Latest Project Complete

I don't know why, but for some reason life isn't normal to me unless I have 5 projects going at a time. Then I drive myself crazy wanting to do them all and not having the time. So the other day I decided I needed to get one off my list.

I have a few friends who have introduced me to the hooter hider. I thought it was a great idea. I used to have to fight with Matty to keep him covered with a blanket during feeds. I really wanted something that would be harder for him to pull off, but I didn't know what to use. So when Arianne told me her mom sewed hers instead of buying one, I thought I should try! I didn't have any pattern or any information other than what's on the website, but frankly I couldn't follow a pattern to save my life anyway. So I just picked out some fabric and tried my best. I was able to get it cut and sewn in a day.

It has an adjustable strap for the neck and two mini towels sewn on the inside for cleaning up the messes that can result during feeds. It's by no means the quality that the professionally made ones are, but I'm happy with it. I was really pleased that the boning I chose for the neck actually holds it away from me! I was afraid the fabric would be too heavy.

I'm excited to try it out in a few weeks. Maybe nursing in public won't be such a challenge this time.

Late Bloomer

The week that Matty was born, I remember Dan pointing out this beautiful tree with pink blossoms in the complex that had finally bloomed. The tree only keeps these flowers a week or two, and then just has red leaves the rest of the summer. (I'm sorry that I have no clue what the name of the tree is and I'm feeling too lazy to look it up.) Every year since then, I've noticed that tree always blooms on the week of Matty's birthday. . . .except this year. After 4 years of being the same time, for some reason it's 3 weeks late. It's just interesting to me. Here's a picture of it's beautiful blossoms:
As a sidenote, I took this picture with our new DSLR! Even though we don't know much about how to use it, we're having a ton of fun learning!

Thankful Thursday

Another Thursday is upon us!

We got in the mail yesterday a playard with bassinet we ordered from Amazon. It will serve as the baby's bed for a few months at least, and we have to make it fit in our room. Problem is we have so much in there already! With feeling a little squished right now, I thought it would be good for me to focus on the positives of living in an apartment! Even though we would love our own home (and hopefully that's not far away,) there are indeed good things about an apartment!

1. Close neighbors. I know this has it's definite negatives, too, but it also can be great! There's always someone around you (which makes me feel a little safer). I can easily find someone to borrow an egg from. And visiting teaching is just right there. No driving!

2. Someone else pays for repairs. I sometimes wish I could just fix things myself because it would get done faster, but at least this way I don't have to pay for things!

3. No lawn care. Okay, so I'd actually love to have a yard to take care of, but right now it is nice that someone else takes care of mowing it and shoveling snow.

4. Costs less than a mortgage. We have a larger amount of discretionary income right now than we will when we buy a home.

5. Lower utilities. I love that I can run my A/C all summer long at 70 degrees and never pay more than maybe $65 on my power bill.

6. Playground and pool. What a bonus!

7. Not tied down. No worrying about selling a house when it's time to move on.


Are you doing Thankful Thursday yet on your blog? Give it a try!!

34 Weeks and Growing

My appointment today went well enough (besides it taking an hour and a half to see the doctor.) I'm measuring right on again and the heart rate is good. I'd gained more weight than I wanted to in those 2 weeks, but the doctor said he's not concerned in the least and thinks I'm doing really well with my weight. So nothing else really to report. The doctor is willing to induce me up to a week early if I want, but for now we'll just plan on going into labor on my own. They'll start checking my cervix for dilating next time. Here's a picture of me in all my huge glory:

I can't believe I still have 6 more weeks to grow! Where is it all going to go??? She feels so cramped in there as it is. I frequently feel little bones poking out at me as she tries to maximize her space.

A Daffodil Named Lily

Matty is so funny. While visiting Grandma's house last Thursday, he and Grandma went for a walk outside to look at all her flowers. She let him pick a daffodil that was ready to fall off anyway. The sweet boy gave it to me as a gift. On the car ride home, he asked me what the name of the flower was. I told him it was a daffodil. He said, "No! It's Lily!" I kept trying to tell him that it was a daffodil, not a lily. Eventually I understood that he wanted to give the flower a name, and that name was Lily. (There was a flower named Lily in an episode of Dragon Tales, so now every flower has to be named Lily.) So we now have a daffodil named Lily on our table. (He also now thinks that every yellow flower is called a daffodil.)

