Daily smiles

A few things that made me smile today:

1. While cleaning Damon's room, I couldn't help but photograph this collection he has going on his dresser. We have called him Hector (as in The Collector) for a while now, and I am never surprised by the things he thinks he needs to save. For example: why does he need the knife card from Clue? Or the umbrella from Littlest Pet Shop?


2. Tiny bites out of giant zucchini. And not just one bite, but two. I'm pretty sure this was Kyla.


3. Allie enjoying US Weekly on the couch. This was the first of two times I found her like this.

Funnies

And a couple of things that make me laugh.

Allie was found in Damon's closet, sneaking his paints and painting. Jeff found her, as well as a few stains on the carpet, and called me in to investigate. He was in "protective of the new house" mode, and was trying to stay calm. I asked Allie what in the world she was doing, and she said, near tears, "I....could not....resist." I chuckled despite myself, because I was not expecting.

Kyla has been making me smile with her mispronounciations lately. She called pepperoni "peckeroni" and Lucky Charms "Chucky Charms." I don't know why, but I can still laugh about those anytime.

Finally, Allie has been doing much better with her fears, for the most part. However, one day she informed me that she was out in the garage when she saw a shadow that scared her. She then told me what she was doing in the garage. "I was milking the bikes, pretending they were cows." I think that one will be a classic for years to come.

Bathing

I have already divulged how I have skimped on my own bathing habits lately, but I have failed to mention that the lack of bathing seems to have trickled down to my children as well. I realize this is entirely my fault, as bath time has always been one of my least favorite activities.

I wasn't always so lax about cleanliness. When Damon was a baby, he had a bath every day, regardless if we were out late or not at night. I realize now that I probably contributed in large part to the eczema he had as a baby, thus requiring special creams and lotions (if only he could've gotten them for free like the wrestlers in Nacho Libre:). I hated doing baths every night, but figured it best to keep up the routine so he would continue to sleep through the night. But with Allie, I eased up a lot. Mostly because it no longer seemed SO important that my child be bathed daily. And with Kyla, she still seems to have turned out alright (meaning: she has never contracted lice) and doesn't smell bad enough to be labeled one of the "stinky kids," so I must conclude that although she wasn't bathed daily, she probably was bathed enough.

I wonder if that is still the case. Since we moved into this new house, we have tried to be consistent about a few things. One of which is that the kids no longer all bathe together. We tried this a time or two (at Damon's request), but Kyla likes to play "yank the interesting body part" under the water, which instantly told us it was no longer a good idea to co-bathe. Damon can either take a bath by himself or take a shower, and he will do so every few days. Or when I tell him that I can smell him from across the room.

The girls, while still allowed to bathe together, mostly create huge floods when left alone for even a few seconds (typical, I know, but still very annoying). And so they are constantly grounded from the tub and forced to shower as well. But since they aren't asking for a shower (it's not nearly as much fun as the "slide" the tub creates), I again must instigate proper hygiene by insisting that they rinse at least the top layer of dirt off their feet and wash the rats nests out of their hair. The other night, I told Allie that her feet were filthy, and she proceeded to show me all the places on her foot that were still clean (the arches that never touch the ground). Apparently she hasn't developed a love of hygiene yet, either.

All of this questionable bathing behavior has had to change lately for one member of our family. Kyla can't seem to keep herself clean for more than 30 minutes at a time. She has developed traits you would expect any two-year old learning independence to develop, most of which involve helping herself to anything she can mix with water and put in her hair. Soap and gel are two of her favorites, but anything liquid within three feet of her grasp are likely candidates as well. She also likes to pour sand on her head. Connect those dots and you will realize that Kyla has forced my hand, and is now being showered almost daily. I mean, if your child walked into the bathroom looking like this, you would find it hard to convince yourself that she could wait one more day to wash her hair.


The irony of this is I had already gotten her dressed and her hair combed for the day (a rarity in the mornings as of late) before she found the "orange glue" (hair gel). Maybe she is doing her part, in her own small way, to make sure she doesn't become one of the "stinky kids."

First Trimester

I thought it would be best to write about this pregnancy on a day that I was feeling pretty good. That way I would have a much better chance of being impartial and less of a whiner. And today I am feeling pretty good. Halle-freakin-lujah.

I realize that what I have to go through when I am pregnant is so small compared to what so many others have to suffer through. The feelings of wanting to curl into a ball and die only last for three months, and then I have relatively few complaints. I have so much respect and admiration for ladies who suffer through months of agony, not having any relief at the end of the first trimester.

That being said, I am so glad this part is (or seems to be) over. It really is hard on the whole family. A few weeks ago, Jeff told the kids, "Your mom is good for nothing right now." Ouch, but unfortunately, probably all too true. I am certainly not myself.

Things that have suffered the past 15 weeks: the house (my energy for cleaning has diminished tremendously, and although I have done my best, it's obvious it wasn't enough), my hygiene (I just can't bring myself to shower every day. There's something about the hot water that makes me feel a lot worse, so many days I have settled for clean clothes, deodorant, and a ponytail), and mealtimes (food in general is so hard for me to be around during the first trimester, but especially raw meat. I'm not exactly sure how we made it through all those dinner times without spending a fortune on takeout).

