing in at 7:00 this morning so excited to see snow. Like it was their first time or something. Although along with this wonderful snow came bitter cold temperatures. It was 10 this morning when Sean left at 5:30. It had risen to a balmy 18 by 7:00. I think the estimated high is somewhere around 20. A little chilly.

Things I'm thankful for

Here goes. The requisite Thanksgiving post. I just hope I can think of everything I'm thankful for.

1. My family (All of them, spouse, kids, parents, even the in-laws)
2. Friends
3. A good ward
4. Sean's good job
5. Being a stay at home mom
6. A sense of humor
7. A simple life
8. Always wanting more
9. Not needing more
10. Naps
11. Tylenol
12. Padded chairs
13. Being able to keep a secret
14. Anti-depressants
15. A growing belly
16. Pull-ups
17. 400 thread count sheets
18. Long drives with good conversation
19. Unfinished projects
20. Good kids!


I think that sums it up for the most part. I'm sure as the day goes on I'll think of more, and maybe I'll post them too. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it reminds me how much I have to be thankful for. I am very blessed, and sometimes I wonder why. I feel very undeserving most of the time, but I'll take it!

Field Trips

I was listening to the X96 Radio from Hell Morning Show this morning, and they were talking about how one of the host's kids is going to Arby's for a field trip. Several other people called in telling stories about visiting McDonalds, Wal-Mart, Hardee's, and other similar places. Emma had a walking field trip last year in which they visited the Auto Zone, the Wonder Bread Outlet, and the 7-Eleven. This year they visited Albertsons. I'm just curious, where have you or your kids been on field trips? Anywhere cool, or unusual, or just plain strange, a la Auto Zone.

This has been quite the festive Halloween season for Emma. She has really been spoiled having Grandma off track and done with her Master's. And with Nunn working only until Noon, they all have lots of time to play. Thank goodness for wonderful Grandma's.
Maggie and Emma at the pumpkin patch with Nunn.







Emma at her school Halloween Party in her Cheerleader costume.







Emma at the Witches of Gardner Village display with Grandma. They are two peas in a pod, don't you think?

Seriously?

This morning my wonderful, beautifully behaved children did something amazing. They were fighting over a half-eaten pop tart. Seriously. What's next? Two day old room temperature pizza?

24 Gallons of Moab

I like this name better than 24 hours of Moab. Moab is a beautiful desert oasis. I thought deserts were supposed to be relatively dry. I should have rethought that as we came into town in the middle of the night to washed out roads and puddles the size of small lakes. I knew last week had been bad rain-wise, 4 to 5 inches in 5 days, but we thought the worst was over. We were wrong.

The road in to the race site is bumpy and hilly, but we managed to get the trailer in just fine. Aside from getting our $20 worth of impact fee by making our own turn around, we found the camp site with no problem. This was Friday. Saturday, the rains came down and the floods came up. It was pouring. And that beautiful red sand turns in to mucky, sticky, clay in a matter of seconds. But our riders are troopers. They rode anyway. All four got in a good lap. But then poor Mark had to head out for his second lap, in the dark, and in the thick of the rain. The average of 1 hour and 25 minutes per lap was ruined. 2 hours and something later, he rode in to the finish. He looked beat, literally. It was then that we hear the only road in and out was closed. Not a good thing. If there had been an emergency, no one would have been able to get out. Scary. I guess that's when they decided to call the race for the night and resume in the morning. In the famous words of my brother, Troy, "Gimme that cheeseburger!" Suddenly the mood went from serious to jovial in seconds. It rained through most of the night, but by morning the rain had stopped, even though the clouds remained. After hours of debating by officials, they decided to continue the race. Our riders only had time to get in one more lap before the Noon cutoff time, so they all went out together. Aww. What team unity.

I think fun was had by all, and it brought our trailering season to a spectacular end. Now comes the task of getting all the linens washed and returned to the trailer, the winterizing, and the storing. I hate this time of the year just for that reason. Although the next time we use it, we'll have little baby Gretta with us! That's definitely something to look forward to.

