A Saphire To Love

Baby Due
September 15, 2008

I am happy so many of you "got it". When we found out we were having another baby, I think we were both shocked and a little nervous. For fifteen weeks straight there was not a day that I was not crazy sick. I would guess on average I threw up 15-20 times per day and was sick the entire day. I got dehydrated way too many times and was getting a little nervous. I would take all my other pregnancies times 100 and it would not compare to this one. I would lay on the couch near death and just watch my three little ones play and feel so bad, I could not be the mother I wanted to be for so long.

The day before I left for Utah I was feeling better. Lucky for me. I still have some hard times during the day, but I have cut back on almost all my meds. I was taking about 11 pills a day and still that sick it was horrible. It got so bad that I would have to take the pills without water so I would not throw up expensive medicine. Poor Andy was a trooper. I am very thankful for all he did and still does.

I did not want to tell anyone because literally the day after finding out was when the sickness hit. I did not want to be all "Debby Downer" when talking about my baby. So we kept it hush hush, until it was obvious. My mom kept coming to my house and it was a complete disaster and I could not hide it any longer so we told the family. And now that I look like I could deliver any day, it is pretty obvious too.

Since Maddox was 3 months old I thought I wanted another one. I pressured Andy hard, and he was not having it. He said when Maddox turns one we could think about it. Well by the time Maddox turned one I decided we should probably wait a while longer. We decided that we should wait till he was 18 months and go from there, but we were thinking more like 2 or older. These kids are great, but 4 so close would just be interesting let's say. So we decided to wait. But, we apparently had no say in it, because I was already pregnant.

I took an old pregnancy test one morning due to some symptoms but hoping it was just coincidence. It was negative and I hopped in the shower. When I got out and was throwing something away I looked at the test and noticed literally the faintest line in America. I was sure that it was negative. For sure. But still a little freaked out. I looked at the box and it was an old dollar store test that expired in 2006.

I ran downstairs and was convinced by my SIL to go to Walgreen's and buy a test. I trekked all three little ones in holding hands ran to the back where the pregnancy tests were and bought the most expensive one, because in my mind that one would be negative, because it must know what it is doing. I got home and took the test and it was positive before I could even get a handle on what was going on. I was in shock and sad. When the first one was negative or so I thought, I was so relived and realized Andy and I had made the right decision. What was this all about?

I called Andy and said, guess who is pregnant, he named seriously everyone we knew and then was silent. I said me and he said whatever. I have got to go. I had to convince him by breaking down in tears. That did it and he was comforting.

Anyway, so here I am huge and pregnant and the section is scheduled for September 15th. Should be fun. It is weird, because although this baby has made me so sick and been really hard on me, I am so excited to meet him or her. I would not want it any other way. I am honored to be their mother. What a blessing. And of course I can say this a little easier now because I am not sick anymore.

Here are some things I was thinking when I found out I was pregnant.

• I will have a 7 year old, 2-2 year olds, and 1-1year old and a newborn baby.
  


• I have been pregnant in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008
  


• This is my 6th pregnancy
  


• I will have had 4 babies in 2 years
  


• There will be 4 babies 2 years and younger in my home
  


• I will have to keep them all quiet in Sacrament Meeting
  


• Having a baby less than 13 months after the twins was one of those stories you hear when talking with your friends at enrichment, and I now I have gone and trumped my self
  


• As if I don’t hear, you’ve got your hands full, enough-now I fully agree I DO have my hands full
  


• Can’t wait to see the looks and hear the gasps when we are out and about now
  


• I will have been pregnant in my 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th and 31st years of life
  


• What will people we love think? They see how crazy it can be already with just four!
  


• 3 c-sections in less than three years cannot be good
  


• What am I going to do?
  


• How can I have been trying for 4 years with no luck and now have two unplanned pregnancies?
  


• I will have FOUR kids TWO and under for 3 months!
  


