Free at Last, Free at Last

Hallelujah, I'm free at last! My bedresting days are officially over. I had my doctor's appointment yesterday and he released me from my housebound prison. I can't even describe how ecstatic I am. Thank you so much to all of you who offered suggestions of how to stay entertained, and especially to all of you helped out by taking the kids for me! I wanted to give a special shout out to my number 1 favorite sister (hahaha) Emily for sending me my very own Good Mail package. She sent me the hook up with several issues of my favorite celebrity tabloid magazines, as well as some conversation hearts (the candy), and some cute clothes for baby Sophie.


In retrospect, the time actually passed by pretty quickly, although each day seemed like it was a week long. The kids have pretty much been watching TV all day long for the last 2 weeks. So, we're gonna need to break that habit real soon. In other news, Ethan has finally caught on to the fun that is picking on a little sister. Grace has 3 stuffed animals that she is VERY attached to -- Doggie (a white dog), Puppy (a pink dog), and Ribbit (her stuffed frog from the Build a Bear workshop birthday outing). Ethan's new favorite thing to do is to grab one of her animals from her and then run away with it laughing maniacally the whole time. Grace gives the desired response by freaking out and chasing after him trying in vain to get it back. Its been lots of fun.

The irony is that right before going on bedrest they were actually starting to play together really well and nicely with each other and I was really excited thinking that perhaps they would continue to do so once the baby was here. I guess that was just wishful thinking. They still CAN play nicely together, but they're also at each other's throats half the time. Here is my favorite exchange from today. Ethan was doing something to bother Grace and she came crying to me and Scott saying that Ethan was bugging her, so I told her to tell him to stop. Here is what they said:

Grace -- (yelling) "Don't bug me!"

Ethan -- (yelling back) "You just can't worry about that!"

Huh? What does that even mean?

Anyway, I don't really have anything too exciting to report after my first full day back in the swing of things. However, since today I'm exactly 4 weeks away from my due date, I thought I'd follow in the footsteps of my friend Heidi and offer up a contest with actual prizes for the winners (well, as long as I know your address so I can send you something). I'll make it a 2 part contest for whoever guesses closest to the actual birth date and weight of the baby.

Now onto my reality TV commentary for the day. I know many of you out there watch American Idol. So here is my question. What is up with Paula Abdul this season? Seriously, all she does is make weird or crazy faces at the camera and she's making even less sense with her comments than usual. As far as the "talent" this year, I'm always really annoyed by all the bad singers they show. I wish they'd show more of the good singers. That being said, my early favorite is that teenage girl who was training to be an opera singer but skipped out to audition for the show. I LOVED her. I thought she was hilarious, and I hope she does well. Somehow I doubt she'll make it past the Hollywood round, but I thought she had so much personality I'm still holding out hope. Other favorites include the Jack Osborne look-alike who said he wanted to make David Hasselhof cry and the revolutionary-looking guy with the long hair and beard.

In closing I'll post a picture of how Grace utilizes her Mr. Potato Head set she got for Christmas.


That's all folks!

Bored, bored, bored

Well, folks. Here is the saga of my weekend. As most of you faithful readers know, our little bundle of joy is due at the end of next month. However, Saturday night while trying to fall asleep I start having some semi-painful contractions, which although not regular were still uncomfortable enough that it was hard to fall asleep. Well, all night long, each time I had to get up to go to the bathroom -- which is like 2 or 3 times a night these days -- I would experience the same problems with contractions and having a hard time falling asleep. By morning time I got up with the kids, mostly because I couldn't go back to sleep, and I was still continuing to have contractions which were starting to become regular -- anywhere from 3-5 minutes apart -- and slightly painful.