My sickness has been mostly at night this time, which has its pros and cons. On the good side, I had my best hours in the morning, and I would try to get things done before Jeff got home. But on the bad side, I always felt terrible at night, and did 95% of my throwing up after 7:00 pm. I'm not sure I can eat apples and grapes for a while, they being the two most disgusting things I can recall having to see a second time.

Some foods I have had to avoid: wheat bread (for some reason, I couldn't do it), water (this was a strange aversion for a few weeks that has luckily subsided), anything I made for dinner and had to smell longer than 30 minutes, everything at random, depending on the day, the hour, etc.

Some foods that I have been craving: turkey sandwiches on white bread (I have had at least one, maybe two of these a day for weeks), orange juice (during my waterless phase), pickles, salty things like Chex mix and chips, homemade egg McMuffins (and I don't like eggs, but I had one of these a day for a couple weeks, too), Arby's curly fries (until I threw them up. Not anymore), dry cereal (frosted mini wheats), and tomatoes. Does that mean I'm having a boy or girl?

I also have been a lot more tired than normal (no surprise there), but napping usually makes the nausea worse, so I have refrained unless I couldn't help it. Most days have been just about survival--making it to the time I can get in bed. Like a lot of women, I started taking unisom and B6 at night, and I really think that helped me (at least I felt a lot better in the mornings. Nights were always hard). I would have an hour or two in the morning where I actually felt a little bit normal, until the nausea would settle in and remind me that I was far from normal.

I didn't gain any weight the first 12 weeks (one good thing about being sick), but I am definitely starting to show now, and starting to avoid certain clothes. I haven't been flat out asked if I am pregnant yet at church, but I'm sure there is suspicion. That is, if anyone even knows who I am. But I welcome getting chubby and letting people know, it just means that the worst is behind me and I can now look forward to a few months of endless eating and weight gain with no guilt. I'll just have to work it off eventually anyway.

And finally, because this post has been incredibly boring, here are some pictures from the park last week. I love Allie's outfit in this one--swimsuit, half jacket/shawl, shorts and Sunday shoes. This was a new combo I hadn't seen before.


I thought this spot by the pond was pretty and had the kids pose for a few shots. We'll have to go back with Jeff's good camera (and his photo skills) to take some real pictures.

Nine years

Yesterday Jeff and I celebrated our ninth anniversary. Well, "celebrated" is too strong of a word. We are planning to go out on an actual dinner/movie date on Saturday to "celebrate." Yesterday we mentioned to each other that we had been married nine years, and reminisced for a few minutes before my sleeping pill kicked in and I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer.

But we have been married nine years. We both agreed that it has sped by with alarming speed. Neither of us feel old enough to say that we have been married just shy of a decade. But then I remember that a few months ago, my sister who is just starting high school admitted that she had never heard of Third Eye Blind. We must be getting old. So, when I stop to think about all that has happened the past nine years, I am amazed to realize that we have already shared a lifetime of experiences.

Consider just some of the things we have experienced since August 19, 2000.

Survived four winters in Ohio.
Survived two summers in Florida.
Survived two different stints living with Jeff's parents, each one approximately a year long

Celebrated a national championship for THE Ohio State Buckeyes
Celebrated a World Series win for my Boston Red Sox

Suffered through four (now make it five) awful first trimesters
Suffered through the birth of three healthy babies
Suffered through the death of one tiny baby boy
Suffered through an ectopic pregnancy

Managed to survive one awful jaw surgery (Jeff's)
Managed to survive a scare involving a needle stick and Hep-C (Jeff)
Managed to survive a diagnosis of mitral valve prolapse (irregular heartbeat--again, Jeff)
Managed to survive a number of shock treatments to determine another diagnosis of myasthenia gravis (a condition that causes fatigue in muscles--again, also Jeff).

Graduated from BYU with a BS in Geography (J)
Graduated from BYU with a BS in Elementary Ed (K)
Graduated from dental school at Ohio State
Graduated from orthodontics at JU

Visited the following states: Wyoming, Colorado, California, Nevada, Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Delaware, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia (may be forgetting something, but close enough)

Bought our first "home" (an 880 sq ft condo in Columbus)
Bought our last home (a much larger home in Orem)

Endured many long nights and early mornings with babies
Endured many long nights and early mornings studying

Shared hundreds of tears (most shed by me)
Shared thousands of laughs
Shared our lives

When you look at it like that, we really have been through a lot together. If these nine years have taught me anything (and I like to think that they have), I know that we can get through anything. As long as we do it together (okay, a little sappy, but it HAS been nine years!).

Happy anniversary Jeff! I look forward to a lifetime of memories yet to come!

From the "What have you been up to?" file

I have been a bad blogger. Mostly because how do you write about everything EXCEPT the one thing that is really on your mind (that post, about the first trimester, will come later)? But we have actually done some fun things lately and I was amazed when I looked at the camera to find that we had actually documented some of them.

