More pictures of the bebe

Brand new:

 Sleepy at the hospital:

 All dressed and ready to go home:

 Carseat:

 Eyes wide open!

We continue to love this precious baby girl.  Easton has finally figured out her name (two sisters is a lot to remember and keep straight) and Kendree, in her usual stubborn way, refuses to even try to say Devynee and instead always calls her "BABEEEE" as loud as possible.

Several favorite moments so far with the other kids:  If ever Devynee is crying, Kendree will say "It okay, BABEEEE!" over and over.  Easton is so great to try and comfort her as well and will repeat whatever I have just said to her, such as "I'll be there as soon as I put this in the fridge." Easton then says, "It's okay Devynee, mama is coming as soon as she puts something in the fridge."  In a high, baby talking voice.  It is very cute.

I'm feeling better and better each day and may even put on regular clothes tomorrow (but let's not push it).  I'm in love with our new addition and am taking advantage of the baby snuggling time more than I have in the past (or so it seems to me).

Kendree - 21 months

At 21 months Kendree...

• loves all things baby (even before her sister made an arrival).
• is forming two and three word sentences.
• takes one nap a day usually 2.5-3.5 hours.
• is a bit of a bully around younger kids.  She is used to fighting for what she wants!
• wants to sit at the big table all of the time, but unfortunately has to settle for the high chair 95% of the time still.
• tries to do exactly what her brother is doing.
• is starting to figure out how to make Easton mad.  Like really mad.  Her current favorite is to scribble over whatever he has just written/drawn on the big pad of paper on the floor.
• didn't get any new teeth this month.
• always sticks her bottom teeth in front of her top teeth when asked to smile.  It is her cheese-er face.
• throws herself on the floor when she is having a tantrum.
• seems to be getting over the biting.  Hopefully.  Oh, please, oh, please.
• loves to play with the ipod or Nintendo DS.
• will sit and read books in her room for about 30 minutes a day.
• really loves when Easton is occupied and she can play in his room all by herself.
• likes to play with play-doh.
• wants to be helping mama, and as such follows me around the house pretty much all day.

Now on to a few pictures!

The closest to a 21 month picture as I was able to get.

 These were taken at the hospital, but this expression was pretty much her thoughts about the baby at that time.

 And our smiley Kenny-girl!

More things I don't want to forget

• Ronnie thinks the cord may have been wrapped around Devynee's neck as he saw the doctor pull to see where it was when her head came out and then move pretty quickly to swing it around to the other side.  No one ever said anything to us about it (and of course we didn't think to ask about it while in the hospital) so I suppose we will never really know.
• According to the pediatrician, Devynee was about a week overdue, not a week early.  That would have put my due date around the 16th.  He said that they can usually tell based on how formed the wrinkles are on the bottom of the feet and how much their skin has started to peel on their feet as well.
• Devynee looks like Kendree when I am holding her, but occasionally a picture will make me think of Easton as a baby.
• She has one dimple on her right cheek (a trait from her Grandpa Cali).  Easton has this dimple as well, but Devynee's seems to make itself known much more often.
• Devynee and Kendree have the same nose (the one from my side of the family).
• We just love our sweet, sweet, little girl.

More pictures coming soon, I promise!

Devynee's Birth Story

As I said in the 39 week post, I was awoken by contractions at 3:30 a.m. on the 23rd.  I timed them for about an hour on the couch (bless you ipod contraction timer app) and while they were five minutes apart, they weren't painful, so I decided to go back to bed.  I slept until about 6:00 a.m. when Kendree was up for the day.  I continued to have contractions all of that morning, but they were not painful and ranged from 5-8 minutes apart. 

After the doctor's office opened at 8:00 a.m. I called to talk to a nurse about whether I should just move up my doctor's appointment for that day (I was supposed to see at doctor at 3:00 p.m.).  They told me to call back when my contractions were 3-5 minutes apart or I had to breathe through them.  Soon after that phone call, I started having to stop what I was doing when the contractions came, but they had also slowed down and were 7-10 minutes apart.  I must have had some internal knowledge that this was it (although in my head I was still convinced that they would stop at any time) as I spent the morning not cleaning my house, but instead sending all of the last minute emails I needed to send for work.

Of course all of this was taking place on the one day that I hadn't really "planned" on as far as child care.  Ronnie's parents were driving up from California and due to arrive around dinner time and I hadn't really thought beyond that. I called a few good friends to make sure I had some child care in place until someone from Laramie could make the drive over to take over.

At 11:00 a.m. the contractions were pretty consistently 7 minutes apart and I was starting to have to breathe through them, so I called the doctor's office again.  I was told to wait until they were 3-5 minutes apart.  At this point I think both kids knew something was going on, as they were following me around the house more than normal.  At one point, Kendree wanted something out of my room and I had to stop and lean on the bed to breathe through a contraction.  I looked over to see her with her hands on the mattress just like me and she was blowing air out through her mouth.  Too funny.

