Samantha's Blessing, Packing

Everything went smoothly over the past week.

Thu.: Ate dinner with Rex at our house, hung out.

Fri.: Took the kids swimming and then to get tacos with Rex. My parents, Myles, and Anna all arrived late. We went to bed way too late!

Sat.: Rex, James, Anna, and the kids went to breakfast with Santa while the rest of us hung out. James and Myles went shooting after lunch. We got pizza for dinner and then hung out for a while. Mom, Myles, and I went to the temple for sealings, and it turned out that someone really needed our help!

Sun.: Samantha's blessing! Rex and Anna had to leave after Sacrament meeting, but everyone else plus the Tidwells (Rex's 1st cousin) came over for lunch. It went really well, but I was worn out afterward. Myles left for Kyle's wedding in St. George.We watched a Christmas movie.

Mon.: Business as usual. We had an FHE where we talked about old family traditions and memories. Myles returned around 8 and we watched another Christmas movie.

Tues.: Tons of laundry and Pack Meeting. It was nice to get out of the house and sing to some elderly people.

Wed.: Christmas party at Swain Brothers for the high school. James and I both got fish (live ones) and chips (Pringles) as our white elephant gifts. One of them didn't make it, but the other is going to live at school. (No pun intended.)

Today I'm packing for our trip tomorrow. We stay in Salt Lake tomorrow night and then head to Rexburg on Saturday. I hope it's a less stressful trip than Thanksgiving.

Good Enough

We've had a really crazy week.

Saturday: Christmas shopping for the angel tree, wrapping and delivering those presents, attempt at going to a carnival which turned out to be lame.

Sunday: a regular day at Church. Samantha got to be baby Jesus for the Primary's special sharing time.

Monday: Went over to the Packards' for dinner. It was a lot of fun, but I feel inadequate when it comes to my sewing and decorating skills because their house is so nice. Everybody has their weaknesses and shortcomings, but it's a lot easier to see mine right now and feel like everyone else is perfect. I spent some time with Lewis making bread for Joseph's school project.

Tuesday: James took Joseph out for some one-on-one time. Joseph chose to get a hot dog at the gas station. Sometimes, it's really easy to make kids happy.

Wednesday: I took Katie shopping with me so we could spend time together and get her some new leggings. Are all kids really rough on their clothes, or is it just mine? She bought some slime with her own money and I HATE IT. Never let your kids buy slime unless you want to be annoyed for the rest of your life.

Today: Rex arrives for work, so we will probably hang out and maybe swim at the hotel pool. We will all eat dinner together here.

I guess I'm more stressed about guests than I thought, but that only hit me in the past few days, not months ago.  I haven't thought of a good neighbor gift, and we leave town just a few days after everyone leaves from here. I want everything to go smoothly, but hosting parties and traveling are both big, stressful things. Despite that, it should be fun too.

Christmas Season

I'm enjoying December this year. I guess it helps that a few years ago, I prioritized all our activities and traditions by week so I'd always know what to be doing without getting overwhelmed.

Saturday, our Relief Society had their annual breakfast, which was fun. The kids and I made a chocolate (rather than gingerbread) house and decorated it.

For FHE, we have been doing service from Light the World. So far, we have donated stuff to D.I. and sent our old phones to Medic Mobile so they can be used in 3rd-world countries. It was a bit of a sacrifice for the kids because they used to play on those phones in the car on long trips. I was also apprehensive about giving away all our backup phones, but it felt good all the same.

We had our ward party on Tuesday, a Polar Express theme. The kids were great and even loved sitting on Santa's lap. I think Katie sort of believes, but the boys definitely don't because I've never really told them the story. Instead, every year I remind them not to be a buzzkill for their friends. Haha.

I guess that's it for this week aside from our ordinary doings. Life is busy with all these little ones, but I'm keeping up most of the time. Samantha keeps on getting easier and more fun. Her blessing is coming up on the 16th and people start arriving next week, so I'd better get planning! It's a direct contrast to Joseph's baptism, which I worried about for probably 6 months before it happened.

Rexburg, Decorating

The rest of our time in Rexburg was pretty straightforward. I only had one meltdown because I'd been so lonely on Thanksgiving, and then Samantha was pretty cranky on Friday and Saturday.

Friday: hung out, dinner with the Lees and Hirsts

Saturday: went to Mara and Ricky's for lunch, made dinner for my siblings (turkey noodle soup)

Sunday: Church, during which Lewis and Samantha napped!

Monday: travel home with a long stop at the Layton Mall for lunch and playtime, then unpacking and a quick FHE

Tuesday: catching up on everything

Wednesday: prepping the tree for 3 hours by removing all the "pre-lit" lights that don't work anymore (My hands are scratched and sore from pulling off zip ties, knots, and clips!) and putting new lights on the tree

Today: finished actual decorating for Christmas, shopping later

Happy Thanksgiving!

This past week hasn't been too busy. In fact, I can't think of anything of note except that I strained a muscle by putting the turkey to thaw on the top shelf of the fridge. It's finally almost better today, a week later. So lame. I iced it for the first few days, rested as much as possible (ha ha), and then used heat for a few days after. The first few nights, I could barely sleep because of the pain.

James gave a talk on Sunday, and the kids were remarkably good during it. Several people commented on how well they think I do my music calling in Primary. It's so good to hear because I often (always) feel inadequate for the job.

Our trip to Rexburg wasn't too bad. We left at 8:40 and got both breakfast and lunch out to save time on cleanup at home. Our lunch stop was the longest because we let the kids play. Samantha cried some and was pretty upset during the evening after we arrived (4:40ish), but she eventually settled down and went to bed all right, then slept all night. I really do think travel is the worst. The packing and cleaning before, the crying and fighting in the car, the boredom, and then all the work afterward just make for a huge amount of stress for me. While I'm here (or elsewhere), I have a hard time really relaxing because it just isn't in my nature to do so for long periods of time and I'm not at home, so I'm not fully comfortable. The same is true whether I'm at in-laws' or parents' houses. Maybe when I'm old, something will change.

So it's Thanksgiving Day and I'm all alone except for Samantha, who is napping. It's been okay, I guess, but it feels wrong to be all alone right now when so many are gathering already to eat the big meal. Nash is staying here, but he left to go spend time with Carmel. I cleaned the upstairs shower and put the turkey in the oven, then had some chicken nuggets for lunch. Everyone is coming over at 4 (or 5) for the meal, but until then, I think I'm on my own. James took the older 4 kids to his grandparents' house in Victor. We did agree to this plan, but I didn't realize how sad I'd feel the first part of this day. Once again, I wish I could be in two places and see all the people I'm related to. It's year 13 of not eating Thanksgiving with my parents.

On the bright side, it is peaceful and quiet. I already made two pecan pies yesterday and only have to do the turkey, gravy, and dressing. (I'm of the opinion that one should never stuff a turkey and that the dressing should be crispy.) It isn't my kitchen, but it is nice to be able to cook the main course the way I'd like. I suppose I can be particular about things from time to time.

This year has been a tough one, but there are many things I've been grateful for, especially things relating to the timing of the challenges I've been through. They would be too long to list here right now, so I won't, but I feel like things are going pretty well overall even though I have my moments of frustration or despair.

One Day...

Samantha woke up during the night for the past week, but then she slept all night last night. I'm really hoping it was a growth spurt so I can start sleeping all night again. It makes a huge difference on my mood.

We had movie night without James because he went to play games in Roosevelt.

Saturday, James and the older 3 went to set up chairs for stake conference. After a little more shopping, James went to the leadership session and I went to the adult one for the first half. Samantha needed me after that. She gets kind of fussy in the evenings still, but she is easily consoled with music or food. It just makes it hard for me to ever leave without worrying about her.

We made it though stake conference on Sunday as well without any mishaps! Things are really looking up as far as church attendance goes.

We did FHE with Cherissa and Tayson on Monday, the first time in a few months. I'm really glad we were able to hang out with them.

Tuesday, we went out for Frosties because Joseph passed off a poem at school that he'd been really nervous about.

Wednesday, I took a little break to finish up some sewing once James got home. I went to the temple for initiatories. I still felt really stressed once I got home, but it was better than before. It was just one of those days where Samantha never slept longer than 45 minutes, so it was really hard to get anything done. I am looking forward to having a real schedule again in a few months! I probably say that a lot, but it causes me a ton of anxiety not to be able to predict anything. I am very much a schedule and list-type person. Sometimes I feel pretty accomplished, but many day, it's a struggle to feel like I've accomplished anything at all.

I can't believe Thanksgiving is next week! That means shopping today so I can thaw the turkey in the fridge. I'm excited to see 3 of my siblings. It's been a long time since that many of us were together for Thanksgiving, I think 5 years. I still wish it were possible to live by both my parents and James's,  but I suppose it's not the end of the world. For now, it looks like we'll be here for a long time, and I'm okay with that.

A Break

Joseph did Scouting for Food on Saturday. I'm glad he was able to serve, and he said he liked it.

Everyone was healthy and went to church together on Sunday! It was the Sunday I'd hoped for several times in October but that never happened. Samantha slept through most of Sacrament meeting, I fed her, and she needed me again during the break in music time. It worked perfectly. Even music time went better than it did a month ago. I'm still looking forward to 2-hour church, but at least this Sunday wasn't so bad.

For Family Home Evening, we set up an "ofrenda" of my Phenix grandparents and 2 of James's great-grandparents that he knew. It was fun to talk about them and watch Coco as a late Dia de los Muertos celebration.

I took both girls to the doctor for checkups on Tuesday. It was very long, but they are both healthy and growing well. Katie is still my biggest child, percentile-wise, but she is no giant either. We went out for dinner that night, just to McDonald's, because the kids were going a little crazy and it's been a bit cold outside recently. I sure miss summer when they could be outside for hours with no shoes and I didn't have to worry about them.

I escaped for a little while yesterday to do a little Christmas shopping. Mainly, it's because I need a pick-me-up and wrapping presents makes me feel happy. Also, I have a hard time truly relaxing these days, so I made my break away from home productive.

