High Five

(I was going to write about this in my 32 week post but I don't want to forget and I don't want to post about 32 weeks with out pictures which requires the desktop.)

Maizy is head down now. Which is good, where she should be. It also puts her in the perfect position to pound away on my bladder.  Two nights ago I was laying in bed trying to go to sleep when she started punching my bladder. I put my hand down as low as I could to see if I could get her to move so she wouldn't be hitting my bladder. At the exact moment I placed my hand there she punched again. Her hand hit mine, not my bladder. It was such an odd cool feeling. It was a little like a high five. I have to say one of my favorite parts of pregnancy is chasing little hands or feet around my belly. It's almost like I get to play with my child before they are born. It's just such an amazing experience that I am so grateful to have. 

Smart

Well I finally got a smart phone and I feel a little like a cool kid. I also feel a lift bit like a dork admitting this. But seriously! It's pretty cool! It's like a small computer! I ended up getting a Droid and so far I love it! It can do so much!

One day we were going to a friends for a playdate. A friend of the Mom had gotten in a car accident so she left to go pick her up. She ended up not being there when we got to their house. I had an errand to run near by but I didn't know where the office was I needed to go to. I pulled out my phone. Googled the guys name, got the address, put it in my navigation and my phone lead me right there! I'm a total nerd but I thought, "that was awesome!"

It's also fun to play games with my friends. Like hey, I'm as cool as you so I can play this fun game with you.

It was also so great to have at the Dr. I could read my Scriptures while strapped to the Non Stress Test. It's awesome to have my Scriptures and General Conference talks with me wherever I go!

This phone is still smarter than me. I still haven't figured out how to do everything. But I've got the essentials down and I'm learning. You know Croix has already figured out how to get into apps and play the ones for him and get into YouTube and Netflix and watch videos. How a 2 yr old can do that is amazing to me.

Right after I got this phone I read this article. (Everyone should take a minute and read this ENTIRE article, its not just about smart phones) The timing was perfect, inspired even. I'm making sure my phone is not becoming a new appendage. It's all about balance right! ?!

*disclaimer* I still think you are cool if you don't have a smart phone!!!!! And i in no way am trying to say you are uncool!

Computer Woes

Once again our computer is not working. Not the whole thing, everything works except the internet. Which oddly enough makes the whole computer feel a little useless. The internet works fine on the Ipod and my phone, just not the desktop. I call cox. They get it working but say call Dlink (the router co) it will most likely happen again. Sure enough before I even hung up the phone it was not working again (of course I didn't realize that until AFTER I hung up the phone). I call Dlink and spend a ridiculous amount of time on the phone TRYING to talk to someone, most likely in India. After way too much time and far to many "I'm sorry can you repeat that?" And "I'm sorry what did you say" I was told to call HP. Of course by this point neither Croix nor my back could take sitting in our uncomfortable computer chair any longer. I abandoned the computer and went and played with my poor neglected little boy. That was a few days ago. I don't even want to call HP. I know the computer is no longer under warranty. It's crashed a few times and even been wiped clean and rebuilt. As much as I don't want to call I don't want to buy a new computer! Stupid technology! At least I have my phone!

Happy Mother's Day

I find myself overwhelmed by gratitude and contentment at my role as Mother. All morning I've had my heart overflow as I soak in my child. He is beyond adorable. He is sweet. He is funny. He has a great imagination. He is the greatest joy in my life.

Being a Mother has been more challenging then I ever imagined it would be. There are moments of frustration, fear, tears and exhaustion. But they are all over shadowed by sweet kisses, requests to snuggle, and watching his innocence take in the world.

There is nothing in life that has been more rewarding and joyful then being a mother. I am awed at all I have learned from this great privilege.

I am beyond excited to add a sweet little girl to our family. I love carrying her inside me. Making conscious decisions to benefit my growing baby only make me anticipate her arrival that much more.

