Baby it's cold outside!

so, it snowed again. this time it's after thanksgiving, so i'm totally ok with it. besides, it's almost all melted again. though, more is on the way.


jared was soooo excited to play in it. jason took him outside to play. i didn't think they were really going to play that long, so i didn't bother putting him in all of his snow get up. he ended up getting quite wet and cold. but had SOOOOO much fun with his daddy!!!

Less than 100!!!!

So, according to my little tickers, i officially have less than 100 days to go in this pregnancy! i've been waiting for this day. it's just nice to see only double digits.

i'm still hoping this baby will be a little like jared though, and come early. he was 3 weeks early- but was big enough that it was fine. this baby is smaller- or i'm just a little smaller- so i'm saying that it should come 2 weeks early. sounds good. :P

this pregnancy has been very different then my first. i wouldn't say it is necessarily easier or worse- just different. things that are bothering me now, weren't a problem then. but i don't have the same problems (yet) that i had with jared.

i guess i should be more specific- for journaling purposes.

with jared, i was HUGE! i started retaining absurd amounts of water very early on in the pregnancy. i was so swollen i could only wear flip flops from about 6 months on. my blood pressure had to be very closely monitored- eventually leading to ALMOST pre-eclampsia. i ended up on bed rest (to prevent pre-eclampsia) a month before my due date. my blood pressure started to sky rocket- so my doctor was going to induce me on that monday or tuesday- which means he would still have been almost 3 weeks early. but instead- jared knew it was time, and my body knew it couldn't take it anymore. so saturday morning, 2 a.m., my water broke. not too bad of a labor, except for the fact that he was opaque (face up) and kind of got stuck. after pushing FOREVER, the doctor finally came in, worked some magic, and prevented me from having a c-section. exactly 12 hours later, we had a little boy. i was MISERABLE through the last 3 months or more of pregnancy.

this pregnancy, not like that one. yes, my feet have swollen up once so far- but that had to do a lot with how i was sitting and gravity and so forth. other than that, i can still wear all of my shoes. instead, i'm dealing with weird back, muscle and joint pain. makes sense, since everything was moved around during the first pregnancy. but i'm not really retaining water (yet- knock on wood, 'cause i'm sure it will come some time).

but overall, i feel pretty good. i know when i need to take it easy. with both of my pregnancy, the braxton-hicks contractions have started pretty early on. with this one though, i would say they are way more frequent. i'd say on an average day, i have 10-15 contractions. usually they are more frequent when i'm constantly busy. i have to pace myself. even just cleaning the kitchen gets them going. i have to stop and sit down and let them go away.

now that i'm almost on that final stretch, we shall see what my body decides to do. i have a trip to California in December and a trip to Washington in January, so i'm hoping to keep feeling the way i do so that those trips aren't a nightmare.

anyway, if you just read all that, you must have some time on your hands! as mentioned who knows how many times before, i'm not a journal keeper, but i will blog. so sometimes i throw things in here that i want to remember, even if the rest of you don't want to know about it!

Blessings all around me!!!!!!!

that is for sure. i have been blessed and continue to receive blessings ALL THE TIME!

i've been a bit of a slacker finishing my blessings posts. but hey, i was having too much fun enjoying some of those blessings! that makes it o.k.-- right?

we had a great thanksgiving. we ended up going down to my cousin's house and spending the day with almost all of my cousins on my dad's side. (and their parents and our grandparents)

it was good to see them all. some of them i hadn't seen in quite a few years. i'll admit, it was a little awkward at times. i'm not the most "social" person ever. i have a hard time just going up to ANYONE (even if i know them) and starting a conversation. who knows why. something i need to work on.

anyway, despite my apparent weaknesses, we had a great time. the food was wonderful and we got to remember how important our extended family can be.

oh, i forgot to mention, my brothers and SIL did come in from sacramento. they are so hilarious. Jared was kind of scared of them at first. by the end of the weekend, he was tackling and jumping all over them.

my brothers are extremely handy. they did some fun and needed adjustments to our house. i'm so grateful that they are so talented, and well, had the time to do the stuff my husband hasn't had the time to do.

