Diagnoses

Last week I was in for quite a shock. I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. This is my third baby, and since the first two were relatively uneventful I expected it to be the same this time too. I was totally unprepared for this. So many thoughts ran through my mind all at once. Mostly I have been discouraged by not being able to fully "enjoy" pregnancy by eating anything I feel like. The restrictions that I am following now are challenging, but I know that me and my baby will be better off for it. On the positive side, perhaps my weight gain will slow down, and it will be easier to lose afterwards. Another good thing has been learning so much about portion/serving sizes. I think keeping this in mind later will help me stay healthier long after this baby is born.
I have finally made peace with my new diagnoses. I can do anything for the next 6-9 weeks. I'm sure that some days will be harder than others, but I am going to try my best. I have a new found respect for all the people who deal with this everyday for their entire lives. Hopefully, my life will go back to normal after I deliver. Thanks to all of you who have already expressed your support and encouragement!

Ducks and such

I had a few pieces of old bread leftover on my counter last week, so I decided we'd go give the ducks by the library a snack. When I got up the next morning, however, the bread was gone! I had already told the kids about our trip, so I couldn't get away with just not going. Chris had apparently thrown out the bag, but luckily we had some blueberry bagels. The ducks got quite the treat that day!

Birthday, Easter, and a Wedding

The last few weeks have been a crazy flurry of activity. It all started with Chris's 30th birthday on April 1st! We took him out to Red Robin with the family to celebrate. We also had a fun party with our good friends. Chris and I had a really great time playing games and eating treats without the kids. Grandma was nice enough to volunteer for a slumber party at her house. We are very lucky to have our parents all living very close to us!

After the party, was Easter weekend. We colored our eggs, and watched conference on tv. It was a mostly laid back event, except for the fact that we were still in wedding planning mode, and Bree's fiance David had arrived. On Easter day, the kids hunted for their eggs, ate tons of candy, and then we all headed over to my parent's house for a big dinner with the family. Again there were more desserts and tons of leftover candy.

The week that followed was pure craziness. Between all the errand running, item exchanging, last minute planning, and partying every night...we were super exhausted! We went with Bree to the temple on the Thursday, which was very neat. Afterwards we all went to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner...yummm! On Friday night, us girls all went to Red Robin for fries and milkshakes. April 10th was the day of the wedding, and Bree lucked out with the weather. It was a bit chilly and windy, but no rain at all! It was great! She looked gorgeous! After some pictures at the temple, we went to Applebees for lunch, and then off to get ready for the reception. I have to say, it is so much better to be the bride, than it is to be doing all the work behind the scenes. I definitely appreciate all the work that went in to my own wedding way more now! The reception went well, and there was again tons of desserts! Don't you just feel fatter after reading about all the eating we did within this one week? I know I do. By this point I never wanted to eat again...and that is quite a statement from a preggo lady. Anyway, we weren't even done yet! On Sunday we went back to my parent's house to watch Bree and David open their gifts. We had another gigantic family meal with plenty of leftover wedding cake, cheesecake, strawberry cheesecake, and brownies. Uggg! So much food!
Then, it was time for them to head to the airport...off to LA for a fabulous cruise. I am a little jealous about that. I'd love to cruise again!
Congrats to Bree and David! Wish you the best as you start your life together!

As for me and my family...we needed a full week to recover from all that! We are only now starting to want food again. :)

Children's Museum

Today we went with friends to the Portland children's museum. We had never been before, so it was all a new adventure. The girls loved playing in the water! Grace had a great time splashing around. It's a good thing they provide aprons for the kids, or else they would have been soaked. Even I couldn't escape that area without getting a little wet.

After the water we were off to play with clay, drive a bus, explore a house, a boat, and a grocery store. I think the shopping was a highlight for Grace. She could have spent a really long time filling up her cart over and over again. By the end, she seemed to be trying to see how much she could stuff into one small cart. It's hard to say what Claire enjoyed the most. She just liked going from one area to the next and seeing new things to explore.

After what seemed like a really long day, we finally found our way back to the max station to head home. It's only 4pm, but I am about ready for bed. All that walking can really take it out of you. Overall, I think it was a successful trip. The kids had a great time!

Little Campers

The weather lately has been beautiful. Chris had been wanting to get out for a little camping for quite some time, so with a weekend of sun in the forecast, he took the girls on a one night trip. Yep, it was just dad and his girls. I was lucky enough to stay home and sleep in my own bed. I might have considered going with them, except I did have to work in the morning...

They drove up to Stub Stewart State Park and spent Friday night setting up camp, playing on the playground, going on a hike, roasting hot dogs and marshmallows. They all slept together to stay warm, and woke up to have hot chocolate and eggs for breakfast. It was another sunny day, so after packing up camp they spent more time playing outside in the woods. The girls had a great time! I think Chris would even do it again...

Cleaning helper

Last night I went out for some yummy food with friends. I didn't get home very late, but by the time I actually made it up the stairs towards my bed it was around 10:30pm. As I climbed the stairs, I knew that something was amiss....Sure enough, the girls' bathroom light was on. Chris had been home the whole time, but hadn't heard a thing. I was hoping it was because Claire had needed to use the bathroom. Unfortunately, that wasn't what was happening. There on her hands and knees was Grace. She was scrubbing EVERYTHING in the bathroom with baby wipes. On the floor next to her were "used" wipes in a giant pile. It looked like hundreds and hundreds of wipes, but since there are only 100 in a package, it must have been around 50. There were suds everywhere. The toilet seat had water and bubbles all over it. She was using shampoo to clean with. I'm not sure what I was the most surprised about, the fact that she was making a giant mess or that she didn't seem tired at all. I couldn't help but laugh after I sternly sent her back to bed. She has always been my little cleaning helper. She loves to wipe down the table after we eat and vacuum alongside me. Next time hopefully, it will be supervised cleaning! :)

A whole new world....

As many of you have already heard, we are expecting a baby boy this summer! I am still in shock. I have never been able to imagine myself as a mom of a little boy. It's funny how my mind started racing ahead several years. I was all of a sudden concerned about scouts, pinewood derby, mission, daughter-in-law, etc... Chris brought me back down to earth when he said, "how about we just worry about getting some blue PJ's." It's true, though, we are gonna need to purge our baby stuff of the frilly and pink. I guess that will be our project over the next few months.

My mom and mother-in-law were very sweet. They each bought me a newborn outfit to start my new baby wardrobe. After seeing the cute shirts, I began to feel better about it all. I can do this...