The things they say part 4

"Smoshmallows." --Dancy

"Don't wake me up." - Dancy
"Why?" - Shad
"Because I'll kiiiill you!" - Dancy, in a soft, sleepy voice while stretching

Katie keeps commenting on different animals that Samson is like. When he makes squeaky sounds while nursing he is a baby horse. When he makes hiccup sounds after eating he has a baby rooster. "And it looks like he has chicken legs!"

"Joslyn is my favorite cousin. I can pretend she's my cousin." - Dancy

"Dad what was it like when you were a teenager?" - Tommy
"Well lots of girls liked me and wanted to kiss me but I didn't know."
"And boys too?" - Dancy
"Yes."
"Did you and Levi have sex?" - Tommy
(We like to ask them where they heard words when they say things like this. Tommy heard the word sex in a YouTube video. The quote was, "Lois Lane didn't know that Clark Kent was Superman even after they had sex." The video was talking about an old Superman movie where the two were married and yet his secret identity remained secret.)

"Dad I'm getting strong because when I'm strong I can smack your nipples!" - Dancy

"Little girls in red dresses like to spin." - Dancy

"The kids got shot at the hospital! It's okay. They have Band-Aids." - Dancy

The Tunnel Ended Before We Even Knew There Was Light

Bedrest is finite! I got released from bedrest two and a half weeks ago at my follow-up OB appointment. Criteria was that I had gone nearly 3 weeks without bleeding (now over a month), and that as long as I continue without bleeding, I can slowly ease myself back into a normal life. I've been given a max weight limit of Thora (whatever she weighs is what I can lift). Yay! She and I have been having so much fun playing with, cuddling and holding each other. And Dancy is such a lightweight (probably weighs less than Thora) that I enjoy holding her too.

I got released from bedrest just a few days before my birthday, so we drove to Colorado on Thursday evening and spent the weekend there. I needed some emotional rejuvenation, and found that in fresh outdoor air, different outdoor air, and a visit to the temple. I told Shad that I wanted to prioritize the three Ts--temple, Thai and thrift--and didn't care what else did or didn't happen. We spent the night at Becky's house Thursday night. We always enjoy seeing Becky and Brandon. Becky pulled out her old toys this time (Lion King action figures and Strawberry Shortcake sets), so my little people had fun playing with those and I had fun remembering when Becky and I used to play with them.

Friday morning we did our thrift shopping and Katie had such a fun time getting to pick out her winter wardrobe and find fun colored pants to match with her shirts. She was very selective in making sure she had a variety of colors, styles and patterns ("Only one Valentine shirt, Mom!"). Then we got Thai for lunch and headed to Dan's place to eat and get the kids down for naps. We spent the rest of the day relaxing at his place, he arrived home sometime while I was in my post-lunch digestion nap. It kinda slipped our minds to tell the kids that it was my birthday. We were completely emotionally and mentally shocked when I got released from bedrest. So when they realized that morning that it was my birthday, they were surprised and a little distressed that they didn't have presents for me. I told them it was okay because their presents for me were at home, and that we just forgot to pack them. I also told them that our weekend in Colorado was for my birthday. Katie, always a quick thinker, quickly claimed that as her present to me.

Saturday Shad and I left around 8 to get to the temple for an endowment session, only to find that it had filled up early and we'd have to wait until 10. We chose to do a sealing session instead. We got some shopping done at Enchanted Grounds, our favorite game store in Denver, and Michael's craft store to buy supplies for the game we're creating, and Halloween costumes. We had a lunch date at Jerusalem Restaurant, enjoying uninterrupted conversation and eating, punctuated by occasional periods of silent chewing. Ahhhhh, those sounds! Shad and Dan took Tommy, Katie, Dancy and Ryan to a Rockies game Saturday night.

Tom and Katie reported that the game was fun, but it was long, too loud, and there weren't any cheerleaders.

I stayed behind with Thora. She and I had so much fun being alone together! She took a nap, ate Cinnamon Chex (yay, sugar!!), and watched 5 episodes of Super Why while I read Anne of the Island. She was in such a happy mood, I had to have a photo shoot with her...on my phone, which isn't great, but she is!

So happy watching her show, Super Why!

Driving home, we saw the huge moon, but were tired and achy, so we didn't stay out to watch the full blood moon super eclipse.

Further news about being off bedrest: ultrasound shows that the placenta has indeed moved away from my cervix, putting us in the clear for that situation. I felt like my belly never grew out while I was on bedrest. I still felt uncomfortable being up and about the first two days, but after that, my belly suddenly popped out, and that stretching made me feel so much more comfortable!

