A Peek Through the Window

Sick

2012-02-10T19:20:00.007-07:00

Has anyone else had trouble signing into blogger for the last week? I have.

Anyway, we haven't had the best week.

Last Monday Bridget had a check-up. She's been begging for a check up for months. (Thank you Blue's Clues). Bridget goes to Dr. Coombs' office in Bountiful and with all of Quinn's appointments coming, I wanted to find a pediatrician that's closer. But after her appointment, I'm quite happy to make the drive to Bountiful. We saw one of the nurse practitioners and I've never met a better provider.

Bridget's stats:
Weight: 33 pounds (50th percentile)
Height: 39 inches (90th percentile) I was told that if she continues on the height path she's on, she'll be 5'8" as an adult!

Bridget really wanted a shot and she got her wish. She did really well for the shot itself but a few hours later it hit her. She was limping all night and really fussy and clingy for a couple days.

By Wednesday night she was back to normal and I was really enjoying having my normal kid back. Then Thursday came around...

I woke up very sick at 4 am on Thursday morning. Without divulging details, it turned out to be the stomach flu that's going around. Flu + pregnancy doesn't mix very well. Looking back I find it funny but it wasn't at all funny when I would finally feel well enough to lay down and rest and then sweet little Quinn would start ramming my stomach. That was also the day she started kicking me in the ribs. I love feeling her move but that would have been a nice day for her to have been lazy.

I was so sick that I actually asked Mike to come home a little early to go with me to my Dr. appointment (I didn't dare drive the 20 minutes to my doctor) and his co-worker Jared was nice enough to tell him to get out of there several hours early. It was perfect timing because minutes before he walked in the door, Bridget started throwing up too. I'm much better now but she's still feeling sick. The poor kid has just had a bad week.

My doctor said there was really nothing I could do but sleep it off. Easier said than done but I eventually felt better. Bridgie has had a lingering cough and Mike came home sick today. That sweet man hasn't been able to rest for weeks. He and Jordan have been working a very long, very physically demanding job for the last month. He comes home everyday looking like Bert the chimney sweep and he just collapses into bed. Our last weekend off was filled with extended family functions and this last weekend on-call (usually a good time to rest since we're stuck at home) he spent working a home show and viewings and didn't have any time to rest and recuperate.

So it's no surprise he caught what's been going around. I'm so grateful for that hard working man of mine but sometimes I wish there was a way to knock him out cold for an entire weekend so his body would recuperate.

Cloth Diaper Covers

2012-01-24T18:15:00.006-07:00

One of the strangest things about being on modified bed rest is hearing this from my husband, "The house better not be clean when I get home!" Really, who gets to hear that every morning? But when I have nothing to do but look at a messy house, I can't help but tidy up. Last week I found something else to occupy myself. Homemade cloth diaper covers! I had given up hope of making my own because they have to me made out of a special fabric. Last time I looked for this PUL fabric, it wasn't available in stores. Since then a brand called Babyville Boutique has come out with an entire line of cloth diaper making fabrics and notions. In the last three days I've made about 15 covers, way more than I need, but I can't help myself. I LOVE making them and trying new styles. As the diaper stash grows, the house is getting messier and messier and Mike seems pleased by it.

Here are just a few. Mike is stopping by Hobby Lobby on his way home for more fabric. What a good man!

Laundry

2012-01-17T20:22:00.005-07:00

Okay, I am ridiculously excited about this.

During my two hour long battle to fall asleep last night, I was thinking about the things we still need for cloth diapering. I planned to make a batch of Eliza's cloth diaper laundry soap today but was stuck on where I'd store the massive amount that the recipe makes. I decided to make a smaller batch and keep it in a jar. But, knowing myself, I feared that a small jar would get lost in the inevitable clutter that always gathers around my washing machine. I remembered a fabulous pin I saw recently and decided that we NEED a shelf above the washer & dryer. The wall is a horrible popcorn concrete which will make it difficult to install, but I realized that my resourceful hubby tackles more complicated obstacles than that everyday at work, so surely he could figure it out.

I was so excited about it that I almost woke him up but I managed to let it go until today. I brought it up at dinner and he was willing to give it make it work. So as soon as we were done eating, I was off to Lowes to get a shelf and some brackets.

Mike's drills are at work so I'll have to wait until tomorrow before he's able to install it properly, but I just had to set it in place and see how it looked. I love it! I love using space that would otherwise be wasted.

I realize this is the silliest thing to be so excited about, but any time I get to organize my life just a little bit, I get giddy!

