38 Weeks

I have hit 38 weeks. It feels like 50 weeks.

I am slow. I am tired. I am a walking big belly. I am the poster-child for the song "Fat-Bottomed Girls", and no, I do not make the rockin' world go round.

For the first time ever in pregnancy, my feet and calves are swelling. Arg.

Getting off the couch at night is a comedy feat in itself. If you need a good giggle just come over about 10 at night and watch me attempt to get off our couch.

Even though all of this makes me grumpy and has been hard, I am grateful to have had a healthy pregnancy. Bean will be here soon enough. Hopefully soon enough I will be not large. We will increase our family and the love within. I really do recognize how blessed I am.

In attempt to improve my attitude I had my sister snap some prego pictures of me and Bean. Enjoy, they will be the last pregnancy ones. I have a really hard time documenting the last bloated stage of pregnancy...some things should be better kept unphotographed...hahahaha.

Here is to 38 weeks and only 1 week to go...

Hey did you also notice I got a new haircut???

Have a great Wednesday everyone! Run a lap for me...how how I miss being able to run!

Sunshine: The Perfect Cure All

Between illnesses, late-stage pregnancy, and all of life's normal stresses that seem to come up when we least need them to, it has been a rough couple of weeks.

I have really been trying to grin and bear my way through it, but being large and super uncomfortable with this pregnancy has made it a little hard. I have not been the perfect example of cheer and delight lately.

On Friday, the perfect cure all came in the form of a bright and sunny day. A pretty rare treat for these parts.

I decided to gather up all the boys (Oldest had the day off of school), make some picnic lunches, and head out to a local park.

Funny enough just getting everyone to the park proved a difficult task and fit right in with the week we had been having. BUT I am happy to say we persevered and after a quick park relocation and some tears (mine and the boys) we finally got out of the car and got to playing in the glorious sunshine.

Yes a good sun-shiney day really can fix anything.

Now if the sun could just encourage Bean to come...okay so I am not 100% ready, so I guess he can stay in a couple more days...

Blame Harry Potter and Bean

Sorry for the absence this week. This Harry Potter party is all I have been up to this week.

Okay well I have also been up to this...

I wake up early, use all my it's-a-brand-new-day energy to bust out some party projects. I never accomplish as many as I have planned. Booo!

Then I spend the rest of the day making it up to this ginormous little Bean in my belly.

The party is Saturday so I am running out of time. I just put a serene smile on my face while screaming like a lune inside and convince myself that what gets done will get done and what doesn't...well that is just fine and dandy!

Next week I hope to have some Harry Potter Party tutorials for you, including my interpretation of the Spell Book which idea I originally found HERE.

Thanks guys for stopping by!

In a Nutshell: Flowers, Aunt Natalie, HAPPINESS

Hubby surprised me with flowers this week. In fact, he made a special stop at Costco which is not close to us and he was on a time crunch. Sigh...lovely, right?

Flowers the week before Valentine's Day?

Well that is what happens when you have a super thoughtful Hubby who recognizes that you had a miserable pregnancy week.

I am about five weeks away, and last week was rough. We laugh that for being a surprise this pregnancy really has been the most difficult physically and emotionally. However, I am still pretty blessed and I try to remember that while I am frustrated with my physical limitations.

I am grateful for a loving Hubby who brought me flowers in a hard week.

You know what else I am grateful for...how much easier my life is right now because of my sister Natalie. My sister just recently moved to town and has a little bit of extra time right now. Guess where she chooses to spend it? Yup, my house. Guess what she chooses to do? Yup, help this giant pregnant woman entertain her Little Men.

Temporarily it is kind of like having my own free Nanny. A Nanny that my kids love and that loves my kids.

I mean, it totally says love that she would bring over her own arsenal of make-up and then let them go to town on her face.

They did a great job, right??? Hahaha!

During the week when Hubby is at work, it has been blessing to have her around. I wouldn't get nearly as much done or have what little energy I do have right now without her.

Thanks to her we were able to spend a little individual time with Littlest this weekend.

Individual time makes me HAPPY. I know it makes our Little Men HAPPY.

Earlier this week Hubby got to take the oldest two to a basketball game and I know they treasured that time. They came home so HAPPY. Going to to a store and lunch with Littlest this weekend was such a treat for Hubby, me, and Littlest. Yeah individual time is awesome.

My goal in the time between now and when Bean comes is to try and schedule more individual time with our boys. I know it is good for us and them as well.

HAPPINESS this month is a family goal. Spend more Individual time together.

In a Nutshell: Forts, Supers, Villains and HAPPINESS

This is a little how our house looked during the day this week. There was lots of fort building, lots of creating, and lots of Little Men running around. I am still in the middle of my sewing/organizing/re-doing madness, so the Little Men found lots of ways to have fun while I sewed and painted.

As you will notice by the following picture, there were also several days where jammies were worn half, if not the whole day. No one was complaining though.

There were also two days were I couldn't get Middle and Littlest out of their Halloween Supers costumes. I kept meaning to get a picture, but never did. Shoot dang it all. Believe me though it was cute.

My boys LOVE anything Super. In fact this week while Middle was dressed up as Superman I asked him to help me with something. His reply...

