Sam's dance competition & Blog Challenge Day 18

Random side note first. I know I posted my 37.5 wk pic in the slideshow in the previous post. But, I was curious to see what it looked like next to my 37 wk photo with Caleb. I still think I look way more enormous with Caleb (way more enormous - is that even grammatically correct?). Just look at my ankles with Caleb! I still have ankles this time (you can't see them through my pants though).

Blog Challenge Day 18: What makes me different from everyone else.

Hmm.. You know, to be honest, I don't think I've ever thought about this question. I know there are lots of things that makes me unique and different, but to pin down one thing that makes me different from everyone else? Hmm....

I think that maybe I'd have to say it's my ability to throw myself into whatever I'm doing 1,000%. It doesn't matter if it's my job or if it's something at home. When I set my mind to something I tend to take off and let it consume me. Granted, that's not always a good thing, I know. But, I think it has its benefits too.

Sam competed at the Dance Spectacular out at Sky View today. She was pretty excited to go. She didn't even give me any grief at 7:20 this morning when I got her up! Last year when she went to the Dance Spectacular she only did one dance and we didn't stay for the entire thing. This year she got to participate in the entire event since she's doing the performance dance group. At the beginning of the competition they did a drill down. This is where all the girls line up and they call out things like about face, left face, right face, attention, parade rest, etc. They ended up going by age and she was in the k-2 group. There were about 20 kids in this group and she lasted until 3rd. Both the girls that took 1st and 2nd are in her dance group and she's pretty good friends with the one that took 2nd. I was impressed at how long she lasted and how good she did. I had no idea!

She performed 4 dances. I video taped 3 of them - I was talking to her piano teacher during her first dance (the one to Tangled). I was excited to see her new hip hop dance and her dance to "It's a Hard Knock Life" from Annie. She did great and had fun. She didn't argue during her costume change and she kept her hair looking decent the entire time!

After everyone was done performing (30ish dances) they did a dance down. This is where Jenny, the owner of LaShars, taught them about 20 or so seconds of a dance. They were given a few times to practice and then they performed what they learned. They broke it down by age again this time so there were fewer girls to watch at once. She did good. I think it was the arm movement that threw her off - it was kind of complicated for her. Anyway, she didn't place but she did get one of her ribbons for participating in it as well.

The only thing that I wasn't happy about is there was a mom behind me that was the mom of one of the girls from another dance company that kept talking smack the entire time (9 am - 12:30 pm). I wanted to turn around and say, "Seriously? You're worried your 16 yr old daughter isn't going to get a trophy? Come on. That's not why they're here." I didn't though because I figured she'd have a snotty retort and then I'd just get mean. I told my father in law when we went to get Caleb that I am NOT going to be a good athletic mom. I'm just not an in the face of my child when s/he screws up, obnoxious type of person. He laughed at me. Yes, those soccer moms (and apparently dance moms) are pretty evil! It's funny because I was telling Sam about it after we left. She was like, "What? That's stupid. I thought all the girls were doing great! It doesn't matter if you get a trophy." Glad I've instilled that in her early. Let's hope she maintains that attitude!

I'm trying to upload the videos of her dances I got taped, but I don't know if it's going to work this time or not. I left it up and running for a good hour a bit ago and it still hadn't loaded!

Blog Challenge Day 17

My favorite book:

I must say that I absolutely love Dean Hughes series The Children of the Promise. I read it when I was in high school and could not put it down. It about killed me when I had to wait a year to read the last book! I tried to read the follow up series, but I just couldn't get into it. Not sure if it's because it branched from WW2 to Vietnam or if it was because it wasn't the same characters.

I also really loved the Percy Jackson series. I didn't think I'd be able to get into it because I'm not big into fantasy - still haven't ever read Harry Potter much to the disgust of my sister in law. I think it was the Greek mythology that did it for me with the Percy Jackson books. I did read The Red Pyramid, which is the same author, and I liked it (it's ancient Egypt) but I'm not sure if I'll keep reading that series or not.

I've also really enjoyed Josie S. Kilpack books - thanks Tannie! I'm not a mystery reader at all. When I got the first book, Lemon Tart, I had no idea what it was about. Less than 1 chapter in and I was hooked. I thought it was weird because I just don't like those kind of books - never have - even though I do like those kinds of tv shows. Maybe that's why I liked it? I'm currently on the waiting list for her new book Blackberry Crumble at the library. I was about #5 on the list and that was about 2-3 weeks ago so I'm hoping I'm up soon!

What genres do I like? I read a lot of non fiction (mostly for work), which I like and if I'm interested in the topic then I'll pick it over a fiction book any day. However, I must admit the majority of the books I read (and like) and the young adult fiction (like the Percy Jackson series). Not sure if it's because I'm a teacher or if it's just because I still like it. I think it's the latter of the two!

Sorry, that was a long answer to a fairly simple question!

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Blog Challenge Day 16

Something I'm looking forward to:

First on the list is the obvious - Brookelyn being born & me not feeling like I'm being kicked in the kidney constantly!

Also on the list:

Summer vacation for the kids

Sam's end of the year dance recital

Relay for Life in July

Nash & Caleb's birthday's

Taking the kids to southern UT this summer (Trav's idea - Sam wants to go back to Oregon)

Being able to work in my flowerbeds/yard

Taking the kids swimming this summer

Finishing the boys room & getting them moved

Redecorating the bedroom upstairs for the girls

Getting to go back to my job in the fall

Finishing some of my sewing projects (the other rag quilts, clothes for the kids, etc.)

Travis going back to school

Blog Challenge Day 15 & Labor & Delivery Trip #3

Blog Challenge: My family

What can I say about my family? I have such a huge family since I've been married for 12 years (in July). Trav's immediate & extended family feels like my family. I call his grandparents grandma/pa and feel like I've been a part of the family forever (14 years kind of is forever isn't it?).

