Spontaneous

Tuesday afternoon the boys and I needed a little distraction. This week is Spring Break for us which means our schedule is wide open with none of our usual tasks and activities. Since we are all on hold waiting for our little brother to get here we needed a little something to look forward to. 

We started with going to Kung Fu Panda (Panda Express) for lunch.  Then the boys decided they needed some ice cream, but not just any ice cream, they wanted push ups.  Luckily the grocery store nearby had one brand of push ups and they were thrilled.

 

Next we went to our favorite park, ate our push ups and played!

We payed as long as we could but we had our box of push ups that needed to be put in the freezer so we headed home.

Our spontaneous afternoon was just what we needed to bring some life back into our day.  

Sunday Nap

This last Sunday we ha Stake Conference and since I was sure I was going into labor we opted to stay home. But of course it was all fo not because Baby is taking his time,  However we did have some good family time complete with a family nap and a windy trip to our local park.  Don't they look peaceful? 

No Baby Yet

This baby is taking it's sweet time.  On Friday I had a few contractions and they continued on through Saturday.  Saturday evening during a church meeting they started to pick up coming every 8-10 minutes.  We went home and started getting a few affairs in order because I was sure we would be heading to the hospital sometime that night.  With my other 2 pregnancies, once the contractions started they didn't stop.  Around midnight I decided I should try and get as much sleep as I could since the contractions were easing up a bit which from my experience is normal for me, my contractions are not super consistent.  Sunday morning came and contractions were slowing down even more, but I thought once I got up and moving they would pick back up.  Instead they stopped all together.  So this morning I had an OB appointment and they gave me a non stress test to make sure the baby wasn't suffering being overdue.  The little dude it actually very happy and content where he is.  His heart rate was phenomenal and his movement amazing.  My contractions over the last few days have made progress, I am measuring 3 cm where at my OB last week I was still locked up tight.  I have an induction scheduled for Wednesday morning bright and early if he decides to drag his feet that long.  We shall see.  I'm hoping I go on my own just in the nick of time.  I really prefer to labor at home and being induced means you're at the hospital for the long haul.  But whatever it takes, I guess!

Bracken - 2 1/2

It's Bracken's half birthday so I thought I would take some time to document a bit about the little things that make Bracken unique.

Bracken is very 2.  When we are out in public or when I am talking about my kidlets with other people they can all guess Bracken's age from the behavior they observe and from the stories I tell.  He is Mr. "I do it myself".  When he decides he wants something a certain way there is no convicing him otherwise.  He usually has to have 2 or 3 timeouts in a row before he gives in and realizes I mean business.  But when he gives in his is very quick to repent and say sorry, cute little bugger.  Bracken does not like Nathan to boss him around and he knows just how to handle Nathan, all he has to do is whack him one and Nathan retreats a crying mess.  Bracken is very good at sticking up for and defending himself.  We've had a few descent brawls in our house lately.  He shows NO signs of wanting to potty train so I haven't pushed the issue.  But every now and then I ask in my prayers for him to be ready soon because I am getting tired of changing his diapers.

Bracken is smart, not much escapes his notice.  He talks extremely well and can communicate anything he wants with anyone.  At least once a day I try to have a little conversation with him, asking him questions, listening to his answers and prompting him to ask questions.  It cracks me up to recall the things I can converse with him about, it truly is amazing.  He also does really well with Spanish, and is using more Spanish ealier than Nathan did.

Bracken has a sweet tooth.  Everyday without fail he asks for candy and gum.  He also thinks that watching shows means eating a snack even if he just ate a meal and shouldn't need any food yet.  And boy can he put away the fishies.  Bracken loves him some Gold Fish Crackers. 

Bracken is really good at playing.  He can entertain himself with his toys all day.  He schemes up the cutest things with his cars, trucks and guys.  He moves them around and talks for them.  I love to observe him playing.  He also enjoys playing cowboy, with his boots, hat and stick horse.  He'll ride all over the house and yard having adventures.

Bracken loves to be outside.  He plays b-ball, rides his bike, rides his scooter, and follows Papi and Nathan around every where trying to be just as big as them.

Bracken'isms

"I'm am" for "I am"

Poopy Head

Murky Waters (he picked this one up from Papi, and he says it with a slight lisp)

At Christmas time he said "Bery Bery Christmas murky waters!"

Knock Knock Jokes (he says the whole thing) "Knock knock who's there, banana (or any random object)?"  To which we reply "Banana who?" Bracken's answer every time "I don't know!"

He doesn't just say "I love you" he says "I love you to China!" (or the moon, or whatever place near or far that pops into his head)

"I need some wips." Which means he needs some chapstick for his lips.

Oatmeaup - Oatmeal

He can immediately recognize and name his favorite songs on the radio - Firework by Katy Perry, Party Rock Anthem, and Moves Like Jagger
When he is mad at someone he says "I'm bad at you!" or "I'm not my friend anymore!"

