Baby Girl #3

Baby girl #3 (name pending) was born this morning at 12:12 AM (7 lbs. 2 oz./19 1/4'') seven days ahead of her due date. Mom and baby are doing great. More pictures to come after they get cleaned up and get some rest.

Recent Adventures

Time keeps marching on. I can't believe that this sweet little baby kicking me is due in just eleven days! I'm actually not feeling too bad considering. I'll admit, waking up in night to readjust pillows or go to the bathroom is getting old. I am tired of Braxton Hicks and bumping into things because I forget about my tummy. My back hurts sometimes. And I am tired generally. But I am quite thankful the baby has moved her feet or whatever she had sticking up into my ribs last month. And I feel very lucky that the end of my pregnancy is not so awful. The discomfort definitely isn't so much that I am wishing away these last eleven days: I need them. The prospect of three seems quite daunting at times and I always have an endless list of things I'd like to get done.

photographic evidence that baby #3 is ready any day now

I am enjoying this time with Maggie and Kate, who are growing ever more independent. Wednesday night, they managed to lock me out of the house for a while. I had them all ready for bed. We were picking up, when I went out to check for a toy I thought they had taken out back. Maggie tried to follow me out a minute later, but turned the lock unnecessarily, locking me out. When she tried to turn it back to get out or let me in, it was a little stiff or she got flustered and somehow couldn't get it. She and Kate started freaking out, while I tried to calm them from the other side of the glass (and figure out how I was going to get back in).

I called in to Maggie to go to the front door and open it, knowing she has an easier time with that lock and handle. I waited at the front door, trying to call reassurances and directions while listening to Maggie's flustered cries of "I can't get it" and Kate's all-out bawling (I think mostly in reaction to her sister's worry). I remembered they like to go out to the car before me and press the garage button in the car when we are getting ready to leave the house, so I directed them to go out and open the garage door this way. But the dark garage and their agitation proved too difficult to overcome and I heard Maggie repeating hysterically, "I can't find the button. It's not here."

I'd had my neighbor watching me, half-chuckling and asking if I needed a cell phone for several minutes now, and I was about to give in and call Mike who was at the church with the youth (luckily only a few minutes away) to come home and help us. But I knew Maggie could do this, so I asked her to try the front door again and she finally got it!!

The funniest/scariest part of the whole story was that the next morning, I was in the shower when I heard the front door open and close. Alarmed, I jumped out, grabbed a towel, and raced to the front hall where Maggie excitedly greeted me, "We got a package!"

"Was that the delivery man? What did he say to you?" I asked.

"He said, 'Where's your mom?' and I said, 'In the shower,'" was the reply.

Ugh. So my children can't manage to get a door open for their own mother, but have no trouble opening it to perfect strangers. I don't think I will feel comfortable taking showers while home alone with the kids for a long while. And I was just beginning to...

Summer keeps trying to linger: We've been enjoying it, spending plenty of time outside and at park playdates with friends. Last week, we had a cold snap and I thought we'd worn our last pair of shorts. But then the weekend turned warm and we pulled out short sleeves and capris again. I could go for a little more sweater weather, but we've gotten a taste a couple times and tomorrow should feel like fall again. And we haven't let the weather hold us back from our favorite fall activities.

We've sampled crisp and delicious fall apples. (I just love Honeycrisp and Granny Smith, especially with my sister-in-law Nadine's yummy apple dip!) We've picniced at the park and "played" tennis as a family (the girls were jealous Mike and I had played without them, so we had to make it up to them). We've watched some football (that would be mostly Mike) and experienced both excitement and heartbreak. Mike's gotten in a campout with the scouts. The girls and I have been talking about leaves and pumpkins and apples during our "school time," made leaf rubbings, learned autumn songs and visited our favorite local petting farm. And we've all made and eaten pumpkin cookies to our heart's content. Now for an apple pie...

