Countdown!

I am officially just two weeks away from my due date! It is hard to believe that we are so close to becoming a family of five. Life has been so hectic lately, that time really has flown by and all of a sudden I am 38 weeks along! And I feel it. I feel old.

People say to get as much sleep in as possible before the baby comes - I wish! For some strange/cruel reason, the majority of my braxton hicks happen at night. Compound that with the fact that I have had a cold for the past couple weeks, and sleep is just not happening. I can't wait for the day when I will be able to sleep comfortably, even if it is in three hour intervals. Every morning I wake up and my back and hips just ache. I have to hobble out of bed to the bathroom (first things first) and then hobble around for about five minutes until my body adjusts back to normal - what is normal when you are 8 1/2 months pregnant?

Okay, enough complaining. I really am so excited to meet this little one. Is it a boy or a girl? I still have no idea, even though everyone else around me seems to have an opinion. Even strangers that I talk to seem to know it's a boy or a girl. But, I can't wait to find out! There is absolutely nothing that can compare to giving birth and to holding a new born baby. What a joy!

Ashlyn and Trent are getting more excited as the days go by as well. Trent asks me several times a day (as he is pulling my shirt up) if he can "pet the baby" and Ashlyn is constantly hugging my belly. These two are going to be the best big sister and brother a newborn could ask for!

We have finally gotten out some needed and essential baby items. The car seat is out and ready, the bassinet is set up, and all the gender-neutral baby clothes, blankets, and burp cloths are out of their boxes and are currently being washed. I still need to buy a few things and pack our bags, but progress has been made. And in just two short weeks (hopefully not more!) I will be posting pics of our addition!

How'd She Know?

Last night before putting the kids to bed, I told them that if it was warm and sunny tomorrow we would go to the park for a picnic. Ashlyn got a big smile on her face and said, "I want to play in the snow!" Snow?! Is she crazy? "No honey, it's not going to snow, but if it is warm enough we will go to the park for a picnic." She told me how much she loved the snow and again said that she wanted to play in it. Okay, I thought, whatever.

Fast forward to this morning and Ashlyn comes bounding into our room, all smiles, exclaiming that, "It's snowing, it's snowing!" Okay, okay, stop with the snow business already. But, Brian peaked out through our blinds and with shock in his voice said, "Holy cow, it's coming down like it's December!"

Seriously?! Enough already.

Nutshell

Between the renovating, moving and unpacking, there have been several noteworthy moments in the Smiley family. Here is a look at our lives over the past month and a half, in a nutshell:

Easter was celebrated successfully. I think there was a fair balance of peeps, egg dying, & chocolate, and talk of Christ and the resurrection. I really wanted to focus more on the true meaning of Easter this year, so the kids did not receive baskets on Easter morning. Instead, I made them each a book full of gospel pictures (mostly of Christ), each with a corresponding quote taken from the Children's hymn book. The books went over better than I thought. The kids really loved them and they have been a great help during Sacrament meetings. The kids then got their fill of sweets and treats during our annual Easter egg hunt at Grandmom and Grandpa Lifferth's home that night.

Ashlyn has become quite interested in puzzle making and has gotten quite good. Just in case you wanted to know, dollar stores are a great place to buy kid puzzles.

Trent pulled out all the drawers in Ashlyn's dresser and consequently the whole thing came tumbling down. A loud crash was followed by screaming and crying. Trent was pinned under two drawers, but fortunately walked away without a scratch. Did I mention that he also had two doors fall on him during renovations? Poor kid, tough though. In both cases, the mental trauma was worse than the physical. For a couple weeks after those two experiences, he would cover his head when he heard a loud noise.

Proof that Trent is going to be an awesome big brother. He adores Mailey and is thrilled when he gets to hold her.

My sweet Mom celebrated 60 years of life. We were able to go to the temple that night for a very special session, which I will hold dear to my heart as one of the most spiritual experiences of my life. We then had a yummy steak dinner followed by a most delicious chocolate cake - kudos to Mindy. My mom deserves the very best and I hope she felt loved on her day.

Hours of entertainment were provided during all the unpacking thanks to "bubblers," as Ashlyn likes to call them.

Trent and Ashlyn both caught fifth's disease - aka, "slap-face." At least that is what I figure it was. There were no other symptoms other than very, very rosy cheeks and a rash on their arms and legs that unpredictably came and went for about a week.

Mother's Day was a wonderful day. I haven't one picture to show for it, but it really was wonderful. Brian outdid himself by fixing me a delicious breakfast and by giving me a gift that not everyone would have appreciated, but one that I was thrilled with - a Bissell green machine. Brian knows me well. Oh, and then there was also the beautiful bouquet of flowers. After breakfast, Brian took care of all household duties so that I could soak in a bubble bath. I love my husband.

