Sunday, February 20, 2011

Getting bigger by the minute

This is not an exaggeration. I honestly think I am getting bigger by the minute. Man. It was going so well till about 26 weeks. In fact at my last doctor appointment I was measuring small and he said I only had a cute little baby bump. Wait till he sees me next visit. He will think I ate up that cute little pregnant girl!

What is it about 30 weeks? I just balloon up! I don't really mind getting bigger or even more uncomfortable because I know the end result is all worth it, but man sometimes I wish I was one of those girls who barely look pregnant at month NINE!

So when we decided we wanted to have another baby, we totally timed it out. We know it is not always on your time line, hence the four years between B and the twins, but we decided we wanted to work it around Andy's president club trip so I would be right at 30 weeks and the doc would still let me travel. At my first visit, I asked him about it and he said that would be fine. I was very happy to hear that and very happy to hear he made the trip and very happy when we found out we were going to be able to have that baby we "planned" out!

It will be weird when we get back from our trip I will only have 8 weeks left of this pregnancy. Even as big as I am, I am not ready to be done with this pregnancy. I like it. I like feeling the baby move and wondering what he or she will look like. I am not one to rush a pregnancy along. I want to savor every moment. I just feel so blessed to even be able to have another baby. So blessed.

I have decided to take my workouts a little more serious. Maybe go back to five days at the gym instead of three or less! I am also going to cut out most of the sugar I am eating. There is just not reason for it. I am not a big sugar eater anyway especially because this pregnancy it has made me sick, but still I am hoping for success.

I just wanted to jot some things down about this pregnancy before I go to bed. Yes it is only 8:30, but more power to me. With as much as I toss around at night, it probably eats up about 2 hours anyway, so why not start off early! I am still sleeping pretty well. Not any major complaints. I do like to have pillows all around me, but I feel like I am getting pretty good sleep, although I only see this lasting about 2 more weeks. We will see...

K, so I am off to bed. Sweet dreams my sweet readers!

Getting ready and being organized



We just got back from a little weekend get-a-way with the kids. Anytime we get away wether it is a short little trip or a big fun filled trip we always come home with the same thing. Time well spent with each other and no distractions. We decided to take this little journey this weekend so we would spend two whole days just with the kids. No laundry/cleaning/running errands/all those other "chores" getting in the way of our times with the kiddos. I love that.

We just headed up to Chicago. We have not been there in almost 4 years since we moved from there. It was surreal. We drove up to Schaumburg first and went to Ikea, which the kids loved, swam at the hotel pool, did the Medieval Times thing, and then headed into the city. I think part of the reason why we have not been back, even though when we left we promised each other we would head back up every 6 months, is because we just loved and adored every moment there and it was hard going back and seeing a place we cherished so much. I wished we still lived there. I had tears in my eyes when we pulled up to our little flat. I pictured us in the window bringing home our twins, sending our firstborn to Kindergarten, bringing home baby number 4, dental school situations, graduation party, all the amazing friends we had there, you know that sort of thing. I cried. I thought of the people that are there now and had to wonder if they are experiencing the amazement we did while living there. As we drove around visiting all of our usual spots it all looked the same, like we never left, like we still lived there and were just vacationing a while away. It truly was surreal. One funny thing we realized while we were there was how little we really went out to dinner or anything like that. To say we were poor does not even do justice to our financial lives at that time. (I love that I only have happy amazing memories of that time in our life and it just goes to show it does not have anything to do with your income or lack there of:)) Chicago is known for eating establishments. When we were driving around we were trying to figure out where to go, and unfortunately we wanted something fast so nothing too amazing was going to happen, but we ended up at Pot Belly. How funny is that. Yes it is SO SO good and I miss that place all too often, but really? That is where we dined? This makes me laugh! I am also sad we did not get to see any of our dear friends that still live there, but the trip was just too short, but we are going to come up this summer and believe me we will see everyone we have missed so much! To say I miss that wonderful place is an understatement. My heart is truly in Chicago.

On our way home late last night I was thinking of what needs to be done this week, the week before our big excursion away. I was thinking about all the things I need to show our "sitter" and if I have already pre made enough meals, and where everything is that she may need or want. I have to say even I roll my eyes at myself when the labeler comes out or I reorganize what has been reorganized. I have to say though, having someone come stay at your house where they know where nothing is, it comes in handy to have the sheets and kids sheets labeled, or the batteries or hair ties, soaps, first aid and such. It should make it a lot easier on her.

I am just praying that every thing goes well for her. I was just telling Andy last night that if I had to watch all five kids by my self for a week I am not sure I could do it and I am asking this sweet girl to? I just hope it goes well...fingers crossed.

This week extra meals will be made, bags will be packed and I am sure I will clean and reclean everything about a dozen of time just to release some extra energy. I am also positively sure I will shed some tears over leaving my little brood. I have a process I go through when leaving my babies. I am so excited when the trip is planned then I feel very sad to leave them, then I get nervous, then I decide not to go, then I get sick to my stomach and then we go and I am still pretty sick then once we get there, all those nerves and fears disintegrate! This will only be our third time leaving the kids, but each time is just as hard. Luckily the girl that we are leaving them with is super sweet and so loving and "huggy" and I know they will not lack of love while I am gone. I am super excited about that. I don't know I probably hug and kiss each person in the house about 23,000 times a day, I worry when they don't get that!

