Swim lessons

Taken with my phone, so excuse the poor quality

It occurred to me a few weeks ago that if Abby was going to take swim lessons this year, it would be best to get them done before the baby is born. 

I was able to get her into some lessons at the American Fork Fitness Center (we've never been there before).  She started her first lesson today.  It's been awhile since she's been swimming, so she was quite eager to get in the water.  I'm anxious for her to be confident in the water, and learn a few skills.

Lexi the Destroyer vs Abby the Neat



Lexi the Destroyer



Abby the Neat



Lexi is at that wonderful age where her idea of playing is pretty much pulling every toy in sight out, and making as huge a mess as possible.  She can clear a book shelf in like 10 seconds flat.

Abby, on the other hand, plays very neatly.  She picks a few toys, and uses her imagination to play.  (For the most part.  Some days, she can destroy a room with the best of them.)   Several times, we have even had this conversation:

"Abby, why don't you go get some toys out to play with?" if she is acting a little bored.

Her response? "No.  It'll just make a mess."

What?  What 3 year old is concerned about making a mess?  I'm not sure if she really is disgusted at the thought of making a mess, or the knowledge that she will have to clean up that mess is what's stopping her.

Nevertheless, when the girls are in the same room, playing in their respective methods, there is a lot of bickering.  My only hope is that as Lexi gets older, she will adopt a more neat way of playing.  However, I know that the next 10-15 years will be spent breaking up fights and the words "LEAVE YOUR SISTER ALONE!" will be spoken often.

Panicking

The realization that in 8 short weeks, we will be welcoming this baby boy into our family is starting to send me into a panic.  Seriously.  I'm having a hard time sleeping.  I'll wake up in the middle of the night, and start thinking about how in the world am I going to survive those first several months.  I am more than ready to be done being pregnant, but not even close to prepared for a third baby in the house.

When it's just me and the girls going through our daily lives, slowly, I'm starting to see some situations that could become quite complicated once baby #3 comes. 

• Lexi, although a great walker, still needs to be carried around a lot.  I'm starting to remember how much kids her age love to walk, but stink at just following along beside a person.  If given the chance, she is off exploring before I even realize that she's gone.  So, it's got me thinking, how will I carry her and an infant/car seat around?  I'm thinking that going out with the kids is going to an activity reserved for days that Cameron is home to do some of the heavy lifting.
• Church.  Primarily Sacrament meeting.  Once the baby is old enough to go to church, Lexi will be old enough to go to nursery (I'm crossing my fingers that she will actually go, she is quite clingy to me, and very shy).  But on the weeks that Cameron is working, I'll be dragging three kids in and out of Sacrament every time one of them gets a little noisy.  Fun!
• Rocking the baby to sleep.  For the first 6 months or so with both the girls, I would hold them, and rock them to sleep.  Unfortunately, some times, it would take 45 minutes or more to get them to sleep.  I highly doubt I'll have 45 minutes of peace and quiet, several times a day, to do that with baby #3.  I have a feeling, this little one is going to have to figure out how to fall asleep on his own, pretty much from day one.
• I'm sure there are many more things that I have yet to realize.

The other day, I realized that I don't have anywhere to keep the baby's clothes.  He's going to be in our room for a while, so I won't have a closet to hang his clothes in.  Our closet is jam packed, and so are both the girls.  I guess a trip to Walmart is in order to get some plastic bins to store his clothes in.

I am feeling so unprepared, and yet, I have very little desire/energy to start the "nesting" that NEEDS to be done.  I've kind of got the lazy attitude of we'll cross each bridge as they come.

I was totally shocked when I saw this picture.  I could not BELIEVE how big my belly is sticking out.  And I'm only 31 weeks.  Oh. my. gosh.  No wonder my back hurts so much.

Just for fun, I wanted to compare pictures from when I was carrying Lexi.  This picture was taken when I was 34 weeks.  It's hard to tell, but think I may actually be bigger already than I was in this picture. 

Actually, I'm starting to think that it wasn't a fun idea to compare pictures.  My self-esteem just took a bit of a hit.

However, I am so beyond ready for this pregnancy to come to an end.  So many aches and pains, I've given up trying to pinpoint the exact location of each.  I can tell my body just wasn't ready to be pregnant so soon.  I know I've complained a lot about how difficult this pregnancy has been, but I am truly shocked at how much harder this one has been compared to the others.  I keep dreaming about how, in 8 weeks, once I've recovered from the C-section, all these aches and pain will miraculously be gone (along with 20 or so lbs that I've gained).

