Awaiting a Princess!

It is official.  I am done with all of my mad nesting!  And what a great feeling it is with a day to spare!  Jeremy thinks I have gone crazy but for some reason I just have to have everything perfect for the baby to come.  

I have cleaned out every cupboard, drawer and closet and have cleaned out the garage.  Every surface has been cleaned and sanitized and every stitch of laundry is done.  Christmas is safely put away and all of those "need to get to someday" projects are complete.  I put together an awesome 72 hour kit along with an emergency kit for each car.  I put together a family emergency plan and put all of our important papers, policies, birth certificates, home movies and pictures in a safe place.  We have beefed up our food storage (although this is still a work in progress). I have decorated the babies room along with some finishing touches in other rooms. I have caught up on all my scrap booking and I even spiffed up myself with a pedicure and a haircut!  I have to say that the only thing I think I left undone are cleaning the blinds and windows which I figure would be good to tackle this spring!  After all, they are just going to get snowed on tonight!

So now what do I do you ask!?!  Wait for our tiniest princess to arrive!  Ok, so I know this sounds a bit like bragging, and well, I guess you could say it is.  I am just so satisfied knowing all of this is done.  It really does feel like a million bucks!  So whether you are having a baby or not, I suggest you do a bit of nesting, it's good for the soul!

My little buddy!

Jeremy took Neeley to Golda's play yesterday which left Kayla and I to spend some time together.  I really don't remember the last time Kayla and I had the whole afternoon together.  It was really fun to have that time with her.  She played by my side while I did some work and then we ate lunch together.  When I asked her what she wanted for lunch she excitedly answered "Mote-Meal!"  Kayla loves oatmeal.  She loves to pour it into her bowl out of those little packets and then she has to have a snitch and eat some of it before we put the water in.  After mote-meal, we spent some time together playing.  I love to hear Kayla talk because her speech is so mature for her age.  It is fun to hear what she will come up with next.  Today she looked at me and out of the blue she said, "You know what Mom, I love you very much!"  I can't believe that my little baby is now going to be a big sister!

Christmas Flashback!

I ran across this picture today and thought you may like to see it.   If you double click on the picture you can see it up close!  Growing up we used to act out the manger scene each Christmas Eve with my family.  We would put towels on our head, us a broom stick for a shepherds staff and grab one of my Mom's nick knacks as a present.  We would often fight over who's baby doll could be baby Jesus, but apparently not this year!  Then when we act out the whole thing.  My Dad would read the scriptures and then we would sing songs as they fit in.  It was always one of my favorite things to do on Christmas.  After the "play" we would all pile in the car and drive around to see all of the Christmas lights.

I was the baby in this picture.  I would have been about 3 months old.  I think I look like some of Kayla's baby pictures.  The next littlest one is my sister Karen who was about 16 months old.  The oldest, my sister Charlotte, would have been about 15 years old.

Christmas Morning!

Coming into the living room to find what Santa had brought.  Nells and LaLa just stood there for a while before entering the room.  I don't think they know what to do with it all!

The Barbie Jeep was a hug hit.  Neeley got in and floored it which nearly catapulted them across the living room!

Of course the baby dolls, easy bake oven, jewelry, and lip smacker were fun as well, but the jeep produced those smiles!

Stocking stuffers are my favorite!

Christmas morning is always so magical.  The initial rush as you run in to see what Santa has brought, the running around to see what everyone else got and of course the discovery of something you got but hadn't noticed for a while is all fun!  It was so fun to hear Neeley say, "Just what I wanted.  How did Santa know that!"  Neeley and Kayla are still finding things they got and hadn't noticed!  Right now they are in the hall with the Jeep.  They've got many of their toys piled inside and are flipping through the Jeep radio stations to find just the right song.  Jeremy let them take a "ride" around the bar in the kitchen.  I was a little scared, especially when I almost got ran over with Neeley and her lead foot!  Needless to say, we unplugged the battery so now they just pretend to drive it!

We went to Dopp's for a yummy breakfast this morning.  Nikki & Clint, Ryan and Jennie and Michelle and Rob and all of their kids were there.  The kids had fun playing but were all missing their new toys.  Cade cried because he had to leave his fire hose at home and Jackson sat on the couch for HOURS admiring his new transformer.  It's so fun to see all of their individual reactions.

Soon we will go to my house to visit with my brother Kayle who hasn't been home for Christmas as long as I can remember.  It will be fun to spend some time with him and his wife Becky and their daughter Kristina as well as other siblings!

Christmas Eve

I think the highlight of Christmas Eve was all of the kids singing Christmas songs together.  Golda made a great chorester!