Now, by nature, I'm not really a worrier. This is my 3rd pregnancy, I've been having lots of Braxton-Hicks contractions for the last couple of months -- which I'd asked my doctor about and he assured me that this was normal with the more pregnancies you have -- and to be honest I really didn't think that I was experiencing true labor. I didn't want to have to go to the hospital just for them to tell me that it was false labor and to just rest and take it easy. I was also not wanting to go because I was supposed to substitute playing the piano in Relief Society, and I didn't want to let anybody down, AND most importantly I didn't want to miss Ethan's first day of Sunbeams (which was this week because we had Stake Conference last week).

So, I was just going to suck it up and at least go to church before doing anything drastic like going in to the hospital, until I started thinking about it and realized that I hadn't really felt the baby move all that much that morning. When Scott woke up and I told him what was going on, he BEING a worrier, immediately wanted me to at least call the hospital and see what they said. So, after laying down for 15 minutes to see if I felt the baby move at all, and not feeling any movement but still having contractions every few minutes, I finally gave in and called and since I'm still only at 34 weeks in the pregnancy they said to come on in for monitoring.

So, that is how we spent the rest of the day. Hooked up to monitors and being given a battery of tests and finally being put on BEDREST. Lovely. The important thing, though, is that the baby looked totally fine. Her heart rate was perfect and she was not in distress or anything, and shortly after checking in, she started moving around. However, I was still contracting -- at this point every 2-3 minutes -- and they were still a couple notches above merely uncomfortable, so they gave me 3 shots of Terbutaline (to stop the contractions) as well as a fetal Fibronectin test to determine if I was in any imminent danger of going into premature labor (the test did come back negative, so there's a 95% chance that I WON'T go into labor in the next 2 weeks) and they also did an internal exam to see if I had started to dilate at all (which I had, to a whopping 1 cm). AND they also gave me a shot of Betamethasone -- which is a steroid that is supposed to help speed up the development of the baby's lungs -- just in case.

Anyway, long story kind of short, they kept me in for the next couple of hours to continue to monitor me and the baby, and my doctor also ordered an ultrasound to check on the amniotic fluid levels. We were finally able to leave after about 6 hours with a prescription for Nifedepine (or something like that) to keep the contractions at bay -- which I was still having although they were much more irregular and no longer painful -- and instructions that I was to stay on complete BEDREST because I HAD already started to dilate. So there you have it. The reason for the title of this blog post. It has been exactly one day of bedrest and I am already bored out of my mind. Luckily Scott didn't have school today -- thank you Martin Luther King, Jr. -- so he was a huge help with the kids, along with my sister Sarah who babysat for us when we had to go back for my doctor's appointment today as well as another trip to the hospital to get the second dose of the Betamethasone shot. My doctor informed me at my appointment that he wants me to stay on bedrest for the next 2 weeks. Awesome.

So, apparently I'll need to figure out a way to "take it easy and lay down as much as possible" for the next 2 weeks with a 2 year old and a 3 year old underfoot. Its a huge blessing that we're living in the basement of Scott's parents house right now, because they've been so great about helping with the kids and making dinner, etc. but I'm already feeling SUPER guilty, and SUPER useless, and basically like a total bum. So, that kind of sucks. And seriously, laying down all day is not as fun as it sounds.

Okay, enough of that. I'm sure its been boring beyond belief to read about! I did manage to take pictures of Ethan before church yesterday so that I could at least document his first day of Sunbeams. I think he liked it. Although the classic Ethan response grandma got when she asked him about it was "It was long." And apparently he also managed to slip away from his class at one point to go back to the nursery to check on Grace. So, that's really good. He did say that they sang "Scripture Power" 2 times, which is his favorite song, so I hope that will give him a little more incentive to like Primary. He was quite adamant about not wanting to go before church started.

Here's my little Sunbeam!

