Chuck E Cheese Part 2

I have never been a fan of Chuck E Cheese because growing up there was one near us that was super ghetto, dirty, and a little scary. I have never taken the girls to one because of this. However, for Cara's family birthday party I caved and was pleasantly surprised!

 I am not sure who had more fun... Cory or Dean?

 Ryann or Rich?

 Addie?

 Me and Hazel?

Or Auntie Erin with her glamour shot pictures (for only 1 token!!)

Happy Birthday Cara (Chuck E Cheese part 1)

Today you are 4. Every day you make us laugh. When you don't mean to make us laugh you get pretty upset and usually end up in full blown tears. You are often called "the maniac" because you have more energy than most kids we know. 

 Seriously, I knew you had a lot of energy, but I recently texted Miss Teddie, your preschool teacher, and asked if you had like "top 5% energy" and she said "yes." Apparently ALL YEAR LONG in preschool you have worked to sit in a chair. Thank goodness for another year of preschool before kindergarten. 

 This year was a family birthday party for you, which happened to also be a celebration for Cousin Ethan who was adopted this week by Auntie Ashley. What a wonderful blessing he is to our family and knowing that he is forever ours! Your party was at Chuck E Cheese and you played your little heart out with tokens and tickets. Seriously, endless amounts.

 At 4 you still take naps. You love to wake up early and come into mommy's bed and fall back asleep. If I kick you out of bed then you go wake up Ryann to play with you... So being that you have mommy wrapped around your little finger... you get to cuddle in bed with me most mornings between 4 and 6am. But I really don't mind, you are a great snuggler. 

You love to talk in the third person. "Cara is hungry." "Cara wants popcorn" "Cara can't go to sleep" "Cara's feet hurt" "Cara can't walk"

Cara is little (almost 30lbs) and she knows it. She thinks that she can get away with anything because "Cara is little."  We try to stress that she is a big girl but she isn't having that most days. She is a picky eater and we are constantly working on that one.  

Cara isn't very sneaky. She is loud and we almost always know when she is up to no good. She pouts, she shouts, she crys, she yells and she loves more than anyone. She is always kissing my belly. She loves Baby Mac and wants him to come out and play more than anything. She is smart (don't all parents say this?) and she is identifying all her letters and numbers and even some words. She writes her name and thinks that the letters C-A-R-A were made just for her. The world has always revolved around Cara in her eyes and I am excited to see what the world of a 4 year old has in store for us. 

Wedding

Yes, we traveled through 3 airports in 4 days to celebrate with this happy couple. 

With pneumonia. 

Yes, I know, not really resting time. 

BUT I did get a nap in almost every day thanks to my wonderful family and husband who helped with the girls sooo much. 

Our regular camera ran out of batteries at the temple, but trust me, I will get those cell phone pictures up in the next couple weeks for sure!

Best Part of Pregnancy

Seriously, it doesn't get much better than this: 

 Eating everything and having a built in table. Pregnancy rocks. 

Happy Anniversary

It was our 9 year anniversary today and I just have to say how much I love my husband. He is so sweet and thoughtful and while taking your sick wife to the chiropractor isn't a top 100 list of things to do on your anniversary, he did it with a smile. He even took our girls to the temple grounds while I was being adjusted. They spent the hour going through the visitors center, looking at the flowers, and walking all over the grounds. 

Both girls know that Jesus died for us and they both tried to tell me the story. Cara is very insistent that Jesus was put in the "tumba" after he died. (emphasis on the BA) part.

I am so thankful for temples. I am so thankful that 9 years ago my sweet husband and I were sealed for time and all eternity. I know that families are forever and I am so thankful that sweet Ethan joined our family today on this very very special day.

Happy Anniversary to my grandma and grandpa. I believe they are at 68 years.

Happy adoption day Ethan, you have always been a part of us, but having it on paper makes it so much more sweet. We couldn't be happier. Congrats Ashley! What an amazing Mama you are.

And once again, thank you to my sweet husband. I love you.

Pneumonia

On Thursday night I had some spicy Mexican food for dinner. It gave me heartburn. So then I slept almost upright and somehow pinched a nerve in my neck.

Friday I wasn't so hot. My neck hurt and my back hurt and my shoulder hurt. 

Eventually I was at the hospital waiting for a baby to make it's entrance into the world and it started hurting when I took deep breaths. 

 I figured I just needed to see a chiropractor because this pinched nerve was getting a little out of control.

So I scheduled an appointment, but not until Tuesday. 

When I got home from the delivery I was a hot mess. I was in pain and achy and couldn't breathe right. I got into the bath and stayed there for a very long time. I went to bed feeling slightly better.

Saturday morning comes around and I am on call. I head off to the hospitals around 615, see my patients, get some breakfast and I decide to call my dad. I explain my symptoms, we triage myself together to try and make sure it is all normal and then I head off to the office. I see about 8 patients when I realize that I am not doing so well. 

I am short of breath. It hurts to breathe. The left side of my chest has a lot of pain. I start breathing really fast and notice that I am making a weird grunting noise when I breathe. I start sweating a little bit. 

But then I have to ignore it because there is another baby about to be born. So I hurry to the hospital, catch the baby, then go back to the office for the next 8 or so patients. The whole time I am trying to convince myself that I am fine, but really I start to know that I am not. 

I text my dad my symptoms, as well as the OB that I work with and I tell them I am going to be evaluated in OB traige. I feel so silly going, because I figure that it is just some weird pregnancy related symptom that was associated with the pinched nerve, but by this time I can't slow down my breathing that I don't even care anymore. 