My family? Well, my family is nuts. Just ask anyone in it! We've had lots of changes in our family since I got married.

The Maughan side of the family numbers nearly 100 now! Insane to think about that! I doubt we'll ever get a complete "family photo." We did attempt one for grandpa's 80th birthday 4 years ago & had a fairly decent turn out. But, there have been lots of babies born & more than one wedding since!

The Reeder side of the family is growing too. My sister and I aren't the only ones with the great grandkids anymore! That's fun! Especially for my kids! It was sad when my grandparents sold their home they had lived in for 43 years last fall. I loved that place! There were so many memories there. But, I'm sure there will be great memories in the new place too.

My immediately family? Well, there's plenty of craziness there too. I never imagined when I got married that my immediate family would end up like it has. Not that it's bad, it's just very different than what I ever imagined it would be.

My "little Bown family"? Well, I love it. I love them all. Even this rotten kid that keeps sending me to labor & delivery but refuses to be born! I love their different personalities and just watching them turn into actual people vs babies. Samantha is such a diva & last time Trav was home he heard her talking to me from the back of the Expedition. He turned around and looked at her and said, "Are you like, from like, the valley?" She of course had no idea what the heck he was talking about. I however giggled quite a bit. I told him that wasn't even the worst of it! She's much more like that when he's not around! I think it has to do with her BFF next door who has a 15 yr old cousin she lives with! Nash is such a tender heart. Don't get me wrong, the boy has a temper. But, when it comes down to it, he's the one that hugs me at least once a day and says, "I love you mom" out of the blue. Caleb is a wild man. That boy is going to be the end of my sanity! My mom said "Not only does he look like you did, but he acts like you too." My thought to that comment? "Oh crap!" He's like Nash in that they both come up with the most random, off the wall comments completely out of the blue that just catch you so off guard you have to stop and ask yourself if you heard that right. Some of my favorites from Caleb right now are "I 2! I do it!" "Buffalo, Buffalo, Buffalo (what he says when you ask what the buffalo says)", "Stop saying that!" "Mingo, mingo, mingo" Took me awhile to figure this one out. Mingo is Flamingo. Duh mom. My mom and I giggle each time one of these comes out of his mouth (which is at least a 100 times a day). So, there you have it. My thoughts on my family.

Trip #3 to Labor & Delivery

When I went to the dr. on Monday I told him I was still having contractions but that they weren't regular. Big surprise, right? This morning I had the privilege of being woken up at 2 am by contractions. They stopped soon after. This afternoon as I was getting ready to go pick the kids up at school I started having some wicked contractions. Ones I had to stop for because I couldn't walk through. Ones that were giving me shooting pains and burning sensations. So, I called mom to come get me & Caleb & take us up to get the kids. I had promised them I'd take them to the book fair today so I couldn't bail on them. We went up to the school and visited the book fair & were able to find some lovely purchases (it was buy 1 get 1 free this time & they all picked 2 things plus we got a book for each of their teachers). After the book fair we had 30 min. to kill before piano lessons. Mom took us home and hung out with us. At 430 my mom took Sam to piano lessons and then came back to sit with me and the boys. At 5 my mom went & picked Sam up from piano lessons and then came and grabbed me and the boys so we could go to Nash's soccer game. Nash got to play almost the entire soccer game (I think not all the kids showed up or something). He even scored the first goal for his team this game! Whoo hoo! Maybe running like his dad isn't such a bad thing after all! During the entire game I kept having contractions and when I walked over to the playground (the game was at Lincoln Elementary) I told my mom it felt like the baby was going to fall out. She told me I looked like I was walking like she was falling out. Thanks, that's comforting. Nash's team lost 5-2, but he had a great time playing. After the game was over, we came back to our house where I decided to call and talk to the dr. on call. He wasn't very helpful. He told me that it's hard to tell over the phone since he can't check me to see if I've progressed. He also said it's normal with your 4th to be able to feel pressure (pressure is one thing, I felt like her head was going to fall out any second). He told me it wouldn't be a bad idea to make arrangements like I could go fast and it wouldn't be a bad idea to come in. Gee, really? So, we dropped the kids off at my in-laws house (I'm sure they're sick of my children by now) and went to Labor and Delivery. I was hoping that the 3rd time would be the charm - so was my poor mother! When we got there & they finally checked me, the nurse told me I was 75% and a 2 at a -2. I about cried! On Monday my dr. told me I was at 75%, 3 and at a -2. My cm had better NOT be going backwards! I was ready for a second opinion! After telling the nurse what my dr. had said on Monday she agreed to put 3 on my chart b/c "there's just a tiny difference between a 2 and a 3." Gee, that makes me feel better. I asked if walking would help make a difference. She said it wouldn't be a bad idea. So, we walked for 30 min. and then had to get back on the monitor for 10 min. and then walked for another 20 min. At the end of that time the nurse checked me again and said "Sorry. No change. We can't keep you." Big surprise. So, after getting the rest of the tape from the monitor they needed, I was given a ticket home. I told my mom I wanted to go to ColdStone Creamery to wallow in self pity. Since we were both hungry, we ended up at the Pita Pit instead. That was good, not wallowing in self pity good, but good. After our dinner we went and picked up the kids. I think they're getting a bit too use to the idea of drop off and pick up later without a sister. I think they might freak out when they actually get a sister out of the whole ordeal! An hour after getting home, here I sit writing on my blog, checking facebook and email & STILL having contractions. Awesome. Is it Monday yet?

Blog Challenge Day 14

My make up bag:

Those that know me know I generally don't wear make up. Why? When I was a teenager my skin was sensitive from my eczema that I had a hard time finding make up that wouldn't make me break out. When we finally discovered Clinque wouldn't make me break out, that's what mom bought me. Unfortunately it was expensive. So, I worked hard to make it last.