Will, Jared, Dan & Brittany

Blessings all around me #32

too many things to count. i know, that doesn't count.

i'm grateful for cars. specifically the one that brought my family to see me. they got here safe and sound at 2:30 a.m. this morning.

i'm grateful that they are handy and have done some things around our house that really needed to be done. they love us, and we love them.

i'm grateful for my little brother pat who is serving a mission in Pennsylvania right now. today is his birthday. i'm grateful that he has had the faith to stay strong in the gospel and avoid terrible temptations. he has done so well for himself in life. what a wonderful example for others to learn from.

Blessings all around me #31

yeah, we got home really late last night. i had to go to bed right away. my feet decided they wanted to start swelling.

we had gone to my SIL's cousin's house to play games. jason's brother jim and family are in town. the cousins had really tall kitchen chairs. i had taken my shoes off. i couldn't put them back on when it was time to leave.

so it begins.

anyway. blessings, right.

today, baby vicks rub.
jared started coughing like crazy last night. this stuff is great for him. i'm hoping the cough won't last long.

jared loves to smell this stuff. is that bad? when i go to put it on him, he has to take a big sniff of it first, then i can put on him. hopefully i'm not teaching him addictive habits already.

geez, the stuff i worry about.

i'm grateful for the joy and laughter that my son brings into my life. he knows just when i need kisses and hugs.

Jared's Thankful list 2007

At 17 months old, my son is very grateful for the following things (in no particular order- jason came home and read this list and said Curious George should be number one):
1-da-dA
2-ma-ma
3-ma pass (my paci- his pacifier)
4-meet-me (his blankie)
5-balls- football, baseball, baseball glove, bouncy balls, and many many more
6- dot dods (hot dogs- his favorite and what he calls almost every food)
7- his little brown puppy that he sleeps with
8- CURIOUS GEORGE the movie
9- books- lots and lots of books
10- music- he LOVES to dance and even tries to sing along sometimes
11- animals- any and all of them. he is fascinated by them.
12- showers- he loves bathes too, but if jason or i are getting in the shower, you can guarantee that jared will be joining us within seconds. yes, he's climbed in a time or two with his clothes on when he was told he didn't need a shower.
13- the park- even though the weather doesn't let us go very often, but he loves it!
14- our backyard- the jungle that it is. he loves to hunt for sticks and then sword fight with the bushes. don't ask. no one taught him to do that. he is just a boy and that is what he does.
15- his swing- ok, so that is in the backyard, but he can't get enough of it.
16- hats- any and all of them. he knows which cupboard his daddy's hats are in and asks to be lifted up to open it and choose one to play with.
17- the internet and our computer- his FAVORITE- www.kids.nationalgeographic.com/Animals/ he loves to look at the pictures and watch the little video clips of the animals. even the boring ones with the guy that talks about the animals. again, he is fascinated by them.
18- bruce- his friend that lives next door that likes to beat him up. but jared loves him anyway.
19- our microwave- it makes hot dogs, oatmeal, and cream of wheat really fast.
20- rice milk- otherwise he'd have nothing decent to drink

Blessings all around me #30

medical technology.

my cousin marcy posted yesterday about being grateful for our grandpa. that kindly reminded me that i haven't said a thing about him.

he had open heart surgery on monday. it was a pretty big surgery. i really am grateful for doctors that have studied and prepared to be able to save lives.

my grandpa is doing pretty good. it'll take him months to recover, but he will do it quickly.

i'm grateful that i will get to see him this next week and enjoy the holiday with my extended family.

