30 Weeks and 5 Days: So Close, And Yet, So Far

Sorry, this is obviously not a belly picture. But it's the only recent photo I have of myself, and it happens to be the one I took on Photo Booth to send to my sister after I cut my hair off in a fit of pregnancy-induced spontaneity last week. I'll try to post a preggo-eggo picture soon. 

At almost 31 weeks, I find myself starting to think  "I'm almost done!" Then I remember I have at least two more months, probably more like two and a half, and I feel a little deflated knowing that I haven't hit the home-stretch quite yet. ;) I was talking to my cute cousin who just announced that she is pregnant with her fourth child, and she concisely summed it up for me: "Pregnancy gets less glamorous with each baby. You just have to remember you DO get a baby at the end." Preach!

How Far Along? 30 weeks and 5 days...7 months and 3 weeks on Saturday. Not that I'm counting down, or anything ;) Baby's Size Equivalent? A summer cantaloupe. Not a spring cantaloupe, mind you. Summer. Maternity Clothes? Some of my normal clothes still fit, like my sweaters, lower-rise jeans, and longer, stretchier shirts...but I really just prefer my softest pair of leggings and a hoodie, or loose-fitting shirts. I've had a really low tolerance for anything even somewhat fitted around my midriff this time around. I've given up on bras unless I'm at work or church. How Are You Sleeping? Pretty well, all things considered. I have to get up at least twice a night to, ahem, relieve myself. And some nights are better than others. But overall, I can't complain! Best moment this week? Jace has been asking to sit on the potty, which is cool! He's also been talking up a storm. It's so fun to watch him grow. Weird pregnancy moment? Well, over Christmas break I got the random but powerful urge to chop my hair. So I did! Not myself, mind you. I sought the aid of a professional. And I love it! Any Movement: Yep! The movements feel a bit smoother, though, rather than pokes and jabs. I think he's running out of room. Anything making you queasy? No. I don't know how some ladies deal with morning sickness their entire pregnancy. They are warriors and should be canonized. How About Cravings? Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies sound puh-retty tasty right now. But I've also been enjoying really strong flavors at meals, such as dill or sweet pickles, blue cheese, or salad dressing made with balsamic vinegar and mustard. What I'm Looking Forward To: A beautiful new year with my incredible husband and TWO little sons. I can't believe I'm going to be a mama of two...I can't be old enough for this. I'm pretty sure I just got my drivers license like a couple (twelve!!) years ago...Also, my wonderful sister is expecting her little girl any day now!! They've kept her name a complete secret, so I'm excited to find out what they are going to call her, and meeting the first gran'baby girl on my side of the family.

Holiday Recap

Mimi was making him laugh hysterically by offering him sips of her drink, then wiping his lip with a napkin. He might have inherited her peculiar sense of humor. ;)

Enjoying his new coloring book and crayons back at home. All great artists work best while wearing pants on their heads.  

Jace got a very realistic-looking toy Dyson vacuum from C and I, and his cousins gave him a cute little broom/mop/dustpan set. He loves them! He has been extra helpful around the house these days, sweeping up dirt into his dustbin and throwing it in the trash. Love my little helper.

At Leavenworth, pre-tantrums.

He LOVED the Christmas "tee." His favorite ornaments were a little red car and a miniature train. He said goodnight to the Christmas tree every night before heading up to bed, and he wanted the lights on first thing in the morning.

December was a bit of a whirlwind over here. I think that's probably how the holidays are, once you become a parent. My birthday was on the 16th, and both boys spoiled me with flowers and cards, perfume/body spray/lotion, and the traditional Oreo ice cream dessert that Colt has been making me every year (except for one) since before we started dating. Bonus: Colt took a half-day and surprised me by coming home at lunchtime! My parents came into town that weekend, and Colt took me out for a birthday lunch and a movie (we saw Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and we both liked it a lot. I'm excited for it to hit Redbox). Then, on Sunday, we braved the pass and headed out to Leavenworth. We didn't stay too long; it was bitter cold (14 degrees or something like that), and Jace was having meltdown after meltdown. We still enjoyed ourselves, though, with lots of hot chocolate and a German bratwurst for dinner. We watched the movie "Miracle," over and over again-it's Jace's latest favorite. He wakes up every morning asking for "Hockey? Hockey?!" Then he goes and grabs  one of his plastic golf clubs and a little golf ball and runs around the house using them as a hockey stick and puck. Should I start saving for skates and pads now, or wait a few years? ;)