"Of course Mom, 'cause Superman is helpful."


Yes, Supers are pretty important in this house...even the aunts got in on the fun this week during a little trip to Target...aka the best store in the universe...aka the store I could drop buckets of money in.

Now as most of us know, where there are Supers there must be Villains. I mean what purpose would the good guy have if there was no bad guy to fight.

Well occasionally the bad guy shows up in our house. This week the bad guy was this villain...

Ooooh. Scary, right?

It was a pretty fun week.

Having boys in the house is never dull or quiet. If I am honest with myself, I wouldn't have it any other way. I just about love all the fort building, Supers vs. Villain fighting, furniture jumping, and dart gun shooting.

They make me happy even when they are making me crazy.

Segway into my HAPPINESS moment.

My kiddos did have several moments of driving me crazy this week. I blame it mostly on my advanced stage of human incubatoritis. By this time of pregnancy I have not been traditionally a chipper person. This pregnancy is no different...in fact it may be worse.

I am older.
I have three crazy kids.
This is my fourth.
My body is tired.
I swear this baby is a giant.
Did I mention I am older?
Well I am older.

This doesn't sound like HAPPINESS yet does it?

Well no, not really.

There were plenty of moments this week when I did not feel happiness and most of it centered on my late stage of pregnancy. However, when I stop though and really think about this pregnancy, I realize I am happy about many things in this pregnancy. If I stop and reflect with gratitude on the blessings I do have in this pregnancy, I can't help but feel peace which does lead to happiness.

So yes, I don't enjoy the last little bit of pregnancy, but I can be happy in recognizing my blessings.

I am healthy.
I can still be active.
I am not on bed rest.
Newest Little Man is active, so I know he is there.
He is healthy.
I have a helpful husband.
I have three healthy boys.
I am a Momma to boys.
Good boys.

I may have to remind myself of this while crying as I struggle to get into a pair of pants...but I am a big believer that being happy is an active state of being. I am learning that in sadness if I try hard to put things into perspective and focus on the good then happiness can evolve.

Then the peace comes.

Perspective follows that.

Then the smile soon follows.

Have a great Sunday everyone. Thanks for letting me share my HAPPINESS journey with you.

28 Weeks

28 weeks. 12 more to go. Did you figure I was counting down? Well, I am. What pregnant lady doesn't? This is about the time where I go from decently comfortable to what-the-heck why can't I breathe...what-the-heck why won't these braxton hicks go away...what-the-heck when did my fanny start requiring its very own zip code...what-the-heck why am I stuck on the couch like an 80-year-old...what-the-heck why can't I stop waddling...what-the-heck did I just pee my pants...

You get it...my life is now filled with minute by minute "what-the-hecks".

My Little Men are taking notice too. I get frequent..

"Mom...your stomach really is getting bigger!"

"Mom...the baby must be growing a lot!"

from Littlest

"Mom...baby gonna pop out!"

I always laugh and whole heartedly agree with them. 

So yes...I am 28 weeks, and while I am uncomfortable and I am not always the must cheerful pregnant person, I am blessed and I know it. The new little man is definitely growing. He is active. He loves it when I finally get to sit down. He especially loves to let me know he is around when I finally get all cozy in bed ready to all asleep at night.

So I will try hard to put things into perspective and just enjoy this last pregnancy...

...but I will still probably be counting down...

just a little until it is time for this new Little Man to join our family.

...only 12 more weeks to go...

p.s. Sorry about all the headless shots. I do have a face! Oldest

was my photographer and I coached him to do some just belly shots.

By the time I asked him to include my head, he was over the whole

photographer thing. So headless I shall be.

Belly Love: 22 Weeks

So last week I had one of those days were I felt less prego chubby and frumpy than normal. They are rare in this house for sure. So I decided to call up my friend and ask her to come over and take some photos. She was super sweet and packed up her kiddos and headed over.

Besides my senior photos...which were taken, uh...a while ago...ehem...I haven't done pictures of just myself. I felt a little awkward, but I am happy I did this.

This was a sweet way to document this stage of this pregnancy. So here is some belly love for you.

She even took some head shots for me to use on the blog...in all my years of blogging I had yet to take one. Now I have a couple. Yay!

Thanks Tifani!

The Falls

We took a little trip to the local falls this week. We went because my very bestest friend...we have known each other since I was 10, so we've known each other a long time...feel free NOT to do the math...anywho...my friend was here visiting for a week.

She is the best.

this picture is a little old...probably should have snapped a new one 

We did a lot of cooking, hanging out, and some more hanging out. I was a little boring this trip with my debilitating baby exhaustion and all. We still had a lot of fun though.

Like this trip over to the falls.

I might covet my friends' camera. She has this lens that I dream of fort-nightly. She snapped some pics of two of the Little Men while we were at the falls.

So cute!

She even snapped a picture of me, prego belly and all. I threatened her with death if she got my every growing fanny in the shot. She listened beautifully!

I hope you guys all notice the absence of snow and the fact that I am not wearing  parka! The weather is still a little chilly, but better than having snow on the ground.

Hope you are all enjoying your Fall weather.