Life

Life is BUSY.

Which feels sooooo good.

Good to be doing normal things like taking care of my house, playing with my kids, going to the grocery store, making dinners.

Good to be able to help out my friends who took such good care of me and my family while I was out of commission.

Life is good and we're still just trying to catch up.

A few updates - 

Noah finished preschool and it is now officially "summertime"

That same week Noah also got banned from the tv

Which left me with A LOT of time to fill.

Not that the kids watch that much tv, but with no preschool either and a kid like Noah who cannot self-entertain...

I'm exhausted.

But it's been good.

In fact, Noah has been happier and better behaved.

And I feel like a better mom.

Albeit an exhausted, pregnant mom.

We've done everything imaginable to keep busy this week.

Playdates pretty much everyday, picnic at the park, bike rides, games, outside activities including but not limited to sidewalk chalk, painting the deck with water, climbing the wall, and picking flowers.

And don't forget the art projects

(Alex is painting a roller coaster, in case it wasn't obvious.)

And last but not least, lots of puzzles.

At 6am.

Yep, no more turning on the tv for my early risers.

Paul has a week of vacation - starting today.  We're so excited.  We'll spend the first part of that week here at home, with the kids.

But on Tuesday Paul and I are headed to Chicago for a few days, with NO kids.

We can't wait.

As for me...I never seem to be done complaining.  I'm now suffering from a horrible case of Plantar Fasciitis.  In case you don't know what it is...my foot hurts.  A lot.  Like I can't put any weight down on my right heel.  So I've been limping around on my toes and putting most of my weight on my left leg.  Yeah, not so good when you're pregnant and carrying around extra weight.  So now the toes on my right foot are sore and the knee on my left leg is hurting.  

I've been to the doctor.  But I need to go to the Foot and Ankle Clinic.  

I have an appointment in July.

Which is great since Paul and I are supposed to be walking the streets of Chicago in just a few days.  We might be touring the city on segways instead.

Just kidding - I'd feel like Gob (for all you Arrested Development fans out there).

But really, we're thinking bikes might be the way to go - I don't have to put pressure on my heel to do that.

I just have to be able to pedal around my growing belly.

I'll let you know how that goes.

I also seem to catch every little bug that goes around.  I asked Paul the other night why I always seem to be falling apart and he said,

"Because you're pregnant.  Pregnancy is the root of all evil."

So there you have it folks.

For those of you who have asked, I will post a belly pic soon.  Maybe now that Paul is around I can get a decent shot of myself (is that possible when you're pregnant?)

And maybe, just maybe, I'll post about our anniversary, which was last week.

I've been putting it off until I could get a picture of Paul and I together - because I realized we don't have any recent ones.

But getting Paul to pose for pics is no easy task.

(Hence, no recent pics of us together).

And...that about sums things up around here.

Hope life is good for you too : )

2-Wheelin' It

It finally happened.  Noah let Paul take the training wheels off of his bike.

Paul had promised Noah that he would be riding a 2-wheeler by the end of the summer.  But Noah tends to take things literally - and kept telling us he wasn't going to take his training wheels off until the end of the summer.

Then, one night last week Noah made an announcement.  He let us know that Monday was going to be a "special day" because he was going to ride a 2-wheeler.

So that night, when Paul got home, we all headed up to the elementary school just a few blocks away.

And...you can see the results for yourself : )

I know what you're thinking - my videographer skills are out of this world, right?

P.S.  Noah has spent several more evenings practicing since then and is improving by leaps and bounds.  

We're so proud of you Noah!

Little Miss

Alex Olivia

{Photo courtesy of brookeoldroydphotography}

This beautiful little girl is growing up fast - and making us laugh along the way

A few recents:

Alex came to me one morning upset because she couldn't find her "tick-tock shirt."  I was confused.  She doesn't have a shirt with a clock on it, or anything close.  I asked her again, thinking I'd misunderstood her.  Nope.  She was insisting on her "tick-tock shirt."  So I asked her to describe it to me and this is what I got:

"It's kind of yellow and it has lines and skinny arms"

And then I knew.