A couple weeks ago, I had to completely give up any form of exercise.  The time each day that I got to walk on the treadmill was how stayed sane/happy, so now I'm just a tired grump.  I'm still mourning that loss.

Ok, I'm done complaining.  For today, anyways.  I still have 8 more weeks, I'm sure I'll find much more to complain about.

A visit from the Binghams

My parents and little brother Jason came to visit this last week.  They got here late Tuesday night, so the real fun didn't start till Wednesday :)

On Wednesday, my mom, the girls, and I went to the fabric store to pick out some material to make a quilt for the baby.  My mom, so far, has made a quilt for all of her grandkids, and I made little rag quilts for each of the girls.  So, to carry on tradition, we both got some cute fabric, and, hopefully, in 8 or 9 weeks, there will be 2 finished quilts ready for the baby's arrival.

Thursday, we went up to Salt Lake to visit my grandparents.  The girls had a blast playing with a whole new bunch of toys.

Lexi, here favorite blanket, and my Grandpa Armstrong

My Grandma, holding Lexi. 

Thursday night, once Cam got home from work, my parents were kind enough to offer to watch the girls so Cam and I could go on a date.

Friday, was a little more relaxed, and I was able to get some errands done.  That evening we went back up to my Grandparents for another visit before my parents left on Saterday. 

It was great to have family over, and can't wait for them to come back once the baby is born!

Disney On Ice

For Christmas, my mom bought tickets for us to take Abby to Disney On Ice.  So, Friday, Cam's parents came over to watch Lexi, and we took Abby up to Salt Lake to see the show.



During intermission

 Abby was so enthralled with the show, she was not easily distracted.  We had bought a bucket of popcorn and she hardly ate a bite.



We didn't bring in our camera because we didn't think they wouldl be allowed, so we took the pictures with Cam's phone.  Look how Abby's head is strategically placed to hide my ginormous belly.

 Everytime a new character would come on the ice, I'd lean over and say "Look, Abby, it's Snow White (or whoever it was)" and she always replied "I know, Mom."  I guess I forgot I was speaking to the Disney expert.

After, we let her pick out a souviner to buy, and she picked out an Ariel figurine.  She's pretty much taken it with her everywhere she's gone since.

Deciding to be a family of 5

Anyone who knows me, knows I can be a bit indecisive. Grocery shopping takes me FOREVER. I have to think through every purchase, make sure it's exactly what I want or need. When it comes to bigger, life changing decisions, I tend to sit on the fence, looking at both options closely, having difficulty fully commiting to either side. Usually, I need some guidance or a push from Cameron. He's so practical, and can look at any situation from all angles. But a couple of times in life, it's been the spirit guiding and pushing me.
When I was pregnant with Lexi, many people may remember me saying over and over and over how we were going to be done having kids after Lexi was born.  Two seemed like the magic number for both Cameron and I.  So, I'm sure many people, as they've come to learn that we are expecting again, and so soon, are thinking 'What happened?' 

Several weeks after Lexi was born, it was really starting to sink in that this was going to be it.  No more being pregnant.  No more sleepy, cuddly newborn.  No more attempts at breastfeeding.  I would be wrapping up that phase of my life.  Up until that time, those thoughts always brought me more joy than sadness.  I was ready to reclaim my body and both Cam and I were ready to be done with sleepless nights.  However, the more I thought about it, the more I got the feeling that something wasn't right.  I kept thinking 'Are we really done?'  but about as quickly as the thought entered my mind, I'd shove it aside.  I really wanted this baby factory to be closed, for good.  Over several more weeks, this cycle of thinking repeated itself, but the more I tried to convince myself to stop these crazy thoughts of having a third kid, the more I became filled with overwhelming sadness.  I tried to tell myself that this was just a little bit of post-partum depression, I'd get over it, but deep down, I knew that wasn't right either.  There was a little spirit, that really wanted to come here and join our family.  Once I finally started to embrace the idea, I was filled with the spirit giving me such stong reassurance.  At the same time, all the sadness completely disapeared.  I had my answer, it wasn't post-partum depression or some random irrational thought, we were meant to be a family of five.

Pictures of the girls

A couple of weeks ago, Are and I get some pictures taken of the Piper, Abby and Lexi for Cam's mom's birthday.  We got them done at the mall.  Lexi still is shy of strangers, so it was a little difficult to capture a moment with her happy and smiling.

 

It was also difficult to get a 3 year old, a 2 year old and a 1 year old, all smiling, and looking at the camera.  I think they turned out pretty good.  We had a few coupons we put together, so we got a killer deal on the photo shoot.