34 Weeks

What do you do in the summertime? Well, we swim! We've been swimming like crazy. We hit three different pools on Saturday alone. Swimming is basically the big "to do" on our list every day. What else sounds even remotely fun in this 100+ weather? Matt has a great camera and has taken lots of fun pictures of the kids swimming. Until he sends me those you can take a look at this 34 week belly shot. Lovely huh!? I feel like we are nearing the end of this pregnancy quickly and I can't really say I'm ready to be a mom to three little boys just yet. Ready or not...he's coming, so I better get used to the idea. We will transition Blake into Carson's room in the next couple weeks and then I'll be able to put the final touches on the nursery and post a picture of the boy's new rooms.

Lost

We've had a traumatic experience today. I'm sure most people would just roll their eyes at me, but I've cried lots of tears and so has Blake. His beloved blanket "Buddy" got lost today. We never take it in stores, but Blake always has it in the car. He's not the happiest traveler around town, so he holds his Buddy and is completely content. Well, after a trip to Babies R Us, Target and swim lessons we got home to realize his Buddy was no longer with us. I've looked everywhere. I've called everywhere. I've driven back to the stores and checked parking lots. I have a feeling he threw it out of the door before the van door closed at Babies R Us. He does that every once in awhile, but I always catch him. I even called Babies R Us to say the landscaping crew was there blowing up all the junk in the parking lot and to see if they knew which company did that. The guy thought I was crazy and said he had no idea. I saw a donation drop box next to Babies R Us and wondered if maybe they dropped it in there rather than taking it into the store. I called PotteryBarn Kids to see if by chance they had his exact blanket tucked away somewhere on a shelf of outdated/unsold items. Blake screamed and screamed until I went and got him out of his crib during nap time. I wonder how long it will take for him to be able to fall asleep without his crib Buddy. Heck, I'm already crying again about it.

I was such a blanket kid myself. Blake doesn't talk, but he wanders around muttering something and keeps pointing into different rooms. I gave him a different blanket and tried to tell him it could be his new buddy and he shoved it aside and said NO! He's just so little and doesn't understand that we lost it. It breaks my heart and I feel absolutely terrible about it. Here come the tears again. I'm still hoping for a miracle - Blake and I desperately want it back!

Seriously?

I should post a picture of my 33 week belly, but after today's comments I don't think I'm feeling up to it. Maybe another day. I think it's so funny how people make the most tactless comments to pregnant women. Here is the winner for today...


"Lynsey, you are huge. When is that baby due to arrive again?"


Yes, read it again. It was said. Word for word...just like that. She had a big smile on her face. She meant well. I actually started laughing when I re-read it just now. I didn't think I was THAT big, but apparently I am. Ha. I went in for my appointment on Friday and they actually told me I was measuring a little big (surprise, surprise). I'm hoping I have this boy two weeks early like I did with Blake. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Who needs a crib?

Matt and I have this cute bench in our room. Talk about a great purchase! I love it. I sit on it everyday and I love the extra storage space. It is also one of Blake favorite spots. Generally, he wakes up from his nap and climbs in here for a little bit.

Doesn't that look comfortable! Why did I bother buying another crib? I could have kept Blake in his and put the baby in here. Ha. I'm kidding of course! There are two rules when it comes to the bench....#1 Carson is not allowed to get in because he's too big and #2 Carson is not allowed to close the top while Blake is inside. It works well and I think it's pretty cute.

I love this little boy, but there are times when I don't think he's so cute. Like when he's... opening every closet and removing its contents, getting into the toilet, removing everything from the pantry, playing with the blender (unplugged of course), climbing on top of our kitchen table and dining room table or any other surface that he shouldn't be able to reach, etc. It's a constant battle with our Blake. He sure looks sweet and innocent, but he has you fooled too. The kid is a maniac. He's definitely a keeper, but sure keeps me on my toes! Every kid has their own personality for sure. I didn't have to worry about ANY of these things with Carson. I can't wait to see what kind of personality we get with Baby #3.

Blake & Papa

Two of Blake's favorite things - his Papa and sucking his pointer finger. Blake sure doesn't say much, but he does say "Papa" and loves to sit on Papa's lap. We are lucky to live by family that we get to see often. Our kids love their grandparents and cousins!

Oh the things Carson says!

People are constantly telling me I should be writing down some of the things Carson says. I do my best to jot down things here on my blog in hopes that one day I'll print this into a book. Here are a couple of the latest funny moments.

Last night Carson was saying his prayers. He says thank you for everything regardless if he's thankful for it or asking for it. He said, "Thank you that I can have a (pause)... Mom what's that flying thing Hagrid gave Harry?" (Me: "A hippogiff") Carson: "Thank you that I can have a hippogriff." He continues with his prayer. Matt and I are busting up laughing and Carson proceeds to ask after he's done, "What's funny? Why are you laughing?" I'm laughing now just thinking about it. Gotta love Harry Potter and that Carson of ours!

