Random Katelee

This is a little old, but too cute not to put on here.

Katelee was fired up and we had been wrestling a bit. She ran over and got her brothers Spider man Cap and put it on and was acting like a monster in it. It was so funny I had to record it, but you know when you record something with kids in it, it never comes out quite as cute... But it will do!

(Sorry for my breathing, guess I was a little out of breath from wrestling!)

Letters to Santa

Chris had finals for a whole week which left me and the kids at home at night alone quite a bit. I tried to come up with as many activities as I could to keep all three of us sane. One of these activities was to write letters to Santa. I laugh to myself as I think of writing these letters when I was younger. We would be so specific as to what item we wanted, what page it was on and in what catalog, just in case Santa wasn't exactly sure! Since the kids can't quite 'write' a letter I told them to draw what they wanted. Ethan's letter involved two huge circles which were tires for the big truck he wanted and some other crazy lines and scribbles that was a trailer. Katelee's was a bunch of tight little scribbles which were baby dolls! When we were done I put the letters in an envelope and took it to work the next day to mail off to Santa! I love how they are both so intent on their letters! Oh how I love these kids and their Christmas excitement!

2010 Christmas Tree Decorating

December 13, 2010

For family home evening one Monday we put up our tree and decorated it. I have such fond memories of decorating our tree growing up I want my kids to have those as well. We cheat by having a fake tree that is already lighted, but I think they get the point. (Although putting the lights on a Pinion Pine hurts like crazy and I think all kids should experience it at least one time!) Ethan and Katelee were so excited this year and were actually pretty good at it. My parents were there as well as Grandma Nelson. We ate dinner and then let the decorating begin....Katelee did pretty good most of the time. Many ornaments I handed her were not good enough for her and she would demand other ones, but she put them on the tree pretty well!
Ethan was pretty particular about where his ornaments went and loved hanging up the sports ones! All boy, he is!

We had a pretty good system this year. We let the kids put theirs where they wanted and Chris and I put ours up higher where the kids couldn't reach. Our tree is a bit lopsided with a majority of the decorations towards the bottom, but the bottom is bigger and needs more, right?

Then staying true to our tradition, Daddy held the kids up so they could put up the star. I'm not sure how he is going to do this next year, but it should be fun and scary all at the same time!

Side story: Ethan helped me put up the icicles and would ask for either red or silver. I thought that was funny, until he showed me his decorations. He had been placing them in order on ONE branch at the back of the tree. Poor branch was pretty weighed down, but he was sure proud. About a week later this poor little branch had even more ornaments on it, as they magically would move to this location! Silly kid!

And here is our family picture in front of our decorated tree. Guess you can't really see the tree, but the star looks good and we are all smiling so I'd say it was successful!

After decorating our tree, our house was filled with the excited spirit of Christmas! Funny how one tree full of lights and ornaments can do that to everyone in the house!

Hilary, Did You Know?

With the Christmas season comes Christmas music on the radio. It usually drives me crazy, but I have been listening to a different channel that plays the non-traditional Christmas songs. This has been good for me, because honestly the typical, commercial Christmas songs drive me crazy. Call me a Scrooge, but there are only so many times in my lifetime that I can hear a song and enjoy it. Anyways back to the point of the post. There have been about three different songs this year that I've heard at work and been lost in thought about the lyrics. These three songs are: Breath of Heaven, Mary Did You Know and Joseph's Lullaby. Just a few lines from these songs that I really enjoy and have pondered on are:

Breath of Heaven

I am frightened by the load I bear in a world as cold as stone.

I guess being pregnant during this season has given me a bit of a different prospective on Mary and what went on. Being pregnant with this baby and with Katelee and Ethan I often wondered, "how are we going to raise these kids in this crazy messed up world?" This song kinda gives me renewed energy and hope that perhaps Mary had some of the same questions and concerns I do clear back then. Being a Mother is a load I could have never imagined before having kids. It's amazing how when you have that first child you can literally feel the weight of your responsibility settle on your shoulders.