I've never been one to wear much make up anyway. I hate mascara because I always forget I have it on & end up rubbing my eyes and smearing it. I also hate taking it off at night so I if I do wear it, I generally don't take it off before bed. Instead, I wait until morning & jump in the shower. Is that so bad?

I do own make up these days, despite not wearing it very often. In fact, I don't think I've bought make up in about 2 years! I've bought Mary Kay and Avon, as well as WalMart. I keep my varied assortment in a Kaboodle (remember those?). I also have a cool make up roll up thing my mom made (I had them on my etsy site for awhile) so I can take my make up with me when I travel.

When I do wear make up, I keep it fairly simple - black or brown eye liner, brown eyeshadow, blush & powder base, and finish with chapstick or a light lipstick/lip gloss.

So, there you have it. My oh so interesting make up bag!

Caleb's Owl Blanket

So I bought the flannel for this blanket some months ago. Caleb was with me when I bought all of it and has been asking almost daily since then when his owl blanket would be done & he could use it. Of course, he's also been asking me to take the pins out of the binding of his new quilt so he can wrap up with it on the couch too...Goofy kid.

Anyway, when the kids left this weekend I told Caleb I'd try & finish his owl blanket (I was close when he left). I spent Saturday night and part of Sunday sewing on this dang blanket. By the time he got home Saturday night, I had everything but the snipping done. I laid it over the couch so he'd see it when he walked in the house. When he came in I pointed at it and asked him "What's that?!" He looked at it kind of confused for a minute and then with a big grin on his face says, "My owl!" He climbed right up on it & didn't want anyone else sitting on it. He was climbing under it & even laid down on it to watch a dvd for a minute. When I sent them to bed he asked if he could sleep with it. How could I say no? So, he went to bed with a giant grin on his face and an enormous owl head covering his body. It was cute.

I started having some pretty good contractions this afternoon so when the kids and I got home and settled down I grabbed the owl and a pair of scissors and plopped on the couch. Caleb was not happy that the owl was on me and I told him he couldn't have it on him. Finally I convinced him to lay on the bean bag & I'd put the tail over him while I snipped the other end. I'm amazed I didn't chop a finger off because the kid did not hold still and would not leave the blanket alone! It took a couple hours of snipping, but I finally got the sucker done. I got the picture snapped and threw it in the wash to fluff up the rags. It should be ready for lovin' first thing in the morning!

Poor Nash asked when I was going to either do an "I spy" or his teddy bear blanket for him. I couldn't tell him Grandma Terri almost has his "I spy" blanket done for his birthday in 3 weeks. So, I told him "I can only do so many at a time bud." Hopefully that will help him hold out until his birthday! He should be happy though because I've decided I need to finish the clothes I cut out for the kids at the beginning of the school year. ONE of the shirts in that pile is for him! Guess I'll have to do that shirt after I finish the skirt I started on for Sam yesterday! That poor boy - he has totally got the middle child affect taking place! Good thing he won't be the only middle child any more - soon.

Baby update, Easter + Blog Challenge Days10-13

I went to the dr. today. I was sad that I even made my appointment. I am now at 75%, -2 (stinker wiggled back up) and 3 cm. He won't strip my membranes until next Monday at my next appointment. In order to wallow in self pity, I bought myself a lemon bar & my mom a cannoli from Sweetly Divine. So glad I have someone that will wallow with me on request! I do have a smidge of hope though. My mom said my brother did the wiggle back up thing too & he was born 2 days later. I'm trying not to hope too much. I figure she'll likely make an appearance on Sat. when Sam has a dance competition from 9-1 at Sky View and Nash has a soccer game in Hyrum @ 11! Or, perhaps she'll just stay inside for ever! That's how I felt with Nash!

Easter:

Well, the kids went to Manti with Trav's mom & dad. We figured if they left town & my mom was the only easily accessible adult around I'd go into labor for sure. The kids left Saturday morning at 8:30. I couldn't believe how easily Caleb left! He's become a hard core mamma's boy lately & a serious clinger. I went back to bed for a bit. When I got up I got a few things done around the house & then went to my sister's. I hadn't seen my cute niece is more than a week so it was time for a visit. I got to hold Miss Sunny for quite some time. She sure is getting big. Then I went into PetSmart. The kids have been bugging me to buy more fish for at least a month. So, the Easter Bunny picked up 7 more fish for the fish tank. After my trip to PetSmart I stopped at home & then headed over to my mom's. I spent the night at my mom's house working on Caleb's owl blanket (picture coming later). Sunday was sad when I got up. I'm so use to getting to watch kids go nuts over baskets! I ate a quick breakfast at mom's & then went home to shower & grab a few things. I went back to mom's house to help her get ready for dinner & then ended up sewing some more. I got the owl blanket finished (it needs snipped still) and started working on a skirt for Sam. My brother, Scott, my sister & her family all came out around 5:30. The kids did an egg hunt & we had lots of yummy dinner. After they all left I worked on Sam's skirt some more. I finally came home around 9:45 pm. The kids got home about 10 pm or so. They had lots of fun visiting the farm and I'm glad they got to go. But, I secretly wish I had kept them here because Easter would have been so much more fun for me! Oh well, next year!

Blog Challenge Days 10-13

Day 10: A person you love

I love lots of people. I can't choose just 1! This list would mostly consist of my family & super close friends.

Day 11: Favorite TV shows

I'm a food tv junkie. I really don't watch tv during the day. I only turn it on at night after the kids go to bed & I sit down to sew. I like the noise. I love the shows like Cupcake Wars, Iron Chef America, Chopped, etc. I know, nothing exciting.

Day 12: A photo of me taken 10 yrs ago

I'll have to find one & scan it! I don't have anything from that long ago on my computer!