Anyway, that's about all there is to report about that. Except, should I be concerned that the only Book of Mormon stories Ethan wants to read about every night are the really violent ones? It seems the only ones he knows/wants to read each night before bed are about Abinadi and King Noah burning at the stake, and Nephi cutting off Laban's head with the sword. I don't know. And then at Family Home Evening tonight when Scott was doing the lesson on reading the scriptures every day, he asked Ethan why we need to do this and Ethan's response was so that we don't kick, or scratch, or hit people, or cut people, or be mean. Hmmmmm. I guess these are good answers. But I was kind of hoping he'd focus more on positive actions like being kind, or sharing, or helping others. Oh well. He IS only 3. At least he was paying attention to the lesson which is more than I can say for our little party girl who was busy "making cookies" with her toy coins from the piggy bank she got for Christmas. Oh well. She IS only 2.

On a completely random side note, I thought I'd post some pictures of what our world looks like these days. Although these pictures were taken before Christmas, we've gotten SOOOO much snow this winter and its been so cold (hello, the high today was like 16 degrees), that this is what it still pretty much looks like from our backyard:

This is a shot of Ethan after he tripped in the snow.

Here are the kids making "snow angels."

Here is a shot of a finished snow angel.

And here is a shot showing how deep the snow is -- it was pretty much up to Grace's knees.

And one other random side note -- who else is excited for American Idol tomorrow night? Huh, huh? Go on its okay to admit it. We will be TiVoing it on Tuesday and Wednesday this week when it will be on for 2 hours each night. Yay!

Alright, folks. I'm officially done. Sorry, the text is so lengthy this time without a lot of pictures.

Oh and one final thing, since I'm going to be having so much down time for the next 2 weeks, does anyone have any suggestions for books to read, shows to watch, movies to rent, etc.? That would be fabulous! Thank you!

My 100 Things

Okay, so I've seen so many of these posts on other blogs, and I've enjoyed reading them so much, that I thought I'd think out my own list of 100 things that people may or may not know about me. Here they are!

1. I've never had braces

2. I've never broken a bone

3. I've never seen the original Star Wars movies -- and I'm okay with that

4. I had curly hair as a baby and toddler, but it straightened out as I got older. However, when I got a perm when I was about 10 or 11 the curly stayed

5. As a kid I wanted to be an Olympic gymnast

6. We used to watch the movie "Nadia" on auto-repeat when I was younger (see #5)


7. I always have wanted to be a brunette -- one day I might even be brave enough to dye my hair dark

8. I've been the same height (5' 2") since the 6th grade

9. I have double-jointed thumbs

10. I was the Mancala champion in the 7th grade

11. I've needed glasses since the 3rd grade

12. I've worn contacts since I was 12

13. I love my handwriting

14. I prefer writing things out as opposed to typing them

15. I only have 2 wisdom teeth (the bottom ones)

16. I could never go on a cruise because I'm scared of the open water

17. I'm not an animal person -- at all

18. I became our ward pianist for opening exercises when I was 11

19. I played volleyball for a year in middle school

20. I love my wedding ring


21. I took spanish for 4 years in high school -- and was kind of almost fluent for a while

22. I was nominated for "Most Likeable" and "Most Scholarly" my senior year -- and didn't win either of them

23. My favorite color is blue

24. I love to paint -- like walls and stuff

25. I have a weakness for LDS historical fiction

26. I was in the Engineering Club in High School

27. My first kiss was freshman year of college

28. I find the tribal odyssey shows on the travel channel fascinating

29. I have a strawberry birthmark on the back of my neck

30. I took violin for a year in the 2nd grade

31. I bite my nails

32. I tried out for cheerleading in the 6th grade -- and didn't make it

33. I love whole milk, but never drink it because I can feel myself getting fatter when I do

34. My favorite dessert is cheesecake

35. I hate store-bought chocolate milk

36. My feet grew a little bigger during my first pregnancy

37. My brothers and sisters called me "mouth" all growing up because I yelled so much

38. The first time I tried to hike the Y, I couldn't even make it to the top -- I wasn't used to the altitude yet


39. I've always wanted to go to San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

40. I rode the bus for all 4 years of high school

41. I would love to write and illustrate a children's book

42. I have no self-control when it comes to Quaker's Chewy Granola bars

43. I always wanted to have braces

44. I wet my pants in the 3rd grade during state testing

45. I always thought it would be cool to be left-handed -- which is why I'm really excited that Ethan is (so far)

46. I got poison ivy my senior year of high school and such a bad allergic reaction to it, that my eyes were almost swollen shut

