Kid Funny

Cam walked by me as I got out of the shower this morning. I had a towel wrapped around my shoulders only and he, in perfect almost-3-year-old sincerity, said, "Nice shirt, Mom." I love that kid!

My Growing Boys

My boys are getting so big! Easton is a dream baby. He sleeps well, eats fast, and is so happy and smiley. He is a true blessing! Here is a picture from a few weeks ago. He's 8 weeks old now.

Camden got his first stitches a few weeks ago. He fell off the couch and hit his head on a toy. He was sure proud to show them off. I am so blessed to be the mom of such great boys!

Announcing

The arrival of baby Easton! He joined our family on December 17, 2007 at 10:02 p.m. Like his big brother Camden, he weighed 7 lbs 5 oz, but was an inch longer at 20 inches long. We induced early in the morning and I made great progress for several hours, but labor stalled out in the late afternoon. After several scary heart decelerations and no labor progress, Easton was born via c-section late that night. It was a different birth than Camden, but I am recovering well. We are so glad Easton is here! Here is one quick picture of him right after birth.

Officially overdue

And still waiting. Cam was one whole day early, so I have to admit, I was hoping. We have an induction scheduled for Monday if baby doesn't appear before then.

And my spacebar isn't working very well. Justapointofinterest.

Stick a fork in me

I'm done! I'm very ready for little guy to make his appearance, but so far, nothing much happening in that area. I'm getting grumpier and grumpier as I wake up each day still pregnant and not in labor. Everything is ready for little guy. His room is ready. Clothes are washed and put away, waiting for him to wear them. The house has been deep cleaned from top to bottom, including the carpets. My lesson plans are done and ready to go. Our house is decorated for Christmas and all our shopping is done. I'm really hoping for something soon! I have a tentative induction date scheduled for the 11th if I want it, but I'm not sure if I do. I went into labor with Camden on my own and would really like to go into labor with this one on my own too, but I also don't want a birthday too close to Christmas. So I debate and debate what is best and hope my body makes the decision for me before then. Short update, but there you go. Hopefully I will be posting soon to announce the birth of my little guy!

After an almost 3 month absence

I return with a post of sorts. I read blogs regularly, but just have lost a lot of desire to blog. I don't promise to update lots, but I will post now and again and try to comment on your blogs more.

So what's been happening in our house the past several months? Nothing real exciting. This whole working full time, being a mom, and growing a baby has been kicking my butt for the past two months. I've finally got my feet under me at work and found some balance in all these areas.

Baby boy has about 8.5 weeks till his due date and I have about 8.5 million things to get done before then. I'm nesting big time and trying to get my house clean, as well as his room prepared and lesson plans done at school. I think we have a name for him. I say think because dh has decided, but I'm not 100 percent sure yet. Nothing has quite grabbed me the way Cam's name did.

Camden is an amazing genius boy, at least to me and his father. He's 2.5 now and so much fun! He counts to 20, knows all his ABC's, shapes, and colors, and also tries to read certain books. He LOVES to make letters out of noodles, twigs, or whatever else he can get his hands on. He's opinionated and stubborn, but so delightful. He also is into so much toddler mischief, like dumping a full cup of milk over the dog at dinner the other night. He has a fascination with small objects and can often be found carrying around pieces from a game or a small ball of some sort. We went through a month of sleep hell with him which luckily ended right before school started. He's turning into a big boy in so many ways. He refuses to sit in a high chair or booster chair anymore, he must drink from a big cup at dinner, and has gone to a big boy bed. He's so proud of himself when he learns something new and shouts "I did it!" I can't wait to see him as a big brother.

So there you go. Not much of an update, but something.

It's a boy!

Yes, we're having another boy. Unlike his older brother, this baby was more than willing to show the goods right away. We're excited to have another boy, but have no names picked out. I'm open for suggestions. Boy names are the hardest for me because of teaching school - many names get ruined forever. Plus I have specific naming rules. They are as follows:

1. No made up names. It must be a real name with a normal spelling.
2. No gender neutral names.
3. No redneck names like Wyatt.
4. It cannot be one of the following (if you have a child with these names, please don't be offended) - Seth, Ethan, Andrew, Daniel, or Nathan.

I like names that end in N (although I am open to many others) and they must have a nickname possibility.

So, share with me any boy names you just love that fit in my rules! I have a very short list right now and am looking for all suggestions. Bring on the boy names!

Time to guess the gender!

