A Couple of Family Requests...

My niece and nephew, Natalee and Carson, told their mom that they have a hard time believing that I'm actually pregnant because they can't see my growing belly all the time. So per family request, here's a photo taken this morning, a couple days shy of 34 weeks.  

So kids, do you believe it now?

Below is a picture especially for Ryan's mom---she wanted to see what Maddie's hair looked like in a heart-shaped braid. I used to do this every Valentine's day to my little sisters' hair, so I was really excited when I realized that Maddie's hair was long enough to braid this year. She, unfortunately, wasn't nearly as excited, but didn't voice her opinion until I was already halfway done. Let's just say it took some major convincing to finish the job. I think we may have started a new family tradition yesterday morning. In honor of the big V-day, Ryan took us all to Krispy Kreme's for donuts. The kids had never been there before and they thought it was pretty rockin' that they got to choose their very own donut. Isaac went with lemon custard-filled.And Maddie chose the festive sprinkles.

Happy Valentine's Day Everybody!

Exploring the Skywalks

Ever since Isaac really learned to ride his tricycle, he can't get enough. Every once in awhile we take the kids to the skywalks downtown so he can practice his mad pedaling skills. He focuses on moving his feet so fast that he often forgets to successfully steer the handlebars and/or watch where he's going. So when Ryan suggested that Maddie hop on back of the trike (she's usually content just to run behind him yelling "Para (Stop!), Isaac! Para!"), I thought he was a little crazy. Luckily no head injuries were sustained and the kids loved it---especially Maddie (Isaac figured out pretty quickly that the extra weight slowed him down). Notice how Ryan tells Isaac to keep going faster while I urge him to slow down.

In other news, Isaac and Maddie have a new cousin---Quincy Lynn joined the family last week and we love her already! She spent her first few days of life in the NICU after catching pneumonia, but she is home now and doing great! Isn't she adorable?

 Welcome to the family, Miss Quincy!

My Favorite School Day of the Year

This past fall some friends and I started a little joy school for our boys. They meet every Friday and we take turns teaching and watching younger siblings for each other. It has been so much more successful than any of us thought it would and it is one of the highlights of Isaac's week. From what my friends say, the other boys love it as much as he does.

I was in charge of teaching today's class, and when I realized it fell on Valentine's day weekend, I was super-excited. As an elementary school teacher, Valentine's day was my favorite day of the year. What's not to love about everyone giving and receiving Valentines? Mandy and I took a few pictures today of the boys since it's the first time I've remembered the camera since we started our little joy school.

A few of the boys singing the welcome to preschool song. We have missed one of the 5 little boys, Alec, who has been in Utah for the past two weeks.

For their art project they decorated Valentine "mailboxes" (aka paper lunch sacks). Chase here seems to be the most artistically inclined one of the group--he loves art projects.

Isaac, not so much. He is usually the first one done--about 30 seconds after we start.Since we are learning about friendship this month, Carter and Chase are here playing a game and learning to share and take turns. They did a great job.

And what's Valentine's day without too much sugar? I'm pretty sure Harrison liked his cupcake.

...and so did Carter.

The Kicker

I had a doctor's appointment this morning, and while he was monitoring the baby's heartbeat, our little babe started kicking a few times. The doctor thought it was hilarious and couldn't get enough of how active the little bambino was.

I, on the other hand, thought the most interesting thing about the whole situation was the fact that these mini kicks the baby was performing for the doc were nothing compared to the karate chops I feel all day long from inside my belly.

Literally, there are times when I am laying in bed at night and this baby can make the whole bed move with how hard s/he kicks.

My memory may be failing me, but I'm pretty sure this is our most active child in the womb.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" my doctor asked, still chuckling.

"We don't know. It's a surprise." I replied.

"Oh, this baby is definitely a boy." (judging from the kicking, I assume).

Clearly, he hasn't met Maddie.

I'm pretty sure mellow is a word that has never been used to describe my children (they get it from my side of the family), and it looks like our little peanut is already following in the footsteps of it's siblings.

I am in for it.

Don't get me wrong, I love my children just the way they are, but could I pre-order one that doesn't climb on top of the kitchen table multiple times a day or use their new baby stroller to hoist themselves up on top of the entertainment center? We could use a little mellow around here.
Isaac the Nephite...or is it Lamanite?Maddie following suit.How could I not love this face?

The Orange Julius Moment

I am addicted to orange julius. I have always loved them, but during this pregnancy they have become a staple. I probably drink one 3 or 4 times a week! The baby needs the extra calcium, right? The other night, Ryan was gone and I had just put the kids to bed. And I needed an orange julius...desperately. Ryan usually helps me drink the glorious blended concoction, so I felt a little guilty having the yummy drink to myself. I really wanted someone to share the deliciousness with!

After blending it up, I peeked into Isaac and Maddie's room to see if they had fallen asleep. I think Maddie was gone as soon as her head hit the pillow, but Isaac shot up when he heard the door open. I was secretly excited that he hadn't fallen asleep and quietly asked him if he wanted to get out of bed and share a special drink with me. I could tell he was even more excited than I was. I poured him a glass and sat down on the Lazyboy with him, hoping to watch his favorite book-turned-to-video, Chrysanthemum, and get a little cuddle time with my favorite 2-year-old. The opening credits hadn't even ended when he took a break from guzzling the orange julius, looked up at me, and with the sweetest voice said this:

"Mama, will you leave me alone, please?" (translation: Stop hugging me, get off the recliner, and give me a little space, would ya?)

He asked so politely that I slid over to the couch and let him watch his 14 minute video without my arms wrapped around him.

I missed out on cuddle time, but got a good laugh out of Ryan when I told him the story later on that night.

Here's Ryan's delicious Orange Julius recipe for any who are interested:

• 6 oz. orange juice concentrate (half of a 12 oz. can)
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 cups milk
• 16 ice cubes

Blend together to desired consistency. Garnish with whipped cream if desired.