BTW, here's the recipe for the cloth diaper laundry soap:

2 parts Borax
2 parts Super Washing Soda
1 part OxiClean

The other laundry soap is the same except it has grated flakes of Zote soap in it.

Bridget-ism

2012-01-16T18:05:00.004-07:00

This has got to be the best Bridget-ism to date.

Bridget is very much a 3-year-old. She will correct you if you've done something contrary to what she knows is right. She is learning the concept of ownership and she's always surprised and overjoyed when she learns that something belongs to her. Listening to her talk to her little school friends they talk a lot about their houses so every time we come home she get's so excited to see HER house.

We pulled into Myers the other night and Bridget said "there's my house." Her daddy, being the smart aleck he is, said that it's not HER house and that someone can only say it's their house if they clean it. I silently thought that it must be solely MY house by his standards, but before I had time to say anything, Bridget said, "so, it's mommy and Bridgie's house." Take that, Daddy! I would have high-fived that little girl if I had been able to reach her.

Quinn update

2012-01-13T14:43:00.010-07:00

I went for my 28 week appointment and glucose test yesterday. I was surprised when he told me that it's already time for 2 week appointments. He also told me to pick a c-section date and that he'll schedule it with the hospital at my next appointment. I didn't think we'd be able to do that until 32 weeks at least!

So, as long as it works out, we've chosen March 28th. Our reason is kind of corny. My birthday is April 28th and Mike's is May 28th so Quinn's birthday will go along with ours. Poor Bridget with her random October 16th birthday... But she was with us when we were sealed on October 28th so I guess she's not totally left out.

Quinn is looking great and measuring perfectly for her dates. It's so reassuring to see her on ultrasound at every appointment.

The doctor is still concerned about my braxton hicks and says they're only going to get worse the closer we get to my due date. He suggested I stop babysitting, I just hope that's not too big of an inconvenience on Ashley & Ryan.

Now I'm left wondering if I'll actually make it to March 28th. I went into labor 5 weeks early with Bridget and luckily she didn't require any time in the NICU. I'm all for babies coming a little early if they've cooked long enough, but we certainly don't want to risk a NICU stay so Quinn needs to stay in a couple weeks longer than her sister.

Bridget

2012-01-06T20:15:00.008-07:00

Maybe it's knowing that we don't have a lot of time left of life with just the three of us, but lately I can't get over how much I love our little girl. Of course I love her all the time, but lately it's been a more conscious thing.

The best way I can think to describe how sweet she is is to go through our daily routine.

At night we have cuddle time where Bridget, Mike and I lay down together and we usually watch an episode of a show on Netflix or we'll have talking time where we put every distraction away and pay full attention to her while she talks about her day.

Cuddle time

Then it's time to go to bed. She never puts up a fight as long as we've had cuddle time. We all kneel around her bed and pray, and she wont let us get away with not praying if we forget. Then it's hugs and kisses and we go off to bed.

Sometimes she sleeps through the night. Sometimes she wakes up and goes to her baby gate that we have at her door and cries for us to let her out. Most nights we just call back "go lay down" and she eventually does. The other night she was particularly upset, her cry was a little different. She eventually got back in her bed but I heard the softest, saddest voice saying "please open the gate, Mama." I caved and let her get in bed with us. And I could tell she was genuinely upset. When I got in bed next to her I got a sad but sweet "thanks, Mama."

She stayed in her bed all night!

If she makes it through the night in her own bed, Mike will often open her gate when he leaves for work so she can come get in bed with me when she wakes up.

I wake up to a little body climbing in so close that she's pretty much on top of me. She usually wants a sippy. I try to fill one up and put it in the fridge the night before so she can get it herself. If I forgot to, she'll have the milk out on the counter waiting for me. We go back to bed and cuddle until we fall asleep. I'll feel her get up and down a few times to either change her own pull-up or to go to the bathroom.

The girl with the crazy hair is up for the day.

During the day she helps me with my chores. She likes to fold laundry and help with dishes, even though her ulterior motive for helping with dishes is knowing she'll get to wash her feet in the sink with bubbles when we're done.

Out of the shower, which she took all by herself.

Ready for the day.

She loves to go out to the store. If I'm not totally ready she'll remind me that I need my shoes or purse, whatever it is. I'm amazed that she knows how to get to certain places. We'll get to a stop light and she'll say that we need to turn right or left or go straight. When we get to our destination I'll often get a "yeah, that's it! Good job, Mama!"