I realized when Lewis was a baby that my feelings this time of year are more anxiety-related than depression-related. First, there's the big health crisis that happens every year. Then, the cold and dark, especially with the time change. Next come the holidays where I wish I could be in two places but simply can't, so no matter what we do for the holidays, I feel horribly guilty that I'm not with the other family members. This year will be no different. I will have to miss going to Grandma and Grandpa's because I want to spend it with my siblings. With their SO's and other relatives, it would be 7 extra people, and that is its own dinner. James and I already have 7 people, so we didn't want to double that for Grandma's house. The plan is for me to host the dinner with the two youngest children while James goes to his grandparents' house with the older three. It's the best plan for making everyone happy, but it's a lot more stress for me now that I have to plan a dinner.

Samantha started waking up again at night, which I knew would happen, but it still stinks. Less than 6 months till my sleep troubles are over! I find that with her (and it started with Lewis), I have a little trouble going back to sleep after the night feeding because I worry she'll wake up again even though she doesn't do that anymore. I also tend to have worse dreams and feel kind of sad when I get up and had interrupted sleep. Oh well. It's not serious, and it will pass. What has helped me in the past during winter is to work on projects, but having a small baby really limits that, and it's frustrating. This too shall pass. I'm glad to be feeling pretty good despite all these challenges.

More Sickness, Halloween

Kenny seemed fine on Friday, but I kept him home anyway. He ended up worse over the weekend and had lots of cramping - poor guy. He finally returned to school on Tuesday. Both Kenny and James got blessings on Sunday since Kenny was feeling so terrible and James has had trouble with a hoarse voice for about a month now. Not so good for teaching!

Everyone was feeling okay on Saturday, so we went to the Jensen Pumpkin Festival as we've done for the past 5 years, I think. The kids had a really good time, as always.

Sunday, James stayed home with Kenny and the two youngest since it's hard to take them while I'm in Primary. I could have taken Lewis, but...I was feeling lazy. We have yet to all go to church together and not have some disaster happen. Maybe November will be better!

We did a family home evening about trials, as demonstrated by bread dough. It was pretty fun to let the kids help punch the dough. I don't ever let it rise twice, so it was fun for me too.

Tuesday we had tithing settlement.

Wednesday was Halloween! We went to the ward trunk or treat. James and I did a date at home watching Jurassic Park and eating dino nuggets. Samantha was even happy while I handed out candy as long as I was bouncing her.

I'm taking my measurements once a month. Since delivering Samantha, I have lost 34 pounds and 29 inches! I'm right at the halfway point to meeting my goal. I wish that were true time-wise too. :)

It's still tough to have a little baby who needs to eat often and cries at inopportune times. However, the time is going by so quickly, 2 months already! I feel like the hardest part is definitely over because she isn't fussy very often and goes to bed about the same time every night. Even naps are kind of predictable. That makes my life a lot easier. I do love seeing her sweet smiles and sleeping all night, even if it might not last. I'm still crossing my fingers.

Blomquists, St. George, Illness

We had a really good time with Mara and Ricky. They went shooting and hunting with James in the morning while I chilled with the kids and made some apple pies. We all went out to lunch at McDonald's so the kids could play. Then, we rested while they were at the temple. I gave Ricky a haircut, we had dinner, and then Devin came over to play games. I didn't get to participate because Samantha was fussy and didn't go to bed easily.

Samantha's first Sunday at church was anything but smooth. She woke up 15 minutes after Sacrament meeting started and screamed. As I took her out, Lewis starting screaming because he wanted gum. While I was feeding her, I got milk all over my dress and had to send James home for a change of clothes. I was late to Primary because of it and I felt really scattered because of it. I think music went okay, though. Lewis pooped during Sunday School and as James was changing him, Lewis stuck his foot in the diaper and got it all over his sock. Samantha screamed all the way home from church, but other than that, everything was perfect. (insert sarcasm) We did have a peaceful afternoon. Mara and Ricky had to leave right after dinner to get back to Rexburg.

Samantha was cranky and hard to get to sleep both Sunday and Monday nights. It really was a bummer because I had to do a huge shopping trip for our trip and the week after (until the end of the month). I was exhausted both physically and mentally, but I made it. Little did I know that this week was just going to get harder...

Packing did go remarkably well on Tuesday. We arrived at the house in Hurricane around midnight with a few incidents of crying, but we only made two stops!

Our activities in St. George I will summarize or else this post will get really long.

Wed.: Red Hills desert garden (loved, tons of cool plants and scary Halloween decorations), Pioneer Park (would be better if we were hiking, but cool red rocks), lunch at Tonaquint Park (amazing! a whole complex of stuff), train ride at Thunder Junction Park (loved, also cheap), St. George Children's Museum (lots of fun, not crowded), carousel ride at Town Square Park, Judd's General Store (small, but nice, and delicious malts), dinner back at the house and then relaxing in the hot tub.

Thu.: Las Vegas! Natural History Museum (amazing Egypt exhibit), lunch at the Feast Buffet (totally delicious, really nice waiter), exploring the Bellagio (loved the fountains) and Caesar's Palace (cool show at the Atlantis fountain), Del Taco on the way back, really pretty drive (especially the small slice of Arizona).

Fri.: explored town square a bit (no tour of Brigham Young's home because I knew it would be too long)., took James to the Urgent Care, bought pizza for a late lunch, dropped James off at the hospital, cried a lot, ate dinner and put kids to bed, Melodie and Joseph arrived late to help out.

Sat.: Town Square for the Halloween festival, lunch, carousel ride (all of which were great), quick visit to James at the hospital, Thunder Junction Park (train ride, play time, splash park), showers at home, dinner, reading books with Grandma, movie after the kids went to bed.

Sun.: got everyone ready and was all set for 9:00 church, Lewis threw up, did laundry and church at home instead, James got home from hospital, lunch, went to the St. George temple and visitor's center, talked to family after dinner

Mon.: cleaned and did laundry, left for home

The amazing part is that we got ahead of schedule on Thursday, which actually meant we got to do some of the fun stuff twice (like the parks.) The only thing we didn't get to do, really, was go to Zion National Park, but I guess we'll save that for another trip. I loved being in St. George, despite the crappy hospital stay and Lewis getting sick. It's really a very pleasant area this time of year, not too hot or cold.

Other blessings: Samantha going to bed earlier (8 or 9) and EASILY and only waking up once. Out of nowhere, she started doing a 7-8 hour stretch for the first part of night! I have actually been pretty well-rested except for the first night when we got here really late.

Being near a big hospital with specialists! There is really good medical care here, so after the initial disappointment, I wasn't too worried about James's health.

This makes our unlucky streak of October/November continue for the 8th year of 10. Maybe our next family vacation will be less complicated? I sure hope so.

Since being home, it's back to normal except for a stomach bug running through the house. So far, it's affected Lewis, Joseph, and Kenny. I wish I could wave my magic wand and make everyone stay well forever! Thank goodness for disinfectant and washing machines.

6 Weeks

I can't believe I made it! I should say we, because Samantha has done lots of growing while I've been healing. I am so grateful that most days are pretty good. In a typical day, she takes 4 naps that range from 1 hour to 3 hours, and she's awake for about 1 1/2 hours (except before bedtime). She wakes up usually just once during the night, but bedtime varies greatly, anywhere from 8-10 p.m. She has fussy moments but is usually happy if she's been fed and isn't tired. Of course, both of those things take up a lot of my time - the feeding and trying to get her to sleep when she needs a little help. I am really grateful for the baby swing! It's a lifesaver! Things were simpler when I had just one baby, and I usually held him until he fell asleep. Now I can only really do that for bedtime because I have so much other necessary things to do to take care of everyone else. It somehow always works out, though, even though there are days where I feel like I'll never get it all done.

We watched General Conference all weekend. Needless to say, I am really grateful that we will only have 2 hours of church starting next year. I can't count how many times I prayed for my calling (Primary chorister) to get easier. Going to church has been a struggle for a long time because of having little kids who don't sit still. I get them ready by myself since James has meetings before church. I feel like this is an answer to my prayers on many levels. I will only teach singing time once now, and I won't have to feed Samantha every week during church. When she gets older, I won't have to at all! It was always impossible to make it through church before without a feeding (or even two) with my other babies, but now it will be much easier.

James stayed after on Monday, so we didn't see him much until almost 7 p.m. We watched Studio C for FHE.

Tuesday, I went to the dentist. It had been a rough morning, so I was actually excited to go. Sad, right? Haha.

Wednesday, I had parent-teacher conferences for Joseph and Kenny. Their teachers raved about them, as usual, which is always nice to hear. I'm really glad the boys love school so far.

Today, I had my 6-week postpartum check. I dropped the kids off at Claire's beforehand. Everything went ridiculously well. Samantha woke up to eat just in time to leave. The appointment was even shorter than expected, and I got a clean bill of health except for finishing up my iron supplement. I should be done taking it by the end of the year. Now, the two youngest are sleeping and I'll have a peaceful afternoon before going to the temple. Mara and Ricky are coming to visit this weekend. So exciting!

Bad Moments, Good Days

I have to remind myself that most days really aren't bad, at least not from start to finish. Yesterday was one of those. It started off fine and really was fine until 9 pm when Samantha got very cranky and wouldn't sleep. I tried everything, but she didn't go down until 11:30 pm. Considering that she's gone to bed around 9:30 for the past week, I wasn't happy. I even cried for the first time in about a week and a half. That's progress, though, right? Newborns make me feel like a bad mom sometimes just because of how unpredictable they are. My older kids have been on some sort of schedule for a long time now. Adding a new person in the mix is always hard.

We had practice for the Primary program on Saturday. It was really long but went well. I went shopping for a little while to get a few things that couldn't wait till this week. It was nice to get out of the house for a bit.

The program went exceptionally well on Sunday. The two-part songs sounded amazing, and the kids did their parts really well. We took up the perfect amount of time too. I'm so glad it's over because I've been stressing about it all year, literally. I got several compliments before I snuck out to go home and trade with James. It's our last week of fragmented church ever! Hurray!

