Surprise!

So my good friend Kristen and I decided one day that we were going to go out to lunch at Panera before the baby came. I was actually pretty reluctant to go because it was the end of the month and our budget was out already! So I knew Monkey would not be happy if I went. Anyways he told me to go and have fun! I was shocked so I thought he was crazy.... because Monkey does not go over budget! I was feeling so bad about going that I was going to postpone our lunch till later (probably because Monkey and I got in a argument the day before about putting gas in the car to go to the splash park!!) Anyways Monkey still wanted me to go... so I went.... Kristen came to pick me up and she asked if she could grab something at her house real quick. So we went to her house and she wanted help with whatever she needed so I went with her. We walked into her house and SURPRISE!!! Kristen totally threw me a surprise baby shower. It had to be a surprise.... because I absolutely did not want to have one because I had everything I needed. But being Kristen and an incredible friend she put together the most beautiful baby shower. She knew I was decorating Paige's room purple and red. So she made the most cute decorations for me to put in her room. It must have taken her so long. They were like perfect!!! She is so talented.The whole time I was seriously shocked and completely surprised. About 12 of my good friends were there and it was fantastic! I couldn't believe it... I still can't believe it...  I had no idea! No wonder Monkey wanted me to go so bad!! OHHH Kristen made the best food! Mercy! I helped myself way more than twice! Seriously Kristen thank you soooo much and everyone that came! It was certainly very special and I had so much fun!! PS- Good thing I didn't wear my capri ripped sweats and big shirt like I was planning on!!!

Just a normal day...

I stole these pictures from my friends blog!!! But I have to say Belle and Cash have the best friends! One day as we were going outside Belle saw her friends dressed up so of course she had to go put her princess outfit on! The rest of the afternoon was playing with her princess friend, Spiderman, and 3 ninjas! I have to say I have been saved lately by the sunny afternoons and playtime with all her buddies. Since I have been having such crazy fake out labor contractions it's been so nice to get out of my house a sit in the fresh air and talk with all my good friends and watch my kids imaginations explode! It sure has takin my mind of the intense tightening of my belly! I had a doctors appointment this morning and to my surprise I am dilated to a 2 (which I was induced twice before so this is very new to me). Which I was nothing like a week ago. I am only 35 weeks so I have to take it easy as possible till Sunday when I am 36 weeks. So more sunny days are hopefully ahead... and so is our little one it looks like. My doctor said he would be so surprised if she lasted longer than 2 weeks, he is planning next week... I am pretty positive as well that we will being holding our little Paige soon... she is head down and ready to go, but we will see what she has in store! I am just so glad we are at a safe point in like 3 days that the baby will be fine no matter what happens! Definitely an answer to prayer!

Corn dogs

We were all driving along... me in my own world admiring the beauty of all the farmers fields when...

(in the most serious and excited voice and her arms out and fingers spread...)
Belle says, "Mom did you know that when those red flowers leave they will pop out CORNDOGS!!!!!!" (then she threw her hands on the side shaking her head  like she was so proud and amazed she knew it... I have never seen her so serious!!)

I have not laughed that hard in a long time!

Splash Park

So we have had some great weather finally! For two weeks straight! A record I feel. Anyways we met our friends at the splash park! We had so much fun. I hardly moved... don't worry Jaclyn! The kids loved being with their friends. Cash was way hesitant to go into the water till Parker saved the day and held his hand all the way through! He finally had fun! Thanks Parker! The kids played like crazy... the girls pretended to be mermaids on the rocks... which made me miss being little and playing shipwreck falls...Jac, Emma, and Meredith!!!! Belle found a new love of the monkey bars. She is one determined little girl. She could only hang there... and then try after try she could do two bars.... She fell so many times. I thought once she snapped her back as she fell flat in half on the tire! I was so scared and she popped back up... breathless and said... "I got to do it again!" She did it so much she actually got pretty good! My persistence lady!! Later I was dying of heat so Kristen and I went to happy hour at sonic and we all had some well deserved slushes. Then a water fight broke loose... I didn't move so Kristen protected me!!! hahah thanks! Monkey got it pretty good! I have to say this was such a great day! I love the sun!!!!! I love summer!!!

(umm...  do you think Cash needs new swim shorts!!!??? He was wearing the same ones he was at 5 months old!!! They were a bit tighter at 5 months!!! haha- he was such a big baby!! I love it! And I love the swim diaper half up his back and Belles HOT YELLOW to small flip flops he LOVES to wear! He is quite the kid!)