Here's another one. It wasn't so funny in the moment, but I laughed later. I drive to my brother's office everyday to pick up my work. Nate usually comes out to say hi to the kids. Carson is generally not very warm and friendly during these short conversations. I was chatting with Nate and all of a sudden Carson's flip flop flies across the van and hits Nate. I looked at Carson in total disbelief and he said very seriously, "I'm just done with this." Oh excuse me, apparently my four year old had a very tight schedule and we were boring him too.


The kid never ceases to amaze me. What will he say or do next? As for Blake...we just hope he starts talking sometime soon. He's quite the jabberbox, but nothing makes sense. He's really good at "thank you" so that should count for something, right?

Where's Carson?

I put Carson in his room for a nap around 1 p.m. today. It is now 4:53 p.m. and he still hasn't emerged. I went in to check on him and found this....empty bed. So, where'd he go? Based on the fact that his closet door was open and his sleeping bag was missing there was really only one place for him to go!

Yes, there he is taking a nap UNDER his bed. Why not?

He's going camping tomorrow with his dad, so I guess he's preparing.

28 1/2 Week Belly = Pretty Huge

Please excuse the poor picture quality, but I'm not a professional and for the life of my I couldn't fix the problem. So, for posterity sake....here it is, my almost 29 Week belly. Whoa.

I had to add this one because it made me laugh out loud. Carson wanted to test out his photography skills and take my picture. This is what we got. Hilarious. From his point of view I must look like a whale. Glad he still loves me.
I had to throw one in of my funny Blake. The kid does not talk much, but his favorite phrases are "thank you" and "no". This is his face when I asked him to show me his teeth. I love my little blondie. I'm still trying to get the little amount of talking he does on video. He talks gibberish all day long that's for sure. He's a maniac and quite the daredevil, so this one keeps me on my toes.

I would have added a picture of Carson, but he wasn't feelin' the camera today. Maybe tomorrow.

Baby Brother in 3D

I did 3D Ultrasounds with both of my other boys, so of course I had to do the same with this little guy. Carson was thrilled to actually see a picture of his next little brother's face. He was very interested in knowing how they actually got a picture of him though. Carson has really enjoyed going to my past couple appointments and hearing the baby's heartbeat.

I should post pictures of Carson and Blake in 3D because they actually look very similar. You can definitely tell this is their brother! It's amazing how much you can love a little boy without even meeting him yet. We can't wait to actually see him in person. About ten more weeks. The countdown has begun! It's gonna be a long and hot Arizona summer!

Baby Brother in 3D

Sunday Best

Too bad Matt's not in our picture! He looked handsome as well. Carson got to wear a tie for the first time to church on Sunday. He loved it. He was a little disappointed when he realized it wasn't red like the one his dad had on, but I'm sure we'll be adding to his tie collection. He felt like such a big boy. I told him he had to be extra reverent because he was getting so big. I sure love having little boys. I can't believe I'm already 6 months along with our next one!

So cute and handsome!

Molluscum Contagiosum

Molluscum contagiosum is not a Harry Potter spell. Carson has had these "bumps" for about two years. His pediatrician said they would go away eventually on their own, but after they didn't I took him to the dermatologist. Here is Carson about five hours after his appointment.

I had to call in reinforcements (Matt) to help me take the tape off his body. I should have gotten a picture of him before. The tape was put there to cover up the blistering medication they put on each spot. We are hoping for a bump-less and blister-less boy here soon. Looking at this picture you'd think he's a kid that just loves bandaids.

Scary Stories

This book is one of Carson's favorites. Apparently, Matt and his sister's enjoyed this one in their childhood. I crack up everytime I read it to Carson. He was in his bedroom looking through a pile of books on his new bed. I went in to ask if he wanted me to read one to him before his nap. This is the book he chose. We snuggled under his many blankets and had a good laugh.
He loves to look though books and it makes me smile when he says they are a little "tricky" for him to read. The time will come when reading isn't so "tricky" for this little guy, but I still hope he lets us read to him on occassion.

Goodbye 20's....Hello 30's!

It's official...I am now in my 30's. Wow. How did that happen?

Some would have midlife crisis over this age. Me, not so much. It's just a number. Matt got me this funny candle. I actually feel like I was 18 and in high school not that long ago. Like I've said in recent blog posts - time passes quickly. My 20's were great. Lots of important and special events happened in my 20's. Here's a list of some of those things...

• I lived on my own
• I lived the single life
• I graduated from BYU
• I got my first real job post graudation
• I met the man of my dreams
• I married the man of my dreams
• We traveled and vacationed - Florida, Mexico, Hawaii, Utah, California, New York, Boston
• We bought our first house
• We decorated and furnished a house (an on going process of course)
• We bought our first car
• We had our first child and I became a mother
• We had our second child
• We found out we were expecting our third child
• We bought our first "family car"
• I've served in several callings - Young Womens, Primary & Relief Society
• I've made life long friends

These are just some of the first things that pop into my head. I can look back and be happy about the lessons I've learned, the trials I've faced, the memories that have been made. So, bring on my 30's. I welcome them. I hope they are filled with lots more joy and happiness!