We spent Christmas and New Years Eve at my parents house in Oregon. Remember how I mentioned in my last post that Jace was having some weird night-wakings? Well, while were at my parents house, the purpose behind those bizarre sleep patterns was manifested: his language took off in a pretty epic way. He learned multiple new words and phrases every day, started finishing the sentences in his books as we read together, and has been putting 2 and 3 words together. Additionally, he's been pushing our barstool chairs up to the counter and climbing over to the sink to play in the faucet (we've been working hard to teach him that sitting in the chairs is ok, but climbing on the table and counters is a no-go). He also started refusing to drink out of his sippy cups at Mimi and Papa's. He wanted to drink out of the regular cups, and he did a great job most of the time. And over the last couple days, he's started asking to sit on the potty! December was a big month for Mister Jace. 

Colt and I kept the gift-giving rather small this year. We only bought JJ a couple of presents and stocking stuffers. He doesn't really need anything, and isn't old enough to ask for anything specific. He also hasn't quite grasped the magic of opening presents, and he's not super interested until after he sees what's inside. He did really enjoy the few small gifts we got him, as well as the gifts from his aunties and uncles, though. He especially loved his choo-choo bathrobe, the "janitor supplies" from his cousins, his Lightning McQueen hotwheels car, and his truck and train books. He's a spoiled little monkey.

My parents did a "giving tree" Christmas this year: they put gift cards to stores, restaurants, and movie tickets all over the tree, and my sister and her husband and Colt and I were able to use them for date nights all week! It was so nice to be able to spend some quality time together and take advantage of the free childcare-Jace LOVES when Mimi and Papa watch him, and he's asked for them pretty much everyday since we got home. 

We drove home on New Years Day so that we could enjoy the following Monday off together as a family. We cleaned the house, took down all of the inside Christmas decorations (I'm holding out on taking down the outdoor Christmas lights, I just love them so much), ran a few errands, and tried to soak in the last little bit of the holiday season. I've had a little bit of a hard time adjusting back to normal life this week. I think my brain is still on vacation!

My resolutions for this year:

1. Worry less, and trust God more.

2. Read the New Testament from cover to cover.

3. Be kinder to and more appreciative of my body, and be grateful for my health. Pregnancy is truly an exercise in being kind and patient with yourself-while growing the baby, in recovery, as well as throughout the post-partum aftermath! But our bodies and our health are such miraculous gifts. I want to treat mine with more gratitude and appreciation, and become adept at recognizing it's cues and giving it what it needs. It is doing a pretty awesome job at growing this baby for me, after all.

4. Use my body as a tool to do the things I love. Run more! Go swimming! Ride bikes! Hike with my boys! Go camping! Snuggle my babies! Enjoy being the only girl in a houseful of adventurous boys.

5. Relax and enjoy Colt, Jace, and Littlest Man. I think with Jace, the shock of new motherhood and the responsibility I felt to take care of him and do things the "right way," or way I thought things should be done, created more stress and prevented me from fully appreciating every moment. And I would get so frustrated and stressed out once he hit his 3 month sleep regression and his naps got so short, and his night wakings increased...I was so tired and just wanted to fix it so we could get some rest! This time, I'm going to try to be a little more easy-going and accept the good and the tough times for what they are, and be grateful for each moment. Because there is purpose in both. And I'm realizing time goes so fast-I think I'll try a bit harder to treasure those private moments in the middle of the night with my new babe, rather than frantically googling "how to get my baby to sleep through the night" on my phone at 3:00 am. Or at least, reduce the googling. ;)Reducing the googling in general should probably be my 6th resolution...baby steps.