James had parent-teacher conferences on Monday, so we didn't see him till almost bedtime. We had thought about meeting him somewhere, but we ended up staying home because I'd met my limit by then and Samantha was cranky.

Tuesday morning, I took the older three to the dentist. It went really well except for Lewis being a bit annoying to Samantha. She slept the whole time, and there was only one cavity among all three kids! I lost sleep over worrying about being on time, but I'm glad I chose morning. I saved probably 1.5 hours by combining all of them instead of trying to book separate afternoons.

Wednesday, Sis. Colton came to visit in the afternoon to see Samantha. She is my new VT/ministering companion. James took Joseph and Kenny to a matinee while I watched a princess movie with the younger three. Everything was fine until Samantha's bedtime, but I'm still alive.

Today I hope to rest a lot before going grocery shopping as soon as James get home from school. Maybe it's lame that it's my only "break" recently aside from going to the temple last week, but I don't care. It will do.

I'm still frustrated that my physical recovery isn't complete, but as I was praying this morning, I felt that it's more important to focus on my emotional/mental health and not stress so much about the rest of it. My physical health will follow in due time. I haven't been pushing myself too hard and definitely haven't done anything strenuous. I did have a baby last year too, though, and it's just harder to recover the 5th time. I can't just stop taking care of my other kids. In other words, the fact that I haven't recovered completely really isn't my fault, but it will  happen in due time. I'm still really hoping it does by next week when I go to my appointment!

Even Better

As we  head toward the one-month mark, I feel extremely grateful to have survived yet another month with a newborn. And my last time! I'm not sure what makes it the hardest: the physical healing, the lack of a schedule at first, getting used to having another person around, or the crazy emotions that run through my head. I have come to realize that there can be many "bad" (or stressful) moments, but the days are usually good. Things of note this week:

I took the older three kids to the ward party at Remember the Maine on Friday. It was a huge success. They were happy to play with friends, we had good food, and I got to socialize.

Saturday day was only okay. It dragged on and Samantha was a little cranky. James did mosquito abatement all day so we didn't see much of him. That night, James took Katie to the Homecoming dance for 45 minutes or so. It's their third year, but Katie was just as excited.

Sunday, I went to Primary since we are practicing for the program (and I'm the chorister). It went pretty well even though I got kind of tired by the end.

First family outing: FHE at the park with Taco Bell. It was a success. We also went to the library. Samantha was calm and happy the whole time except for the drive there. It made up for a kind of rough day I had earlier. I got really emotional when James didn't come home for lunch (teacher day). It was my only time crying this week, though!

I went to the temple on Tues. afternoon, made dinner, and then James took the older three kids to Pack Meeting. They had a great time, so I'm glad they went. Next month, we will all be able to go!

Samantha is official! We got everything squared away with insurance and have received her SS card and birth certificate. It always makes me a little nervous to wait for them to show up in the mail. I think she's going through a growth spurt today because she is fussy, eating a lot, and not sleeping a lot.  Hopefully that doesn't mean a bad night coming.

James has his last day of mosquito abatement today! That means much more family time, and starting right around when Samantha can actually go out of the house. It can be really tough to stay away from crowds for 4-6 weeks, but I think it makes me appreciate it even more when we can all go out together. The crazy part is that the other night when we went to our FHE, our Yukon was completely full. I feel lucky that we've been able to have these 5 kids. I no longer feel disappointed that we won't ever have any more, and I'm glad for that.

21 Days

Supposedly it takes 21 days to make a new habit. I think it also takes that long to get used to have a new person in the house. Things have dramatically improved over the past few weeks, especially in the last 7 days.

Samantha is now going to bed earlier, like 9 p.m. instead of 10 or 11. I had forgotten about my trick I used with Lewis, to wake him up if necessary at 7 p.m. to make sure he'd go to bed at a decent hour. I'm not trying to make bedtime earlier than that yet because she wakes up every 3 hours, which means 12ish and 3ish, then wake up for the day around 6, which works perfectly for me to make breakfast for everyone and I even get enough sleep! Well, 7 hours, which is pretty nice for now.

Her feedings have gotten MUCH faster. It used to take a whole hour for each feeding during the night, but we're down to 20 minutes now! I am so happy about this! I was worried that I was going to be a miserable zombie forever, but all of a sudden. she started eating much better and not just sipping and falling back asleep. I would put her back in bed, only to have her cry 10 minutes later because she was still hungry. She is also more alert during the day and stays awake for more than just eating. Her naps are also a bit more predictable, which I am also grateful for. I have been able to do a little sewing.

My recovery is going well. I had only one really crummy day this week where the baby blues hit hard. Overall, I am feeling pretty good and pretty happy. It will be a while before things are truly "normal" and on a real schedule, but for now I have adjusted to the unpredictable newborn life.

She's growing! We have an appointment today to check her weight since she wasn't growing too fast the first few weeks, but I'm confident she will check out all right. I can see she's starting to fill out a little bit. I moved her up to size 1 diapers and 0-3 months because the newborn jammies started getting small. That's a good sign and very good for my confidence.

We're still hanging out at home since she's 3 weeks old tomorrow, but things are going so much better. I can do this!

Better

Things are looking up. I always forget how frustrating it can be to have a newborn schedule to live by. I never know when I'm going to go to bed or wake up. Samantha is getting faster at eating during the night, though, so it only takes her 30 minutes if I can get her to stay awake long enough. If I don't, she wakes up 10 minutes after I put her in bed, long enough for me to get comfortable and warm again. (Face palm.) I'm sure she will continue to improve. For now, I'm scraping by on 6-7 hours of sleep and feeling 100 times better than I ever did while I was pregnant!

Myles and Carmel left last Friday for Rexburg, but not before the dryer broke again. Myles diagnosed it and had Dad send the parts, so James fixed it on Monday. Thank goodness. The laundromat nearby is awful and not at all maintained. Mom was an angel and took my stuff there to dry. She also make cookies and enough bread to keep us stocked for a few weeks. She left on Sunday to go back to NC after being here for 1 1/2 weeks. I'm really grateful for family. I think they were ready to go because the kids were driving them a little crazy.

We got the house all clean Sunday night just in time for James's mom and brother to come Monday. Everyone did FHE without me since I'm still under quarantine. I enjoyed the quiet time to just watch some TV and snuggle the baby. She was really hungry yesterday and probably going through a growth spurt. We finally got the internet fixed! It had been out  all weekend. Mom and I had to rely on old-fashioned DVD's while James was gone working at mosquito abatement.

Melodie brought apples for me to process, so I'm drying just one batch a day.

Tuesday, Melodie made pancakes in the morning while I tried to sleep in. No luck. I did get all the laundry done in my newly-fixed dryer, caught up on some blogging, and relaxed while Melodie took Joseph and Katie shopping. Joseph went to Scouts on a hike to McConkie Ranch (the petroglyphs).

Wednesday, Samantha had a doctor's appointment in the morning. She isn't growing super fast, but the doctor isn't too worried. I do have to go back in next week for a weight check. I hate that my kids are all so small. They eat a lot, but genetics just aren't on their side when it comes to being big and tall (apparently). James and I went to the temple in the afternoon. It was pretty nice to be there since it's been a while. I felt a lot of peace about my future with 5 kids. I'm starting to feel more confident now that the first two weeks are almost over, but it will take some time before I feel like a real person again.

Today, Melodie and Joseph left for home. I was feeling well enough to get the house completely in order except for the mopping. I'm still taking a break from deep cleaning for this month, but other than that, everything is CLEAN!

Mornings are still the toughest. Samantha's second feeding is often at 5 a.m. and since it takes 30 minutes and then James gets up at 6, it's terribly timed. I know it won't last forever, but in the moment, it's pretty darn frustrating. I do get frustrated by the quarantine thing too, but it will be over soon enough. I'm getting a little nervous about the Primary program at the end of the month since I've just been going to another ward's sacrament meeting and having James take the kids. I will need to go for the last few practices to make sure I know what the heck I'm doing and to calm my nerves.

New Baby

I was right, and the first night home was really rough. It took till 2 a.m. to get Samantha to sleep because I didn't have milk yet and she was hungry, but I didn't realize that at first. We gave her a bottle and she guzzled 1 oz. and then passed out for a few hours. I felt terrible that it took that long to realize that, but none of my other babies were that hungry on their first night at home.

The good things about this week: people here to help with cooking and cleaning and shopping, feeling much better than I did a week ago and almost off pain meds, no heartburn at all (unlike my last two deliveries where I had it for a month after), lots more energy than I've had all year, cute baby to snuggle, clean bill of health at her doctor's appointment, naps, getting more done than I thought I could at this point, feeling MUCH better emotionally than after having Lewis (mostly peaceful with occasional moments of feeling overwhelmed)

The not as good: Samantha is a very slow eater and takes an hour for her night feeding. That means not enough sleep for me. Lewis has been acting out a bit and a lot more rough with her than I'd anticipated, so it's hard not to push him away all the time because he won't cooperate and be soft with the baby. Katie has also been kind of annoying and won't stop pestering my family members for things. I'm ready to have the house to myself, but I'm also not, if that makes sense.

The next month will be tough no matter what. I know the kids will adjust, Samantha will grow and eat faster, and I will adjust to my role as mom of 5 instead of 4. I have already felt great peace about never having to do this again, so the nights spent awake trying to feed a sleepy baby keep getting better day by day. I know she won't be little forever, and it will probably go by much faster than even with the other kids.

God never left my side during this pregnancy even though there were many times I felt he did. I really feel like Alma, who declared that he felt exquisite joy but only after excruciating pain. It's not that I'll never feel pain again, but this particular pain is over, the pain of pregnancy and labor. I feel peaceful that God is happy with the sacrifices I've made to have 5 wonderful children.

