Happy Easter

March 2013

It was wonderful to celebrate Easter this year. Being at the end of March- it was still pretty cold. We took a quick picture of the kids on the porch and went right back inside! It was a beautiful Sunday and so wonderful to celebrate the resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Emily still sucks her fingers. I know this is why she was such a good baby! Now it's usually just when she's sad or tired. We should probably get working on it, but part of me thinks it's so cute.

On Saturday before Easter, we had a visit from the Easter Bunny. It was a tradition my family started when I was a girl, and we've just continued it. It's perfect- you have plenty of time to enjoy the morning and lounge around doing the treats, and then Sunday can be reserved for Jesus Christ, and the true meaning of Easter. I always love seeing the kids get so excited when they come to the living room. I love watching them find the candy and help each other with the high spots. I know this stage of life is busy- but I love it and I will be sad when the kids are too old for Easter egg hunts.

Happy 3rd Birthday Emily!

March 2013

Emily turned 3 years old on March 19th. I know you can say it with every child on every birthday, but I really can't believe she is already 3 years old. I still remember so vividly Emily as a baby- somehow that sweet, content, loving little baby has turned into a beautiful, sweet, kind-hearted preschooler. And soon to be a big sister to a baby sister of  her own. 

Emily and I spent the day together taking big brothers where they needed to go, and finishing up a couple last birthday errands & getting an ice cream cone on the way home. She got to pick out what flavor of cake and the colors of her candles. Then she helped me design a princess cake with her princess dolls. We finished decorating and getting everything ready. Then it was time to go pick up the boys.

I don't know who was more excited about the birthday- Emily or her brothers! They are all so sweet and loving to her. They can tease at times, but they love their little sister. While I was finishing wrapping a couple last presents from Grandma- they decided they wanted to entertain Emily by taking her on rides down the stairs in a sleeping bag. I know it's not the best for the carpet, but they don't do it very often and I thought it would be ok for a birthday. It definitely provided good entertainment!

We had everything ready to go, so when Daddy got home we went right into dinner-Emily chose spaghetti and meatballs, broccoli, and homemade rolls. Then it was time for the presents.  We got a few things for her- the big present from us was a little doll high chair and a vacuum. But this little girl definitely had some spoiling from all the grandparents. I thought it was funny watching the boys play with Emily and all her gifts. The favorite of the night was a food set for her kitchen from Grandma Tanner. We had cake & ice cream after presents, then Jeff and Jacob had to go to scouts & institute at the church. The rest of us just enjoyed the evening at home. I love birthdays- I love celebrating each child and making them feel special and loved. I also love that it's a family ordeal- and everyone helps the birthday child feel loved. We are so grateful for Emily- our first precious daughter. She was an angel baby and still continues to bring so much joy and happiness (and sass!) to our home!

Random March

March 2013

I had a project week one week- I was washing baby clothes, changing everyone's clothes out for sizes and seasons, labeling all my storage bins, getting the crib ready, etc. I had our old crib mattress in the living room and Matthew and Emily were running around playing in their superhero capes. The next minute I turned around, they had moved a stool over to the living room and were pretending to be flying superheroes. I know it's probably not the best activity- but they were having so much fun and being so cute together- I decided to just let them play. It was the highlight of their day.

We had some pretty good rainstorms this spring. One of the kids' favorite thing to do is put on their rainboots and coats and go out to play- one of their favorite things is building dams in the gutter. Thankfully we live on a very quiet cul-de-sac. It's fun to watch them and brings back many memories of my brothers and sisters and I playing in the rain together.

Jeff and I were out for a date one night and one of our very favorite babysitters- Ailish Black- texted us this cute picture of them together. The kids just love her and we are so glad to have her! Seriously, Emily would claim her as a sister in a second!

Our annual tradition of filling out March Madness brackets. It's always fun to sit down with the kids and help them- especially Emily. She comes up with some whoppers- but it's just fun! We usually pick a prize for the winner in the family. We all have fun keeping tabs on the brackets and occasionally watching a game or two.

During March we had some fun visitors! Greg, Amy, and baby Jason stopped in for a quick visit on their way out to North Carolina to sell for the summer. They got in pretty late on a Wednesday night and left later in the afternoon on Thursday. It was so much fun to have them here- and the kids were thrilled to have baby Jason to play with. Jacob and Caleb were bummed they still had to go to school that day, but Matthew and Emily played with Jason all morning. We just loved having the chance to visit with Greg and Amy- we don't see them nearly as much as we'd like, so it was great to have time with them.

Jeff's office had their annual bowling night. I wasn't too sure about the whole idea- being almost 38 weeks pregnant. I figured I'd just go out with the smallest ball possible and try to roll it down the lane with the least amount of effort possible. As luck would have it, I ended up rolling the high score of the night with a 145. Jeff got some joking about coming in 2nd to his pregnant wife. It was just a fun night with the office- I really love Jeff's office staff. It's a great group and we had a good time together.

Sometimes our Sundays look like this... every kid needs to build a good fort once in a while.

36 Weeks/9th Month

March 2013

I hit the 36 week mark on March 12th. It's amazing to think I'm already at the final month. We have narrowed down our names to a handful. Our favorites are: Brynlee, Courtney, Jane, Kaitlyn, and Rachel. Some are more or less popular with Jeff and I. We'll probably use Ann or Audrey as a middle name. It's just crazy to think we'll have a new baby in just 2-4 weeks. I'm due April 12th, and I'm guessing she'll come somewhere between April 7th and the 10th. Most of my babies are 2-5 days early, but each one is different so we'll see what happens.
I'm feeling great and getting a lot done. There's been a little bit of concern on the dr's part because my measurements are small. But it happens every time, I average 15 pounds a pregnancy. In fact- I've had the very same ending weight with each pregnancy. I generally hit my number and stop gaining weight at 32/33 weeks and I usually measure a few weeks behind. My babies have been sized just right though- (8lb 3oz, 6lb 6oz, 6lb 15oz, and 7lb 1oz) so we really haven't had an issue with baby size. My doctor isn't too concerned because she knows it's happened every pregnancy, but they're still going to keep an eye on it and possibly send me for an ultrasound to double check. I'll do whatever I need to do- a healthy baby is the top priority. I'm excited, Jeff is excited, and the kids are especially excited! Although I don't think Emily knows exactly what's going to hit her. :)
I also found her little going home outfit. I've been looking around the whole pregnancy, but just hadn't found anything I really loved. I finally found this cute little outfit at Kohls, and luckily they carry newborn sizes. The tiny newborn clothes are so dang cute! It's hard to imagine a baby small enough to fit in them, they usually even end up being too big! I just hope the weather starts to get better- I might need a snowsuit instead!

Caleb's 1st Grade Choir Concert

March 2013

In March, we had the chance to attend Caleb's 1st grade choir concert. I remember as a child wondering why my parents-my mom in particular- got so excited about choir concerts. As a mother, I now completely understand. There is something so fun about watching your child perform-even in the middle of a huge group of kids. Their choir teacher does a great job at incorporating musical instruments and fun activities. Caleb had a chance to play on the xylophone, and a few other instruments, as well as be a part of a fun dance that went a long with one of their songs. He and his cute little friend Avery Bechtold (a family and good friends in our ward) stood right next to each other and had a few parts together. Caleb did a wonderful job! I think his favorite part was when they all got to stand throughout the auditorium and perform a song- as luck would have it- he was right near our row. He is so great- always smiling and waving at us, no embarrassment there! Well, until I try to take some pictures of the family at the end- none of the kids care too much about that! It was a fun evening and we celebrated afterwards by going out for some ice cream.