In which I open up about the nether-regions and LCD TV's

It's true, we have gradiated (yes, I meant to spell it that way) to the 21st century. We are now the proud owners of an LCD TV. HD, mind you. And it has a story. Oh, what a story. How many people do you know that have incurred serious injury due to their television? Me, none. Well, one now. You'd think a TV would be fairly harmless, but alas, in this house nothing can be labeled harmless. Ask Sean how to balance a 30 pound, $1000 TV on a flimsy aluminum ladder without dropping it and sacrificing yourself to save it. He wouldn't know. You see, that is exactly what happened. And I swear it happened in slow-mo. Here I was sitting on the couch watching, due to the nether-region problem, and I saw his eyes get as big as saucers. Then the TV went falling. And falling. Holy crap, it's happening. Suddenly Sean is on the floor, ladder atop him, and TV is upside down on the wood floor. I was under the ladder too, but I have no idea how I ended up there, since I can barely walk, let alone pounce like a cat. The first thing he says: "I broke the TV!" Who cares? You just fell off a ladder. Duh. Well, the TV survived somehow, and Sean is now limping around with a bruised heel and a bunch of bumps and bruises. Note to self, accept help when it's offered as you dangle precariously above the fireplace on a flimsy aluminum ladder. And don't expect your wife and her aching nether-regions to pounce like a cat to help you. Even though I did. What can I say, I'm a sucker for falling spouse.

Happy Birthday Maggie!

Well, my baby is 3. I can't believe it. She had a good birthday and scored lots of presents. We're so blessed to have her in our family.

She loves Belle, so she got a Belle doll, and a Belle dress, a new outfit, and shoes, and of course a Belle cake. She also got a new Cabbage Patch Doll from Grandma, and she loves it so much, she slept with her last night. And the dolls name just happens to be Maggie as well. Too funny.

No more bets.

As far as I can tell, the bets were 5 boys to 3 girls. And it looks like the minority rules this time. It's a GIRL!!! I'll post the pics as soon as I get them. The machine was down so they couldn't print them or the CD. It should be ready this afternoon.

Face, Ground. Ground Face

Well, another deductible met and another broken bone. This child is crazy. She was out riding bikes in our neighbors tennis courts, and hit a crack. She flew off the bike and took the full brunt of the fall with her face. She has a broken arm, and her cheek and nose and forehead are all bruised up pretty good. The docs don't think any facial bones are broken, but with the swelling it was hard to tell, so we'll know more about those today. She gets her hard cast on this after noon. This picture doesn't do it justice. You should see her this morning. Black eye, fat lip, and she has a huge cut on the inside of her mouth. She definitely knows how to do everything all the way. No half-ass attempts at injury for this gal.

I'll post later about the ultrasound.

Bets are on

We are having our ultrasound on Friday, and we are finding out the sex of the fetus. I'm just curious as to what everyone thinks we are having. With 2 girls already, many are saying boy, but, as Bonny can testify, sometimes the girls just keep coming. So put in your two cents. I'll announce the sex on Friday afternoon, so check back!

It's the most wonderful time of the year.

And for anyone that knows me, knows I'm not talking about Christmas. I'm talking about PREMIER SEASON!!! I've officially become a TV hermit. I don't know what I ever did without Tivo. This year on the lineup I have more than ever to watch.

1. Amazing Race
2. Law and Order SVU (or SUV to Mom)
3. Criminal Minds
4. Biggest Loser
5. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
6. Grey's Anatomy
7. America's Next Top Model
8. Law and Order: The Original
9. 'Til Death
10. New Adventures of Old Christine
11. How I met your Mother.

Wow. I'm really a dork. I need to get a life.

