I wish Teacher Appreciation week wasn't three weeks before the end of school when I'm already figuring out their end of the year gift. But I happened to be making brown butter cookies so I made some big ones and printed this out and our teachers actually got a little something this year!
My rocker chick.
And don't get me started on that jumper! Heart eyes all over the place.
Olive has loved dance class this semester. Unfortunately, it's at a big dance company that has their end of year recital at the Chandler Center for the Arts, for heavens sakes. After the recital fees, costume fees and paying for our family's tickets (don't get me started on having to pay to see my own child perform!) it would have been $200. Sooo, I opted out. I mean, she's THREE! This is ridiculous. And the recital date was a few days after my due date so it just didn't seem to be worth it. But I was still so sad to not get to see her all dolled up in a costume. At least the teacher let us record the dance during class.
With all my anxiety about this new baby, my mom's biggest advice was to buy a Lazy Boy recliner. She loved rocking all her babies in hers. So, here we are with number FOUR, finally investing in a Lazy Boy. Luckily, the one I fell in love with was one sale. And while this will not be the fabric that mine will have, I had to face the facts that Lazy Boy chairs just aren't cute.
I didn't really think I'd be buying one the first time I went to the store, so I text Travis to ask him if it would be OK if I got it. I may have just bought our bed frame the day before AND his rather expensive birthday present (to which my card was declined for fear of fraud... oops) He text back "Hows that money tree in our backyard coming?"
I have SUCH anxiety about my kids drowning. But with a Dad that can teach swim lessons I always hated spending the money on them elsewhere. It's just that Dad is very busy and lessons almost never happen. So I finally enrolled her at EVO. She spent a couple weeks in the Otter class and graduated up to Seal! She is still not completely pool safe, but we are working on it.
When kids beg to strip down and run through the sprinklers...
Olive's belly laugh is one of my favorite things on this whole earth.
Our super fabulous, favorite guy ever turned 34!
For YEARS I've looked for Real Madrid tickets for him around his birthday time. FINALLY, it worked out!! They are coming to L.A. the end of July and it's not on a Sunday or a time when we'd be on vacation. I contacted Bron to see if he'd be interested in going as well and he was all over it, so Trav finally has himself a guy's trip to look forward to! My heart is so happy!!
And Collin's reaction to my "weights" in the box was awesome, haha.
Just what EVERY husbands wants on their birthday... a cutsie sign their wife bought at a boutique.
But come on, it IS perfect, isn't it?!
The boys were slightly perplexed.
Travis didn't have work on his birthday and Shelley was so great to have Olive for the day sooooo we continued with all things husbands want on their birthday and went furniture shopping!! Wooooo! Is he the best or what? Getting his office remodeled has been weighing on me for a long time. It's a big "before the baby comes" project. We picked up a trailer from my parent's house, spent hours at the AT HOME store browsing. As in, I looked at a chair. Sat in the chair. Moved the chair to the couches. Evaluated how they looked next to each other. Walked up and down the dresser section at least 4 dozen times. Pointed out which pieces I wanted Trav to load onto the flat beds. And waited like a good pregnant wife while he did all the grunt work and paid for it. ;) After unloading it at the office, we had ourselves a little lunch break at Liberty Market, then went back to the office to load up all the old furniture and take it to Goodwill. All that dusty, brown furniture is officially GONE!! Blech! I can't tell you how good this felt! The floors were redone a few weeks ago and the lobby got painted the next week but the rest of the office paint is still in limbo. Once it's ALL done, I'll post the "before" and "afters".
Bu-Bye rotting flowers!!
That night I planned a date going to an indoor shooting range. The workers seemed alarmed that I would do this pregnant, but when I asked my doctor about it later he just asked if I wore ear protection then cheerfully asked how good a shot I was!
We finally tried out Tamari sushi and lookie what my fortune cookie said! Sometimes I think those Chinese might be on to somethin'. ;)
Baseball season ended. It was fun watching these boys play and improve together.
And just as much fun watching their sweet sister run around cheering for them.
But the best part of all was hearing the team cheer for good ol' Jack S.
I'm ECSTATIC that they did it one more time for me to catch on video! All of us parents were doubled over laughing. I don't believe his parents ever considered what his name, coupled with his first initial, might sound like before they bestowed it upon him. You can't make this stuff up!
Weston completed his first year of Let's Play Music! The recital was at his teacher's house. Roseanne had the parents join in on a lot of the songs and when it was over, Travis quipped to me, "Geez, I didn't realize we would be on stage too."
