9 Months and a full moon...

I took these pictures today for emily r. (you're welcome) and soon after started having contractions. i went to my already scheduled dr.'s appt and, although i'm only dilated to 1cm, the Non-stress test results, plus the fairly consistent contractions, plus the full moon tomorrow, plus the pending storm all had the dr.'s and nurses telling me that this baby was coming very soon.

well, after calling everyone i know and freaking them all out, i came back home, relaxed, drank some water, visited with some friends and now it's 11pm and the contractions have all but stopped now.

But i'm glad i got these pictures, cause it's been a while since i've stood in front of a camera, and i need this for posterity's sake :) And now i've caught up a bit on my journal/blog. I've finished 85% of the projects i wanted to. I'm a bit concerned by the fact that I currently have no ceiling in my kitchen, but that's my own fault for putting off this home-improvement project for so long!!!

I'm relieved the contractions have stopped. I would like to make it through Saturday without this baby coming. Reid has about a billion things at work he'd like to finish up, too. So, hopefully we can hold off just 72 more hours. I must be the only 9 month person in the world who's hoping not to come early!!!

VBS

A couple weeks ago Grace went to Vacation Bible School at a church just across the street from us. It was every morning from 9:30-Noon--and it was awesome! Although she screamed bloody murder every morning when i dropped her off (except for the last day) she really did have a great experience. I thought that with her best friend, Brae, there she'd be fine, but she still flipped out big-time--we're talking they had to call in "back-up" every time i left... But, she (of course) had tons of fun, and I got a MUCH needed break from my sweet 3 year old, and she got a break from her ornery mom! It was also so fun to have some Abby time. We even had a little play date with some kids Abby's age at a House of Bounce place. I can't say enough how good it was for all 3 of us to have this little break.

The whole week was focused on Jesus' miracles. She learned about Peter walking on the water, the blind man being healed and other Bible stories. Although we read from the scriptures here at home almost daily, I think it was really good for her to learn about those stories from other grown-ups, too. We're excited to do it again next summer!!

Grace's class, the "Microchips"

This photo was in the parents' slide show the last day.
A friend of mine was the photographer, so she sent me
this cute pic of my studious Grace.

Happy 6th Anniversary

Could it get any better than going to a place like this...

On a night like this...
Listening to a performer like this...


Sing songs like this....

Carolina in My Mind-
Everyday-
Fire and Rain-
Mexico-
Shower the People you Love-
You've got a Friend-
Sweet Baby James-
Your Smiling Face-

With a guy like this....

Simply put, the answer is no.

Thanks, babe, for an awesome anniversary gift! It was well worth the 1.4 mile hike to get there...but next time, could you just drop your 9-month pregnant wife off a little close to the theater??? Actually, I kinda liked all the looks of amazement I got from people. It made me almost feel like one of those tough pregnant chicks who doesn't play her "princess card" every chance she gets :)

Note: This picture was taken only after the profuse sweating had stopped--about 2/3 of the way into the show :)

Note #2: If any of you ever are interested in seeing any performer at the Red Rocks Theater, it is BY FAR the most beautiful (outdoor) theater I've ever been to and would be well worth your travels to get there. And if we know you, and you're not some weird blog stalker, then you could even stay with us!!!

> two weeks to go...

Where can i get one of these???

Well, i've officially got less than 2 weeks to go, and i'm FREAKING OUT!! Granted, i'm ready not to grunt every time i pick something up, and I'm ready to sleep more than 90 minutes at a time. And I'm excited for these beautiful veins on my right leg to lose their 3rd dimension, and i really do look forward to meeting this little girl inside of me. BUT, i'm still really not ready for her to come!!!

Apart from the 28 projects i've gotta finish first, the baby shower i'm throwing this Tuesday, the activity i'm heading on Saturday for all the kids from my church, the Broncos football game we're going to Saturday night, and the fact that a crew of construction workers is coming Thursday morning to spend 5+ days ripping apart our kitchen (yeah, the timing's impecable!!), I'm just not ready to have 3 kids yet!!!

There are moments (and i LOVE them) when Grace and Abby will just run out to the backyard and play back there, needing zero attention from me, for 20-30 minutes, or they'll each find some books and thumb through them, quietly in the front room while i get things done. In those moments i think "I can do 3 kids, no biggie." And then there are the moments when Abby's screaming one of her many demands at me and Grace is yelling at Abby to be quiet cause she needs to tell mom that today she's Cinderella, and then they both start crying cause mom's ignorning them 'cause she's trying to cook dinner, and the tortillas are burning on the stove and there's someone at the door, and the phone's ringing, and Reid's gonna be late and i have to pee and i just wonder, in those moments, what i would do if there was also a little newborn crying with that "you can't ignore me, mom" cry!!!