My friend had told me she could take the kids anytime that day except from 11:00 to a little after noon, so of course my contractions became closer together a just a bit before noon.  I called Ronnie to leave work, called my sister to leave Laramie and then called another friend to take the kids.  We dropped off the kids at about 12:20 p.m. and drove to the hospital.  Ronnie dropped me off at the door and valeted the car. I was checking into the hospital as Ronnie finished texting my sister instructions on where to pick up the kids and that was at 12:29 p.m.

They wheeled me up to the labor and delivery floor and took me to the "triage" room where they had me change into a gown and then checked my progress to see where to place me (labor room, delivery room, etc.).  The nurse who checked me asked if we had any guesses.  Ronnie guessed that I was at a 4 and I said that I wasn't going to guess, because I didn't want to be disappointed.  She then told us that I was at an 8 and asked if we were ready to have a baby.

We walked down to a delivery room where they took some blood and asked if I wanted an epidural.  I decided that since I knew that once they broke my water I would have this baby pretty darn quickly, I would do a second delivery drug free.  The pain relief just wasn't worth the extra recovery for me.

At 1:10 p.m. the doctor came in to break my water.  Immediately the contractions became very intense and I wasn't able to move at all during them.  The nurse told us to push the button when I felt like I needed to push and at 1:25 I told Ronnie to push it.

The doctor had been waiting just outside the room and immediately walked in with the nurses to deliver the baby.  I pushed through the next contraction and contrary to Kendree's birth when they made me stop pushing in between contractions, he encouraged me to continue to push and as such Devynee was born at 1:28 p.m. 

They immediately announced it was a girl and placed her on my stomach.  I immediately started crying.  She seemed very purpley-blue to me and the nurse was doing everything she could to get her to pink up.  After a minute or two of crying, they started to put the oxygen in front of her mouth to help her along.  Ronnie also cut the cord during this time. After about  five minutes, they took her to the table nearby and sucked her stomach as she had a lot of amniotic fluid still in it (apparently in non-speedy births, this fluid is automatically pushed out as the baby works its way down and Devynee had no time for that natural pushing to take place). There was no major concern as she still scored 8s and 9s on the APGAR score, but they were taking precautions. 

Soon I was snuggling my baby again as I was cleaned up.  I then took a shower and we all moved to a Mother/Baby room down the hall.  Several nurses told me what a "superstar" I was as I had delivered ahead of all of the other mothers who had arrived at the hospital before me.  It is all about winning afterall.

A quick note:
While I chose to have the drug-free birth this time, I still told Ronnie in the exact same point of labor (pushing) that "I can't do this anymore!"  Shortly after Devynee was out, I told Ronnie that I thought I remembered how bad it was with Kendree, but I didn't really remember.  I suppose that is a good thing and the reason that we as women even contemplate having other children.

Thanks for sticking with me through all of that!

And since I know you are wondering...
Kendree's Birth Story
Easton's Birth Story

It's a GIRL!

On Wednesday, November 23, 2011 we were excited to meet

Devynee Karen

7 lbs. 4 oz.

19 3/4 inches

1:28 p.m.

(And yes, we have changed her middle name.  She was born on her grandma's birthday and this did not "hit" us until later in the day....what can I say?  I just gave birth!)

You pronounce her name like the name Devin with a long "e" added onto the end.  She looks a ton like her older sister and is quite the little sweetie.

Birth story coming soon, but for now I'll let you enjoy some pictures.

 The coming home outfit.

 First family picture.

With Grandma Cali

 Grandma and Grandpa Wyo

 Sweet aunt Sarah

We had many more visitors, but these are the pictures I got...I'll need to get the rest from my mom.

And now, I'm off to sit and maybe sleep.

My Thank-imony*

I almost feel as if I can't begin to write this post, as I know right now that I will leave something or someone out and then feel terrible. 

I'm so thankful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and my membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  My testimony of my Savior is what gets me through every day.

I'm thankful for my husband and the hard work he puts in from morning 'til night providing for and caring for our family.

I'm thankful for my children, who are the lights of my life.  Being a mom is such a blessing and one that I try not to take for granted as I know so many who yearn everyday for the opportunity.

I'm thankful for a wonderful family and in-laws.  The support and love they show each day is something that can not be replaced.

I'm thankful for friendships that allow me to laugh, to cry and to be uplifted.

I'm thankful for a home, for a free country, for the little things that I know I take for granted each day.

I'm thankful for all that I am blessed with, for a truly am so blessed.

*Each month, my church has a testimony meeting where members of the congregation are encouraged to get up and share things that they know to be true, to testify of what they know and believe.  Sometimes these testimonies are less on the testifying side and more on the public thanking side, which is when I fondly refer to them as thank-imonies.