Be with me, be with me now

Breath of Heaven hold me together, be forever near me

I often pray that I might be worthy of having the spirit with me at all times. Even if it is something simple like keeping my patience when the kids wont stop jumping on their beds instead of sleeping. I know it's possible to have his help in all things, it's just hard sometimes to realize or remember that he can help with the simplest of things as well.

Do you wonder as you watch my face if a wiser one should have had my place?

I have been blessed with two beautiful children (so far) of our Heavenly Father and I often wonder after I have done something not so Christlike if he is looking at me thinking, "Oh come on Hilary, you are so much better than this, teach my children better!" Although I'm pretty sure he expects more of me, I feel like he is overall pleased with most of the stuff I do...

You have come and chosen me now to carry your son.

Mary was chosen to carry the Savior of the world. What was I chosen to carry? I was chosen to carry the future leaders of the church, world, missionaries, examples and Mothers and Fathers of my grandchildren. That to me is a pretty big responsibility and should not be taken lightly.

Joseph's Lullaby

Go to sleep my Son This manger for your bed You have a long road before You Rest Your little head

Joseph, oh Joseph, where do I start. What a humble man. What a great guy. He didn't have to accept Mary and baby Jesus. But he did and he raised Jesus as his own child. Passing on his knowledge and talents to him. I can't help but feel a sense of love for Joseph as I think of him holding this precious baby in his arms and singing to him, kissing him and watching him fall asleep.

I believe the glory of Heaven Is lying in my arms tonight Lord, I ask that He for just this moment Simply be my child

Joseph was a spiritual man, he had seen an angel and knew that one day Jesus would carry the load of this world on his shoulders. I'm sure he shared in Mary's stress and anguish over these thoughts as he saw Jesus grow. I'm sure he often begged in prayer that his son could just be a normal boy.. What parent wouldn't?

Go to sleep my Son Baby, close Your eyes Soon enough You'll save the day But for now, dear Child of mine Oh my Jesus, Sleep tight

These lyrics are so sweet to me I just had to include them. My mother often told us as kids to stop growing up, to stay the age we were forever. I'm sure Mary and Joseph felt this same way because they knew that all too soon Jesus would be grown and carry a load they could not imagine!

Mary Did You Know

Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new? This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.

I can't help but relate this song to me directly. "Hilary did you know that your children will come to make you new? That your children will come and change who you are FOREVER? Did you know that you delivering them will make you into who you were meant to be?" I had no clue, honestly, that my children could change me so much. Because I am a mother I feel closer to that person I'd like to be when I meet my Maker again. Because of my children I understand feelings I never knew I could or even ones I never knew existed. So although my children are not the Savior of Mankind, they have still saved me and made me into a better person and I will owe them for the rest of my life and into eternity!

Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod? And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.

This one is easier to picture when they are so fresh from Heaven, when they are hours or even weeks old... But no matter their age they all came from the same place. They all walked where angels walked, they have all been kissed by their Father in Heaven!

How grateful I am for the moments I have been given to really listen to these songs and ponder on them. They have given me a new resolve for my own life and motherhood! How grateful I am for Mary, for being such a virtuous girl, for being willing to accept this challenge and for raising our Savior in a manner pleasing to our Father in Heaven. How thankful I am for Joseph, for taking this responsibility on and taking care of both Mary and Jesus. I'm thankful for my savior, for his humble entrance into this world and his profound exit. I'm grateful for the Shepard's and wise man that sought him out and set the example of constantly following the light until we see our Savior face to face! How thankful I am for this season where we get to spend a little extra time thinking of Christ!

30 Weeks

(This is a shirt my sister is letting me borrow... She wore this at 9 months, not sure it will stretch that far for me...)So I am officially 30 weeks, which means exactly 7 months! Woo Hoo! I cannot believe how fast it has flown by, well after the first 12 weeks that is! Things are still going great. I feel great, I'm not too uncomfy and I'm sleeping well. (Unless it's a night the kids decide not to sleep well, but pregnancy has nothing to do with that one!) I stopped running per my SPT (student of physical therapy), Christopher Nelson. I have been having an interesting pain in my upper thigh that he is convinced is from using new muscles from the way I'm waddling now and also my increased weight! So I now just walk on the treadmill, at a more rapid speed. I find walking to be more enjoyable, but I think it's just because I actually get to read instead of just listen to my music. I feel some what productive and don't get so bored while I read! Katelee and Ethan are still VERY excited about baby Ashlee and I can't say I feel any different then they do. Katelee loves to see my belly, kiss my belly and pat (slap) my belly. Ethan loves up on my belly all the time and I'm pretty sure this baby will be quite familiar with their voices when she finally gets out. Just a few random and unimportant facts about this pregnancy:

1. Baby Ashlee loves the right side of my belly. My other kids did as well, but not as obvious as this one! I am most times very lopsided and to me it looks pretty silly. The other day at the Dr's while laying down for measurements it was very obvious where the baby was, even the Dr. made a comment.

2. I think this baby will be able to defend herself. She often will push out and I'll push back in. We'll go on like this for minutes, sometimes, and I think it's helping her prepare for her life with Ethan and Katelee!

3. With Ethan and Katelee by now I was measuring big... But with this little lady I'm measuring right on track. I'm sure me eating better, getting in normal work outs and being more active having two other kids to chase is helping that out. I also had one month with Ethan and Katelee where I gained 10-12 pounds, however the top for one month with this baby has been 4 pounds... Pretty good if you ask me.

4. There are times I forget I'm pregnant until I try to fit somewhere I can't, or look down and see my belly and remember oh yeah! I know it sounds crazy to forget I'm pregnant, it's just that I feel normal most of the time. Of course I never forget I'm pregnant when I'm waddling down the hall or climb the stairs and have to catch my breath.

5. I had a short 1-3 weeks filled with anxiety about being the mother of 3 children, but I'm feeling a little better about it. At that time the kids were taking turns being sick and getting up in the middle of the night. On top of that Chris was sick and not sleeping well and that kept me up as well. Each morning I'd wake completely exhausted and think, "How on earth am I going to get up with a newborn multiple times a night, and on top of that, how am I going to take care of Ethan and Katelee in the middle of the night if I'm with the baby???" Things have settled down a bit and I know Chris will help out, if I'd wake him up, so my anxiety has decreased a bit. Having three kids is still daunting, but I'm more excited than any other emotion now, so that is good!

6. I can eat pretty much anything I want and have no problems. This includes spicy and greasy foods. It's been great and my allergies have been very much under control while pregnant. Usually this time of year means I can't wear my contacts because my eyes get so bad, but I'm doing great!!

I know eventually I will get very uncomfortable and want this baby to come sooner than later, but for now I'm pretty good with her staying in my belly. I am very excited to see what she looks like and who she takes after more, but that is all stuff I can wait to find out!

One Day....

There are many things I have a dream of 'one day' being able to have. Most of them are simple things such as:

*Staying home with my kids and not having to work

*Having enough money to keep my hair blond

*Having a laundry room and not a laundry hallway

*Having a bedroom big enough for all of our furniture

*Having an office that doesn't have to double as a babies room

*Having a room for just toys

I wouldn't say they are too demanding, Selfish maybe, but not demanding. While I'm working on being less selfish it hasn't quite happened yet. Because one day I hope to have a garage that we can park both cars in and a room inside the house to use the treadmill. Below is what I get to look at when I decide to get on the treadmill and exercise....

I don't know what I find more exciting to stare at while running, the blank wall, the pipe thing to the right sticking out, the pipe thing in the middle sticking out, the smashed cricket half way down the wall (not visible in this picture) or the sticky note taped over the display so I don't get down when I see I have only run so many minutes, miles or my speed!

I know I should be grateful that my parents were kind enough to let me borrow their treadmill at all. It might be an old one, but it folds up and does it's job! During this time of year and since having kids it is nice to be able to go in the garage and run while the kids are in bed and/or it's dark outside. I do appreciate actually having a treadmill at my house it's just one I'd really like to have in it's own room in my house with maybe a TV to watch instead of a wall...

One positive thing to having the treadmill in the garage... Ethan loves to hang out in there with me while I do run! He gets his dad's laptop and watches videos while I run my ever growing belly crazy!!! Poor boy though, this is his set up while I run...