Grandma Dopp spoiled us all rotten.  I think I was just as excited as the kids were for all of my presents!

Well, ttfn because Jeremy is kicking me off to go to Grandmas for breakfast.  this blogging is getting me in trouble!!

Parenting

There are times in life that make me think about what a responsibility it is to be a parent.  Friday night was one of these times.

Our house was full of people for a party and the girls were downstairs playing with all of the kids.  Jeremy carried Neeley up the stairs and took her, screaming into the bathroom.  When I went to see what calamity had happened this time, I came to find her chin bleeding and Jeremy with a worried look.  He said he thought he needed stitches and after looking at it I agreed!  So we left our house with the party still going on to take her to the ER.  The whole way there we were trying to make light of what was going on so Neeley wouldn't worry, but inside we were both scared to death.  While waiting in our room at the ER a lady down the hall was screaming this shrilling death scream which made me nervous about Neeley hearing it so we quickly shut the door.  We were trying to mentally prepare Neeley for what was about to happen so we were trying to downplay what they were going to do while at the same time giving her a little idea so she wouldn't be so scared.  She was ok until she heard the word "poke" and knew she was getting a shot.  It was then that she started to cry and wished that she was at home playing with the kids at the party and that Kayla was there with us.  She would never wish Kayla to be hurt, she just envied her for being able to stay behind at the party while she had to get poked with a needle.  When the nurse came in to wrap her up in a sheet to keep her down, I thought oh no, here we go.  Then I tried to make light of the situation and told her that they were making her into a burrito just like we had had for dinner.  Thankfully she thought that was pretty funny!  After she made it through the shot, I told her she was brave and she said, "No, I wasn't Mom!  I cried!"  Nine stitches later we were headed back to the party!  It was so nice to find the whole kitchen all cleaned up!  Thanks guys!

Yesterday she was fine and hasn't complained about it one bit.  In hind site it really wasn't as traumatic for Jer and I as we thought it would be!

Last night at my family party, my sister Charlotte, who just lost her son, was telling me about an experience she had just had.  Her daughter Kimi desperately wanted one of my sister JoAnn's puppies and was crying and begging for it and was making a huge fuss about it!  What Kimi didn't know was that her mom had already arranged with JoAnn to give one of the puppies to them for Christmas but wanted to keep it a surprise!  Charlotte just kept up the charade telling Kimi that there was no way they could have a puppy.  In her head she thought, "Kimi if you only knew that Mom has it all worked out for you.  Everything will be ok.  I have a plan."  It was at that moment that she felt those same words reiterated to her from her Father in Heaven, reminding her that He has a plan and that she just needs to be patient and trust him.

These two experiences have caused me to think about our own Father in Heaven and what experiences he went through with Christ as well as those things he witnesses each day in our lives.  I am sure it was difficult for him to see Christ suffer and that it is also difficult for him to see us endure our struggles.  I have thought a lot in the past few days of the struggles we have yet to bare and it frightens me.  I am not sure what I will have to see my own children experience but I do know that we have the greatest example of all.  Our Father in Heaven has given us this knowledge so that we may draw strength and comfort from it.  I am so very thankful this year for that little babe that lay in the humble manger with such an awesome road ahead.  He didn't arrive in this life as our Savior.  He became our Savior through those experiences he endured.

Every day stuff!

Last week Neeley had her very first dance recital!  When we walked in the door, Jer said, "Oh no, here we go.  The long adventure of girly stuff has begun!"  But I think even he agreed that it was very entertaining.  Neeley is a good dancer and somehow her little tongue hanging out helps her even more!  It was a joy to watch her perform and see how proud she was of herself!

Well I went to the doctor this morning. Last week I was dilated to a one and was hoping for more this week. Well I am now a 1.2 (I think he fudged for me a bit) so I guess there has been a little more progress! We may have to bake more bread (that's what Ryan calls it) to move things along so that I am definitely a 3 by Jan. 2nd so they can start me! Last night, I swear I had world war 3 going on in my tummy!

When I got home from the doctor, I found Kayla sitting on top of the fridge (Daddy's little game that started with little sis Nikki when she was young). Daddy had baked Cinnamon rolls (one of his only things he will do in the kitchen, and yes from a can - but hey, I don't complain. Any little thing I'll take!) I rounded up the girls and we went upstairs to wrap presents. I thought it would be some great bonding time but by the time Kayla had used a whole roll of tape and Neeley was painstakingly cutting each piece of paper, I was done with the whole Christmas present bonding thing and said, that's it we are all done! So if your present from us looks a little, well, you know, we will say it was wrapped with love!