39 weeks

Well, we made it. 
I had this post all pre-written about how I haven't had any contractions, but last night I was awoken by contractions at 3:30 a.m.  I got up, drank two huge cups of water to make sure it wasn't just dehydration and timed contractions that were five minutes apart for the next hour.  Then, I decided to head back to bed and was able to fall asleep until 6:00 a.m. this morning.  I'm continuing to contract, but according to the nurses at the doctor's office, I need to wait until I have to breathe through the contractions, or until they are 3-5 minutes apart.  So, I'll continue on with my day and we shall just see.
As much as I want to just find out what this baby is already, I remember those sleepless newborn nights a little too well to want to encourage an entrance earlier than the baby is ready for.  Plus, my to-do list has grown exponentially as each day I think of something I would love to do before baby arrives.  Like organize Easton's closet or finally clean the blinds in the kid's rooms.

My exhausted body is pretty much done by about 8:00 p.m. each evening.  The kids go to bed and I'm perfectly content to sit and relax instead of looking for my next task as is my usual course of action.

The swelling is significantly different with this pregnancy than with either of the others, which I think is because I don't sit at a desk for four hours (or eight hours with Easton) a day.  I sit and do work, run after kids and do house stuff, then sit again, then rinse and repeat.  My toes still bend and I can't yet say that I have cankles.

I've had so many offers of help and support from my friends both near and far, which is so wonderful.  It is great to know that friends have your back as you are about to throw your family "normal-ness" up in the air and start all over.

I have my hospital bag packed, camera batteries charged and a list of last minute items to grab on my way out the door.  I was able to pre-register at the hospital and it was nice to walk around the floor, get a feel for everything and learn where exactly it is I need to go when it is time. I've also washed everything I can pre-wash at this point and can direct Ronnie or others on where the gender specific clothes are once we know what kind of baby we will be bringing home.  Someone joked with me the other day that I could be doubly surprised and have one of each.  Call me crazy, but it didn't seem that funny.

Ronnie and I continue to shoot each other about five emails a day with new name suggestions, but so far I don't have any to add to the list.  I still maintain that I would really like this baby to come out holding a name tag (you got that baby?). It really doesn't seem like that much to ask.

Ronnie has been so funny with this pregnancy now that I am at this point.  He will ask me multiple times a day how I am feeling and I usually respond with the normal "feeling good, no contractions."  I don't remember him ever asking with the other two kids, so I inquired as to why there was the extra concern.  He informed me that Easton was born during first semester finals of law school and his brain was already going to explode so there wasn't any room to actually worry about when the baby was coming and with Kendree the doctor gave us an induction date five days before the due date, so he didn't have time to worry.  I guess now, all of that "free time" in his brain is going to when this little one will make an appearance.  It really is so sweet.

Looking back: 38 weeks, 37 weeks, 36 weeks, 34 weeks, 32 weeks, 30 weeks, 28 weeks, 26 weeks, 24 weeks, 20 weeks, 18 weeks, 16 weeks.

Wanna Compare?
Pregnancy with Easton at 39 weeks.
Pregnancy with Kendree at 39 weeks.

One of those things

You know, one of those things that you've been meaning to do forever, but isn't really important enough to pull out the sewing machine?

I finally did one of those things this week.

I sewed one straight line....

and gained a hair straightener heat shield (man that is one official title!).

Behold.

That's right, I took a cheapy pot holder, sewed one seam and now can put my straightener away as soon as I am done using it.  No more worrying about kids pulling it down, etc.

I love projects like this.  Almost instant satisfaction.

My favorite kid...

websites and apps.

You didn't think I was going to pick a favorite out of my own kids, did you?

Websites
Notes: Easton loves playing on the computer.  I used to let him watch some Youtube.com videos, but then he got a little too good at navigating without me, so now, at my house Youtube.com is broken.  And it will stay broken for a very long time.  Now I try to keep him on websites that are educational and fun.

http://www.pbskids.org/ I suppose this one is a no brainer, but I thought I would mention that I feel like it is geared toward a little older kids, as Easton could navigate other websites (namely disneyjunior.com) way before he really got this one. Some of the show specific websites are hard for even me to find the link back to the main page, which is annoying.

www.disney.go.com/disneyjunior/ This one is easy to navigate, but also has lots of printables so you have to watch how many pages your kid prints out.

http://www.starfall.com/ Easton has only ever played on the free version, but the learning games are easy to use and he will be so excited to answer the questions about what sounds different letters make, etc.  I've heard that the pay version is fantastic, but haven't forked out the money just yet.

That is it for websites that Easton can go to.  His other favorite computer activity is to pull up folders full of pictures of him as a baby (of which there are lots, as he is the first child) and scroll through them one by one.

What sites am I missing?

Apps
Notes: All of these apps are for the ipod/iphone.  My phone is actually a droid, but after watching how my ipod touch was officially commandeered overtime by the kids (yes, Kendree can work it as well), I have not downloaded anything for them on my phone and I take the ipod with us to doctor appointments etc. and that is what they get to play with.

