Morning

I could have slept longer, perhaps a lot longer. But here I am, up at 7:30 on this beautiful sunny day. I am all alone. The windows are open, the birds are chirping, the house is quiet.

It never lasts long, soon Owen will be up with his owl (who desperately needs a bath (actually, they both really need a bath)) telling me about how he slept and asking what we are going to do today. Greg will be awake making breakfast, talking about the list for the store for the afternoon BBQ. The phone will start ringing as Angie and Ben and I discuss the day's menu. There are showers to be taken, clothes to be washed, rooms to be cleaned, animals to be fed, gardens to be watered, and if time permits, some work to be done.

So for now, I will thank Porter (the dog), for waking me up as he ran around upstairs no doubt in a desperate need to be let out. It made me get up and it gave me a few minutes to enjoy the day before it begins.

Some Pictures for my Dad

My dad tends to hire people to come work on the house and then he goes out of town. Leaving me here with the workers. I am posting some pictures of the window trim so he can see what it looks like.

Owen loves having the "workers" here. He followed them around, asked them a lot of questions, carried their tools, and I am sure bothered them a bit.

Emilee said at one time, "Eric took my boys and I am getting some work done today". I replied, "Anthony, the painter, has Owen so I am getting some work done."

I amuse myself.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

I don't know what it is about them, but pancakes with chocloate chips, a little bit of butter on the top, and no syrup are tasting DELICIOUS!! At first I started out slow and ate a little one - being cautious of my gestational diabetes. After testing my blood glucose level it was fine...the next day the pancake was a little bigger...levels were still fine....the next day I ate two....levels were still fine!!!

Now I eat them freely. Any size, any number. They don't seem to affect my blood glucose at all and I love them!! The doctor knows I eat them, he was not concerned!

It is a good day when Owen wakes up and asks for pancakes!!

It doesn't take much.

I came home from a busy day at the office and sat down by Owen at the table to eat dinner. I got up to get a drink and as I was walking away Owen said, "Mom, you look pretty."

Then he said, "Mom, you always look so pretty."

A few kind words and my day took a turn for the better.

He then proceeded to tell me that he can't remember my skinny tummy, only my fat tummy.

As he was saying this to me, I realized it didn't matter, cause I was pretty.

Our Trip

I never did write about my trip to Utah to visit Emilee and the cousins. It turned out a success!!

There was no throwing up on the plane, the kids survived a 4 hour drive to St. George with minimal issues, (thank heavens for electronics), I survived swimming, we loved our hotel, I ate a lot of forbidden foods and my blood glucose levels stayed in range (that was worth celebrating), we had nice weather, we found a fun park to play at, Owen LOVED being with his cousins, I did the hearing I went to do and ultimately rejoiced in the fact that I don't practice bankruptcy law in Utah, Ryan survived being teased by Owen, and Owen survived being blamed for things he didn't do.

A little taste of what I mean:

Owen: Ryan, your name is Toadee

Ryan: I am not Toadee!

Owen: You are Toadee.

Ryan: I am not Toadee!!

Owen: You are Toadee.

Ryan: MY NAME IS RY-RY, I AM NOT TOADEE! (enter tears)

Owen: You are Toadee.

Ryan: (continued tears)..MOM, I AM RY-RY, NOT TOADEE!! crying, tears flowing.

Owen: (still remaining calm) You are Toadee.

Ryan: (yelling and crying). NO!!

You get the picture.

Ryan getting back at Owen: (or perhaps Owen's conversation was payback to Ryan, you know, it is like the chicken and the egg)

** All 4 kids were sitting at the counter eating dinner, Owen, not used to high bar stools, tips over falling backwards and hitting his head. I pick him up and hold him, kiss him and comfort him and put him back on the stool. Ryan, on the other side of the counter, starts to cry as he is eating his dinner. We ask very confused, "What is wrong?" Ryan responds with a certainty in a voice, "Owen pushed me!".

We miss the cousins and I miss my sister! Thanks for a great time!!

What Happened to My Hair?

I have been taking pictures of my ever growing belly every 4 weeks after Thursday yoga class. Now, granted the pictures are taken after yoga rather than before and they are taken on a yoga day rather than a day when I may try to have my hair done, but honestly, must I let my hair suffer so because I am pregnant?

I have had the pictures on a few different computers and finally placed them in order to be brought out to the public. I have noticed one common theme among all of them: As my belly gets bigger, my hair gets worse. My hair was styled at week 5, then it slowly begins to grow out with less and less style. There is the particularly bad day at week 20. I don't have any style here, just a tuft of hair sticking out the back.

Furthermore, I found myself wearing the same thing on week 8 and 16. Apparently my clothes get as much attention as my hair does. (This can be noted by not only the same shirt between photos, but the constant appearance of the same pants from week to week.)

(on a positive note for myself, I am still wearing the same pants in week 32 as in week 16.)

And why do I get further and further away in each picture? I will have to ask Angie that one. In the meantime, I am going shopping and scheduling a haircut.

(and if you are wondering what happened to week 12, well, I will tell you. It was a particularly stormy winter and due to inclement weather, class was canceled on week 12 photo day. Please don't ask why week 13 wouldn't suffice to make up for it. Apparently we felt if we miss the day, then the photo cannot be taken at any other time or place. This makes no sense to either of us now.)

Sick Sick Sick

Whoever invented the idea of carrying around a growing child in your stomach for 40 long weeks and did nothing to prevent the carrier from getting sick, really messed things up. People should never have to be pregnant and SICK!

Life would be so wonderful if I could carry this child around in a state of bliss, feeling better than I do not pregnant (and yes, I know there are people out there like this but I am not one of them). In rounding out to 8 weeks remaining, I have perhaps a cold? Perhaps the flu. Not sure. What I do know is that I cannot stop coughing, my throat hurts and my voice sounds like I am dying. AND let me tell you that getting sick when swine flu is out there is even WORSE.

My little friend Owen is sick along with me. We took him to the doctor yesterday and they said "it will run its course in about another week". Same news for me today. I thought I had strep - nope. Just a virus like everyone else. I had to sit in the waiting room in a panic however, everyone was wearing a mask, coughing, sniffling, talking about swine flu. People were calling and the end of the conversation I sat listening to went like this: "So you just got back from Mexico?", "Ok, and what are the symptoms." "Please hold"...."I just spoke with the nurse and she said if you have been in contact with a confirmed case then you need to come in, when you do make sure you use the back door and put on a mask before you come in."

Please let me be done before the person that returned from Mexico arrives.

So here we sit waiting for our coughs to run their course, they better hurry it along. I am not amused.