Christmas Tree Extraction

The hunt for a Christmas tree this year was pretty uneventful. There was hardly any snow which made climbing the mountain easier, but dragging the tree back to the road a little harder. Moose was in heaven running around the mountains and wouldn't sit still for a photo. Grandpa took a picture just in time to get him in the shot - too bad not all of us were paying attention. We missed Stac, but i think she enjoyed the break. Soon as I left Logan with all 4 kids and the dog alone I wondered what I was thinking, but with the help of their grandparents it all seemed to work out, and Moose didn't destroy anything I am aware of so that was an added bonus.
We forgot Rhen's gloves at Grandma's, but he didn't care. He's tough like that.

Grandma always has fun puzzles and whatnot to keep the kids occupied. Rhen loved this one and played with it for quite a while, in between asking for sips of her diet dew.

Soon as Chloe gets to Grandma's they decide on a puzzle to work on. I think Chloe is a lot like Grandma - loves to read, learn new things and do puzzles. I'm excited for when she can cook like Grandma. Stacie probably is too, because then she can have a break from doing all the cooking.

This is Addie rolling her eyes at me. Dad's grinning because he is pleased he is a grandpa now and his kids rarely roll their eyes at him anymore. This won't be the last time Addie rolls her eyes at me. Love your guts Addie - she's rolling them right now.

is it quiet in here...or is it just me

Our annual christmas tree cutting tradition is a little different this year. It has to be earlier due to a wonderful wedding event of Kinsey's over thanksgiving weekend, and I won't be able to participate because of this big belly I am growing (only 5 more weeks). So Jake went to cut it down this weekend, and I must say I have a pretty awesome, generous, loving husband, he offered to take ALL the kids and the big dog too!! I have to give him a BIG thanks for letting me have some quiet time to get some crafty things done and I must say it is nice to eat a candy bar without any little hands wanting some or noses smelling what you have or ears hearing the tearing of the wrapper and wondering why they aren't getting any! (although that is nice too, just not all the time, you know what I mean moms). I miss them and it is weird to have it so quiet, but I am so glad he was willing to take them to get our christmas tree because they love that tradition. I was thinking as they were driving away how lucky I feel and how I love my family.
Meanwhile I was able to get some canvas's painted, make a quilt for my baby (whose name is still undecided (ugh)), and watch a lame movie that I fast forward most of it. (I wish I could find good movies to watch, the last two I have stopped because I couldn't take it anymore). I hopefully won't be dissappointed in the New Moon saga today, it is always good fun to be with friends and a good chick flick A?

ps I love you Jake!

money money money

We have a jar and we fill it with loose change. It was full so we decided to cash it in. It is suppose to be our savings for our new house (whenever that will come is undecided).

And the total was.... 140.00!

In mostly nickels, dimes and pennies, I 'd say that is pretty good. However the machine that cashes it in, you can have the full amount if you take a credit to Amazon, or you can give up 20% or so to get the cash. So we will just get something FUN for our family at Amazon, I don't think they sell rock or corrigated siding :).

the marashino cherry

A lot of people ask you when you are pregnant what things you crave. I usually crave a good burger and I still do, but ever since this little one was starting to grow I have wanted marashino cherry with chocolate. Never in my life have I liked these cherry treats. For many months I would see them at the checkout, chocolate covered cherries, and wanted some, but I never got them. I would tell myself what is wrong with you, you don't like them and pass them by, but yesterday I had to have them. So to my doctor who keeps asking me if I eat (I have only gained 22 pounds), and even asked me specifically what I ate that day, I had myself two bowls!!

a birds nest?

or just Rhen's hair.

Rhen has permanent nest in the back of his head because of nap time and night time but this perticular day he had ramen noodles and he placed them in his hair and they dried. It took awhile to get them out. You can't see them but they are there, hard crusty noodles stuck in that mess. His new big boy bed must just be more comfy than his crib. I laugh everytime he wakes up.

zzzzzzzzz

This is how I feel today. Last night Rhen was up for FOUR hours, crying, then playing, crying and then playing. I checked on him at first and he just wanted his cup taken away, then he played, and played and cried when I told him to sleep. Then would play and yell really loud, Daddy, Daddy. He did stay put in his bed though I have to give him that but I was alone (jake is out of town) and very frustrated. Nothing was wrong I checked to make sure, so what do you do? And little miss baby was up because I kept getting up. She was doing her excercises flipping around and around (Rhen and her must already share a bond or be partners in crime already).
Finally at 3:30 he fell asleep and one would assume he would sleep in, no no no he woke up bright and early at 7:30!!

see Rhen...not eat.

