Day 5...

Phone calls from home...

I am lucky to have a dad and grandma that check on me often.  It is nice to know that even though there are many many miles between us, it only takes one phone call to make me feel close to home.

Day 4...

Today I am grateful for a healthy body that is able to carry my babies to full term.  I follow a design blog of a girl who had her first baby at 24 weeks.  She is pregnant with her second baby and was put on bedrest in the hospital at 24 weeks.  The hope is to get her to 30 weeks at least.  Obviously even at 30 weeks there will be lots of medical intervention to help the baby develop and thrive.  I can't imagine being in her shoes.

The last month of pregnancy is HARD for me.  My short little body just doesn't have room for my growing little baby.  Everything hurts and I have no energy to give to the rest of my family.  I am truly in survival mode.  Today I was a total grump and had little patience with my girls.  I find myself feeling jealous of people who deliver perfectly healthy babies at 38 weeks.  I would be done with pregnancy and holding my sweet baby boy right now if that were the case for me.

But I can't help but think back to the blog I follow and the struggles that this girl and her family are facing and will be facing in the near future.  I have nothing to complain about!

My body may look absolutely ridiculous right now, and truly there isn't a muscle or joint in my body that doesn't ache, but soon this will all be over and the blessings will far outweigh any struggles it took to get our little boy here. 

 Me at 38 weeks...huge I know.

     

Day 3...

I consider myself one lucky girl to be married to such an awesome hubby!!!:)


We will be celebrating our 7th anniversary this December.  Holy Moly!  That makes me feel old.  We have experienced so much the last 7 years.  There have been lots of ups and downs, but we have grown closer from it all.

Everyday when I hear the garage door open, announcing that Nate is home from work, it makes my heart so happy.  In fact all his girls love hearing that noise:).  The poor kid can't even breathe for two seconds before we all want his attention and love.  I am so grateful for his willingness to work hard to provide for our family.  I know that I couldn't go through what he does everyday.  For one thing I would not do well having to be to work before 6am.  And I know I wouldn't do well being under the pressure he deals with at work.


Nate is my best friend and I am grateful for the support I feel from him.  His strengths are my weaknesses and we compliment each other well.  At least I think we do...I know I have many quirks that drive him crazy:).  I love that I have a best friend to turn to for anything.

Love you Buddy!!!

Day 2...

 My Sweet Cambri

I know it may seem a little cliche to go through each of my family members while doing this gratitude journal but let's be honest they are my pride and joy.  And I am oh so grateful for each one of them.  So yes tomorrow it won't be a surprise who I blog about. 

Being so close to my due date right now sure has made me think back to when I was pregnant for the first time and waiting to go into labor.  All of my pregnancies have been unique and special in their own way but it is hard to top the feelings I had the first time.  I wish I could go back to those first few days of being a new mom.  Holding Cambri for the first time fulfilled so many of my dreams.

Cambri is so much like me it is scary.  It has made it fun in so many ways, yet very challenging in others.  I know she and I will always be buddies but I think we will have the ability to drive each other crazy as well:)

Yesterday I told Cambri and Sadie that they had to clean up the toys they were playing with before I would get the markers and crayons out for them.  Cambri wasn't too excited about the idea.  After me telling her 5 or 6 times that I wasn't going to get anything else out until the mess was cleaned up she said to me, "I can't clean the whole house!  You're the mom, you do it!"  I just had to laugh at the little stinker.  Cambri's dramatic ways keep us entertained:)

Cambri really is such a good girl.  She likes to keep the rules and loves knowing she has made her mom and dad proud.  I am grateful for her sweet little soul.   

Love you Cam!!!

So Grateful!...

I know I am a few days late getting started but I wanted to join the crowd in taking time and recognizing my blessings everyday this month.  I will make up for the days I missed throughout the week. 

Day 1-

I am so very grateful for Sadie

I start with her today because she was the first one awake in our house this morning and her cheerful disposition started the day off just right (not always the case with this little gal.  She is more of a night owl).  Nate had to work this morning so I was in bed by myself when she woke up.  She crawled right into bed and said over and over again, "I love my mom".  Can't be mad about an early wake up call when it is followed with such sweetness.  Sadie also gave me a good 10 minutes of cuddle time before we got up to get breakfast.  She has never been my cuddle bug so I cherish any time she willingly snuggles me.  

I love the stage Sadie is at right now.  There are days I wish she could stay 2 forever (even though her sleep habits are less than desirable).  I count my blessings everyday that I get to be her mom.    

TODAY...

1.  I lived off 5 hours of very sketchy sleep.  Partly because I was having a hard time sleeping and partly because little miss Sadie woke up at 3:30am thinking it was time to play.  She brought a book to me and wanted to read it.  I sure hope baby brother is a better sleeper than his sister or I just may die.