Another goal I have this week is get Christmas blogged and out of the way so when I get home our trip can be documented right a way! I am so excited!

And now I am signing off after a long random blog post! Hope you enjoyed my ramblings!

Friday, February 11, 2011

The goodies around Christmas

This year Andy kindly asked me to not volunteer to be head room mother. I was last year and really loved it, but it was a lot a work. Not much help from other parents, and I tend to go a little over board which means late nights and tired me. So Andy convinced me this year especially being pregnant. So no one signed up to be head room mom. One mom decided to kind of take lead and get people to help. I went in to help with the Halloween party and brought some treats, but was not in charge and it was awesome! When Christmas came I planned to do the same thing, and then no one could do the party leaving the teacher left to figure something out, so guess who volunteered. Yes, yours truly. I cannot leave well enough alone, I have to keep pushing it. I will think of something and then think of something to make it better and cannot just let it be. So the result was a really awesome party, but a very wore out room mother!

These were the prizes for our games. To add to the stress I was almost at the school and forget the bingo game and had to go all they way home again. When I finally got back to the school I threw everything in the stroller and went running through the school with everything, 5 minutes late and so sorry I was!



Cookie treats for every one and then little candy bags for take home prizes! This does not seem like that big of a deal until I realized how many 35 really was! It take a long time to do all that!
The yummy cupcakes!

Teacher gifts. We also gave them little gift cards to St. Louis Bread Co.. Now I want St. Louis Bread Co..
I love these beautiful snowflake cookies we make every year!
One night after Family Home Evening, we finally made our Gingerbread house. IT was so fun and the kids had a ball!



Our Favorite Santa!

We finally made it up to see Santa. Can I just say I love this Santa. When we walked up Bennett looked right at me and said I have never seen a black Santa. The other kids did not even notice one bit. We have always told our kids that all the Santa's we see are just the Real Santa's helpers. Andy thought it was funny and said, isn't Santa they one time they really go off looks for the job? Old, white, chubby? This guy was thin, our age and not white. He was by far our favorite Santa of all time though. He was so cute and kind. When we walked up he said, "ho ho ho, I am not the Santa you are used to seeing am I?" So cute. He took time with each child and talked with each one of them. I loved it so much. When I look back at all the pics of my kids with Santa, I am pretty sure this will always be my favorite!









Waiting for Santa!

ANd more birthday...

I haven't really blogged about preschool yet. I don't really have any pics of anything and that is probably why. A few months ago around their birthday's I guess, I had been feeling like I needed to do something for the twins. I didn't know what it was. I prayed about it and got no where really. One day Andy said, maybe it is right for the twins to go to preschool. It is not like I am against it by any means, but for our family it was a no go. I do not want to push my kids out of the house any sooner than I had to, so why start earlier than needed? I thought about it, and prayed about it and one morning as we were doing little home preschool I noticed that I was not pushing the twins at all. I was helping Paxton and Maddox, but with the twins, they were kind of stalling on some levels. So I decided to check out the local preschools. It was then that I realized another reason why I had not done it before because it was a small fortune X's TWO! Then I stumbled on this little church preschool just blocks away from our house and fell in love with it. I loved the teachers and the school and the class size and it is just a couple days a week for 3 hours. I loved it. So we started and although I really miss then, it has been one of the best decisions we made last year.

So here they are celebrating their birthdays at school. I left my camera with them to get some extra shots. So adorable. I love these five years olds!
With their teacher and a book of drawings the class made for each birthday child!

Eating their snacks or jello, oreo's and juice!

The whole class!


That night we met Daddy at Monkey Joe's. They had a great time bouncing away!


Then we went to dinner. We should have quit while we were ahead. We were wanting Mexican and we new that they sang happy birthday at this restaurant so we went. The kids were just so tired after Monkey Joe's. You can see how tired Jadeyn is in the bottom picture. Andy was being grumpy for her!


A room full of balloons!

We decided right before Bennett was five that we would fill a dream of mine for our kids. I always pictured a room full of balloons on my birthday. Doesn't that sound fun? So we decided on their 5th, 10th and 15th bday we will do just that. Bennett loved it when he turned five and is really excited about April when he turns 10! So after the went to sleep the night before their birthday Andy and I got started on the balloon journey. We had 75 in each room! That is a lot of balloons. Unfortunately I was not much help blowing them all up!


They were so excited when they woke up!


How beautiful!

A whole lot of birthday going on

(For some reason I cannot move my pics once they are in the blog post!!
So they are out of order! Oops!)

My twins are five. MY TWINS ARE FIVE? How can that be? I know I say it all the time, but really? They are getting so big! We celebrated in true E style. We had three parties and the kids did not complain! We just love celebrating around here. We have more like birthweeks around here!

Best cousins! Jadeyn and Natalie. I am so happy that Jadeyn has girl cousins so close. They really love eachother. When Natalie and Julia are here
it for sure seems like a girl dominant home.
I love Julia's face in this pic!
One of his favorite toys...a dart tag game? Or something like that.
J with Grandma Joy.
Opening up some fun things!
Another cake!
Such a pretty cake!


Wishing it was his party too!

The favorite toy of his birthday. A remote control car!
Her favorite! Hello Kitty Makeup. Two of her faves!
They love money and have no idea you use it to buy something!

With Great Grandma!
Mickey and Minnie Cakes!