Don't you like the nice laptop stand (ice cooler) and his comfy rocking chair?? Not much room for anything else, but for now I guess it's just right!!!

Random Happenings

I would consider us a pretty random family. You can find some pretty interesting situation, conversations and actions take place in our life. Below are just a few of those random things!Hot Chocolate parties with Daddy. Of course Ethan wanted to do this as well, so he went and got his helmet. I think this helps him feel more manly....
Katelee enjoyed feeding us and making sure our cups were full!

The other weekend was Aviation Nation. I'm not really sure how long this has been going on but we decided we would actually try it out this year. I heard the parking was all good and it was free. I guess those are the major things that keep me from doing most things... Kinda sad, looking at it in writing, but anyways. We heading out to the race track around 9 or 9:30am... Well after waiting in line for over an hour we were finally on a bus to the base....

Here is a picture of the kids and Mommy in front of a huge Cargo plane. Katelee was super clingy for some reason and refused to let us let go of her....

And here are the kids with their daddy in front of some large plane...

I think this could have possibly been Ethan's favorite part. Does that face not say "I'm enjoying this way too much!"

The kids each got to get inside of a little training plane and I think they enjoyed that....

Cute little smile from our little lady!

We didn't stay too long but it was fun! When we asked Ethan what his favorite part was he said "riding the bus!" So basically we could have just ridden the bus and he would have been more than happy... Guess next year we will just go on Hollywood and watch the planes from there!

Ethan finally earned his bicycle by staying in his bed for a few nights. He LOVES ridding his bike and Katelee loves wearing his elbow guards and knee pads! She tries to put them on by herself and will wear them around the house, playing with her babies, cars or whatever!

Nice forced smile!

Look at this crazy kids face! He loves his bike, he feels so big on his bike and he is really good on his bike! Of course there are training wheels but he does a good job of turning and getting where he wants to go! He would ride his bike for hours on end if we let him and he especially loves riding when his dad gets his bike out and rides with him! He is able to make it up the little hill by our house all by himself and loves to come flying down it and nearly run in to a million things... But like I said he is pretty good at navigating on that thing already!

On Friday's Ethan goes to his Grandma Nelson's for the day and Katelee has gotten to spend some days with her Daddy all to herself. A few times they have come by my work to have lunch with me. I love having them at work, makes my day so great! Katelee loves to sit at my desk and draw on whatever she can... I love looking through my stuff after they leave to see what all she was able to get to. Makes me smile when I run into a piece of paper later in the day with her chicken scratch on it!

Makes my chair seem so big when she sits in it!

Have we ever told you that Katelee is quite interesting? Well she is. This is what we found her doing the other day.....

She put her brother's old helmet on, sat in the toy box and was playing the DS.

Oh and did I mention the helmet was on sideways??? Such a funny girl!

And there are some of the random things we have done so far this month! Can't wait to see what else comes up.... Never really a dull moment in the Nelson household!

October-Ethan's 4th Birthday

On October 21st Ethan turned four, in case you didn't hear me I said FOUR!!! I do not know where the last four years have gone, but I'm pretty sure it hasn't really been four!!! Anyways, on Ethan's birthday we had him open presents when he got up. Chris had the day off so he got to sleep in... He has been very excited for this birthday and was so excited to open his presents. When he came into our room that morning he came and gave me a big hug and said "It's my birthday today!" What a cutie!
This is him showing us that he really is four!

He got to open his presents and of course Katelee was there to help him out!

This boy loves the show Phineas and Ferb! I can't complain it has some pretty funny parts for adults and I don't find it completely horrible! Ethan is big into sleeping with some stuff animals so when we saw a kid in my Sister-in-laws ward with a Ferb stuff animal we knew we had to find it. We were able to find Phineas, Ferb and Agent P so he was really excited for that!

We had Ethan's party the Saturday after his b-day and of course he wanted a Phineas and Ferb cake. I searched everywhere I could to find a cake mold for them but was unsuccessful. I asked Ethan a million times what kind of cake he wanted, hoping he would change his mind, but each time it was Phineas and Ferb. So the night before I decided to give it a try.