• I have always wanted a saphire in my mothers ring someday:)
  


• Again, how can I not be anything less than grateful for another special child to call my own
  

I really can honestly say though, we are excited and cannot wait to hold our new little baby in our arms and love and cherish everyday of our lives. I am grateful yet once again that we will have another baby to make our family the family I have always wanted. I know this is part of the "plan" and I know we could not be any happier.

A little side note, on Friday we had an ultrasound and we held back and did not find out what we are having. Probably because I will have another scan in 3 weeks. However, Andy is positive he saw a "boy part". We will never tell her of this if it is a girl:)!

***Last night Andy and I were looking at old ultrasound pictures of our first four and now he says what he saw that he thought was the "boy part" looks nothing like our boys parts...so who knows!

Unbelievable

My baby turned 7 yesterday.
My first baby.
The first baby of mine
I ever held,
I ever fed,
I ever swaddled,
I ever kissed and adored.
Yeah, him. He turned 7 and I am still in unbelief.
He reminds me daily that although this world
can be crazy at times, it cannot be anything less
than perfect because he is in it. And how happy am I that he is mine?
Happy, very happy.

it's offical

i am officially in my thirties...

i am not sure where the time has gone or how it has happened, but i am now 31 years old. how can this be. i still do not feel old, i don't even really feel like a "grown up" yet, so how can i really be thirty one?

i totally remember being in the fifth grade and talking to my best friend saying, "when we are twelve, we will be old!" hmm, not so much. twelve year old's to me look like they just walked out of their diapers. but i am sure it is all relative.

it has been a great day so far. having amazing waffles topped with blackberries, strawberries, banana's and kiwi with fresh cream made by my dear hubby. they were so yummy. i don't have much planned for today which is a bonus as well and the "triplets" are still sleeping. now that is a birthday present.

as i sit here reflecting on my past birthdays i feel like i remember them all. i remember my 7th birthday when i was in first grade and i got a cabbage patch doll, my very first one. i remember exactly what she looked like and honestly feeling like i was the luckiest 7 year old in the world. i will never EVER forget my parent's faces as they handed "her" to me. it was a proud moment for the both of them and i was so happy they were so happy to give carrie lee to me. that same birthday i had a few girls over for a slumber party and at 3 in the morning our motion lights went on on the back deck and all 7 little girls ran screaming into my parents room jumping on their bed. that was a sight, all because of some visitors of raccoons.

another birthday memory was 7 years ago, i was turning 24. andy had taken me to the mall to walk-the-baby-out and when we returned i was checking the messages on the phone when like 15 people ran out of the back bedroom. we lived in wyview and everyone from our stairwell had hidden in the baby's room waiting for our return. it scared me nearly to death. i am still surprised to this day that that wasn't what put me into labor. that was a fun night, spent with great friends.

although, i am getting older, i love this life. all 31 years of it. there is nothing i would change, nothing that could make me happier, and i feel so blessed for the life i have. i can only hope and pray that the next 31 years can bring me as much joy and happiness as the first have.


oh and although i felt i was using my creative juices, apparently a few people are not getting this...do you?

I am thinking no one will because it is nearly impossible to read and listening to J and C argue over boots is a distraction at the least.
It says,
busy as a bunch of bees is our little hive
we are about to get busier we are adding number 5!
If you still do not get it there is a hint in the post.
Yes, we are crazy.

Utah Pictures

I cannot believe I have been back a week now from Utah. It is weird. I kind of feel like I haven't even been yet. But, here are some pictures to prove I was.

Paige and I

Tempanyaki

I have to thank Paige for allowing me to realize I needed this little time away. I was so nervous about it and was really not convinced I was really even going until the plane was actually up in the air. I am really happy I went. It was so fun to see my sister in-laws. Out of 10 of us there were 7 of us there. That is pretty good I think. We had such a great time. We were able to spend a lot of time together and really have fun with each other. We had been wanting to get as many as the SIL together as we could and it has never really worked out until this point. And it was a great excuse to go to Utah for the baby shower. I am hoping next time it could maybe be a little warmer of a destination. We will have to work it out so no one is pregnant at the time, but in this family that doesn't ever really happen.