I can't believe Jace will be two years old at the end of this month. And in 9-10 weeks, we get to meet our newest little guy! There will be so many changes this year, and last year brought so much joy...I'm a little sad and scared to see 2016 go! Sometimes I get a a bit anxious that life is too good right now, too easy, and that trials and adversity MUST be right around the corner to balance everything out (see New Years Resolution #1). But I'm hopeful that 2017 will be just as great, if not better, than 2016. God is good, and mindful of each one of us. So grateful for my boys, for our good health and strong bodies, for our home, for our families. Happy 2017!

All About This Guy

It's been awhile since this little dude has had a blog post all to himself! He's grown so much, both physically and mentally. We've got a chatterbox on our hands these days-a willful, adventurous, joyful (most of the time), busy little chatterbox with big feet and dimpled elbows. We still can't understand most of his jargon, but he sure seems to know exactly what he's saying and has full-on conversations with us. He's learned tons of new words, and is even producing some two word phrases (i.e. "More cookie?!" "More choc'late?" He's my child.). I'm constantly surprised by how much he understands-a few weeks ago I asked him to go grab the Very Hungry Caterpillar book and bring it to me to read, not expecting him to be able to actually do so. But he went right over to his little shelf, rifled through all of his books until he found the story, and brought it right over! He's also outgrown all of his 18-24 month pants, and has thinned out quite a bit. In fact, 24 month/2T pants fit him perfectly in terms of length, but the waist is huge. His pants sag so low, I can see the bottom of his diaper; it's like a throwback to the late 90's/early 2000's over here. A little more about this handsome guy: 

-He will be two years old at the end of next month. Where is the time going?!

-He has been obsessed with washing his hands in the sink. And by washing his hands, I mean he says "Hans?!" and demands to be placed next to the kitchen sink so he can turn the water on and off and move the faucet back and forth. He also sometimes asks for baths and loves to lay on his tummy in there, like he's swimming. He's a bit of a water-bug. 

-Loves, LOVES, LOOOVES choo choo trains right now. And anything that goes, really. We have a train ornament on our Christmas tree that Colt has had since he was a little boy, and Jace loves to play with it. 

-He created his first piece of "wall art" just this morning on the garage and laundry room doors (with a black crayon). 

-He's been so cute about helping me around the house. He loves to sweep the floor (as soon as he sees me take the broom out of the closet, he tries to take it away from me and do it himself), and when I ask him to help me bring in groceries, he proudly carries his little bag into the house and up to the counter. He looks so pleased with himself, I can't help but laugh. He's also pretty good about throwing his own diapers away, and he will usually pick up his crayons and put them away when we ask him to, depending on the day (and his mood). 

-He has taken an interest in coloring. He asks for "ca'ans" (crayons) and paper, and uses a variety of different colors until the paper is filled with colorful scribbles. He predominately uses his right hand, and he's got a nice tri-finger grasp going on, rather than wrapping his whole hand around the crayon.

-This guy is notorious right now for alternating between moments of calm, sweetness, and snuggles, then at the drop of a hat crying and banging his toys on the furniture because he didn't get his way. Toddler mood swings, anyone?

-Loves to play outside, rain, shine, or snow. He loves to jump in the puddles and go visit the dog and chickens that live down the road.

-He has had some weird sleep patterns over the last several days. He's been waking up a couple times every night this week, and one day he woke up at 4:00 am (!). But the next day, he slept in until 9:00 am, which is unheard of. And the other night, he woke up at 1:30 and was giggling like a madman all by himself in his crib for several minutes. I'm not sure if he's growing, teething, or if it's a developmental leap, but it keeps things interesting.  

-Favorite foods include: Costco cheese pizza, fruit and veggie pouches ("Pouchie? POUCHIE?!"), cinnamon toast, yogurt, popcorn (especially cheese popcorn), eggs in all forms, tomato sauce, "treats," and meat (with the exception of ground hamburger). He also still loves Mexican food. He's definitely got opinions, though. He'll gobble something up one day, and when I give it to the him the next day, he'll refuse to eat. Stinker.