As long as I'm sharing funny Matty stories, I have one more. We were having FHE tonight (which always proves entertaining with Matty.) Dan and I were putting on a puppet show about forgiveness from behind the couch with Matty watching from the front of the couch. At one point, my puppet asked Matty a question. He wouldn't answer. I asked him again and he said, "Just a sec!" and ran away. He quickly came back with a bear to serve as his puppet and he answered my puppet's question. It was so cute that he thought to get his own "puppet" to talk to ours. He sure makes us laugh.

Out of nowhere today I realized that I only have about 6 weeks left of just Matty and me during the day. I almost started to cry! I'm so excited to have our little girl join our family and I've been counting down the weeks, but I'm now understanding that I'll never have the same amount of time to devote to just Matty. It makes me want to charish the next few weeks with him instead of wishing them away to get her here faster. There's a time and season for everything, and I'm going to enjoy today's season.

50th Post = 50 Random Things

50 posts may not sound like a lot to some of you who have been blogging for a while, but I've only been doing this a couple of months. So in honor of my 50th post, I decided to share 50 random pieces of information about myself that people may or may not know. I was going to do this for my 100th but didn't know if I could come up with a list that large. Like I said, these are totally random. So here we go!

1. I wake up multiple times a night, pregnant or not.
2. Blue and green M&M's are my favorite. I don't know why.
3. I don't care for camping unless a yurt is involved. (It's a one-room structure with electricity and beds. I know, not really "camping.")
4. I was born in Portland, Oregon.
5. I love and miss the ocean so much!
6. I hate tomatoes.
7. I'm the person in the carpool lane who goes close to the speed limit and drives you crazy.
8. I've never been pulled over.
9. I had a 4.0 when I got my Bachelor's degree.
10. I love playing card games and board games. Our mutual love of games is one of the things that brought Dan and I together.
11. Birthdays are important to me.
12. I typically hate change and don't adjust quickly to things.
13. I don't drink enough water. I prefer milk.
14. It takes time for me to feel comfortable with a new friend and really open up. People tend to think I'm shy because of this.
15. I love to give talks in Sacrament Meeting or teach lessons in Relief Society.
16. I have a low level of pain tolerance.
17. I have a fear of doctors. I don't think I've ever been to an appointment by myself.
18. I was legally blind in my left eye as a kid. Now I don't even require glasses though my vision is far from perfect.
19. I've played the flute since sixth grade. I still play for church functions when I get the chance.
20. I love to learn a new skill well enough to be competent, and then I move on to the next thing.
21. I'm good at gleeking thanks to my older brother's teachings.
22. I hate scary movies.
23. I almost never have a dreamless sleep.
24. I research reviews for almost any purchase over $20.
25. I fractured my left wrist falling off the monkey bars in first grade.
26. I used to really worry about what other people think of me. I still think about it occasionally, but I'm much more secure than I used to be.
27. I hate bugs. You wouldn't know I used to collect them and worms when we lived in Oregon.
28. I'm a perfectionist and have a fear of failure.
29. I wish I had more talent in photography, painting, singing, and interior design.
30. My husband has made me a better person. There are so many ways I've changed since we got married, I couldn't begin to list them all.
31. Since I was little, my biggest dream was to be a wife and mother.
32. I almost always wear socks. A new package of socks makes my day.
33. I make a great apple crumb pie.
34. One of my favorite foods is quiche.
35. I hated pink growing up. It's not so bad anymore, but I still don't really like it.
36. My earliest memory is my first birthday.
37. I have 2 brothers and 3 sisters.
38. I've never met all of my cousins. (My mom's family has 8 kids. My dad is one of 19 because his mom was married 4 times and his dad twice. So a lot of those are step siblings or half.)
39. I wanted to marry into an easy last name like Smith or Jones. Didn't happen obviously.
40. I prefer small dogs over large ones.
41. I love learning but I don't care for most school work.
42. When I start a book, I usually finish it within a day or two. I hate being in the middle of a book. I just want to be done.
43. I would love to write children's books someday.
44. I was diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) four years ago. It makes getting pregnant more difficult for us.
45. I love to talk.
46. I don't like calling people on the phone. I'd rather speak in person.
47. One of my biggest pet peeves is when people don't follow rules.
48. I wish I were taller. I stopped growing in the 8th grade.
49. I enjoyed fishing with my grandpa when he was alive, but I've never liked eating fish.
50. I don't like to be the center of attention. My wedding day was a little hard in that way.

Happy News

I was reading ksl.com this morning and found this story about a website that is dedicated to focusing on happy news and not all the bad stuff in the world. I think that's awesome! We all need to hear more of the positive stuff, don't you think?

