Ball Belly

I've been told by numerous people that it looks like I have a basketball in my shirt. So for fun to document the prego belly. I got a basket ball, but it was way small compared to me. So I got the boys big red ball and took this fun photo.

After my pregnancy with Creed, it just about killed me. I was nervous about getting pregnant again and thought we might stop with 3 kids. But after some precautions and "help" my pregnancy with Bodie was much better then the previous. The main reason: See below

Greg took this picture last night. I'm 38 weeks or so, and yes, I always carry very low.

This maternity support belt has been my life saver. Truly! It holds up the basketball belly. It helps relieve my ligaments, torn abs, helps lift, helps my back, my sciatic. You name it. It has been the best. I wear it all day everyday. In fact in the mornings before I put it on, I totally notice and am dying until I put it on. I purchased a few of them, and tried them all on. And the moment I put this one on, I knew it was the one!

And yes, I only wear it under my clothes. It is annoying to undo and remove all my layers to go to the bathroom. It has 3 Velcro straps to attach. But it's just part of the price one pays I guess.

So there you have it. The secret to my success! ha ha. I am miserable being pregnant and have to take it easy and can't do anything. But I owe the belt for me not having to be on bed rest or something. Although my boys would tell you I'm on "rest".

So I've sacrificed my body to have children. Another price to pay. But worth it. I am grateful that I can be pregnant and have children, don't get me wrong. I'll just be glad when these pregnancy days are over. Although, I can't say I'm ready to have a newborn again. Oh boy.

Holy Crepe

So we had a shower for my sister and we did a crepe bar. I made sure to make some extra to bring back home. I am proud of myself for doing them. They turned out great, soooo yummy. And really are quite easy. I had a great system going. I sat myself on a stool, because I can't stand for long. And was doing 2 different pan sizes. Pouring, rotating the pans, flipping.

Then Bon Appetite!

Tumbling Green

For Jax's "spring" sport I signed him up for a tumbling class at the high school. He calls it gymnastics. I knew with the baby coming, we wouldn't have week nights and Saturday's for soccer games or whatever the sport of choice would be. And he is always trying cart-wheels, hand stands, and thinks he can do back flips (with landing on the couch on his bum) so I thought he'd better learn the correct way to do things. He is obsessed with doing hand stands. It scares me, because his balance and he doesn't land "properly".

Jax seems to love it. Although he complains that it hurts his muscles. He does get quite the work out. Jax has also been so excited for St. Patrick's Day. He's mad that I don't have more decorations, and mad that he didn't catch a leprechaun with his trap last night. And he was mad that at school they went on a "gold" hunt and it was just candy! He wanted to pinch someone who wasn't wearing green. Greg had to protect himself this morning by putting the green plastic ring from the lid of the milk carton on his collar. It was funny. My dad stopped by, wearing all blue, and he quickly grabbed a green toy dinosaur tree to put on his pocket, that Bodie continued to grab from him during the visit. For me, I don't think much of the holiday. I guess it's fun to wear green, but all the other hoopla? I say, where's Easter?!

Life in Fegu-ary

Creed has a hard time saying the month February. Bodie calls Greg and brothers all daddy. We'll say, "say Jaxon" and Bodie will say "Dad-dy", "say Creed" -and he says "Dad-dy". Cute kid.

Anyways, back to February. Here are some pictures from the month. We took the boys to Jungle Jims. They had a blast. That place is great. Small, never seems to be busy so no waiting and it's indoors. I love it, I just laugh. By the end of Bumper Cars, Bodie had slid down in his seat. We kept trying to tell Jax to help him up, but he couldn't figure out how. It's just a little dangerous right?

The older two boys were able to have their first "sleep over". Well it was the 2 of them on the family room floor. Greg was on the couch. But they've never slept out of their beds at home. Greg said when it was late, Creed was crying and wanted to go to his bed. After the movie, he didn't understand that they were sleeping in their sleeping bags on the floor. We did have air cushions for them. Jaxon loved it. Creed was up late and slept like a log. But they were both so tired the rest of the weekend.The older 2 boys (I say that a lot) were being cheesy for the camera I had out and wanted me to take their pictures. So I went to get one of Bodie, and this is the face he pulled. Eye's shut, mouth open. His version of being a big cheese ball. I don't know where it started, but some nick names we call Bodie are... "Bodie Bodie" - by me, "Bo", by Greg, and now there's "Bobo"- I started that as well. Now we all use them and call him by what ever name.

