Freddy the Frog

Ohhhh Summertime! Today really felt like it, compared to some recent days. I used some of my more recent purchases. I got the buttons from Target today, and I got the felt flowers and buttons from Heartland during last week's excursion.
My day began a t 2:29 am. I woke up during a crazy dream about scrapbooking and politics, specifically colors of cardstock and how they related to Hilary Clinton, Barak Obama, and John McCain. Mike Huckabee was not really a prominent figure in my dream... as in real life... So I woke up thinking, "that was weird", and then realizing why I woke up. Something had caused me some discomfort. I laid there for a few minutes, well, about 5 to be exact... and there was another hard Braxton Hicks. I began timing. They came 5-6 minutes apart and lasted about 2 minutes each. This is just a re-run of one of my last nights being pregnant with Ashley. Nothing happened then either. It was a little uncomfortable, but worse was Peyton, being an absolute wild woman between them. I ended-up going downstairs to watch something... nothing is really on at 3 am... (John and Kate got their little boys potty-trained... there is this crazy ladder that you can crank and move while you are standing on it... the early morning news people aren't nearly as attractive as the morning anchors... see, nothing.) I sat there, on my towel, trying to doze with Peyton break-dancing every 6 minutes or so. I was trying to be reasonable while I was tired and trying to decide what to do. I decided to wait until something really happened, i.e. water-breaking, or real contractions, or pain... so I am tired today.
Mom and I went to Target and walked all over. I found lots of yummy treats to eat! I got some super cute dish towels, which I should really go and get some for Jaclyn, all I need to say is cupcakes... Mom got the girls a prize, more Princess Polly pockets ( I hate them almost as much as Mer does) for when Peyton comes, and Grammy babysits... they keep telling Peyton to come now. They want those dolls! We went to the mall after, not to shop, to walk. My feet hurt and are swollen a little more, but nothing else.
Now Merrill has gone to a concert "Armor For Sleep" (listen to "My Town", I like 'em)... at the request of his two cute little sisters. (I had to remind Mer to not throw his panties at the band...) So I am here with the girls, debating as to whether I should hop on the treadmill and see if he can get here in time. Quiet night at home, with whatever I want for dinner...
Lynn went to pre-school again today. She got to bring home "Freddy the Frog". We are supposed to document everything that Freddy does with us for the next day, well, and today too. He ribbits, "Are you sleeping", and let me tell you, I can't get enough of it!!! She is happy, so excited, so I guess that I am too. Soon, I'll have pre-school homework to do. I got a calendar for the month. Thursday is her Valentine's party.
Maybe Freddy will visit Labor and Delivery with us!

51!!!!

So I just went to check out Sitemeter...
I guess I'm not the only excited one...
51 visits today!!!
Thanks for loving me!
Guaranteed I'll post the second I go...
Keep watching!

Nesting...

Can you tell I'm all about baby today??? These are my two nephews, born a little more than a year apart, my oldest brother's kids... BOYS... what are those like?
Today, I woke up with a slightly achy back. Merrill doesn't want to hear anything about it, it freaks him out. It has gotten worse all day. I am kind of crampy, some hard Braxton Hicks, but nothing else really... well, I guess more. The reign of mucus is over (oVeR-ShArE...), and I have an appetite, and I've been nesting. I got the house cleaned, the kitchen meticulously cleaned... I got my "to do" windowsill, with a lot of things that needed to be fixed, cleared-off, and I got all the Valentine's stuff finished.
Jen called from work to tell me that tonight would be great! There is only one other lady laboring, and I would get lots of attention... I told her I didn't want any attention. I really knew what she meant. I just want to experience the "Oh, my goodness, the contractions have started!" or the "pop" of my water breaking, on it's own. Just in case it really is the last time, as Mer would tell me... I don't want it to end, but I do... the anticipation is killing me!
I spent the day, 8 am to, what I was told would be 5 pm (but really ended-up being 6:30 pm), for the GE service guy to come. The water level knob came off the washer, which isn't even a year-old yet, the stem fell inside the washer... Since it's under warranty, you bet I called them out to come and fix it! I've been washing every load on what I am sure to be "Super Capacity"... way to save the environment Min... So while I was at home all day long, Jaclyn came over, we had a tutoring session... love that I feel so smart! And Brooke came over later for some last preggie pics... this is my fav... I even got my toenails painted! It took some experimenting, but I found a position that I was able to reach my toes! See, now I am ready! (Thanks Brooke!)

Kankles...

Here is as close as I got to a layout today... between Church, Sunday Meetings, and a birthday-birthday party (two nephews...), I really didn't have time! I'll do two tomorrow!!!!
This is my HOF submission confirmation.... eeekkk!

Please forgive the un-kept state of my toenails (little Hannah, where are you?), and the dryness of my skin, but these are my swollen ankles. They are not bad, but since they have only been swollen three times this whole pregnancy... this is the worst I've seen them this time around... I can leave an impression in them...

I think that maybe, just maybe, my body has subconciously been holding back until I submitted my entry... so maybe, just maybe, tonight? Tomorrow?

Even as we speak, I am making me some Broccoli and Cheese soup, with rolls... yum... I have wanted soup, and Milk Duds, all day long. I got home from correlation this afternoon, to scour the cupboard, trying to find something chocolate. The Milk Duds got slipped into my church bag...

The birthday party was so fun tonight! Cade and Evan... how cute. To think that next year, there will be a 3, 2, and 1 year old!!! Bet everyone is excited for their budgets that month! I heard for the third time today, about walking with one foot on a curb and one foot on the ground, how it's supposed to put you into labor... I tried it. My in-laws have one long step to go into the music room, like 10+ feet long... I went back and forth, countless times. I did have one great big long Braxton Hicks, and my niece and daughter laughing at me... I almost went and jumped on the trampoline (indoors, no snow on it), but I thought about how I pull muscles just rolling over in bed, and thought it not a wise idea.

I have plans, emphasis on the s in that word, for tomorrow, just stuff that needs to get done... we'll see how well the opposite thing works out...

P.S. I haven't had to take one antacid today.... weird...

Reasons...

This is all that I can show you... I did a lot today, but this is all that I can show you. In fact, after I post, I have to go and put this image in the place of a few others, because they will hopefully be going with my H.O.F. submission. That is if I can get it sent off before I... well, you know...
So as I got in the shower today, I noticed that my belly button is no longer visible when I stand in front of my bathroom mirror, I have dropped, and keep dropping. It hasn't been fun getting my tummy scraped every time I get into the shower, so since that is my best place to think, I came up with reasons why I am excited about having this little girl, and reasons why I'll be sad to not be pregnant anymore.
Reasons to embrace a non-prego state:
- I will be able to wear more than 2 pair of shoes.
- Lynn will no longer have to find those scrapbook embellishments that I drop on the floor.
- My toenails will get some much needed TLC.
- I will no longer pull muscles when I change positions in bed.
- I will be able to stand closer to the sink, the stove, get into the cupboards, etc.
- The front of my tummy will no longer get soaked while washing my face.
- NO MORE HEARTBURN!!!
- Bending over will be fun, since I will be able to and for the previous reason... nothing will be working it's way back up my esophagus...
- While nocturnal potty trips will turn into nocturnal feedings, I would rather be snuggling a cute baby instead of snuggling a roll of Charmin.
- I will be able to fit into the shower... now if I'll get one regularly...
- Loading three kids into the car, no problem... Now getting in and out of the car won't be a problem either!
- My "underbelly" will be covered.
- My tummy won't be scraping the magnetic-latch-thingie in the shower anymore! (For a couple of years anyway...)

Reasons to shed a tear or two... all of you moms can relate...
- No more little kicks or bumps.
- The hiccups will never be that cute anymore...
- I'll not have an excuse of why I am allowed to have a root beer float for lunch, and every snack that I feel like...
- No excuse to be a glutton.
- The "monthly visitor" will make an appearance soon...
- I'm never really alone as a mom, but having a buddy there, no matter what...
- "Ben and Jerry's", the whole pint all at once...
- Those late nights when I can't sleep because someone has the wiggles... I will miss that.
- The monthly excitement to see what's been going on behind my closed cervix.
- Peeing into a cup.
- Kisses on my tummy from two sweet little girls.
- The anticipation. While it kills me now, I will miss it.
- Being able to rest a bowl or plate on my own personal TV tray.
- Watching my tummy go crazy when I am in the tub...
I know that there are so many more...
I feel like it's so soon... but then I don't want it to end quite yet. But I can't wait to see her....

Still...

We had a fun day today, out and about. I got lots of fun things to scrapbook with... I was too stingy to use my favorites tonight, that and I didn't have the pics I really wanted to use printed off.
I am sooooo tired... I am wondering if I am supposed to get a really good night's sleep, and then it will happen...
I did bring a towel with me today, just in case nothing happened...
So who's still in the running, you might be wondering...
Ashley (has less than 3 hours...)
Nat & Chrisite - 9th
Jen - 10th
Ally0005 - 12th
Kelly - 13th
Brooke & Rachael - 14th
Jenny - 16th
Jaclyn - 17th
Good luck...

Opposite... Day # 2... oh, and Lynn's first day too...

I tried to remember a layout Jaclyn had on her display rod... I loved the color scheme...
This was last night... Lynn picked-out her own outfit and had to have a bracelet. She wanted braids in her hair, so all the other kids would think her hair was so pretty.
First thing this morning, I woke her up and she said, "Oh, my heavens!" The day began. She did so well. I have to admit I cried while I drove away... She was so put-out later at our excitement, asking her all about her first day. I guess she grew up while we weren't there...
So the day of opposites began, again. I woke up early this morning with pains. I thought to lay there and see if anything happened, so I did the opposite. I got up. I have basically been doing the exact opposite of whatever my first thought is for the rest of the day.
Examples:
I washed my hair. I thought I should fix it, I should look cute for post-delivery pics. So instead, I didn't fix it. Just blow-dried it.
I vacuumed the basement. I thought to leave the vacuum downstairs in the laundry room, the girls would inevitably make a mess later... so I carried it upstairs and put it away, just to get it out again later, and carry it back to put it away again...
I wasn't really hungry for anything for lunch. A "handi-snack" and "kit-kat" sounded so good. I thought that would be too unhealthy. So in the spirit of opposites, I ate it for my lunch.
I thought I would be so comfortable if I would just sit and relax, so I stood and walked for most of the day.
I washed my sheets today. First thought, I shouldn't sleep in my bed tonight... what if.... so I will sleep in my bed, because I laugh in the face of... whatever the opposite is to what I am thinking....
I have also been craving a root-beer float... for three days now... I had the ice cream... Jaclyn was so sweet to surprise me with half a gallon of A&W root-beer, love her! My mother-in-law has always told me that root-beer helps to bring in your milk... maybe that's why my body is craving it... will I need breast milk soon?
This is my most anticipated birthday gift... Merrill is busting his bum to put it all together for me right now. It is a tread mill!!! (Is that a hint?) No, I love it. Maybe I'll hop on it tonight, just to try it out (wink, wink)...
Tomorrow, we have planned a trip down to Heartland Paper Company in Bountiful. I plan to buy a lot of paper...