She was looking for her tanktop.

tanktop, tick-tock

whatever.

By the way, it's cream (yellow)

ribbed (has lines)

and sleeveless (skinny arms).

Not bad for a 3 year old : )

I overheard Noah and Alex having a conversation about dying and going to Heaven.  Noah was saying, "But Alex, when you're in heaven you'll be dead."

Alex's response?

"That's ok, I'll just ask Heavenly Father to kiss me and then I'll wake up."

We practice the religion of disney around here.

And Alex's new favorite phrase?

"Alright, whatever."

(with a lisp and more attitude than you'd believe a 3 year old capable of)

We love you babe!

Mother's Day (sans pics)

Because there are no pics.

Mother's Day went like this:

Paul was on call.  Major bummer.  So it was just me and the kiddos.  They woke me at 6:30am, just like this - 

Noah (jumping on me in bed):  "Mom go look in the freezer!"

Alex (also jumping on me in bed):  "No Noah, we didn't say Happy Mother's Day yet!"

Me:  "Aww, thanks Alex."

Alex:  "No mom, I didn't say it yet!"

Me:  "Oh, ok.  Sorry."

Alex (with a huge smile):  "HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!"

So the three of us ran to the freezer, where I found a Cold Stone Ice Cream Pie waiting for us. (Paul took the kids to pick it out the night before, while I was out of the house.)

So at approximately 6:35am we all had ice cream pie for breakfast.

I also got some great cards from Paul and the kids.  Cards are kind of a big deal around here : )

The rest of the morning was a typical Sunday morning.

Hectic - me trying to get everyone ready for church, and the kids fighting me (and each other) tooth and nail.

I asked Noah if the primary kids were going to sing to the moms in sacrament meeting that day and he said, "I don't know.  But if they are I'm NOT doing it."  I asked him why and he insisted he was too scared.  Ridiculous, because this is the kid who loves to give prayers, scriptures and talks in primary and who complained that his part in last year's primary program wasn't long enough.

I tried everything I could think of.  

"All your friends will be up there doing it"

"I'll be so sad if you don't sing to me on Mother's Day"

And a whole lot more.

Without success.

All I got from that stubborn kid of ours was, "I will NEVER do it.  NEVER!"

When we got to church and they announced the primary kids would be singing that day I whispered to Noah, "If you don't go up and sing I guess me and Alex will have to eat the rest of the pie by ourselves."

Noah just stared at me for a moment and then said, "Alright.  I changed my mind."

Success!!!

Not really.

When the primary kids went up to the stand to sing, Noah made sure he was in the back.  I could see the teachers getting the youngest kids up to the front where they could be seen but Noah just stepped right back behind the others.  But, by adjusting my own position I could just see his face.  And what a face!  Through the whole song, "Mother I love you" Noah barely moved his mouth and he frowned and glared at me the entire time!  I'm not kidding you, the kid was mad and making it very clear.

I found the whole thing hilarious.

The rest of the sunday was a typical sunday.  The kids were naughty in sacrament meeting and naughty at home.  I kept reminding them, "Don't you know you're supposed to be nice to me on Mother's Day?"

We did, however, go visit Paul at the hospital that afternoon, if only for a short while.

But don't feel too sorry for me.

My real Mother's Day took place the Friday before, on Paul's day off.  He made arrangements for our friends to watch the kids (thanks Jacksons and Schafers!) and we spent the day in The Cities, at Mall of America, where I got some much needed maternity clothes, a delicious lunch, and time alone with my husband.  It was a wonderful day.  

Thank you Paul!  You're amazing and I love you.  

Wishin' that were me

BUT...

I think I turned the corner this past week.

I can't say I feel great, but it is a HUGE improvement.

Of course there are still those things that induce the occasional dry-heaves: brushing my teeth (inevitable), smells (all kinds), food that for whatever reason just doesn't appeal to me at the moment, not getting enough sleep, waiting until I'm STARVING to eat (it happens faster than you'd think).

But things are slowly getting back to normal around here.  I've been grocery shopping, cooking dinner, playing with my kids, taking them places, doing laundry, taking care of the house.

