We had an ultrasound this morning and we are having.....

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Another GIRL!!!

We are so excited and happy! She looked healthy and absolutely beautiful!

The due date is Valentines Day, so I am about 19 weeks along.

We are so excited about this new little one! I had morning (all day) sickness during the first trimester, but I found that I knew better how to handle it since it’s my third time around. My emotions were really all over the place during the first couple months too – one day I was sitting by myself in the family room wondering how I would ever make it through being a young mother and if I would ever feel happy and normal again and I just started bawling. Carly walked into the room and kept begging me to stop (but I honestly couldn’t). She finally ended up crying on my lap as we cuddled together...cute, but mostly sad. (Luckily the pregnancy blues have gone - and I'm really hoping we won't have to deal with the baby blues!)

Thankfully, Aaron is so understanding and puts up with mood swings and hormones really well. I think that the one thing a pregnant woman needs more than anything else is a patient and kind husband – and I definitely have that! He sees the good in me and always makes me feel like I'm a good person and a good mother, even when I don't feel like I am.

Fridge Quotes IV and other stuff

Last weekend we went on a little hike up by the University in SLC. It is getting to be such nice weather now that fall weather is coming! I'm really hoping that my girls learn to appreciate nature and the outdoors.

 

A Nice Picture of my neck:

This is my neck from a couple of days ago. I woke up with what I thought was a mosquito bite on Tuesday morning and by Wednesday morning it looked like this. I went to the doctor on Friday and now I'm on a topical steroid - it's definitely improving!

We had a Family Home Evening lesson on reverence this Monday (much needed - we really struggle sometimes during church). We went to our temple - which is now the Bountiful temple. While we were there looking at the temple Carly said it felt like Heaven - sweet! Speaking of Carly, I never posted a Birthday post for her - she turned four the end of August. I can't even say how much happiness and excitement she brings into our home. She is our little singer. It only takes a few times to hear a song and then she has it memorized.

She is also our little social bug. She LOVES being with friends! We are lucky to have so many
little kids living in our complex here.

Cinderella (Kierra) and Ariel (Carly)

A couple of her cute comments:

She loves to rhyme -
"Hey Dad, I've got a rhyme for ya'-
Please don't sneeze,
Dance from your knees!"

Looking at herself in a mirror - "Hey Mom, look! I have fur in my nose!"

She doesn't like to have things explained to her more than once - well today I did just that. She looks at me and says, "Mom, don't tell me again...it's not complicated."

Carly as Anne of Green Gables - she's a big fan like her Mommy!

A back view of her new hair cut - so cute!!

Ellie makes me laugh

Yesterday she was supposed to be taking an early nap before church, but she was having a hard time falling asleep. I went in to check on her after about 45 minutes and I didn't see her in her bed or in Carly's bed. Finally I opened her bedroom door and got down on my stomach. This is what I found:



(The little sneeker!) I just had to laugh!




This is what she chose to wear today. (A Wal-Mart clearance Halloween costume)





Some of her one-liners:
"Don't talk at me, I'm upstrated!" (upset + frustrated)
"Okay, I not do it again, I promise" (after her 3rd or 4th....or 5th accident in a day - and you can be sure she will do it again!)
"Daddy and Mommy and Carly are my favorite things"
"Go, Fight, Win, clap!" (you can't forget to say clap when you do this cheer!)

2 1/2 is such a fun age - and Ellie is such a fun little girl!!!

Fridge Quotes IV

July 11, 2008

While visiting at Nanny Nette and Grandpa’s house, Great Grandpa Johnson came walking into the kitchen and out of the blue Carly says, “Hi Carl! My name is Carly!”
(A few days earlier Mommy had explained to Carly that she was named after Great Grandpa Johnson whose name is Carl E. Johnson.)


July 15, 2008
Ellie didn’t want to say her prayers and so Aaron explained to her that we need to listen to the good spirit that tells us to pray. He explained that there is also a bad spirit that tells us “Don’t pray! Be sad!” (As he said this he put his hand next to his ear and moved his fingers as if they were the devil speaking to him.) Ellie decides she had better pray:
“Heavenly Father, not let Satan say ‘Quack Quack, don’t say your prayers’…”


July 16 2008
Aaron came home from work and said that he’s getting a cold. Carly then observes that we all have colds… “But Mommy, I only like to have my own personal cold.”


July 21, 2008
Carly was getting dressed and Aaron asked her how long she had been wearing her panties (wondering if he should get her a new pair).
Carly’s answer: “6 months”
Daddy’s reply (in a very serious voice): “Okay, they’re probably pretty crusty then, so I’ll get you a new pair.”

What we've been up to...