And a lot of people have been really sympathetic to me being on bedrest. Aside from the constant stress of wondering who was going to take care of my kids from day to day, bedrest was great! Seriously, it rocked. My body was uncomfortable any time I was up--sometimes just walking 10 feet from my bed to my toilet was too much. So staying in bed was wonderful! And I couldn't have the kids with me for too long because they'd get restless and bounce all over the bed, resulting in their eviction from my room. So I got to have short visits with them as a group, or some longer visits with them individually. Limited kid time combined with other people doing all the work of feeding, dressing and diapering, made it somewhat of a Mom-vacation. I actually got to read! Imagine that. So really, no pity party needed--I loved bedrest!

I forgot this video...

Just found this in my draft folder from June 2011:



Tommy discovered this pillow of mine yesterday. He thinks it is so fun to play with. He just laughs and laughs at it being tossed in the air or in his face. This video doesn't really depict that well because he was distracted by the camera. Still fun though.

Craftiness

Just found this post in my draft folder from December 2013:

In December, I tried out making some slippers for Tom and Katie. I wouldn't normally take time to do something like this, but we thought we were potentially going to France (loooooong story), and so I was preparing "house shoes" for the kids to wear. Anyway, here's the "No-Sew" Slippers (they do require sewing, just handstitching and not machine):

I used my fleece socks for a pattern. I cut out three pattern pieces--foot, top, and back. Then I cut two of each piece out of my fabric. I used a sweater from the thrift store.

There's the bottom, back and top piece for one slipper. I have the heels of the bottom and back facing each other.

Lay the heels on top of each other and blanket stitch using yarn.

This is the bottom and back sewn together, only at the heel.

Then I laid the top piece on top of the open bottom and back, lining it up at the toe. I continued stitching from where I ended on the side of the heel. I stitched down the foot, around the toe, up the foot, up the leg, around the top, and down the other side of the leg, finishing at the heel.

I guess I forgot to take a picture of the final piece. Dang it.

While I was sewing, Tom kept me company and built me a castle house with wood pieces.

He's a sweet boy.

He's getting better with the camera.

Blogging, I suppose?

We'll see how well this actually works and if I keep it up. It was painfully hard to write once a week for my English class a couple semesters ago, and that was for a grade. But Shad has me in the habit of writing in my journal now, so maybe it'll work better.

We got all moved into our new apartment on Friday and Saturday. Some guys from the Elders Quorum at church said they'd come help move at 6 pm on Friday. Shad and his friend Matt had already taken a truck load of boxes earlier in the day. The first people didn't show up until 6:45 to help. I was frustrated and had given up hope that anyone was coming and was about to call Jeremiah from the Singles' Branch to see if he could rope people into ditching their Friday night plans to help me. Luckily I didn't have to. More people showed up later and we worked until about 10:45, making two trips with two trucks and a couple cars. Shad and our neighbor Will moved the table and last odds and ends on Saturday while I showered at my parents' house--our shower needed Drano first, but I was too impatient.

Sunday we went to the old ward for Shad to give a talk in sacrament meeting, then to the new ward for sacrament meeting so we could find the ward clerk and get our records pulled in quickly. We all took a 3 hour nap after that and then tried to eat dinner. First time cooking in the new kitchen: FAIL:( Our kitchen consists of a fridge, sink, stove, no counters, no microwave and what few cupboards fit over those appliances. Between that and not knowing where all my kitchen supplies are yet, cooking was frustrating, messy and hazardous. I won't go into details, but I quit and gave up, being close to tears. The good news is that it can only get better!

We love our little Tommy and getting to know him. He gets his "peek eye" from Shad where his eyes stay cracked open while he sleeps.

He gets his hiccups from me--he had loud hiccups during sacrament meeting from the end of the sacrament to 5 mins before the closing hymn. He likes music and dances to it. He stops fussing when we get in the car and forgets whatever he was fussing about...unless he's hungry. He doesn't forget that and won't stop crying for the whole car ride...even 15 or 20 minutes. (He gets that from Shad.) Some days he sleeps all day and all night, only waking up when he's hungry...even when you try to wake him up. Other days he only takes 10 or 15 minute power naps. His biggest trouble in life right now is when his hand grabs a handful of hair and it hurts. So he cries and his body tenses up, causing his fist to clench tighter and his arm to pull harder. So he wails louder until somebody comes running to rescue him and pry open his fingers and he suddenly feels better. This little boy just always makes us laugh:) He likes hanging out with Dadand chillin in his swing
cuddling with Mom
working on his modeling
getting a good morning stretchand talking to his parents.He really is talking here. He makes little ET sounding grunts:)