Mother's Day

How do I explain my Mothers Day??? Haha well it started out with breakfast in bed... which I can't eat breakfast very well lately so sweet Monkey got me something small... a toaster strudel! haha which Belle ate! Then since Cash had a temperature Monkey let me go to sacrament with Belle. Which she had a break down of kicking and screaming and me having to drag her out by her arm (cause I can't pick her up) when we had to leave to switch with Monkey so he could teach. So the next two hours was spent holding little Cash, he happened to start feeling better which was awesome. I started feeling really yucky! Haha just prego stuff. So after church the kids took and nap (Belle throwing a HUGE fit! surprise surprise!) and Monkey made me a tortellini chicken pasta! we ate it on the couch and then fell asleep ourselves. The rest of the day I spent resting and trying to feel a bit better and then the kids and Monk made dinner! Monkey went nuts he made shrimp Alfredo, steak, potatoes and green beans, and a big olive salad! haha WOW! The kids were so proud that they helped cook.

Mother's Day... even though Cash was under the weather, I was not too good, and Belle threw out the entire day threw out of control fits I can't express the gratitude I have of being a mother. Belle brought home the most sweet hilarious card from church, that had a twix bar on it that she ripped off and tried to eat! I love being a Mom I may not show it all the time but- I am challenged everyday with becoming better! My love for these kids grows more and more! And I am so grateful that I am more beautiful than a Banana!

???????

All I got to say is pregnancy does the weirdest things..... 

Pregnant Me!

By looking at these pictures I think Paige is going to be my biggest baby! I am almost as big as I was at 37 weeks with Cash!!! I am almost 34 weeks now and even bigger! This last semester has been by far my hardest yet. I am having an interesting time haha but I shouldn't complain because I know there are people way worse. Lately I have been having some crazy pain happening and we thought I was actually going into labor. But thank heavens that was a false alarm. I get these fake out things like every other day. I had a doctors appointment last week and I am on some medication to help calm everything down. And I am not allowed to lift or do anything that makes my body strain. Just to help me not go into premature labor. So I just have to be way careful even if I feel great. Haah this should be interesting! It is actually going a lot better than I thought...Monkey has been such a HUGE help and he barely lets me pick up paper! Belle and Cash have been understanding for the most part about me not being able to hold them. I am struggling though with how they have been acting...

Cash is sooooo needy. He has never been like this. He won't even sleep. He normally is asleep at 7pm and doesn't wake up till 8:30am. He takes great naps! For the last 3 weeks he has not wanted me out of his sight. It cries his head off when he goes to bed. He won't stay in his bed. He only will stay if I lay with him. But I won't because I will not let it become a habit especially before the baby. So I sadly have had to switch the door knob around and lock the door. Instead of a ten minute bedtime ritual it has turned into a 2 hour ritual. He wakes up at least 2-3 times a night... coming in my room and he just wants to snuggle. And me having to take him back in bed. Or he cries Mama until I come and quit him down and he just wants me to be with him. Then he will wake up anywhere from 5:30- 6:30am.... Then all day he just holds my leg and says "Mama I just need you..." or he wants to touch my face. If I can't do it all day he just cries or screams at me. It's lovely!

Belle is the same wanting a lot of attention but she on the other hand is angry all the time for who knows what??? She is slapping cash, Monkey, and Me a lot. Hitting, pushing, slapping...etc. She has gotten back into her almost satanic screaming and telling us to get out of her face, you go to the corner, I hate you and this, I don't care, etc. I can't pick her up so she has learned the art of I am not coming and I can run away cause Mom can't get me. So I have had to pull her inside or to the corner or to her room by her arm and she screams, "Mooooom your hurting me, get off me!" She flings herself and kicks like crazy. She even almost broke a hole in her door from kicking it because I said she had to take a few minutes in her room to cool down. I have felt at a complete loss of what to do. I have to be honest I am at the end of my rope.... and some how each day I get a little more rope- cause somehow I make it without completely selling them to strangers (I would never). I feel like I already have a new born baby. I have found myself accidentally falling asleep in the day (on the couch, the floor, cash's bed, etc.) and being woke up by Belle who says, "Mom wake up crazy!" I really don't know how to handle them... Because these behaviors they are doing is so out of the blue... One day they were just their normal selves and now I am struggling to just keep Cash from killing me and Belle from killing everyone else!

Today I went to the doctor for a well check for Cash and I asked the doctor if kids act different when they know a new baby is coming... She smiled and laughed and said "Oh yeah... Some get super clingy and want to be babies again... so they act that way.".... CASH.... "And some lash out with tempers and anger because they don't like how Mom is or don't like the changes happening."... BELLE... I felt some energy reenter my body like okay what my kids are doing is normal... It won't last. I think I can do this. She also told me that this stage doesn't end right after the Baby... It might go on for a while but my kids will eventually get use to the change! I did have a experience at the doctors that made me feel like I can do this I will share that later.