Those are the moments i just don't think i'm ready for...and, truthfully, who is!???!?! But I just remind myself that for the first 4 weeks Reid will be here 24/7 (thank you FML Act!!) and that Abby and Grace really are best friends and play REALLY well together lots of the time. And i remind myself that God's on my side, and He doesn't want me to strangle my children, or throw them out the window. And i've got great friends here who have all volunteered to help any way they can. And i know that I'll be praying lots...and lots, and those prayers are heard. And i remind myself that there are millions of women in the world who'd give anything to be having their 3rd child in my circumstances...so, that's why i'm just gonna shut up and be grateful for what i've got! I mean, i have a freaking house and a minivan!!! Do I really still complain?!?!?!?! (the answer, sadly, is "yes")

As far as the pregnancy goes, my Dr.s have been a bit concerned as of 4 weeks ago because i'm not "measuring" quite right. But i'm not worried about it. I feel like i'm growing. i feel it in my clothes, and i can see it in my belly--i just think this little lady hides from them to be funny :) But they hook me up to all the machines every time i go in now. And every time they find that she's fine, and my fluids are fine, and there's nothing to worry about. (which i really do love hearing, even though i'm not super worried)

She's a very active baby. I feel like she's literally about to jump out of my skin!!! The Dr.'s say that because this is my 3rd child in such a short space of time that my uterus never got back to it's original size, so this little girl has all the room to move around, punch, KICK, etc. It's been SOOOOO much more intense this time around, even Reid agrees. He gets the heebie jeebies from just feeling her knee glide across my belly, bless his heart :)

All in all, i really do feel pretty good. i complain lots, and request massages every night, but that's just because i can :) I'm not retaining water this time, i haven't gained much weight (well, i gained 20lbs in the first 5 months--but not much since--my body is weird like that), the weather's been gorgeous (we're talking no A/C today!!), and is supposed to be gorgeous for the next 10 days. Overall, I feel pretty lucky to be having another little girl to kiss, to get kisses from the girls i've got, and that I'm still in love with the man who's kisses got me here in the first place :)

So in love are we two...

Is it embarassing to admit that i'm in love with my new diaper bag?? I, quite frankly, am a bit shocked at how much i like it, look at it, how often i find myself thinking about it, talking about it. Reid's started putting it in our coat closet, which he's never done with any other diaper bag before--do i detect a bit of jealousy?
This bag REALLY is the perfect diaper bag for a mom who's gonna need to fit 2 sizes of diapers, 2 sippie cups, one bottle, 2 binkis, snacks, burp cloths, sunscreen, tylenol, carmex, toys, blankets, a nursing apron, a planner, a change of clothes for baby, more snacks, sandbox toys, real keys, toy keys, a 5 ft tall lamp, a house plant.... PLUS it's either a shoulder bag OR a backpack! I never thought i'd be wearing a backpack regularly again, but i am and i'm lovin it! i can carry Abby, groceries and other stuff and not have my diaper bag slipping down my arm!!

My sweet parents gave me the $ to buy this for my birthday and after loosing on a couple ebay auctions (thank heavens!) i found this one, brand spanking new, for half price!!!! What did I do before the internets???

On a side note i have to say how much i also love my previous diaper bag. It's an amazing bag, and I've never been so complimented on anything in my life, made by my AMAZING friend who sells tons of AMAZING bags here.

Craving Curbing

"A widely accepted reason for certain cravings (especially during pregnancy) is a drop in the body's levels of the vitamins and minerals contained in the food craved"* I used to believe this. I used to believe that your body knows what's best, and if it's telling you that 3 lbs of strawberries sound delish, well, then you should go with it. And the hippie in me still wants to believe that. But i'm having a hard time thinking that I should listen to my body right now cause this is all it's telling me to eat....

I honestly could put this stuff in a cup and sip it through a coffee straw!!!
It's way too spicy for me, yet i can't get enough of it!!

This one's possibly linked to my obsession with peeling
things, but honestly, does it get any better than strawberry pull 'n peels?!?!
(I know that about half of you just about gagged,
and the other half totally hear me)

I tell myself that these are snacks "for Grace and Abby", but it is no
small secret that these are really for Reid and me. If you haven't had these
you're missing out!!

I prefer them slightly dried out, but even fresh outta the bag
i CANNOT stop until every last peach is gone!!

This beautiful companionship makes
me happier than maybe anything else in the world. When i get one of those chips that's just coated in green salty limy sprinkles it's like a mini-lottery win for my taste buds. I'm literally drooling right now.

I can't imagine that my unborn child needs any of the high fructose corn syrup or sodium found in these foods...so, i'm just gonna have to accept that some cravings just happen, and perhaps i should use a bit of self-control to curb these.