When I'm doing something she's not interested in, I'll let her watch Blues Clues or Super Why or she'll play with her toys or dress up. She loves dress up and changes princess dresses at least 5 times a day. Every so often she'll come find me and I get a running hug and a "I love you, Mama! You're my best girl." When I tell her she's my best girl too, she seems so shocked and flattered, "I am?! Oh thanks Mama!" and more hugs.

Playing with blocks

She learned about feelings at school and ever since she has been very concerned that we are always happy. Not a day goes by when we don't have this conversation:

Bridget: You're not mad?
Me: No, I'm not mad.
Bridget: You're just happy?!
Me: Yup, I'm happy.
Bridget: You're so happy and proud?! Oh! Thanks, Mama!

She loves to help me cook and set the table in preparation for our favorite time of day which is when Daddy comes home. She's so thrilled to see him and he drops everything to give her a big hug and kisses. Dinnertime has become really important around here. It's the only time of day that we can get Bridget to eat. And she knows she can't leave the table until all of us are done eating. That usually helps get a few more bites in her tummy.

Helping with dinner.

Waiting for Daddy to come home.

After dinner she helps daddy relax. She takes off his big work boots and can usually find a new wound on daddy and she offers to get him a band aid. If Mike has to work a viewing she helps him find his shoes and get ready. She has taken it upon herself to make sure that Daddy gives us both a hug & kiss before he leaves. If Mike's home in the evening she usually sticks pretty close to him.

Taking Daddy's boots off.

Eventually it's cuddle time again.

This is our life 90% of the time. She has her moments but most of the time Bridget is a happy, sweet, loving little girl who is a joy to have around. With her around we're never short of laughter and hugs. Mike and I wholeheartedly agree that she is a pure joy to parent.

Car Seat Canopy...Done!

2012-01-01T21:34:00.004-07:00

You know why I love Pinterest? Because I'm able to gather a lot of ideas and take bits and pieces of different things to create something perfect for my needs.

I didn't want a typical car seat canopy this time around. I used one with Bridget when they were first becoming popular and I never liked how flimsy they are and easily the bottom gets dirty from touching the ground.

I liked the new trend of having the front slit open and I also wanted it to be fitted. After about 6 hours of figuring it out as I went, I finally have Quinn's car seat canopy done.

Last year when I was pregnant I recovered the car seat. I didn't want to do that again so I decided to work with what I had done, even though it was really boyish. Thank heavens for Hobby Lobby and their coordinating fabrics. I was able to get a girly fabric that went with the fabric I had used.

Another item checked off the list!

Fondue!

2012-01-01T15:24:00.003-07:00

For New Years Eve we had the JorKell's over for fondue. Mike and I have done fondue by ourselves before but it's much better with friends. I forgot to pull out the camera. oops.

We found some great new fondue recipes and I thought I'd post them for my own future reference.

FONDUE BROTH

2 bay leaves

4-5 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons dried parsley

2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper

3 cups beef broth

3 cups water

1 (1 ounce) package French onion soup mix

Mix all ingredients in a fondue pot or on the stove. Simmer for one hour. Bring to a boil when ready to serve.

source

CHEESE FONDUE

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

¾ cup heavy whipping cream

¾ cup parmesan cheese ( I used romano)

1 1/3 cup grated gruyere cheese (or swiss cheese)

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon salt

In a fondue pot or double broiler over medium heat, gradually add the olive oil, cream cheese, cream, parmesan and gruyere cheese until the mixture is smooth and the cheese has melted.

Add the garlic powder, nutmeg and salt. Mix well.

*If the mixture is too thick, add more cream, if it’s too runny, add more cheese.

source

CHOCOLATE FONDUE
Half of this recipe is plenty!

32 ounces chocolate, grated ( I used 2/3 semi-sweet and 1/3 milk, both Guittard)
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder (I used Pero)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (preferably Mexican vanilla)
1 teaspoon white sugar

In a double boiler melt the chocolate with the heavy cream. Mix in the instant coffee, vanilla extract, sugar, and hot water. Continue to heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is smooth.

souce

Christmas and other stuff

2011-12-29T19:20:00.004-07:00

We had a great Christmas this year. I can't help but think that deciding to keep things low-key helped to make it so enjoyable.

I did most of my shopping on Wednesday night from 9:30-11. I'm a procrastinator, I know. I had Mike and Bridget's main gifts but I wanted to surprise Mike with a couple things. One of the things I got him was a pot pie maker. I was so thrilled that it was a complete surprise to him and that he loves it so much. I can't explain that man's love for pot pies. It works out well for both of us. Now all our leftovers go into a pot pie and he takes them for lunch.(excuse the picture) We tried our different doughs and learned that pie crust is the best.