A couple of weeks ago, we went to Antelope Island/The Great Salt Lake. We had been there before, but wanted to actually test the assumption that you can float unassisted in the Salt Lake (you can, but I don't know why you'd want to. It smells terrible and is extremely disgusting. But the kids all had a chance to float and we came home with enough salt on our bodies to season our roasts for a year). Antelope Island is an interesting place, and we enjoyed seeing all the wildlife (namely, one antelope and dozens of bison). Damon (wearing goggles in this picture, because he still thought he might actually submerge his head in the GSL to see what was there. Not happening) posed in front of this bison after eating a buffalo burger at the concession stand. Kyla was trapped inside the car, but yelled out, "Come here, buffalo! We have some candy for you!"

It was a fun trip, but we got no pictures of our actual swimming adventure. Take my word for it, though, you may POSSIBLY want to go once in your lifetime, to say you have done it, but I doubt we will ever be back. Sorry future offspring, no floating in the GSL for you.

Allie also finished her summer stint at BYU's preschool. She had a great time and I am so glad we did that for her. Now I know exactly what things we need to work on before kindergarten next year (holding a crayon and a pair of scissors come to mind).

This is Mr. Brad, the head teacher in Allie's class.

Some funny disguises the girls wanted to show off.

Allie, so happy to be able to take her nametag home.

Jeff got a new desk for his office, which came in several big boxes. Damon had big plans for the boxes, and Jeff helped him put together this awesome "fort" in our basement. We bought some paints at the store and let the kids paint it one morning.

Kyla got as much paint on her face as she got on the fort.

We also went camping with Jeff's sister and her family one weekend. It happened to be the coldest weekend we had had in weeks, and we were all freezing most of the time.

Jeff and the girls trying to warm up. They are in a hammock, in a sleeping bag, listening to music on Jeff's phone.

All the kids: Damon and David with their sharpened sticks (a must for camping. And Lord of the Flies), Caitlin doing bunny ears (another popular pose), Kyla, Allie, Maren and Hunter squished together. Probably for warmth.

Kyla had a great time. When she wasn't complaining of being "coldy."

Jeff and I had our own reading material. I thought it was funny--he was reading a history of the Grand Canyon and I was rereading Harry Potter #6 so we can go see the movie.

Our scrum-diddly-umptious dinner that Ryan made for us. Seriously, it was so yummy. My mouth is watering now just thinking about it.

I don't know why this picture is sideways. It wasn't this way before I started, and I don't feel like changing it now. These are the "three burritos" in the tent. It was dark and I couldn't see what I was doing, so we had several attempts to get them all in the screen. Allie's face scares me. And Kyla does look "coldy."

Okay, phew. It feels good to have that done. More later?

A good one

There are some moments in life you could never, ever possibly forget. Even if the rest of your memory had been wiped clean, some things just would always be with you. Like the day you got engaged. Or married. Or the day your mom told you she had cancer. Or the time you drove the car into the kitchen. Some things just have a tendency to stay with you.

I'll never forget the first time we saw Damon, via ultrasound. I was in for my 20 week appointment and witnessed, for the very first time, the miracle that was developing inside me. I got tears in my eyes when he yawned, so big he looked like a lion, right there on the screen. I couldn't believe it was real, and that in just a few short months I was going to become a mother for the very first time. the feelings were vast and numerous, but mostly I felt grateful to have been entrusted with such an honor.

Three pregnancies later, I have since had dozens of ultrasounds after that very first emotional one with Damon. Each time, I have been equally awed and amazed at the miracle of life when I see my babies on the screen. There's just nothing like it. And you'd think I would get used to seeing it and it would somehow lose its wonder. That has yet to happen.

Last Thursday I got to see another little one via ultrasound. After hiding my pregnancy from everyone for nearly 12 weeks, I was extremely anxious to have the opportunity to confirm that the extreme nausea, tiredness, mood swings and bulging waistline were not all in my head, but could be attributed to a healthy, albeit small, baby. It was with more than a little trepidation that I climbed on the table and pulled up my shirt. But as soon as Courtney (my ultrasound tech) put the wand on my belly, I could see our latest miracle. And its heart was racing.

At 12 weeks, there isn't a lot you tell from the ultrasound, other than the heart rate and the size of the baby (170 beats/minute, and 2 inches from head to rump), but for me, it was more than enough. I couldn't help but get emotional as I saw a tiny arm move above the baby's head, and let the tears slide down my cheeks unashamed. It never gets old seeing your baby for the first time. After Courtney finished the ultrasound, she printed off a few customary pictures for me to take to Jeff, and stuck them in my chart. She examined it for a moment, then asked, "was your last pregnancy an ectopic?" I answered in the affirmative, and she said, "Then you were probably really glad to see that everything is fine." Understatement of the year.

If everything goes as planned (alwasy an IF), my due date is Valentine's Day, which means I am now 13 weeks, and HOPEFULLY nearing the end of all the yuckiness that is first trimester. We told our families last week, and news has started spreading among friends in the ward and elsewhere. Ideally, I would try to keep it a secret as long as possible, but I didn't want to keep it a secret any longer. So many of you have been with me through all the ups and downs of pregnancy, and I wanted you to share in this happiness with us. I love you all!