Holiday Fun Weekend

It is so hard to get them ALL to hold still at the SAME TIME!

Kai's messy hair this morning.

Kailia's cold cold nose with her Papa

Levi with his sisters Star and Shilo

All bundled up


SLC Temple


What a great weekend we had! We went to our Ward Christmas Dinner and I was actually able to eat the Funeral Potatoes! Hooray! I love food! Then a fabulous cookie exchange party on Saturday, that Levi's sister Shilo hosted. I brought back 10 dozen assorted delicious cookies. I also claimed my title (for the second year in a row) of best overall presentation of cookies.

Then we went to our Church on Sunday. Our ward always puts on the best Christmas music. I loved it. The twins have not been to church in a couple months, though so they had a hard time sitting still. Those are the moments that are really difficult with twins. I was completely exhausted by the end. A family who has 10 month old twin girls sat right behind us. I was secretly laughing inside at them. Their whole world is going to change big time in a couple months when they start walking! ha ha.

After church, we went with Levi's family to Temple Square to see the lights. As always, it was just gorgeous. I love the strong Spirit there too. We did have a hard time finding a place to park. Next time we will definitely take Trax. It would have been worth it. We parked clear up a double hill on East Temple. Going down, not so bad. Going back up, pushing our double stroller was a challenge. Levi pushed them most of the way, while I trailed behind them. He was in super walking/hiking mode- which he says is a reflex from his mission in Brazil. I guess it is all hills there.

I had to take pictures of the girls in their Christmas dresses. Holiday dresses are the best when you have three girls. I have to say how proud I am of their dresses. I was so frugal. Bella's dress and button up shirt were hand me downs from our sweet neighbors = free. Paislee's was found at Kid 2 Kid two years ago = $6. Kailia's was a Deseret Industries find for only = $2! They are all from Gap or Old Navy and are similar styles & the sizes worked out perfectly. I love a good bargain!

I couldn't find either memory card for my good camera. So I'm a little bummed at the quality of the pictures. Maybe I'll try again next Sunday.

Bella's good dream

M: Bella, what did you dream about last night? (she's been having nightmares lately)

B: I had a dream about a WONDERFUL playground and there was nice friends. They wanted to play with me!

Christmas is coming!

I really can't remember a Christmas ever coming this quickly! I feel like it's passing too quickly and I'm trying to fit all the Christmas things in. This year I got the idea from a couple different craft blogs to do an activity advent calendar. I didn't make one, but used the pockets from a fabric one I already had. Instead of candy or treats for each day, there is a slip of paper with a Christmas activity on it that Bella and I (or the entire family) get to do that day. Bella gets so excited each day to choose the new activity and she hasn't forgotten once! Now that she's 3 1/2 she knows more about what's going on and it is so fun to get into Christmas with her.

Here are some of the things we've done, or are still going to do to get the Christmas spirit in our house.

1. Today we put up our Christmas decorations
2. Today we decorate the Christmas tree
3. Today we write a letter to Santa
4. Today we make a gingerbread house
5. Today we make & decorate Christmas cookies
6. Today we make paper snowflakes
7. Today we pass out Christmas gifts to neighbors
8. Today we make a Christmas craft
9. Today we make Christmas cards
10. Today we listen to Christmas music
11. Today we make an ornament for the tree
12. Today we read a Christmas story
13. Today we watch a Christmas movie
14. Today we wrap Christmas presents
15. Today we make hot chocolate with marshmallows
16. Today we see the lights at Temple Square
17. Today we make hot chocolate with marshmallows (Bella loves hot cocoa)
18. Today we color a Christmas picture
19. Today we watch a Christmas movie
20. Today we read a Christmas story
21. Today we read the story of Christ’s birth
22. Today we go sledding
23. Today we make a snowman
24. Today we open one special gift early

Egg-cellent question

So Bella and I are watching a show about chickens and birds the other day. (We watch a lot of t.v. and dvd's lately as I am usually lying on the couch).

B: in deep thought, taps my shoulder.
"Mom, why did Heavenly Father put me in your tummy instead of a egg?"

M: taken off guard....really, what a good question! This made me think.
"Well, I am not sure. Maybe he wanted you to always be close to me so I could take really good care of you. You had to grow before you could come to this world."

B: seems satisfied.
"Oh!"

Now that I think of it though, maybe I like the egg method better.

the twins at 17 months...

P: will hit her sister, then immediately "shh" her while patting her arm or head. this is so horrible, and horribly cute!

K: always wakes up with the craziest hair do's. I would love to set up a video camera in her room to see what she does during her sleep.

P: is building quite the vocabulary- "uh-oh" "down" "i uh oo (i love you)" "cheese" "please" "day-doo (thankyou)" "dis" and she knows lots of sign language too.

K: is a wild monkey...climbs on everything, is pretty much fearless. oh wait, she is afraid of pink bath water and the loud noise the t.v. makes on the snowy channels when she pushes the buttons.

K: loves to play downstairs. you can't say the "d" word or she'll cry til you go down.

P: is so kissy and lovey one minute, then steals a toy or hits the next minute. it's kind of funny to see her mood swings.

K: when she is ready for bed, she is ready- binky, blanky, no tears.

P: cries 90% of the time we put her down to bed...she doesn't like binkies. Just likes to torment her sister by stealing her's.

when Papa Don was babysitting them once, he mixed them up. That must have been the worst night for Kailia...laying in the wrong crib watching her sister play with her binky....

P: is such a daddy's girl. she is the biggest dad fan. sometimes she'll go to him and push me away.