Day 13: Something I'm afraid of

1. The dark. How stupid is that? I'm 30 years old for crying out loud! Whenever Trav's gone, the kids & I sleep with the hallway light on. When Trav's home we just leave the light on in the kids' room. The dark doesn't bug me unless I'm the only "adult" around. Weird.

2. Deep water that I can't see the bottom of. I think I watched too many tv shows/movies where they find bodies in the water. It totally creeps me out. If I'm in deep water that I can't see the bottom of you will NOT see me put my feet down under me. Gives me the willies!

Blog Challenge Day 8

A place you love:

There are lots of places I love actually. But, when I stop and think about it, I think the place I love the most is my grandparent's house. Which set? Both.

I was SOOOO sad when my Grandma/pa Reeder sold their house last year. They had been there for 40 years. It was where Trav & I got married. My parents had their reception there in the '70's. I could remember the orange shag carpet from when I was a kid. Grandpa had his leather room. Just sooo many things from my childhood that I absolutely loved about the place. Their new house is nice, don't get me wrong. It just isn't the same though.

My Grandpa/ma Maughan live/d on a farm. I love the farm. I remember watching some of my cousins trying to ride one of the calves. I remember gathering chicken eggs. I remember weenie roasts down at the river bottoms. I remember watching the Logan fireworks from the front yard. I remember slipping and sliding up and down the hill in the mud before it was paved. I remember making candy with Grandma at Christmas. I remember HUGE family get togethers (6 boys all married with at least 3 kids a piece). Grandpa still lives in this house and still runs the farm (to be honest, for an 84 yr old man he's always on the move! I don't think I could keep up to him on a slow day!). The only thing that bums me out when I go to visit is that all of grandma's flowers are gone. Grandpa never was one for that stuff.

Other places I love:

I LOVED New Zealand. We toured the entire south island when we went to visit Grandpa/ma Maughan on their mission. Everything was sooo green. Their "mountains" were hills in comparison to ours, but it never felt like I was far from home. Sydney was cool, but I don't think I'd want to live in a city that size. Hawaii was beautiful, but I'd miss my mountains.

My parent's house. It's totally different from when I was growing up, but surprisingly, I'm okay with that. There's just something about the place that says "home".

My house. Why is it so far down on the list? Well, we've lived in about 9 places over the course of our 12 years of marriage. It always seemed that as soon as a place started to feel like home we'd have to move. I keep expecting that to happen again! It's weird to live in one place for so long ( 4 years)! I don't think that the saying "home is where the heart is" really applies to me. I think home is wherever you are with the ones that mean the most to you. To me, home is/was my grandparent's house.

Blog Challenge Day 8

A hobby of mine:

Okay, seriously? Do I really need to write anything here?

Blog Challenge Day 7 & Easter Eggs

An animal I'd love to keep as a pet:

Well, considering that I already have children & Charlotte is a pretty awesome dog, that's a hard question. I always thought it might be cool to have a monkey. Although, unless it was potty trained I'm not sure how that would work out. I hate changing papers in bird cages/hamster cages, etc. My brother wants a chinchilla & I think that might be cool - except I'd have the whole change the cage thing again. We always had chickens when I was growing up & I loved that. I think my kids would love it too. We also had pigs on more than one occasion. In fact, my sister found a wild/stray pig when she was in high school & brought it home. We named him Stewart. Unfortunately, he got sick & died after about a week, but it was fun having a little piglet that was a pet & not just intended to eat. Does that answer the question? Probably not!

After trying to dye eggs for the last week, we finally got it done tonight! I was interested to see how Caleb would do. Last year he loved it, but refused to use a spoon & ended up with fingers/hands like Shrek. I had Trav stand next to him the whole time because I was afraid he'd end up going off the back of his barstool in excitement. Every time Caleb put an egg into a color he'd basically drop it so it would crack & Trav would cringe (I'd laugh). Then, when the eggs were dry & Caleb was putting stickers on the eggs, he'd go to sit it back down on the counter & he'd just smash it right down & Trav would cringe again (and I'd laugh again). I think Trav was cringing because he wants to do pickled eggs with the eggs. I was laughing because I hate hard boiled eggs & no one except Trav eats them at our house!

Checking to see if the eggs are "done"

Even Sam dropped an egg tonight! She finally remembered to use the spoon to put the eggs into the colors after her dad said something to Caleb!

I was surprised at how gentle Nash was. He's usually so rambunctious that I didn't think he had any gentle in him. In fact, he was the only one of the 3 that didn't crack any of his eggs!

He was totally happy as long as everyone followed his "I DO IT!" rule.

Look at that mischievous little grin. He was so proud of all of his eggs - cracks & all! In fact, he'd have been happy if we just gave him 6 raw eggs to crack into a bowl & stir up!

Can you tell he's excited? These were all of his finished eggs.

Sister with all of her finished eggs.

The entire batch - I'd dare say more have cracks in them than don't!

And finally, I had Sam take a profile picture tonight (in case I really don't make it 37 weeks). I knew she had dropped, but I didn't think it would show up that much in a picture. So, I've put the 35 wk & 36.5 wk pic side by side. I'm surprised that you can tell there is such a drop! And on a totally random side note - yes, I do have more than just this shirt in 3 colors! They are just my favorites! I never thought I'd like the kind that are all bunched on the side, but they fit so good and are so comfy I just don't want to give them up!

Blog Challenge Day 6

My Celebrity Crush:

Well, I was going to post a picture & leave it at that, but Blogger is being stupid (along with my Kodak EasyShare software).

The celebrity I must say I have had a crush on (for ages really) would be Mel Gibson. Now, I know that in the news recently he's not exactly ethical or very kind really. I'd have to say the reason I've had a crush on him for so long is simply because of his looks & his movies. I know, shallow. But, what celebrity crush isn't?