-Current favorite films include: The Polar Express, Toy Story, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and Winnie the Pooh (both the original and the Christmas edition).

-Runs around yelling "Oh NO!" all the time, even when there hasn't been an oopsie.

-Loves babies, or at least pointing them out. Hopefully that continues even after we bring one home and upend life as he knows it. ;)

Thanksgiving in Denver and Family Photos

Two weeks ago, we were able to take a trip out to Denver to celebrate Thanksgiving with all of my in-laws. We spent eight days with our family, playing with cousins, eating delicious food, and watching the Polar Express on repeat (Jace is real sorry about that, guys).

It's the first time we've all been together in the same place since before Colt and I got married in 2013...and there was only four hours throughout the week that we were able to get EVERYONE together at the same time. It's hard to coordinate everyone's work schedules when you have an ER doctor and a dentist in the family. Turns out people still need emergency care and dental services, even over Thanksgiving break.

My mother-in-law was so cute and totally capitalized on those four precious hours of family time: within that little window, we took family pictures, celebrated Christmas, AND had Thanksgiving Dinner together on the day that we could all be there. She pulled it off! Despite some stressful moments (I may have found a secluded area and cried at pictures because Jace threw approximately seven tantrums, ran around everywhere, got his clothes covered in dirt, and ate candy that turned his mouth and tongue orange, which was entirely my fault for giving to him in the first place. I blame my pregnancy hormones for my poor judgement, and for the tears.), we had a wonderful time together. Grammy and Grampy spoiled ALL of us, and it was so nice to just be with everyone, relaxing and enjoying the cozy holiday season. It doesn't happen often, and we feel lucky we were able to make it happen this year.

One day, Grammy took all the mom's and the kids to an indoor amusement park called Lollipop Land, which is located in an indoor sports facility, complete with two ice rinks. Jace was more interested in wandering around the facility than in riding the rides, so he and I spent most of the time exploring. We happened to stumble upon a hockey game, and JJ stopped and watched the game for at least 15 minutes. He was completely fascinated! He got a little scared when the crowd cheered unexpectedly, and when the players started banging their sticks on the walls of the rink at the beginning of the game, but it was cool to see him enjoying it. Colt loves to watch hockey as well, so maybe that's something they will be able to enjoy together throughout the years.

We had such a wonderful time! Thank you so much Grammy and Grampy! We love you and can't wait to see you again soon.

(Almost) 27 Weeks: I'm Itchy!

How Far Along? 27 weeks in a day and a half. I'll start my third trimester the day after my birthday :) Baby's Size Equivalent? A butternut squash/boule de pain/a bowling pin/a "slow loris." My pregnancy app is weird. It's also strange to think I have a bowling pin living in my torso. Maternity Clothes? It's a mixed bag! I love my maternity jeans, so I wear them sometimes. But leggings are still my trouser-of-choice, and a few of my trusty pairs of regular jeans. But who knows for how long? Time will tell. How Are You Sleeping? Pretty well, although there have been a couple of times I've woken up because my back or belly does not appreciate the position I finagled myself into. My belly needs it's own pillow again. Jace has had a couple of night wakings this week, and yesterday he woke up at 4:00 am, chipper and alert as could be. I'm not sure if he's growing, or teething, or plotting his hostile takeover of planet earth, but he's been slightly more of a hinderance when it comes to sleep than his baby brother this week. Best moment this week? It snowed! And it's been so cold lately that there is a perma-frost on the grass, trees, and rooftops that looks almost like snow. I love it! Weird pregnancy moment? When we went to Denver, my mother-in-law asked me if my belly was itchy. I answered honestly that, no, I hadn't experienced that particular joy of pregnancy thus far. Literally the very  next day, my belly, back, and sides started to itch uncontrollably. I thought it was just my skin reacting to the dry Colorado climate, but it's persisted since we arrived back home two weeks ago. No amount of bio-oil or lotion has managed to completely get rid of it. Pregnancy is a strange game, my friends. Any Movement: Oh, yeah. Lots. Anything making you queasy? No. Keeping my fingers crossed that the nausea ship has sailed. How About Cravings? I am loving oatmeal e'rry morning...but I've always loved my oatmeal. What I'm Looking Forward To: My birthday next week! And Christmas! And a break from work, and family time, and driving around to look at Christmas lights, and going to see Collateral Beauty (I hope it's good; don't let me down, Will Smith!) and going to Salt and Straw, and using the new perfume Colt bought me but that I don't get until my birthday day...and snuggling this sweet and beautiful boy once March rolls around. 