These were made with puff pastry. They spread and they didn't taste very good.

We decided that we will be doing the 4 gift rule with our kids. It's something I heard about a year or two ago and forgot. Good ole Pinterest reminded me about it just in time for Christmas.
If you haven't heard about it, it's where you give your kids 4 presents every year.
Something they WANT,
something they NEED,
something they WEAR
and something they READ.
I've heard from people who do it that Christmas is less stressful and everyone is happier because the kids know not to expect more and the parents aren't going overboard. We learned two things after trying it out this year, 1) It's incredibly hard to come up with a NEED for a young child, and 2) there is no need for us to give her more than one thing she wants because her grandparents and extended family spoil the heck out of her anyway.

Our work schedule was perfect this year. We had Christmas eve off and were able to go to my family's traditional fish dinner (we should let Ryan and Ashley or some other fish eaters take our place at that dinner, it's a waste on us) and then we ate dinner with Mike's parents and opened gifts with them.
We were on call Christmas day so Mike's family came up to our house, except for the JorKell's who were with her family.

Having a bunch of people coming to my house is great motivation for me to get stuff done. So while I had my mom here the Monday before, we got more of the girls' room done. Now there are just a few finishing touches to be done and we'll be ready to bring her home!

Bridget's side of the room

Quinn's side of the room - Bridget and I love the Mickey ears along the top:)

I can't believe that in less than 3 months from now she'll be home using that crib!

24 week ultra sound

2011-12-17T23:58:00.001-07:00

Bridget and I went to our 24 week targeted ultra sound. The poor tech was so distracted by Bridget's constant talking. But she did enjoy Bridget's exuberance, pointing at the TV "Hey! That's my sister!" She then explained to the nice lady that her sister is too small to come out and she needs to be "this big" (lifting up her arms to show her the length) before she can come out.

We love Bridget's 3 year old mind. Now that she talks constantly we are always laughing at her wit and and we're amazed by the things that come out of her mouth. This pregnancy is going by so fast and I'm trying so hard to enjoy every moment I have left with her as an only child. I think sharing my attention with another child is going to be as hard an adjustment for me as it will be for her.

Simplify

2011-12-12T09:47:00.003-07:00

At my last appointment the doctor put me on a drug to stop my contractions. The drug is meant to lower blood pressure but they've found that it stops contractions too. My blood pressure is already low so when I take it I feel absolutely awful.

Being put on medication was an eye opener. I admit I wasn't very strict with keeping myself on mod. bed rest before and as a result, I now have to take this awful medication.

So, our lives have to be simplified. I don't get to go do everything I want to. Mike had to decorate for Christmas and somehow 4 big rubber maids full of decorations have gone missing. We don't know how, it's not like they've left the house since last Christmas. But, it's nice in a way. Now there's less to be put away and when I look at our tree decorated with the few ornaments we could find, it reminds me to simplify.

As frustrating as this is, my sweet mother has made it so much better. She comes every Monday to clean my house and to do whatever I need done. She's accomplished so much is just a couple weeks. Today she's going to finish painting the girls' room. I'm so excited! I don't know what I'd do without my mommy. I'm so grateful that she taught me to get things done and keep a clean house. And I'm grateful that she's willing to step in and do those things for me when I can't. All her free time is spent doing things for her kids and I'm so blessed to have a mom like that.

Attitude

2011-11-22T20:57:00.003-07:00

Bridget has developed a little attitude recently. And tonight she's proving that she knows how to play mom & dad. Unfortunately for her, we see right past her little lies. She keeps telling me she wants ice cream, I say no and she says "Daddy said!" Well, he didn't. When we told her to go to time out for lying, she suddenly lost the use of her legs. I think this is just a preview to our future. Yay for little girls.

Disney on Ice

2011-11-21T19:20:00.002-07:00

Bridget is one lucky girl. Grandma Dearden took her to see the princesses at Disney on Ice. Every now and then Bridget will say something about the show. Mostly she talks about going to see a show with grandma. But she has talked about Rapunzel and about ice skates and about people skating backwards. Oh, and she tells me it was cold. :)

Modified Bed Rest

2011-11-18T19:15:00.006-07:00

Over the last couple weeks I've been noticing a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions. While I thought 20 weeks was early, I wrote it off as another thing I probably had with Bridget but didn't realize at the time.

I thought it was simply a matter of dehydration so I've been trying to drink a lot of water, but they have been getting worse. It got to the point that I would have BH almost every time I stood up or walked any distance. Grocery shopping and cleaning were especially bad.