Gloria and I

Saturday afternoon was Gloria's shower and it was so fun and perfect. My other SIL Sarah threw it and it was just perfect. Everyone had a good time with great games and yummy food and fun gifts for the baby and mama. I even got to see my niece Dianna for the first time. That was a treat too.

The whole gang

Saturday night Paige and I were "helping" Gloria go into labor. We were really hoping she would have Jordan before we left. It didn't work out that way, but we did did have fun at her shower and then only missed his birth by a few hours. Oh well, I am still enjoying all the pictures of this darling boy. He is really SO cute.

The Gordon B. Hinckely building at the Y

It was really kind of weird being there. It has been over 10 years since I moved there. And it has been 5 years since we have moved from there. It was surreal kind of. I went by all my old places I had lived. It was weird to see it is still there and someone else lives there and they are having the same experience I had when I lived there. It was just all kind of weird. The weirdest of all was seeing Wyview (BYU married housing) now being single student housing. It made me kind of sad. We seriously have some of our best moments in life from there. We met the most wonderful people there that have changed our lives and we will be dear friends forever. I even had a tear in my eye thinking of all the amazing people we have in our lives because we lived there. And we brought home our first born to that apartment, almost 7 years ago. It was a special place for us.

Wyview

our first home

Lots of things have changed there, well I guess everything has really multiplied. There are people, stores, malls, houses, restaurants and gas stations all over that place. It was a little overwhelming. I just love the mountains so much. I love all mountains, but Utah's mountains are breathtaking. I also noticed that everything was so nice looking and well kept. I like that a lot too.



Sunday on my way to the airport I stopped by Temple Square and I seriously find that place more breathtaking each time I go. It is so beautiful and so peaceful there. I love it.



I got to the airport rather early, you would have thought I was anxious to see my kids and hubby and I was. Once I got in the air I was sad to leave such a beautiful place, but so happy to see my family again. As much as I love it there, I have to say, nothing is more perfect, no place, city, state or country, than where your family is and that makes where we live more lovely than any.

Also I have to say a quick shout out to Andy and my mom for holding down the fort and taking such good care for the kiddos and allowing me to have such a great time. And to Michelle, Cherise and Cami we hope to have you along the next time we do this! Oh Sariah, thanks for letting us "craft" with you!

I'm on a roll...

What is this? Like three or four posts in one week? Wow! Pretty impressive. Right?

Tonight was such a fun night. Well actually the whole day was pretty darn fun. I slept in. Sort of, till 8:30. We spring cleaned. I had lunch with my homeys, ( the BEST high school friends, which we are doing now every other month!) spring cleaned some more then Andy and I went out to dinner all. by. our. selves!

It was so fun. Due to my birthday coming up on Wednesday we decided to "let" my parents babysit and have a night out on the town. We went to the Melting Pot. We have never been there other than a dessert party a few months back. Man was it amazing. It was all so good. I have absolutely no idea how I managed to eat that much food, but I did. Every bite was amazing as the first. It was so fun. It is now in my top three restaurants.

It was so fun being with Andy. Just him and I. We never do that. In fact I cannot tell you the last time we have done that. Probably close to a year. And the last time we did this was with some dear dear friends in the most amazing restaurant of all time which is actually number one on my list in Chicago. It is so fun to do and I hope we can do it more.

I have decided that date night is a must. We really do need it. So this summer my SIL has graciously offered to watch the kiddos one weekend night a week so we can get out together. How fun will that be. Even a nice walk in the park will do, it makes me giddy to even think about it.

I love that I love to be with my husband. He is the best. Thanks for a great birthday dinner. We haven't done birthday dinners for quite a few years now, and it was fun to reinstate them once again!

Be prepared

WE. HAD. AN. EARTHQUAKE. AND. IT. WAS. SO. WEIRD!!!!

When I was in third grade I came home from school very worried and stressed out one day. My dad was concerned and asked what the problem was. I told him that that day we went over what to do at school if we had a hurricane, tornado or earthquake. I was really shook up about the whole thing. I remember my dad saying,

you do not have to worry about a hurricane, we are not by ocean, and the chance of an earthquake is probably smaller than a hurricane

and I have been in dozens of tornado's "watch's" so I knew all about those already. Well I have to say dad, you were wrong (have you ever been?), because almost 20 years later we had an earthquake.

