More squares blankies

Since we didn't find out the gender of this cute little Schwabby, I don't really know what sort of squares blanket to make.  When I was pregnant with Allie, I just made one for a girl and one for a boy.  That worked out fine, so I thought I'd do that again.  We went to the fabric store (with all the kids) and picked out some cute girl fabric.  That was all I could find.  I found 3 or 4 different color combinations for cute girl blankets and had trouble picking between my options.  Then we looked for boy stuff and I couldn't see one thing.  The kids started to get bored (what kid wouldn't get bored after an hour in a fabric store), so we left with our cute girl fabric. 

I was so worried that I'd never find anything for a boy and thus be thouroughly disappointed to be handed a boy in November.  I couldn't have disappointment, so I headed back with just my little Nate friend (armed with a pack of fruit snacks and smarties).  I looked for a few minutes, feeling discouraged, and then I asked a nice employee if she knew of any good boy material.  She pointed me down a row that I didn't even consider before, and there it was!  I found material to make me excited for another sweet boy.

So now, after making these blankets, I will be prepared for whatever we get.  I am excited to see a baby wrapped up in either one.  In fact, I like the material so much that I told Mike we might have to have another after this...just so we don't waste the blanket.  He just laughed and shook his head.  I'm sure he is grateful right about now that the doc says this has to be the end.  :)

Water for everyone

Ever since I discovered a love for these hospital water mugs, I have had one sitting on the kitchen counter.  Over the years, I have tried to keep it my own.  I give the kids their own cups and encourage them not to "share" mine.  It just hasn't worked.  They bite my straw and it makes me crazy.  Those straws aren't easy to come by.  I only get a new one when I get a new kid!  The days of the new mugs are obviously drawing to a close.
Anyway, now Allie has introduced Nate to my mug...

...he's a fan.

Guess What!?

We got three strawberries from our garden before the deer ate them!

Allie spotted them first thing in the morning and each of the kids got to eat one.

How do you like her camo jammies?  They are actually Jake's, but she steals them from him because she thinks they're comfy.

Nate finished his off before I could get a picture, then begged for Allie's.  He didn't have any luck getting it from her though. 
We hope the deer will leave us a few more over the next few weeks.  They already ate the cute little peaches that were forming.  It's a good thing they don't eat our raspberries or you would hear a few more @#$%!^&* from me.

Comfy sleep spots

I found Allie like this when I went to wake her up.  Seriously?

By the way, how do you like the color she chose for her night stand.  Honestly, I think I need to start making the trip to the paint store to supervise.  She loves it though...what do you do?

Conversation at the front door...

Jake:  Mom.  I like your new shoes!

Me:  Thanks.  They aren't new though.  I've had them since a few years before you were born.

Jake:  And you can still fit in them?!?

Summer Fair

Our neighbor, Jessie, called and invited us to go to Summer Fair with her.  She usually goes with her grandkids and they have all moved away now so she asked us to go.  The kids were excited and we all had a great time.  They each got a balloon creation.  Allie's was a monkey and Jake's was a sword. 

 Allie also got a butterfly painted on her cheek.  She was so excited about it and hoped it would last long enough to show off to her friends.  It did last all day, but at night when her balloon animal popped, she cried a bit and it washed off the butterfly's antennae.  Such a sad girl. 

 Good thing we have pictures!

Jake got a huge glass marble that he has carried around and loved.  He likes treasures like that.

Nate got a peanut butter and honey sandwich and a late nap and was happy with it.

I think we all had fun.  They have a place for the kids to create art projects.  We'll do that next year for sure.

Oh Nate

"Hey Mom.  What did you say this wheat was for?  Cause I've spent the last few minutes having fun throwing it.  Watch where you step!"

Balloons

Nate is my usual grocery shopping buddy.  Most days he is on his best behavior.  He likes to look at all the people around us and beg for various treats.  There is a grocery store just a few minutes away from our house and that's the place we go most often.  For the summer, they hung dozens of blown up beach balls from the ceiling of the store.  Nate noticed them and was doing his "I want that" whimper.  It was getting louder and louder and was accompanied by him trying to crawl his way out of my grasp like a cat climbs up a tree when being chased by a dog. 
I was struggling to keep in under control when a nice Lee's employee saw what was going on and gave Nate a balloon.  That's when it began.  By "it", I mean Nate's obsession with balloons.  We don't leave the grocery store without a balloon anymore.  Nate keeps an iron tight grip on it all the way to the car and cries as I pry his fingers from the string long enough to get him in the car seat.  Then he doesn't let go for hours once we get home. 

He stole Allie's balloon too and hasn't given it back.  She tries to trade him for other things but he isn't interested.

He manages to play with other toys and even eat with that string tight in his hand.  Last night I had to pry it from his fingers as he slept.  He fell asleep on my shoulder and would startle and wake when I'd try to pull the string. 
I draw the line at unsupervised balloon time.  So far he doesn't try to bite it, but balloons are pretty high on the choking hazard list (not to mention the string tied to the balloon) so I keep an eye on him. 

