A Pocket Full. . .

Ever since we've told the kids about the new baby I've overheard them saying to other each other or friends, "When Mom lays the baby. . . " or "Did you know my Mom is going to lay a baby?"


I have this vision of me clucking and wallah. . . Baby Bacon!


The other day Hyrum told me that he knows how the baby will come out.


"Really?" I asked ready to brace myself.


"Yup," he said in all four-year-old confidence, "He's going to bash his head against your tummy and pop out." Then after some more thought he added, "Or maybe he'll just come out of your pocket."


The bashing the head sounds gruesome and a foot under the ribs is about all I can take let alone a whole body. . . for right now I think I'll stick with the idea of simply LAYING a baby.

Rekindled

It has been months and months since I've scrapbooked. Thanks to my sisters, I've been really excited to tackle 2008.

Hy Four

Happy Birthday Hy!

Blast From the Past

Every evening the boys read in their rooms for at least an hour. Christian and Tanner particularly have fallen in love with the world of silent reading and really enjoy the adventure of a great book. One afternoon Tanner was ranting and raving about this book he was reading A Rumor of Dragons (the first book in the Dragonlance Young Reader Chronicles) that he had checked out from the school library. He began telling us about the characters and immediately Eric's eyes widened. As a little boy Eric had read (or heard about the stories thanks to his brother Bryan) and had LOVED them. It was the catalyst for a lot of their play and imagination when he was little (something to do with the Dungeons and Dragons game). For hours Eric and the boys talked characters and situations. It was wonderful to see them so enthralled in conversation together. I immediately got online and found the original books at our public library for Eric and ordered the Young Readers (same books/stories but split into six different books) for the boys.

It is not uncommon, if I cannot see or hear Christian, that he is downstairs reading, reading, reading.

Baconbit #6

Yes, Baconbit #6 is on its way.

Due to arrive July 2009.

Christian and Tanner are hoping desperately for a boy. They are still clinging to the idea of becoming a living replica of 7 Brides for 7 Brothers.

Sam REALLY wants a girl. I think he secretly wants the perks of a sister. . . meaning, he wants the Polly Pockets.

Hyrum tells everyone that "only God knows" what the baby will be. He's content to switch his mind several times a day as to what the Heavens will send us.

Go Tell It On A Mountain

For most of you who know me well, I'm a fairly private person. No need to blab things that don't need blabbing. So you can only imagine how mortified I was when my FIRST and LAST name show up on our towns OVERPASS in the BIGGEST, most GIGANTIC letters you've ever seen. But that's not the worst part. . . it is what follows. . . Imagine if you will the words "IS PREGNANT!"

I'm not mortified of the truth. . . only its presentation. Let's go back a few months . . .

I'm getting harassed daily by my friend Jodi. "When are you coming to basketball? When are you coming to basketball? When are you coming to basketball?" I admit, I had taken a rather sudden leave of absence . . . but really were all the questions necessary?

So I let Jodi in on the big secret. Baconbit #6 is on its way. Something about racing to the bathroom, dry heaving, and just overwhelming nausea didn't seem to mesh with 6 a.m. basketball. Not to mention that this time around the only decent sleep i get is from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m.

Immediately Jodi gets this sparkle in her eye and asks, "Can I tell people for my birthday? I could CALL (yes she said CALL!) Kerri and Jessy and your Mom. . . It would be the best Birthday Present Ever!"

Who asks for that for their birthday? But I was game. . . we weren't going to tell the boys until Spring Break. . . what were a few extra days.

Warning bells. Warning bells. Warning bells. A) Jodi's Birthday is April 9th. That would take me almost to six months. Now, granted, I can suck it in with the best of them (the perks of being tall and 20 lbs over weight) . . . but 6 months? I knew that by not telling people, they would be in that dilemma thinking "Is Steph pregnant or just getting fat. . ." Great. And then there was B) Have any of you seen Maya and Miguel on PBS kids? You know whenever Maya gets a great idea and her pony tail holder does that flash thing. . . it means that Maya thinks her idea is great but more than likely it is just a bit of trouble. Maya=Jodi. I should have made that connection sooner.

So the months pass. And with the help of a cold Alaskan Winter and Bulky Clothing, I've got the average passerby duped into thinking I'm just fat.

Nothing could have prepared me for April 9th. Did I mention big black letters. . . the towns major thoroughfare. . . first AND last name. . . Mortified. Absolutely Mortified. Happy Birthday Jodi. I hope it was the BEST birthday present EVER because next year I'm sticking with a cake and balloons.

Conference Baskets

I knew that I was going to be over Easter Sunday, so this year we opted for "Conference Baskets." Since General Conference was the 1st Saturday and Sunday of the month, I filled the baskets with all sorts of candy for Conference Bingo and a Super Exercise Activity to burn off all the extra energy between Sessions.

Conference this year was a challenge for me. We had had such an amazing experience 6 months ago, that I just assumed the same thing would happen this time around. I suppose I was my worst enemy. . . I forgot to set up my expectations with the boys and invest the prep effort into making the moment. Lesson learned.