Favorite Things Swap!

I love getting packages in the mail and this one is fabulous! Crystal set up a favorite things swap with all the bloggers she knows and it was so much fun. She had me and sent me some lovely lotion, which I desparetly need right now due to my skin being stretched to its limit! A fabulous spatula-I always need these-I have a tendancy to lose them-where I don't know. Some minty lip gloss, which I am so excited to try. A new kind of mascara I haven't tried before-I love new makeup! And I think my personal favorite-some bright and fun knitted washcloths! These are so soft and lovely-I can't wait to use them! Thank you so much Crystal! It was like having Christmas at lunchtime here today! I love all the tags she had attached to each thing, very cute.

Finished!

I always feel a bit relieved after my turn at sharing time in Primary. This time, I felt even more relief, not my turn again until November! And November seems a long time away at this point in time.

Really, it shouldn't be too big of a deal, I only do sharing time once a month, but it seems like I crash and burn more often than not. And, it's just one thing to check of the long long list of things I must check off before this baby is born, which is bringing the most relief.

The list includes a huge amount of sewing, things that may or may not get done. Cleaning the whole house really really well. Pretty sure this will happen, I have some other things that motivate me here. I really want to get the carpets cleaned, but I am not sure if this will happen before or after baby. We have a lot of soccer, football, and school things to do in the mean time. There is the Primary Program, a big trip to Costco with my mom, at least one more dinner with Nate's family. I need to buy a car seat, and I would like a baby monitor. I need to get some onesies-how do I have none of these. I need to wash a few baby clothes. I now have some diapers and wipes at least-due to my lovely friends who had a baby shower/dinner with me last week. That was a ton of fun and they all got me so many cute cute things! Anyway, there is more on the list I know, but it is getting all rambly and I feel a bit overwhelmed as I look over it.

Jack scored his first goal of the season last soccer game! I am so excited for him. It feels good to get at least one a season under your belt. Nate and I both missed it, but we got a pretty good play by play. I think the kids could be a sports announcer if he wanted to. He is always doing play by play with the pros whenever we watch a game of anything anywhere. Nate's sophomores won their game on Thursday as well. I feel so happy when they win and his defense does well. It's pretty much like having another kid in sports! And the varsity team won their game on Friday night, breaking a two year losing streak. The kids and I went to this game and had hot dogs and hamburgers. Bella liked the hot dog, didn't like the game.

Bella started preschool this week. A few other moms in the neighborhood and I are getting our kiddos together and rotating. She was pretty excited, it's only once a week for two hours, but I can tell she loves it and feels like such a big big girl. I think it will help her to have something of her own to look forward to each week.

I had my first in a series of weekly doctors appointments this past week. When you get to your third pregnancy, these appointments are just annoying. I am fully aware I could walk around dilated and effaced to a certain number for several weeks. And I know that any new aches, pains, or symptoms are likely to be met with the response-you will feel better when the baby is born. I really like my doctor, and the tech is just a sweet thing, and with your first baby all these appointments are exciting. But now, I just think of them as an opportunity to go see my friend Shelly and go shopping up north. That alone makes it worth the trip.

Booties!

I found a pattern for these on stardustshoes blog the other day and really wanted to make them. I had some leftover scraps from my freshcut quilt that I couldn't bear to throw away, so I pieced them together and then used the pieces for these. They are lined and the soles have some super soft terry cloth in them. I plan on making all sorts of these know that I know how easy. I just need to make the pattern a bit bigger for bigger sizes, these are 0-6 months, but I think my kids usually have big feet, so I may go bigger. But I love the way they turned out and how very tiny they are in person!

We met Kim and Elsie at Applebee's on Saturday. They are down on vaca this week. Jack and B loved Elsie, they talked about her the rest of the evening. It was a ton of fun catching up with Kim! Elsie is a little pixie of a thing. She is really a good baby. Kim updated me on the latest baby gear, it really has been a long time since I have carried a diaper bag or bought a diaper for that matter.

I did go to Target today and get Isabella a booster seat. She was very very excited when I brought it home. It is a very bright hot pink and has crowns all over it. On the back it says Very Important Princess, she is thrilled. I scored double because I brought Jack home the latest Magic Tree House book. He is probably half way through it by now! I love that he loves to read.

I can't believe we are already at Labor Day in September. We didn't do a lot today really which was kind of nice. Nate let me sleep in! I got up at past 8:00 which has been a rarity these days. I must say, sleep isn't really going so great. I don't really know how many times I get up in the night, it could be just once for all I know. But I am really sore in the hips and round ligament. So I feel like I sleep restlessly. And I keep getting attacked by heartburn in the middle of the night! It seems so rude, I have tried taking tums before bed, but it doesn't seem to matter. I suppose it means I am just running out of room, which is true. My grandma asked if I was carrying high or low, well, I am so short waisted, there is only one place for this kid to be and that is right out there. I don't think anyone would be able to tell high or low at all. She is still quite a wiggly baby, so I know she has some room, but not much.

We are embarking on a very busy September. Between soccer, football, swimming, school, and the primary program, we have something almost every night. So I suppose today is kind of our last lazy day for a bit. I also have a list of my own stuff to do along with everyone else's, so the time will probably pass a bit too swiftly. If only I could move a bit more swiftly.....

Almost Finished!

We did the big room switch last night. It was quite an ordeal to maneuver everything in the hallway upstairs. Nate's brother came over and helped us out. So now, the painting is done, the window blinds and curtains are up. I need to switch closets and discreetly make some unplayed with toys disappear.

Also last night Nate BBQ'd. It was probably our last of the summer as we ran out of charcoal-yes I know we can buy more, I just know we won't. We had hamburgers and corn on the cob and some spicy potato wedges. It was very very yummy. And for dessert we had fudge bars and creamsicles. I have a new thing with putting whip cream on my fudge bars and letting it freeze a bit. I realize this is probably a crazy pregnancy thing, but it is soo yummy! I think my body may just need some extra calcium, but why not make it fun at least.

This is a crazy picture of Bella at the end of soccer a few weeks ago. She loves it and has so much fun. She wanted me to sign her up for football as well, but the babe is due the week it starts, so it seems like something I shouldn't commit to. I love that the tee shirts they hand out are so huge, it cracks me up to see all these kids looking like they are running around in nightgowns. I think she kind of wants to play football because she knows her dad is coaching. They are very interested in going to his games and seeing what he has been up to. His sophomore team had their first game last night and won!!! The score was 43-0. I felt such a sense of relief for him, not that winning is the most important thing in the larger scope, but that his defense delivered so well. The team really hasn't won any games for the past two years, so it will hopefully make a difference in their confidence and they can play with some heart.

I think I have figured out a solution to my frustrating downloads, if I remove the memory stick and just put it directly in the computer, it seems to work. So, I just need to remember to always use the memory stick in the camera.

This is thus far the best picture I have of Jack playing soccer this year-we have the bulk of the games yet to go-so I am not too worried about it. He is number 5 this year, the jeresey's are reversible to purple or white. He really loves to play and has a ton of fun. I have been having him play sans glasses for the time being, if he does want to play as he gets older I will really need to locate the Bono goggles though. This picture is a bit unrepresentative of how games really go. Usually there is a mob of kids wrapped around the ball, knocking each other over and migrating around the field. It is really fun to watch and last night was breezy and cool, so even more fun for me.

Bella and I went to IKEA and got some curtains for her room yesterday as well. She loves IKEA, it is so very funny, she thanks me again and again for bringing her there. I let her choose from a few different sets of curtains and she picked the ones I really liked, which amazed me a bit. We just need to get the furniture moved and the rooms will be switched. I love the way the paint turned out, and I think she will love her girly room. I need to take Jack to IKEA so he can pick out a few things and get a new storage system for his toys, but I need Nate to carry everything into the car and into the house. So that trip will be later on in the month I suspect. I can't believe it is nearing the end of August already. And that school has been going for a week. Second grade seems pretty cool so far from what I hear!

Painting
I am taking a break between coats of paint in the girls room. I am kind of covered in paint actually, so I guess I am letting that dry as well. Isabella has been helping a bit, she uses a tiny brush and paints below me while I do the high parts. I let some paint drip on her leg though, and that has distressed her a bit. I have one wall that I can't start on yet because Jack's bed is still up against it. The crib and dresser are pushed into the middle of the room and I can barely squeeze past everything. I am thankful my SIL sent me some of her maternity clothes that she is no longer going to use, I designated one shirt to be the paint shirt, and I have a pair of my own old shorts that seem to fit well enough to get by. I forget how messy I am!

We went to a fun family picnic last night up north. The kids had tons of fun and I love anything that involves dinner already being ready. It was nice and relaxing and good to catch up with everyone. I miss our old ward sometimes but am grateful for the camaraderie our group of friends still has. The BBQ pork was lovely and hit the spot, and if I stand up after I eat, I don't get heartburn as easily, so that was really a plus to dinner in the park.

We did have a bit of a catastrophe last night after we got home though. We have a medicine cabinet on our bathroom wall that has decided to come off bit by bit, well the back separated from the frame last night and is now hanging from the wall all by itself. Poor Nate was dealing with this and seemed none to happy about it-who can blame him! Anyway, I think we may have to bring in some drastic measures and cut into dry wall at some point, we are giving each other a few days to think about it and come up with a rational solution. In the meantime, I really want to get the room switch done this week, and as much as I can unaided. I don't want to drag it out and be rushing around in the end here. If Jack's bed gets moved, I can get the paint on that wall done quickly, it's just that Jack's bed is very very very very heavy, and last time required three adults to manoeuvre it, so we will see, I need to find some helpful neighbors....

On another note, today is the first day of school. You would think that this being our third year, I wouldn't get so emotional about it. But summer really goes by too fast and I miss Jack and how helpful and sweet he is. I love that he loves school and really is excited about it though, I hope he has that his whole life. He gets out in about an hour and I can't wait to hear how his day went and what fabulous things he is going to get to do this year!

Downloading pics

So, I have a Kodak Easy share camera that I usually like quite a lot. But the past few times I have tried to hook it up to the computer and download pics, it won't let me!!! I usually have to spend an hour convincing the computer and the camera they are indeed connected and that they do have all the appropriate software to recognize one another. I am not sure if I rather try a new camera or a new computer at this point, but I just want to hit the easy button on the dock and see my pics, really is that too much to ask? It seems like peripherals really have not been perfected yet.

We had a busy week last week. We met Jack's new teacher on Friday, she is new, just out of college and seems really enthusiastic. He is really excited about his new classroom and all his new school supplies and such. I am so grateful he loves school and learning. It makes it much more fun that he wakes up every morning ready to go and excited about the day.

We are also in Jack's soccer season, which is a blast. Most of the girls on the team are a little bit bigger than the boys, they are at that age where they will be taller for the next few years. Anyway, everyone on his team seems really involved and into the game, which is fun to watch, though I also enjoy watching the kids who do cartwheels and sit down on the field, only when you are little can you get away with that. I think I just enjoy watching them play sports in general. And, after an hour of constant running, my does that kids sleep well-I love soccer!

I started the big room switch, I have moved out all the toys and painted some of the room. The window had a place that needed to be fixed, so I had to wait while my Spackle and sealant cured for 24 hrs. But I think I can finish it all up this week. I like the way the green is looking on the walls, and I can envision some other things I want to do. The blinds in all the bedrooms don't work well, so we bought one new set, and will probably buy another before this is all over. I was going to go for some very cool cordless blinds, but alas, out of budget for now. I need to get a new toy storage system for Jack. I have one picked out at IKEA, but need Nate's help to get it home, so he and I are planning to go. I also need a new shower curtain, some storage for under our bed and a few other odds and ends, so it will be a big trip. I am excited about finally doing something with the kids rooms, we lived in apartments too long I guess, I finally feel like I have permission to make permanent changes.

I quilted two baby quilts last week as well. I have finished binding one and need to start on the other. My list of to-do's is long and I see that time is getting short, so I suppose I need to kick it into high gear nesting mode to accomplish all I have planned. I have most of the stuff for Isabella's Halloween costume here, I just need to put it together. I just made Jack decide this weekend what he wants to be-army man, I need to go to an army/navy store and see what is available there, I can make some of the costume but not all. I am just relieved he has at last commited to something doable, his other choice was the solar system, which would have been creative and fun, but too dark for trick or treating, and too involved for a mama this pregnant.