I love that Motherhood is a physical manifestation of the love and commitment between Brent and I. Together we have embarked and journey on the path of parenthood. Through this journey we grow closer together. We learn more about each other and ourselves.

I can think of nothing in the world I would rather be then a wife and Mother.

Fine Motor Skill Fun

Croix is all bout playing games these days. He always wants to play a game. I try and think of new things we can do. He could use to improve his fine motor skills so I pulled out our trusty beans. I then scoured the house for random small items. We ended up with some buttons, seashells, washers,and screws. I threw them in a bowl with the beans and had Croix find them all. When ever he found an item he circled a line on a paper. He loved it! And picking up all those small items, moving the beans, and drawing circles were all great for his fine motor skills. I love when he's learning and just thinks he's having fun!

Garbage Truck

The other day Croix and I were walking home from the park. As we came to the end of the street the garbage truck turned onto the road. With where we were and the truck was I decided it was easier and safer to just back up a little and wait for it to go by. Croix loves the garbage truck anyway so that's what we did. We watched as he picked up two cans. Then the truck stopped. The driver opened the door and asked if Croix would like to come in and check it out. I said of course he would.

The driver adjusted  everything so Croix wouldn't be able to do any damage while he was in there and hopped out. I hefted Croix up in the drivers seat,  which was quite the task since it was over my head and I'm 8mo pregnant. Croix sat there, wiggled the steering wheel, looked at all the buttons and levers. The driver was kind enough to help Croix down. On the way he helped Croix honk the horn. He was in little boy heaven. He couldn't wait to tell his Daddy! The rest of the day he kept talking about driving the garbage truck and honking the horn. Yay for friendly garbage truck drivers!!

(The picture is not so great. All I had was my cell phone and it was super bright and hard to see. Didn't know Croix was going to have one of the best moments of his life on the way home from the park  or I would have brought my real camera )

Long Sunday

Yesterday was a long day! We got all ready for church, we were even going to be on time. We sat down to eat a quick lunch. Croix was just in his underwear and socks so as to not get his church clothes dirty. Thank goodness for that because he decided to paint himself with peanut butter and nutella. He was covered head to toe. His socks even got dirty, and I thought it would be safe to put them on! I left Brent to clean him up so I could go get us a seat with soft chairs because I'm too pregnant to sit on hard metal chairs! I get to church and sit down with a sigh. Our best efforts once again thwarted by Croix's naughtiness.

During testimony meeting one of the girls in my class bore her testimony. Her Mom shared her testimony right after her and said that her primary teacher had challenged her to bear her testimony and that was her first time. I sat there and smiled. I was that teacher. I thought about how hard my primary class is and it felt a lot more worth it at that moment.

I had to hold onto that moment once class started

We have 20 children in our primary class. Most of them are active and come every week. Yesterday we had 19 kids. One of them has downs syndrome. It is a challenge. Yesterday was super challenging. The kids were very talkative and rambunctious. They didn't want to listen. They knocked on the walls. They complained that class was boring, that they were hungry. Our sweet little boy with downs was a handful and multiple times I had to bring him back to his seat, chase him out the door and down the hall. On Saturday I stubbed my toe, bad. The nail cracked half way down my toe, it bled, it really hurt. Yesterday I was pulling someone's chair back into place, rather than the middle of the room where the child had decided it needed to be. In the process the chair and child landed on my injured toe. I almost screamed. I almost cried. I just sat there and ignored all the loud irreverent kids and took calm deep breaths. I thought of the sweet little girl bearing her testimony. I said a prayer to help me make it through the next hour.

Some how we all survived. I had zero tolerance for misbehavior in sharing time! And I kind of wanted to throw my crackers at the kids when I pulled them out to eat a snack (a necessity with gestational diabetes) and they start pointing and yelling she's eating! Thanks kiddos I'm trying to be discrete here. It was a long Sunday. I was exhausted by time I limped (literally) home. I went upstairs and took a long nap. I still woke up grumpy.