Meltdown

Yesterday I posted how excited I was to receive all my packages from UPS. I was excited to get the beds and bedding for the room Carson and Blake will share. It still looks like a tornado hit due to all the changes. I still have several months until this next little guy arrives, but getting organized and ready is just in my nature. Now on to my meltdown. I feel like it was just yesterday that Carson was our only baby. Then we added our wonderful little addition, Blake. I remember this picture below like it was taken yesterday as well. I guess all this change makes me so emotional because it just goes to show that time moves on. My little boys are growing up. I cried because we moved all of the nursery furniture and bedding that has been set up since August 2005 when we brought Carson home. I cried because Carson and Blake will be old enough to share a room. I cried because I worry Carson will hate the changes we made in a matter of two days while he has been with Grandma and Papa. He'll actually love it. He has been looking forward to getting an actual bed for awhile now. Apparently change is hard for me. Don't get me wrong...change is good, but sometimes hard. I'm lucky to have a husband that loves me despite my emotional meltdowns. Last night he informed me that he is used to it now. That might be a bad sign.

Oh how I love my little boys. Oh how I love being their mom. It's times like this that makes me realize how quickly time does move on and I'm reminded of this quote that I've read and heard several times.

"Enjoy the little things, for one day you'll look back and realize they were the big things." - Robert Brault

Blake/Bean/Blakus/Blaker

It doesn't happen often that I'm just with Blake. He's my little sidekick. He has such a sweet and happy personality and I just love him. I wonder how many times a day I tell him that. Lots. Love you little man.

Happy Friday!

It's Friday! Thought I would upload a few random pictures about today. Carson just left for his "Grandma Day" and sleepover at Grandma and Papa's house. He has really been looking forward to this and has worked hard for this fun reward! A few weeks ago I shared my frustrations with Matt about Carson's unwillingness to do certain things that I felt he was more than capable of doing. Matt suggested we get him a sticker chart and reward him if he could get them filled up. He loves his stickers! He got to go to Bahama Bucks for his favorite lime flavored snowcone when he fulfilled all his duties for five days and got to sleep over at Grandma's house if he could fill up two charts! We packed his bags and he was off to the dinosaur museum and I'm sure lots of other fun stuff today with Grandma Gail.

One of the things Carson has been working on is saying his own prayers at night before bed. He has done a great job, but I have to muffle my laughs sometimes. He says the funniest things. My favorite so far...."Thank you that Dad can work all day long, so I can eat snowcones."

On another note...I received some packages from UPS today. Oh happy day! I am so excited to get everything out and set up for the boys shared room. I even got a little something for the nursery. Pictures to come once everything is arranged.

And for last...a snapshot of Blake's very favorite book. He brings it to me at least ten times a day. One morning I was drying my hair and he wanted me to read it. I told him to take it to Carson. He walked away with his book in hand. About a minute later I went to check and see if he did in fact take the book to Carson. Sure enough Carson and Blake were sitting next to each other on the couch and Carson recited the entire book to Blake. No, Carson can't read yet, but the book is very repetitive and he knows it well! So cute to watch them together. There are several things that I want to capture on video of those two. Especially when Carson goes in to Blake room after his nap. He talks in a high pitched voice and says, "How's our sweet baby? How was your nap?" I'm glad they get along and love each other. I could ask for more.


Happy Friday!

1st Dental Visit

My pediatrician recommended I take Carson in for his first dental visit. We made an appointment two weeks ago and I've been prepping him since then. We ended up going to my cousin, Dallas Woolf, who's new office is on Val Vista & University. Carson absolutely LOVED it. He kept saying, "This is so cool!" After we left he wanted to know when we were going back. If any of you are looking for a good dentist for your kids...I'd highly recommend Dallas! He has a great personality for little people. Carson was really excited about the sticky hands he got and about his timer for brushing his teeth. He even informed me that he wanted to drink water to keep his teeth "sparkly".

Showing off his sparkling smile.

I thought I'd throw one in of Blake too just because he is darn cute. Please note that last week he finally started saying, "Mom and Mama." Love this boy.

18 Weeks

Go ahead...laugh that I took my own 18 week pregnant picture. I keep telling Matt that I need to have him take a picture of me and it just doesn't happen. I don't want the entire pregnancy to go by and not have a picture, so this will have to do for the 18 week shot. Here you have it....my 18 week baby bump. I know I won't be able to button these jeans for long. It's been a struggle that last couple times they have come out of the wash.

Oh Boy!

It's official! Our little peanut is another BOY!

We are very excited! I told Carson he was going to have another brother. We got in the car and he asked, "Where's the baby?" I only wish it happened that fast! I guess we'll have to wait until July. Carson also asked if we could go buy him a buddy (a blanket) after his nap today. Too cute. Having three little boys will be so fun! I always thought I'd be the mom to all boys.