(here is my lovely snacks and water at my bedside table)

So they ran some blood tests, did an EKG, noticed my heart rate was elevated, and did a chest x-ray that came up with pneumonia! Seriously, pneumonia?? Who gets pneumonia in April in phoenix?  Well, I guess overtired, overworked midwives who are pregnant and are around sick people all the time. 

(Last pregnancy I had shingles, so I guess I would take pneumonia over that.)

So needless to say, I am off call and taking some time to lay in bed all day long (and catch up on blogging of course!) because I need to get better before I fly off to Utah on Thursday to watch my baby brother marry the love of his life. 

Thank you for all the prayers and well wishes. After a couple doses of antibiotics, fevers off and on all night (but none today!), a blessing, and some rest I am starting to feel that I will kick this little bugger very quickly. 

Pane Bianco

I realize that I take a lot of pictures of food. 

In the first trimester with this baby all I could eat was bean and cheese burritos. Delicious, but they get old fast. Now that I can eat more (I tend to ignore the awful heartburn), I have been spending a little more time at good restaurants. I work downtown so of course some of the best places to eat are down there. Send me some recommendations, because I am all about trying more amazing food. 

Busy Day With Ryann

A couple weeks ago Ryann and I spent some mommy daughter time together. 

We met a friend for some lunch at a crepe place. I would be lying if I told you that I didn't eat all of mine and then most of Ryann's as well. 

Then we headed over to target. I got a couple things that I needed and then daddy decided he wanted to come meet us there with Cara, so we had 30 minutes or so to kill so Ryann and I decided to Register at target for Baby Mac. 

 It was fun and more fun until it wasn't. Then Ryann spent some time being silly and hiding. 

Conference Packs for FHE

We ordered conference packs for conference from our young women, but since we weren't here on conference we decided to use them for Family night packs.

 The popcorn was the biggest hit of course, but the girls did like coloring and gluing, and searching for hidden pictures.

28 Weeks

Plugging right along. I am starting to see a lot more weight in my face and yesterday I was pretty swollen from being up all weekend long for a lot of births. But the swelling usually goes down if I get some rest and am able to put my feet up. 

He definitely moves more than the girls, which is a lot of fun for us all, especially the girls!  They love to feel him move and kick like crazy. 

Hi!

Hi, I'm Cara. I am almost 4. I am going to have my birthday after my uncle Zach gets married. For my birthday I want: A princess bike or pink and gold sparkly squinkies that are so beautiful. (seriously this is all she will tell me!!)

I love copying other people. I love pasta. I love taking a long time to eat. I love singing, coloring, chocolate, and standing up while I eat. I love to climb on and jump on couches. I talk to Baby Mac a lot. Sometimes I even like him better than I like my mom. I love when people cuddle with me and when I make them laugh. I have some really cute freckles on my nose. 

Mini Eggs

Easter is our favorite "candy" time of year. Rich boldly declared last night that the cadburry mini eggs are his favorite candy.  Wow. They beat out reeses.  

Good thing we have no more of these, or Rich would gain some weight with this pregnancy too!

Bike Riding

No More Training Wheels

We took off the training wheels!  She crashed once, but Rich gave her a blessing and she seems ready to get back on the bike and go at it again. So proud of my Ryann. 

Horseback Riding

When we planned this camping trip we had no idea that there would be horseback riding so close to camp. When Ryann found out about this I called to ask for rates and when the next ride would be. 

Then I convinced Rich to make his oldest daughter the happiest girl in the world.

 Ryann eagerly looked at the horses trying to decide which one she wanted. She picked one out and I tried to remind her that she might not get that horse. Well, she did and she was thrilled!

 She put on her helmet, her sunglasses, and some boots. She had her water bottle and she was ready. 

 "Trigger" was the name of her horse. Daddy rode on "Boss"

  

 Ryann was so focused and concentrating that she wouldn't even move the hair out of her eyes for fear of letting go. They did catch her petting the horse often though. I don't think there has ever been a horse so loved in the hour and a half ride that they went on.

  

The first thing she told me when she got off, besides that she had so much fun, was that her horse peed and pooped on the trail.  Yup, gotta love 6 year olds!

And, for the nervous mom in me, I was thrilled to see that the guide had her horse on an extra rope connected to him during the whole ride. She was safe and sound the entire time. 

Camping Faces

Here are some of the crazy camping faces that I got on camera. These girls are constantly cracking me up. One minute they are so sweet and a minute later they are throwing a tantrum or pouting.

Happy Campers

 We spent the weekend camping with some friends. It was a nice location that was only an hour away. We had a new tent, a playground, close bathrooms and showers, good food, lots of snacks, and horseback riding. 

 Besides getting to bed late the first night, we all slept fairly well. Rich and I already took naps today when we got home and have started on the massive amounts of laundry. 

 I think Ryann's favorite part was the pink camping chairs, donuts, and horseback riding. 

Cara liked playing in the dirt, chocolate candies, marshmallows, and that mom let her go to the bathroom all by herself. 

Easter Confetti

One of the best parts of the day was throwing the confetti easter eggs at the uncles and daddy. 

 This may become a tradition. First the girls get there turn, and then the big boys get their turn against each other. 

Loved

Yes baby Mac, you are loved. 

This is a very normal occurrence at our house. Ryann loves to talk to my belly, kiss it, hug it and blow raspberries on my belly. 

I love it too. 

Egg Dyeing

Thank goodness for Auntie Vicki and Grandma Mingo. 

Without them we might have gone without coloring Easter Eggs this year. 

 I am not sure if the 26 eggs were enough for the two girls ;)

 Definitely intense and the quite a few colors were spilled. Thankfully our 9 year old table can take quite the beating. 

 Finished products: