Blessing for the First Trimester

Once I had a positive pregnancy test, it seemed to me I instantly became exhausted.  All the time.  Constantly.  So tired.  Nausea was close behind.  So I felt miserable and tired all the time, but I had an active two-year-old to care for.  How would I do it?

About that same time, Joseph, who hasn't napped more than once a week for months, started napping again.  He started napping every day for a couple hours.  It was heaven for me.  So I could rest in the morning while he watched some cartoons, and then I found the energy to pull myself off the couch for a few hours to play with him, anxiously awaiting lunchtime, which meant that nap time would soon be here.

Now that I am past my first trimester, my fatigue and nausea are starting to ease up.  And so has Joseph's naps.  He is going back to napping only occasionally.  I would like to nap a little more than he would, but I can find energy to make it if he doesn't nap.

I'm so grateful for this blessing to survive this pregnancy!

San Francisco Minus One

Jack had training scheduled in San Franciscoback in April.  It was two weeks long, so he would be spending the weekend in SF.  So we decided to take advantage of the paid hotel room and some frequent flyer miles and have a weekend away, just the two of us. 

We were really excited to go.  We were planning on going to Alcatraz, China Town and to look around in general.  Jack has been before, but I have never been there. 

Jack was leaving on Tuesday.  On Monday, he checked to make sure everything was taken care of.  Unfortunately, the person in charge of signing him up for the class had neglected to do so.  Oops.  And now the second class (week two of the trip) had been canceled.  So there was no reason for him to stay over the weekend anymore.

We looked into just extending his hotel stay, but SF is a very expensive place to go.  The hotel for two extra nights was, shall we say, outrageous.  And we would have to pay for all his meals, too.  And I actually was feeling pretty lousy from the morning sickness anyway... So we decided to cancel our trip.  But Jack went out on some of his evenings and saw some sites.

Obviously Jack has been converted after watching Twilight and New Moon with me...

A New Life

We are planning and preparing for a new life to enter our family this fall. My official due date is November 7, 2010. But really, I am planning for a mid-October baby. We are expecting some ups and downs along the way, but are excited to welcome a new little one into our family!

Easter 2010

We enjoyed a relaxing Easter this year.  It was General Conference weekend, so I didn't get the kids new outfits since we wouldn't be going out of the house for church.  Joseph and Miriam didn't even get dressed until after noon! 

On Saturday we colored Easter eggs.  The kids really enjoy this-- I should get fancier kits or techniques to make it last longer!  Joseph didn't quite catch the concept of being gentle with the eggs, but surprisingly he didn't break any eggs or spill any of the coloring liquid.  (I'm glad.)

Garden of the Gods

After spending the night in Colorado Springs, we met up with Grandpa Mike and Grandma Michele and went to the Garden of the Gods.  The kids loved climbing on the rocks and exploring all the little caves they found. 

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Over Spring Break, we took the kids to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs.  It was a beautiful day, especially for March, and we had a nice time walking through the mountains and looking at the animals.

Rebecca and Miriam fed the birds.

The kids also fed the giraffes.  They were placed at the perfect height for the kids to pet them as well, and the girls had a great time.  Joseph was a little more hesitant.

We let each girl pick an 'extra' activity at the zoo.  Miriam wanted to ride the pony.  She waited in line for over an hour to get her turn.  Rebecca went on the Sky Ride-- basically a ski lift up the mountain where you can see the zoo from above, as well as some beautiful views of the city.  We didn't take the camera because I wanted to make sure we got a picture of Miriam on the pony and I figured that we would take longer than the pony ride would.  I didn't know about the long line, though, so we ended up waiting for her!

Happy 6th Birthday!

Miriam turned 6 on Sunday.  She was so excited to have her friends come over for a birthday party.  When I asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday party, she told me she wanted a kitten party.  Then I saw Hello, Kitty party supplies at the store and asked her if she wanted that.  No.  She wanted a kitten party.  Dogs are for boys and cats are for girls.  A cat party.

So we had a cat party.  And it was one of the most successful parties I have done.  The kids at this age love pretending to be animals, so they loved getting whiskers drawn on their faces.  They loved making kitten beds and meowing.  And they loved licking their ice cream out of cat dishes. 

Miriam had a great time.  I'm glad she had fun on her special day!