I'm not going to provide links for these, as I assume you'll find them through the appropriate app store.

Alphabet Car (free although my kids love it so much I paid for the upgrade)- Love the educational aspect and there are levels for even the very youngest of kids.  Plus it includes driving, which is always a plus.

Shapes by Toddler Teasers (free) - A game that lets you guess as many times as it takes to get it right, applauds and then gives the child a sticker.  A winner in so many ways.

Curious George Dictionary (free) - If your kid loves Curious George they will love scrolling through the words and pictures of this dictionary.

Make it Pop ($1.99) but oh so worth it - Love that there aren't insane ads that take the kids to the app store, and this one is one of the quietest games that my kids love.

I know I am missing lots here...please enlighten!

Success!

Saturday, we drove over to Laramie to say hi to the fam, pick up some shelving for our basement and for Ronnie to take a ride out to the ranch to see if there were any elk.

It had snowed earlier, and was pretty darn windy (I know, I know, when isn't it windy around here?) so no one (Ronnie and my dad included) thought that they would see anything.

But then, there were elk!

Elk that were close!

And Ronnie got himself a cow elk (bull season is over).  Our freezer is stocked for the winter (or will be, once we actually get the meat all cut up and in it).

Photographic evidence:

 And Easton and Ronnie with the animal (please note that even Easton's feet are as far away as he could manage).

Let's just say this has led to a lot of really fun conversations about shooting, whether people have blood like elk do, why the elk's tongue was hanging out and on and on and on.

Aren't we glad that we have these experiences for our kids to learn from? :)

My 2011 Ornament

In Ronnie's family, the women exchange handmade ornaments each year. 

It is a really fun tradition (I try to ignore the stress it causes me each year as I try to find and then make a cute ornament) and I love seeing the different ornaments that everyone comes up with.

This year I finally finished the ornaments that I started the year that Easton was born (yes, four years ago).  That year I ended up dropping out of the exchange because I felt to overwhelmed with all that was going on (little did I know how crazy busy my life would be just four years later).

They are called Paper Pine cones and I used the tutorial found here to make mine.  While they were a little time intensive, they were perfect to work on while watching television shows with Ronnie in the evening.  In fact, he was the main paper folder throughout the process!

Probably my favorite part about them is that they are light and can't really be broken so the kids can handle them with no problem.

When I don't have baby bedding to work on...

I revert to other things to keep my sanity.

Lately that "thing" has been making cards.

Christmas cards...

Thank you cards (you know, for use after upcoming birthdays and Christmas)...

As well as thank you cards for baby gifts and the like.  They'll just need a blue or pink button attached and they'll be ready to roll.

Another "to-do" off of my list...and it sure feels good!

38 weeks

And the broken record continues....

I still continue to feel really great.  Sure, rolling over in bed is not easy and any sudden movements are a thing of the past, but overall I'm doing just great.

Based on the amount of heartburn I've had, this baby is going to come out bald.  Oh well!  My ankles are swelling like crazy, but actually go all of the way back down at night and I get to start afresh every day.  I don't feel like I've reached that c'ankle stage yet, but will be sure to document that when it happens (I know you are all holding your breath for that one).

At my doctor's appointment today, everything continued to look good.  My blood pressure was "excellent," the baby's heartrate was "great" and I'm measuring right on.  I did elect to have the doctor check me this time as I have had a few contractions (something I've never experienced with my other two pregnancies).  I am dilated to 2 cm and am 50% effaced.  The doctor told me that she would see me in a week, maybe.  Translated into KaLee-ese that means that I'll see her in a week.  I hate when they tell you things like that and then you think that it may really happen and the anxiousness starts, etc. so I'm just planning on having a baby around my due date as I don't think I'll go much earlier than that.  Especially since I have yet to have two contractions in a row.

I still haven't packed that hospital bag, but I do have a list so I'm on the right track.  I did decide to pack the things that I don't use on a regular basis (or at all yet) and then have a list with the bag of the other things I'll need to grab as we head out.  The nice thing is that I feel like I can always send Ronnie home to get what I want post baby.  In fact, I don't think we'll even take the going home outfits, blankets or carseat in the initial trip as that stuff just clutters up the room/car.

So tell me this...what things did you just love having at the hospital and what things did you not touch?  For me, I used my hard-soled slippers and robe like crazy (for all of those laps around the hospital floor pre-baby) but aside from a zip up hoodie jacket, I have never put on normal clothes until it is time to go home.  It's just too hard to deal with the layers all of the time, but the hoodie gives the appearance of being "presentable" for visitors and pictures.

Things I've done incorrectly?  With Easton we left the carseat in the car (in December) until it was time to load him up and then we had to wait for about 30 minutes for the nurses to heat it up with warm blankets enough that he could sit in it.  With Kendree, I neglected to make sure the video camera was charged, so we got a few minutes of record time and then had to wait for that to charge for an hour or so.

