Happiness

 8 weeks along It says "Loading..." 9 weeks along. Update : Still sick but having mostly good days or mostly rougher days.  Craving : fresh mild salsa (I eat it with a spoon or on anything). string cheese *it helps when I feel nauseous*, pistachio ice cream english muffins, applesauce, chocolate pudding, olives **random stuff! Baby bump: Still small- keeping with how I usually show. Darn! Sleeping: Just fine with half a unisom each night, but with 5-6 really weird dreams each night (the time I decided I wanted to be a nurse, I had had a  dream about being a doula. It turns out I was pregnant at the time). Dr.: Dr. Layton- a 5 minute drive away from us and so is the hospital. It's hard to be excited when you mostly feel sick, but we are!!

 Eleven candles!!  Since Elizabeth has been reading Harry Potter with Josh, I got her some Jelly Bellies that were like Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans as a present.  The flavors included Stink Spray, Pencil Shavings and Centipede.  Each of us tried one out. You could either get the good flavor or the bad flavor- you couldn't tell! Jonah was brave and got centipede! He said it tasted like spicy tomato. The kids loved this present and had a great time trying to taste the jelly beans!  Josh lucked out and got coconut! I tried it- through the encouragement of the kids- and got baby wipes!! Eeeww! It tasted exactly like baby wipes! The kids wanted to know what really went into these jelly beans and we assured them it was just a chemical to make it taste like them.  Asher- thrilled at the thought of someone eating a "Skunk Spray" jelly bean!  Present Time!  Another Highlight of her Birthday- besides going out for B...

Ethan is learning about alliteration at school and brought home this poem that he had written about Jonah.  It melted my Mommy heart! Jonah and Ethan Tribute Poem My best-buddy Jonah He is my teen-tiny-twin brother He has brilliant-blue sparkling eyes, A genius-gracious-guy, A wise-wonderful brother, My humorous-happy brother, He is a thoughtful-tiny buddy, We go on amazing adventures, We'd lay in the field telling tricky jocular jokes, We'll play great-glad-games, Have great-giant ice cream Sundays, Eat mammoth-marvelous pizza. We go on walks with joy, I feel extra happy when my buds around, He's my best-buddy Jonah.

Such a cute, happy young lady!!! Elizabeth,  Happy Birthday!! You have been looking forward to this day for a long time! You are not just double digits now- you are 11!!! (How DID this happen?!). You are close to 12- the time you get to join the Young Women in our Church, when you can enter the Temple to do Baptisms for the Dead, and when you will keep strengthening your friendships and talents and hobbies. You can get your ears pierced now, but I don't think you will just yet (and that's just fine with me!). This year you: -Love to listen to Tween Radio on Pandora. You turn it on, do your homework and dance when you think no one is watching (although I am). I think you get most of your dance moves from the Abbott side of the family, because I surely can't dance as well as yoU! - Play the piano. You still get nervous when it is Tuesday- lesson day- but you like practicing and your Fur Elise is sounding so pretty! - Play the clarinet. Your squeeks and squa...

Today I am grateful for: -A husband who will wake up with the kids and makes sure that they eat breakfast, get dressed and make their lunches. - Asher , who daily has one question or another about the baby. Yesterday, while I was laying on the couch trying not to toss my cookies, he came up to me- counting on his fingers- and said "Mom! It's been 7 years since you had babies." I replied "Yeah, I don't even know if my body knows how to make a baby anymore!" He is so thoughtful and cute! - New discoveries in our Family History. - Kids who- most of the time- do their homework right when they get home from school without any prodding needed.                                                crazy hat day -A funny pregnancy book from my sister. -A bi...

Ginger Review- Love the Gingerale (it has real ginger!), the Gin-Gins are okay and the Ginger Altoids were too strong! I've been a lot more sick this time around. I don't know if it's because the last time I was pregnant was in 2006 or if it's because I am now 35 (although it's probably just because this is a new pregnancy). I have a new and profound respect for all those who have felt this way multiple times with their pregnancies. I don't think I would be able to handle it. In fact, I know I wouldn't! I was not very sick with any of my other pregnancies- even with the twins- and with this one I have been mildly to moderately to quite nauseous almost all day and all night. Unisom and B6 at night has helped, as have sea bands (although I think that was just a placebo). I have been having longer stretches where I feel better and then I get everything done that needs to be done, wear myself out and take a whole day to recover the next day. And so, whil...