After a little bit of playing wolf in the tent with the girls we came down to make lunch. Now it is nap time and I am in motherly bliss! AAAHHHHH! When Jer gets home from his lunch appointment we are going to take the girls to the Chipmunks movie. Neeley does well and Kayla eats loads and loads of candy, but we make it through. If you want a quite movie, don't go today at 3:50 ok!

Sisters!

What a blessing it is to belong to a family with so many sisters! I have never had a lack of friends and always have someone to call to chat with. It doesn't matter what the age difference between us is, we still manage to connect! Yesterday all 7 of us got together at my sister Janell's house and baked together. Each of us made something different and then we all went home with 8 different types of goodies. It sure makes Christmas baking a lot easier!

We enjoyed visiting together while baking and eating our Cafe Rio take out for lunch! I think this is the 4th or 5th year of this tradition and it really is a fun one. Yesterday we were talking about the day when there will be just sisters and no kids there. Of course I will take the longest to get to that point, but we had a good start with only 6 kids there yesterday!

Thank you sisters for your friendship, fun and caring. You really are a blessing in my life! I have always looked up to each of you, each for a different reason. Charlotte, you are one of the most honest people I know. I think of you often when I think of doing something dishonest and I can just hear, ringing in my ears, what you would say and it has helped me many times. Janell, you have taught me to do what is best for me and not worry about what others will think of me. JoAnn, you have taught me to be a caring person. You are always showing love for others and have a tender heart. Suzanne, you know how to have fun and make things light. When you do something, you go all out and make things just perfect. Shauna, ever since we were little you have been just a few steps ahead of me in life. There have been many times I have looked toward you to see what was next to come in life. And Karen, my best friend who has always been right there for me. Being so close in age has been a blessing, although I am sure Mom didn't always think so. There have been many times in my life when I needed a friend and you have been right there for me.

You are all wonderful mothers to your children (no doubt I am sure as a result of the example from our own mother!) and I know I can look up to each of you in times of need! Thanks for always being there! I love you all!

A Mom's Paycheck!

As a stay at home mom, sometimes it seems like we don't see a lot of our own "paychecks"! On Saturday, I got one that really warmed my heart. A few days ago we had some friends from the ward over for lunch and the kids made a giant mess in the playroom. It's getting difficult for me to bend over now so I have been avoiding the task of cleaning it all up. I asked Neeley if she would go down and pick up just the fake food stuff all over, thinking that would be a nice start. She ran down without complaint and started singing a busy little tune. Pretty soon she came upstairs and told me she was all done. I thought, ok let's go down and check and we can finish the job together. To my surprise, the entire playroom was perfectly straight. And not just thrown in any old bin but all organized as I would have done it. She even had a little pile of things put together of stuff that didn't belong in the playroom and asked for help taking it upstairs.

Now that was a HUGE paycheck, no complaining, no bending down for me and done in a hurry! I sure love these kinds of "paychecks".
Here's our star now!

Couples Night Out

Sometimes you just need a little time away from the kids to socialize. On Friday night we did just that. Most of Jeremy's siblings (sorry Michelle, Rob and Circe couldn't make it) and parents came over to our house for a couples party. We started out the evening with a fondue dinner, complete with cheese dip for appetizer, meat and pot stickers cooked in broth for main course and a decadent chocolate dip for dessert. So yummy, we think it rivaled the melting pot! After dinner we did a $5 gift exchange where you can steal the gifts. This got us all laughing uncontrollably, especially when Jeff opened the first present to find a spoon rest and Dad then got the jackpot gift of a $20 gift certificate to Barnes and Noble. It was so nice to relax together and enjoy a night out. I really appreciate the friendships we share!

Then one FROGGY Christmas eve...

Neeley was again using her creative license while singing Rudolf and came up with this one! We laughed for a good while. It really is true what Circe said in her blog when she said that the more you listen to kids the funnier they get.

Neeley is always talking about what she wants to do when she becomes a mom and has come up with some pretty cute things like: I can drive where ever I want, I can eat what ever I want, I can be Kayla's mom, I can sleep in bed with Daddy..... the list goes on with a few new ones each day.

Well, lately we have been learning how to wipe after going #2 (sorry for the potty talk). Obviously feeling overwhelmed by the task, she look up at me and said, "Mommy, I think I am going to wait until I am a Mom to wipe myself!!"

Needless to say, this is the first time I didn't think, don't grow up too fast little one!

Top Ten Reasons It's Great to be Pregnant!