Sights

When you live in Cheyenne, Wyoming, this is one of the most beautiful sights in the world.

Out of the mouth of Easton

Two recent Easton funnies:

Mama: Easton, you are so cute!
Easton:  I am not cute!  I am cool!


This morning, at 6:30 a.m., Easton wandered into my room and said to me: "This one is awake!"

Bock, Bock?*

I once read a fantastic post about how there is a "lady in the ward for that."  Seriously, you should read it.

It reminds me of the phrase, "There's an app for that" and that just makes me smile.

The ward we are in now is no exception to that rule.  Someone who can sew, scrapbook, bake delicious bread and in this case can.

I bought a 40 lb. box of chicken last week and since I really wanted to have great tasting cooked chicken whenever I need it, I asked my good friend Jill if she would walk me through canning it.

She was so wonderful to show me and Bri (our other friend) the ropes and then even finished my batch when I had to take off to a work meeting that came up suddenly.  I seriously love friends like that!

Canned chicken is not the most beautiful thing in the world (unless you are the one pulling it off the shelf to add to a quick and easy (and delicious!) dinner), so I took a picture of my cans in the box.

I already used a can to make a very yummy chicken soup and it even got Ronnie's seal of approval (a not-so-small miracle, if I do say so myself).

It is almost ridiculous how excited about this, but it's the little things, you know?

*Both of my kids have called chicken this from a very young age.  In our house we eat "bock, bock" and we love it.
**On another note, how do you spell the sound a chicken makes?

Nesting?

Some people clean when they hit that nesting stage of pregnancy...

Me?

I have the sudden and uncontrollable urge to have everyone in the family get their hair cut.

Kendree and I are taken care of as of yesterday, now on to the boys!

25 MORE things about KaLee

Way back when, when this blog was just a baby I did a post with 50 things about me.  You can read it here.  I know most of you haven't been reading for that long, so I thought it was time for a second (and a bit shorter) round.

You can roll your eyes thank me later.

1. I like to narrow my choices at restaurants down to two things and then when the server comes to take the order I make a last minute decision about which one I want. (One of the few anti-planning things in my system).
2. I complain about my kids being early risers (and really, it is not my favorite thing), but I LOVE getting to the store before 8:00 a.m.
3. I fall asleep almost literally the instant that my head hits the pillow.
4. I'm kind of crazy about dressing my kids for the season.  During winter you will rarely see them in short sleeves. 
5. My feet have grown a 1/2 size with each pregnancy.
6. I HATE trying to put away things I don't have a place for yet (e.g. all of my craft stuff that is thrown in a corner of the basement).
7. I'm a jewelry minimalist.  My wedding ring, a watch and my thevintagepearl.com necklace is how you will find me most of the time.  I do have a few special occasion pieces (pearls, etc.), but they don't get a lot of face time.
8. I have a hard time decorating with colors other than blue, green and tan/brown/black.
9. I have to be in the perfect mood to shop in stores like Ross and TJMaxx.  I can't just do the "digging" thing at any given time.
10. I would much rather have natural light in my house than the lights on.  Dark and dreary days are not my friend.
11. I choose comfort over looks with my shoes every time.  Especially with kids, if I'm going to be running down the halls, you can bet I'll leave my three inch heels at home.
12. I have only read the Old Testament cover to cover one time.
13. Having my car in the garage during the winter is one of the greatest. things. ever.
14. If I had the funds for it, I would pay someone to digitally scrapbook all of my pictures, then I could just add the journalling and be done with it.
15. Aside from a nice excuse to get out, I would rather watch movies in my own home where I can pause it and ask Ronnie questions and get up to go to the bathroom without missing anything.
16. Chocolate is not my go-to treat.  Most times, I would rather have vanilla or something fruity.
17. I love getting mail, but am horrible about checking the mailbox now.  I don't pass the mailbox when I go to or from the house, so it is like I have to think separately about it.
18. I never think about switching to the HD channel on the TV.
19. Sometimes I try and come up with a mundane task that needs to be done so I can have some thinking time (you know, like hand wash dishes that I could put in the dishwasher).
20. Feet kind of freak me out.  Especially man feet.  I don't know if is the size or the hair or the toe nails or what, but yuck!
21. While it means that the long winter is on its way, I love the smell of wood burning stoves in the air.
22. I have to force myself to buy clothes in warm colors other than pink (yellow, orange and red are almost non-existent in my closet).
23. While I LOVE my smartphone, I don't know if I will ever completely get rid of my paper planner.  I love just jotting thoughts down, as well as what happened that day so I have a very shorthand "journal" of sorts. Not to mention completely scratching things off my to-do list (so I can't even read what they said originally).
24. I love that innocent and fresh look that kids have right when they wake up.  I can't seem to replicate it myself, but kids are extra kissable first thing in the morning.
25. The greatest kids show currently on television is Phineas and Ferb.  Seriously, you should watch.