I just stared at him with raised eyebrows.
I have sat on the floor every other week, participating in almost 20 lessons. Joining hands with parents, galloping around the room, singing ridiculous songs and doing puppet shows. I have practiced and worked with Weston every week on his homework and skills. I have sat in the car or taken the kids to the neighborhood park every other week because his teacher's house was too far away to warrant going all the way home just to come right back.
I know he was joking, but I was too done with this year to humor him. ;)
If Weston could just act like a doggie for every song, he would be in heaven.
Grandpa Pomegranate has been declining in health fairly rapidly lately. Hospice has come in with a hospital bed and he has nurses that come help him shower a couple times a week. He sleeps most of the time but if you catch him when he's awake he's as cheerful and optimistic as a 20 year old with his whole life before him! Constantly praising us and telling us what wonderful kids we are. It's like a self esteem booster just visiting with him. I have been so blessed with wonderful grandparents.
Collin earned his Bobcat this month so he got to "bob" for apples!
I would rather burn this picture, but here I am putting it out there for anyone to see! Pregnancy at it's plumpest. If they didn't have the mother pin, I would have just sent Trav up.
My little preschooler singing the sweetest Mother's Day song ever for me! And twisting up her shirt, showing her belly and tucking her chin down while she swayed so bashfully. Gosh, I'm obsessed with her!
OK, THIS is a big deal, folks. I fiiiiiinallllyyy bought a bed frame!! Ever since Travis needed a new mattress last year, we have been sleeping on it on the floor. I fell in love with a custom made headboard that I pursued for months but it just cost too much money. Back to the drawing board. I am awesome at making decisions *catch the heavy sarcasm* so this felt like Everest. I've never in my life had a brand new bed frame. I read reviews until my eyes bled. I spent a ridiculous amount of time searching websites. And thanks to this baby coming, I finally pulled the trigger and bought one. Trav assembled it and I LOVE it. I feel like a princess, just getting to sleep up high again, haha. Such luxury!
My cousin Curtis got married and had quite the reception. Travis stayed home with a sick Collin, so I took these two. They really wanted me to dance with them, but my big belly bowed out. It was fun to sip Italian sodas, eat street tacos and visit with family, but I would have died without the golf carts who took us to and from our car. It was a warm night and my cankles were large and in charge. Plus, my back was slowly going out. By the time I got home I couldn't even walk. Travis had to help me to the bathroom every time I got up that night. Praise the heavens for Janae!! She got me in the next morning and fixed me up good as new!
Grandpa hasn't been eating much, but I guess he craves what he calls "Cowboy biscuits and Mormon gravy"! My Grandma goes to Carls Jr. every morning to buy it for him. Biscuits and gravy is one of my favorites as well, so I thought it would be fun to make some for him.
He was super sweet and raved about how good it was. Why does cooking for other people make me so happy?? I guess it's my inner Monica.
The Primary kids sang the sweetest song on Mother's Day. It was fun being in Primary the weeks before to watch them practice. I love the lyrics to the chorus. Our chorister goes above and beyond!
Mother's Day was really nice. I told Travis not to buy me anything and I was so glad he listened. Minus the flowers and chocolate. ;) The men took over the 3rd hour of church so I actually got to go to Relief Society and enjoy a lesson. We had my biscuits and gravy for lunch and the kids gave me all their school projects and cards. We visited my parent's house for an hour, then had dinner at Trav's parents house. Nothing extraordinary happened, but it felt like a nice, peaceful day. I don't even think I yelled at my kids once. ;)
Do you like my necklace from Weston? I wore it all day and everyone thought is a cross.
Last day of preschool!! Olive and Posey are good little friends.
I signed the boys up for dive team this summer and they had pre-season practices the week before school got out. Travis dove for years so he is more than anxious to get them doing those arm swings correctly. It stresses Collin out, but Weston is always obliviously along for whatever ride.
We finished Pippi Longstocking and watched the video together. They really loved this one. I liked the first half then got a little tired of weird Pippi.
Weston's turn to be sick. Travis had taken the other two to Scottsdale to swim with Bron and his kids so I thought Weston deserved a little treat. Add the vitamin boost!
Uncle Craig got his Eagle! Ca-kaw!
Collin felt so grown up getting to do the flag ceremony.