I will not lie and say it's my best cake, but I don't think it was too bad!

We had some family and friends over for his party and he loved every minute of it. That night when he prayed he asked if he could have another birthday tomorrow! Too funny!

Here is Ethan blowing out his candle. Maddy was determined to blow them out so I strategically placed my hand over her mouth!

Ethan loved opening his gifts and wanted to play with them all right away. I still cannot believe that we have had four b-day parties for this guy, but every day I look at Ethan and think how big he is getting! This kid can be so sweet and crazy at the same time. He feels bad when he sees he has hurt you and he will quickly apologize, and then do the same thing a few minutes later! He is a great big brother, always throwing a fit when we threaten to leave Katelee somewhere because she is being so grouchy. No one can be mean to his sister, except him! He loves to read books and has his favorites at the library. He loves to give long kisses, and although I pray he gets out of this stage, I'm ok with him doing it to just me! The other day Katelee had lifted up my shirt and was talking to the baby and Ethan says, "Mom you getting Fa..., I mean, you um, you is, um you are getting, um you is, you are tall!!!" And then he walked away. I looked up at Chris and he was silently laughing, what a sweet kid. He knows I'm getting fat yet he knew it would hurt my feelings so instead he tells me I'm getting tall! Such a sweet funny moment!

Four years ago I became a mother, a job I could never have imagined would be so hard, so fun and so rewarding! How I love Ethan with all my heart, how I'm thankful his is the eldest! He tries so hard to be good, most of the time. I know he will be his sister's protector, making sure they are taken care of! He has taught Katelee so much, some of it not that great, but most of it cute! We love you Ethan and are so proud and grateful to be your parents!

September-Katelee's Birthday Party

Ok, I know it's November and I'm just getting Katelee's Birthday party up... Such is life. I am still in awe that my little girl is already 2 years old! It seriously doesn't seem like it has been two years since we brought her home! But I guess she has gotten a lot bigger than a few of the pictures below!Katelee the week she came home from the hospital! Notice from an early age she had a scowl on her face! We should have known then that she would be like she is now...Another picture from her first week home... Such a sweet little girl!Here is Katelee at her first birthday! Notice not much hair... As her mother I loved it, it meant I didn't have to do it all the time!

And here is Katelee a little before her birthday party started. She had her tiara on and a barbie. She may be the best Tom Boy I know. She loves to wrestle yet loves her dollies too! Luckily I haven't caught her wrestling her dollies yet, although I'm sure it will come.

Katelee LOVES Elmo and so when I asked her what kind of cake she wanted, of course she said Elmo. I made this same cake for Ethan's 2nd party so I felt like I was robbing her a little, but it was a whole lot easier to do than some princess one!

I just had to add this picture. I love that little smile she has when she is being nice!

Katelee did pretty good on her cake...

She did have to be changed afterwards, but that is what Birthday cakes are for, right?

Oh how we love having this little girl in our house. She is a very special girl and no matter how much I complain about her little (or large) attitude I don't think we would want her any other way. I see her as the girl that intimidates the boys and isn't afraid to speak her mind. I pray she will be a good example to her soon to be little sister! I hope she shows her how to be tough and cute all at the same time! I hope Katelee can continue to stand her ground and not back down when she has a belief in something! I have so many hopes for my little lady.... I know she will continue to make her mommy and daddy proud and fill our home with her crazy love for always!!! We love you Katelee!!!

Sunday... Lovely Sunday!!!

Sunday's are always a fun event at our house! We go to church at the oh so wonderful time of 1:00pm. This means that we have 7 long hours after the kids get up before we head out the door to church. A lot can happen in 7 long hours and boy it sure seems like it on most Sundays. Our schedule this year has gone a little something like this...

