Random

*Many of the pictures below are NOT actual pictures of me and my little family. I haven't been a good picture-taker lately - the camera is in the hospital bag. Plus I thought the pictures I found would be funnier anyway!*

Okay, in an effort to keep my mind on something BESIDES the fact that I am still pregnant and don't have a wonderful-smelling, sweet baby girl in my arms....I am going to post a few random thoughts and details of life lately.

Tyler is on a shaving strike until Kelly is born. I think it's really funny. But I don't think he was anticipating it taking this long. His beard has gotten to the itchy stage and he doesn't really love how he looks with it. I like the look until we get to about 7 days in, which I think we have reached. Don't get me wrong, he's still very handsome with this facial hair, I just prefer a little less and so does he. So don't be surprised when you don't recognize the man in the pictures with our new baby in his arms. It is, in fact, Tyler Michael. Although I have to say that he looks much better sporting a beard than the dude in the above picture.

I thought I was going into labor again last night. Lots of good, hard contractions that lasted about an hour - hour and a half. Then they stopped. I'm beginning to wonder if my body even knows how to do this on its own. With Max my water broke and I had good contractions for several hours...then nothing. After 20 hours of pitocin-induced contractions (12 of which I had no epidural) Max FINALLY came. So now I am wondering how things are going to play out this time? Ty gave me a beautiful blessing last night and then today I read Moroni 7 (one of my favorite chapters in the Book of Mormon) about charity. I realized that part of becoming Christ-like is to have patience and long-suffering and to endure whatever is handed to you. I guess I hadn't thought of charity in that light before. I know that this little woman is coming and I should just continue to enjoy my one-on-one time with Max and the good sleep that I know will be missed very soon. (By the way, I see the doctor again tomorrow. We'll see if there's any progress. I'm going to ask about him stripping my membranes...)

Don't laugh...I went to a ballet class this week! :) Imagine me and my belly trying to be graceful and balance on my tiptoes (which I did several times!). And know that I have never done ballet in my life. Actually, maybe I did when I was 6 or something. There's a lady in our stake who teaches it at the Church two times a week and I thought I would give it a shot. It was fun and a pretty good workout, but I just kept laughing to myself and thinking that I would love to have it videotaped and play it back whenever I need a good laugh. Although while I was following the very graceful instructor, I felt like I looked a lot like the girl in the picture above. :) I'll probably go back again... There's also an exercise class that meets three times a week at the Church that I've been attending. I've been jumping and lunging as much as possible. I'm loving the freedom a car has given me! The benefit to these classes is that Max gets to run around the gym with other kids while all of us moms are in there doing our thing.

We've actually had several sunny days this week that have been quite warm. And for those of you in Vegas and Arizona and other warm climates...I'm talking 50's, which means that I don't have to wear a jacket outside; high 60's means it's time to break out the shorts! This has meant lots of trips to the park and playing outside and going on walks. I've been in heaven! We've been to Waterfront Park three times and spent many hours throwing rocks and sticks into Dyes Inlet. It's been wonderful. Words can't describe how happy that has made me! And that probably goes double for Max who loves to run around and be out-of-doors.Speaking of Max, he is seeming so old to me lately. Probably because I've got newborns on my mind, trying to remember what it was like. He is putting so many words together, giving some words adjectives. I am so impressed by these little minds that absorb things so quickly! It seems like we only need to tell him once what something is and then it's committed to memory. He loves every kind of sport but is partial right now to soccer and, of course, basketball. He's got pretty good skills too - I took his soccer ball with us to the park the other day and we kicked it back and forth for quite a while. He can just kick it as it comes rolling to him. Probably most kids his age can do that, but I like to think that it's pretty amazing. Let me be a proud mom! :) I also sometimes think that he's a little bit French. The way he says diaper and paper sound like a Frenchman. It cracks us up every time.

On a more emotional note...the other morning I was up early when Ty was getting ready for work. Max had woken up and I went in to put him back to bed. I sat on the floor next to him and sang him some songs but just couldn't bring myself to leave even after he was fast asleep. I stroked his hair and thought of all of the things that I love about him. I thought of his spirit that is housed within that little body and about all that he can accomplish and the responsibility I have to help him remember and realize who he is. I thought of how grateful I am to be a mom - to be HIS mom. Then I came back in the room and Ty was working on something on the computer. I laid in bed and looked over at him and suddenly thought back to how we met and how I felt the day we were married and how incredibly grateful I am that I am married to HIM. The tears were flowing. I love being married and that is because of how wonderful the man I am married to is. He makes it so easy. I have more blessings than I probably deserve...but, hey, I'll take them and be grateful.

That's what has been going on in my mind and life this week. Riveting, I know. Bless you if you've read through this all, but don't feel bad if you've just skimmed...it's been a nice distraction for me tonight.