37 weeks

I'm at that stage where everywhere I go (and I mean everywhere) someone (at least one someone) asks me when I am due, or how much longer I have, etc.  A lot of people at stores will look at Kendree and then at my large tummy and just smile to themselves.  I know they are thinking that I have a huge awakening coming up.

I continue to sleep really well and can't complain about that at all.  [Ronnie might feel like he needs to complain about the pillows that I have to have around me that take up a lot of the bed here.] Heartburn is very infrequent, but Braxton Hicks have actually started.  This is a totally new experience for me.  I'm sure some of it is because I really never stop moving (what with the house, keeping up with the kids, errands, work, and my to-do list).  I'm at the point where I can tell exactly which body part is pushing outward (well, at least the bum and the feet).  My ankles and feet are really starting to swell and I think this pregnancy will be no different than the others in that I will get to the point where the only shoes that will fit on my feet are my Ugg boots and my Crocs.  Watch for that at church, you locals!

Easton told me yesterday that I have a very big belly because I am going to have a baby and then asked again if the baby is going to come out my mouth.  I explained again that mama would go to the hospital and the doctor would get the baby out, but it didn't seem to satisfy him as well as it has in the past.  He also wanted to make sure that I was going to come home from the hospital and that I would "get better."  Man, that kid picks up a lot these days.

This week the plan is to actually wash the gender neutral onesies, etc. and make the list of what I need to pack to go to the hospital.  Does anyone actually pack a bag ahead of time?  That just seems annoying to me as everything I want to take is something that I use on a fairly regular basis.

P.S. Today was my original due date.  Crazy to think about.

Lookin' Back: 36 weeks, 34 weeks, 32 weeks, 30 weeks, 28 weeks, 26 weeks, 24 weeks, 20 weeks, 18 weeks, 16 weeks.
Compare.
Pregnancy with Kendree at 37 weeks.
Pregnancy with Easton at 36 weeks.

Sometimes...

it is NaBloPoMo and you have never participated but this year you decide that you are going to try and participate (well, until you have a baby at least) and then you have a really busy day where you leave your house at 9:00 a.m. and don't set foot in it again until 7:00 p.m. and then you realize as you are heading to bed that you didn't post and you were supposed to post so you decide to write a really long run-on sentence so you can still say that you are "in it."

Gotta love that.

The Name Game

I know some of you just DIE when I don't share the names we are thinking of, so here they are in all of their glory. 

I've listed them in alphabetical order, since Ronnie and I are not always in agreement on which one is our favorite.

Boys: Austin, Brecken, Bryson, Chase and Jackson.

Girls: Brynlee, Devynee*, and McKinlee. (obviously I have a thing for the double "e").

Middle names. (These have NOT been run by Ronnie, but I compiled a brainstorming list this week so I'm not totally empty handed when it is time to name this little one). I should also note that I think that middle names should have family significance, so all of these names are from family members, while Ronnie does not feel that way in the slightest and just wants them to "go."

Boys: Bentley, Grant, Nickell, Paul
Girls: Geniel, Keri, Lee, Lynn, Sarah

Edited to Add: You pronounce this one just like the name Devin and then add a long "e" sound to the end of it. 

The Vote

The time has come. 

The time for you to vote as to whether you think this little one will be of the sister or brother variety.

I'd give you some hints if I had any, but I feel as if I'm lacking in information.

Heartbeat? It is always there, but this doctor's office has only told me the rate one time and I can't remember what it was.

Morning Sickness? Well, I was "sicker" with this one than either of my others (read: I actually felt a little nauseous throughout the day if I didn't have food in reach), but it was nothing like what other women have to go through.  Plus, I didn't have a lick of sickness with Kendree, and she was(and is) a girl.

Carrying the baby? I'm definitely not carrying high, but I don't know that I'm carrying low either.  I suppose you can deduce that one for yourself based on the update pictures.

So there you have it...let's see who gets this one right. Feel free to vote with the poll on the right hand side. If you are brave you can tell us your vote "out loud" in the comments just for fun.

And go!

The challenge

At church our ward was challenged to read the Book of Mormon by the end of the year (this challenge was issued the second Sunday in October).  At first, I just thought how grateful I was that I was already in the middle of Alma and I could totally finish by December 31, but then Ronnie and I decided that we could really use some prodding (read: start) in our couple scripture study.

[Side story: We read our scriptures together every night for the first month or so that we were married, then we found ourselves in California for our reception (yes, it was a month after we were married) and we were staying a friend of the family's house down the street from Ronnie's parents.  These friends aren't LDS, so there weren't any scriptures to be found.  We had both forgotten ours and so our unbroken streak was broken.  I remember Ronnie throwing up his hands in frustration that "that was the end of that." and we have struggled to have a regular scripture reading routine ever since. It strikes me as funny that he really thought it was something we could keep going with no missed days.]