47. I love my birthday

48. My 2nd toe is longer than my big toe

49. I sang in my high school choir my junior and senior year

50. I love cold pizza

51. I love school supplies -- Scott's first Christmas gift to me before we were even engaged was a huge Rubbermaid box filled with school supplies like cool pens, pencils, Post-It Notes, etc.

52. I am a total night owl, but of course my children are early birds

53. I love to read, and people say I'm a really fast reader

54. I'm the oldest of 7


55. I used to want a similarly large family, but after having my own kids, I don't think I could handle THAT many

56. I was an Elementary Education major -- I know, I know, very cliche

57. I taught Pre-K for a year after I got married -- right up until Ethan was born

58. Back-to-School time is one of my FAVORITE times of the year

59. I can't WAIT for my kids to start school

60. I've been married for almost 5 years -- and we'll have 3 kids by our anniversary. Crazy!







61. Although I love to read, I HATE reading out loud

62. I love doing crafty things and projects, but I often lose interest and move on to something else before I finish something

63. I'm naturally very reserved and shy -- I have to force myself to go out of my comfort zone whenever I'm in a group of people I don't know

64. Scott and I were friends before we ever started dating


65. I have a major sweet tooth -- I think it's my tragic flaw

66. I'm embarrased to admit that I'm inherently lazy

67. I wish I loved to clean, but I don't

68. Baby Sophie is due on my birthday this year -- February 28th

69. I'm already so uncomfortable that I'm really hoping she comes a week or two early

70. My favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird


71. I will never live in a place without air-conditioning ever again

72. My dream car right now is a Honda Pilot


73. I was our Branch pianist from the time it was formed (when I was 13) until I left for college

74. I love TiVo

75. I probably watch WAY too much TV, but I really love my programs!

76. My favorite smelling flower is a gardenia

77. I've never owned my own car

78. I was a Physical Science T.A. in college -- which is crazy even to me, because I'm not a science person

79. I went to BYU

80. That's where I met my husband

Homecoming 2001

81. I love a good thunderstorm

82. I used to be a kind-of fast driver, but then I got a speeding ticket a couple of years ago, and we got into a bad car accident in April, and now I'm a paranoidly slow driver

83. I am VERY loyal to our diaper brand -- Pampers

84. I hate not knowing what time it is -- I would love to have a clock on every wall, so that no matter what angle you're sitting or standing in a room, you can see what time it is

85. I grew up in New Orleans, LA

86. We lived in Springfield, OR for a little over a year after we got married

87. I love words and their meanings and learning their etymologies

88. I like buying clothes for my kids more than for myself

89. I have a Gymboree Visa solely for the 1 % reward you get every November -- and we use the Gymboree Visa for EVERYTHING (but still pay it off each month like it's a debit card)

90. I hated coconut as a kid, but really like it now

91. I love The Malt Shoppe's banana cream pie shake

92. Sometimes I wish I'd gone to a beauty school and learned how to do hair

93. The shows I watch every week (that they're on) are: House, American Idol, Gilmore Girls, Bones, America's Next Top Model, Lost, So You Think You Can Dance, The Office, and Laguna Beach. Seriously. (see #'s 74 & 75)

94. I hate scary movies and shows -- I'm always afraid they'll give me nightmares

95. I can't wait to get Lasik eye surgery someday

96. I've never voted -- Yikes!

97. Although I have naturally curly hair, I usually straighten it


98. My hair is actually a lot less curly since I've had kids

99. I wish I were taller

100. I HATE amusement park rides, they freak me out -- especially the Tilt-a-Whirl

Well, there you have it. Anybody else up to the challenge?