New Pictures & a Baby Update

Baby Update:

I went in to see the dr. today for my 36 week appointment. Last Monday I was at 50%, 1 cm & -3. Today I was 70%, 2.5 cm & -1. So, I figure that a week of doing nothing because I have felt so junky has actually paid off more than all the contractions I've had during the last month & a half! Dr. said he'd be surprised if I make it another week, but he'd really like me to hold out so she's not considered "pre-term" at birth. Unfortunately, Travis heads back to work tomorrow night. Luckily, they are going to let him drive his own vehicle up to Pinedale so he's only about 4 hrs from home instead of 5-6 hrs from home. I'm just hoping she doesn't decide to arrive any quicker than Nash did (4.5 hrs from water breaking to him being born). We've decided if I could make it to Sunday it would be perfect because he'd be able to work his first work week, then take his second work week off as vacation & then he'd be home for his off week. That way he'd be home for 2 weeks instead of 1. I've been saying the whole time she'd be born Easter weekend, so we'll see if I'm right or not! We might possibly send the kids to Manti with my in laws for Easter, just in case. If they leave and Trav's gone the only other easy access "adult" around is my mom & I don't want to be alone in labor & delivery!

New Pictures:

This past Saturday Nash had his first soccer game. They played down on the old Lincoln Elementary baseball field in the pouring rain. Nash loved every second of it though. I was surprised at how patient he was. They only let 5 kids on the field from each team at a time and he was in the second group of 5 to go out, so he had to sit and watch for a bit before he could play.

The only thing I felt bad about (besides the pouring rain) was that the boy runs like his father. Not quite so much like a duck, but definitely slow. He was wearing tennis shoes rather than cleats & I'm glad because I think the cleats would have made him even slower! I told Samantha she should practice with him at home so that maybe he could get a little faster. Her response? "I've tried, but he doesn't do what I tell him to!' I told her to quit being so bossy. We'll see.

They did win their game 9-3. One of the girls on his team scored 8 of the 9 goals. She obviously has older siblings that play soccer. We figured if she shows up to every game they should pretty much win every time. Should be interesting - Sam commented that she thought the girl was a ball hog though!

Samantha had her first piano recital on April 11th. She did awesome. She was the first one to play even. She did her song as a duet with her teacher. She played the theme song to Loony Tunes. She told me today that she's going to play a song from Lion King at her next recital. I'm glad Liz does so awesome! I know if I was teaching her to play she wouldn't have nearly the amount of enthusiasm or desire! I posted a video of her playing at the end of this post.

I finished another car seat canopy. This one is for Trav's brother's girlfriend. I loved this fabric when I saw it & had to buy it. I didn't know what I was going to use it for, but I knew I HAD to have it! Glad I still have about a yd of it left because it turned out super cute!

This is the other side of the car seat canopy. This is the same fabric that I used on one of the ones I did for my sister. I still love this fabric too. Too bad it's a Batik and they run like $12/yd regular price! I think I might have to buy more of this print when it goes on sale again!

Blog Challenge Day 5

My parents...

Anyone that knows my parents knows that this post could be "interesting."

My mom: My mom & I didn't get along at all until I got married & moved out. Mom says I developed an attitude at 15 months and she's still waiting for it to subside. (No joke) After I got married and moved 4 hrs from home, I realized how much I missed my mom. Never, ever thought that realization would sneak up on me. Back then I knew it ALL! After we moved back to Logan, mom & I got a little closer. I don't think it was until I had Samantha though that my relationship with my mom became truly amazing. I finally realized everything I had put my mom through and all the feelings she had felt when I was growing up. I could finally relate to what she felt. I was lucky because my mom got to be in the room for Sam's birth (totally by accident) and I'm really glad she was. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't talk to my mom at least once. We joke that I have a quota of phone calls per day & I generally go over my quota. When one of us calls the other we usually start out with "Did ya miss me?" because it likely hasn't been too long since we talked to each other last. My mom has become my best friend and my hero. Something I never in a million years imagined would happen but am truly glad that it did. I love you mom.

My dad: My dad & I have a unique relationship to say the very least. Dad & I had the close relationship when I was growing up. One thing we loved to do (that drove my mom insane) was debate anything & everything. We could totally agree on something & we'd still take opposite stances, simply for the sake of argument. I should've been on the debate team in high school with as much practice as I got with dad! Once I got married and moved away from home, my relationship with my dad kinda started to dwindle. It saddens me that we aren't as close as we use to be. It does make me happy to watch him with my kids though. They sure do love their grandpa. Dad taught me a lot of things while I was growing up. I keep hoping that my kids are teaching him at least half as much as he taught me. I love you dad.

Blog Challenge Day 4

A dream of mine...

I guess there are few ways I could take this. I could write about a dream I have for myself. Or, I could write about a dream I have for my family/kids. Hmmm.... Perhaps I will do both?

For myself:

I dream that one day I will find a job where I "fit". Weather that job is teaching, or something else, I don't really mind. I'd just like to find a job that I love and that returns that love to me. I believe this includes the business I've tried to start - all these sewing projects. I love that job, but it hasn't loved me back yet!

I dream that one day Trav and I will be able to travel to the far off places I've seen and wished I could visit. Oddly enough, I dream we'll be able to be fortunate enough to take our children with us when we go too.

I dream that one day I too will be just like my mother. I never knew how truly amazing she was until I left home. And, to be quite honest, I never imagined I would not only like and get along with my mother, but want to be just like her. She is my hero.

I dream that I will always have the ability to continue learning and improving myself. Stagnation in life is not something I hope to ever achieve.

For my family/children:

I dream that they will grow up to be someone they can be proud of (and obviously I can too). I dream that they will get to experience everything life has to offer - even the sad times, because it builds your character.

