Week in iPhotos 13

We had the perfect viewing spot at Grandpa Holland's house for the Steel Days parade--and it was shaded.  Bonus!

A little Sunday evening biking.  Here they (not me--I'm always a spectator these days.) are playing follow the leader with Sam as the leader.

 And, oh my word!  This profile could not be cuter!  

I love this little guy SO MUCH!

I had my big ultrasound today and everything looks PERFECT!  

Such a relief.  And so miraculous!

Here's a little snippet of Sam's personality.

He is seriously one of THE FUNNIEST, quick-witted people I know.

Week in iPhotos 12 and Pregnancy Update

Half way done with the pregnancy!!!

Woohoo!!!

I'm still taking a Zofran every night for nausea.  Even so, I've been extra sick the last two weeks--pretty much all day except the first 2-3 hours in the mornings.

I think it's because I'm overly tired.  I started teaching ballet again a couple weeks ago.  After 6 weeks off, my body isn't used to the extra exercise.  I'm walking 3-4 times a week but that is NOT the same as  demonstrating exercises, bending down and up to give corrections, and talking. (oh, the talking!)  I forget how much energy is expended while talking/counting loudly over the music for 2 hours.  After two weeks, however, I'm feeling more conditioned.  Good thing, because I plan to teach until I go into labor.

I'm feeling the baby move everyday.

I've really lost my appetite lately (all the extra nausea?).  The only things that sound good to eat are fruit, raw vegetables, cold cereal, and toast.

I have MAJOR food aversions.  Anything strong tasting or smelling just kills me--garlic, onions, BBQ sauce.  I hate anything with marinara sauce.  And chicken is the worst!  

I dry heave just thinking about it.

I tried to make chicken for dinner for my kids the other night.  I couldn't walk back in the kitchen until Jeff came home and cleaned up dinner.  

Why in the world, you ask, is Sam hanging on the door frame at the Ken Garff Honda dealership?

I'll tell you why.

Because Jeff and I are SO impulsive:  We decided to stop there after dinner out one night "just to see" what our trade-in value was of our 2010 Odyssey.  Well, 2 1/2 hours later, at 11:00 at night (we were the only ones there--except the nighttime cleaning crew), we drove away with a new 2012 Odyssey.  

 Isn't it beautiful?!?!

I love the new body style and the silver color.

I was kinda sad to say goodbye to my last Odyssey.  It changed my life.  ;)

You will be missed 2010 gray Odyssey.  You helped me see the light of convenience and spaciousness with my large (and growing) family.

*Sniff*

But on to a better minivan with even more bells and whistles, so I was over it in about 10 seconds.

(It's still a minivan, I know.  I've forever said goodbye to cool, but who cares?)

We had a late night party with some of the Droubay cousins this week.

We made S'mores over the fire pit and played night games.  Well, I watched the night games.

When Sam was grocery shopping with me last week he saw a toy wheelbarrow that he wanted in the worst way.  I wouldn't get it for him, but I told him he could do some extra jobs around the house to earn money to help buy it.

He's been doing odds and ends for me all week long.

Here he is vacuuming up the sand that was tracked in from outside.

He earned it!  

Look how proud he is.

Oh my goodness!  I just think he is the cutest thing ever!

More exciting news:  My sister is in the hospital as I type this having her 2nd baby--a boy!

It is the first in a string of a LOT of babies being born in my family.

I'm so excited and can't wait to see pictures.

Week in iPhotos 11

I know those are flannel Christmas pajamas.

And I know it's 100 degrees outside, but this kid refuses to sleep with covers and I turn my upstairs into an icebox at night so I can sleep.

(Oh man, my A/C bill is going to be HUGE this summer.)

I've learned the hard way that if I don't dress him warm he will climb into my bed in the middle of the night and disrupt my sleep.

Sam's usual bedtime snack:  a toast sandwich

I resorted to this the other day when I had cleaned the kitchen for the second time.

These days, I sometimes don't even have the energy to clean it once so having done it TWICE in one day was a big deal and I wanted it to stay clean for at least an hour.

I try to take a nap on the living room couch every afternoon (or at least rest for awhile and read).

Sam decided to keep me company one day and fell asleep in about 2 minutes.

Lucy and Kate riding bikes.

Sam riding his two wheeler.

I took Lucy and Sam to the Dinosaur Museum for the two-billionth time.

I call this the gastroenteritis room.  It's muggy, it's moist, one thousand kids are running their germ-ridden hands all over everything.  It's THE PERFECT environment for breeding stomach flu germs.

We wash and sanitize vigorously after playing here.

In pregnancy news:

I've totally "popped" in the last two weeks.  I'm not quite half-way done and I can tell I am well on my way to having another big, 9 lb.-ish baby boy.

Heaven help me.

This short-waisted body was not meant to carry such big babies.

I'll post a picture in a week or two.

Junior Triathlon

If you know me, you know I have an extreme fear of water.

(P.S. I almost drowned when I was 5--my uncle happened to be passing the hotel pool, saw me at the bottom of it, and jumped in to save me.  I hate water.  The end.)

I DO know how to swim.  So do my boys.  Lucy is almost there.  And Sam is learning.

I LOVE the neighborhood where I live.

We have three pools and they offer private and semi-private swim lessons.  Even the public swim lessons are a 5 students to 2 teachers ratio.  I LOVE that.  

Here are my boys in their semi-private lessons.  The teacher worked on stroke-perfection, flip turns, etc.

 A month ago, Sam couldn't stand to have his hair washed, now he can back float, doggie paddle, and finally go under water.

 I didn't get a picture of Lu in her lessons but here's a cute one of the boys waiting for her lesson to finish.

 Our awesome neighborhood also puts on fun events like this Junior Triathlon.

Lucy waiting for the swim.

Josh and Jake waiting their turn for the swim.

 Jake finishing the swim.

Josh

Lucy still waiting with her cousin, Kate.

Biking.  Go Lucy!

Go Sam, Go!

I didn't get pictures of Jake riding or running.  My kids were in all different heats and I was literally running back and forth trying to snap photos of everyone.

I was exhausted and sweating profusely by the end of it all.

Josh crossing the finish line.

 Cute little Sam.

(P.S.  We took his training wheels off soon after this race.  He can now ride training-wheel-free.)

Lucy about to cross the finish line.

I'm proud of my kids but I'm more proud of myself for not freaking out about this.

I wouldn't let my kids do this last year, mainly because I didn't want Lucy swimming across the deep part of the pool.  I have come a LONG way in my water fears.

Maybe next I will address my fear of flying.  Blah!