I have a little less then 3 weeks left till I hit 36 weeks and my doctor said "then come what may." He doesn't think little Paige will last long after 36 weeks. We will see... I honestly can't wait to see this little girl... I am so ready!

Family Day

So the other weekend our little family decided to go on a family day date! We started off going to the medieval faire in the Grove! Hahah wow do people take this seriously... we were most definitely under dressed. It was cracking me up all the hilarious personalities we met! I actually ended up really enjoying the sword fighting. Cash and I were so into it. Then after a while some sweet renaissance music came on and out of no where came a belly dancer... Cash was clapping and loving life and I looked over a Belle and her eye brows were scrunched and she was like what the world is that girl doing.... So we left!     

Then the best part of the weekend was going to the Portland Temple and getting to see the visitors center for the first time. The kids loved it- they were so fascinated about everything. Belle wanted to learn all she could about the Savior and she so badly wanted to give the picture of our prophet President Monson her flowers. We got to watch a movie about families... We walked around the temple and soaked up all the beauty until Cash almost went for a swim in the fountain so we left. That night we mad dairy free AMAZING popcorn balls! I can't explain how much I love spending time with this little family. I learn so much from them- especially from Cash and Belle!!

White Coat Ceremony

I am one proud wife!!! May 7, 2012 Monkey got his white coat.... meaning he know can see patients! Today in an hour to be exact he will be in clinic for the first time! And I am stoked for him... I can not believe how fast this is going. Monkey's parents and Brother Nate got to come up and celebrate this special evening with us. Sitting in the huge auditorium I had gitters all over waiting for Monkey to walk down on stage and receive his coat. I can't image how Monkey must have felt! Hearing him repeat the Optometric Oath with the rest of his class mates... I couldn't help but be so proud and grin from ear to ear!! After the celebration Monkey's parents took us out for dessert! Thank you! The next night we also celebrated with a little martinelli's and white chocolate dipped strawberries! So Crazy as it is we are so close for Monkey to be officially called DOCTOR! 

Our Beach Getaway!

So after Monkey finished his second year finals he had a week break before starting his third year... So knowing we weren't going anywhere this summer because of the new baby and possibly leaving Forest Grove before next summer we decided to take advantage and really spend some time at the beach. So we went to the GETAWAY! It had a separate bedroom, fully equipped kitchen, it's own deck bbq area, and a incredible view of the ocean (view from our room)! We spent two nights at Rockaway Beach and it was so needed! I know we go to the beach a lot but we hardly ever stay over night! So this was for sure special! The first day we spent the day by our hotel. We played on the beach that was like 40 yards maybe from us! I was freezing but that didn't stop our kids from wanting to go into the Ocean. We made a sweet volcano! After being in the cold so long we decided to explore the town and we found the cutest little ice cream/candy shop! Belle picked vanilla ice cream and Cash picked cotton candy! Then after a hot bath and some good family time we all snuggled in the hotel bed which was so comfy I didn't think I would get out! Trying to get Belle and Cash to sleep together was quite the ordeal! 

The next day was spent exploring Tillamook and Oceanside! What a fantastic day! The cheese factory is always a hit and yes we had ice cream again and Cash has sorbet! Then I went through the most crazy fake out of pregnancy in my life! I have never in my life felt that way not even during labor. Things were going crazy and we thought I was in labor. After 3 or so hours it went away and we were back on the road and found the most beautiful beach. Oceanside- I am not sure of the beaches name! We saw some seals and played in a stream that had hundreds of shells and sand dollars! We were all so fascinated... Then it completely poured... like monsoon rain! We were all laughing so hard and trying to get back to the car. Of course it took me forever since I walk like I have a saddle between my legs! It was so fun playing in the ocean in the rain! We got to our car and the rain stopped and 2 rainbows popped out onto the beach! We were all blown away. We headed down the street to a light house! Belle was at her whits end with no sleep so it didn't last long. But boy was the view out of this world! I have no idea how our Heavenly Father even thought up something so beautiful but I am so grateful he did!

Our last day at the beach we went to Blue Heron Factory or in other words "RAT INFESTATION" we were feeding the animals out of no where I kid you not 20-30 rats/mice ran out of the barn to eat the food on the ground! I almost lost my mind.... hints we didn't stay long or try the cheese! But we did have fun... I got my finger almost ripped off by a emu, Cash had fun totally kissing a goat and a goat trying to kiss/eat him, Belle wouldn't get near the animals without squealing like a little piglet, and Monkey loved the Donkeys!! After Rat land we went to the Pancake house... Belle's choice! Then we headed home with 2 sleeping kids!

I love our family getaways! We are defiantly going to make these a every year tradition! I feel like I get to know each one of my family so much more! And let me tell you... They are quite the people!!!