So anyway, Ronnie and I have been reading the 7+ pages every night together so we can finish the Book of Mormon by December 31st.  We've been trying really hard to get ahead and read at least 10 pages a night since we know that our time will be very limited once #3 joins us.

And you know what?  The Book of Mormon totally reads like a book when you read it in large chunks vs. small chunks (you know like, ahem, a chapter a night).  You know what else?  It really helps to have someone to ask questions to since I always get confused when we introduce a "people" and then back all of the way up to when those people were first established and then there is some overlapping, etc.

Don't get me wrong, I've read the Book of Mormon like this in the past, but not in the last four years (since having kids and just. needing. to. get. to. sleep. has set in).  It is amazing how changing up your study of the scriptures can give you a whole new insight to how the stories relate to your life.

I'm so grateful for this challenge, and for the perspective I have gained from reading the Book of Mormon this way for the first time in a long time.  How wonderful to have inspired church leaders who know when you need that extra push and how wonderful to spend significant time each day reading a book that I know to be the word of God.

So consider this my challenge to you.  You don't have to finish by the end of the year, but consider finishing the book in about a 3 month time period and see how differently you view some of the stories, etc. You'll love it, I promise. Or, if you aren't LDS and reading my blog, please shoot me an email (justkalee at gmail dot com) and I'll send you a free Book of Mormon to read.

The post where I swoon over the boy's genius-ness

So Easton has long loved letters of the alphabet.  He's been able to identify them all for about a year now (I think, give or take).  He's mastering their sounds now and has started memorizing how to spell different things (like Easton, our last name, etc.).

But up until very recently he had NO interest whatsoever in writing letters.  I couldn't even get him to trace an "E" or practice "O" (unless he thought we were actually practicing circles).

Cue preschool and peer pressure and his age, etc. and I give you this:

He likes to trace the "s" (hence my yellow one underneath) but other than that, he pretty much has it down.

And he is soooooo proud of himself.  We must have written his name about 20 times yesterday afternoon.

I love that boy.

The last of Halloween

One last shot of Halloween night.  The kids ready to go out with daddy.  They lasted for about an hour and got PLENTY of candy.

We headed to a few stores the day after Halloween to score some dress up clothes on the cheap.  Easton LOVED this vampire costume and can be found wearing it throughout the day.

And in true Kendree fashion, she had to do whatever brother was doing. (You can see the state of my house most mornings in the background.  I had just mopped the kitchen and dining room, the bench and kitchen chairs don't normally hang out in front of the TV).

And then I tune out...

I have this thing I do.

I tune things out.  Like REALLY tune them out.  As in, you can be shouting my name in the same room as me and it will probably be the 3rd or 4th time you shout it before I realize you want me to listen to you.

I like to think it was my way to cope in a family with 5 kids (I realize that is not that big of a number when we are talking about LDS families).  I would want to read a book but there wasn't a quiet place in the house, so I would plop down on the couch and turn off my ears.

This is still a talent I find useful, although it annoys Ronnie to no end when the kids are yelling my name (mind you, they are not in danger or dying) and I'm ignoring them. 

But you know what? 

Sometimes mama needs her quiet time and she'll take it anyway she can get it. :)

So am I alone?  Are you able to create your quiet time?

36 weeks

You get two pictures today, mainly because Kendree's little grin was too cute not to share.  She saw me taking pictures and had to get in on the action.

Baby continues to be head down and everything looks great.  My blood pressure is "awesome" as told to me by the nurse and baby's heartbeat is good. I got the "when to come into the hospital" speech today.  Surprisingly, I feel more nervous about making sure I get there this time around than I ever have before.  Probably because with Easton I figured I would be in labor for FOREVER (and I was about right) and then I was induced with Kendree and didn't have to think about it.  Then Kendree came lightening fast (remember, 1 hour from water breakage to why hello little baby).  I listened intently to the doctor's advice and then remembered that most likely (judging by my genes) I will never go early and I shouldn't even begin to worry until we pass my due date.  The doctor also asked about the sizes of my other two babies (Easton=7lbs. 10 oz. and Kendree=6lbs. 3 oz.) and then she guessed that this little one will be more in the Easton weight range.  I guess we shall see.

Now that baby is head down (or now that baby is bigger) he or she enjoys dancing on my leg nerves and making different legs go numb at inopportune times (like when I had to grab on to the counter to keep from falling while making dinner the other night), fun times.  My ankles have started swelling (mainly only visible when I am wearing socks and they leave crazy indents on my legs) and I've had a few bouts of heartburn.  Overall, I'm sleeping more soundly than I was a few months ago and I'm enjoying every precious hour I can get.

I feel like my preparations are pretty much done.  All of my baby projects have been completed (although my to-do list is still crazy long) and while I haven't done my load of gender neutral clothes yet, I'm feeling very non-urgent about it.  I'm sure I'll get to it in the next four weeks, but I'm not running out to get my bottle of Dreft quite yet.