Jason's boy

So our son has added some very important words to his vocabulary. "Pass!!! Touchdown!! and Play!!" it is hilarious. he loves all balls. lately he has really enjoyed football. he'll raise his arms up and say "touchdown!" before he throws the ball he yells, "pass!" and when he wants down from his highchair he says, "play!" too cute, i know.

Blessings all around me #29

patience. that was the first thing that came to my mind. i don't have a lot of it usually, but i'm grateful that i have been taught that it is a necessary principle to master in life.

i guess what made me think that about that was a little something i overheard while shopping today. a mom was clearly frustrated with her 3 year old (i'm guessing- maybe he was only 2) little boy. the kid was throwing a bit of a tantrum over a toy or something. i don't know. anyway, the mom VERY LOUDLY exclaims to her LITTLE boy "fine, i'm leaving you here until the police find you. they can come and get you." and she walks away from him.

is it just me, or was that a little inappropriate. maybe it's just because i don't have a 3 year old yet, so my patience hasn't been tried in that way. but c'mon. there are sooo many other things she could have done. even just walking away from the kid would have been better than threatening to abandon him to the police.

what does that teach him about police officers? he won't ever trust them because he has been taught they will just take him away.

i know, this is a post about what i am grateful for, not me judging other moms at Ross.

i truly am grateful that even though there are times (and many more times will come, i'm sure) when i say things that are not appropriate that i do have the tools and knowledge to take a step back and examine what has happened. maybe that lady will do the same. i have NO idea.

but i hope that i am doing all that i can to instill proper images of authority to my son. that i am teaching him respect, patience and discipline. and that i'm not threatening him with absurd things that will teach him the exact opposite.

it's a crazy world out there. i'm grateful that i have guidelines and good examples to show and teach me how to try to do it the right way. hopefully i can actually know what "the right way" is in the heat of the moment.

Blessings all around me #28

My husband is out of control!! he is just wonderful. I know, I've kind of already written a blessings post about him. but ladies, it gets even better.

you see, we are having two different sets of company come into town over the next week. our house, was a disaster. i was supposed to get it completely organized yesterday, so i could actually really clean it. didn't happen. i had that activity days thing to plan, and it took my entire day.

this morning, jason didn't have class. i had a doctors appointment at 11 am. jason gets out of bed at 8:15 (yes, that's when jared woke up, our alarm clock on days like this- it was wonderful!) he gets jared out of bed, and starts cleaning and organizing. i didn't even have to ask. he put clean clothes away, changed the sheets on our bed, did the dishes, scrubbed the kitchen stove, put loads of laundry in, cleaned up jared's toys and books, scrubbed the bathroom ceiling cause it was gross, watched jared while i went to the doctor ...... and who knows what else.

i'm so grateful for a husband that actually knows that it takes two to run a household. he doesn't just leave it all up to me- except when he knows he should or i'll get mad! he does let me do it most of the time, and i feel it is mostly my responsibility. but when i need the help, he is there.

thanks babe.

he got a new calling last night. we had to meet with a member of the stake presidency. the counselor asked him if he was a worthy temple recommend holder. "yes" was his reply. but then the counselor turned to me and asked if jason was really a worthy temple recommend holder, priesthood holder, father, husband. it practically brought tears to my eyes as i smiled and said, "yes, i couldn't ask for anything more from him."

and today, in just another small way, he reminded me of how grateful i am to call him my husband. for eternity. oh, it makes me smile.

Blessings all around me #27

The internet. I know, everyone is grateful for that. but i'm serious when i say it. More specifically tonight, www.sugardoodle.net. if you serve in the church, and you've never been to that website, you NEED to go there.

We had a pretty good activity tonight with the girls. thanks to that great website, of course. I also found a fun Thanksgiving quiz that we did. so fun.

