Progress and Randomness

I am on day 6 of no SODA and day 5 of NO SWEETS (and all around eating healthier)! I decided to stay home all day today, I think we just needed some down time. But I find that the days I am home it is so much harder not to dip into the Halloween candy, but I have held strong! Riley, Avery and I go to the farmers market every Weds on our way home from the gym. I really tried to buy outside of my normal list and REALLY tried to buy organic. It is so much fun to be able to buy the fruits and veggies with Riley. She helps me pick them out and then at dinner time is very excited to serve them to daddy. Although it hasn't helped with her veggie intake at all, I can't help but think I am instilling something in her.

Back to the eating healthier, I am hungry all the time! It really has forced me to eat small meals more times a day. I eat the same thing that I cook for everyone else at dinner time, just a smaller portion, which has ALWAYS been my downfall. Put a big meal in front of me and I will eat the whole thing, even when I am full!

On to more important things, we had Averys 4 month appointment yesterday. He is 15lbs 6oz (birth weight was 8lbs 10oz) and is 26 inches (21 inches at birth). I cannot believe how much he has grown! He also got 5 shots and lastnight he wasn't feeling up to par. We gave him some tylenol and he felt a lot better. He has a new fascination with this tongue and he blows bubbles with his saliva. He smiles ALL the time and giggles when I tickle him. He can sit in the bumbo seat alone and loves to watch me cook. He definitely is a mamas boy and just loves to lay on my chest. Riley couldn't be more in love with him. At first she wasn't really interested in him but lately she talks to him, soothes him and gives him kisses. I cannot wait to see the friendship (and I am sure bickering!) all 3 of our kids are going to have. Jim and I are truly blessed by our kids!

Tick Tock

I feel like a ticking time bomb ready to explode! In the picture I am 39 weeks and 1 day. I have never been this pregnant before! Riley was two weeks early so I don't really know the feeling of being this huge! Plus I am way bigger this pregnancy!
Yesterday for Fathers Day we took a walk in our beautiful Bidwell Park. First, we stopped and let the kids throw rocks in the creek. Riley absolutely loved it! Then we "power" walked to try to get labor started, no luck! =) We came home and put Riley down for a nap and my wonderful hubby got to watch golf for about 5 hours! He was in his element. He rarely gets to just sit and watch any TV so this was a special treat. I even got to take a cat nap. I really wanted to make yesterday special for him and I think we succeeded considering I am ready to pop! I was REALLY hoping to go into labor yesterday for Fathers Day and I tried not to get discouraged when I didn't. I know God has the perfect timing for Avery to come out.
On Saturday we took the kids swimming. We figured we better get Riley comfortable in the water before swim lessons start soon. Within 10 minutes, she was jumping into Jims arms from the side! I could not believe it! Our little girl is growing up so fast. She amazes me with how smart she is. She was doing a puzzle the other day, all by herself and I just started crying because she is truly amazing. She copied an "R" I wrote on my FIL's card. My MIL made sure she grabbed the card so she could file it away!
We had a great weekend with our kids and I can't believe that soon we are going to have 3 kids!

Living a Miracle

This is DJ and his two beautiful sisters! Whenever I think God is not big enough in a situation I am quickly reminded of the relationship that our family has.

When I met Jim he had been divorced for about two and a half years. He and his previous wife had DJ together and unforunately their marriage fell apart. It was really hard on my husbands side of the family but what came out of it is only short of a miracle.

This is a picture of us at DJ's sisters birthday party. His mom remarried about 6 years or so ago. We have a great relationship with her and her new husband. It really feels as if all three of them are true siblings. DJ had his first baseball game of the season lastnight and Riley and Jenna played together the whole time. It was such a testimony to what God can do in any relationship if you trust in Him and led Him lead.

By no means has this been easy on any of us. But what I have always had to remember is doing what is best for our kids. When we can come to my husbands ex-wifes daughters bday party I can't help but remember HOW BIG GOD IS!

Mantle Love and Nonsense

I have always wanted to have a mantle so when I saw this "Happy Easter" sign at TJ Maxx I knew I had to have it! I am a huge fan of buying decor after the season is over so I can get a huge discount on it, so I have a beautiful Christmas garland for next year.

Unfortunately this is the only Easter decoration that I have but it makes me feel good every time I walk by it. I am going to plan a small Easter egg hunt for the kids this year in our backyard and was even thinking of having our family over for a brunch that day too.

Riley and I spent some time weeding in the backyard this week. She was so confused as to what I was doing. When I was all done, I couldn't believe how much I had pulled out. Jim got home and told me he thinks I pulled out some bushes! Whoops! But I have to say, I was pretty proud of myself that at 25 weeks preggers I could pull out a bush with my bare hands! Well, actually I had gardening gloves on, but still!

Lately I have been thinking, if my midwife was a fly on the wall, what would she be thinking about what I am doing. This has helped me slow down a little bit. The baby is doing great, we have a check up this week and I cannot wait to have another ultrasound but I don't think that is for a while. I keep daydreaming about going into labor (yes, I said daydreaming!). I can't wait to kiss his little face and learn how to change a "boy" diaper!

I have gotta have this!

Ever since I started reading this blog http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/ I have been obsessed with silhouettes. And when my sister in law came home with silhouettes of her children from Disneyland I knew I needed to get them done of the kiddos. I have been looking on etsy for sometime now trying to find the best deal. I knew this wasn't going to be cheap but I figured I could spend $100 (including silhouettes and frames) on a picture/painting for the wall or I could spend around $100 on these. Riley has my moms silhouette framed in her room from when she was only 13 years old! This is one of those items I would grab if there was a fire! I still haven't convinced my husband that this is a MUST yet, but we will see! I think they would look great in black chunky frames against the wallpaper we just purchased.

I found this set of three for $45.00 plus $5.00 shipping!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39924506&ref=sr_list_14&&ga_search_query=silhouette&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=4&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title

P.S. Lets get real here, I don't know all the ins and outs of a blog and have no idea how to add a link or position a picture. Can anyone help!?!

Please?!?!

Can I please have this room? Just a mommy getaway. One where I can sew without a 2 year old grabbing my legs and wanting to touch all the needles and bobbins? Can I please have this room so I can read my bible and actually hear myself think? Can I please have this room so I can shut the door when the kids are driving me crazy? My husband says I will have my space someday but for now, I enjoy being bugged every five minutes by my kids! ;)