Samantha Elizabeth Head

What a crazy few days it's been! James's family was here last Thursday - Saturday, and we did the usual hanging out, working, eating dinner, and playing games. Saturday night, we just relaxed because I was really tired. I made it through Sunday as well even though I wasn't feeling too great, as usual.

Monday and Tuesday were tough days for me. I tried to rest but also get ready to have a baby. James did mosquito abatement on Monday but not Tuesday because I needed the emotional support and the dryer was broken, so he took the wet clothes to the laundromat. Tender mercy: I was able to text Myles before he left NC, so he brought the parts with him and fixed it already.

Wednesday morning, I got a phone call saying that the hospital was full and I couldn't come in for my induction. I was crushed at first, but it ended up being an okay day. For one, I had some real contractions and cramping that kind of let me know I was ready for this anyway. I prayed for months to know if induction was the right option for me because it is often seen as selfish or convenient, but I came to know that it's something I needed to do.

We went in Thursday morning at 7 a.m., so I was at 40 weeks and 2 days. Pitocin started around 8:00 and I settled in. It actually wasn't as painful as I remembered, but I made very little progress at first (starting off at 3 cm and 25%). I did some walking around the break up the monotony, but it didn't help much with progression. The doctor broke my water around 4:30 and then it really started to hurt. I got an epidural around 6:00. That's when things got a little crazy. The baby moved back up a bit and didn't like the stronger contractions, so it started affecting her heart rate negatively. Basically what it came down to was trying to give me enough Pitocin to have productive enough contractions without stressing out the baby. I had been up to 18 units, almost the maximum dose, before my water was broken but they had to start over with no Pitocin to see how much she'd tolerate. I think it was back up to 4-5 units, and that was enough to keep things going.

I actually felt all right through this. At one point, we weren't sure if a C-section was a possibility or not, but it never came to that. (Not like with Lewis where I got wheeled to the OR!) I was reasonably comfortable with the epidural but bored and sleepy. I started feeling crummy as time went on, but I never asked for more medication because for whatever reason I didn't need it this time. At 2:30 AM, I felt like it was time to push, and it was. They got things set up and called the doctor, but he didn't make it in time to catch Samantha. Pushing was so much better than with Lewis. It was more like intense pressure that wouldn't quit until she was born, unlike the excruciating pain I felt with him. I didn't feel like dying, but I did want her out as soon as possible.

Samantha Elizabeth Head was finally born at 2:57 AM on August 31st, 2018. She was 20.5 inches long and weighed 7 lbs., 11 oz., the exact size of her sister! She didn't want to breathe on her own at first, but after ventilating her a bit and putting her on some oxygen, she was fine. She got weaned off the oxygen after she was about 12 hours old and has had no setbacks since.

I felt pretty yucky right after her birth until I got some sleep, but since then, things have improved greatly. The family came to meet her in the afternoon. She has mostly been asleep for the past few days but is starting to wake up more to eat. I always dread the first night at home - tonight. We came home this morning. It was incredibly refreshing not to be stuck there for 5 days. Though the birth was stressful and really long, I still feel like it worked out like it was supposed to. I don't plan on doing it ever again, and this birth experience definitely didn't change my mind on that! Even a "good" birth is still really hard, and there are still the next few emotional weeks to come.

My family is here to help me (Mom, Carmel, Myles, Nash) for varying amounts of time, and James's family will come for a few days after that.

I can do this, but not alone.

Almost There

I had a pretty grouchy weekend. No matter how much I rested or stayed away from other people, I felt yucky. James did lure me from the house for some Italian ice, and it was delicious. I really wanted some sushi, but there wasn't any to be found, so I ended up with some pasta from the same place. It was kind of a shame to pay for that because I can make good pasta for almost  nothing.

The boys started school on Monday! So far they really seem to like it. We've had a crazy week, though. James did mosquito abatement Mon. and Wed. and Joseph had Scouts on Tue. We had to cram in grocery shopping, especially since lots of people will be visiting over the next few weeks, so James did half on Tue. with the kids while I was at my appointment and I did the other half yesterday. I also put the kids to work and had  them mop the floors in addition to all the other stuff they normally do. They weren't thrilled with the extra chores, but I hurt too much to do them myself.

My BP was borderline but not considered high anymore, so my doctor isn't too worried. The swelling in my feet even went down enough so I don't look totally gross anymore. I also lost a few pounds! However, I feel like my entire pelvis is going to crack open. There is simply no comfortable way to exist right now, not standing, sitting, or lying down. Transitioning from one to another is also quite painful. My energy level is about normal for the last week of pregnancy, but my pain is definitely greater than it's ever been (outside of labor). No amount of rest makes it go away. I'm so glad there are only 6 days left of this torture.

James's family arrives today and stays through Saturday. One more blog post till I have this baby! (Unless I don't get to it because she's early, but I'm not putting any money on that!)

Bad News and Good News

The bad (but not terrible) news first:

My BP is a little elevated, so I have to put my feet up a lot, increase my water intake, and decrease my salt intake. That means no favorite snacks except for ice cream. James just brought me back a giant bag of Doritos from Costco that I won't be able to touch. That makes me sad. My feet are also permanently swollen despite my efforts to put them up and relax. I haven't been eating much due to decreased appetite, but the swelling has made me put on 10 lbs. beyond where I thought I'd be now. :(

Good news: I officially have a scheduled induction for the 29th. My dr. offered me as early as the 21st (at 39 weeks) but I took the last day he has available before leaving on a trip. I do think my babies need the full 40 weeks, but not longer than that. The ones who stayed in a few days longer were ALL malpositioned somewhat. On the 29th I will be 1 day past my due date. (The most recent research actually shows that 39-week inductions are favorable over waiting it out, but since my early ultrasound suggested a possible due date of September 2, I am safely in the optimal 39-41 week range no matter what!) I am a little terrified to think of how soon this is coming up - less than 2 weeks! but I'm about as prepared as I can be at this point.

Other news: Didn't do anything over the weekend except go to a few yard sales. I was almost too tired for that. I guess I did cut everyone's hair too.

Monday, we had a neighborhood party that was really fun. The kids love to run around in the Allreds' yard.

Tuesday, James took Katie to his cousin's wedding. The boys and I had a relaxing day at  home.

Last night, Katie and I went to a training for Upstart, her online preschool. We'll start today. It takes 15 minutes day, 5 days a week, which sounds pretty reasonable to me. She seems really excited about it. Aside from having a baby soon, there aren't any kids on our street starting Kindergarten next year with her, so no chance for joy school like the boys had.

Today, James started school. The boys get to meet their teachers this afternoon. Kenny has the same teacher as in Kindergarten and Joseph has Mrs. DeCamp, the wife of the guy who runs D.I. I heard she's the best 3rd grade teacher, so that makes me happy.

One day at a time. I think I'll sit down and plan out the next few weeks, plus make a schedule for the days I'll be at the hospital. There isn't much left to do, but I'm still a little stressed just thinking about it all.

Rexburg Reunion

Things went very smoothly, and there's a lot to tell, so I'll just summarize. We did a Princess Bride theme this year.

Thurs.: my doctor's appointment (no problems), lunch at Costco, James's dental appointment which went well and very quickly, arrival in time for dinner in Rexburg

Fri.: Buttercup crowns and Dread Pirate Roberts masks as well as new foam swords (boppers), visit to Rigby Lake and the shrieking eels, dinner by Angie's boyfriend and chef Gage who made lots of seafood

Sat.: making cake pops at Miracle Max's; concert in Firth for Anna and Grandpa Lee which involved free pony rides, ice cream, and (not free) delicious tamales; dinner with the Lees (storming the castle)

Sun.: church, family picture, Swedish pancakes with everyone and Mara and Ricky

Mon.: Green Canyon and pizza (fire swamp), Head grandparents'  house for the rest of the day (storm the castle 2)

Tues.: Bear World, shooting for the guys (brute squad), relaxing at home

Wed.: travel home (ride away on white horses), Sugarhouse Park with Kenneth and Myra at lunchtime, cranky children, final rest once the house cooled off

Thu.: errands to the doctor's office, library for summer reading prize, and school to complete registration stuff, grocery store later

Some things that happened every day: kids helped milk the goats (farm boy) read with Grandpa, board games (battle of wits) during which I usually talked to Jesse or Melodie

I'm really tired and have swollen feet, but I'm going to make it through these next few weeks. My schedule will get turned upside down twice, but I will live!

Belcher Bash, Splash Park, Bobcat, Swollen Feet

We left early Saturday morning for the Belcher Bash in Heber. I drove the Highlander while James drove the kids in the Yukon. It would have been a better drive if I didn't have so many Braxton Hicks contractions that made me have to stop for the bathroom. We sold the Highlander to James's parents, so we are now down to 2 cars again. The actual reunion was fun, but really grueling. There were games, an auction, delicious brunch and lunch (so I wasn't too hungry for either, but oh well), and people to talk to. I wasn't very social because I started feeling terrible by noon as it started getting hot. Due to riding in the car again all afternoon, my feet swelled up and looked really disgusting. They have almost returned to normal by today, but we leave for Rexburg tomorrow, so I have a feeling they're going to look gross again.

We spent our last park day (Tuesday) at the splash park in Naples. The older 3 really loved it, but Lewis never even got wet. He is the child that hates water in his face, so it makes sense. It was still pretty funny. He spent the hour walking around the perimeter of the splash park and staying far away from any water.

Joseph got his Bobcat badge at Pack Meeting last night. It's the second one we've been to, and it was also outside. I'm not a fan of doing anything outside when it's hot, even if it's in the shade. Hopefully by next Pack Meeting (my due date) I will have a good reason to take a break. I'm certainly crossing my fingers!

Today is packing and cleaning day. I hate it. I started hurting around 8:30 a.m. but still have a long way to go. The laundry is done, but everything else is trashed. James will have to help a lot when he gets home because I'm just not going to be able to do it.

We both have appointments tomorrow. Mine is at 9 with my OB, and his is at 2 in South Jordan, a followup for his tooth implant.

