Marie-esque

Marie: (singing)Sweem sweem mitin-ga-ehl. translation -- Sing sweet nightingale.
Mommy: (singing)Sing sweet nightingale. Hi-i-i-i-igh above me.
Marie: Don't sing dat. Bad girls sing dat.
Mommy: Cinderella sings that too, doesn't she? She sings "high above me".
Marie: Yeah. My friend Cinderella sing dat. I wove her (complete with head tilt and eyelash flutter). She's a girl.
Mommy: You love her?
Marie: Yeah. Do you wove her?
Mommy: You bet.
Marie: Yay. Clap hands three times.

Clapping hands three times is her new trademark move. She does it anytime she is excited about something that just happened. Going potty. Getting in the car. Eating dinner. Reading a book. Everything. So darn cute.

Some good friends of ours had the wonderful privilege of adopting a baby girl back in January. This was after several years of longing to bring a child into their family. Brandon and I couldn't be more thrilled for them, as we knew what incredible parents they would be and we prayed continually for their desire for children to be realized. This is only one couple of so many that we know that have struggled with infertility and the process of adoption.

I have learned through them, if only on a small scale, of the heartache that infertility can cause and how it can change a person, a marriage, and even a family.

This week is National Inferility Awareness Week so Rebecca shared this video on her blog. I couldn't help but pass it on.

What IF? A Portrait of Infertility from Keiko Zoll on Vimeo.

I almost turned on the TV to provide background noise while I was making dinner. (The kids and Brandon are enduring a very windy day outside.) Instead, I decided to listen to this talk. Best decision I've made all week. Thank you, Sister Beck.

The second general Relief Society president, Eliza R. Snow, said this to the sisters: “We want to be ladies in very deed, not according to the term of the word as the world judges, but fit companions of the Gods and Holy Ones. In an organized capacity we can assist each other in not only doing good but in refining ourselves, and whether few or many come forward and help to prosecute this great work, they will be those that will fill honorable positions in the Kingdom of God. . . . Women should be women and not babies that need petting and correction all the time. I know we like to be appreciated but if we do not get all the appreciation which we think is our due, what matters? We know the Lord has laid high responsibility upon us, and there is not a wish or desire that the Lord has implanted in our hearts in righteousness but will be realized, and the greatest good we can do to ourselves and each other is to refine and cultivate ourselves in everything that is good and ennobling to qualify us for those responsibilities.”

Let's Go Fly a Kite

To say that William was excited about flying his Easter kite would be quite the understatement. Every day for a couple of weeks we would "watch" the wind and were disappointed daily when it would pick up right about noon and then be gone by the time Daddy got home.

Daddy even braved the crowds at the park one evening and gave a valiant effort to fly the kite, even though he was confident there wasn't enough wind. All for the love of William.

Finally, a couple of Fridays ago the boys got to have their kite flying adventure.

Success!

Runner-Up For My Facebook Profile Picture

I couldn't help but share this. I could never be a model because even in a photo shoot such as this one, which I requested, I don't know how to pose and end up with awkward pictures. Then again, it does make for a good laugh. Anyway, here's the winning caption for the moment:

"Oh, no! I just sneezed."

Because it Wouldn't Be a Mommy Blog Without a Bit of Potty Talk

See this sweet princess? We haven't seen much of her lately. The princess in this picture is wearing a diaper. A blissful and carefree little princess.

Now our darling little girl wears underwear. She has had enough successes in the past 4 days that we feel obligated to deem her "ready" for this big step in her life.

On the other hand, last I remember her screaming at me as frequently as she has in the past 4 days was when she was about this size,

Her world has been turned upside down and my world right along with it. I was just thinking the other day what a nice routine our family has fallen into. Life had become as predictable as can be expected and all were content and happy. I was cherishing the moment, knowing that it would all end in July.

Then I had to go and end it 15 weeks sooner.

I am mourning the loss of diapers right now. Mourning the days when elimination could be taken care of on my time line. Even a stinky diaper can wait two minutes while mommy applies her mascara. Not so do-able when the two year old announces, "I have to go potty!" or better yet, "(with a screech) Mommy! I going pee-pee in my underwear! (screeeeeeech) Mommy!"

I fear that by the time she has really figured this potty training business out we will then bring home a new baby to throw her world into a brand new bundle of chaos.

Such is life, I suppose. Bring it on.


I think.

The Belly: 25 Weeks

A doctor's appointment Wednesday confirmed that:

1) Everything is just fine with both mommy and baby.
2) I am now 3 for 3 with a 10 pound weight gain between weeks 20 and 24 of my pregnancies. With my first two I then only gained between 3-5 pounds for the rest of the pregnancy, let's hope that is also a pattern that continues. Oh right, I fired the scale so really I don't care. Uh huh.
3) Baby weighed 1 pound 12 ounces. The squirt has gained more than half a pound since my last belly shot. Go baby!

Easter 2010

Easter Weekend: The Baskets

Our guests on Easter weekend were all young adults, so when our kids arose bright and early Sunday morning we rallied them into our room for a little while before we sent them loose on the troops.

It was a precious moment as we sat on the bed and reminded them of the importance of the day and why we have a celebration. We were able to reinforce the FHE lesson we had taught the Monday before about the events of Easter week.

I never anticipated the joy I would feel as I teach my children about the Gospel; and their humble acceptance of the events strengthens my own testimony tremendously.

Then it was time to see if the Easter Bunny had paid a visit ....

Melissa & Doug Cookie Set for Marie. Crocodile kite for William.
Fruit snacks, Goldfish, and Smarties for both kiddos.
Will posterity really care what came in the Easter basket? Perhaps. I guess I might next year when I am in conspiracy with the Easter Bunny again.

Looks like the Easter Bunny didn't disappoint.