I dream that they will find a loving partner, who loves them for them and accepts them as well as their flaws. I dream that they will one day have a family of their own that they can enjoy and love as much as I do mine.

I dream that they will be the best of friends with one another, because really, when it's all said and done, family is all there is.

I dream that they will never have their own dreams crushed by someone telling them "you can't."

I dream that they will have the courage they will need to make it through the challenges life presents them.

Mostly, I dream that they are healthy, happy, and indefinitely fabulous.

Blog Challenge Day 3

Pet Peeves

Wow. This is a list that could go on forever and ever! If I had to pick just one though, I'd say that it's when Travis drives my vehicle and changes stuff (seat, heater, radio, mirrors, you name it) and he doesn't put it back where it was! It kind of carries over to when I drive too and he will just randomly start touching buttons. It drives me INSANE! I think it's because my dad was the button Nazi when I was growing up. If you got in someone else's vehicle, you DID NOT touch any buttons without asking first and if you did, you were liable to get the holy hanna smacked out of you! And, if you drove his vehicle and moved things and didn't put them back, well, you'd better have a really good hiding place and never want to drive his vehicle again!

Blog Challenge Day 2

Favorite Movie

This one is hard for me. I love cartoons and Disney/Pixar movies. However, I must admit that my husband did good with my birthday present last year. He bought me the Band of Brothers collection. (In case you didn't know, I'm a WW2 fanatic.) The Band of Brothers collection is about 6 DVDs. We've been watching them (slowly). I feel guilty watching them without Trav because when he gave them to me he said, "The entire time I was watching this, all I could think of was Mis has GOT to see this." He was pretty much right too!

I guess I would say my favorite "grown up type" movie is the Band of Brothers collection. They've done an amazing job with the whole thing. I especially like that they have the actual guys from the original Easy Company on the DVDs that they show interview clips of and at the end there is a whole section that is just interviews with the guys from Easy Company.

If I had to pick a kids movie, I'd say my favorite ones are probably Winnie the Pooh and Cinderella. Now, don't get me wrong, there are a TON that I love. But, these two are probably the ones I've loved the longest and makes me happy when my kids get into them. Did you know there are actually 3 Cinderella movies now? Crazy!

30 Day Blog Challenge - Day 1

So I've started to think that perhaps people that follow my blog might be getting bored with some of my posts - they're all so alike. So as I was catching up on blog reading tonight, I found the 30 Day Blog Challenge (courtesy of Erin). So, here goes Day 1.

Day 1-post a recent picture of yourself & 5 interesting facts about you. Well, since I did just post a recent photo of myself, I won't do that again. Here are 5 interesting (maybe) things about me:

1- I clean fish better than my husband. In fact, I won't let my husband clean any fish because he just mutilates them. Last year all I wanted for my birthday was a good fillet knife & my awesome mom delivered!

2- I have a tattoo - I know, lots of you already know that. However, most everyone that I know that has a tattoo says how addictive they are. Weirdly, I have no need for another one any time soon. Not pain related or anything, just don't have anything I have to have.

3- I wasn't any good at sewing until the last year or so. I am a self described "requires intensive supervision while sewing" kind of person. I couldn't even lay a pattern out myself! I'm impressed with my bad self for making so much progress in such a short amount of time!

4- I was President of the French Club in high school, but I don't remember a lick of French!

5- I've contemplated going back to school, but I can't decide what I want to do if I do go back! I fear that if I get a master's degree I'll be "over qualified" for this valley & will for sure never get a teaching job around here. However, I also feel that there is a surplus of elementary ed teachers in the valley & that if I don't get another degree, I will also never get a job in this valley!

So, there you have it. Five interesting (at least somewhat) facts about me. If you want to do the 30 day Blog Challenge, here is the list:

day 1: recent picture of yourself and 5 interesting facts about you

day 2: your favorite movie

day 3: pet peeves

day 4: a dream of yours

day 5: your parents

day 6: your celebrity crush

day 7: an animal you'd love to keep as a pet

day 8: a hobby of yours

day 9: a place you love

day 10: a person you love

day 11: favorite tv shows

day 12: photo of you taken ten years ago

day 13: something you're afraid of

day 14: your makeup bag

day 15: your family

day 16: something you're looking forward to

day 17: favorite book

day 18: what makes you different from everyone else

day 19: something you bought recently

day 20: what did i wear today??

day 21: your friends

day 22: a place you've traveled to

day 23: favorite recipe

day 24: favorite photo

day 25: your house and your favorite rooms in it

day 26: a habit you wish you didn't have

day 27: a picture of you last year and a picture of you now

day 28: something that stresses you out

day 29: favorite vacation

day 30: photo of yourself today + three good things that have happened in the past 30 days

Trip to Labor & Delivery #2

Yesterday I made it to Sam's 1st piano recital (video to come later). Around 5:30 I started timing my contractions because they were feeling closer than they have yet. They were anywhere from 10-20 min. apart. I decided around 10 to get in the tub to see if they'd quit. Once I got out of the tub, they actually got worse. They increased to every 3-5 min. I kept texting Trav to try and talk to him. I didn't want to go back to Labor and Deliver without talking to him first. Finally about 11 I was in tears and told Sam to "call grandma". So, about 11:30 my parents came up. My dad stayed with the kids and my mom took me back into Labor and Delivery. They hooked me up to the monitors and checked me. They said I was 50% (40% last time) and a 1+. I was happy to hear I had made progress. My dr. was the one on call too. They decided to give me a shot to try and stop or slow down the contractions. That was a burning sensation I wasn't anticipating. After the shot, the contractions slowed down, but didn't stop. They checked me again before I left and decided that although I was 50%, I was really only a 1, not a 1+. Wasn't happy about hearing that. We finally left around 2 am. They sent me home with 2 Lortab and more ambien. They also called in a prescription for the Lortab and the ambien for me so I can "self medicate until the end". When I went to the dr. yesterday and he told me, "This just might be one of those pregnancies where you're in and out of Labor and Delivery a bunch of times before she decides to come for real." I didn't really take that comment seriously.....until last night. On the bright side, after I talked to Trav at 11 pm, he had his boss called and he got a ride out of Pine Dale at midnight and was home around 5 am. What a way to start his week off huh?