Food has become alive to me. Deliciously. Marvelously. Wonderfully Good. I am hungry now. And often. I wake up hungry. At night I am hungry. Have you ever noticed how perfectly wonderful a bite of a chocolate ice cream drumstick tastes? The cold, sweet, creamy chocolate is perfectly balanced with the warm, salt crunch of the cone. Food takes on another dimension- it has flavor and taste, dimension and form. I am not a foodie by nature. I love a few basic foods- a well grilled hamburger, a soft sweet cinnamon roll, banana bread, chocolate, ice cream and ham and cheese sandwiches. Seasoning is often lost on me. I could go for a bean burrito from Taco Bell equally as well as a hand crafted salad. I'm married to a Foodie. My family- immediate and in-laws- are foodies. So it can be hard. But, when I am pregnant, the world of food and taste comes alive. I want to bake because I am hungry. I want to try new foods and then try something new again. I love how each an...

While staying home from Church, drinking watered down Ginger Ale, munching on cheerios and saltines and trying not to toss my cookies, I came across a few wonderful things on the internet that are just too good not to share. #1. Enduring Love - a newish Mormon Message about love in Marriage. Okay. I cried on this one. Tears streaming. Definitely the pregnancy hormones, but I seriously love this one! Also, check out the new Mormon Messages on the 'Bread of Life' as well. A wonderful Sunday message by Elder D. Todd Christofferson on relying on Christ day by day. Something I definitely need to do as each day in this pregnancy has been a challenge for me. via LDS Living   #2. Why Mormons are Obsessed with Pinterest- and that's okay. An article on LDS living about why Mormon Women love Pinterest. I love Pinterest- don't you? Especially as we get ready for this little one. Did you know you can make a secret Pinterest board? Yep, that's where all my Pregnancy li...

   pic via universe.byu.edu Let's Speak Clearly shall we? I am a Mormon. A Member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I am a Christian. I love my Savior and I try to keep His commandments daily. I served an 18 month mission as a missionary for the LDS Church. And let's make this CLEAR, I need to REPENT. And what I need to repent of is my lack of Missionary Work in the past 13 years that I have been home from my mission. Yes, I try to live in word and deed as a good example of Christ. Yes, I try to be happy, so that someone will see my happiness and wonder where it comes from. Yes, I have given out copies of the Book of Mormon with my testimony in them, but have fearfully not usually followed up.  Yes, I have had the missionaries over for dinner, but I haven't given them one reference as to who would be interested in learning more about the gospel. Some suggestions, maybe. But nothing substantial. I NEED to do better! This week, ...

It's kinda rough around here right now. Let's be honest. I have been pretty sick, the kids often wake up grumpy and the kitchen seems too small while they are each making their own lunches- someone trying to reach for the pb while you do can end in tears.  And with that comes some lost tempers (yes, even in our house!). And maybe a tiny bit of hurt feelings. I love The Proclamation to the Family states; "Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on the principles of faith, prayer, repentance , forgiveness , respect , love, compassion, work, and fun." I quote that to myself, take deep breath, say a prayer and move on. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming! And make it through each day!

We are pregnant! 3 Weeks after signing the foster care paperwork and a day after our 12th anniversary, we found out that we are having a baby! Our 5th baby will be arriving some time mid April. Josh was so, so surprised. You should have seen him! I kind of/slightly expected it.  I started to be suspicious when I got really dizzy at Barnes n Noble on our anniversary date the week before. That happens when I am pregnant. I was also super tired at night. But, I didn't hope. Not too much. And when I saw those two lines, I was blown away. Really. Truly. A Monday Morning We are thrilled, amazed and grateful every day! Life is surprising. I am 8 weeks along. This past month we have been anxious as my last miscariages were discovered at 8 weeks. We went in to the Dr. and I could barely look at the ultrasound screen. There it was- a cute little heartbeat! Tiny black and white dots moving back and forth. What a relief! Our due date is April 12th, 2014. My bipolar is a chall...