ALSO, i found this:

More Than A Day
As Thanksgiving Day rolls around,It brings up some facts, quite profound.We may think that we're poor,Feel like bums, insecure,But in truth, our riches astound.
We have friends and family we love;We have guidance from heaven above.We have so much more Than they sell in a store,We're wealthy, when push comes to shove.
So add up your blessings, I say;Make Thanksgiving last more than a day.Enjoy what you've got;Realize it's a lot,And you'll make all your cares go away.
By Karl Fuchs

I thought it was quite appropriate to put with these blessings posts.

really, truly. i don't remember how to function without the Internet. I think back to those times, like high school, wow, it would be so different now! The Lord must have known we needed it now.

Now, if only we can figure out how to stop terrible people from doing horrible things on it.

Blessings all around me #26

Wow- so sorry! i must have just gotten out the habit. i went to bed last night totally spacing my own little challenge! oops! got lots going on right now.

so yesterday, my thoughts of gratitude were focused on the movie "curious george." you see, that is the only movie that my son will sit and watch- almost entirely. this allowed me to get quite a few things done last night.

I even got our office "somewhat" organized. that in itself is almost a miracle. It's not at all done, one day maybe we'll actually buy a real desk with cabinets so our stuff isn't in random boxes. but at least for now, i wouldn't be too embarrassed if someone actually went in there. up until now, i've always just kept that door closed- ALL THE TIME. it is "jason's room" where he hangs his clothes, and pretty much everything else he owns, whether it actually goes in there or not. but now, it looks so much better. i might even let my brother and his wife stay in there when they come!

Did you miss me? Blessings all around me #25

I know you must have thought that i disappeared or something. Kind of, we did. We've been in Las Vegas with Jason's family, for our niece's baby blessing.

Deanna had her first baby girl the end of August. Bridgette is the cutest thing! The sad part was we were so busy, we didn't really take any pictures. Not even one of Jared!

It was also Jason's mom's birthday on Sunday. So fun to be able to celebrate with lots of cousins! Erin, Shawna, Scott, Jim, Deanna, and Jason and their families were all there! That means we were only missing Heather and Nonnie's families. It was great. this picture below is of Erin's youngest, Shane, in his halloween costume that he takes with him everywhere. Also Scott's son Jonny, is in it. They were being soooo cute running through bubbles. They are both 4 and the best of friends.

I'm hoping that someone else took a few more pictures that i can copy once they post them. Most of the families are still there- we had to leave a day early for jason to get back to work. So, i'll just have to be patient.

Jared had the best time watching all his older cousins. He is now number 19 of 21- with 3 more babies due next year! so many cousins!!!! he was in heaven. he loved playing football in the backyard with all of them. oh, and showing off all of his hilarious animal sounds.

I'm so grateful that we have such a wonderful large family that jared can grow up with. even if we don't get to see all of them very often, when we do we have a great time. Families are such an important part of learning and growing for a child. Hopefully, one day, we will also be able to become close the rest of our extended family.

I'm also grateful that i do have this season and time to reflect on the great blessings that are all around me!

Blessings all around me #24

I'm so very grateful for the FRIEND magazine. we just started our subscription this year, and have loved it. i originally thought i'd just use it for primary and such. but let me just tell you---

JARED IS OBSESSED WITH IT! More specifically, he favors this particular issue- September 2007. he brings it to me singing "clean up clean up" because that is what i sing when we talk about the cover of the magazine.

I promise i read it to him today 4 times. we talk about every picture inside. And he knows that he likes this one best. Sometimes we'll read other issues, but he always likes this best.

It has been a great supplement to his personal library. he loves books soooooo much. and lately has gotten a little tired of what we have to offer. well, not tired per say, but he's looking for more. he has a pretty extensive library, i think. but he wants more.

the friend has been a great addition and help. getting a new one every month is wonderful!

Blessings all around me #23

I got a great surprise today. well, i knew about it, so it wasn't a surprise. but i didn't know when i'd get it. That's exactly my kind of surprise!

My sister's band was having a pampered chef fundraiser- or something like that. My mom bought me one of those cool hand choppers that are wonderful!

THANKS MOM! i'm so excited.