Trip #1 to Labor & Deliver

Since Thursday I have had increasing pain and contractions. On Sunday I showed up at my mom's house at noon in tears. Those that know me, know I just don't do that. I have a super high pain tolerance. Mom kind of freaked out at that point. She sent me downstairs to lay down while she kept the kids entertained. Around 6 or so that night I called the dr. on call. She said she thought it sounded like I might have a bladder infection and that I should go into Labor & Delivery and get checked out. So, mom and I hauled the kids to my in laws house and dropped them off. We got to Labor & Deliver around 8 pm. They did a urine check which turned out completely fine (great actually) and put me on the monitor. They checked me and said I was STILL at a -3/-4 and a 1. Great. Thanks kid. So, they sent me home after about 3 hours with 2 percocet & an ambien. Mom spent the night at my house since the ambien can completely knock a person out.

This morning I couldn't function well enough to get Sam to school on time. So, she was about an hour and half late to school. Glad the office person and her teacher were understanding. (Mom had to be to work at 6 am.) I dropped the boys off at daycare & called to follow up with my dr. They decided to have me come in at 1:45 today instead of waiting until Wednesday.

Fast forward to dr. appointment. Weight is at +56 lbs, bp is great, no swelling, urine looks good, belly measures 37 wks (not 35). Basically am told that dr. is thrilled I've made it this far b/c he wasn't sure I would but that he'd still like to get 2 more weeks out of me. Basically tells me to do what I can to get contractions to stop or slow down. Awesome.

Fast forward to 4 pm today. Decided to time contractions. They've been anywhere from 28 min - 2 min apart. Last little bit they sped up but now I'm thinking they're going back to their 10 min apart show. I hate this! Contractions with Samantha were NEVER regular at all - even during hard labor. So, here I sit, trying to decide if I go back to Labor & Delivery or not. Mom has her cell phone nearby but has to work in the morning. Wondering what tomorrow will bring. Sure glad that Trav comes home tomorrow!

Sam cracks me up

I totally forgot to write about this in the post below. Since the kids are watching Despicable Me, I was thankfully reminded.

So last night as we were getting ready to leave my sister in law's house to come home, I had told Nash about 14 times to get his boots on. He still hadn't done it and I was getting frustrated so I told him, "Get your boots on now or I'm going to kick your butt!" Just as I finish telling him this, I hear Samantha off to one side say, "Oh no! Not the box of shame!" I couldn't help but bust up. I LOVE the movie Despicable Me & it was perfect timing on her part. What a kid!

Spring Break

Here is a side by side comparison of me at 35 wks with Caleb (left) and 34.5 wks with Brookelyn. I think I'm lookin' pretty good this time! My weight is up to +57 lbs according to my mom's scale today. Lucky for me, I don't think it's showing quite as much this time! Looking at these pictures makes me REALLY glad it isn't June & I'm NOT that big again! I did notice Thurs & Fri night that my ankles are a little swollen, but not too much. Let's hope it stays that way.

Thursday night the big kids spent the night at Aunt Jamie's & Uncle Robbie's in Farr West. They were SOO glad to get out of this house & do something. They've been going stir crazy all week because the weather has been so yucky & Sam's closest bestie has been gone to Ohio since Monday. I haven't really been up to having play dates over here either. I went down Thursday early afternoon & stayed until 5:30 or so & then Caleb & I came home. I debated about leaving Caleb, but he was telling me for a few days before that his ear hurt and his nose has been terrible. So, Thursday night was just me & Caleb. He fell asleep before I hit Brigham & stayed asleep until 8:30. I should have woke him up when I got home, but I knew he needed the sleep. Stupid me - he was awake until 2-2:30 am! And he doesn't just chill out either - he likes to run circles around the couch/island or sit on my lap while I try & sew (just imagine the help I get). Friday I took Caleb into the pediatrician. He said Caleb's tube in his left ear is starting to come out & has basically turned sideways & that's probably why it's hurting. It wasn't infected or red (wow). He did have a sinus infection though, so we got a Rx for that. After the pediatrician's office we picked up his Rx and made 1 or 2 other stops before heading back to Farr West. We got to Farr West around 3ish. The kids played and played. They were soo bummed when we finally left at 9:30 last night. Of course, all 3 zonked before we hit Brigham. And, amazingly, they stayed asleep when we got home! I only got 1 picture while we were there. Uncle Robbie brought 3 bikes upstairs for the kids to play (let's hope they don't ask to do it at home, b/c the answer is NO). Sam was pushing Caleb & Jaxton in the little blue car while Clayton & Nash did circles around them & everyone else!

I finally finished 1 of the aprons I have had laid out since November. It was going to be for my sister in law (Jamie) as part of her Christmas. I just ran out of time in December to get it done, so it's been sitting in my "pile". I finally decided I should get it done for her birthday (Monday). So, while Caleb was up running circles Thursday night, I managed to finish it. I think it turned out super cute & she was pretty excited.