* i belive this is my first time quoting wikipedia on my blog...feels good

one last hurrah

I don't know why it takes a family vacation to get me to post on my blog...but apparently it does! We just got back on Tuesday from our last little adventure before The Arrival. (i just decided to start calling my due date that!! i love it!!)

We spent 4 days in Provo at my parents' house. We had so much fun there! Grandma and Grandpa spoiled my girls, Reid got in a round of golf with his brother, my mom's family had their family reunion, Abby, of course, took her semi-annual trip to the Urgent Care, we went to the Brick Oven for dinner with some of my dearest friends (Carrie, Tiff, Brandalee and Kathy), and my family put together a wonderful early birthday celebration for me, with homemade ice cream and all (thanks, Julia!!) I was too busy to get my camera out, so i have few pictures of this part of the trip....but i do love this one of Abby and my dad. She LOVES her grandpa! she even learned how to say "grandpa" while there!


(on a side note, abby's visit to the UC was just for a bad cough she had-- i just wanted to make sure it wasn't bronchitis cause she was so miserable at night--which was explained by the fact that she had an ear infection in both ears!!! i can't say that i recommend this specific doctor. she recommended 3 OTC drugs and 1 perscription drug for the cough ( all of which my doctors here have strongly advised against for kids under 5), and 1 antibiotic for the ears, and then she said "i don't usually give this to kids this age, but if she's not sleeping at night here's a rx for cough syrup with Codine, too." i know i'm a bit of a hippie with my home-rememdial ways...but even the pill-pushing parents in the world would've left that office feeling a little drug-overdosed.)


We then spent 6 days up in WY with Ried's family. All his siblings were there and we had a GREAT time! There's probably more info here than any of you care to read...but this is my "journal", so i'm not holdin' back!

Grace had SOOOO much fun with her cousin, Ella. They are so cute together, and, of course, they fought tons, too. Here are some cute pics we got of them during the not-so-feisty moments

Pumping water at Palisade Reservoir

Throwing rocks and pine cones into the lake

Enjoying Tom and Jana's AMAZING home-made corndogs

the rest of these pictures were the closest to
"posed" photos we could get. The girls had been bribed with
a licorice if they'd cooperate....this is the best we got :)

Reading stories with Uncle Tom before church

One of my favorite moments of the whole trip was the morning of the 4th. It was about 9:30am, we were getting ready to head to the small-town parade and Reid's mom comes in the door and tells us that her organization needs someone to dress as pioneers and push the handcart in the parade. i SWEAR on my life i have no idea what transpired the next few moments, but by 9:45 i'm wearing some pioneer-ish apron and bonnet, Reid's in his dad's old jeans, plaid shirt and suspenders, Grace is in a bonnet, and our little family is in the line-up for the Thayne City Parade!! Needless to say, people got quite the kick out of this 22-month pregnant woman manning a handcart (even though Reid did 99% of the work). It was actually really fun, and a really great reminder to me of how happy i am to not be a pioneer. Thank heavens for those women and their strength. And thank heavens for mini-vans and air conditioning. Trips to WY always remind me of what a wimp i am....this 4-block parade did so, too.

Reid loves that i'm posting this pic of him :)

Reid's family isn't really a "birthday family," so i had pretty low expectations as far as my 30th b-day went (yes, you should all feel really bad right now for not remembering, sending an e-card, calling, etc... ) but they went ALL out to make it a really fun day for me!

They put balloons up around the house (i'm guessing that's the

first time they've ever put up balloons for a b-day)

They made an adorable and delicious flag-cake and homemade ice cream
(sorry for the blurry pic!)


and we did dutch-oven dinner down at Murray's Dam.

And Reid gave me an awesome gift! He remembered that last Christmas i'd said how much i'd love to add the Willow Tree nativity set to my slowly-growing creche collection and he gave me the entire collection!! (Have i mentioned how lucky i feel to be married to this guy!?!?! The best part is he's not like one of those guys who's lame 358 days out of the year but really kicks butt every holiday, you know? He's so good to me on a daily basis, PLUS he's so thoughtful on special occasions!!! how did i get him!??!?!?) It was a perfect b-day present because, let's be honest here, who doesn't want to celebrate a little Christmas in July!?!??!

Thanks, babe!

Other highlights from the trip include the slip 'n slide (grace wouldn't do it alone, but she rode down on Reid's back several times)

Watching my sweet Abby 's vocab grow by about 700%. She honestly changed so much over those 10 days . She's talking so much more now, and she's got even MORE of an opinion and attitude....but she's SOOO much fun, and anyone who's around her can't help but smile!!

Having a break from my kids while Grandma and Grandpa SPOILED them!!

Celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary at the in-laws.
And, of course, those breif moments when both girls were asleep on those long stretches of dry, dead, Wyoming highway!