39 weeks!!

Today is the longest I have carried any baby.  He is a funny baby.  My body has tried for about 3 or 4 weeks to have him - but he is FIGHTING it.  It is so weird.  Every contraction he starts freaking out - moving and wiggling and turning.  I can feel my body trying to push him down and he won't and tries to come up.  It is the strangest thing.  For now I am choosing to trust him.  He will come when he is ready.  I am not too miserable or uncomfortable.  I have my moments - but mostly I just want him here - I am ready for my baby! 

Thanksgiving break

Oh Thanksgiving break...!  The break that we were supposed to have a newborn.  I remember from Fall Break thinking it was my last break with my kids and I wanted to make it fun.  Now here I was  - with a whole week on my hands with my kids and no energy or will to be "fun".  On top of that every day was like, "well... maybe I will have the baby today".   From parent teacher conference all of the kids' teachers said they needed to work on math facts.  So I had made a plan to do those everyday for Thanksgiving and Christmas break since we were going to have low key breaks with the baby.  I had made this chart.  To "lessen the blow" of having to spend their breaks doing math facts I didn't make them do any jobs over the break - they were pretty stoked about that!  

Then on Sunday night we made a list of things they wanted to do over break.  They made this list - I didn't put anything.  AS you can see we did all the things - EXCEPT have a the baby.  I was glad they considered that a "fun thing"  - I am glad they are excited.  Because I have such great friends I didn't really take any of my kids these places or do anything at my house - my friends did it all.  So there are NO pictures.  But the kids had 2 sleep overs (the Barretts and the Okerstroms), the girls had play dates, the boys went to the skate park almost every day, Madison did a puppet show about the first Thanksgiving, the girls went rock climbing, the younger 3 went swimming, and they all took a 4 mile bike ride (round trip) to a park with their friends and had a picnic (I met them there in the car).

It was a great Thanksgiving break.

Thanksgiving

When we found out we were pregnant and due December 3rd I knew we were going to stay here in Colorado for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I also knew that they would have to be really low key chill holidays.  My original plan was to just spend them with the Birches - and then they moved!!  I didn't really  have a back up plan.  I KNEW I would have the baby by Thanksgiving so I always planned Thanksgiving with the thought of having a new born.  As we got closer and closer to Thanksgiving and no baby we sort of assumed I would be in the hospital for Thanksgiving and the objective turned into what our kids would do for Thanksgiving.  Anyways... after a few invitations we ended up at the Armstrong's.  I didn't bring anything.  It was kind of weird, but like I said, we all assumed it would just be the kids.  But Thanksgiving night rolled around and Jason and I came.  It was a really great low key night.  My kids were the only kids there.  Lucinda in our RS president and Corey was/is Brock's 11 year old scout leader.  They have 2 teenage kids at home and they were really great to play with our kids all night.  It was a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner, then we played games, played with Lego's (they have MILLIONS) and then watched Miracle on 34th Street.

First Orchestra Concert

Every year I have asked/suggested that the boys be in orchestra or band.  Every year they say no.  Of course THIS year they both said they wanted to do it.  I very nicely told them this was not the year and we just couldn't afford it.  Well... apparently they had already told their music teacher they were going to do it and then went back the next day and said something like "My dad hasn't had a job in a year and so we can't afford it".  I got a call the next day and the district had given my kids a "scholarship" for the lessons and the instrument rentals.  So they are now in orchestra.  They really like being in it and seem to enjoy it - although they fight us on practicing -which is kind of weird because Noah never fought about practicing the piano.  

Brock picked the violin and Noah picked the cello.  They had their first concert at the high school the week after Thanksgiving.  They really liked being in the concert.

Singing at Windcrest

When Katie and my mom were here the girls were singing at a retirement center in our ward.  SO they got to come with us.  The girls sang a duet together "The Miracle".

Baby Shower

My best friend Krista and my ministering sister Kendyle threw me a baby shower.  They are both very talented at hrowing parties.  They did a great job.  It really helped lift my spirits at a time when I needed my spirits lifted.  I love our ward.  I love the friends I have made.  I am so glad my mom and sister could come.  It was a perfect Saturday morning.  There is a picture overload.  But that's ok.

We had a breakfast crepe bar.  It was so yummy!

Hannah made the cake.

Krista put together this adorable display.

Heather was in charge of drinks.

I am against baby shower games.  But my girls were so excited for the shower and wanted games.  I wanted them to be included so we played a few games.  This one they had to go around the  room and get hints about what baby item was on their head.

The girls got some photo shoots.

Kendyle made these adorable big sister crowns!

We tried a few different hand positions

Some of the guests - a few people came and went - so we didn't get pictures of everyone.

Hannah West, Heather Clark, Charity Hansen, Leslie Prussee, me, Becky Tenney, Karisa Henniger

Kendyle Hakes, Whitney Trythall, Marisa Neyenhuis

Afton Anderson, Krista Weister, mom

Madison, Zoe Anderson, Megan

Baby ALEX!!

My ward spoiled me.  They were so good.  I didn't want a shower becasue i had a lot of stuff.  But as things got harder financially I realized that I still needed stuff - stuff newborns need: diapers, wipes, diaper rash cream, breast pads, milk bags, infant Tylenol, baby shampoo, etc.  I set up a very rigid registry at Target - I needed very specific things and I didn't want them to waste money on things I didn't need.  They spoiled us for sure.  I was overwhelmed with their generosity and may have cried a few times.

Veronica sent me my diaper bag.  So sad she moved before my shower.

My family!

Krista and Kendyle (who threw me the shower).  They made my whole pregnancy!