Marcie was so thoughtful to set up a little 'baby lunch' celebration with my mom and sisters. We went to La Bistro in Stonebridge Manor and literally had the place to ourselves. Which is perplexing because the food was out of this world. Shelley ordered the best potato salad I've ever had. The creme brulee was lick your bowl tasty. And the chocolate peanut butter mousse cake with peanut brittle?? Come ON. I can't wait til the next time! My mom treated us all and I got some cute outfits and I'm rather fond of these ladies. :)
The last day of school!!!
They were ready!
I was not.
I took them to Bahama Bucks for a special, last day treat.
Here comes summer!
Collin and his cards. Expressive verbally AND on paper.
Not knowing how soon this baby was going to come, I tried to make the most of the first week of summer. We invited Weston's friend, Van, and Aunt Marcie and Scarlett to go to Krazy Air! They jumped their hearts out. I was having lots of contractions and though I was for sure in early labor.
That turned into a big, fat fake out.
So the next day I took them all to Legoland Discovery Center. This place cost a pretty penny, so we stayed allll day. Left at 10am, got home at 5:30pm. It was fairly crowded at the beginning with some field trip groups, then emptied out to almost no one. The boys loved the 4D movies (we watched all 4) and the section where you build your own cars and race them. I loved sitting. Shoulda brought a book.
Olive fell asleep on the drive home, so I tag teamed Trav and stayed home with her while he took the boys to their end of the season, baseball party. So sad to miss a chaotic night at Peter Piper, but I know Trav loved "taking one for the team" ;)
Obviously, some witch craft is going on over here because I finished a book. (How sad was that sentence? What has become of my life??)
I didn't love it, but didn't hate it. It felt good to read again, but I didn't find myself reaching for it eagerly. It's told from the perspective of a teenage boy who seems to have autism. His perspective is interesting, but about half way through I was bored. The Broadway show is in town next month and supposed to be amazing, but I don't think leaving a two week old is going to fly.
Memorial Day weekend!
The Shaheens came to town and stayed at Tapatillo Peaks resort. So we got to go a-resort-in with them on Friday. Travis had canceled his patients since we thought I'd be having a baby. I'm really awesome at being able to tell when I'm in labor.
On Saturday, Steel was sick so we made a family trip to Costco and went swimming at my parents. Chill day.
On Monday, I couldn't handle the idea of sweltering at the cemetery, so we stayed home and cleaned. Mopping my floor while Trav cleaned out the garage and sprayed down the back porch was good therapy. I made some Jello cakes, took Collin on a quick trip to Target and also got some bathrooms cleaned. I felt like we earned the right to relax the rest of the day!
But first, Mattas.
It's a double edged sword being pregnant in the summer. You're the designated whale in the pool BUT you get to be in a pool. Feels so nice to get that belly floating.
Scarlett played HARD. Then conked out like a zombie. My mom held her in her arms by the pool for a long time, then laid her down on a pile of blankets in the living room. I walked in and busted out laughing. It was like a wake was going on. Here lies our dear Scarlett!
Because... this is FUNNY.
Anyone else my age feeling this way?!
Come to find out, our friend Brandon has a birthday just days after Trav. So we did a little belated birthday dinner at Benihana at the end of the month. These two have been all around the world and have endless stories and adventures. It helped compensate for our waitress's lack of interest in us. ;) Marcie saved the day by coming to babysit. I kept hoping this could be a last hurrah before baby comes?? Why do I even tempt myself with these thoughts?!
36 weeks
39 weeks
I am now past my due date. I have worked feverishly all month and my long to-do list is complete. In fact, many things have been done twice. I'm working on projects I didn't think I'd get to for years. I stopped exercising a month ago and it's incredible what that extra time enabled me to get accomplished.
I am large. I am done. I've had my membranes stripped twice with no results. I legitimately thought I was in labor the day after school got out and Trav cleared out his work schedule. It would have been PERFECT. He could have been home over the long holiday weekend to help me. Megan was in town with her skills and her camera. Butttt nope. Here we are a full week later. This baby is too dang comfortable. I have ridden the hormonal roller coaster of emotions and I want to get off. I have drunk red raspberry leaf tea. Taken Evening Primrose Oil. Gone on long walks. Cried on long walks. Bounced/rocked on a medicine ball. I refuse to take castor oil and I don't believe in spicy foods really doing anything. The Lazy Boy chair is here! New clothes, burp cloths and car seat have been purchased. I have nested better than the most industrious cockatoo. I.am.over.it.
I might be Monica, but I am done playing hostess.
Come, baby, come!!!