In July we had a get together with a bunch of friends from Moscow. It was so good to see our friends from the good ol’ days in Moscow – we had such great friends there. It was fun to see the new babies that people have and see how the kids we knew had grown so much.

We are going to be moving again on the 30th. We found an apartment (thanks to Ashley and my sister, Steph) that is still in the SLC area. The apartment we’re moving to is a lot smaller than where we are now, but we’ll be able to save $400 a month compared to where we’re living now – which will hopefully get us into a home sooner. I’m really excited for the move (not the packing and unpacking though). There are a lot of young families in the complex which will be fun for the girls and I … and a swimming pool!

Since we’ve been in our ward here Aaron has been serving as the ward mission leader and I have been the nursery leader (Ellie really likes that). I have enjoyed my calling more than I thought I would – it’s fun to prepare the lessons and to hear what those little ones have to say.

This summer, my sister, Angela, has been teaching a few cheer classes. Carly and Ellie were part of the Itty Bitty Black team. They had a performance on Friday (I couldn't get the video to post, so maybe I'll try later.)

Carly in the middle and Ellie on the right.

Terrance and Camille moved to the Salt Lake area a few weeks ago – Yay! (That is Aaron’s cousin and his wife). They have a son, Liam, who is 8 days older than Carly and a little girl, Katie, who is 1 ½. They are living at Camille’s sister’s home right now until they sell their home in New Mexico. We are so happy to have them here – we can’t wait to get together again!
Aaron with the girls and Camille with Liam

Today we went to see some Irish Wolfhounds (these are Aaron’s favorite breed of dog). They are also the tallest dogs (along with Great Danes). We will probably have an Irish Wolfhound someday …this is very important to Aaron. :)

July... so far

The month started off with my whole family (my parents and siblings and kids) loading into an RV and suburban and going camping in Wyoming over the 4th of July. It was so fun and crazy! Some of the fun things I want to remember:





-we almost tipped the RV over when it got stuck in the mud and started to slip (our prayers were answered though and we got there safe)
-had lots of great food (chili twice in a row though- not the best for close quarter sleeping)
-slept 15 in the RV (you have to be really creative to do this- we had two or three kids on the big dash board every night, and several on the floor)
-a bumpy, dirt rode ride for 5+ hours to do some daytime activities, 16 people in my parents suburban on the way back to camp
-family pictures on the 3rd day camping without any showers (does that seem strange or is it just me? They actually might turn out pretty good though- our hair all has a REALLY healthy shine) - all the pictures are on my brother's camera, of course!
-the beautiful, natural landscape of Wyoming - mountains, red hills, wild flowers...
-my cousin, Nathan, reported on his mission that he just got back from and bore his testimony
-breakfasts of pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, orange juice and hot cocoa every morning (I think, in a 3-day period I ate at least 9 pieces of bacon)



The week after the camping trip Aaron went back to Utah for work and the girls and I stayed in IF. The next weekend was Michelle Johnson's wedding - sooooo beautiful! (I'll post pictures when I get a hold of my parents camera.)

Aaron came up that weekend and we celebrated his 28th birthday at his parents home. Brett and Megan gave Aaron these fake teeth that the kids are wearing! So funny!
We are so grateful for such a wonderful Daddy and Husband!


Aaron is really enjoying his job here (whew!). He likes the people he works with and likes the work he's doing. He has been working on designs for a planned community in Rexburg, across from the temple. He has also kind of become their in-house artist. People come to him with their designs and ask him to draw it up and make it look good. He is so talented!

Also this month I finally took off the title that I had on our blog for the whole winter and spring: 3 Girls, 1 Boy, and the Common Cold. I figured we hadn't had a cold in about a month and it is summertime. Well, wouldn’t you guess…we all got a cold the next week!

On Saturday I donated 11 inches to Locks of Love! It's so nice to not have all that hair in the hot weather.
Do I look tired? I am.
My bishop said he saw a bumper sticker that said: "Retired. I was tired yesterday, and I'm tired again today". I guess I'm retired! :)

Things that kids can get away with and still be cute...

Swimming suit wedgies - not as cute when it's an adult!

Not only does Ellie look cute with a wedgie, but she even looks cute while picking her nose (I wish I could find a picture)

It takes a lot of work for me to look cute in a picture - Carly can do it in her sleep.

pigtails and hair bows

Kids can get away with saying untactful things - Like when Ellie tells me: "your belly's squishy". It's pretty funny when Ellie says that, but if Aaron tried to tell me that, it definitely wouldn't be funny.

Missing teeth

(Ellie - 6 months)

Pot bellies and fat rolls on their legs and arms - so irresistable on babies!

Messy faces

Carly had a broken arm in this picture (2 yrs old)