Baby #3 Quilt top #3

I'm sure a few of you remember the Ruffle Strip Quilt I made for Kendree.  I love that thing, but learned a few things in the process of making it purely from what I could remember of a quilt I saw in a quilt shop 4 years prior.

I decided that I love the quilt too much to not make it for this next little one as well (if she is a girl of course).  I made just one change.  Instead of roll heming the sides of each ruffle, I decided to make each ruffle a tube of fabric so there would not be any wrong sides of the fabric showing.  Each strip was 3.5" wide by the width of the fabric (44" in this case) and each ruffle was 5" wide (sewn together and flipped) by 88".

And here's the end result:

Don't worry, those edges will be trimmed.

I'm happy to be done with quilt tops for a while.  Now on to crib bumpers and crib skirts!

One other quick note if you are making this....do not iron the seam of the tubes in the middle of the back so that you are sewing through 4 layers that you then have to gather.  It was a PAIN!  Move that little seam over to one side or the other a bit and no one will see it anyway.

30 weeks

And here we are, with just 10 weeks to go (CRAZY!). I went to the doctor this week and was weighed on the scale I normally am weighed on and what do you know?  I have gained 4 pounds in the last 4 weeks, not the 10 that last week's scale reported.  That lines up just right with my scale at home and the doctor said that they are officially taking me off of "weight watch" so now my appointments should just be the normal spacing (every 2 weeks until 36 weeks and then every week after that). I've finally seen every doctor that delivers babies in the office, so at least I know that I won't have a stranger with me (although for me, I don't know that it would really matter...as long as they can get that baby out as quickly as possible).

I'm feeling really good.  I have some sciatic pain on my left side, but if I keep moving, then it is easy to forget about. I got a massage this week (thanks Ronnie for the gift card last December!) and laying on my stomach felt amazing.  You forget how much you miss it!  The massage was nothing to scoff at either.

I haven't had any swelling yet and my heartburn has also been non-existent so far.  I'm feeling like I can be ready for a little someone to come in 10 weeks, but not much sooner than that. Baby is moving all of the time and doesn't let me forget there is a person in there for long.  I'm still able to "sleep" through the night but am using pillows all around me and turning over requires me to completely wake us (which is, I think, my least favorite thing about pregnancy).

Kendree now thinks that all belly buttons are called baby and if she sees one (hers, mine, Easton's) she must see every single belly button in the house.  Luckily these little events are all happening in the privacy of our home. :)  Easton reminds me occasionally that I can't run because "you have a baby."  Our "races" have pretty much stopped and I think he has to console himself a bit since he is now winning against a lady who can't even run.

Wanna look back? 28 weeks, 26 weeks, 24 weeks, 20 weeks, 18 weeks, 16 weeks.
Pregnancy with Kendree at 30 weeks.
Pregnancy with Easton at 30 weeks.

Hanging at the Ranch

The last Saturday in August, Ronnie had some training thingy to do for Leadership Cheyenne (a program run through the Chamber of Commerce) so the kids and I headed to Laramie for a fun filled day.

We visited Sarah's new house (she moved in for the school year) and finally saw Adam and Alicia's digs as well.  Then, we loaded up to head out to one of our favorite places on earth, the Snow Flea Ranch.

I wasn't sure how the kids would do...we hadn't been to the ranch in a year!  Our cousin Alayna was there a few weeks prior and didn't enjoy some of the fun (the loud stuff like 4-wheelers, etc) and I was sure Kendree would be the same way.

After a delicious BBQ meal, we started with the fun stuff:

To say that Easton loved the Rover, 4-wheelers and go-cart would be a gross understatement. He kept all of the willing drivers VERY busy.

 Kendree didn't want to be outdone.  She would cry and scream when it was time to get off, but the entire time she was riding, she had a look on her face much like the one below...not quite happy and not quite sad.

 The go-cart was awesome, especially when it was Ad-man powered and the kids could steer. (when this thing runs it is way loud and without shocks provides a little too bumpy of a ride for the kids).

 Easton begged and begged for Jordan or Adam to push him in the "Mario Kart."  I also learned that he actually know what left and right are since he would turn the right way when Adam and Jordan shouted out commands while pushing.

 Perhaps Kendree's favorite part of the trip was the super fine dirt that exists in the pole barn (that structure behind her and Grandma.  She was COVERED in it by the time we left.  This picture just focuses on her face, but imagine that film all over her clothes as well and you get the idea.

  She also loved sitting on the 4-wheeler (this time it wasn't actually a ride, just sitting there).  Anything to keep up with brother.

We had a fantastic time and will definitely be going back often.

Easton's First Day of Preschool

We enrolled Easton in a very low-key preschool this year (which we love!) since he still has two full years before he will start Kindergarten.  He goes one day a week for three hours.  He was thrilled to take school supplies in his backpack and go to school.

Kendree enjoyed the alone time with mama (and lunch with daddy as well---shhhh! don't tell brother!).  Mama enjoyed going to the store and doctor's appointment with just one kid (albeit the one that is harder to control). :)

We are so excited for all that Easton will learn!

28 weeks

And another two weeks have passed!

A little too quickly if you ask me.  As I've entered the third trimester, it is as if my body has decided to remind me that I am pregnant on a regular basis.  Waking up to turn over in bed? Check.  Starting to walk slowly and with a slight* waddle? Check. Strangers touching my belly? Check.  Questions about how many I am going to have and how full my hands will be? Check.

Gotta love it.

In reality, I am still feeling really well.  I continue to avoid heartburn and my ankles have not started swelling (knock on wood).  I assume that the A/C we installed has quite a bit to do with that second one. At the doctor this week I gained 10 (TEN!) pounds.  The doctor was a bit confused about that one, until we all realized that I was weighed on a different scale than the one that they have used for all of my other appointments.  At home, I've gained 4...so I think the weight worry is about over.  I continue to measure right on and the baby's heartbeat and my blood pressure are good.

The kids are starting to get more excited about a baby (most likely due to the arrival of several new little ones in our ward at church).  Easton asked me today if we could get a hint about whether the baby was a boy or a girl. That one made me smile.

On the naming front, as was the case with Kendree, we have about a million boy names that we like, but are unsure which ones are our favorites (well, we both have our favorites I think, but they don't necessarily line up).  Don't worry, I'll share a few (but remember you are basically looking at our brainstorming list so we may end up with something different all together).  Here they are in alphabetical order: Brecken, Bridger, Brock, Bryson (like Br names much?), Caden and Tate**.  As for the girl names, we have names, but I have yet to have a favorite...which is so frustrating for me!  I just can't find one that I love enough to name a baby! Here's the girl brainstorming list, also in alphabetical order: Brielle, Brynlee, Brynn, Camryn, Devyn, Isabella, and Kamille***.

Suggestions are appreciated.  Seriously.  I like unique names that are easy to pronounce and while different, don't cause people to go "What the heck!?!?"  Not too much to ask, is it?

*I like to believe it is a slight waddle.  If you see me in real life, humor me.
**Ronnie really doesn't like Tate at all, but I love it so much that I leave it on there just to see if maybe, someday I can get it in there.
***Ronnie and I struggle with C and K at the beginning of girl names.  I ALWAYS favor the K, as it seems more feminine to me (though I suppose a girl named KaLee could be biased on that) and he usually favors the C.  If you see a C or a K, just know we are debating.

Wanna look back? 26 weeks, 24 weeks, 20 weeks, 18 weeks, 16 weeks.
Kendree's pregnancy at 28 weeks
Easton's pregnancy at 30 weeks