Alright I haven't done any of the dusting, mopping, scrubbing kind-of-stuff yet.

I'm not feeling that good.

But you get the idea.

I'm exhausted.

BUT.

Life is...better.

(17 weeks and counting)

Easter Happened

About a month ago.

That's pretty much all I can say for Easter 2009.

And the past several months in general.

Things just "happen" to us.

Usually while Paul is at work and I'm laying on the couch dry-heaving.

Easter morning the kids woke bright and early.

6am.

Paul was long gone.

And so the indoor easter egg hunt began at 6:05am.

I laid on the couch and (you guessed it) dry-heaved.

At least I managed to take some pictures, right?

That's about all I managed.

Alex is wearing the Easter dress received the day before in a package from Grandma Gunn.

Yeah, she slept in it.

And the hair is just lovely, I know.

But the kids enjoyed themselves, all the same.

10 minutes later, the hunt was over.

I sent the kids downstairs to the tv with bucketfuls of candy.

And I went back to bed.

I was too sick to make it to church that day, but I didn't want the kids to forget what Easter is really all about.

So I planned a little Easter lesson for them - which left them both in tears.

I swear I didn't say anything scary, graphic, or traumatic.  I always keep it simple.  You know, because Jesus was resurrected we will all be resurrected too, and live together forever in heaven.  That kind of thing.  But it doesn't seem to matter.  Noah always starts crying about how he doesn't want to die and how he never wants to go to Heaven.  This time it was because he wouldn't be able to take "sharky" with him (his stuffed shark that he sleeps with).  And of course Noah's tears get Alex going too.

So I wrapped it up quickly, and ended with some stories from The Friend.

Oh Boy.

However...

earlier in the week we attended an awesome Easter Party, thrown by my amazing friends, whom I do not deserve.

The party included:

bazillions of kids

fun games

sugar cookie decorating

face painting

cute craft

AND

an easter egg hunt

Thanks again Girls!!!

(you made our Easter)

Happy Easter!

The post where I whine and complain

It all started at 3 1/2 weeks prego - seriously who starts feeling sick that early?  But that's how I knew  - or hoped I knew - that I was finally pregnant.

At first it was hit and miss, the nausea would come and go.  And it was manageable.

By 6 1/2 weeks it was debilitating.

And at 7 weeks I was puking and couldn't get out of bed.  That's when I couldn't remember why I thought I could do this again.  And that's when I called the doc and begged for drugs.  It went something like this:

(me struggling to talk through the tears) "I'm pregnant and I'm throwing up and my husband is a resident and I have two kids and I can't get out of bed"

They gave me the drugs.

But, the drugs did not turn out to be the miracle I was hoping for.  Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for'em.  But all they really did was turn the pukes into dry heaves.  Better than nothing but...

I'm almost 15 weeks

still sick

still miserable

And so somewhere in the middle of 7 weeks and now I just gave up.  No more trying to function.  

My number one priority became, and remains:

Reduce the misery

Do whatever it takes to reduce the misery

And so I spend most of my time on the couch, wearing the same black sweats everyday

My kids spend their time watching tv, eating too much junk food, destroying the house, and otherwise running wild

Thus, my busy/exhausted/burnt out intern of a husband comes home to a non-functioning, depressed wife, 2 stir-crazy children, a wreck of a house, and no food.

Luckily for us, Paul spends his one day off a week cleaning, shopping, cooking, and taking the kids to the park.

And luckily for us I have wonderful friends who've invited my kids over for many a playdate so they can do normal kid stuff and I can get some peace and quiet.

And luckily, I had another ultrasound today (one where the baby actually looks like a human baby) and I remembered why we're doing all of this.

And I'm grateful.

Even if I did dry-heave in the aisles of Target last week.

When we went to California, weeks and weeks and weeks ago

Ok - Enjoy

This post has been a long time in the making.  You know, five minutes here, five minutes there.

In between dry heaves and my life being lived from the couch.

But that's another story, for another post...

California went something like this:

The kids and I were the first to arrive (around 2am MN time) after 12 hours of traveling, almost missing our connecting flight, and me dry-heaving on the plane.

