Neighborhood Egg Hunt

The boys participated in our neighborhood Easter egg hunt last Saturday.  So what if the eggs were filled with crappy candy?  They had fun, and they scored some cool stuffed animals, which have not left their sides since the event.

Just because...

Sporting their new Easter baskets  football helmets.  Sure do love my guys!!

He Reads!!!

I was somewhat shocked on Sunday morning as we were sitting in Sacrament Meeting to hear Ty at my side reading the scripture off the front of the program.  "He can do that?!"  I thought to myself.  And though he needed a little help with some of the bigger words (inasmuch, verily), I was pretty darn impressed with his ability!  Ty has known the entire alphabet and the letter sounds since he was 2 1/2 years old.  More recently, I have worked with him a bit on putting the letters together to create words.  We usually do this in pudding on wax paper, with me writing out simple 3- and 4-letter words and him sounding them out.  Somehow, though, I didn't quite expect him to be reading the Sacrament program so soon!

His scripture reading performance prompted a trip to the library yesterday, where we checked out a few beginning reader books for him to try out.  He couldn't wait to get started when we got home!  

The two of us sat together on the couch and trudged through his first ever "read-it-by-myself" book.  He was absolutely giddy when he finished each page and realized he understood what it said.  And though it admittedly took him a full 15 minutes to complete the book, he did it!  He was beyond thrilled and immediately wanted to call his daddy at work to let him know what he had just accomplished!

I have to admit, my mommy heart was pretty proud, too.  My four-year-old is a reader!  I have to think that it will be a major confidence boost for him to be able to start kindergarten next fall (or summer, really) already able to read and write a little.
And heaven forbid that I take pictures of Ty and not McKay, too!  ("Take a picture of me reading my book, Mommy!")  And no, he may not be able to read yet, but this little guy can sure memorize and recite books with the best of them!

On Pregnancy

This pregnancy has been far more pleasant for me than my previous two have been.  The main reason for that, I think, is that it has taken me far longer to get big this time around than it did with my boys.  There are two main factors for this:  1.) I was sick longer than I was with my boys, so it took me longer to start gaining weight (at my 16 week appointment I still had yet to gain anything) and 2.)  I have been diligent about working out, even when I'd much rather be in bed asleep!  As a result, I just feel better.  Don't get me wrong, I am definitely big, but I just feel like I am a more reasonable size than I have been in the past.
In direct correlation with this, another reason why I am enjoying this pregnancy more is that the people around me seem to be so much nicer!  I should seriously consider writing a book on what NOT to say to a pregnant woman, things like:

"Are you carrying twins?"
"If I were you, I would start writing sub plans, because there is no way you are going to be able to finish the school year and make it to your due date."
"You still have TWO MONTHS?!  Wow!"
"You look uncomfortable."
"You look like you are about to pop."

And, yes, these are all comments that people have actually said to me during my first two pregnancies.  You know, I have always wondered why it is a societal faux pas to tell someone that they are fat, but somehow it's totally ok to say those types of things to a pregnant woman.  Listen folks, it makes a pregnant woman feel like crap when you tell her she is huge!!
In contrast, people have been so, so kind to me this time.  I have had more of these kind of comments:

"You are tiny!"
"You only have three months to go?  Wow, you look really great!"
"I hope I am as cute as you when I am pregnant!"

Now, I totally recognize the fact that some the vast majority of these comments are a flat out lie.  And I have always hated the saying Ignorance is Bliss.  But in this scenario, keep feeding me the happy lies!  ;-)  It makes it so much easier to be pregnant when you get that sort of feedback!  And let's be honest, I am only going to get bigger and more uncomfortable from here on out, so I will enjoy the positive comments while they last!

I have never posted, or even taken, belly pictures before, in large part because in the past I have been so self-conscious about how I look.  But because I am feeling better this time around, I have taken, and will now post, a couple.  This may be the first and last time I do this, but for posterity's (and my family in Utah's) sake, here we go:

20 weeks

Today, 27 1/2 weeks

Weekend Recap

I did not have my best weekend ever.  On Friday I woke up with a cold.  Not that big of a deal, especially considering I have not been sick at all this winter.   Friday night I couldn't sleep because I was coughing so much, though, and by Saturday my throat was incredibly sore and my voice sounded awful.  I was pretty bummed; it was our Stake Conference weekend and I was supposed to be singing with the Stake Choir.  By Saturday night I had resigned myself to the fact that singing was pretty much an impossibility for me, but I still attended the adult session and sat in the congregation.  My hope was that by Sunday morning I would take a turn for the better and be able to sing in the general session.
Saturday night was a disaster.  I was up all night, coughing until I threw up.  Finally Adam gave me a blessing and I was able to sleep a little, but it was a rough night.  When I woke up on Sunday my voice was gone.  I'm not sure that I have ever lost my voice completely before.  It's a pretty crazy thing.  Adam took the boys to Stake Conference while I stayed home and slept.  Normally, I would absolutely revel in having the house to myself for a couple hours, but as it was, I wasn't happy at all.  I happen to love Stake Conference, and it was a major disappointment to stay home.
After a Sunday that was actually a day of rest (that never happens!), I had a whisper of my voice back last night and felt well enough to attend the Youth Session and listen to Adam speak.  Call me biased if you will, but I thought he gave a fabulous talk!  ;-)  And it was oh, so funny as I was leaving.  I was walking out to my car, and there was a group of young women walking a few paces behind me.  One of them said to the others, "You know that guy speaker?  The one who talked about trek?  I thought he was really hot!"  The first thought that came to my mind was to turn around and say, "Watch it, sister.  That's my husband you're talking about!"  But since I was lacking in the voice department, all I could really do was laugh silently to myself.  It was probably better that I didn't have my voice--can you imagine how embarrassed that poor little laurel would have been if I had confronted her?!  As it was, I found it so funny and a little flattering that a 16-year-old found my husband attractive.
Anyway, I have a voice again today and am hoping to kick this cold yet!  I feel very fortunate, though--last winter I got strep three times, and the year before that we battled the flu.  If the only sickness to enter our home this winter is a nasty cold, I would say we are doing pretty well!