K: plays really well with Bella.

love the picture of them cuddling on the couch because it doesn't happen too often anymore. they end up bugging each other, pushing and hitting...

After a bad couple of days, I was at my breaking point emotionally and physically. Running on nothing for weeks now, I felt like I couldn't do it anymore. Lucky for me, my sweet Levi was smart enough to pick up on this and took care of me...

He watched the girls all yesterday afternoon while I went to the doctor and got some not so great news. If I don't start gaining some weight by 20 weeks, they will be putting me on a feeding tube. Yes, a tube that delivers calories down my throat and into my stomach. I am gagging just thinking about it. The good news is that baby boy's heart rate is great and we scheduled the 20 wk ultrasound for December 28th. We can verify that we are truly having a boy and make sure everything else looks okay.

As usually my doctor advised me to continue to eat/drink lots of sugar because that is all the baby can metabolize at this point. The feeding tube / IVs are just to keep me healthy! So that is a great assurance to me. It's good to be reminded that baby is doing great, it's just me starving. My Dr. compared me to a Costco store. The baby is getting everything it needs inside me. Kinda weird, but I give him 5 points for using an analogy.

After breaking out into tears (gotta love these pyscho pregnant hormones) not once, but twice at the doctor's office, I went to IV Therapy to get a new IV placed. After the nurse literally dug around my arm for a good vein, she finally got one. Are you feeling any pain? she asks. Well, yeah my arm is kinda sore. Sorry about that, she says. You don't have any good ones anymore. She asks me if I am okay, and I again lose it for the 100th time that day. I tell her everything and she helps me come up with new ideas to get some calories into my body. (She is a cancer survivor and went through a whole lot more nausea than I have had). She gives me a big sweet grandmotherly hug and tells me it's going to be okay. At least I get a baby out of the whole deal. I pull it together and she has me laughing by the time I leave.

I stop at the grocery store, and load up on every fatty and good that I would normally like if I weren't pregnant and nauseous. $120 later, I head home determined to eat my little heart out.

I walk in the door. Only this isn't my house. This home is sparkling and beautiful and clean! What the....There is Levi, the twins, and Bella in the kitchen making lunch. The girls are all clean and dressed. And most of all everyone is HAPPY. The house is peaceful.

I again...start to cry. Once the flood gates open, there is no going back. I am sobbing into Levi's shoulder telling him how much I love and appreciate his patience, thoughtfulness, and love for me. He is the best husband and father for my children. I couldn't ask for anything more. My Father in Heaven is watching over me and given me all I need and then some.

It has been a while, hasn't it?

I haven't been feeling well, so anything other than the necessities has been put off. Life is good, though. Here is a run down on what's new with us:

Bell: Started preschool and loves it. She also has been doing gymnastics for a couple months and it is a perfect fit. She has so much energy (like all kids) and it's a fun and productive way for her to use some energy. She is learning a lot and loves "super hero training" and swinging on the bars. She is good at forward and backward rolls, donkey kicks, and balance beam. I really enjoy watching her in class. Bella is a very sensitive and sweet girl. Although she can get her feelings hurt easily sometimes, she also looks out for others and is a great helper to me. Her most commonly used phrase is, "Mom, I love ya in the whole deep ba-lue ocean!" What would I do without my Bell Bell?

Kai: Little Miss Independent & feisty. She knows what she wants and is determined to get it. She knows how to work it...The other day at McDonald's she wandered over to a table with lots of food, reached up to the mom, who picked her up. (Did I mention it was a complete stranger?) She didn't care one bit. She had her eyes on the fries and worked her cuteness. Have you seen her cheeser smile latley?...that's her money maker. Kai's newest little trick is attempting to jump. So dang cute. She also goes "Da da da DA...(charge)!" and "bahhhh" for "Brrr...."

Pais: She is such a sweetheart. She gives lots of loves and kisses to her family everyday. She is so quick to give a "sorry" hug and kiss when she makes someone cry. She is the best sharer, too. I love watching her feed grapes or fish crackers to Kai. So sweet. She really fights the naps lately, though. Her newest thing is "Nah nah... Nah Nah...." ("Knock, Knock...Who's there?") which she learned from big sis. It works, because we laugh every time. She is a monkey- always climbing out of her high chair and onto sissies' or the table....

The girls get along well for the most part. There are fights & plenty of tears, but they are such good friends. Lately, they have been going downstairs and playing for 1-2 hours without mom having to intervene. I love the break.

Levi: So super busy. He just finished up some remodeling projects and is now framing an actual new construction house from start to finish. He hasn't done that in over a year! He loves the satisfaction of a full day of work and seeing the progress. He just got his new tool trailer all organized. I was really impressed with how much he fit in there. I'm usually the organization freak. He works so hard to provide for our family and to make it possible for me to stay home with the kids. We sure love him lots! He is very outnumbered at home, and is probably the most excited about our new addition being a boy!

Me: 16 weeks pregnant and gaining a few pounds back from the 16lbs lost from hyperemesis (all day morning sickness). I am on home health care getting IV fluids everyday and anti-nausea medicine. I hate to "jinx" it, but I feel like I am finally coming out of it. I just miss food so much, I can't wait to have a plate of nachos at El Azteca or some molten lava fudge cake from Chili's. (Can you tell I think about food a lot?) While this pregnancy has been hard, it is no where near as bad as I was with the girls. I am barely getting the necessary things done- family fed, house somewhat clean, etc. I feel very challenged with spending individual time with each child, and don't know how I'll balance a fourth in May. I love my family. They are everything to me. I am excited for the holidays and spending some more time with family and friends.