I remember just giving birth to this sweet boy and he could care less about nurishment. Well nothing has changed. Rhen still can care less about eating. I try over and over new things, a lot of food gets wasted, or thrown on the floor. He won't eat breakfast when I put him up to the table when he wakes up but he just cries and throw the food. Then two hours later he is crying and crying and will finally eat a spoon or two of something. Right now as we sit here, it being 9:30 and he was crying and whining I sit him down to the one cereal he will eat, he is taking his spoon and drawing on the table with the milk on it, he has had maybe two bites. No wonder this kid is skinny. What is a mother of the pickiest eater from birth to do.
With all this frustration of eating I remember how funny he is and how fun he is to have around and that makes up for his not eating anything. Last night I was laughing so hard because he had gotten one of Elsie's (naked ) barbie's and trying so hard to push her chest in with his two thumbs that his neck veins were about to burst and his face was as red as a beet. I wish I could get it on camera, maybe some day. Well I guess Rhen is done now he is pushing his half eaten cinnamon toast crunch away and I better grab it before I have a big mess of cereal to clean up.

BOOOWHOAHHHHHAHHHHAA

This just might be Addie last trick or treating adventure since she will turn 12 next year. She went out with a bang in her scarest costume ever!! We were all spooked by her wicked stare and her bloody teeth. (She mentioned that it is funnier when you are older because you aren't that into princesses anymore and you can be scary, she pulled that one off).
Chloe our blood sucker (which her being a vampire is ironic because it is so far from her personality). She pulled off the look of wanting your blood but she tired of blood and went out for some candy instead, draining all our neighbors of their candy. She came home and her feet hurt really bad from her trick or treating night of fun! As always after something like this she says to me, "Thank you for letting me go trick or treating"
Nobody even recognized Elsie in her costume, she pulled this scary witch off perfect. She didn't need a broom though she had so much energy she ran from house to house cackling all the way.

Once Rhen found out house gave candy he was all about this holiday. He just got back from England playing for the soccor team Manchester United, he is so good he had enough energy to go out and trick or treat for candy for the first time (although the energy might have come from the four and five candies he ate even before he got out the door)!

We had a fun halloween this year it was fun to dress up, I was the infector of the spider's since I made my belly into one big spider (unfortunatley we didn't snap a pic of that) and dress the kids up. Avery came over in her tutu, crown and wand to get her share, and she was pretty into the suckers and sucked them down to the stick and when Tal took it away, she really didn't like that very much.

We all hope you had a fun and safe Halloween!!

cord blood

I have been trying to donate my babies cord blood and made many phone calls and finally found a donation program that was able to help, so I went on their website and downloaded the enrollment form. I answered a lot of the questions until I came to the ones of immediate family cancer and disease. I stopped. I told Jake we probably weren't qualified because of Chloe's cancer. I called before I filled out anymore information and mine isn't qualified because of immediate family cancer. I was bummed out. I really feel this is important for reasons that are known, so I am going to post their website and any of you who can or know someone who wants to donate cord blood and is healthy and has no immediate family cancer, and your doctor is willing, please donate (you will also need to call them to see if the company is able to get the blood from the hospital you deliver at. Small Logan was on their list surprisingly). It doesn't cost any money and it may save a life one day.

http://www.cryo-intl.com/enroll/donating/

she is still a girl

I made another utlrasound because I wanted to make sure about a few things, including the gender :). She still is a girl, and the tech said that she is practing breathing, which means she is a happy baby. I wanted to check to see how she was doing because I was having some pain, and I didn't gain my normal amount of weight in the second tri that I usually do. Everything looks good and the pain is not associated to the placenta or baby. Ultrasounds are always hard to tell what the baby is doing, but in the first picture I posted because her arm is covering her nose and you can see she has her mommies elbows. Pointy and sharp.
This one is really hard to tell where she is at. The darker part she is folding her arm and they covers her mouth. You can see a little bit of her eye, and her nose. The folding of her arms that she is a peaceful baby fools you because she is a mover, she wouldn't stop moving for the tech, and the tech kept mentioning she wouldn't stop moving. (Elsie was this way, so she maybe another bundle of energy this one!)
I am glad I made another ultrasound, this one went how it was suppose to at 20 weeks. I was so shocked over the gender, and had to take a while to swallow she being a girl. I don't have to send back the cute bedding I bought for her or redo the room I have finished for her. Now we just wait. My 30 week apt is tommorow.