Jumping right in this week:

1. Apple crumb pie. Thanks to Kristine bringing us some delicious apples, Matty and I were able to bake a pie together yesterday. He loves to help cook and had a great time. We kept snatching apple slices the whole time because they were SO good!

2. Ocean Potion Aloe. My college friend Julie loaned this stuff to me one time after a bad sunburn years ago and I love it! It smells like cherry starbursts (in my opinion) and leaves your skin so soft! After a little sunburn last Saturday, this lotion provided some great relief! (If you're interested, I bought it at Walmart.)

3. Tiburon. I wanted to be proper and send her a thank you card for letting me go through her baby girl clothes, but I keep forgetting. So I hope she'll forgive me for thanking her this way instead. THANKS!!! :)

4. Spring break. Dan got 3 whole days off of work this week because of it. WAHOO! Unfortunately, he doesn't get much rest because we're using the time he has off to get things done. But it's nice to have him around. :)

5. A husband who helps get things done. I tend to put off things that I don't want to do (like taxes or making big purchases.) Dan's really helped me get better at just getting things over with.

6. I Am a Mother. I love this book and am almost done reading it for the second time.

7. My boy sleeping in. He's normally up by 7:30, but the past few days it's been more like 8:30. Even though I can't sleep (my natural alarm clock won't reset), I'm grateful for a little extra quiet time in the morning.

8. Electricity. Our power went out for a short time yesterday. Just makes you appreciate having it when you can't even make a piece of toast for your son's breakfast.

9. Sloppy Joes. Our dinner last night was so yummy! I love the recipe we use from this book (minus the hot sauces).

So, what's on your list this week?

My New Breathing Coach

Some background: I get such horrible Braxton-Hicks contractions. They're getting worse each week, and I usually have to breath through them and try not to scream. (Yes, they're THAT bad! SO much worse than when I was pregnant with Matty, and I remember them being bad then.) I get them probably about 20-30 times a day.

Yesterday the three of us were out early in the morning trying to get lots of needed shopping done before naptime. I, of course, had pushed myself too hard to get things done and started having some really bad contractions as a result. We were in the car on the way home when a terrible one hit and I was just trying not to cry. It was then that from the back seat of the car I heard Matty say, "Mom, just say" and proceeded to blow out a breath similar to how you'd blow out a candle. I couldn't help but laugh. I was touched that he knew I was in pain and was trying to help me remember what to do. He's only 3! What a little sweatheart I have!

Three Inventions

Recently I helped come up with a million get-to-know-you questions for an enrichment night. One of the questions was "What invention would make your life better?" As I was lying in bed for naptime today and unable to sleep, I started thinking about it and these were the first 3 I thought of:

1. An off button for my brian! I tend to have a terrible time getting to sleep because my brain just refuses to shut down! And when I wake up in the night, I can't fall back asleep because it starts up again. An off button would help so much!

2. An automatic diaper changer. That would be heaven if something else could just change diapers for me! (I think some call it a "nanny.")

3. An "EASY" button. Have you seen those commericals (for Staples I think) with the EASY button? I wish that thing were real. Labor starting? Just click the EASY button and it's over in 5 minutes, no pain! Can't decide what to cook for dinner? EASY button to the rescue! Meals show up at your door perfected to your tastes.

So what inventions would make your life better? Anyone want to share?

Thankful Thursday

This is going to be hard today. I woke up in the middle of the night last night and could not for the life of me get back to sleep. ARG!!! So this list is like forced cheerfullness right now when I just want to be grumpy and crash.

1. Bedtime Stories. I love that time with Matty. Some nights it just feels like another obstacle before he's in bed, but usually it's a real treat for all of us. I love listening to him quote his books as we read them and occassionally find him "reading" them to himself (pretty accurately, too!)

2. Family nearby. I'm glad our family nearby was able to come celebrate Matty's birthday with us.

3. Walmart. I know a lot of people who hate that store, but I love having one close to us. I do most of my grocery shopping there.

4. Amazon. Love this site.

5. Elder Ballard's conference talk. This was my favorite talk during conference, probably because I needed a little pick-me-up in my calling as mother. I love it when someone recognizes what a difficult job it can be.

6. Baby girl dresses. After years of passing by all the cute baby girl clothes in stores, I finally get to shop for them! I've bought two of the cutest dresses on clearance ($11 and $7) and can't wait to dress her in them. Both have matching undies. Now I just need to find a good deal on cardigans to go over them.