23 Weeks

Colt lines up JJ's trucks on the windowsill everynight after we put him down for bed. Jace loves waking up to his conveyor belt of vehicles, and he spends a lot of time driving them up and down the length of the window.

The day of Halloween. He spent all day in his Tigger onesie, and loved every minute.

How Far Along? 23 weeks tomorrow! Baby's Size Equivalent? An ear of corn. Feel free to tell me your "corniest" jokes! I'm all "ears." ;) Maternity Clothes? Honestly, I'm in leggings most days. I've worn one or two of my maternity shirts, and my maternity jeans a couple of times because they're super cute, but I have the luxury of getting to lounge around in stretchy pants and my sister's old college basketball sweatshirts most days. Jace doesn't care. How Are You Sleeping? I'm alright! Daylight Savings has been harder on me in terms of sleep than pregnancy has so far. Luckily, I'm still able to sleep on my tummy, although I don't think that will last much longer. Best moment this week? It hasn't happened yet, but I'm going to get my hair done tonight. Hopefully it's still the best moment of the week after I see how it turns out. Weird pregnancy moment? Just my belly getting a bit sore by the end of the day. I also think I'm a bit more irritable than I am typically (at least I hope, otherwise I'm just turning into a cranky old mom). And I do have to be careful about how much and how fast I eat these days, otherwise I get super full and uncomfortable very quickly. The indigestion has returned, and it started much earlier this time around than it did with Jace. Any Movement: Yes! He's a mover and a shaker. I'm so happy I can finally feel him kicking. Everyone says that you should be able to feel the baby kicking earlier with your second, but because of the position he is in, it took a lot longer to be able to definitively identify when it was the baby kicking. Anything making you queasy? Not anymore, thank heavens. Morning sickness was a lot worse this time around than it was with Jace (which is part of why we thought we were having a girl), but it finally subsided at 14 weeks (just in time for our Disneyland trip, whew!). How About Cravings? There's nothing I can think of that I absolutely must have, or that I need to eat it every single day...but peanut butter has sounded good, and so has my Grandma's macaroni salad...and cheesy potatoes. Mmmm. Good thing Thanksgiving is right around the corner! Dessert-wise, I definitely love my chocolate more than usual these days. What I'm Looking Forward To: Our trip to Denver next week to celebrate Thanksgiving with Colt's parents, sisters, and their families. Jace loves his cousins, and it will be so fun to be surrounded by the whole crew for the holidays! I love this time of year.

"Gourd" Times On Halloween Weekend

This year's pumpkin: the silhouette of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

It's always a little bit of a bummer when Halloween falls on a weeknight. Everyone has to work or go to school the day of, and you can't stay out late without worrying about how exhausted you'll be the next day. Or maybe some people can, but I'm not one of them. We're early birdies in this house. Anyways, we were able to do some fun Halloween activities this weekend, and I'm so glad we did, since tomorrow will be pretty low-key over here.

We found out that our ward was going to have a Halloween party on the 28th, but they decided to buck tradition and not provide any trunk-or-treating activities. I was a little bummed, because Jace can actually walk this year, and one of his favorite words is "treat," so I was getting excited to be able to take him trick-or-treating. I knew we probably wouldn't go out on Halloween night, because our neighborhood is kind of hilly and remote and nobody trick-or-treats over here, and I didn't want to drive all the way into town to take my 21 month old trick or treating to three houses before he decided that he was over it. Thus, we felt the right thing to do, the ONLY thing to do, was to head down to my parent's house  for the weekend, seeing as their ward had made the correct decision and decided to include trick-or-treating as part of their Halloween party festivities. 