Ashlyn made an adorable flower pot for me at preschool, complete with a planted seed which we have diligently monitored every day, checking the growth and making sure the "dust" isn't too dry. Ashlyn also gave me a paper stating that for Mother's day she would "help her make cookies," "help her take care of Trent," and "help her not get food on her clothes." Phew!

Ashlyn had her preschool graduation. She is not headed to kindergarten next year, but with a year and a half of preschool under her belt, I think she is done. Instead of paying preschool tuition, next year, I am looking forward to lots of field trips with my kids: the zoo, dinosaur museum, discovery gateway, the aviary, the aquarium, etc.

As part of the program, Ashlyn was suppose to recite "Mary Had A Little Lamb" which she did perfectly at home. We practiced and practiced and she had it down pat, clear as a bell. However, she suffered a little stage fright when the moment arrived and unfortunately mumbled her way through the rhyme. Too bad, because she had her own version of the last verse:
The teacher turned and moved it out, moved it out, moved it out
The teacher turned and moved it out, but the lamb came baaaaaaack!

Ashlyn had her very first sleep-over! I didn't know how well this was going to go over, but it was great. The girls went to bed just fine and slept side-by-side all through the night.

We had a cousin softball game at the park kiddy-corner to our home. Unfortunately I again don't have one picture, but it was a fun night. I opted to not play, running just didn't sound very appealing. Next time though!

And that is about it. I'm sure there is more, but this is all my "pregnancy brain" can come up with!

A Rude Awakening

I can't really think of a worse way to wake up in the morning than by a four-year-old covered in blood. At approximately 7:00 am this morning, I heard Ashlyn whining and then, "It won't stop!" I looked down to see her standing with a hand full of blood cupped around her chin; blood polka-dotting her pajamas; and blood smeared across her face, arms and legs. I jumped out of bed faster than is humanly possible for an 8 month pregnant woman, while still in that half-awake/half-asleep state-of-mind. Panic and confusion quickly followed as I lead her to my bathroom, trying to understand where all that blood was coming from.

The source = her nose, and I have no idea how long it had been bleeding before she decided to come tell me. I am sure that Ashlyn was just as confused as I was by the whole thing and had tried to take care of it on her own before coming to me. Upon further investigation, I found blood covering her pillow, sheets, bed spread, door, door frame, door knob, and carpet, and then even more in the main bathroom - on the tile, counter top, and sink. Ashlyn was convinced that the cause of her distress was the kick she received to her upper lip from Trent on Saturday - now that is what I would call a delayed reaction!

I have only had one bloody nose in my lifetime (thanks to a certain big brother of mine) and it really didn't amount to much. So, I had no idea how to stop it. Do you lean forward or back? Do stuff it or pinch it? Brian gets bloody noses from time to time and so I blame him. Of course he was at the gym and couldn't answer any of my questions, so I stuffed it and had her lean back. Then I called my mom and found out that I was NOT suppose to stuff it and was suppose to lean forward.

Once the bleeding stop, I put her in the bathtub and then started the clean-up process, which took a good hour. On the bright side, by 8:30 the kids were all bathed, dressed, and sitting at the table eating breakfast - that NEVER happens!

The photo is a little blurry, but I didn't really have a lot of time to get the "perfect shot!"

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Well, so much for blogging more often. To my defense, I was without internet services for two weeks. But so much has happened in the past month, that I have some serious catching up to do. As far as the rain goes, no, I do not wish it to go away. I love rainy days, always have. The problem is, I am extremely lazy on rainy days. I don't want to go anywhere or do anything. I just want to curl up on the couch with a blanket and a good book, or a laptop. I have accomplished nothing so far today, other than catching up on the blogging world. I think I could not live in Seattle because I would become a bum.

Yes, we moved. About two and a half weeks ago. I was determined when we started the project that we would not move until absolutely everything was done. Not one thing was to be left on the "to-do" list. Yeah, that didn't happen. There is still a "to-do" list. Probably always will be. That is the joy of home ownership. But we are in fact living here and we love it.

In case you are wondering, I am 35.5 weeks pregnant. I can't/don't sleep. I am popping Zantac and Tums like crazy. My hips ache all the time. Braxton hicks are in full force. I have NO idea if we are having a boy or a girl. Names have not been determined. All baby items are still in boxes. Said boxes are somewhere amongst the pile in our basement. Ashlyn and Trent love touching my belly and giving the baby hugs and kisses. Ashlyn is still 100% certain that the baby is a girl. She told Brian that she will be "really mad at Mommy" if the baby is a boy. Trent adores his two baby cousins which has greatly eased my concerns about how he will adjust to the new baby. This baby is a mover, which may be the saving grace of this pregnancy. There is nothing that can compare to feeling those fetal movements. What a miracle.

Today Ashlyn said she thought I was a monster. Trent said he thought I was a witch. I'm not thrilled with either assumption.

And that is enough rambling for one day.