April Showers, May Snowstorms

Montana has the most random weather.  Mother Nature decided May was the perfect time for snowstorms this year.  Weird. 

 

 

The past few months have seemed to rush past me and drag on at a turtle's pace all at once. 

I am not at all ready to have this kid, and yet I have days when I think he'll never get here. 

 

 In April I worked.  And then I worked some more.  And then came more work and more responsibility.  Ok, I'm exaggerating. But, that's how it seemed sometimes when I was sitting in the security shack (it's actually a trailer that's not at all shabby) at the mine, or when I was rushing around to a Relief Society presidency meeting, or when I was doing volunteer work with a group here in Colstrip, or when I was trying desperately to give my husband CPA study time, or when I was chasing my little kiddos (or someone else's) around.  I thought the exhaustion would never end. 

 

At some point, however, I realized that it was of my own making. 

LIGHTBULB!

I had chosen to say yes when my boss asked me to fill in at work. 

 I had chosen to say yes when people asked me to volunteer.

 I chose to tell people at church that I could be there, or meet with them, or help out with something or other. 

 And, of course, I made the choice to have my 2 little babies and add yet another cute bean in to the mix.  I CHOSE IT!  So I had to decide which was most important.

Prioritizing is not a skill I have, but I'm working on it.  My first priority was my husband and my beans.  And the bean I was growing in my belly.

I finally realized I had to choose them over all the other stuff.

 

So, I finally said no to my boss, and no to volunteering, and no to friends who asked me to watch their kid, and no to a few of my church things. (All you Mormons out there know that while you can back off church stuff, you'll never really "be done" with it.... ). 

Life has been less hectic since then, and I've been able to mostly get everything ready for this new dude.  Hooray! 

 

 

SOOOOOOOOO..............

Let's get gushy for a minute, shall we?

I'm overly emotional and mushy while humans grow in my uterus.  Deal.

 

 

I am grateful for my family.  Mike works really hard for us and has dealt with my off the charts emotions like a champ.  Love him. 

 

My two kiddos are so amazing and sometimes I sit back and am in awe of the sheer awesomeness that is this stage of life. 

Exhausting?  Heck-to-the-yes.  Occasionally frustrating?  More than I'd like to admit.

But also full of wonder and learning and discovery and snuggles and kisses and hide-and-go-seeks and zerbers at bedtime. 

I'm excited for them to get older, but OH, how I love their littleness right now.  I know I'll miss it when they're school age, and tweens, and teens and grown up and gone.   A year ago I wouldn't have said this or felt this way.  Maybe I'm growing too, huh? 

 

And, last but not least, I am grateful to be carrying my third baby. 

I spoke to a good friend the other day who has one child, and always thought she'd have more, but wasn't able to.  She listens to me whine and complain about pregnancy, and never makes me feel like my complaints are not valid or that I'm being unfeeling.  She was not chastising me in any way, but during the course of our conversation she unknowingly helped me (again) realize and appreciate what an incredible blessing this baby is.  That I get to carry him in my body is miraculous. 

Really, they're all miraculous, even when it's 4:00 am and they just puked all over their bed, or when they throw tantrums in the grocery store, or when they run screaming around the chapel in the middle of a church service.  I don't love every minute of it, but I'm trying to appreciate the joy of it all. 

 

So gloriously gushy, I know.  But it's true.  And it's how I feel tonight.

 

 

I've been super resistant to post (or even take) pregnancy pictures this time around.  I'm vain and I feel fat.  I've gained more poundage with number 3 for sure, but he'll be worth it, I know. 

Since it's for posterity, I'm swallowing my pride and posting belly pictures. 

 

35 weeks



37 weeks.  Love the wrist brace?  Fashion statement, I know!  Swelling is
awesome this pregnancy and carpel tunnel has reared it's ugly head.

BUNNIES! AND EGGS! Oh, yeah- and Church too...

 

SUPER low key is how I would describe our Easter this year. 

I love holidays as much as the next gal, but I've decided I'm not a pinterest mom. 

At least not while building a tiny human in my uterus.

On Saturday morning I mustered up enough energy to dye some eggs with the lil bugs.  My girl LOVES hard boiled eggs, and dying them pretty colors was the bomb.com in her eyes.

 

 

 

As much as I complain about living in nowhereland, our little community does a lot of cool things.  One of those cool things is their annual Easter Egg Hunt. 

Basically, people donate a boatload of eggs, they line the kids up by age and let them loose on a field full of brightly colored plastic loads of goodness. It's free and it's fun.