Here he is first thing in the morning with the balloons again.  Silly boy. 

A delayed Father's Day post...

I had to add a picture of Mike and the kids on Father's Day. 

We are so lucky to have him.  The kids love to play with him and he is so good to them.  They know that if mom says "no" they are likely to get a "yes" from dad...don't know if that's good or bad. 

He is always up for playing catch or giving rides on the motorcycle.  He is good to distract Nate when I am making dinner. 
He is the best dad these kids could hope for.  We love you!

The 5th baby Schwab...

...has a 4 chamber heart!
 It was seriously the most beautiful heart I have ever seen in an ultrasound.  I didn't really know to care about it when they were looking at Jake and Allie's hearts, Sam's was obviously messed up, and Nate's had a spot on it that gave me a nervous fit.  This one was perfect and pumping away happily.  It is always amazing to me that they can see the aortic artery in a heart that is as small as the eraser on a pencil right now.  It looks like a little hockey stick.  Even more amazing is the fact that the tiny hockey stick shaped artery can make the difference in a heart that grows and develops properly, and one like Sam's heart.  And all that develops so early in the pregnancy that some people don't even know they are pregnant yet. 
As they checked each little thing on this baby, I was reminded of just how amazing the human body is.  How could I deny that God created us?  Everything works together so perfectly to make us who we are.  I am so grateful for the opportunity to carry and raise another of God's miracles.
I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous about this ultrasound.  I think it was a good thing that the date of it changed and I didn't have time to worry about it.  But, I have learned a lot over the last few years.  Having Sam taught me about faith in action.  I let my fears get in the way when I was pregnant with Nate and it was a miserable time.  I have tried to approach things in life with more faith.   Because we went through what we went through with Sam, I know that with God, all things are possible.  It is possible to endure trials and face challenges.  It's not fun, and it isn't the ideal way to learn and grow, but it is possible.  So, I have tried to rely on faith and my heart isn't so heavy as it once was.  
I didn't mean for this to turn into a long and emotional post...just wanted to let you know the news.    
They don't really print off pictures at this office.  They gave me a DVD of the ultrasound, so I guess they thought that was enough.  Well, it isn't.  The one picture they printed off is of a squished profile...

 Ah well, I guess we can be patient and wait till November to see what the cute little Schwabby looks like.

For now, it's good enough to know that things are looking great in there.  I'm so grateful.

Oh how I love summer days!  I had hoped to sleep in more but Nate has other plans.  Ah well.  The kids always beg to be able to eat breakfast while they watch a show.  I hate crumbs everywhere and used to forbid it.  I guess I have become more lax.  Now I think it's cute to see them stuffing their face with cheerios while they fry their brains with t.v.
 

Dinosaurs Galore!

When school got out, we went to Orem for some fun.  We got to go with my mom and my sister's family to the dinosaur museum one of the days.  The kids really had a good time.

 Allie was terrified of this thing when she was Nate's age.  I think Nate was pretty worried too, but didn't throw too big of a fit.

 We have a picture of her posing by the Allosaurus a few years ago.  Still a favorite.

 Nate was pretty excited about this sand and water table.  Why does he always have to wreck it for me by putting gross things in his mouth?

 Nate is a momma's boy and doesn't like to be held by others when I am in sight.  My mom tried to win him over and I think she succeeded.

I love that Jake can read the signs on his own now.  He loved to stop and read about what he was seeing.

 We spent lots of time uncovering fossils.

Allie and Oakley burried eachother and came home with sand everywhere.

It was a pretty fun adventure!

The Cemetery

I took the kids down to Orem to see Grandma for a few days in between her travelling adventures.  We hadn't been out to the Spanish Fork Cemetery in a while and decided it was time to see my dad and Sam's graves.  The kids wanted to hear stories of grandpa Robert and we talked about Sam too.  As we were loading up to go home, I shed a few pity party tears and the kids wondered what that was all about.  I have these three little kiddos here and one on the way.  I am so blessed and I know that.  But I still feel that emptiness where Sam should be.  Sometimes I let the thoughts come in and I wish I could know what Sam would be like as a cute little blondie that's almost 3.  My sad pity party continues and I feel bad for these kids who will not know their grandpa Robert on this earth and will miss out on seeing the love on his face that made his eyes leak water like a broken sprinkler pipe.  He used to almost burst with pride when he would hug me and each one of my siblings.  He loved us so much and I ache to show him my cute kids and have them feel those wonderful hugs. 
So when I feel like that, I remember that I am here.  I am here with three kids who love me and depend on me for everything.  We have Mike and so many blessings that I can't even begin to name them.  We have my mom and all the other grandparents that love my kids.  We have the knowledge that we will all be together for eternity.
We have faced some sad days.  We will face many more, but we live a great life.  I am so thankful for it.

So...no more pity party...here we are at the cemetery.

Will they ever look at the same time?

I didn't listen very well when my dad told the stories of the people buried in the plots around us.  We need a family history lesson again.  I do know that this grave is my dad's dad.

We're raising another grave robber...