Kids get up bright and early between 6 or 7am. When they do sleep till 7 we count ourselves very lucky! Chris and I have a little system where one of us gets to sleep in on Saturday and the other on Sunday! It has been a life saver for both of us, that way we aren't so grouchy... Kids eat breakfast and then play around till 9ish. Then it's time for baths and for the other parent to get up and get going. I must say if I'm the one sleeping in I dread hearing the sound of the kids' bath running! Then it takes a good 30 minutes to get the kids bathed and dressed. Most Sunday's there is plenty of fighting and stubbornness getting this kids dressed! But we always seem to make it through. After the kids are dressed we head downstairs to let the one parent finish getting ready. The kids can play, watch baby zoo animals or whine and cry... Whatever they feel like on that particular Sunday! Most the time they look a little like this.....

If you saw my kids during this time you would only know we were going to church because of their dress... Usually their hair is still a mess because I'm not going to do it until after naps and closer to church or they would be going to church with jacked up hair as well! I don't mind when they put hats, helmets or baskets on their head because I know we can fix that later. It's when we come to lunch that I get a little stressed. (Usually by this time the other parent if finished and the other one gets their turn to clean up and get ready!) I feed my kids lunch around 10ish so that we can get them down for a nap before church. I know, many of you are thinking "are you crazy?" But I would rather them have an early nap than no nap at all.... This time for church is rough but this is how we combat it! So the kids eat their lunch of usually hot dogs and some cut up veggies and fruit. I try to get away with no ketchup or mustard just so I don't worry too much about their clothes. Sometime I get away with it, most the time I don't! But we make it work! After Lunch it is off to naps. Katelee is first. She usually goes down pretty good and then it's Ethan's turn. He gets to watch a little church show while laying on our bed. He doesn't nap as long at Katelee and it gives us parents time to finish up on ourselves and then one or both of us lays down with Ethan and we nap too. Most the time our naps are longer than Ethan's! Go Figure!!! We usually wake the kids up around 12:30 to get them "officially" ready for church. This 15 minutes seems to fly by as we get every one's hair done and bags checked and rechecked! This time is also used to fight with Katelee about not wearing her boots to church and actually getting every one's shoes on! After all that we usually end up with kids that look like this!....
Oh how I wish I had a picture of how they looked after church. It's almost like all the prep work before church has never happened at all... But at least when we get to church we look nice....

Not Just Katelee.... I guess

I guess this stripping down at night thing isn't just for Katelee! Ethan decided to join in on the fun the other night! Looks like he just wanted to sleep on his PJs like a pillow! Such a cutie doing it though!

Our Big Girl...

This post is a bit overdue, but better late than never.

About two months ago Katelee decided that she could climb out of her crib, onto the drawers and Ethan would help her down from there. We were surprised a few mornings to have Katelee come walking into our room.... It was then that we decided it was probably time to bite the bullet and move Katelee into a big girl bed. Ethan only climbed out of his crib once... I was downstairs and heard a big thud, ran upstairs to find him crying on the floor.. He never did it again! But if anyone knows Katelee you know she is a determined little girl and doesn't stop doing things just because they are scary! When we moved Ethan into a big boy bed it was great the first few nights. The first night he laid awake IN bed for over three hours, just so excited to be in a new bed... After the newness wore off he started getting out of bed ALL the time and it became a task to get him to stay in bed each night. At bedtime I dreaded putting him down because the next hour or so would be spend fighting with him about staying in his room and bed. We locked him in, gated him in and came oh so close to tying him into bed. (I was never able to find a safe way to do this, so I never felt quite comfy enough with it! :)) Because Katelee is so much more stubborn than Ethan I really dreaded a big girl bed... But one Saturday Chris moved the top bunk down for Katelee. We figured the top bunk was best because it has railing that would keep her from falling out when she tossed and turned like ALL kids do! We never expected her to stay in her bed, it was a shorter railing and thus easier to climb over... But we were prepared for the trouble we just knew was going to come our way!

To our great surprise and astonishment the first night we put Katelee in her new bed she didn't escape and to our even greater astonishment she still to this day has not gotten out of bed. In the mornings Ethan will climb into her bed and read books and mess around. He will then climb out of her bed, but she wont. She stays in there, some mornings crying, until we come and get her out of bed! She has adjusted so well I kind of regret not doing it earlier!

Amazing how you think you know a child so well and then they prove you wrong!!!

