Christmas 2017

Christmas was good despite our all having colds and feeling not the greatest. I am so thankful for a Savior who knows how we feel!

 Thanks to Daddy dancing behind the camera, the kids cooperated for this pic on Christmas Eve after church. I have to say, our kids are pretty darn cute. Before I started feeling bad, I had volunteered myself to be in charge of a joint ward choir for Christmas Eve, which I really enjoyed but which stressed me out. The choir did a great job, though, and I think everyone felt good about it.

 We enjoyed our Joseph and Mary dinner on the floor of the living room by candlelight, read Luke 2, and sang Silent Night. Amazingly, while the kids went up to change into their pajamas, the elves dropped by with new pajamas for Henry and a bathrobe for Clara and Robbie. They were a hit.

 Christmas morning! We began on Mom and Dad's bed, as always. Robbie was excited to try out his bubble tape that he got in his stocking.

 Despite not quite "getting" Christmas, Henry sure enjoyed discovering goodies in his (and other people's) stockings.

 Oh boy!

 Cool Clara was excited about the iTunes gift card that Santa gave her.

 She also got these fun slippers as well as an earring case and earrings from Nana and Bapa. We especially appreciated the photos from my parents and the Living Christ binder from Michael's parents.

Michael didn't get much for Christmas (he bought himself a renovated office and an Apple Watch :-)), but he was very thoughtful this year and remembered things I had mentioned wanting--new pearl earrings because I lost my others (sniff sniff!!!) as well as a sample of new dishes. (I had wanted to get new dishes for our fifteenth anniversary because we have lost/broken so many of our originals--I have decided to hold off for now because I'm sure the kids will just break the new ones!) He had hidden them inside a safe, which we had talked about getting (we don't have anything valuable to keep inside except for documents). I was very impressed with and grateful for his thoughtfulness.

 Our sweet neighbor, Sheryl, came over for Christmas breakfast (I made the cinnamon rolls the night before, and Michael made the breakfast casserole as well).

 We opened Christmas crackers that night at dinner--I wasn't feeling up to making a nice Christmas dinner--we ate some frozen cheeseburgers from Costco. Blech.

Cute Henry was sad he didn't get a robe, but Robbie graciously let him wear his.

Merry Christmas!

Pre-Christmas Fun

December was a rough month, but we made it through. I didn't put up all the Christmas decorations, didn't do any Christmas baking at all, and felt terrible about all that I wanted to do with the kids in terms of service, etc. but just couldn't with being morning (all-day) sick and feeling overwhelmed and tired. Still, I was grateful for the things we were able to do.

 Robbie's snowflake-making abilities significantly improved since last year, and he made lots this year. Even though the messes drive me nuts, I absolutely love that he likes to create things. One day we snuck over to our neighbor Shirley's house and decorated her door with snowflakes when she was gone.

 We enjoyed a little dusting of snow. The kids really wanted to sled in it, but it just wasn't quite deep enough.

 We played with lots of Play-doh (I did make gingerbread play-doh, which was fun). It's one of the few activities that all the kids can do and enjoy together.

 I didn't bake, but Michael did, taking the time to make gingerbread cookies with the boys. (Sadly, we never gave any out and ended up tossing them. Another fail, I guess, but I tried not to feel too badly about it.)

 Robbie was Joseph in the preschool Christmas presentation and did a smashing job.

They were all so cute! Robbie was excited to sing "Go Tell It on the Mountain" at home.

 A homeschooling friend had set up a Domino's pizza demonstration activity, which the boys really enjoyed.

 We played a lot with Magnatiles, read lots of books, watched some Christmas movies, and just basically hung out.

We did make the journey to Washington, D.C. one evening to the see the lights--this year they were spectacular. Sadly, I threw up as soon as we got home (too long without eating), but I was glad the kids got to see them.

We did do a few visits with the kids, caroling to neighbors and members of the ward, which definitely brought the spirit of Christmas into our hearts. The kids enjoyed watching the Light the World movies from the Church as well.