I let Noah give the exciting news to my parents and little bro.

Yeah, they were pretty surprised.

And excited!

But, as it turned out, the traveling did me in.  I was pretty much bed-ridden for the next 4 days.

The next evening my sister Michele arrived, with her husband and 2 kids.

I shared the news this time.

I thought it would be pretty obvious when she walked in and found me laying on the couch, a puke bowl at my side.  

Nope.

"You're sick?  What are you sick with?"

"A baby."

"WHAT?!?  NO.  ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?"

And so, the cousins got to know each other again.

Boston loved poking Alex's face but was pretty much scared to death of Noah, whose always running around 50mph and making way too much noise

And we finally got to meet Naomi.  

She is so beautiful and we love her (even if she does scream her lungs out every time we're in the car, right Shel?)

Noah was rubbing Naomi's soft cheeks and declared that they are "soft as fruit snacks."

Oh yeah, and "she's the color of a brownie."

Alex was excited to practice being a big sister.

But frankly, watching my kids around Naomi really had me questioning how long Baby #3 can survive in a house with them.

Exhibit A...

The next day, my sister Tiff surprised us all by showing up (against her doctors orders).

Only my dad was in on it.

So Noah got to share our news again.

Tiff thought he was confused.

Didn't believe him - or me!

SHEESH!

And then the fun really began

(ok not really for me yet - I'm still stuck in bed, dry-heaving my freaking guts out - but at least someone was taking care of my kids)

They headed to the Exploratorium in SF.  

The kids loved it but my sisters said it wasn't as cool as they remembered it being.

And of course they stopped at Fentons on the way home.  

And YOU KNOW I was deathly ill to pass up on that one right???

I still can't believe it...

Maybe it was luck, or the sleeping in everyday, or the afternoon naps, or letting everyone else take care of my kids...

But eventually I improved.

Enough to get out and enjoy myself with everyone else

(and the sunny 75 degree weather we had everyday).

We went to lots of parks

This was an awesome playplace - different activities in every room

But everyone's favorite by far was this room, with the balls (for Boston - obsessed) and these bike thingies

Even the grown-ups enjoyed them.

Michele says she wants one.

The kids spent time in the kitchen with Grandma, one of their favorite things to do with her. 

Notice my mom has matching aprons for her and Alex.  How cute is that?

Noah got the manly red one.

The wildlife museum was another huge hit.

And don't forget about Grandma's backyard!

Lots of grass and paths for running, rocks for climbing, lizards for killing, bench for swinging, and crawdads for catching (in the creek).

Noah was in heaven.

One night some family friends came to visit.  Steph has been my friend from birth.

We had quite a few kids all together.  No wonder both of the grandmas disappeared together for the evening.

The house looked like a bomb went off.

Totally worth it.

And this was the looks on my kids faces the whole time

About to explode with happiness!

Not pictured:

LOTS of good food

Lots of treats (including pink velvet cupcakes)

AND

A girls day with my sisters, sans kids

But one of the highlights for me?

Kisses from my nephew Boston.

Given freely, without even asking, by the end of the week

(and he's stingy with his kisses).

I totally won that boy over

(reaching for me instead of his momma)!

I think it was the cookies I fed him for breakfast : )

Or maybe that it was the most consecutive time we've ever spent together.

Thanks for postponing your departure Shel!

Thanks for defying your Doctor Tiff.

Thanks for spending so much time in the creek with Noah, Landon.

And thanks for making it all possible Mom and Dad.

Love you!

Betcha never thought this was coming...

This post or this little piece of news:

Baby #3 is on the way

Which should explain a lot (like why I haven't returned your calls, commented on your blog, or posted to my own much lately).

The Details:

About 12 weeks along

Due in October

NOT finding out the sex of the baby

And we couldn't be happier!

Except for maybe how happy we'll all be in a few more weeks (hopefully!) when I can function for more than 2 or 3 hours of the day, stay up past 8pm, get 0ut of bed before 8am, eat the food in my own kitchen...and all of that without dry-heaving.

Cross your fingers.

[California post coming...someday...]

Dedicated Readers

We (meaning me and the kids) are off to Cali!