As a sidenote to these pictures. Katelee started out with a sleeper on and when we came into her room before we went to bed it was off! She may not get out of bed but the girl sure knows how to mess around while in bed. Please see picture below for another example of this....

22 Weeks....

Just a quick update on this pregnancy... I am now 22 weeks and I'm feeling great. By the end of the day I'm tired and a bit achy but really what else is new! I feel that way when I'm not pregnant too! This baby seems to be a bit more active than my other two, but it could just be my memory or lack of! Every morning when I wake up I can feel this little girl moving around, probably trying to get me out of bed and when I lay down at night without fail between 10:00-10:15 she goes crazy! I know it might sound crazy but I absolutely love it! I have found myself putting my hands on my stomach just so I can feel it from both sides a lot more this time than last. I also will grab just about any ones hand and try to get them to feel her move too!

Ethan and Katelee attack my belly every night when I get home and multiple times after that. Katelee is never satisfied with my shirt and pants covering the baby and will pull my shirt up and my pants down every time just so she can touch my skin and kiss it! (She has tried this multiple times at church or in public... luckily I can usually tell when she is going to try it and I can prevent it... So far...) When I get tired of that I just have to say, "Ok, time for baby to go night night!" And Katelee will cover me back up! So cute! Ethan loves this baby so much and it is so sweet to watch him. He always hugs my belly and kisses and says "I love you baby!" The other night we were asking him if he liked the name Ashlee and he said "it's ok" then we asked if he liked Elizabeth and he said "yeah." Then a few minutes later I asked him for a hug and kiss before he went upstairs to bed. He hugged me and then kissed my belly and said, "I love you Ashlee Elizabeth!" I have been going back and forth on the name but when he said it out loud it just sounded right and I loved it more when I heard Ethan say it!!! I really think Ethan gets it, he gets that he is going to be a big brother again and he is really excited about it! It is so much fun to see him excited and so in love with this little unseen baby already! When we got the ultrasound done he couldn't get enough of seeing the baby. He would even show people that came over the pictures of him baby sister!

I can eat anything I want and usually not have any problems... I really don't have many cravings except for (and don't judge) the buffalo chicken sandwich from Hooters. It is so good and it just hits the spot... But being that I only go there for their lunch specials I haven't had one in a while! Anyways, early in pregnancy I craved or I guess it was more of, I tolerated Top Roman and Pop Corn, but now it's really just a matter of what will make the hunger go away! I have actually been exercising with this pregnancy and that feel pretty good. I'm not running nearly as far or long as I was before, but I still feel pretty good about it. Sometimes I look at my belly and think, "I'm really going to get bigger than this???" But I guess that is normal with all of us girls, we hate to see our waistlines expand... and expand and do it some more!!! :)

This pregnancy has been great and so exciting. My old(er) age has really made my focus change from the pain and annoyances that come from carrying a child to Joy and amazement... I still cannot phathom how wonderful and unbelieveable it is that my body, my inperfect body, can create a perfect human in just 9 short months! Everything from lungs, heart, liver, ears, toes and a cute little mouth are created and formed from something so small that it cannot be seen with the eye. I also find it amazing how all of these body parts work together to make blood flow, oxygen move and my baby smile... Chris will tell me little tid bits about the human body and how it all works and I am even more in ahhh!

I also find it amazing how I love this little thing inside of me with every ounce of my heart already! I love imagining what she will look like and who she will take after more and so much more! I love carrying a miracle around with me and then seeing the other ones when I get home... Oh how I love being pregnant and able to create and carry this child! Seriously the joys of motherhood don't start when the child is born but when she is conceived...

Touro White Coat Ceremony-October 17, 2010

On Sunday we had the opportunity of going to Chris' White coat Ceremony for Touro's DPT, DO and PA classes. (since Touro University is a private Jewish school pretty much all functions are held on Sunday since most of Saturday is their sabbath) Since learning about this ceremony a few months back Chris and I have had very mixed emotions. We really didn't see the use in it since his class had already began clinical's and he wasn't graduating yet... But as it got closer I guess it took on a little bit of more meaning such as, a physical milestone in Chris' schooling and something official to celebrate!