I love children. I love the kids in my class. I enjoy teaching. This might be the hardest calling I've had. It is definitely more for me than the kids. I am learning patience. I am growing. It is good for me.

Perspective

The other morning I came down stairs, went into the kitchen and found evidence of Brent everywhere.  The iron was on the stove (he puts it there to cool).  There was an empty cereal box on the counter.  The peanut butter was left out.  Instantly I'm irritated.  Why can't he put the iron back in the laundry room where it belongs.  What's so hard about throwing away a cereal box.  And really is it so impossible to put the peanut butter back in the pantry!  These are typical things for Brent to leave out and for me to clean up after him.  He leaves those items out all the time.  As I was getting more irritated I noticed the pile of dishes in the sink. Then I looked beyond the kitchen and saw the clothes that had been sitting on the couch for two days.  I realized he's not the only one who's not so perfect.  No doubt he gets irritated with all of my little annoyances.

As I thought a little more about what I was getting irritated about, I realized that although they are annoying, they are the result of nice things.  Brent irons his own clothes, and Croix's, and usually mine.  I really shouldn't be complaining about putting the iron away, at least I'm not having to iron all his work cloths.  He makes his lunch for work, and doesn't mind taking peanut butter and jelly.  He has never once said, "so and so's wife makes their lunch everyday".  He just quietly and with out complaint makes his lunch.  I have not gotten up to make a lunch for him and eat breakfast with him since before I was  pregnant, the first time, 3 years ago.  So he fends for himself for breakfast, eats a bowl of cereal, with out a word of complaint.  Maybe I didn't have as much to be irritated about as I thought.

Then I thought of my Mother in Law who so recently lost her husband and is now readjusting to life on her own.  I'm sure she would gladly clean up an iron, peanut butter jar, and empty cereal box her husband left out, because it would mean he was still here with her.  My heart grew a little sad for her.  All the sudden those annoying evidences of Brent, were not so annoying any more.

I've always been a firm believer that our perspective and attitude play such a huge roll in our happiness.  We make the choice of how happy we will be.  Yes my initial irritation was just human emotion.  Nothing wrong with that.  It really is annoying to have to clean up after my capable husband.  But as I changed my perspective I realized my own weaknesses, and the blessing I was begrudging.  Marriage is such a wonderful opportunity to learn and grow.  I hope I can hold onto this perspective of gratitude and humility.  Maybe someday that will be my instinctual reaction.  Maybe someday, deep in my core I'll be a better person.

I sure do love this man!!!!

Tunnels

One day when Croix and I were bored and hanging out in my room I decided to help grow Croix's imagination skills. We got in the bed,  pulled the covers over our heads and went on an adventure. Croix has started calling it a tunnel. So we'll be hanging out and he'll say let's go in a tunnel! So we go hop in bed go in our tunnel  (pull the covers over our heads) to some exciting place. We go to the mountains and see snow, bears and deer. We go to NYC and see big buildings, people dancing in the street, lots of yellow taxis, subway rats and subway trains. We go on safari and see elephants, lions, zebras and all sorts of exciting animals. Croix's favorite place today go has always been the beach. It's fun to hear him remember things from when we went and add those in. I love that sometimes we start out going to the mountains and end up being bears. I love to see his imagination working as he adds little details to our adventures. I never want to forget his sweet little voice saying lets go in a tunnel with excitement. And how nice it is to be close to him snuggeling, playing and imagining. I love this fun age!

Yes A Do

Croix has started using the phrase yes a do a lot lately. It makes me laugh. He wanted Easter eggs for breakfast,  when I told him we don't have any he says yes a do. When he was begging for cookies yesterday and I told him he didn't need any he replies yes a do.

He also uses either a lot. He has the concept of the word down (somewhat) just not the correct use of it. I'll ask him to take his dishes to the sink and he will say I take them over either, meaning he doesn't want to take them over. He takes off his shorts and says I have pants either, with a little giggle.

It's fun to see his vocabulary grow. To watch his communication skills develop. Not to mention he says the funniest things! I love this little boy!