Shall we look back? 34 weeks, 32 weeks, 30 weeks, 28 weeks, 26 weeks, 24 weeks, 20 weeks, 18 weeks, 16 weeks

Wanna compare? Pregnancy with Kendree at 36 weeks

Pregnancy with Easton at 36 weeks

You can call me the manager

I was talking to my sister a while ago about working from home.

Don't get me wrong, my job is a wonderful blessing to our family. I am able to provide great benefits and a little bit of money to the household while spending time with my kids.

That being said, I do have to spend hours in front of the computer/on the phone every day. That sometimes means Kendree gets to watch Baby Signing Time or Easton gets to play with the ipod and I'm not interacting with them.

I made the comment at that time that a lot of days I feel like a kid manager instead of a mother. I get the kids going on an activity and then hurry to put in a few minutes of work (or dinner prep, or cleaning, or laundry, etc.). I had been feeling guilty about the lack of time I felt like I was spending with my kids, until Erc mentioned that essentially I was describing her day exactly.  She would get her daughter occupied with something and then get her work done. 

As it turns out, my office work/house work balance is a bit different, but I am doing the same thing she is.

I can't tell you what a relief this was at the time.  My stress about this topic seemed to melt away.

I continue to try to make sure that "balance" is working for my kids.  I spend time on the floor/in their rooms playing with them. I choose to read books instead of mopping the floor, or to line up cars instead of doing the dishes. 

My house work may suffer because my life has to include some office work but my kids don't have to.

Now tell me, how do you achieve your balance?

Stop with the posts about the sewing already

I've had a few questions in the comments, etc. and thought that this may be the easiest way to answer them for all of those inquiring minds out there.

What about the quilt you made if Kendree was a boy?  What has happened to that?
When I was pregnant with Kendree I made girl crib bedding, a quilt to match that bedding, an everyday girl quilt, an everyday boy quilt and a "special" quilt.  That "special" quilt was supposed to be the equivalent of a crib bedding quilt, since I planned on reusing the crib bedding from Easton, but that fabric was no longer available. Fast forward and Kendree was a girl, so the boy quilts got packed away.  Fast forward again and baby #3 is on the way.  I mentioned to Ronnie that I only needed to make two girl quilts and he said that he thought it would be cool to have each child have their own crib bedding set. At the time, I took it as permission to purchase more fabric (who needs a second push to do that?) and really, the time it took to create the new boy bedding and quilt wasn't too bad at all.  I should also say that even if I used Easton's bedding again, I was going to purchase new bumper pad inserts and had a bit of repair work to do on the bumper ties.  So, for now, I do have that "special" quilt that doesn't really have a purpose.  Perhaps my sister will have a boy and it can be just for him!

You have the greatest taste in fabric ever, where do you find your fabric? (there may be a little paraphrasing there)
For both Easton's and Kendree's crib set fabric, I fell in love with entire lines of fabric at local fabric shops in little ol' Laramie.  The cost of buying fabric at those shops is not very, shall we say, pocketbook friendly.  For this baby, I knew that I would be buying double the amount I had ever purchased at once and so I looked forward to hitting up some discount fabric stores while we were in California over the 4th of July.  It just so happened that the discount fabric store (I think it is called M&L Fabric) was having a 4th of July sale which made their prices even better.  I was able to get the fabric for two crib bedding sets as well as the girl everyday quilt for the same price as the fabric for Easton's bedding set cost.  The girl crib bedding set for this baby is a line of fabric (makes coordination easy), while the boy set I just couldn't find any lines of fabric that spoke to me.  They were either super baby (teddy bears, etc.) or REALLY themey (who wants a baby's room decorated with trout fabric?).  So, I found one fabric I loved with quite a bit of color to work off of (the fabric I used for the crib skirt, here) and my lovely sister-in-law and I wandered for what seemed like forever (even longer to her, I assume) to find 6 more fabrics we liked to go with it. My poor other sister-in-law was even more bored, I'm sure (sorry Kari!).

So what are the fabrics called?
Baby Girl Everyday Quilt: Anthology Fabrics, PR149, PR150, PR151; David Textiles Emberglow Dot Stripe; Robert Kaufman BKT 10534-192 Spring; and Robert Kaufman BKT 10535-81 Turquoise. I also used another orange fabric (used as the largest amount of the back), but I don't have a scrap left to pull the information from, sorry.

Baby Girl Crib Bedding and Quilt: Giselle by Jessica Gonacha for Red Rooster Fabrics.  I added only one other fabric to the ones I liked from the line, Robert Kaufman Metro Living Chocolate.

Baby Boy Crib Bedding and Quilt: Robert Kaufman On a Whim II (small zig zag); Robert Kaufman Groove (diamonds); Oh Hoppy Days Cicle Turquoise; Paisley Party for Red Rooster Fabrics (yellow stripe); Robert Kaufman Playday Spring; David Textiles Orange Diamonds; David Textiles Blue Stripe.

Anything I missed?