Post-Egg Hunt: This picture cracks me up. Both kids really just wanted to bust into the eggs and although they made a valiant effort they had a hard time humoring my requests to look at the camera and smile.

Finally able to dig into the eggs after a less than successful photo op.
(What was in the eggs? Fruit snacks -- yes, from the boxes that were in their baskets --and mini Cadbury caramel eggs.)

Happy Easter!

Easter Weekend: The Eggs

Easter weekend brought with it lots of visitors to our little home. At any given time between Friday and Sunday evening we had as few as 6 people in our home and as many as 14 people. Did that make sense? Basically, we had a house full. I loved it! It did keep me busy though, so for all the fun and company I have very few pictures to document it.

I remembered to pull out the camera for prosperity's sake. Yes, kids, we did celebrate Easter in 2010. Here's the proof:

Coloring Easter eggs. William was so impressed by my "magic" water.

Even Baby J got in on the action, well, kind of. Mostly she did what she does best. Sleep and eat.

Lisa (my sister's BFF) and Alisha (my brother's fiance) couldn't be more thrilled, as you can see here.

Sara is not only teaching Marie the art of egg dying, but also of cheesy grins for the camera.

It didn't take too long for William's interest in dying eggs to morph into using the egg dipper thing as a helicopter. *sigh* I love my boy.

Field Trip to the Fire Station

As told by William, Marie, and Mommy:

William: My fire station card. We put it on the fridge so I could remember about to go to the fire station.
Marie: Um, picture of our home. It has fire truck people in it.
Mommy: This is the one and only item from preschool that he has made an effort to display. He was a bit excited about this field trip. Just a little bit.

William: I'm wearing my fire hat. I'm at the fire station.
Marie: William and the fire truck people and fire trucks.
Mommy: He talked for two weeks about wearing his fire truck shirt to the fire station. He has two fire truck shirts. I washed and dried the wrong one the night before. Thirty minutes before we had to leave I was pulling this one out of the washer and ironing it dry. Why? Because if I hadn't, all he would remember about the field trip was that he didn't have his fire truck shirt.

William: That's the fire station guy and those are the kids.
Marie: People and mommy and one fore me. (Don't ask, I don't know what she is talking about either.)
Mommy: The moustache on the fireman? Fake. He was wearing it for some kind of dare. William thought it was pretty funny looking.

William: This is the fire truck. He's showing the hoses on the fire truck.
Marie: Ummmmm......
Mommy: Notice William's face. Completely mesmerized.

William: Those are the fire station guy's clothes. He's going to put them on so it can protect him without getting burned in burned houses.
Marie: Picture of William. Picture of fire truck. They are going to "wee-ooo, weee-ooo."
Mommy: William, front and center, still mesmerized.

William: He put the clothes on fast.

Mommy: William and Marie both moved to the back of the group after the firefighter was all decked out. All that gear was a bit too much for them.

William: I liked it when he wore those clothes, but I didn't like to hug him cause it's not fun to hug him. I didn't like to hug him.

Mommy: Can we talk about how impossible it is lately to get both of the kids to look at the camera and smile? Marie is the worst!

Marie: Um. Get in the fire truck. Yeah.

William: I'm sitting on the bumper. When I grow up I want to be a race car drive and help people with my ambulance and with my fire fighter fire truck. I don't like growing up.
Mommy: William has been saying that (not wanting to grow up) recently because 1) he is concerned that he has to be the baby's daddy, even though we have reassured him that he is just the big brother and 2) he thinks that if he doesn't want to grow big and strong he can get out of eating his vegetables.

Tender Mercies

After a Priesthood blessing and a timely fast Sunday, my contractions have reduced from just a few on Sunday to none yesterday.

I have discovered my body's limits and don't plan on anymore long days on my feet anytime soon.

It looks like a potential trip to Lagoon before the baby comes is fluttering out the window.

A sacrifice well worth it for the safe arrival of a healthy baby without Mommy needing to sit on the couch all day long between now and then.

A Little Hiccup

My morning began with 8 contractions in an hour. Not such a good thing at 24 weeks. I anticipated some Braxton Hicks today because yesterday I spent 4 hours on my feet with my kids at a local spring fair. I did not anticipate 8 in an hour. A call to my doctor and my mother sent me to the couch with a big jug of water.

After a contraction-less hour I got up to clean the fridge out in preparation for a much needed shopping trip.

Contractions. Back to the couch.

In the meantime, my children and husband were in the backyard. Husband was building our newly acquired swing set (couldn' t pass up a Blue Light Special!) and children were playing giddily (yes, that is a word) with anticipation.

I successfully fed the kids lunch, went back outside and pretended to help Brandon for a few minutes, and then put the kids down for naps; all contraction-less. So I decided to get to my long to-do list and began cleaning the kitchen with the intention of mopping.

Contractions. Back to the couch. So much for my to-do list.

The evening passed with time on the swing set and a trip to Subway for dinner. Ditching the to-do list meant grocery shopping didn't get done. Dairy Queen for dessert was the highlight of the night.

Upon returning home I put the kids to bed while Brandon made his weekly phone calls for church.

Contractions. Back to the couch.

So here I sit as Brandon puts the groceries away. The groceries that he purchased while I, well, sat here.

It is frustrating to sit around all day when I feel capable of doing so much more. It is intimidating to think of what these next several weeks will bring if this isn't just a case of a bit too much time on my feet. It is humbling to know what a selfless husband I have, willing to jump in and pull some, or even a lot of, extra weight.

Tomorrow I will be taking it easy again.

Let's hope things calm down a bit. I have a lot of plans between now and the end of July, none of which involve sitting on the couch all day long with a jug of water.

Summer Music Workshop

A bit more information available here!

I am still working on how to include a registration form for download.

Stay tuned!