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.