Expecting the Unexpected...

Well, I guess it's time to let the cat out of the bag...We are 13 weeks pregnant with baby #3! And no, I'm not kidding! :) Emma will be 10 months old this week, so I guess I didn't just have a baby, but still they'll be pretty close. About 16 months to be exact. We're due May 28th. Crazy, huh?! I keep telling myself that my mom had 7 kids in 11 years and she survived, so I will too (I think :))

Honestly I've been a little overwhelmed with this pleasant surprise, but everything happens for a reason, right? When all is said and done we're excited that we are blessed with children and whether they come on our timetable or not, it shouldn't make any difference, right? I'm comforted in knowing that Heavenly Father knows what we can handle, even if I'm not so sure of myself. :) I have no doubt that it'll be a challenge to have 3 kids when the oldest is 3, but in some ways I can't wait. Am I crazy, or what?! Ok, don't answer that. :)

And those of you who've had babies close together...input please! I need all the help I can get!

On another note, my girls are getting so big! Emma is crawling and pulling herself up on things already and loves to play with her big sis. And there's really no other way to describe Jentri- This girl's a crack-up! A couple more stories really quick...

I wish I was there for this one, but Jen was asking for Jake for something...a toy of some sort, and Jake's response was "Maybe Santa can bring it, Jen. We can ask Santa for presents at Christmas time and he'll bring them to us." He said she thought about it for a long time, then said, "Dad, if Santa doesn't bring it, we might have to go to the store and get it." Boy, is she determined! :)

Another one...and I'll warn you it has to do with poop, so if that grosses you out, stop reading here. :) Jen and I were out raking leaves while Emma was napping and discovered some cat doo amongst the leaves. Jen was about to step in it, and I of course told her not to, and she of course asked why, and I explained there was poop in the grass, and that I had to get it with the shovel. Gross job done, moving on. Well, a while later our conversation went a little somethin like this:

Jen: "Mom, who put poop in da weaves?"

Mom: "I think it was some cats."

Jen: "Hmm. I sink it was maybe Emma."

Mom: (trying not to laugh too hard) "I don't think so, Emma poops in her diaper, remember?"

Jen: "Yeah. She poops a WOT! (looking at the deposit on the ground) Maybe it was cats."

I can't wait until Emma starts talking and I can have double the fun with these two crazies. Anyway, life is good! Hope all is well! Happy Thanksgiving!

Not a very recent pic, but still one of my faves. Love these kiddos!

What does the sacrament do?

So, as we were eating dinner last night we were talking to Jen about the things we do at church. We talked about seeing her friends, learning about Heavenly Father and Jesus, sitting together as a family and most important - taking the sacrament. After some thought, Jen asked "What does the sacrament do?"
I started to explain why we take the sacrament, but Jen cut me off and said "Does the sacrament hop?" She then continued, "Does it run? Does it jump? Does it put clothes away? Maybe it eats chips... what else does the sacrament do?"
She didn't think my explanation of why we take the sacrament was as cool as the things that she does (hop, run, jump, put clothes away and eat chips), but I think we got it straightened out.

Halloween Funny...

So lately we've had to have a few (seemingly unsuccessful) lessons with Jen on what it means to listen to mommy, and why it's important to do what I ask her to do. Her usual response when asked to, for example, pick up her toys, is "I can't wight now, mom." or "One minute, Mom! I'm not done pwaying!" Given she's 2 1/2 and can only understand/do so much, still I'll admit that I have lost my patience a few times in trying to get her to comply. (I know that never happens to any of you:)...)

Well, in once such case, I was showing my frustration a bit in the tone I was using to tell her she needed to do something (I can't remember what). In the few seconds of waiting to see what she was going to decide to do, Jen, hands on hips, head tilted as if in deep thought, asks,

"MOMMY, ARE YOU GONNA BE A WITCH FOR HALLOWEEN?"

Not sure how I should take that one...I didn't think my tone was THAT bad, but needless to say the mood changed after that. Oh how she makes me laugh...however I'm afraid I would make a good witch come Halloween... :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Lessons Learned

I was so touched by this story....I had never heard it on the news or anything, but it was on Oprah Wednesday and I just can't stop thinking about it! It really made my life seem like a piece of cake next to what these people have gone through. This girl is from Provo and has had an incredible experience! Read this article about it!


http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20090924-tows-stephanie-plane-crash


And watch this video too...it makes me feel pretty stupid for ever complaining about anything related to being a stay at home mommy!

http://www.oprah.com/media/20090924-tows-stephanie-struggle-crash


Amazing, huh?! I was especially impressed with her saying, "that was that (referring to her before her accident) and it was beautiful and lovely, and this is now and it's beautiful and lovely. Really the only thing that has changed is, ya know, the physical, but I still have all of these people in my life (referring to her family), and all of this is still love." I have definitely made a resolve to not get frustrated with myself when I supposedly "don't get anything done" and just appreciate that Jentri wants me to play blocks with her, or color for the thousandth time, or as she said today, "Mom, wet's juss sit an talk fo a minute." I resolve to appreciate and love that Emma wants me to hold her instead of put her in her walker. Deep down I love being a mom and it's all I can do to not cry at the thought that I have taken such things for granted. It's made me think of this quote from Pres. Monson that my friend had on her blog the other day...


