I'm shrinking!

That would normally be a good thing, but today it got me a little worried. I had my 36-week check-up and when my doctor measured my belly I was measuring at only 30 weeks! That's really weird since just 2 weeks ago I was measuring at 32 weeks. Hmmmm... My doctor was pretty concerned, so she had me get an ultrasound right away and said that we might need to get the baby out soon if my fluid levels are going down, etc. Well, the ultrasound showed everything being just fine! My fluid levels are right where they need to be and the baby's measurements average out to around 36 weeks. Her legs are like 35 weeks, whereas her head is measuring at 38! (Why am I always blessed with big-headed children??) The technician estimated my due date to be April 25, which is just a day sooner than my original due date, so I guess that's good. I still sure wouldn't mind if she came early, though! The fact that she's tucking herself further and further back into my body sure explains the constant ache I've got in my hip/butt bones, causing me to waddle more than walk these days. Not cute. But it could be worse! I'm glad the baby's okay and we don't have anything serious to worry about... I guess we'll see what these coming weeks bring!

Things I love about Matt

The way he likes to sleep in the early morning hours with his forehead touching mine.

The way he says "tay" for okay, "dootie" for cookie, "eebah" for clean up, and "meena" for look in Spanish (mira).

His pudgy little hand sticking out from under the bathroom door when I'm trying to have a bit of privacy, just waiting for me to acknowledge him and lightly step on his fingers.

His big brown eyes - one look and I'm smitten.

How he insists on sitting or laying next to me every time I sit down on the couch. (Bryan was never so cuddly.)

How he calls for his "wovey," drapes it around his neck, or tucks it into the corner of his high chair when he eats.

How excited he gets when he sees or hears a bird, plane, dog, tractor, train... "Wow, wow, wow!!!"

The way he repeatedly gives me hugs and pats my back when we're at the grocery store and he's sitting in the shopping cart.

The way he reminds us to pray as soon as I sit down at the table by clasping his hands in front of his face and saying "prayer, prayer."

His loud "amen"s after prayers in church, or the way he randomly raises his hand like he's sustaining the speaker.

The way he tries to sing his favorite songs - "I am a Child of God," "A,B,C,D...," "The Wheels on the Bus," and "Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me..."

Lately, just about anything he does melts my heart (besides pouring dirt on the living room floor, etc.). I think it's because I know he's not going to be my "baby" anymore within a few short weeks and I'm feeling extra sentimental. Whatever the reason, I love him so much and hope he doesn't grow up too fast. He's at such a sweet age and I want to cherish every minute!

This is what I get...

...for letting the boys be alone for too long while I'm sitting at the computer. (grrrr)

35 weeks

It's hard to believe I'm almost in my last month of pregnancy! I feel like I've been blessed, since aside from the issues with my legs I haven't had any other complications. With Bryan I started going into labor at 29 weeks and had to be on bedrest w/ yucky medication for a month and a half. With Matt I had contractions, but not bad enough to have me stay down. I did have a few urinary tract infections, though, which weren't fun. I was also teaching full-time w/ both boys, which probably didn't help any.

This time around I've thankfully done much better, but even though I've still got a month or so to go, I am ready to be done! This past week I have been so tired! The baby is really low, but she's also just recently moved up into my ribs as well and seems to be pushing on everything in between. I had an ultrasound on Tuesday to see why I was measuring small (about 2 weeks behind), but the technician said my fluid levels are all fine and the baby's actually measuring a little bit ahead! So basically, I've got a big baby in a not-big-enough space, which means more discomfort for me, I guess. I get super out of breath and have an awful time sleeping at night, and for some reason my legs get really weak and shaky sometimes, like I'm going to collapse any minute. I know I need to rest more, but at the same time I'm feeling so pressed to get so many things done! I have a whole list of "spring cleaning" projects that I'd like to take care of in the coming weeks and another quilt that I want to finish, not to mention the day-to-day things that come along w/ chasing after the boys. I'm not good enough at just taking time to put my feet up and relax, which is probably why I'm feeling so wiped out! The late-afternoon/evening has been the worst. My poor boys have had peanut butter sandwiches and cold cereal for dinner the past couple of nights... Thankfully David is okay fending for himself when I'm just don't have it in me to cook that last meal of the day.

On the positive side, I'm loving feeling the baby move around so much. We have lots of good bonding moments, especially in those crazy middle-of-the-night hours when I can't seem to go back to sleep. David and I are pretty much decided on a name, but nothing's for sure yet. And I'm really enjoying sewing little girl baby blankets and things and setting up the nursery to prepare for her arrival. As uncomfortable as I am, this is really an exciting time of pregnancy. There's so much to look forward to, and finally the end is in sight. :) Now if I can just make myself get some rest so I'm not totally burned out by the time she comes, things will be all good.

Cambria Nicole Yospe

My sister, Heather, had her first baby and she's an absolute doll! I was amazed at how cute and alert she was minutes after being born. She was only 6 lbs 14 oz, which seems so tiny next to my 8 lb+ baby boys. Everything with the delivery went well, and it's all made me so anxious for our own little girl to arrive! Congrats, Heather and Jake!