7. Tummy talking. Occassionally Matty will put his ear to my tummy and say, "Hello!!!" She never kicks in response but listens intently to him. It's so sweet. I really feel they are going to have a great relationship.

I don't think that list is too bad for a grumpy, overly tired, pregnant mom. Do you?

Feeling Blessed

I can't help but feel incredibly blessed tonight. Watching shows like tonight's "Idol Gives Back" always make me realize how wonderful I have it.

My husband and I had access to quality educations and earned our college degrees. We have health insurance and quality health care. I have a roof, heating, air conditioning, and many other things that make life comfortable. I live in a safe place with fellow members of the Church all around me. I was born in the covenant with parents who taught me how to be a wise steward over the blessings my Heavenly Father has given me. I know where I've come from and where I'm going. My husband is able to support our family so that I'm able to stay home with our kids.

Putting Matty to bed tonight I kept thinking about how much I love him. I'm so grateful that we can provide a good home for him. He has a comfortable bed and doesn't have to worry about where his next meal will come from. He's such a happy, smart, and healthy kid. I hope he always is.

We have our hardships and trials, like everyone. Life is far from perfect . . . . . but it's pretty great. We've been greatly blessed.

32 Week Appt

Another appointment over. Oddly enough, I'm still measuring 32-33 cm. That means I haven't changed any (if not gone down slightly) in 4 weeks! I've gained just under a pound in those four weeks as well. I asked the doctor if I should be concerned about the weight and measurements not changing. He said he's fine with no weight gain and thinks it must be from me eating better. I told him I'm not eating better, I just feel too sick to ever want to eat! (I got a prescription for something to help.) He's not concerned as long as she's still active, so he wants me to start doing kick counts after dinner each day. She's not as active as she used to be, but she still does get around now and then each day. I really can't remember how much I felt Matty kicking at this point.

A real positive today was learning that she's positioned head down. Hopefully she'll stay that way!

Matty's Birthday Celebrations!

We've had a busy, busy day! I spent the morning trying to ice cupcakes and put up decorations with the birthday boy "helping" me. Because he wanted everything green, we made frog cupcakes and put up green decorations. There were streamers everywhere, but I never got a good picture of them all.

When we asked Matty what he wanted to do special for his birthday, he picked bowling. So Dan got off work a little early and we all went bowling. Matty had a great time.

After bowling we went home for his party. He enjoyed battling everyone with those party blowers. Even Grandpa Martindale got in on the action.

We had a little trauma when it came to blowing out the candles. He tried to blow them out by being right on top of them instead of blowing across them and ended up burning himself on the lips twice. It took awhile to get him to stop crying and just finish blowing them out (from a safe distance). Passing out cupcakes to everyone helped cheer him up.

He enjoyed opening his presents and got some cool stuff like a soccer ball, books, board games, Geotrax pieces, and car items. It was hard to get him to go to bed tonight with all the new things to play with! It's almost 10 and I can hear he's still awake. Hopefully he'll sleep okay even with all the excitement of the night. I definitely overdid it today and am paying for it now with pain. Hopefully we'll all get a good night's rest!

My boy is THREE today!

Thankful Thursday

It's Thursday already? I can't believe how fast the week seems to go. My list this week includes . . .

1. A king-sized bed. We've shared every size bed in our marriage (including a twin for a few days) and there is nothing like a King! How else would all of us fit??? (Dan, myself, baby bump, and my endless supply of body pillows. )

2. A night away. We went to Anniversary Inn in Logan on Tuesday night and stayed in the Jesse James room. (Don't worry, we didn't pay that price tag.) Even though I felt pretty miserable the whole time and I'll never go away again in the third trimester, I'm still glad we went and had one last chance to have a night away before baby #2 comes.

3. Grandma babysitting overnight. What would we do without her???

4. Tums. 'Nuff said.

5. Having a party to plan. Matty's third birthday is tomorrow! He wants everything green, so it's been so much fun planning it together. It's just going to be us and a few extended family members, but he's so excited! Plus, planning it helps me forget for a second about my constant sick tummy.

6. Conference. I'm so excited to listen to our new prophet and all the other speakers. Conference as a kid was just a "get out of church free" card, but now I really appreciate how wonderful the messages are and can't wait to be spiritually fed. I really look forward to it every 6 months.

7. Milk. I'm totally adicted, always have been. Too bad I'll have to cut back when nursing in the hopes that the baby doesn't develope the same allergy Matty has.

8. Balloons. They're just one of those random things in life that make me happy!

So what's on your list this week???