Father's Day Weekend

I would like to say I had wonderful plans for Anthony for Father's Day. Unfortunately that would not be the case. I am tired, hot, cranky, and yep over being pregnant. Honestly I really want to run away until I deliver and not talk to anybody or deal with anything in this house. Yes, I am being a whiner. Regardless we did have some fun. We also got a lot of work done.

Anthony had some of Friday off and while he was working Lilliana and I stayed home and cleaned the house. I mean really cleaned like I was nesting cleaning. Eli was at daycare and I can't believe how much more I can accompolish with just one child. Miss L was my mini me and wanted to help with everything. I let her help with the Dishes for the first time as the previous day she had been trying to get up to help.

Friday was a hot day and I had watermelon I needed to cut. I also knew it would help with my swelling so I cut up the watermelon only to find a little girl who sat and ate a huge amount of it on my kitchen floor while I cleaned the pantry. Silly girl loves her fruit.

After she and I took naps Anthony and I took her over to Aunt Toni's so she could swim with the other kids. They loved being in the pool.

When we got home Eli devoured watermelon too. They went through the entire watermelon in almost 2 days. I did help but they ate it non stop it seemed.

Saturday I worked and Anthony came in to town for Lunch. It was a nice surprise. Then I ran some errands. I had a few last minute things I needed for Ari and I also did Father's Day shopping.

Anthony opened his present on Saturday night as I got him some Legos and Eli and he were playing with them. Eli loves Legos as much as Anthony. They play every night now it seems. Anthony has been working in town and coming home for lunch. He asks Anthony every day when he comes over if they can play with them. It is always the first words out of his mouth and he says Legos so funny. Here is a video of him saying it.

The airplane in the video is what Anthony got for his present.

They play for hours together. The truck in the next picture Eli built pretty much by himself by following the Lego directions. He amazes me with his building skills at only 3. He did so well and is so proud of it.

Sunday we went to Church. We finally found a church I believe. I do love it there and Eli loves going too. The rest of the day was spent cleaning Anthony's and mine room. The upstairs has been a wreck from the remodel and the dumping ground for storing things. I really need to have a yard sale but it is going to have to wait a little bit. Regardless I needed a nice comfortable clean spot to rest after having Ari. With Lilliana I never really had that. With Eli we were not prepared as I never anticipated to go early. I have been determined this pregnancy would be different and I would have everything done and clean because physically I am able to this time. Thankfully I have accompolished that now. Everything is clean and my room is ready. There are a few things I could do and it would be even better but I have been cleaning so much the past week I think I am going to relax. Thanks to Anthony's help with getting all that done yesterday.

He may not have had a glamerous Father's day....secretly I think we were both hoping we would have a baby. Regardless we accompolished a lot. He is the best Dad any child could want. He loves the kids so much. His love for them amazes me. Even when I was so unsure about being pregnant again he was so excited and in love with Ari. It took me a lot to come around but his love for him has never failed even before they are born. Anthony loves when I am pregnant. Some guys do not touch and feel their children when they are in utero. That has never been Anthony. He has always poked talked and kissed them. I love it. Every single one of them has known when it was Daddy. He loves his kids and they are so blessed to have them.

My Dad

Growing up I think my Dad and I had more disagreements than agreements. There was always a "love hate relationship." He stepped in to fill a role that I needed but was not always willing to accept. He may have been my "step" dad but after a bit I realized he was more than that and from then I have just considered him my Dad. I am stubborn and opinionated. He is stubborn too just not as opinionated as I am I don't think or does not display it. It meant for many times of butting heads.

Looking back though it taught me a lot. I may not have always agreed with him but after having my own kids I realize he was just trying to protect me. For that I will always be grateful and will love him. Regardless of the ups and downs we have had even into my adulthood I am so grateful for him. I am grateful he took the time to love me and my sister and my kids even though we are not "blood." He took on a hard role and that makes him a wonderful Father.

My Dad is an amazing machinist. I am so proud of the fact he has been able to open his own business and be sucessful even while losing an eye. He was was in a freak waterski accident and lost one eye due to it. I remember going home and wondering about the uncertainty of all my parents had built in the business after his accident. He has recoverd well and I don't think you would ever know he only sees half of what everybody else sees. He has done a great many things. If there were one thing my dad is amazing it it would be perfection and precision. He measures everything exactly and has taught all of us the art of measuring twice cutting once. Probably my fondest memories were spent at the river wakeboarding, tubing, waterskiing, and enjoying family. We did this almost every weekend. I love my Dad and am so grateful for him!

 

Finally Done

I finally finished Ari's quilt today. I have been busy working on it the past week and keeping the house up. I have needed some time away from pictures, editing, blogging, and the computer really. It has been a nice break. I am glad I finished. I did have one night where my sewing machine broke and I was in tears trying to figure out how I was going to finish it. Thankfully I was able to get it fixed.

It turned out great. I have never used the machine I was using to actually quilt and realized as I started doing it it was not the best for it. Many stitches are bunched and not straight. It is something only I will probably notice or care about. It was also the first quilt I finished without my wonderful grandma's help. I can't wait to wrap Ari in it and snuggle him. I think it will be a blanket we take to the Birth Center.

More updates and pictures to come this weekend.

These Keys..........