Baby #4

We learned the beginning of November that we are expecting another a baby! Due July 18th. At first I was very concerned that I was going to miscarry because I didn't feel any morning sickness, but it shortly thereafter kicked in and I have been miserable ever since, with morning sickness the entire day and especially in the evening. After trying one medication (Diclegis) with no improvement, I have gone back to Zofran. It is helping with the vomiting, although I still feel nausea for a lot of the day, and I have to take a second dose which I didn't have to with Henry. I have been in lots of tears, lots of lying on the couch in a fetal position, lots of wondering what I was thinking and lots of worry about how I can handle the next couple of months of morning sickness as well as the rest of pregnancy and then actually having a fourth child. I was talking with Michael in bed this morning, and I realized I am definitely operating beyond what I feel is my capacity. I am beyond my borders of comfort and ability into a realm that is overwhelming and unknown and stressful. I know I have felt stress with each birth, but


. . .

(three weeks (?) later 1/13/2018)

I thought I would keep the post I originally began writing above to remind myself that things do improve, feelings change, and outlooks brighten. Now at 13 weeks, I am still feeling morning sick (especially first thing in the morning until I take Zofran and then in the evening from about 5 to 8pm--8 is when I am in bed!), but I don't feel the overwhelming nausea and fatigue that I felt previously. I am grateful that I feel more hopeful and less fearful than I did in the first weeks of pregnancy. I am especially grateful for Michael, who has done so much to help me--cleaning up the kitchen after I am in bed, helping Clara with homework and putting her to bed, putting the boys down, helping cook when he can, etc. etc. (these are things he has always done, but the past couple of months has been a definite increase!!).

At my twelve-week appointment, the midwife couldn't hear the heartbeat (which of course was a bit nervewracking), so I got to have another ultrasound.

Everything looks good, and I was grateful to have an excuse to catch a glimpse of the baby, wiggling and moving at just a few inches long. So incredible.

I have very mixed feelings about boy or girl--I am just glad I don't have to decide! We won't find out until March.

Michael's birthday and Thanksgiving at Williamsburg

For Thanksgiving this year, we decided to take a couple of days and go down to Williamsburg with the kids. It was a pretty stressful time with the office renovation and Michael being overloaded at work, but Michael still wanted to go and so we went.

 However, the morning we left we had to celebrate Daddy's birthday with a few presents, which Robbie expertly hid for him to find.

 Not the best picture in low-light conditions, but we celebrated Michael's birthday at Chowning's Tavern that evening. It was a fun atmosphere and we enjoyed playing an old-fashioned game with dice and a number board (the name escapes me) that the server provided while we waited.

 An oral surgeon in town, Dr. Ramsey, gave Michael a dozen cupcakes from the Cupcake Company for his birthday. We brought them with us and enjoyed sampling several for his birthday that evening in the hotel. So good!

 Normally the pool is a highlight, but we only stayed briefly there because Robbie's cast (which was covered in a bread bag) made the experience a bit of a downer. The kids really enjoyed watching cartoons in bed, as always.

 The next morning we drove into Colonial Williamsburg. The gardens outside the Governor's Mansion were beautiful, even in the late fall. (Robbie took this pic of us--good job, buddy!)

 Perfect spot for a seat.

 It was fun to hear about food preparations for the mansion.

 Outside the governor's mansion. Even though it was chilly, it was clear and relatively dry.

 My favorite part was the children's area where they taught the kids how to play old-fashioned games. Didn't know that tug-of-war had been around that long.

 Stool ball was a fun game as well.

Of course we had to put the kids in the stocks (for stealing candy, Michael said). Shortly after this, Clara fell in the mud near that platform in the background and got mud all the way through her leggings onto her underwear. Poor kid! 

I failed to get a photo of dinner that night--we ended up eating at a Japanese steakhouse for dinner that evening. It was fun, although Robbie later was dismayed to realize that we didn't have any turkey on Thanksgiving! Sorry, kiddo. Maybe next year!