We drove down Friday afternoon, and Jace spent the remainder of the day playing with Papa and getting muddy in the backyard. In the morning, we went for a walk/run at a local park, and Jace carried a soccer ball up and down the hilly trails the whole time. After he woke up from his nap, we decided to spend the afternoon at Fir Point Farms, a pumpkin patch in Canby that we frequented every year when I was growing up. It's definitely changed a lot since I was a kid; they've gotten fancy with tractor rides, bounce houses, and more extensive dining options. But it's still beautiful, and Jace loved the slides, homemade cinnamon sugar donuts, and the animals in the petting zoo. He had so much fun. 

Also, just because I don't want to forget this, I have to share what happened when Jace went on the tractor ride at the pumpkin patch. First off, it's imperative that you know that within the last month or so, Jace has started calling me by my first name. When I leave the room, or if I'm outside his line of vision, I'll inevitably hear his little voice calling for me: "Sami...Sami? Sami?!", followed by him barging in on me as I'm trying to use the bathroom. When this began, I thought maybe he was just stringing random syllables together, because he'd often say my name over and over again for no discernible reason; however, countless witnesses have independently concluded that he is clearly using it for beckoning purposes, and we are now operating on a first-name basis. So, the story: Fir Point hooked up a train of little cars to the back of a John Deere tractor, and you could pay a couple bucks for a ride. My dad offered to take Jace on the tractor-train, and although little man was excited at first, he became a bit apprehensive once they boarded their car, and the tears started to flow. We knew once the ride began he would love it, but I felt bad that he was a little nervous. Anyways, the tractor started up and sure enough, Jace stopped crying, but he still looked a little bit worried. The train looped around on it's way out and crossed in front of us spectators, and as I smiled and waved to Jace, he reached his tiny arms out to me and plaintively wailed "Saaaaaammmmmiiiiii!" as he passed. It was hilarious and a little heart-wrenching, but mostly hilarious. I don't want to ever forget it, because I assume he'll decide to start calling me "Mama" again at some point, and I think I'll miss being his Sami. And, just for the record, Jace ended up enjoying the ride immensely. 

After an hour or so at the pumpkin patch, it was time to head home for dinner and get ready for the Halloween party! We decided to dress Jace up in the same costume I wore when I was his age: a blue crayon. My mom made the costume  for me 27 years ago, and put it in storage after all of us outgrew it. But she pulled it out, cleaned it up, and JJ got to wear it this year.  He also got to use the Halloween candy pails that we had as kids, and I think it made my parents a little nostalgic. As long as we didn't use the chin strap on the hat, Jace did a great job keeping it on, and he really seemed to enjoy all the action at the party. He loved trick-or-treating room to room inside the church building (although he was too shy to ask strangers for a "teet," so he just smiled and grabbed his candy, ha!), had a great time playing Halloween games, ingested way too many sweets and punch, and stayed out well past his bedtime. He had so much fun, and Colt and I got a kick out of watching him enjoy himself. I love that little boy (and my handsome man, too).

On Sunday, we were able to go and see my sweet Grandma Carol and visit with her for a little bit. Then we packed up and drove back home so we could get a head start on the week ahead. We had such a great weekend. Thanks mom and dad for letting us crash your party! I hope we didn't tire you out too much. 

Since we had such an eventful weekend,  I feel ok about not taking Jace trick-or-treating tomorrow. I think I'll dress him in his Halloween jammies and his monster hat, we'll make dinner in a pumpkin, and probably watch Curious George's Halloween Boo-fest for the last time this season. And I'm sure we'll munch on a little Halloween candy, for good measure. 

Happy Halloween! I hope all you ghouls and boys have a frightfully good time :)

Also, in the interest of full disclosure, our pumpkin was carved last weekend, not this weekend. Just needed to get that off my chest.