*Hot Topics

*"Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it." I thought that was funny, and when it comes to parenting... Let's just say too many times I feel like I do the wrong thing. I wish I knew the right way to get my children to obey, eat their dinner, not fight, clean up, the list goes on and on. Being big and pregnant I sure can't get after them physically, so I end up yelling. And they just tune me out. That gets me even more angry, it's a vicious cycle. Will they ever get better? Will I? Being parents sure can be scary knowing all that's riding on us.
I want to be such a good mom. And I am so not perfect, I have good days and bad like anybody I guess.

*I must be pregnant, because I actually cried after I had physically struggled to clean my kitchen a little, and swept the floor, wiped the counters and had it looking decent for the first time all week. I just don't move well in my 8th month. And within an hour Jax was eating Ritz crackers with crumbs EVERYWHERE. I was so mad, but kept my cool and told him what a mess that he is going to clean up. Then I went and had my little cry so he didn't see. How pathetic am I? I laugh at myself at least.

*Hormones are crazy during pregnancy. My complexion is another sign of that. And now the belly is itching. I had a painful Charlie horse this morning trying to get out of bed. I have to do the dishes a little at a time. I can't stand and lean over the dishwasher for very long. I have to lift my right leg into the car with my hands.

*My latest thing, which I thought was genius, is I take a sippy cup to bed now. I'm always so dang thirsty. And I can't reach my glass of water on my night stand unless I get up and out, which takes me a long while. And I haven't made it to the store to get a water bottle. And the other's we have leak. But sippy cups don't. And it's been great the last few nights getting a drink when I want. I do at least unscrew the lid. I don't want the sucking noise to wake Greg up. He laughs at me.

*Um, what else has been happening? I called and made a complaint to Huggies. You see I've been using them for over 6 years. And love the diapers. For me, they have been the best. I know everyone has their favorite kinds. And my are Huggies. But they have recently changed their tabs and it seems their coverage is not as good now. And Bodie leaks EVERY TIME he wears them at night. And I have to change him twice as often in the day or else he will leak. Ugh!!! It's awful. I miss the good old diapers!! I guess they are doing a worldwide/universal tab on all brands all diapers. It make me sad. But they are going to send me some coupons. So perhaps I'll get some newborn diapers for this next little guy.

*Speaking of this next little guy, I think we've found a name. I won't tell yet though. Let's just say it is not so common.

*I am getting worried about having a little baby to take care of again. I almost don't want April to come, yet. So not ready. I will have my hands full with Bodie and a newborn. Bodie finally starting to climb on things. Chairs, the fireplace, stuff he shouldn't be up on. He is a little tornado. He can single handed destroy the clean house. Everyday he just goes from thing to thing, pulling, throwing, and full on making a disaster of a house. That's been fun. His favorite is to throw stuff down the stairs over the railing. So watch your step at our house.

*Bodie keeps closing the heat vent in his room. So at night he'll cry out and I'll notice his room is kinda cold. But I certainly can't get under his crib to open it. So I'll send Greg or one of the boys to fix it. And last about Bodie, we took away his bottle. He was only having one right before bed, but he loved it. He called it his "body". So cute. But I knew with this baby coming it would be a problem and then we'd never be able to wean him. One week, so far so good.

*Jax has been skiing with Greg some last year and a little this year. And on Saturday Jax went down the mountain all by himself. Woohoo!

*Creed loves, loves, loves video games. Too bad we have to keep taking away his privileges because he is so naughty. What to do with a 4 year old? But he has been doing so much better with his speech. His weekly speech class is doing wonders.

*Greg cut his hair. I have been bugging him for a long time to do it. Not that it was really long, but it was longer and Italian flowy on top. So not it's a regular clean cut. I don't know a better way to describe it.

Well, that's all the news for now.