I'm grateful for my mom. She's kind and supportive in just the right ways.

Blessings all around me #22

Today i'm so grateful for D.I. yes, sometimes i feel it is the best store EVER- and then sometimes i think it is kind of gross and disgusting. but hey, it's close enough to us that we can walk to it, so on occasion when it is a nice day, we wander down just to see if they have anything cool.

And people, let me just tell you that today was one of those days.

I found not one, but two of the cutest wool coats that i can wear THIS winter- as in, while i'm pregnant. and how much did i pay for my TWO coats? $27. you better believe i'm excited. i'll post pictures if my husband ever decides to come home and take some. (he's just working right now, wonderful man that he is)

One of the coats is a little funky, but fun. and the other is just classic and warm. i'm so excited.

also, i'm grateful that my next door neighbor has acquired the wonderful talent of cutting/coloring hair, etc. yes, she went to school and is licenced and all that jazz. but she doesn't work at a salon. i let her do my hair today. she COLORED my hair today. did you know that it has been two and half years since i have colored my hair??? i was going for a record.

i didn't start coloring my hair 'till after high school. and then it became addicting. so i stopped. but i've started again. and it feels good to indulge a bit.

i know, very exciting news. it is a bit blonder than i pictured- but i didn't really tell her what to do. I let her have fun. and it is fun! i love it.

i was feeling fat and ugly and quite bored of my hair, so what better thing to do than color it. doesn't that make a big pregnant woman feel better? yep yep yep.

Blessings all around me #21

today, sunday, glorious sunday. I am very grateful for primary manuals. i glad that some people were so inspired to put things together so that when i'm not at my best, i have an excellent guide to follow.

today i got to teach four primary classes- all at once. my class, two classes that teachers didn't show up or get subs, and a special needs class. total, there were only 8 kids plus jared- who is sick and i seriously considered just staying home with. but then there wouldn't have been a teacher for all those classes.

our lesson was on honesty and Ananias and Sapphira. it went well, for the most part and all things considered. but i'm grateful that i don't have to start from scratch when planning a lesson. i have plenty of resources to use, and you better believe that i use 'em!

Blessings all around me #19 and #20

sorry, i went to bed last night without posting. we've got a little bug, again. just a cold/cough but it has made me tired. and it has made jared a BEAST. it doesn't help that he cut one tooth last week, and another one is coming through now. with all the snot coming out of his nose, it looks even worse with all the drool.

so today, i'm grateful for naps. it is now 8:30 pm and i woke up at 8:00 from a 2 1/2 hour nap. crazy eh? jared went down a little after 4 and is still asleep. i don't know if that means he is going to sleep through the night, or if we are going to be up all night together.

but for now, i feel good. i'm glad that i slept even if it means that i will be up. sleep does wonderful things to a pregnant body.

also, yesterday and today, i am so grateful for the beautiful fall weather that we are having. jared and i went for a fun walk yesterday and played with the leaves. it is absolutely gorgeous. it makes me want to sing "for the beauty of the earth" all day long. i love the fall colors. i love the leaves crunching under my feet. it's wonderful!

Blessings all around me #18

HAPPY NOVEMBER!!!
For those that are new readers, a few weeks ago i challenged myself, and anyone else that wants to do it, to find at least one thing everyday that I am grateful for. I started it then, and am going to the end of this month.

let me just say, some days are harder than others. not that i'm not always grateful for lots of things, but when i'm ornery, i don't want to find things. especially when i try to think of not so obvious things.

anyway, today i am so very grateful that my son has learned how to keep most of his snot in his nose. you know, instead of just letting it drip all over the place, he now sniffs it back up. the only problem is, he still hasn't figured out how to blow his nose, so it's just all stuck there. i know, that's really gross. can you tell he woke up sick this morning?

but i'm grateful that i don't have to chase him around all day with a snot rag, catching his boogers.

i know, the joys of being a mother. it's great stuff.