Last night at 3:30 am I had gotten up and then quickly tried to go back to sleep and I could not. At 4:30am the whole house started to shake. At first I thought it was only the bed and I thought is someone shaking out bed, which was a scary thought.

Let me just say Andy does not wake up for anything and when I do finally get him up he is pretty much useless, no offense honey, but I still wanted him awake. So I get him awake and I say what is going on and he casually says, oh it is an earthquake. Ah, what? Come again? There is no way. I told him are you still out of it? You know where we live? We do not have earthquakes! And then he said well what would you think it would be and then I realized everything I could come up was completely unrealistic, so I gave in to his earthquake idea.

The whole house shook for probably 10 minutes. The WHOLE house. Like 2 feet of swaying. I seriously thought to myself why don't I live in California then. I swear if we start getting mud slides we are moving.

Since I can remember I have always wanted to live in California. Do not ask me why. And believe me every time I tell anyone this even Californians they think something is seriously wrong with me. My plan was to go to UCLA and stay there forever and EVERY TIME I go there I feel like I am home, but when I was little my parents would always say when "they" (Cali) would have an earthquake, aren't you happy we do not live there?

Anyway, at 10:15 am we had another one, that actually ended up being an after shock, but still weird. Throughout the whole thing nothing was hurt and nothing fell from the wall which is always what you see in pictures. So we were lucky there. The kids stayed asleep, I have no idea how, and all is well this morning. The only thing is this just really assures me how this is the time to be prepared. If we are having earthquakes HERE then it is time to be prepared...

This makes me cry

Bennett's school was asked to sing the National Anthem at Busch stadium for the Cardinal game. We are big Cardinal fans and it was so fun to go and listen to my big boy belt his heart out. He was a little bit nervous about the whole thing, but loved every minute. We all rode the bus over and then the kids separated from the parents. We went to the top of the seating and watched. It was SO sweet and cute. You can hear my mom in the background laughing, singing and crying. That is funnier than the actual singing probably, but it was so fun. My parents and Marc and Michelle were able to go too.

The best part of the whole night to Bennett was the baseball, cotton candy, hot dog and hot cocoa grandma and grandpa bought for him.

I must say it was so sweet. What a big boy he is. I cannot believe he is already old enough to even know the National Anthem much less sing it in the major leagues! Way to go Bennett!

PS...I took a video of the kids singing with my camera and for some reason I cannot get it to download to blogger. Can anyone help?

Easter

It is really sad I am just now getting around to Easter, huh? We had a really fun Easter though even though I am so late getting around to posting it.

We had a week long celebration. The Saturday before we did an Easter egg hunt at a local park here. I have never in my life seen so many eggs. Bennett knew exactly what to do, the twins picked up on real quick and Maddox really didn't care either way. They had a really good time and we came home with way too many eggs and lots of little prizes inside.

Then the next Sunday we celebrated Easter here with Andy's family. His mom was going to Az. over Easter weekend so we took advantage of it while she was here. We had really good food and a fun little Easter egg hunt this day as well.

Then the actual Easter weekend we went to my Aunts house on Sunday and again had lots of good food that I didn't have to cook, which was really fun and my mom gave them really fun little bags full of Easter goodies. They loved it all. The Saturday before we had the Easter bunny come to our house and Grandma and Grandpa G and B came over for a big breakfast and that was really fun. It was a fun full week of Easter fun. That is the way to do it if you ask me. Oh and I have still yet to get a picture of them in the Easter outfits, hopefully that will come this weekend!

Maddox's real first haircut

When we were at one of Andy's conferences in FEBRUARY mind you, we got the kids haircut. And it was Maddox's first real haircut. I have trimmed it up a lot around his ears and his face, but this was big time. Funny thing is, he really needs another one right now. He was so cute and sat so still and the lady kept asking if I gave him drugs to calm him down. Um, no I do not drug my children, but Maddox is so calm and sweet I can see what she meant.