During the uncomfortable moments of the last few weeks, I thought I would find some good in the situation!
#10 - You have an excuse to get pedicures for 9 months.
#9 - While rolling around at night, you have plenty of time to plan out the next day.
#8 - You have psychedelic dreams.
#7 - You don't have to carry any heavy boxes.
#6 - Jer will vacuum for me.
#5 - You can eat what you want and not feel guilty.
#4 - Nesting, nesting, nesting! Every cupboard, drawer, closet, nook and cranny gets cleaned out for a fresh start!
#3 - You get to feel like you have an alien in your tummy.
#2 - You have an excuse to buy cute little baby cloths.
#1 - You have a built in shelf handy all the times.

Baby Fever

Well, there are only 25 more days to go and I am finally getting baby fever. Don't get me wrong, I have been excited to have another little one but I haven't had that anticipation yet until now. Just the other day I pulled out all of the baby cloths and put them in Lilah's closet! Yet again, just as I was when Kayla was born, it amazes me how tiny those little outfits are and I just know they will drown Lilah at first. It was like a flood of memories came back to me as I sorted through all of the precious little things that have been worn by her two sisters before. Each one comes with it's own memory of a certain time or place when I can remember them being worn. It is such a nostalgic feeling. I can't help but think about what it will be like to pack up those cloths for the last time. I know we must have another little soul up there because I am definately not ready for that yet.

The reality of having another little soul is finally settling in. I find myself wondering what she will be like. Will she be exact and calculating like Neeley or will she be foot loose and fancy free like Kayla. I am sure she will have her own little personality! The responsibility of being a parent can be daunting at times. There are so many little ticking parts to take care of and so many things that can go wrong. I guess you just have to put your faith in the Lord, pray alot and do your best. What more could be done? There are times when I look at my girls and see something of them that comes from me. Many good and many bad. When I see the bad it's like you just want to kick yourself for passing that trait on. It is as if you are looking into a mirror of truth when you see this in them.

Anyway, we know she has hair. I am hoping it will come out jet black like Kayla and Neeley and maybe even with curls like Kayla. We can already see that she has her daddy's trademark forehead! I lie awake at night sometimes and just wait to feel her little movements. It is such a magical experience. What a blessing it is to carry a child. As my 9 months are coming to a close, I find myself wishing away the days just so I can have my comfort back (as if getting up all night is comfort???) but then I have to remind myself of this special time we have together. I remember feeling almost empty and lost when Neeley was gone from my body. They become such a part of you!

Oh the magic!

Technology Challenged

Ok so as if it is not enough to be attempting a blog for the first time, now I am having computer difficulties. My laptop all of the sudden started making a humming noise and then crashed last night. I was right in the middle of updating all of my addresses for my Christmas cards. Being pregnant and emotional, I just about lost it thinking that all of my precious addresses would be lost forever. Jeremy came to my rescue. He had to turn my laptop on end to stop the whirring noise and let it boot up. Once he got it up and running I had to keep it on end to print out my address book. It was a bit weird holding it nearly upside down and leaning up under the screen to print it off. Thankfully I was able to get my addresses off of it (I had just backed up everything else a few days ago) before it crashed for good. Well, needless to say, I get a new computer out of it. And yes, it is another MAC!So learn from my mistake and go back up all of your precious info on your computer!

Until I get my new computer I won't be able to upload any photos so be patient.

Funny story. Jeremy has been telling the girls that everything is over rated lately. This morning Kayla was telling Jer that she needed toys for her tubby. He told her bath toys were over rated and she just looked at him and said, "Dad you're full of Bologna!"

Oh, and by the way, I am a miserable speller so just look past it all! I'm so bad that even the spell check suggestions don't look right!

Frosty the Snowman

I have finally caved in to the pressure of creating a blog! We'll see how this goes!

During this Christmas season the girls have learned how to sing Frosty the Snowman. They belt it out several times a day and are just so cute they make your heart melt with their little voices. They know every line by heart especially the "torn top pipe" or the "porn pop pipe" and "down to the billiage". I guess you could say they are using their creative license!

We have been promising to help them build a snowman and took that opportunity today! After living in Vegas, I am kind of excited for the snow this year. I thought it was fun to pick out their snow suites, hats, gloves and those infamous "moon boots". All of those feelings of being a child again came rushing back to me as I watched them waddle out the door with all that padding.

We ran around the yard teaching them all of the fun snow things to do like making snow angels, how to pack a snow ball and of course, how to make the snowman, complete with carrot nose and scarf.

This is what life is all about. Taking time as a family to be together and create memories.