Lesson learned

I've always enjoyed singing Primary songs with my boys, but now that I'm the Primary Chorister we really sing them a lot! So I shouldn't have been so surprised when I learned today just how well Bryan was paying attention to the words and principles taught in the songs.

I didn't sleep well at all last night (bad case of pregnancy-induced insomnia) so I was pretty grouchy all morning. By the time we were leaving to go to a Primary breakfast activity, Matthew had made more messes and whined more than I could handle. Unfortunately I took my frustration out on both Matt and Bryan and barked out orders in a not-very-nice voice as I tried to get them out the door. Bryan just turned to me and said something like, "Mom, you need to do like the song says. How does it go?" He then started singing the new song we're learning this month about building eternal families. When he got to the line that says "I am a builder... learning each day to speak with kindness in our home" he shook his finger at me and said, "Mom, you need to speak with kindness!" Of course I melted and thanked him for reminding me, wanting to laugh and cry at the same time. I felt like a huge jerk, and kids really have a way of putting you in your place. But it was so cute. I love how we can learn so much from our kids, and I'm grateful for Primary songs and the lessons they teach - lessons that are clearly as important for adults and they are for kids. :)

Fun in the snow

We had a huge snow storm yesterday, and while I wasn't too excited about it, the boys couldn't have been happier! Today I bundled them up and let them play in the backyard for a while. It was actually Matt's first time really playing in the snow and he loved it! That is until he decided to take his boots and socks off and realized that walking barefoot in the snow really hurts! Luckily, his feet are fine, but he and Bryan both have some extra red cheeks tonight.

Random pics

So here are some pics from the past couple of weeks. David came back from Spain will all sorts of things, and these were some Carnival costumes he brought back for the boys. Bryan's been way into Batman lately so he was especially excited about that one.:) The boys are getting along well, which I'm VERY happy about. They certainly keep each other entertained, even if it does involve quite a bit of mischief these days... We continue to enjoy our big family dinners on Sundays. This last week David made empanadillas! I love it when he cooks, especially w/ the sexy Spanish apron. :) After dinner things got a little crazy, but that's normal around here. Finally, today we got our piano back! Our neighbors were nice enough to keep it for us when we moved up to Draper, and since we moved back the task of getting it back has just seemed like too big of a hassle. Today David and Javi decided to just get it over with, and luckily they were able to get it moved back in one piece. The boys went wild with it - luckily we can lock it shut when I want a little bit of peace. But it's sure going to be nice having a piano again! And here's a pic Bryan took of himself. I just love how it shows off his gorgeous eyes. :)

Badge of Honor

Moms wear all kinds of “badges of honor” for having kids. All of us at some time or another wear the bags under our eyes and glazed-over look, or the spit-up or cookie crumbs smeared on our shoulder and down the front of our shirt. Some women wear extra pounds, others stretch marks – mine, I’m realizing, is my discolored legs.

I had my 32-week check-up today and showed my legs to my doctor for the first time. In the past I’ve always been wearing my compression hose, but today I purposefully left them off so she could see my legs and answer some of my concerns. All in all, it was a pretty depressing check-up. My doctor was pretty taken back and even called the senior doctor in to get him to take a look. Apparently my doctor (who’s fairly young) had never seen legs as bad as mine, but the senior doctor didn’t seem too phased. He joked about it and said they were the best-looking legs he’d seen all day! Whatever. Basically, I learned that the discoloration in my legs is like a tattoo, and with each pregnancy, after fading somewhat in between babies, it picks up where it left off and gets worse and worse each time. It’s also less and less likely to fade after each one.

So as far as the next couple of months go, I need to take an aspirin a day to thin my blood (weird, since aspirin is usually a big no-no in pregnancy), keep my feet up as often as possible, and shower and stuff at night so I can put on my compression hose before even getting out of bed in the morning. Bummer. The real depressing part is thinking about after the baby’s born. It’s really starting to hit me that this may be something I’m just going to have to live with for the rest of my life! My dad’s legs have been purple for as long as I can remember, but I never thought I’d have to deal w/ the same problem. What about taking my kids to the pool, or going on beach vacations or cruises w/ David at some point in the future? What about simply wearing capris or shorter skirts in warmer weather? I’m not going to be able to hide my legs the way my dad somehow has managed to do over the years. It’s really all a pride issue, but it’s an issue for me nonetheless.

I called my dad and complained mostly, cursing these genes that I’ve obviously been unfortunate enough to inherit. He, of course, was practical and matter-of-fact about it – he’s lived w/ the problem for years and years now – and reminded me that because of what’s triggered this for me I have 2 (soon to be 3) beautiful children and it’s something to be proud of. A badge of honor, he said. Yes, I’m so grateful for my children, and no, I wouldn’t trade having kids for anything. I’m also fully aware that there are people who have things a lot worse than I do or probably ever will. I’m just being completely honest in saying I wish this was one badge of honor I didn’t have to wear.