I kept thinking that I should call the nurses at my doctor's office but I was putting it off because I truly expected them to say that it was completely normal and there was nothing to worry about. But I finally called and when I told her how often I was having them she said that because of the frequency and because I'm only 20 weeks, it was concerning and that I needed to come in.

My doctor explained that BH's are normal and nothing to be concerned about until you get to the point of having more than 6 in an hour. Well, I have more than 6 in an hour so I get to be on modified bed rest for a while.

It's a really good sign that my cervix is long and closed, so everything should be fine as long as I slow down. So no more teaching joy school (my sweet friends insist on Bridget still participating so they'll be coming to pick her up and bring her home.) And my counselors insist that if I come to church, I must sit the whole time. Mike says no more cleaning the house. That's probably going to be the hardest for me. I made a deal with myself today that I can tidy but as soon as I start feeling a BH, I have to sit down. Well I didn't get very far. I got one or two things picked up and started feeling that tightness. It's really hard to sit and look at all the things that need to be done and not be able to do them. On the flip side, if Mike came home and the house was clean and how I want it to be, he would know that I've been up and he wouldn't be very happy with me.

I made a little goal for myself. In two weeks, I'm supposed to have Malcolm for the day and I go see my doctor the day before. So I'm really hoping that if I just take it easy for a couple weeks, and chug a lot of water, he'll tell me that everything's fine and I can go back to my normal life. I don't know how realistic that goal is, but I can hope. This is really a crappy time of year to be told to sit all day. There's so much to do in the next 5 weeks. Mike says I can still go shopping, I'll just have to use one of this electric chairs. Sorry, but no. He will be doing all the shopping if that's what it comes down to.

I'm so grateful to have a 3 year old. This would be so difficult if Bridget was younger. She's really independent but there are still a couple things that I need to get up and help her with. I'm soooooo thankful that I'm not on strict bed rest. I can't even imagine how I would difficult that would be.

Best DI find yet

2011-11-18T19:10:00.004-07:00

I have been keeping an eye out for a comfortable chair to use while nursing. Last Saturday I was out with my mom while Mike was working and Vivian had Bridget at Disney On Ice.

We went to DI and I walked by a La-Z-Boy leather chair that was perfect. It was comfy, it matched our leather couch, it's in really good condition, and it was $10! Woot!

Unfortunately, since we got it home we noticed that it smells of smoke so I've been trying lots of techniques to get it out. Hopefully I'll figure something out in the next 4 months. For $10, I'm willing to put some work into it.

Quinn's Crib Finished!

2011-11-18T19:03:00.003-07:00

I finally got Quinn's bumper done. It was much more difficult than I imagined but that's because of the length of the piece. But hey, it's done.

Quinn's Crib

2011-11-05T21:34:00.002-06:00

We're on call this weekend and I was needing a little time alone so I left Bridget with Daddy and I went to JoAnn's to price the rest of the fabric I needed for Quinn's crib. It turns out they were having a sale this weekend that made the prices better than they would have been at the sale next week.

I came home and made a quick crib sheet then started on the crib skirt. I've been looking at a lot of crib skirts and I came across an awesome idea. Instead of attaching the crib skirt to fabric that lays between the mattress and springs, I attached velcro to the spring frame and to the bed skirt, which is in 4 pieces. That way, when we need to lower the crib as Quinn gets older, we can move the crib skirt up and have it still sweeping the floor. Make sense? This video explains it.

I'm not letting myself start on the bumper tonight. No good comes when I sew while tired.

Rag Quilts

2011-11-02T20:43:00.006-06:00

I got it in my head that I wanted to make Quinn a quilt. I attempted one quilt in the past and discovered that I am horrible at binding quilts. And since I'm not patient enough to wait for an experienced person to help me, I went looking for other options.

I decided on a rag quilt. At the time we didn't know what we were having so I made Bridget a quilt. I had to really search for flannel that had Mickey Mouse on it and I finally found one option, and it was pretty boyish. Bridget doesn't seem to mind. I made this quilt for Bridget in just a few hours and I love how much she loves it.

A couple weeks later, after we found out we're having a girl, my mom and I were at Brooks in Bountiful looking for flannel that would go with the same Mickey fabric but that would be girly and different from Bridget's. While we were there we saw this breast cancer flannel in the discount basement and she asked me to make her a quilt. This was quite a bit larger, 8x8 as opposed to Bridget's 5x5 quilt, so it took me two days. She loves it and I was glad I could do it for her.

I couldn't decide what to do for Quinn's blanket and bedding so I put that on hold, hoping I would come up with something I love. I stumbled upon this picture and it all clicked.