He is still my snuggle bug.  On the mornings that he wakes up before me, he comes into bed with me and we snuggle or "nuggle nuggle" as he says it.  I love my Bracky!



Ready for Baby

Today is my due date!

I spent the day doing my Saturday chores, finishing up a few odds and ends, and made a run to Sams Club with the boys where we enjoyed some delicious samples or "snacks" as Nathan calls them.  I have had a few minor contractions but nothing to get excited over yet.

I have accomplished everything that is important for Baby #3's arrival.  I still want to make 2 more crib sheets because it is always nice to have extras. For some reason my crib mattress is extra long, and store bought sheets just don't fit so I have to make my own.  I also want to redo the window treatments and I have everything for the project, but it will have to wait till after this little guy comes.

Our "nursery" is one side of the boys room and it is all stocked and ready for baby.  I have the diaper bab packed and I put the freshly washed carseat in the car today.  I still have some things to pack to finish off my hospital bag, but I'll do that when I know I'm in labor for sure. 

All in all this pregnancy has been easy and gone by FAST.  The only complication, the whole broken ankle/leg thing, had nothing to do with being pregnant but it did add a certain level of awkwardness and discomfort.  Luckily I have carried really small with this pregnancy which has been a blessing to help keep the awkwardness and discomfort that came with mending a broken ankle to a minimum.  I have gained 26 lbs, which is my best yet.  With Nathan I gained 36 and with Bracken I gained 32.  For the most part this pregnancy has felt just like my other two. One big difference with this one is I tested negative for Group B Strep, the other 2 I was positive.  Which means I don't have to worry about getting the required antibiotics in my system before the baby wants to come out.  I progress quickly once my labor starts, with my first 2 labor experiences I was already 7 cm by the time I got to the hospital so the nurses had to rush the antibiotics.  But this time I won't have to worry about that.  Testing negative also means I won't be required to have a 48 hour minimum stay at the hospital.  It is always nice to get home as soon as possible.

I am anxious to get this show on the road.  Now we just have to wait and see what the rest of the weekend brings!

My 1st Quilt

This is the quilt I made for Baby #3, but I have to make a disclaimer, I cheated.  I can really only claim to have made a blanket as I did none of the quilting.  It all started when I cleaned out our hall closet a few weeks ago and came across some unused quilted king shams.  As I was contemplating what to do with them the idea came to me that if I unpicked them and sewed them together they would be the perfect size for a baby quilt.  And that is exactly what I did. 

I appliqued the baby life words onto the shams, added a cotton backing which I tacked down every so often so as not to interfere with the quilted circles on the shams and then reused the binding that I unpicked from the shams to finish it off. Now I have a playful, colorful baby quilt that coordinates beautifully with my new crib bedding and it didn't cost me a thing, all it took was some creativity and a bit of time.  Everytime I walk into the boys room and see this cute quilte it makes me smile.  Now I just need the little one to wrap up in it!

Laundry Room Love

This project has been a long time in coming.  It was meant to be completed in November for my birthday, but November ended up being super busy with lots of car repairs so the laundry room project was pushed back.  We hit is hard the first part of Christmas Break taking out the super ugly cupboards and painting it a soft gray.  But our plans came to a screeching halt when I broke my leg/ankle. For weeks it sat untouched, but luckily it was usable as far as getting laundry washed and dried.  A few weeks after I had my walking cast we picked it back up.  Progress was slow since I was still not as capable as before and Curtis was once again in the middle of a busy semester, but little by little we have improved our laundry room and now we LOVE it.  It is super functional for our needs and no longer an eye sore.

I adore my new cupboards, they fit so much stuff and look really good.  And I love the shelf above the washer/dryer that allows me to access and store all the stuff I use frequently for laundry and helps keep the dryer clear of clutter.

Our "mud room" area is also a huge improvement since there was nothing here but bare wall before.  We come in and out of our garage so this has already proven to be extremely handy.  I'm surprised we managed at all before we had it.  The cubbies store our seasonal gear and my purse finally has a home.  And now there are always shoes and jackets available for the boys.  Before all their jackets and shoes were kept in their closet which proved problematic when Bracken would be napping and Nathan decided he wanted to go outside. And now we have 2 active boys who will be needing things when this new little brother arrives so this space evolved at a great time. 

And here is where I keep the ironing board now.

And this is where we keep keys and other little things that tend to end up in the laundry room.

My super handy shelf.

I used to want to cover up our water heater some how, but I could never think of a functional way that would still allow easy access should it ever need repaired.  But now with our gray walls I hardly even notice it.  There are still a few projects to be completed before this room is completely done.  We have a utility sink we need to install in the space between the washer and water heater, but that project will have to wait till summer.  We also want to paint the door to the garage white, and eventually replace the inside laundry room door, along with all our other inside doors, with nicer white doors, but that too will have to wait for a future date.

All in all I'm happy my birthday present is finally finished and I have a beautiful space to work my laundry magic in!