A couple weeks ago, we participated in a ward service project that Mike helped organize and got to pull some weeds. During said project, I impressed people with my pregnant, weed-pulling skills (I learned them from my sister-in-law Jenn); Maggie warmed my heart with her comment, "It's fun to pull weeds with you, Mom,"; Kate grunted and pulled grass for several minutes in her efforts to help; and Mike ran around directing everybody.

This past weekend, we finally were able to fit in a trip to the Pumpkin Patch. The girls loved it, except tripping on pumpkin vines (they thought that was scary and made Mike carry both of them). For some reason, Maggie had her heart set on looking for small pumpkins, so she didn't think much of the ones in the field. But she eventually got her wish and Mike found a good carving pumpkin for us. And we all enjoyed the hayride. Maggie even got brave enough to sit on the hay by herself. (My girls are so funny sometimes with their strange fears.)

Later that Saturday, Mike and I scoped out a local (and free!) arboretum while the girls played with their cousins. It was a fun date and a great place to visit. I can't wait to go back.

Sunday, Kate conducted family home evening for the first time. (We've taken to having it on Sundays, since Mike has been back in school and with all his responsibilities it is sometimes our only chance.) She was cute saying "O-ha" and picking who would do what. ("Aloha" is how Gotfredsons open family night. A carry-over from their Hawaii days.) Maggie gave us a great lesson from the Friend magazine about a few of Jesus' miracles.

And we made this masterpiece:

After our angel Moroni last year, we thought we'd take it up a notch.
Most of the credit really must go to Mike,
as he has been the project director and chief worker both years.
I hope our subject matter makes up for carving on Sunday. :)
By the way, any guesses which temple?

Now we are in Halloween mode for the next week and then it's baby-time. Even though I've done this before, it seems incredibly surreal that I will be holding a little one in just a few weeks, responsible for all her needs and wants. That my life is about to change forever once again. I'm terribly excited, but nervous too. I do best when I just don't think about labor and delivery until I have to.

Like I said, I need every moment I've got. Tomorrow's accomplishments seriously need to include getting out that baby bin (at least her shelves are ready!) and maybe packing a hospital bag. Somehow organizing drawers and closets and doing random chores always seems more important. Or I want to spend a quality moment with Maggie and Kate, while it's still just us. Or I want to sit and hold Mike's hand because he's not busy for once. Or when I finally have a moment to myself, I just want to relax and watch "Murder, She Wrote" or "Sing Off."

I'd be surprised if this baby breaks the trend and comes early. But I probably should be ready in case she does.

Conference is Coming!

Two of my favorite times of the year are April and October when the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has its semi-annual conference. We listen to inspired messages from church leaders and modern-day prophets and apostles. These words always deliver just what I need to learn (or be reminded of) and give me a needed boost that lasts until the next conference rolls around.

Here's one such gem from April:

"'To be, or not to be' is actually a very good question.¹ The Savior posed the question in a far more profound way, making it a vital doctrinal question for each of us: 'What manner of men [and women] ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am' (3 Nephi 27:27; emphasis added). The first-person present tense of the verb be is I Am. He invites us to take upon us His name and His nature.

"To become as He is, we must also do the things He did: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do” (3 Nephi 27:21; emphasis added).

"To be and to do are inseparable. As interdependent doctrines they reinforce and promote each other. Faith inspires one to pray, for example, and prayer in turn strengthens one’s faith." (Elder Lynn G. Robbins, "What Manner of Men and Women Ought Ye to Be?")

I soaked in Elder Robbins' words on striving to emphasize be-ing and let the do-ing follow, especially in parenting. It epitomized exactly what I hope to do as a parent and what I feel my parents did for me. His closing words were perfect:

"May your efforts to develop Christlike attributes be successful so that His image may be engraven in your countenance and His attributes manifest in your behavior. Then, when your children or others feel of your love and see your behavior, it will remind them of the Savior and draw them to Him is my prayer and testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

This is exactly what I want to be.