I just really hate travel. I've been dreading this trip all summer, and my experience with swollen feet from last weekend (and the fact that they're still not back to normal!) has made me really worried. Plus, I just don't like socializing much these days. I hope this is worth it.

Pioneer Day, Low Iron

We took it easy over the weekend and didn't do much. James worked in the yard some. It was nice that everyone got to go to church since no one is currently ill!

We had a holiday Tuesday, Pioneer Day. To me it always feels like another 4th of July, and this one was no exception. We went to the Scout breakfast and thought about the parade, but James decided to take the kids "into the wild" to build a hideout while I went grocery shopping. One more trip till I turn things over to James! It's really hard to find the energy to trek through Walmart for an hour and a half. During the afternoon, they all went over to play games with the Boyles and Scows. Lewis and I took a nap.

I had an appointment yesterday and found out that my iron is a little low and I'll need to supplement. It's such a bummer because I was really faithful about taking my prenatal vitamins and had just finished what I thought would be the last of them. I looked at the bottle and realized that never had any iron in them. Oops. I have a lot working against me...

1. Having a baby last year and not faithfully taking prenatals during that pregnancy.
2. Getting pregnant again while nursing.
3. Not taking any iron this time around...oops.
4. Not eating a super healthy diet.
5. Taking an acid reducer 2x a day.

I guess I should be grateful that it hasn't happened sooner. There's nothing to worry about as long as I get my pills and take them. I hope they don't make me feel horrible. Iron has a bad reputation for that. Oh well. This will be over soon.

Last night I was in enough pain to actually take a bath. It really helped! I'm glad there are usually solutions to deal with all these annoying problems. I'm looking forward to when it doesn't take so much work to simply not hurt. Soon. I am seriously considering getting induced since my doctor will be going out of town from 40w3d until I am past 41w. Whether I go into labor on my own or not, I still end up on the maximum amount of Pitocin. But we shall see.

So Tired, HFMD?

I'm at the point now where something always hurts. It's usually my back or feet. Yesterday I sat on ice packs for 3 hours to recover from mopping the kitchen floor. Sad day. These past 7 1/2 months have been incredibly difficult and are not getting any easier.

Saturday, we went to the library and checked out the craft fair. It's always too expensive to actually buy anything, but it's fun to look around.

Joseph started getting blisters on his hands and complaining about itchy feet. I think I finally came to the conclusion that everyone in the family (except for me) had HFMD over the past few weeks, since Lewis's fever. It's weird that they all had different symptoms and we never did have an official diagnosis, but it makes sense for everyone to have had the same virus, not three different ones.

James - the whole deal with fever; blisters on hands, feet, and face

Joseph - headache, blisters on hands, itchy feet

Kenny - one small sore near his nose/mouth, runny nose

Katie - several sores near her nose/mouth, runny nose

Lewis - fever that lasted a week

me - NOTHING!

I guess I'll never know for sure, but I'm glad it's all over.

Aside from getting over illness, it's been another routine week. Summer has been challenging for me because of my low energy, but I think the kids are still having fun and not totally rotting their brains. (They read every day!) It should be a pretty relaxing weekend - no real plans, but that's okay because we have a holiday on the 24th, reunion on the 28th, and another reunion from the 2nd - 9th of August. The rest of the summer is really going to fly by.

A Calm(er) Week

So...James got sick on Friday. He left work early due to a fever and spent the rest of the day in bed or on the couch sleeping. He then got a terrible rash on  his feet, hands, and a little on his face. It looked like the blisters from HFMD, but two doctors (his dad and internist) said they didn't think so. Who knows? It's getting better now.

Saturday, James had to work in the morning. We went to dinner during the evening after I went bra shopping. Yeah, a necessary evil when the others are too small or have underwires poking through.

We were all well enough for church Sunday, which was nice. Lewis has been going to nursery a little early. Technically, he doesn't turn 18 months until the first week in August.

We had FHE with Cherissa and Tayson on Monday.

The rest of the week has been pretty routine, which is nice. Lewis threw up the other night but has apparently made a full recovery. I'm really crossing my fingers that everyone stays well. I think we've had one 3-week streak with no sickness this year, and that's it! The rest of the time we've been alternating colds, tummy bugs, and then Lewis's strange virus. I'm ready for it to be over!

Joseph's Baptism, Visitors

We had quite the busy week! I have notes this time so I can remember it all.

Thu.: Heads arrived, pizza for dinner, games.

Fri.: Doctor's appointment, prepped food for the baptism, Phenix parents arrived in afternoon, kids swam at hotel pool with the Heads, family dinner, games at the hotel (James), Phenix siblings arrived.

Sat.: The baptism! family lunch afterward, naps and games, dinner, hanging out and talking.

Sun.: Church with the family, lunch, naps and hanging out, dinner, Phenix siblings left, episode of When Calls the Heart.

Mon.: Weekly deep cleaning, lunch with parents, naps and hanging out, anniversary dinner with James while Phenix grandparents babysat, ice cream at Coldstone with surprise song and a dozen roses, episodes of When Calls the Heart.

Tue.: Dad replaced 6 outlets while we were at the park, stopped at neighbor's house and parents bought us some beef, lunch, naps, dinner, temple with Mom, no Internet.

Wed.: James and kids went to the parade, Dad replaced 2 doorknobs and checked out the Highlander for problems, lunch, naps, big 4th of July dinner with all the good stuff, parents left for Salt Lake, put the house back together, still no Internet.

Thu.: Back to the usual.

Two things I am especially grateful for:

1. All the events leading up to, during, and after the baptism went very smoothly. Joseph looked very peaceful when he came out of the water. It was perfect in so many ways.

2. Lewis finally recovered from his nasty virus. He was sick for a whole week! I really love that little boy and am so glad to have him back even though it means huge messes and lots of mischief.

I think the next week will be a little calmer.

Movie, Sickness

Instead of movie night on Friday, we took the kids to the theater to see the Incredibles 2. They all really enjoyed it. Lewis even did all right and didn't throw too much popcorn on the floor. I don't think we've ever gone to a full-price movie with the kids before (since we don't often ourselves), but it's nice to know that we can afford it even though it's a splurge.

Lewis started getting sick on Monday with a low fever. By Tuesday, his fever was 103, so I took him in to the doctor. James traded with me, so I went home with all the kids. The doctor said it was a virus of some sort and to just wait it out and give medicine when he got miserable.

Tuesday night was the most miserable for the poor little guy. He hadn't had medicine for a while, so his fever spiked to 104. We gave him ibuprofen and James gave him a blessing. He slept well for the rest of the night and for several hours on Wednesday. When we was awake, he wanted to be held by James or me and not near anyone else. He didn't eat but drank lots of milk and had some popsicles.

I managed to squeeze in a big shopping trip last night. Hopefully I won't need to go to Walmart again for 2 weeks! The cart was overflowing thanks to all the extra food we need for guests.

Today, Lewis is doing a lot better. He has no fever while on ibuprofen (so far) and is even playing outside. He's been grumpy but has actually been eating. Here's to hoping the fever doesn't come back. I'm thinking a full recovery by tomorrow.

Our guests start arriving today, starting with James's family around 4. James just told me he took tomorrow off. Hurray! That relieves a lot of my stress. If I can make it through today, I can make it through the weekend because I'll have tons of help. Plus, Joseph is getting baptized!

Paddle Fest, Parties, Baptism Prep

James and I went on a date last Thursday to a nice dinner, then Vernal Excitement. It's an outdoor sort of craft fair with free music. It was really hot, but it was fun to look around.

We had a great time at Paddle Fest on Saturday. Basically, Red Fleet Reservoir lets you use all the kayaks, boats, etc. for free. We got there early, so no crowds, and went out on a pedal boat. Today is the first day my legs don't ache! James even brought popsicles in a Thermos for us to eat as a snack. Otter Pops have really saved me this summer. When I am really really hot, they help cool me off faster than anything. I think the kids enjoyed the boat ride because they didn't have to do any real work.

We went to a birthday party for Alex (James's friend Devin's son) who was turning 3. It was a big party that included dinner, a bounce house, and a pinata. It was especially nice to talk to two other women who have 5/6 kids about the challenges of doing pregnancy so many times.

Sunday, James took some nice pictures of the kids so I'd have one of Joseph for the baptism program. I emailed the Primary president all the details. We are just about ready for this to happen!

Monday, we did a little talent show for family home evening. The kids were SO excited. It was really cute to see what they came up with.

Tuesday, we went to our ward party. There was lots of fun games for the kids, so we hardly saw them. I had fun but got really hot by the end and took a while to recover. I'm so glad my house has central air AND ceiling fans.

Joseph had his baptismal interview on Wednesday night. I still can't believe he gets baptized in less than two weeks!

The rest of the week should be pretty low-key, just the normal fun stuff we do. I need to conserve my energy for next Thursday through the following Thursday when we have tons of guests. Just the thought of it makes me feel even more tired than I already am, and that's saying something!

The Fair, Day Camp

I feel like I need to write more often than once a week. It's hard to remember what happened even last weekend!

The kids really enjoyed the fair on Thursday. We got there a little early and did the candy drop, the Little Red Barn, and then looked around. It was hot, so it took me a few hours under the fan to cool off.

We had pizza and family movie night on Friday. The kids really seemed to like National Treasure. Their reactions are always so funny.

Saturday morning, we went to the fair again. We looked at all the exhibits, the animals from Scales and Tails (not the actual show, because it's way too long), and did the Little Red Barn again. We then stopped at Walgreen's for a giant bag of cough drops. Pretty much everyone has had a cold this past week. I felt especially awful on Friday night and Saturday. Things have gotten better since then, but I'm more exhausted than normal and have an even harder time breathing. Ugh.

Sunday was normal, even down to the fact that I wake up feeling terrible and not wanting to go to church, but once I get there, I feel okay. Getting up and doing the music is probably good for me. Sitting for a long time always makes me feel worse.

Monday, Cherissa and Tayson came for dinner and FHE.

Tuesday, Joseph went to Cub Scout day camp. I think he had a really good time. I took Katie to the dentist, so I think we're in the clear for at least the rest of summer with appointments, except for me, of course.