2.  I taught my last group exercise class until after this baby is born.  I was really hoping to teach until the end but this last week my body decided it was done.  I have so many contractions I can hardly move and every muscle that is involved in holding this baby up feels like it will tear any minute.  I  am looking forward to being able to exercise without a gigantic belly. 

3.  I did manage to get down on my hands and knees and scrub the kitchen floor.  If I am lucky I will find the energy to scrub the bathroom tomorrow.   

4.  I fed my family hotdogs for dinner.  Ketchup counted as the veggie for the night.  Healthy gourmet cooking at its best:).  I am sure my husband was very impressed.  When I asked Cambri if she wanted a hotdog she said, "no I am saving room for all the candy I will get tonight."  And because I am such an awesome mom I didn't make her eat dinner.  I am pretty much a pushover the last month of pregnancy because I have no energy to spare.  

5.  We enjoyed some family time at the YMCA Halloween party and the ward Trunk-or-Treat.  This was Halloween party #3and4 and I am pretty sure we are candied out.  My girls have loved dressing up this year.  I love how magical it is for them.

(When the cats away, the mice will play...Here Sadie is wearing Cambri's Halloween costume since she was at a friend's house for a playdate.)

6.  Sadie insisted all day that the toilet paper was in "time-out" and was very stingy with it.  You had to get permission before using it or you would get in big trouble. 

(Cambri wearing her new bow I made her today.  She pretty much thought I was the coolest mom ever because I made her a bow with pink guitars on it.  I will be sad when she gets older and I am not the coolest person she knows).



7.  Cambri was coloring with markers and made the comment that lots of our markers are getting old.  I told her maybe Santa will bring us new markers and put them in our stockings.  She said she didn't think Santa would bring markers because he knows that she LOVES candy the most!:) 

8.  Is almost tomorrow and I really should head to bed. 

Enjoying the Present Moment...

 Just because she is cute:)

Sometimes I find myself making the comments, "I can't wait until..." or "It will be so much easier when..." or "When residency is over we will finally be able to..."

You get the idea.

After listening to an amazing general conference talk by President Uchtdorf (Worth reading over and over!) I was very much reminded how I need to relish in the beauty of each and every day.  And it is true, so much happens in my day that I have to be grateful for.  If I don't take time to stop and appreciate the precious moments I will miss out on the cute things my kids do and the funny things they say.  We have had some funny conversations as of late...

After asking Cambri if she was ready for her lunch she says to me, "In a minute mom.  I need to finish coloring my picture.  I can't do both things at once.  I am NOT superwoman."

She may or may not have heard me say this to her a time or two:).

Sadie loves to play a game where she will line a bunch of toys up on the tv stand and then say, "Want momma?"  I then tell her I want noodles or cookies or milk....She will give me something and say again, "Want momma?"  After doing this a few times I told her I wanted to go to bed and she promptly replied, "Noooooooooo" and laughed.  

Sadie has never been the best sleeper and lately her nap has been making it so she doesn't go to bed at night until 10 or 11pm.  She and I have been spending a lot of quality time together at night.  As much as I wish I had my alone time before going to bed it has been fun to enjoy some one on one time with her.  

A couple days ago Cambri said to me- "Mom I can't wait to be a mom when I get bigger."

Me- "Being a mom is pretty cool.  Guess why I love being a mom?"

C- "Because you love us so much."

C- "Mom I love you more than spaghetti and cookies"

M- "Wow that is a lot.  Do you love me more than pumpkin rolls?"

C- (after a long pause)..."I really love pumpkin rolls."

I don't blame the girl, pumpkin rolls are delicious.

Cambri came to me holding one of her babies.  She says to me, "Mom my baby was just born."

Me- "She is so cute!"

C- "I went to the store and looked down and my belly wasn't big anymore.  I looked over on the couch and my baby was just laying there!"

C- "Sometimes she would push on my bladder and make me have to go to the bathroom all the time."

She has obviously picked up on my many, many, many trips to the bathroom throughout the day.  

Helping daddy build a table in the garage.

 

The other thing I know I need to be better at is making time for my husband and making sure we spend quality time together.  Sometimes after a long day we are both exhausted and it is easy to neglect our relationship.  Nate leaves the house by 5:30 every morning and his return time is always a mystery.  When he gets home the girls are all over him.  We have to be very deliberate about planning our date nights or it is easy to let them pass by the wayside.  Never ever do I want him to feel like he isn't important to me.  

I love my little family and know I am so blessed to have them.

Be sure to check out the following post too.  Lots of cute Halloween pics:)