I'm excited b/c Jamie has helped me make a craft for the kids' new rooms. She drew their names out (she has awesome handwriting) and we cut them out of different scrapbook paper & backed them with a solid color. I need to rubber cement the letters together & then I'm ready for the next step. The boys' are going to go onto blocks of wood. Their names are in red/blue b/c that's what colors their room is getting done in. I think I'll paint their blocks white to make their names really pop. The girls' I'm going to mount onto a white paper & then place in random 8.5 x 11 or 5 x 7 picture frames. I know I've got some frames I'm not using downstairs. For the other frames I need (we did Samantha & Brookelyn not Sam & Brooke) I'm going to go over to the DI & see if I can find some decent frames. If I can get all wood ones, I'm going to paint them white so they are a little more tied together. When they are done (and the room is repainted pink) I'm going to hang them on the walls by their beds. They are going to be super cute & I can't wait to get them finished!

Last night I was having contractions & I figured when I went to bed they'd stop. No. They continued off and on all night long. So, I didn't sleep much. The fact that Caleb came in around 2 or 3 with leg cramps didn't help. I don't think it would have been so bad if once he fell back to sleep he hadn't decided to use my belly as a pillow! I finally moved to the couch around 6 and all three kids were up around 8. I was super glad my mom didn't have to work today. She came & got all three of them around 1:30 and kept them for several hours so I could get some sleep. Contractions still haven't stopped, but they've slowed down. The funny thing is, I seriously have done like nothing the last 2 days. The entire time I was at my sister in law's house I was pretty much sitting (we were working on the letters). Guess Brookelyn's just getting ready to make her appearance? I go back to the dr. on Wed. so we'll see what he says. I think he'll be glad that next week is going to be my last week at work. That way I can spend more time "down" (ha!).

Travis found out around Christmas time that Halliburton will pay for him to finish his college degree. So, in January he reapplied to USU. He was accepted and last time he was home, he went and met with an advisor in the Business dept. He's decided to finish his degree (only about 9 yrs after he quit going to school b/c we got pregnant with Sam) in Business Administration. He's going to do the entire thing online. He researched computers and ended up buying a laptop. He can register beginning Monday. He was going to start with 12 credits, but being the awesome wife I am, I convinced him that would be overdoing it his 1st semester back, especially considering it will be summer semester & we'll have another kid. He finally saw my reasoning & agreed he'll just take 3 classes (about 6 or 7 credits). I think he's excited to get back to it. He has 77 credits total that he has to do in order to finish. He figured if he does about 8 credits summer semester & about 12 fall and winter semester, it will take him 2.5 years to get it done. Not too bad, and I'm happy because Halliburton is picking up the tab instead of us! I just wish we would have known about it when he started working there 2 years ago!

This turned out to be a longer post than I had planned. Sorry!

Random Pictures

This first picture is specifically for my Aunt Nikki. Remind you of anyone? I about cracked up when I walked in to check on the kids before bed & found Nash with the blanket wrapped around his head like this. You can tell the blanket is only around his head and arms. I guess his legs were plenty warm!

I bought both of these pieces of fabric in the remnet bin (I'm soooo addicted to remnets!). I ended up turning them into a baby blanket to give to a friend of ours that just had their second baby. I think it turned out pretty cute. And yes, the white is minky fabric.

My mom found this pattern awhile back. She showed it to me & I really liked it so, I of course bought the 2 patterns mom didn't. Mom made a turtle blanket like this for my niece, Sunny, and then decided Brookelyn needed the caterpillar. This blanket is laying diagonal on my queen size bed & takes up most of the bed. I'm currently working on a butterfly for Sam, an owl for Caleb, and a teddy bear for Nash. The fabric in Sam's is the same fabric that's in Brookelyn with an exception or two (it needed more fabrics) and I'm using the same fabrics in Nash's and Caleb's so they match too. I think the caterpillar turned out super cute & I'm excited to see how the other 3 turn out. Cutting them out was a beast for sure! Then you have to go back & mark the pieces so you know where to machine "quilt". Mom said that sewing them all together & snipping them is the easy part! These will definitely be a labor of love & I'm not sure I'll be duplicating them any time soon!

This is quilt #1 of 9 that mom & I have put on the quilt frames in the last several days. It's for Caleb's "big boy bed" when he moves downstairs. Since he'll have the bottom bunk and it's a double, I had to do something for him because I don't have any "kid" quilts that size. Nash wanted the room blue & red (his favorite colors) and Caleb loves tractors. I was amazed that I found tractors in red and blue. Go WalMart! The binding is all pinned down and ready to start hand stitching now.

I still need to get a picture of Brookelyn's crib quilt. It's a lime green & pink with Snoopy. Super cute. I just bought the pink broadcloth for the binding today. I'm hoping I can get it and stitched together & pinned onto the quilt in the next few days. That way if I have 0 motivation (like last night) I can still sit & do something & actually accomplish something from my "to do" list!

I'm 34 1/2 wks today. I don't go back into the dr. until next Wed. When I saw my mom today she mentioned that she thinks the baby looks lower. I think she feels lower. We'll see what the dr. says when I go in in a week. I've decided to go ahead and work next week (this week is spring break) but I'll be done next Friday. I'm so worried about my water breaking at work that I just don't want to chance it! And, if she comes over Easter weekend like I think she will, that will give me a week at home before she comes. If she comes May 1st like the dr. thinks she will, I'll have 2 weeks at home. I'm not even considering that she will come after that - I know, I shouldn't get my hopes up.

We haven't done anything exciting for spring break. I don't dare travel too far from home without Travis and all 3 kids in tow. I'm going to take the kids to Farr West tomorrow night to spend the night with their Aunt Jamie & Uncle Robbie & cousins. They should be thrilled about that. The weather has been kinda poopy so they have had to pretty much stay inside. Yesterday we had to go get Caleb 2 shots so he's been kinda grumpy and clingy to me. I am hoping the weather will be nice during the next few days & I will take the kids to Baby Animal Days at the Historical Farm. We went last year and they loved it. I'm just not too sure the dr. would approve of me walking around that much. Guess we'll see what the weather does & if I can convince anyone to go with me!