We are sure to enjoy many equally inspired words this weekend.

We had our preview on Saturday night as women all over the world joined together via satellite broadcast for the General Relief Society Meeting of the church. I loved words from President Uchtdorf (as did everyone who watched, I am sure). He used the five petals of a forget-me-not flower as a metaphor of things we as women need to remember: to be patient with ourselves, the difference between a good and a foolish sacrifice, to be happy now, the "why" of the gospel, and that the Lord loves you. What wonderful reminders and the examples he used to illustrate his point truly hit home. If you have twenty minutes, watch it here. You won't regret it.

Also, I loved the chocolate fountain we enjoyed before the broadcast started. Mmmm.

Now I just have to figure out some quiet crafts and activities to keep the kids busy for eight hours (luckily, it's in two-hour increments). Here's what we did last time...

toilet paper roll figures of the prophet and his counselors

and a pulpit for them to speak at

At It Again

Two weeks ago, I impulsively decided to go ahead and give potty-training a go with Kate, who has been showing some interest and signs of readiness the past couple months (few diapers, dry through the night, interest in panties, went on the potty once or twice, that kind of thing). I was kind of nervous, as she is only twenty-one months, and I didn't want to push her too much. But I figured might as well try it. It was either now or not for six months, because after the baby is here I am sure I will be too overwhelmed to try until the spring.

I used the same method as with Maggie. Sticking her in underwear, playing in the kitchen or bathroom all day for a couple days (hard floors are easier to clean up), giving her lots of liquids and stuff, and rushing her to the potty anytime she had to go. We'd clean up messes together and practice what to do if you have to go, reiterating where to go. And just at the end of the second day, when I was starting to get discouraged, she got it! (I learned from potty-training Maggie not to have her say "Oh no! Pee-pee, Mama!!" So she simply requests "potty" instead.) Now I just hope it sticks. We had a great week last week, with only one accident, but we had a couple at the beginning of this week. Still I think we are on to something. Another cha-ching for the college fund...though it may be Mike's grad school fund instead...haha. :)

Kate is so proud of wearing "pan-ies," just like big sis. We got her "kitty" ones (as in Hello Kitty), to add to the collection of Elmo and Princess underwear. (Maggie has "kitty" ones too, so it was necessary.)

And hopefully, we'll be diaper-free around here for a month! Definitely worth a few exhausting days.

Busy

As I near the eight-month mark of my pregnancy, strangers who see me with this adorable pair in tow often tell me, "You are really going to be busy in a couple months."

I smile and say something like, "Don't I know it," while thinking, "Oh dear. I already thought I was busy. I guess I am crazy..."

Seriously, I am so very excited to have three. Even though I know there will be hard days, when my head is spinning, there are sure to be even more good ones. Just like there are now, only with another darling to love and adore. But I do need every day I have until she makes her appearance.

I am busy, as my neglect of the blog has shown. But it's a good kind of busy. (Mostly.) Summer was full of fun: visits and visitors, outings, pool time, and more. The girls and I went and visited my family for a week-and-a-half at the end of August and had a great time with them. Now that we're back, nothing has slowed down. We had friends over for playdates, another chance to visit with Mike's family (this time for our niece's first birthday), and were excited to get back to our library's story time.

September is going all too quickly. I've been trying to spend more time doing quick, fun and educational activities with the girls. We've gone to friends' houses and had friends over. Grandma and Grandpa came over one Saturday afternoon and kept us company as Mike was chaperoning a youth temple trip. We enjoyed Labor Day with the cousins. I got to go to my first couple meetings as the patron rep for our library building renovation committee (it's fun to give my two cents there). After one last hundred-degree spell, the weather has cooled off and it's pleasant to be outside again. We have taken walks, trike-rides and trips to the park. Mike and I recently enjoyed a fun date consisting of tennis-playing and slushee-enjoying (not simultaneously). We started the chore of shopping for new fall clothes and changing out the summer clothes. (Seasonal clothing changes almost always result in a clothing explosion for several days.) And Kate has some big news to announce in a future post...

