Just Four Months!

Four months since my last post!  Not too bad.  Also, about four months until Sam returns home.  Also, about 4 months until this bubble on the front of me pops and I have 4 screaming kids instead of 3.

Four seems like a good number right now, so we'll go with it.  Here's four things that have happened since I last updated:

1.  Connor has started and finished his first season of soccer.  He's LOVED it and looks forward to playing again next year. He's also lost his two bottom front teeth via extraction.  The tooth fairy visited and he was totally not fooled by her existence being mom.  He's also learned to ride his bike without training wheels.  Yeah, that was a riot to watch, I'm sure.  Me and my huge belly trying to run along side him. Anyway, it worked. After a couple nights of practicing, he's got it down.

2. In the middle of Feb I took Bear to the gastroenterologist due to some chronic bowel issues he was having.  The doctor has been FABULOUS.  Two weeks after seeing the doctor, I put him in underwear and almost overnight, Bear was completely potty trained. Hallelujah!  I will not have three kids in diapers come August.  As a reward, I promised him that once he was potty trained, he could take swimming lessons. So now, both Connor and Bear have started taking swimming lessons and I'm so glad that I decided to put them both in the lessons.  They've both had a bit of a fear of water.  They love the idea of it but I wasn't having much success getting them to try new things like floating/kicking their feet/paddling with their arms and their teacher has magically managed to get them to do these things in less than an hour of working with them and their classes. I'm so impressed.

This is Bear taking advantage of the crazy El Paso wind.  $1 store kite=a whole lotta fun!



3.  My mom came to visit for the all important ultrasound.  It was great to have her here and to be able to Skyp
e Sam into the room so he could see it also.  Good news!  The baby is healthy and growing normally.  What?  That isn't what you wanted to know? Oh well, we did also find out that we are having a GIRL!!  Is that what you wanted to know?  Good, everyone is happy now.  The boys are very excited to have a sister and we are all having fun coming up with different name possibilities. I'm ecstatic although part of me wants to be prepared.....just in case there was a mistake made in the ultrasound.  It's not stopping me from making all kinds of girly preparations though. I just ordered fabric for her bedding set that I'm making. And I've started on booties and a hat. I've gotten rid of all the baby boy clothes except my favorites so I can make them into a big family quilt at some point.  I'm just having trouble figuring out where I'm going to set up her crib.  I hate to take away the boys play room for her nursery...but that might just have to happen. We'll see...

4. Keith turns 2 in just 9 days and he is SO big! Into everything and starting to throw tantrums. Yep, the fun stuff.  Although I'm pretty sure he's about figured out that a tantrum never gets him what he wants so they are getting shorter and shorter. Smart kid.  For two years old he has quite the gift for humor and timing also. We are constantly laughing with this one.  Connor says "Mom, Keith is your funniest kid."  I have to agree, although, they all have their moments.  This picture by the way is of a "green" smoothie all over his face. It's actually pretty close to black because we put blueberries in it.

He loves smoothies.

So there are the major events of the past few months.   A few other smaller momentous occasions:
-- We've passed the halfway point in our first deployment. So it's all downhill from here!
--We replaced the siding on our house in Tooele and were able to pay for it without any credit.
--We paid off the balance on our van so now have 0 car payments!
--Connor is starting his reading curriculum in school(he wasn't quite ready at the beginning of the year) and although he's not loving it, he's learning it. He likes me to give him the answers so new things are always a struggle.  He loves having me read to him though and is starting to make the connections between the things I'm teaching and how he can use those things in the "real world".  The other day he saw me doing some addition while paying bills and gasped, "Mom! You do math?"  Haha, yes son. There is a reason you have to learn to add. Too funny.  So now, I'm trying to do better at pointing out the things he sees everyday that require him to learn the things in school.  Like, the highway number signs. And the speed limit signs.
--Sam got promoted today! WOOOHOOO!  We've almost been in the Army for 2 years. Crazy.  Just 4 left to go....unless I can convince him to put an application in for Warrant Officer.  No luck so far.

And here's a baby bump picture at a couple days shy of 25 weeks.

I think that's about all.  May the 4th be with you!