Since the Ceremony started at 3:00pm at the Bally's Event Center Chris went to the Desert Inn Ward and the kids and I went to our ward and left early to be there on time. When we finally got there after walking what seemed like miles I couldn't believe how many people were actually there already! We were able to see Chris really quick before he was rushed off to get in line. As I looked for what I felt would be the best seat for us I couldn't help but feel a little swelling in my heart for my sweet husband. This was not just some little production put on by the school, it was HUGE!!! I got a picture of the podium before it started, because believe me you could hardly see the podium from our seats. I found my in-laws who were smack dab in the middle and handed off the camera to them so they could get some better photos! They started the ceremony with all of the faculty and then the students walking in. Chris seemed so serious and I got choked up watching him walk down the aisle with his coat draped over his arm. We got his attention and he finally smiled, I think he was also choking back emotion and didn't want to crack!
This is a picture of the DPT students and the PA students. The DPT students from Chris' class are in the front row. (Chris is right in the middle, the whitest one there!) The second row is the DPT class after Chris' and the others are the PAs. As you can see the middle was a ways away and that is just where the in-laws were. The kids and my family were clear on the far left of here! I snapped some pictures from my in-laws spot and then handed off the camera and headed over to my spot so I could video tape.

I was really impressed with the speakers, they gave good talks and kept them short! Thank heavens because there were a million names to be read and a million jackets to be put on! (Ok I do exaggerate a bit, but only a bit!) Chris' class was first to be "coated." As they started reading off the names you could hear a few cheers, nothing too loud. I debated in my mind if I wanted to be the crazy wife I normally am and be loud... I contemplated how Chris would feel about it and when his name was read my instinct took over and I yelled quite loud. Needless to say I am pretty loud and it was pretty quite in that huge room and Chris heard me loud and clear as well as everyone else! I got quite a few chuckles from the crowd and the DO students, but I was one proud wife and have no shame! I must say after my loudness people started getting louder and it soon became the norm, so thanks to me people actually cheered for the people they came for!

Chris as his name was read....

Chris getting his coat put on! He put his coat on with such ease it looked natural to me! You should have seen some of these people trying to put their coats on. One girl actually just held her arms out and didn't move. Hilarious!!! After being "coated" they then took the PTs oath and I thought that was pretty cool!

After about another hour and a half of names being read and coats being put on the ceremony concluded. The kids were excited, the grandparents thrilled, me restless, the iPad relieved and Matt and Anjali already gone (they were the smart ones). The students all marched out and then we were able to go greet our hero of the day and take pictures!

These are two proud parents. Without their support I don't know where Chris would be today. They have done so much for him and for our family it's unbelievable! I can't wait for Chris to graduate so they can be even more proud of him!!!

And these are two very proud in-laws. My dad said he loves being able to "see" accomplishments and I think this was a perfect example of that. Once again I don't know where we would be without these parents as well. They help out in so many different ways I can't even begin to list them here!

And can I just tell you how proud this wife is of her husband! I am fighting back tears just typing this post. Chris has been an amazing student. Studying into the wee hours of the morning and still helping out with the kids. I'm sure he'd rather be studying more, but he is always willing to help this momma out! He does the best he can and tries the best he can to be a good student and an excellent father and husband. He truly loves to help people out and I just know he will be a great PT one day!!!.

And lastly here is our little family on the special occasion! The kids were glad to see their daddy and Katelee was anxious to get out of this place. It's funny to think that when Chris does graduate we will have an extra little body in this picture! It's really not that far away! Pretty exciting and crazy all at the same time!

Before this whole ceremony I would tell people what we were doing and just kinda shrug my shoulders about it. But after having experienced it I feel a sense of accomplishment for not only Chris but our whole family. We have so many people supporting us and encouraging us that this is a milestone for all of us! So since the white coat is full of symbolism, so is the ceremony. It symbolises accomplishment, hard work, sacrifice and more work to come for not only Chris but for our whole family! Congrats babe on getting your white coat, we love you and look forward to your graduation ceremony next!!!