And being the impatient person I am, I went right out to the fabric store and had her quilt made in one evening.
I'm forcing myself to wait until the fabric for the rest of her bedding goes on sale next week. The good thing about waiting is that it has given me time bounce ideas off my mom and think of things I'd like to do differently.

I'm so excited to get it all finished and ready for Quinn. Having the crib set up and ready for baby makes it real to me.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T14:51:00.007-06:00

Bridget is just like her daddy in so many ways, including her love of trains. Since we were going to meet Mike in Bountiful after he got off work, we decided to take the train so we didn't have to drive home separately.

She was so giddy the entire trip. She loved when the train took a curve and wobbled a bit. She got really good at telling me how many more stops we had, and the word "station" is now solidly in her vocabulary.

My mom picked us up at the train station and we went to her house to make our traditional Sano Halloween doughnuts. The wonderful thing about only having them once a year is that they always taste better than you remember.

She got to play with Remi and Marshall for a while, who had the best costumes I've seen this year: Dwight Schrute and Mose.Sorry Candice, had to steal a pic from you

Remi ended up winning 2nd place in Rainn Wilson's Dwight Schrute Halloween contest!

Bridget got all dressed up as Rapunzel. She was going to be a ghost but why would she be a boring ghost after Grandma Dearden bought her a sweet Rapunzel dress?! I found Mike a skeleton shirt so that he could match me and the baby skeleton shirt I made for myself. We went down to Grandma and Grandpa Dearden's so that, per Bridget's request, Grandpa could take her trick-or-treating. I was thinking they'd be gone for all of 15 minutes and maybe do one street. I was shocked when they came home almost 2 hours later and her bucket was filled to the brim. She's been fighting a fever and a cough for a few days and the two hours of trick-or-treating didn't seem to help. She's sounding pretty awful but I'm sure if she could she'd say it was worth it. We have discovered that toddlers don't know what good candy is. So when we let her choose a treat, she goes for lollipops and taffy. No complaints coming from the grown-ups.

Four years & Three years

2011-10-28T11:40:00.002-06:00

Tuesday was our fourth anniversary. Today is our third anniversary of the day that matters, the day we got sealed. I love thinking back on that day. And if I could, I would love to relive it over and over.

I remember our sealer talking about the relief a mother has knowing her kids are finally hers, but what I was so relieved about was that my husband was finally mine forever. Bridget was still a new little creature in our lives and while I was happy she now mine forever, I didn't realize how special that was until much later. Now I look back on that day and I do feel that overwhelming relief that Bridget is mine. And, honestly, I'm sad that we won't get to take Quinn to the temple and have that same amazing experience. There's nothing on earth that I would rather do than be in the temple with my family. I look forward to the day when all of our kids are in the temple with us.

For now we have those amazing memories. Bridget has started to carry around the picture of us outside the temple and explain it to everyone. I can't wait to tell her all about it when she's old enough to understand.

Sisters

2011-10-25T11:28:00.000-06:00

Three!

2011-10-20T14:35:00.005-06:00

Bridget turned 3 on the 16th. The night before we had a party for her with both sides of the family. She got spoiled rotten! She came home with 3 princess dresses, and one of them was a Tangled dress complete with Tangled light up shoes!

We can't believe it's been 3 years since Bridget was born. In some ways it seems like yesterday, in other ways it seems like she's always been here. We don't know how we got so lucky to get a mild easy-going, sweet little girl. We hope she teaches her sister to be the same.

1st Birthday

2nd Birthday

3rd Birthday

It's still a girl

2011-10-14T16:14:00.003-06:00

Having a mother-in-law that's a midwife certainly has it's perks. One of them being the ultrasounds that her friend Cindy likes to do for us. My mom and I went early this morning (Mike had to work) and Vivian was there but stuck in a meeting.

15w5d profile

Cindy said the baby is doing great and growing right on schedule. She was being a stinker and not wanting to give us a good look at her crotch, but from the glimpses she got, Cindy is sure she's a girl.

hand

Now I can really start to think about another girl. I haven't bought or made anything yet. I wanted Cindy's opinion first and to be a little further along. Now that I'm over the shock of not having a boy I'm really starting to get excited. I wasn't very crafty when Bridget was born, but now I can craft-out this little one!

Mom update!

2011-10-12T20:43:00.003-06:00

We got some unexpected but awesome news today. My mom went to meet with the oncologist to talk about chemo and radiation and to our amazement, he said she doesn't need any! Nothing! We're done with this nightmare!

It's a.......