The long road

We definitely know how to travel. Caravan style. We made our way to Logan on Friday night, and the games began Saturday morning. Kelli was the first rider in the family relay, named "relatively fast", to get everyone off to a good start. She came into Preston, Idaho, 37 miles later, in under 2 hours. What a woman. Next was Troy, who had a seriously hard leg of the ride, and who was also still recovering from two serious crashes. He too came in under his expected time. Barring a little puking that forever traumatized Gabe, he looked pretty good. Meg was next in line, and another hard leg awaited her. She was actually doing two legs since sister Jill and I were both out of the race due to pregnancy. She had Salt River Pass to conquer, and she did just that. Coming in to the feed zone with a broken crank hanging from her shoe left us all in awe of her ability, and giggling just a little. Then went Sean. He was doing Afton, Wy. to Alpine Junction, Wy. which is 35 miles. We were all expecting him to come in just under 2 hours, but he surprised us all by finishing in 1 hour and 35 minutes. No one was even waiting for him at the feed zone. Oops. Then Ty, our anchor leg man, took off with lightning speed to climb the canyon from Alpine into Teton Village in Jackson Hole. 2 hours and 7 minutes. I'm pretty sure he wasn't even breathing hard. All in all it was a successful day. Thanks to Nunn and Poppa for corralling all the kiddies in the motorhome so we could focus on the race.

After our great ride into Jackson Hole, we spent 2 days there just sight seeing and recovering. But Yellowstone awaited, and as always, it didn't disappoint. This entire weekend, plus 2 days was spent in fairly close quarters with the ENTIRE family, and I am proud to say we had a great time. I think we are so lucky to get along with each other so well that we can compete, vacation, and tease without a bitter morsel. I heart my family.




Two cow elk just chillin in the Madison River.












The five fabulous riders (except the baby, sorry Eli.). They are the ones that rode to victory. In order from front to back: Meg, Ty, Sean, Troy, Kelli. They rode from Logan to Jackson Hole, Wy. in 11 hours and 7 minutes. Nice job.









The whole fam damily. Left to right, front: Madison, Gabe, Emma. Back: Kelli, Ty, Dad, Mom, Meg, Troy, Eli on top. This was in Yellowstone at the Mud Volcano. Aren't we a cute family. Awww.

Steps in time

Thanks to Bonny for taking this cute picture of her girls' shoes. It just shows to me how fast they grow, and how much we can miss in between those sizes.

Ty, this is for you.

That is all.

Romancing the stone.

I wish so badly that this post could be about the huge new diamond ring I got, but alas, no. This is a stone of a much deeper, darker, more painful depth. It's the stone of the kidney. This would be stone #4 for me. That's enough to make a nice pair of earrings. Too bad they're not so shiny and pretty that one would want to show them off. However, I'm beginning to think that I should. If I count 4 kidney stones, and 3 children, that's me giving birth 7 times! Ask any one, they will tell you it's a painful as child birth. I have to say I agree. Perhaps I should post a picture of this? Perhaps not.

Say in a Homer Simpson voice: Mmmm, lasagna.

Yesterday was a weird day. I got up and took Emma to the bus stop, and then when I returned home, I was beckoned by the softness and coolness of my yummy bed. It sucked me in. I fell back asleep for an hour. I awoke to Maggie yelling "Ariba" at Dora on TV. Weird. Then I hung out at the pool with my awesome neighbor, and we had a whine session about nursing, babies spitting up, mean husbands ( not mine, of course! ), and other such topics. Afterwards, I made lunch and then came down with a splitting headache. I was down for the count. Poor Sean arrived home to an ornery wife, crazy kids, a messy house, and no dinner. But being the saint that he is, he went ahead and made lasagna. And it was great! The kids loved it. Mmmm, lasagna. So once again, I am praising my hubby. What would I do without him? He's the best.

It's over

Summer has ended at our house. School started today, and boy am I excited. Maggie and I were ready for some alone time, and to get back to a schedule of some sort. Emma was quite excited to start second grade, and she got the teacher she wanted, Mrs. Cummings.

So long, stomach, and 20 pounds.

Well, the time has come. I've reached 16 weeks (well, tomorrow), and as of last night, I can no longer get comfy on my stomach when I sleep. This is a sad day. It's not like the rest of you who know that merely days after delivery you can return to your stomach sleeping bliss. I have a big sore incision that has to heal before I can return to that bliss. It takes weeks. So you can imagine my sadness. But on a good note, since becoming pregnant, I've lost 8 pounds, which brings me to a total of 20 pounds since my surgery last November. Seems slow, but it's actually right on track for the 2 pounds a month. It's a juxtaposition of good and evil. Yes, I said juxtaposition. So I bid a fond farewell to my tummy, in more than one way. Of course, It won't be long before that tummy is replaced by a growing fetus. I think I can handle that.