Catch you in a couple of weeks...

Check it out

The number of shots Noah got the other day, in preparation for Kindergarten...

and the number of years until Noah needs any more shots.

Look at that happy face

Background:  Noah hates to get shots.  Previous experiences include having to move the table in the doctors office to pull him out of his hiding spot and calling in several extra nurses to help me hold him down.  All this followed by HOURS of Noah screaming.  And this was just 6 months ago, when we got our flu shots.  So you can imagine how excited I was about taking him in for 4 shots.

We've been prepping him for awhile.  All kids who want to go to kindergarten have to get these 4 shots.  This caused him no small amount of anxiety.

Then, about 2 weeks ago, Noah suddenly announced he was ready for his shots.  But things are hectic around here (as usual) and I didn't get around to making the appointment.  Until last Friday, at 4pm when Noah got mad at me saying, "Mom, why haven't you scheduled my appointment yet?!?"  I called right then and there - and got him an appointment for Monday afternoon.

To encourage Noah to be brave, we told him he could go to the "Bounce House" afterwards.  That got him excited.  Noah was on the countdown all weekend.

And suddenly, there we were, in the doctors office on Monday afternoon.  Noah was calm and talkative and I was so nervous I thought I was gonna puke.  Noah kept saying, "I hope they call my name next!"

He didn't get nervous until they had him lay back on the table - and then I could see it all over his face.  He got 2 sets of 2 shots at a time, in the thighs.  He cried while they were going in (so did I) but as soon as it was over, he was fine.  Although he did make a rule that no one could touch his legs except for him.  He made me promise to tell dad "no wrestling."  The best part?  Noah learned he doesn't need any more shots until he's 13.

So we headed to the Bounce House, where Noah had an absolute blast with his little sis and his legs didn't bother him one bit.

I would like to thank Jocelyn Jackson, Noah's friend and inspiration for getting his shots.  (She got hers first.)

(Overdue) Confessions

A week or two (or three) ago (it's all a blur) I spent three hours working out at the gym.  Because I was watching The Bachelor.  The Season Finale.  Which was 2 hours.  What I didn't realize is that the "After The Final Rose" episode would come on immediately after.  And then I couldn't leave.  So I did three hours of (slow) cardio.

Embarrassing, yes.

The week before that, I'd missed the "Women Tell All" episode (also 2 hours).  And we don't have tivo.  So later that week, when everyone was in bed, I plugged my headphones into my mac and started watching it online.  It was late.  It was dark.  And suddenly someone puts there little hand on my shoulder.  And I about had a heart attack.

Turned out it was just Noah (who is a little insomniac lately).  But I couldn't calm down.  All I remember is the words "freak" and "crap" coming out of my mouth a lot for the next 30 seconds.

And now Noah keeps saying "freak."

As for The Bachelor...

I don't really believe in it.  I never plan to watch it.  I don't start out watching it.  But (usually on one of Paul's call nights) I'll be flipping channels and suddenly there it is.  And then I'm hooked.

But after this season, I swore I was done.

And then they announced that Jillian would be the next Bachelorette.

I love Jillian.

So I might just have to watch one more season.

But she did say she doesn't want her dad seeing anymore hot tub scenes - so maybe I can watch it guilt-free : )

One more thing...

Paul is so embarrassed that I watch The Bachelor.

A First

Yep.

Noah lost a tooth.

And I don't think I've seen anything cuter than his smile in quite a long time.

The loss of this tooth came as a surprise, at least to me and Paul.  He lost it at his friends, while jumping in the bounce house.  My first thought was that he'd knocked it out.  But it turns out he'd told Paul a few days earlier that it was loose.  Paul didn't believe him.

The toothfairy came that night.

Noah was very excited about the "100 cents" she left him.

 

Stay tuned...the next tooth is already loose.

Shout Out

To my Rochester Girls...

(specifically Steph, Jo, Jess, Shell, Carls)

You know why!

(What?  You haven't seen "What Happens in Vegas"?)

Thanks for being the best friends a girl could ask for - and filling in for those (many) times when my husband can't be there.

(We BOTH) Love you for it!