2011-10-03T17:02:00.003-06:00

GIRL?!?!?! I was absolutely shocked and convinced that the doctor must be wrong. I asked him what the possibilities are that the baby could still grow some boy parts. He said it's not likely. I'll admit I was bummed.

I kept Mike in suspense until he got home from work. I set the table with some girl things to break the news but he wasn't really shocked. It's really hard to shock him. We still find it odd that the thought of a girl never entered our minds. I was really looking forward to having a son, but today the Lord reminded me to just be grateful for a healthy baby.

I woke up with a little bit of bleeding this morning. Mike gave me a blessing and I talked to Vivian and really felt confident that everything was going to be fine. But I was able to get in to the doctor just to make sure. My doctor wasn't available and I was supposed to go to a midwife but she was running an hour late so they sent me to my former doctor. It was incredibly awkward but I was able to see that my baby girl is healthy and kicking around.

I no longer care that this baby isn't a boy. I'm just happy she's healthy and growing strong. There are some great benefits to having another girl. We know how to raise a girl, we don't have to buy many clothes and we get to use the name we just love: Quinn Kathryn. When we lived in my parent's ward I team-taught sunbeams with a lady that had a little girl named Quinn. It was just one of those names that we heard and loved. And Kathryn is after Mike's grandma McAllister.

It's been a big adjustment referring to the baby as Quinn instead of Asher, and Bridget still refers to the baby in mommy's tummy as "baby brother." Now it would be really funny if later on we get told it's a boy, but either way, I'm just grateful for a healthy baby.

Baby Update

2011-09-30T13:06:00.006-06:00

I went to the doctor yesterday. My appointment was at 6:20. It was really weird, I was one of 3 cars in the parking lot. I really thought I had the time wrong, even though I double and triple checked. Apparently each doctor takes one night a week and stays late, I guess for his patients that can't get out of work. Unfortunately my doctor's late night is always Thursday so Mike won't be able to come, but that's okay, I'm still going to schedule all my appointments for after 6:00. I loved being the only patient there. Bridget didn't have to fight any kids for the slides in the playroom, and the doctor wasn't rushed so he actually spent some time with me.

I drank a lot of orange juice on my way so the baby would be active and it worked. We saw lots of waves and kicks and spins. Since the doctor wasn't so rushed he took time to look at the heart and bones and said the baby is right on track. It's nice to hear his reassurance that I'm not going crazy. He always has to remind me that women feel things sooner and you grow quicker with your second baby. I have a hard time believing that it could be baby flutters I started feeling a week ago, but he just gives me that what-do-I-keep-telling-you look and says "second baby." Or, "Why do I look so pregnant already?" "Second baby."

13weeks 3days
Back shot
feet on the left, head on the right

BTW, the baby gave us a lot of great crotch shots and the doctor says he's 99.9% positive on the gender. But we're going to tell our family before I post it. :)

Stay at home moms

2011-09-26T19:11:00.003-06:00

I had a 2 hour phone conversation with my mom today, which hasn't happened in years, maybe ever. She's usually at work or has people at home who need her attention. Today she was home alone after having worked a half day. We talked about everything from Bridget's birthday to cleaning the house to what it's going to be like to mother two children.

As we talked about mothering she mentioned something that had never occurred to me before. When she was my age with young children, President Benson ( I think) announced in General Conference that women should stay at home with their children. She told me about the uproar that caused in the world and about the opposition she received from members and non-members about her decision to stay home. Because I grew up with my mom at home, I've always wanted to be home with my children too. And I'm very lucky to have married a man who wants his wife home with his children, even if that means that he has to work more hours or even two jobs.

I've realized in the last year or so that I'm glad my life didn't turn out quite the way I planned, if it had I'd be an RN by now and I'd have to work, even if it was just enough to keep my license. I fully understand that some women have to work and some women want to work and I don't judge them at all. I'm just grateful that for me and my family, we're able to live a life where I can stay home with my kids. Granted, it would make life financially easier if I worked, but it's a sacrifice that Mike and I feel is worth it.

I'm very grateful to my mother for sticking up for her beliefs and not letting the world tell her what she should do. I'm grateful that she taught me to enjoy cooking and cleaning and taking care of a family. (I am obviously not a feminist, I'm about as far from a feminist as you can get.) Mostly I'm grateful for a husband who encourages me to stay home and who is willing to work hard to allow that to happen.

Mom update

2011-09-20T14:12:00.002-06:00

Mom is recovering well. She has an infection but is on meds and they think it will clear up in a couple days. She was really excited to get 2 of her 3 drains out and she's still planning on going back to work on Monday. General Conference time is always really busy for her. Hopefully she'll remember to take it easy and work half days. Yeah right.