It's good to be home

But, a little sad at the same time.

I had so much fun in Utah.

I missed my kids like crazy.

I hit every restaurant I needed to.

I really enjoyed my sister in laws.

I really enjoyed the beauty of Utah. (ah, the mountains)

Nice hotels.

Great baby shower.

Loved Temple Square as always.

Missed my newest nephews birth literally by hours. (everything couldn't have gone perfect, right?)

Fabulous pedicures!

Played new games.

I didn't change one diaper!

Shopped, shopped, shopped. (love that byu bookstore. and dist. center and Deseret book.

Can't wait to visit again, this time with my fam.

Great pictures to come!

The Fifty Nifty States

Not that this blog will be about all fifty states, but I will cover a few.

I love this country. I think sometimes I forget how great it is. I never forget about the freedoms we have, the wonderful people that live in it, but I forget how cool all the areas are. I love the south. I love the manners that everyone has. Little two year olds addressing everyone by ma'am or sir. So cute. I love the East and all the personality it has there. I love the West and secretly wish we lived there. Someday I will live in California with my heart. I love the Midwest. So down to earth and hardworking.

Anyway, one place I am dying to go to is Texas. I promise everyone we know lives there. A lot of our dear friends live there. In fact just this past week we found out another family we love moved there. What is up with Texas? To think Andy had an amazing offer there and we turned it down. We could be living by all our wonderful friends. Although I have to say we love it here being by family. Nothing is better than that.

Another place I have been thinking about is Utah. I will be heading there on Wednesday night. I loved my life there. I loved my 6 years living there. So fun. What a wonderful place it is. Part of the beauty of it is all the great people we met there, but now realizing most of them do not live there anymore. And really, it could not be more beautiful. Why anyone lives in a place without mountains is beyond me. (And yes I know there are NO mountains where I live!)

I am going for a little girls weekend. I am excited, but super nervous to leave my sweeties. Last night I even shed a few tears. Hopefully I got it all out. I have NEVER left them for more than one night and I have only done that once in the last almost 7 years. Hopefully I will be able to make it. And hopefully going to Tempanyaki and Cafe Rio will relieve my stress from being away from them. I will not know what to do with myself only having me to take care of. I plan on seeing a lot of family, eating good food, a little shopping and catching up on sleep, which will probably never happen. Oh and a game night and craft night are in the works. I am excited about it. It will be fun to go back and see how much has changed in 5 years. Should really fun.

I have also been thinking a lot about New York too. We are going to be going on vacation there this summer and we are all pretty excited about it. We are going to NYC for a weekend and upstate for a week. A nice long break with Andy is exactly what we are all needing.

So if any of you are in Utah I would love to see you. Send me an email. So probably until next week my blog will be on break. And SO WILL I!!!

Fooled you

I know this post is a day late, but I wanted to share anyway.

On April fools Eve Andy and I were talking about how we have never gotten into April Fools really, well we have never really played any sort of prank. Andy was saying he wanted to do something for his office and tell his "girls" that the schedule looks horrible, they are not bringing in enough money, and his wife NEEDS MORE MONEY! Funny huh? He wanted to do it because everyone who works there ALWAYS says how refreshing it is to have a dr who isn't in it just for the money that he does the work that needs to be done and doesn't push for the high dollar items. Anyway, he is also known for being so laid back and just easygoing so that would really throw them all. He ended up not doing it, he couldn't bear them feeling bad and he said he didn't think he could get through it without laughing.

Then we remembered one funny prank I pulled. When the twins were 3 months I found an old pregnancy test that was already used and positive, yes I keep them, gross I know, and I showed it to Andy and told him we were pregnant and he was freaked out. How could this be he wondered. The joke only lasted about 5 minutes because as genius as it was, I felt way to bad to let this 3rd year dental student believe our fourth child was coming so soon.

At any rate the joke was on the both of us, little did I know that if I would have actually taken a test it WOULD have been positive, because Maddox was born 8 months later!