I had my appointment Wednesday morning. It took 3 tries to get a babysitter, but I finally did! Everything looks good. I am healthy, just fatter than I'd normally be. James volunteered to go shopping for me, so I accepted. He ran out of cart space, so the kids and I will pick up the last 10 things today after the library.

I feel like the summer is going both fast and slow. I feel like we have a good balance of work, fun, and rest, but I'm still so tired no matter what we do. I am really glad for air conditioning. Keeping cool has been much easier than my pregnancy with Katie. (That was miserable!) We  have enough hot days to require AC to be comfortable. It is nice that it gets so cool at night. We always open the windows. The lame thing is that my hips are starting to ache when I sleep on one side for too long, so I have to roll over, and that is a process! I'll live.

I really don't want to go past my due date, especially not into September since our insurance resets, but for now I plan on waiting to go into labor on my own unless I or the doctor feel strongly otherwise. I just hate not knowing. I like to have things planned out!

Head Reunion

We ended up leaving Friday around 1 for the reunion. The trip was mostly smooth, but there was a lot of traffic in Salt Lake due to a wreck, so that slowed us down by at least 40 minutes. Kenny and I both felt pretty carsick with all the stop and go. We finally made it to Albion around 8:30 and got the kids to bed by 9. Not bad for having to lug a bunch of stuff upstairs and make the beds. We hung out by the fire for poetry and eventually went to bed. I slept terrible.

The next day was really fun despite my exhaustion. I did yoga, concrete handprints with the kids, and then had lunch. I took a nap after lunch and missed most of the auction, but we still got a few awesome things. The kids went swimming in the afternoon with James. After dinner, we did a Q&A with Grandma and Grandpa, which was really interesting. We then had a discussion about marriage with the other adults, put the kids to bed, watched a talent show, and had s'mores. We stayed up a bit later talking to people.

Sunday was clean up and leave. We stopped for church in Declo and headed home. The drive seemed longer even though it wasn't. (No traffic this time.) Once home, I unpacked everything, fed everyone dinner, and relaxed the rest of the day. It was worth the trip, but it was just as grueling as I thought it'd be.

Monday, we did a simple FHE.

Tuesday, Joseph had a birthday party for his friend Jackson, his first day of Cub Scouts and I went to a visiting teaching interview. Everything went smoothly even though things overlapped a bit. Sis. Hill came over to talk to Joseph and us about baptism and what we need to do to get him ready. I can't believe that's coming up in just a few weeks!

Wednesday, I went to the hospital for my free 3D ultrasound. It was really cool to see baby girl's cute little face. It looks like she has the same lips as Kenny and Lewis and the same cute button nose as all the other kids. James found a basketball hoop for the kids for free! They love playing with it so far.

Today is the first day of the fair! We're planning on going at least twice over the next 3 days.

I am officially in my 3rd trimester as of Tuesday/Wednesday. I am excited but also just exhausted.

I think I mentioned that the kids have a fun summer schedule, but I don't know if I wrote about it yet. We will do these things every week unless we're out of town.

Mon.: play with the hose in the sandbox, FHE

Tue.: go to the park, date with a kid

Wed.: sidewalk chalk, library and D.I.

Thu.: library activity, date night

Fri.: bubbles, movie night

Sat.: outdoor adventure

Sun.: church, board games

First Week of Summer, Joseph's Birthday

School officially ended for Kenny last Thursday and for Joseph and James on Friday. I went to Kenny's program and sacrificed both my and Lewis's naps. It was tough because I had a headache for the rest of the day, but I survived. James brought home Chinese food for lunch on Friday to celebrate.

We watched the first Harry Potter movie on Friday since Joseph just finished the book. I'm glad that he loves to read.

Saturday, we went to a few yard sales, but no luck, and then went exploring in the woods near Steinaker. I stayed in the car because I was too tired. James went shooting in the afternoon while I rested.

Sunday was normal. I found a sub for the music this coming Sunday! That is a hard thing to accomplish. Not many people like or want to do music for Primary. (Heck, I didn't when they called me, and I still struggle to want to go to Church every Sunday.)

Monday, James didn't have work, but he had to finish up some stuff at school. The kids and I worked hard at home to clean up the house and yard. James went fishing during my nap. We let the kids play with the hose in the sandbox for FHE and had cookies.

Tuesday, we went to the park. I took Kenny out for his little pizza from Book It.

Wednesday, Joseph turned 8! He got a new bike, a Harry Potter video game and jelly beans, a scripture journal, and additional money that he'll get to spend today when I go grocery shopping. I made a lemon-lime pound cake. I though it was all right, but I always prefer chocolate. The kids played with bubbles in the afternoon.

Today: doctor's appointment for Joseph and Kenny, library activity, and grocery shopping after dinner.

I am almost in the 3rd trimester, and I can tell. My tiredness has kicked up a notch in the past week. My feet hurt more than they did. I also can't sleep past 5:30 a.m. because I get kicked a lot. I would be lying if I said I enjoyed it. I really haven't enjoyed anything about this pregnancy except for the prospect of a new baby. I've had some good moments but very few good days, and the good days I did have seem to have been replaced by tons of anxiety about everything coming up this summer. First stressor: this weekend's family reunion. I'm worried I'll forget something, that the room we're in won't have a bathroom, and that someone will make a rude comment about either my size or Lewis's size. I also dread the 6 hour drive there. I dread how much more tired I'll be because of having to chase kids up 3 flights of stairs, interact with 80 people when I'd rather be alone, and share a room with all the kids. I don't sleep well anyway, so being away from home makes it that much worse.

This will be our 8th time going to a family reunion. I have been to 1 reunion that was more fun than stressful. 2010: I had a small baby, and people always give crappy advice. 2011: I had a toddler and was pregnant, and James wasn't there for the first day or two. 2012: Small baby again. 2013: Pregnant with a toddler again. 2014: Small baby who had an ear infection and cried the WHOLE TIME. 2015: Actually super fun! 2016: Just had hand surgery and had a splint, so I had to do everything one-handed (and not with my dominant hand!) Also, pregnant. 2017: Didn't go because James had a hurt leg and needed to heal. Got guilt tripped constantly for the next month. 2018: Pregnant with a toddler.

I can't wait to be done with pregnancy.

New Car, New Schedule

We got the car! It's a 2001 Yukon XL Denali, or in other words, an older, slightly beat up, big SUV. We were able to pay cash, which is exactly why James has been looking for cars for several months. It takes time to find an older car with relatively low miles. I went in on Friday to register and title it. Despite a long (45 minute) wait at the DMV, I got home in plenty of time for the boys to come home from school.

Friday, James and I went on a date to dinner and then to a board game group. It was really fun, but I felt super crummy from eating too much at dinner.

Saturday, he took the kids to Little Brush Creek cave while I went to a women's conference. I really don't have any big problems! The women who spoke were dealing with challenges like stillbirth, drug addiction, eating disorders, mental illness and death of a spouse, and wayward children. I have nothing to complain about! It was a very inspiring meeting. James worked in the afternoon, hopefully the last time he will have to on a Saturday!

Sunday, we were all well and went to church together for the first time in 3 weeks.

Monday, we had FHE with Cherissa and Tayson. I did a lesson on setting goals and made a weekly schedule for fun things for the kids to do each day. We will have a very general morning and afternoon activity for each day of the week so they have something to look forward to. I am not planning on being outside unless I have to be, so no hikes. I feel extra tired when I'm too hot, and the summers here are killer! I know it's dry heat, but 100 degrees is still hot, and it goes over 100 every single summer.

Tuesday, James worked till really late, so the kids and I just hung out. They play outside a ton, and Lewis loves to join them. The house is a little quieter and cleaner when everyone's outside.

Yesterday, James took the kids to his school and the library so I could have a little alone time. It was really nice.

Today is the last day I have to walk Kenny to the bus stop and the last day I have to babysit Jonah. Hurray! I'm ready to just be responsible for my own kids. Also, walking to the bus midday is a huge pain. I am grateful for half day Kindergarten. I think it's more age-appropriate than a full day. The Kindergarten program is this afternoon, so hopefully I don't suffer too much from skipping both my and Lewis's naps.

I'm working on my last sewing/craft project for a while, a rag rug. I should be done by the second week in June even if I take it slow. My main projects for the summer will be staying cool and cooking some new recipes. We always have to try new stuff after a while because we get tired of the old. Being pregnant is not helpful. My fatigue seems to be getting worse and I am now heavier than I've ever been in my life, but I am going to make it!

Finally Better, I Think

Last Thursday, it was Katie's turn to throw up. She seemed fine until Saturday, and then she threw up again and missed church. Kenny gladly gave her talk in Primary.

I went in for my glucose test Friday morning and I passed! I didn't even come close to failing, which is surprising. I'm fatter than I've ever been, so I thought for sure I'd fail. I've come close 3/4 times and had to retest for 2/4 pregnancies to get a passing score.

We went to the Dino "soar" festival on Friday and Saturday. There were hot air balloons, vendors and bounce houses at the library, and free admission to the dinosaur museum. We also went out for dinner on Friday night. It was a lot of fun to spend time with the family.

James worked on Saturday after repairing our sprinkler system. The grass is finally starting to turn green now. Our neighbor's lawn is picture perfect because they take really good care of it. We are both too tired and don't care enough to even try to keep up. Not this year, anyway.

Sunday, I had a pretty good Mother's Day even though Katie, James and Lewis stayed home. I think the kids did pretty well with their song in Sacrament meeting even though it was kind of quiet. James kept the house clean, and I got lot of goodies and some movies.

Monday, we had a really good FHE. We did giant bubbles, turned on the sprinklers, and worked on teaching the kids to ride a bike without training wheels. Joseph picked it up immediately! We're still working on Kenny, and I hope to also teach Katie this summer. James fixed up the bike and got helmets for the kids. I'm so happy that Joseph learned so quickly. I was feeling like a huge slacker for not teaching him before. Maybe it's like potty training, where if you wait longer it's a lot easier to do.