Bridget's first day of school

2011-09-15T09:37:00.004-06:00

Bridget started Joy School today. I expected her normal grumpiness when I woke her up but as soon as she heard that she was going to school, she was bouncing off the walls.

She was so excited to brush her teeth and get a snack and put it in her backpack. I'm glad she's so happy about it because mommy's having a hard time.

I finally understand why mothers have such a hard time sending their kids to school. It's like taking a limb. All of a sudden this little person who you are with practically 24/7 is gone and you don't know what to do without them.

Mom's Surgery

2011-09-08T19:59:00.004-06:00

Mom's surgery went really well. They're confident that the cancer hasn't spread. That's the best news we could have gotten!

Mom came home today and is feeling really good. Her pain isn't bad at all and she's just enjoying the peace and quiet. And I'm sure she's able to relax now without the anxiety of not knowing what they'd find in surgery. We're so grateful for the way things have turned out. We appreciate all the prayers and love from everyone.

A little news update

2011-09-07T16:58:00.007-06:00

Aside from my post on Monday I've been away from blogland for a while, but I have a good excuse. I have a parasite that has made me miserably sick. This little parasite was discovered on July 26th and is due in March. :) We're super excited! So make mama sick all you want little parasite, just keep growing and come out healthy and strong!

Do you like his daddy's nickname for him? (Oh, and we're totally convinced it's a boy so we already refer to it as a "he"). When I tell Mike that I'm sick of being sick, he says "what to you expect? You've got a parasite growing in you." Or when I tell him that I've been throwing up all day, I get "parasites tend to have that effect." He really loves our child, I promise.

We went to the doctor on August 11th and saw our little 6 week 3 day bean. We went again today and he's 10 weeks 2 days and doing great! He even gave us a little wave! I love that we get an ultra sound at every single appointment at my doctors office. And they put them all on DVD. It'll be fun at the end to see the progression from a 6 week bean to full grown baby. It's one of the luxuries they provide to try and offset the frustration of feeling like you're paying for their fancy Stein Eriksen Lodge-looking office. :) I'm just grateful I finally found a good doctor (as opposed to the idiot who didn't treat my ectopic pregnancy correctly). David Bierer is heaven compared to my last guy. If I can't have the comfort of good ol' Nathan Ward, Dave Bierer is the next best thing.

6 weeks 3 days

10 weeks 2 days
You can see the head on the left and the little legs on the right

Today is also a sad day for the Sano family. My mom had a double mastectomy today. The surgery went well, I'm told.

It's been a weird month. The excitement of being pregnant was quickly deflated by my mom's diagnosis. But the timing of this has been a blessing. Knowing that another grandchild is coming has helped my mom have something to look forward to. I'm glad I can at least provide her with that.

So that's our ~~little~~ really HUGE news update!

Pictures & going public

2011-09-05T18:42:00.005-06:00

My mom was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and is having surgery this week (more on that later). Before Keith left for another 2 weeks in Texas she wanted to get family pictures done. Katie has a friend who is a great photographer and she was able to arrange to have these photos done in 2 days. We're all very grateful for this wonderful photographer who was so kind to accommodate us.

Our family has been overwhelmed by all the love and support we've gotten from friends regarding our mom's health. Because of that, this blog will be going public again so those who want to can get updates on mom. I believe my dad will also be updating their blog. http://sanofamily.blogspot.com/

2011-08-18T21:42:00.003-06:00

Working at the mortuary has given me a greater appreciation for life and for the things I have. It's easy to ignore all the old people but we get also get a lot of babies and young people and you can't help but think about "what if..."

I got a call on Sunday night about a young man that passed away from leukemia. From talking to the family I could tell he was young. When Mike got home he told me he was 23 and had a 10 day old baby. I wanted to cry.

Mike worked his viewing tonight. All I could think about was his poor wife. I'm sure that when she got married, she could never have foreseen that not even 2 years later she'd be holding her 2 week old baby, standing next to her husband's casket. I read their blog and had a good cry and walked away even more grateful for the things I have.

A very close family member (I don't think I'm allowed to disclose who yet) just got diagnosed with cancer. I've never had something like this strike so close to home.

Even with the faith and optimism we feel, it's still cancer and cancer is downright scary.

The many sleeping positions of Bridget

2011-08-18T21:10:00.005-06:00

Oou silly Bridgie. She can fall sleep anywhere (I envy her for that) and sometimes we just have to laugh