See the 5 dollar bill in there?  People are apparently super
 generous.  CJ made 7 bucks and Nolan made 9.  CRAY-ZAY!

 

 

On Sunday the kiddos opened baskets and then we headed off to Church. 
It was fun talking to Cecily about the Atonement and about Jesus and WHY we celebrate Easter,  because she's just getting old enough to start comprehending a little bit about the subject. 
We talked about sacrifice and about how much Jesus loves us and how much He wants us to return to live with Him and Heavenly Father. 
She sort-of has this attitude like "Huh.  Well, that's cool, I guess! How nice of Him!"
And I think so too.

Here's the kiddos Easter baskets.  I made CJ a circle skirt
and Nolan a little tie.  He wore the tie for 4.5 seconds, and then I bribed
him with candy to wear it for the picture I posted below. 

 

I'm not even kidding when I tell you that this was the best shot we took. Sheesh.

 

A 10K While Pregnant: Torture or Triumph?

The jury's still out on that one...

 

I made a goal at the beginning of this pregnancy to be more active.  Mike and I were running about 3 times per week last summer and running became a fun part of our life.  We were run/walking about once per week in the first weeks of my pregnancy. BUUUUUUUUUUT, then my sciatic nerve started having issues.  I'll be honest here people:  I kinda gave up on being active around 18 weeks along.  And it shows.  Yeesh- I am lots larger this pregnancy than I have been with the last two, so there will be lots of morning walks and healthy eating and declarations of self-love (to overcome the body hate...) after this little boy is born.  Anyway, I'm getting WAY off topic. 

 

Mike and I signed up to run a 10K on Saint Patrick's day in Bozeman!  And I am proud of myself for finishing at 30 weeks pregnant.  It was hard. I was out of shape. My pelvis thought it was going to break in half,  my lower back was not happy with me afterward, and my sciatic nerve kept making my butt go numb,  but I FINISHED, goshdarnit. 

We dressed up. We were totally
the hottest pregnant ladies there.

 

My adorable friend Leslie is pregnant with her first and wanted to "waddle" it with me.  She was about 17 weeks at the time, I think, so I was really the only one wadding.  We had tons of fun chatting the whole way and talking about pregnancy and birth and all those girl things.  The funniest part was that all the 1/2 Marathon people started passing us and everyone kept telling us "Keep it up, Ladies!"  or "Great job, girls!"  and we couldn't really figure out why.... But then Leslie says "Do you think they know we're pregnant?"  At which point I realized how TERRIBLY I was waddling from the pelvic pain.  I laughed that it was so obvious from behind.  Leslie did not look pregnant IN THE LEAST, but she was so sweet and walked the whole way with me. 

This year I was 8 people away from finishing dead last in the 10K.  Like I said:  Finishing was the only goal, and I did it. 

 

2013 official time- 1:50:38

At the starting line. 
I wore Mike's shirt from 2012

We did the same race last year and it was important to Mike to run it again.  He wanted to see if he could improve, and he did!  Even if it was only a bit.  I was smaller last year, and I could wear my own shirt, too. 

 Run to the Pub 2012

2012 official time for Wendy- 1:00:47.  Hopefully I can beat this time in 2014!! 

 

2013 for Mike 1:02:34

2012 for Mike 1:07:42

 

The Big Man

Mike's birthday was also in February, so here's his 3 month late update as well:

 

I made him Boston Cream Cupcakes this year. 
OHMYHOLYDELICIOUSNESS. 
They are just yellow cake cupcakes with vanilla pudding
 in the middle of them and chocolate ganache on top. 
Go make them. Right now.  You won't be sad.

 

 

-He totally loves me and thinks I'm awesome.  Which, let's face it, I am.  And humble.

 

-He is still working as a contract analyst/finance guy/accountant for the coal mine here in MT.  Ever the nomads, we are probably not going to be here forever, but it's good for now.

 

-He is studying like a crazy man for his CPA exams. (Interesting fact:  80% of people taking the Bar Exam pass their first time taking it.  Only 50% of 1st time takers pass the CPA.   This could be skewed because the CPA has 4 separate exams instead of just one.  But I thought it was a little crazy.   Here's hoping Mike is one of the 50%!)

 

-My kids use him as a jungle gym every day.  He always asks, "Why is it that ANY time I'm home, whether I'm sitting or standing, the kids just want to climb all over me?"  I think it's because Mom yells at them to get off?  Just a theory....

 

-We sure like him around these parts.  He's just a good man and a good father and a hard worker.  And really, can  you ask for more than that?  I lucked out.