James worked mosquito abatement Tuesday, so I took the kids to Kenny's open house at his school. I think it went well. The rest of the day was tough because I felt extra tired and drained.

Wednesday, I also felt really drained, but I pushed on through and went grocery shopping after dinner. I found out I have babysitting 5 of the 6 days left of school, so I wasn't thrilled about that because it was sort of last minute, but oh well. It's almost over. James had the kids in bed and the house clean when I got back, so that was amazing!

I'm feeling a bit better today. We are looking at a car to buy, and so far I actually feel peaceful about it. Every other car has made me feel really stressed and terrible. Maybe this one will actually work out. We will see.

Even More Sickness

Poor Lewis also had an ear infection when the doctor checked him out. Poor little guy is feeling a lot better already, though. He perked up a lot by afternoon and was back into mischief.

We had a good visit with Nash. He and James went shooting and he made some croissants. They were really yummy even though the bottoms burned. I blame my oven. Gas ovens just aren't as good. Nash actually left around 8 p.m. to keep driving. I started feeling really yucky.

By Friday afternoon, I felt awful. I ended up throwing up a couple times. James got home a bit before bedtime, which was great because I felt too weak to do anything.

Saturday, he went shopping for me so I could recover. I barely ate because I had little to no appetite, but I started feeling a lot better by dinner. He worked mosquito abatement in the afternoon while I slept.

Sunday, I felt well enough to go to church. James didn't, so he stayed home with Lewis since he can't go to Primary with me and still isn't old enough for nursery.

Monday, Joseph stayed home from school because he wasn't feeling well. He never did throw up. I put him to work so I could catch up on some things that didn't get done when I was sick. We had a good FHE.

Tuesday, James worked mosquito abatement, so we didn't really see him.

Wednesday, I went to the open house for the new women's center at the hospital. It looks awesome! I almost cried when I saw the new NICU. I really hope I don't have to go through that this time.

Today I have a doctor's appointment. Hopefully that goes well. I'll have to do the glucose tolerance test really soon. I'm worried I'll fail because I always feel crummy if I eat a big meal or anything sugary. My heartburn is starting to keep my awake at night if I don't stay on top on the drugs. Pregnancy is the worst sometimes.

I finally a couple of small sewing projects and one big one, the latch hook rug. It took forever to get the binding in the mail, but it was really easy to finish. It's hanging in my dining room. Time to take a break from sewing for a while since I'm out of material, but I do have one more rug to make when I feel like it.

Heads Visit, Sickness Again

The Heads got here on Thursday, so everyone except for me went on a hike to Moonshine Arch. I made dinner for the people staying home, and the adults went out to dinner. I like mine okay, but I always prefer Chinese. :) We played some games when we got home.

Friday, we hung out during the day and the kids went swimming at the hotel while Lewis and I napped. We met up with the Tidwells (Rex's first cousin) at Remember the Maine park for a cookout. It was a lot of fun! The kids got to meet and play with some of their third cousins.

Saturday we hung out in the morning until everyone left around 11. We went to a couple of yard sales, but no luck. I don't remember the rest of the day, so I guess not much happened.

Sunday after Church, Kenny started throwing up. He didn't keep anything down until that evening, but nothing ended up on the floor, thank goodness.

Monday, we had FHE at McDonald's because it was cold and windy, which ruined our park plans. We then had the kids pick out treats for dessert.

Tuesday, James worked mosquito abatement, so we didn't see him till late.

Wednesday, he had a meeting after school and we went straight to the movie theater for our date. We saw the new Avengers movie. It was very long and kind of depressing.

And today was supposed to be stressful already, and Lewis just threw up all over the carpet. That means no wedding for me tomorrow and probably not the kids. Nash is possibly coming to visit. I warned him about the puking baby, so I don't know if he will still come or not. I have to take Lewis to the doctor already this afternoon. If Nash comes, I don't get a nap.

Not going to the wedding is okay, or at least I will get over it. I have been extremely stressed about it all week. Last time I went on a trip, I hurt for a week afterward. I just didn't want to be dealing with puke again. Every time we deal with a bug like this, no one throws up for enough days that I get overconfident and think everyone is well. I shouldn't say that until it's been 10 days. Baking soda and scented candles will be my best friends today.

Another Busy Week

Thursday night, James worked mosquito abatement, so the kids and I just hung out. He didn't work Friday afternoon due to bad weather, so we still did our family movie night.

Saturday morning, he worked while the kids and I did some small projects at home. The weather was nice enough for them to play outside a lot of the day. James got home in time for us to switch off going to stake conference meetings.

We had stake conference on Sunday too, and we decided to sit in a room with video, not just audio. It worked great because the kids were able to color and move around a little without distracting anyone, and James and I were able to fully listen. It's just easier with video. I felt really crummy during the first half and was almost ready to go home, but I made it through.

We had a simple FHE on Monday. James worked mosquito abatement Tuesday and Wednesday this week, so I was alone till about 8:00 both nights. Tues. went smoothly and Wed. did until bedtime. I overreacted to the kids being late getting home, so there were some tears at bedtime. I know they have forgiven me by now, but I still felt really terrible. I hate being grouchy all the time, but it's really hard to be happy when you just don't feel good. Ever.

Heartburn is really killing me this week, along with blood sugar spikes after breakfast. I've been working on eating smaller meals more often even though I hate doing that. It really helps. I hope I don't test positive for gestational diabetes. That will be coming up in a few weeks.

The Heads are coming to visit today through Saturday, so that should be fun.

I finished my hummingbird latch hook rug! I felt like it was time to work harder to get it done. All I have to do it wait for the trim to sew on the edge and then I'll hang it up in my room as a reminder that I can do things that first seem impossible. I always have a great sense on accomplishment after finishing a big, time-consuming project, and this one is no exception. I have a few other small projects in mind and one more rug, but after that I'm going to have to come up with things to do. Challenge accepted. I never run out of projects for long.

Mosquito Abatement, Phenix Visit

Saturday actually went all right with James gone. We started off the morning by thoroughly cleaning up the yard and car, which hadn't been vacuumed all winter. It was so gross! We then ran an errand to Walmart for a few odd items and then had lunch at McDonald's, always a kid favorite. No matter how healthy I've been (which is not the case recently), I still love fast food. During Lewis's afternoon nap, I cut Katie's hair to give her bangs. The rest of the day went smoothly.

Sunday was normal. Myles, Carmel, and Kyle came to visit and arrived in the evening after the kids were asleep.

Monday, James had parent/teacher conferences, so he didn't get home till late. Everyone went hunting after lunch. We did a short FHE and then played the new game I got for my birthday, Punderdome. It was hilarious!

Tuesday, they went hunting again after lunch and before dinner with James. We went to the buffet (Dad's treat) and then James took everyone out to see Ready Player One. I stayed and relaxed at home.

Wednesday, Myles pumped up the flat tire on the car, and I got all my grocery shopping done while it was being fixed. The timing worked perfectly. The guys went hunting while we were gone, and then James and Myles went shooting (since Kyle left in the afternoon) after dinner. We played Punderdome again after the kids went to bed. I love that game.

Myles and Carmel leave today and James has mosquito abatement, so it will be a long day of cleaning and putting everything back together. It's going to be tough to adjust to the two jobs again because it means two late nights a week. When we already have things going on, it seems like we never have any free time. One day at a time...

The Week

Things are not really less busy, just different. It's really hard to remember at first thanks to pregnancy brain.

We had our normal family movie night on Friday and got pizza. We've been watching A Series of Unfortunate Events on Netflix. I always liked those books even though they're weird, and I think the series is well done.

Saturday, James looked around for parts for fixing our sprinkler system, but no luck. We just hung out the rest of the day.

Sunday, I went to a really good women's fireside called "No Grit, No Pearl". We all rode on a bus together so I didn't get home till almost 9. It was a really good message and made me feel more grateful for my life right now, even though I don't always appreciate the day-to-day.

Our FHE on Monday was with Cherissa and Tayson.

James had his mosquito abatement meeting on Tuesday, so he wasn't home all evening.

Yesterday, he went on the prison trip to Salt Lake and got home in time for dinner.

Today we get to go on a date! Since Jonah has been over 4x a week for the past few weeks (and probably the rest of the school year), we have a gift certificate to the really nice pizza place in town. So exciting! We can get whatever we want. Even with eating out, I usually go cheap.

My pain level has been much better this week, my bug bites are healed, and my cold is gone. My main issue now is feeling tired after I eat. I've been trying not to eat such big meals, but it's hard. I feel the baby kicking a lot. It's kind of cute but not as exciting as in the past. I don't understand how any pregnancy ever goes by quickly for anyone. I think each one goes by slower than the last. Oh well.

I finished making some memory quilt squares and am now working on reading a few books. We have family visiting for the next two weeks, so that will take a lot of my time and energy, and James starts mosquito abatement next week. He has to go to SLC this weekend for another meeting.

Life is pretty good even though it's busy. I'm glad the kids can play outside. The love taking Lewis out with them too, and it gives me some peace and quiet for a little while.

Rexburg Trip, Spring Break

Though the trip went smoothly, it was far from easy. Why?

1. James got his wisdom teeth out, which added a lot of stress and several hours to the trip once we drove to South Jordan, waited for him during surgery, and got his prescriptions and food at Walgreen's. His acting weird would have been funny if the same kind of behavior had not preceded his Thanksgiving trip to the hospital.

2. I had to drive. I usually don't, and sitting in the same position made my tailbone hurt a lot.

3. Heartburn is here to stay. I have it during every pregnancy, but it still stinks to deal with it. Also, sciatic nerve pain is annoyingly persistent.

4. I got bitten by bedbugs, a first. They are itchy and only add to my other aches and pains.

5. James was out of it and in a lot of pain for the first 24-48 hours. I was too tired to really do anything either, so I felt really useless during the trip.

Good things about the trip:

1. James recovered pretty quickly despite a rough beginning.

2. I slept well and had no sciatic pain until returning home.

3. We got to dye eggs, do a hunt, and spend time with both sets of grandparents and Mara and Ricky as well as the Heads.

4. Conference was great.

5. There was a lot of good food.

Since we've been home, it's been business as usual. I had my hospital ultrasound and it went well. She's still a girl! It looks like I am definitely due later, like in September. I don't know if they will change my due date or not, but I'm going to plan on September either way. Any time the ultrasound tried to move me earlier, I ignored it because I went late anyway. Kenny's due date moved to a week later and he was still born 3 days after that, so we will see what happens. I might go crazy by then.

Speaking of which, it's Kenny's birthday today! I can't believe he's 6 already!

30, Baby Girl

The two big events for this week were definitely my birthday and our gender reveal ultrasound. First, my birthday.

James got home Friday night, and that was nice. I had a challenging time keeping my sanity after Wednesday, pretty much. Katie went nuts without her dad and acted out a ton. Sometimes I just don't know how to handle her, but James does, so I was at a loss for what to do when he was gone.

Saturday, I went shopping, and then we went to the Outdoor Expo. It was pretty fun to look around and get free info and candy. After lunch and presents, I napped while James took the kids fishing. They actually caught a few but only kept one.

Sunday, James stayed home with Joseph, who had thrown up the night before. Naturally, he never seemed sick again, but I always like to play it safe. James made me nachos for lunch with homemade chips, and they were delicious! For my birthday dinner, we had Cajun shrimp and sausage dumplings with banana cream cheesecake for dessert. They were delicious, but I didn't feel too well all day, so not as delicious as they could have been. I kind of broke down Sunday night because I'd just been feeling terrible and really anxious about Monday's ultrasound.

Everything went well with the ultrasound. The baby actually waved and was sucking on her thumb. Yes, we are having a girl! Everyone is totally thrilled. All the older kids really wanted a sister, and they got their wish. I of course really wanted another girl too, so it's perfect. We went out for Chinese food to celebrate.

Tuesday, I worked for several hours cleaning out and reorganizing kids' clothes since we know what the baby is. I have stuff sorted to give away, the stuff for her put away in the dresser, and a good place to store everything for now. I also picked out some of the oldest and crummiest pieces of clothing to use for a memory quilt. By the time this pregnancy is over, I will also have 10 or so T-shirts to add to that, so that's exciting.

Today has been laundry, packing, and cleaning for our trip tomorrow. It's spring break! Hurray!

Good Week

Friday, we did movie night and James went to play games with his friends. We made hush puppies and chicken, something we don't normally too, so it was a nice treat. (I plan on getting rid of our fryer once the baby is born because it leaks a little and I want to be healthy! Being able to fry stuff easily isn't helpful at all!)

Saturday, James went to the gun show and then I took the boys out for their free Book-It pizzas and some free frosties that they earned. It was pretty fun to spend time with just them. I played the piano for a baptism at 4, and the rest of the day was pretty low-key until Lewis threw up right before bedtime. We did have corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick's Day.

James stayed home from church with Lewis while I took everyone else. It works better that way with our callings too. Lewis seemed totally fine and no one else got sick, so I think it may have been a result of being spun around in the computer chair. Chairs that spin are the bane of my existence! They lead to lots of injuries, fighting, and general annoyance.

Monday, we watched a movie for FHE since we knew James would be gone Friday. 

Tuesday, I went and bought my new temple dress that zips in the front. I got sick of my old one being too tight across the chest all the time (whether nursing or pregnant) and having to ask for help to zip it up. The evening was rough because I hadn't been able to nap and was just tired and grouchy.

Wednesday, James left for a technology conference in Salt Lake, so we only saw him in the morning. We had a decent day, though. I cut up a bunch of scraps for quilt squares and another rug during the afternoon. The kids played outside for a while and played a board game. Our newish neighbors from across the street brought brownies, so we talked at the door for a while. I relaxed and watched TV after the kids were in bed. James isn't gone often, but when he is, I'm always cold. I turned up the heat so I'd be able to sleep. I know in a few weeks that won't be an issue because I'll start feeling hot all the time. I'm really dreading that!

Today I have a Relief Society dinner at 7. (Seriously, who eats that late? I'll have to eat before I go!) Our babysitter is coming, so it will be really nice to come home to everyone asleep. I plan on doing more crafty stuff to stay busy and not miss James or go crazy. He gets home tomorrow afternoon...night? I don't know. Either way, I've found that staying busy and productive is the way to go. It is nice to be feeling better for the time being. I know once the third trimester hits, it's going to be really hard.

Ouray, Cookout, and Cleaning Out

James went to Roosevelt to play board games with a group on Friday, so we did movie night on Thursday with pizza. The kids really love that tradition, so I'm really glad we started it.

Saturday, we drove through the Ouray Wildlife Refuge, and it was awesome! We saw a bald eagle, prairie dogs, various other birds including waterfowl, and a porcupine in a tree. I didn't feel great and even took a nap in the car, but it was a nice drive. We came home, rested, and went to a mission farewell dinner. I like that they had it on a Saturday night. It bugs me when people are gone all the time on Sunday or skip church to do farewells. I have often in the past had to make up for those absent. I have a lot on my plate already!

Sunday was normal.

Monday, we did a cookout in Dry Fork canyon. I precooked the foil dinners, we had an FHE lesson, and Cherissa brought s'more burritos. They were delicious and a lot less messy than actual s'mores! Everything worked out great even though it took an hour to bathe away the smokiness and clean up everything when we got back. I wasn't happy about that part.

Tuesday, James took the kids out to fly a kite and to get some books from the library. I relaxed and made dinner. It was nice to have a bit of a break.

Wednesday, we just hung out and had some pie for Pi Day. I didn't make it this time because I was too tired.

The time change has been hard on everyone, but I think we have almost adjusted. It usually takes me a week. I've been more tired during the afternoon but have had insomnia at 3-5 am for a couple of days too. So frustrating.

We made a goal to not watch TV until 9 pm and for no video games. The result is that I started making a latch hook rug (a yarn one that I got for Christmas) and have been reading some books. It's been kind of nice. The yarn rug will take me 4x as long as a rag one, so something like 40 hours to finish, but at 1 square (100 knots) a day, or 30ish minutes, I will finish by the time school gets out for the summer. I've also cleaned out a few things, but the gender reveal is what will really make it possible. Maybe I am weird, but I have always loved organizing things.

Better

I am feeling SO much better. Just yesterday I told James that I thought I actually felt happy for the first time in probably 3 months. What a huge difference it makes to wake up and feel normal. I still have sleep disturbances, but they aren't as bad as they were. I had a ton of really horrible nightmares during that first tri, something I've really never experienced before with pregnancy. I'm still having to be really careful about sciatic nerve pain. There's a very fine line between doing too much or not enough and ending up in pain.

I finished up all my sewing projects for now, so that feels pretty good. I've also got the gender reveal scheduled for the 26th! That's the part of my birthday that I'm most excited about. There will be some intense cleaning out of baby stuff when I find out which gender I'm never having again.

The Heads came to visit last week. We had dinner together Thursday here, then played games. Coup is a new favorite. Friday, I worked with Rex while the kids hung out with Grandma. They didn't have school because of the end of the tri. We all ate dinner out at 4 Brothers (pizza). Games again afterward.

I had to go to stake baptisms of Saturday, but I somehow got my birthday shopping in before that. I got a new pair of boots, some dishes, and a shirt. I'm really excited about all of them. They had to leave to avoid a snowstorm, so we spent the afternoon doing nothing in particular.

Sunday was normal.

Monday, we watched Coco for FHE. I took Katie in to get her stitches out, and she did a great job.

Tuesday, I had my OB appointment. We got some dinner and went to the library afterward.

Wednesday, James had to go to the dentist and get the belts tightened in the car. He was supposed to go to Orem for a root canal repair today, but he couldn't find a sub, so he rescheduled for May around the time his cousin gets married. I am glad I get to see him more today since yesterday was long.

Jonah has been over a lot recently (4 days this week) and Jill says it will be that way for at least the next few weeks. Thankfully it is warming up so they won't just watch TV all the time. Sometimes the dynamic gets thrown off and they all fight more than usual. Jonah also gets annoyed easily by Lewis because Jonah is the baby of his family. We will survive this. I am sad that the Smiths (Jonah's family) will be moving this summer. They have all been great friends.

Since I am feeling better, I am very anxious to do some spring cleaning/organizing projects. I wish I could get started today since I have the energy! I love that the snow is melting so fast and it's going to be 60 degrees in a few days. Life is actually good. Hopefully I don't jinx us by saying that.

Trimester 2!

It really is exciting to be in the second trimester. I wake up NOT feeling terrible, and that is a great thing. I'm going to try to focus on actually eating healthier now (as opposed to grabbing just whatever) because I am quickly approaching my delivery weight for all 3 boys. I'm a bit embarrassed by that fact and really hate what I see in the mirror. (I did last time too, even with a lot less weight, so it's not just about the weight.) It's still a struggle to make it through the day, but I'm starting to feel a bit more happy and peaceful. I can't wait to find out the gender at the end of the month.

Katie fell on a vent and cut her knee open last Thursday, so she got 7 stitches and I missed the Relief Society meeting. I take her in today to get the stitches out. She's the first child to ever get stitches.

Saturday, we worked on installing a new microwave since the old one died. It took 3 hours, but it's nice and shiny and was a good deal because of a giant dent on the back that you can't even see. I don't know how anyone can live without a microwave. We depend on lot on it for heating leftovers, a staple lunch at this house. We were so tired and stressed by the end that we went and got fast food for dinner. (Not helping with my weight gain! Haha.)

Sunday was pretty normal. Monday, we tried to do a fun FHE but all heck broke loose and I think 3 of 4 children cried at some point. It happens on occasion, but it's still frustrating.

Wednesday, James and I went on our date. We shot our handguns and then went to Beto's and got carne asada fries. SO GOOD. I ate way too much.

Today the in-laws are coming to visit, so that should be fun.