Made me a Soccer Mom today. That is right we finally got a van. It was not the one I have been praying about but it is exactly what we need and wanted. This Van came about after looking for a while. The couple actually was not going to sell it as nobody had looked at it a month ago when they were trying to sell it. Then they got the call from us. They are Christians also and decided it was an answer to prayer. Anthony test drove it last night. I was not able to be there. He called me and we both felt really good about it. The couple was completely honest about everything and their attitude is we are keeping it if you don't want it. It was also looked at by a mechanic. It may be 10 years old and have a few spots of wear but it is perfect for us for now. They have 3 young kids so honestly I can relate. I also got leather seats which we thought I would never get. It was something I really wanted though with the kids.

So here is our "new" van.........................

Yes I am really that big and that tired! 36 weeks yesterday and we have that little boy in my stomach to thank for the upgrade in cars. I never wanted to own a mini van but after having all these care seats and young kids I realized it is just easier and economical with gas. It was never my first choice but right now it is about survival and what is easiest on me so I am loving it.

This next picture is how I really felt about the day. It was a long drive to get it plus secretary of state was a long wait and then a long drive home! I am tired! It all happened during normal nap time. The best part of this picture is Eli looking out the window. He never gets to sit in the front seat so he was super excited.

Oh and Eli LOVES the new van. He is at such a funny stage. I remember as a kid seeing radio towers and things like that as I rode in the car. It was always fascninating. I am sure I drove my mom crazy with questions about it too. Well, Eli has begun to discover such things and he gets so excited about them. Today he saw backhoes and loaders and towers and was so excited about it all. He even saw a "boat store" as he put it. All that to say the funniest thing that was said by him today was about the van. We told him this morning what we were going to do for the day. He asked, "Does it have an ABC in it?" Anthony and I just laughed because we knew exactly what he was talking about but wanted him to explain it. He insisted it was an ABC like in Aunt Toni's van. We finally explained it was a DVD player not an ABC player. It was too funny and cute.

I drove it home with no kids and as soon as we got home Eli jumped out of the other car and came over to look for that ABC player. He insisted the back controls in the back came down for a movie.

Needless to say he was a little disappointed but that is ok. We got all 3 car seats in tonight also. That is so weird. It is hard to believe in a month give or take I will have 3 munchkins in the back of my car.

Poor Anthony had to get car seats in with these monkeys bouncing off the wall excited as ever.

All in all it was a great day and the biggest thing is done from our too do list. This weekend hopefully we can finish bunk beds!!! It is the goal!

I leave you with two pictures. My kids have never done this until yesterday!!! I know every kid tries it but it just happened for the first time. They tore it apart and loved every minute of it, but I am glad it was just discovered. I can't say I enjoyed bending down reorganizing with my big stomach!

Feeling Normal

Today I am finally feeling normal. I mean as normal as a 9 month pregnant girl can feel. Today marks 1 month until my due date so I only have 6 weeks at the absolute most. That is if I go over my due date. I feel like the past week and half has been a fog. Finally I am out of it.

This weekend was the beginning of some new things for our family. I began working on Saturday. I have been doing photos but I actually went and worked for somebody. I started at the local cloth diaper store. It will be very part time, but I am excited. It was nice to get out and talk to an adult for a few hours. I also visited a good friend I have not seen in a while. We were able to get dinner and I loved catching up with her.

This entire time I have been functioning in awful pain. It is just the blood pressure medicine. Finally yesterday after having a really bad time even after sleeping and everything I called my midwives. The midwife on call graciously took time out of her Sunday to come over and check my blood pressure to make sure it was not too low, check on Ari, and check my heart etc. I could not receive better care from them and for that I will always be grateful! She also called the OB I see and they cut my medicine dosage in half. She also left me with a blood pressure cuff so I can take my blood pressure here at home to give them a better idea where I am at. So this is where we are now.

Today is the first day on half a dose and I feel so much better. I have been able to function! I can actually enjoy my kids. I have also actually gotten chores done around the house. It is so nice. I also actually took a couple pictures today. This has not happened in a couple weeks. I feel so much better. Hopefully we can continue with this. My blood pressure has also been great all day.

I have been working on diapers. I got them sorted a while back but now I am washing them. I had some issues with Lilliana's diapers and had to spend a ton of time stripping them. Long story short I now am just doing all of them so it is done.

Ari's newborn diapers are ready to be washed next.

There are a few more to add to this pile so I am waiting. They are being made.

I took a comparison picture of newborn diapers to what Lilliana is wearing now! They are sooo tiny!

Slowly but surely we are getting things done. Unfortunately we still have not found a van. I am hoping soon! We just have not found the right one yet. It has been a huge prayer request and I hope we find one soon.

I will put this disclaimer out now. The rest of these pictures are all of Lilliana. Eli has been anti camera again and so they are all of her. I always feel bad doing that but I am not forcing him to take photos.

A couple weeks ago my grandma sent the kids a box. It had a dress in it for Lilliana. She insisted on putting it on and then drug me into her room so she could put a clip in her hair. She didn't want just one though!

Silly girl. She is getting so girly!!

She also loves her dolls now and rocks them it is so cute! Here is a video of her doing that.

She also is talking so much. She now says, "Eli." It is adorable.

She also adores her brother's blocks. Today he was sleeping and she took apart his truck. Thankfully he was not upset when he woke up.

Hopefully the rest of the week goes as well as today has gone. I have several appointments and will be working but I feel so much better. I am hoping I can get some stuff done. I also am working on Ari's quilt so hopefully I will get that done soon too!

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