I really suck at blogging in the summer. It seems like so many other things come first. Right now I am taking two classes online, so much of my computer time is spent there. Plus my stepson is here right now and he sleeps in the room with the computer. Being a teenager, he hides in his room most of the day, so my computer time is limited. He leaves later this week, so I should have more blogging time then. I read your blogs still, but don't have much time to comment. I promise to say hi to each of you soon!

Things are going well. I am 18 weeks pregnant today. We rented a doppler with this baby, so every Sunday we listen to the heartbeat to reassure me the baby is still doing well in there. I love being pg and am so grateful for this blessing! Our big ultrasound is the 16th. Hopefully we'll find out what this baby is then. Camden was a shy stubborn baby (much like real life) and it took four ultrasounds to find out what he was. We tried twice at the dr office, once at the big ultrasound, and finally went to Fetal Fotos to find out. The tech had to sit there with the wand on his butt for ten minutes before he decided to spread his legs and show the goods. We're hoping this baby will be more cooperative. So now is the time to put in your guess. Leave a comment with your guess. I have an impression, but I was wrong with Camden, so won't share that impression in case I am wrong again. I will update sometime in the afternoon on the 16th with our news!

Coming out of the closet

Not that closet, but the pregnancy closet in which I have been hiding for the past few months. Yes internet world, I am pregnant again. After what happened the last time, I sat on this announcement until I felt safer. I didn't want to share and then go through another loss, so I have been waiting. But I've had two appointments now that show a beautiful growing baby with a strong heartbeat, and I made it to the 12 week mark. After yesterday's 12 week appointment, I feel comfortable sharing my secret now. I know things can still go wrong. The experiences of my friend K and M and so many others show me that. But I am trusting in the Lord that we will have a baby this time around. So far we are headed in the right direction. Baby #2 will be joining our family around December 11th!

Reflections on Mother's Day

Mother's Day was a hard day for me for many years. I belong to a religion in which family plays a central role. Because of that, services on Mother's Day really emphasize mothers and motherhood. During the years of infertility, this day was the most painful of any in the year. It was one more reminder that I was not a mother and may never be a mother. At the end of sacrament meeting each Mother's Day, all women over the age of 18 were invited to stand a receive a gift. Although meant for all women, it was another stab in the heart and I resented it. The day became so painful for me that it was easier not to attend church on that day. I would stay home and wallow in my sadness over missing the joys of motherhood. Even the promises of motherhood in the next life did nothing to soothe my pain.

Although I am a mother now and I enjoy the home aspects of Mother's day (a special breakfast, extra cuddles with Cam, etc), the church issue is still hard for me to deal with. I know there are women in that audience hurting over not being a mother or their feelings of failure as a mother. Each year, in spite of motherhood, I still have dread over attending church on this day. I go to church on this day now, but I am very aware of how things are worded and the pain they may be causing others. I want to hug each one of those hurting women and tell them I am so sorry for their pain and heartache. Even with the title of mother now, I cringe at some of the comments made yearly in a church setting.

This year at church, the comments at church annoyed me as usual. I knew the pain they would cause to women out there struggling with infertility and the heartbreak. But for me, there was a small moment of healing meant for my heart alone.

After Sunday School, I went to the bathroom while Mark went and picked up Camden from nursery. As I came into the chapel to meet my family, I heard Camden calling for "Mama." As soon as he saw me, he ran up to me, calling my name, and handed me a blue piece of card stock. On it was a little poem about hand prints and there was his little hand print. The nursery workers had the kids make these for their mother's. Brave women that they are, they dipped each child's hand in black paint and placed it on the paper. And even more amazingly, there was no trace of black paint on Camden's skin or church clothing. It thoroughly touched me the effort put in by these women to make these small tokens for the mother's of the children 3 and under. And even more touching was Cam's excitement in presenting me this paper. He was so proud of himself! I cried as its simple beauty touched my soul. In that moment, a bit of healing came over me and the pain of Mother's Day at church lessened to a degree for me alone.

I know that day was hard for many women. I understand and I empathize. I am so, so sorry for anybody struggling through infertility and its pain. I am grateful, however, that for a brief moment I could see the beauty of such a day in a day that has been painful for so many years. I am grateful for that small moment of healing. I hope I never forget how Mother's Day can be a painful reminder for many women. But I also hope I never forget the moment my heart received a small moment of healing on this day. My hope for you, if you are struggling through this, is that you can find healing on that particular day as well.