"If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly."
Thomas S. Monson, Nov. 2008


It's comforting to know that I can receive gentle reminders in life, and before it's too late. It's hard being a mom, yes, this is true. But I'm realizing now that it would be even harder for me not to be. I feel so blessed to have my kids, and I wouldn't trade it for anything! Love these girls!

The Many Faces of Emma

Thanks for your comment, Christine! It made me realize that I haven't posted anything about Emma in a long time! It's been Jentri, Jentri, Jentri---so here is a post dedicated to my sweet Emma. She's SUCH a good baby! She'll be 8 months old next week and I can't believe it! I keep telling Jake that I don't remember Jen growing up this fast. Anyway, she's had a cold this last week, which resulted in conjuctivitis (eye infection) and an ear infection. Still she's so happy smiling, and wanting to play.

She already wants to do everything her big sister is doing, and is the most happy when she's got a hold of someone's fingers and is able to "walk" about the room. No one can make her laugh like Jen, that's for sure! And Jen loves the "job" of making Emma happy. She's getting better at rocking back and forth on her knees, and is so determined to get moving! I'm in for it with this little wiggle worm! She's so fun and animated--we love having her here!

Her "Look, Mom! I've got my Daddy!" Face

Her "Daddy, Mommy's making me Eat Yucky Stuff!" Face
Her "Another picture? Are you serious?" FaceHer "Oh how I Love to Swim" Face

Her "Party Animal" Face

Speaking of Emma, she just woke up. :) To Be Continued.....

They've Created a MONSTER!

I'm pretty sure when Brandee and Ronda taught me how to make flower clips for my girls, they had NO idea that they would create a monster! I can't get enough of these! They're so fun to make and super easy, too! Jake thinks I should sell 'em, but I think it's just because he wants to get some of the money back that I've spent on getting the flowers, clips, ribbon, etc. :) So I've bought a few flowers....c'mon Jake. It's for a good cause! Er...somethin... :) Ok, so it's just another excuse to buy craft supplies and storage containers. I'll admit I have a fettish. :) Anyway, here's what I made today!

Jentri-isms

I'm sure countless people have suggested to "write it down or you'll never remember!" Well, in my case, the writing down part isn't so hard as remembering where I put the paper I wrote it down on. I have a slight problem with setting things down and forgetting all about them. It's especially frustrating when some of your best material is on this said sheet of paper and you have no idea where it went! Argh!

Well, on that note I'm going to try and remember some of the things on a long list of Jentri-isms that I wrote down so I could remember. :) Some of them are a little more beginning-of-the- summer-ish, so if you've heard them please bear with me.

**Before we put Jen down for her nap one day, we were singing, "Teach Me to Walk in the Light." Halfway through the second verse Jen looks up at the light on the ceiling and says, "I don't wanna walk in dair (there), I faw-o(fall) and get huwhat (hurt)!" I'm pretty sure the song doesn't say, "teach me to walk in the light on the ceiling." Hmm, we'll have to work on that one.

**Giving options for Jen's Halloween costume:

Mommy: "You could be a witch, do you wanna be a witch?"

Jen (rolling her eyes as she brings her hand down the side of her face): "But I'd be a scaywe (scary) witch if I did dat!"

Well, I suppose that could be true...since all witches are bound to be scary. :)

**We were in the front room looking out the window, and Jen asks, "Mommy, is Daddy coming yet?" I replied with something like, "No, not for a while." Jen scared me as she gasped and plopped herself down on the couch. She explained, "I gotta sweep (sleep) so he comed!" So Jake works late sometimes, what can we say? :)

**We were eating a hanngummer (hamburger) and fwies at Wendy's a while back and I was explaining to Jen as many mothers do, "You need to eat all your lunch so you can grow big and strong..." and turned to get something out of the diaper bag for Emma. I turned back and Jen was standing up in her high chair. As I'm telling her to sit down, she, with hangummer in hand, flexes and exclaims for all to hear, "Wook Mommy, now I big and stwong!" Remind me to thank Wendy's for having broken straps on their high chairs. :) And remind me to thank Jake for teaching her about the "gun show." If nothing else it made me (and the rest of the restaurant) smile. ;)

**We went into JoAnn's to get something crafty, I can't remember what. Anyway, I got the girls in the cart and proceeded to shop. Jen got a stern look on her face and said, "Mommy, don't touch, just look." Wow, do I really sound like that?! Awesome!

**She was trying to reach the doorknob and matter of factly said, "I need a gwoh bigger so I can weach stuff." I just laughed, but all the while I was thinking, "you and me both, kiddo."

**My all time favorite story happened yet again at bedtime when Jen had picked "Itsy bitsy Spider" for her song. We were on our way to her room and I sang, "Itsy bitsy Jentri, it's time to go to bed." Without missing a beat she sings back, "Itsy bitsy Mommy, it's time to cween up da house." Not sure how I should take that, but I was laughing too hard to be offended. Man, she cracks me up. Where does she come up with this stuff?

Like I said, it was a long list! More to come I'm sure!!