Here's to a new year!

To complete the saga revolving around our little escape artist, Grace, here is the final story. (Hopefully). As I mentioned in the previous post, our little cooler king has managed to break out of her pack n' play by busting all the safety pins off the blanket that was her "tent." Realizing that we would no longer be able to trap her inside, we decided to do the super nanny thing -- where you put the kid right back in bed every time they get out without talking to them or looking at them, or in any other way giving them attention. Our thinking was that since it worked for Ethan when we moved him to a bed, surely it would work for Grace. Well, let's just say that Grace is amazing. The first night, it took TWO HOURS of her climbing out of her pack n' play (laughing almost the whole time) before she wore herself out enough to fall asleep. And at nap time the next day, you can forget about her ever falling asleep. Despite the fact that she was so tired, she still climbed out of her pack n' play for an hour and a half before I decided that it wasn't worth it anymore, and we'd just put her to bed earlier that night.

Well, the next night only took an hour and a half, but at this point we were questioning at what point we should give up and just buy a real crib tent. Well, we got to that point later that night -- at 2:30 AM to be exact -- when Grace woke up and got out of the pack n' play and decided it was time to party. I woke up when I heard her, and when I went into the living room, she had turned all the lights on and was not excited about going back to bed. Fast forward an hour, and Grace was finally down for good, after crying to me saying that she wanted her "tent." The next day I was more than happy to oblige. After doing my research online the night before, I went to Babies R' Us and forked over $69.99 to buy a crib tent. Expensive, yes. But can you really put a price on a good night's sleep? The answer is NO. It took forever, but we rebuilt the crib and set the crib tent up and by nap time, our sleepy little girl was ready for bed.




All I have to say is we should have just bought this back at the end of the summer when Grace first learned how to climb out of her crib. For any of you out there who have climbing monkeys for children, I would HIGHLY recommend this product. Grace has been sleeping again for her naps, which I was NOT ready for her to give up just yet. Especially since another baby will be on the scene in just 2 months. And she falls asleep quicker at bedtime as well. We're all happy campers, now!

Grace "The Cooler King"
(5 points to those of you who catch the reference)

In other happenings, we've been sledding a few times this last week. Ethan in particular has taken a liking to it. We've had so much snow this year and its been so cold, that Rock Canyon Park was the perfect venue for a little sledding. The first time we went, however, was almost the last. Actually the first run even was almost the last. Scott took Ethan all the way to the top of the hill with Grace following to the base. Before I could get Grace out of the way, Scott started sledding down and coming WAY too fast. Well, he couldn't stop the sled because they were going so fast, and Ethan was so freaked out that he couldn't even scream, that they barreled right over Grace and completely clipped her legs out from under her and she went down hard.

Scott finally convinced them to go down again, but this time he only started a couple feet up the hill. The results were much more satisfactory to the kids. Eventually Grace got tired of slipping on ice, though, and started crying to go home. It was fun while it lasted. Here are some pictures of the fun:

Right before the crash


After picking herself up from the fall


Scott had a few wipe-outs of his own


Enjoying the ride


Finally having fun ...

And ready to go home

We're enjoying the last few days of freedom before starts back up with school next week. I do have to say that there is something to be said for being a student during Christmas time!

Well, I don't really have any other stories to tell, other than I was able to spend time with one of my best friends from college this last week! Natalie and her husband and little boy were in town for the week and we got to see them and hang out like it was old times. And even though I feel like this is a completely unflattering picture of myself, I'm gonna post it anyway!

Here we are. I can hardly believe its been almost 10 years since we were BYU freshman roommates together!

In keeping with this time of year, here are my top 3 New Year's Resolutions (in no particular order):

1. Become better at showing gratitude,
2. Develop more self-discipline, and
3. Finally get back down to my wedding weight (of course I'll have to wait until after baby Sophie makes her appearance!)

Whew! That should keep me busy for a while. Hope everyone had a happy new year's!