More detailed posts and pictures to come. Just wanted to say, we are back and don't give up on us. I will try to be a bit more consistent again. Because, c'mon, who isn't busy?

New York Minute

When my friend Elise sent me her wedding invite, we decided to go together and make it an early fifth anniversary excursion. When December rolls around, we will have a new baby around again, making it hard to get out for even much of a date.

We flew into Long Island midday on Thursday (July 14th) and started our big (but short) getaway with a trip to my favorite restaurant Bayberry Cafe. The seafood was superb and it was a treat to have it, since the Midwest isn't known for it's fresh shellfish and salmon. It was fun to be back in my hometown and see how much Islip had changed, but mostly how it had stayed the same. I've changed a lot more. It's hard to believe eight years ago I was still biking to the beach with my friends.

Next, we hit the beach. We took the ferry across the Great South Bay to one of my favorite places, Fire Island. It's a barrier beach to Long Island and cars aren't allowed, so traffic consists of pedestrians, bikers, and some wagons, with the occasional emergency golf cart. (Well, the locals are allowed to have cars and drive them across the beach to the causeway for mainland access, but only in the winter.) The beaches there have gorgeous, soft sand and aren't too crowded because of the limited accessibility. I loved taking the ferry across and lazing on the beach with Mike. It was so relaxing to lay on the warm sand and listen to the ocean waves. It was a perfect day, not too hot, cold, or humid. After we had our fill of the beach and got in a swim, we walked along Main Street in the little Fire Island community of Ocean Beach and got some pizza and ice cream, before taking the ferry back to LI.

We checked into our hotel next. Mike's bro offered us reward points for a night at the Hilton, so we took him up on that and enjoyed our beautiful room, swimming, free cookies, and delicious breakfast. (Thanks again, Scot!)

Friday, we didn't want to pass up another chance at beach access, so we strolled along Jones Beach boardwalk and along the water's edge. I had run 5K's there and been there with my family on several occasions, so it was a fun trip down memory lane to share with Mike. And it was a gorgeous beach day. I wished we had more time so we could have gone swimming there, but it was pleasant just to walk along the shore and get our feet wet.

Later, we checked into a Marriott, closer to my friend's wedding venue. It was really nice also; we had just enough time for a quick dip in the pool and spa, before we needed to get ready to leave. I felt I needed some workout, so we had races in the pool, with the winner deciding on the stroke for the next lap. Out of ten laps, I didn't win a heat...though I came close a few times. (I don't think I had much of a chance, since Mike does have a foot on me.) We laughed a lot though: Mike's fun to race with, even if he doesn't always let me win.

Elise's wedding was beautiful and I was so glad to be able to be there for her special day. Thanks again for having us, Elise! My sister, Becca, played piano and sang an original song she wrote as the wedding party, Elise and Rich, walked down the aisle. She was brilliant and I am so proud to have such a talented sister. It was great to be able to see my parents. And I loved visiting with my very best friends from high school. I am glad we have more or less kept in touch over the years and hope to keep up our friendships forever. And Mike was great fun on the dance floor. As I found when chaperoning at the Stake Prom, Mike has some good moves. "I could've danced all night!" (Ha ha ha...lame reference to a musical.) And, best of all, he can always make me laugh.

Pictured above: Mike and me dancing; us at dinner; me with Kaitlyn, Jessica and Phoebe; Mike proud of his little kid, soda glass of Sprite from the bar (he was afraid of looking like he was drinking, since we, ya know, don't :) ); me and Emily at our table; and me and the fam with the lovely bride (Thanks to Emily for the pics of Mike and me!)

Before we knew it, we were on a plane leaving New York and then back in Kansas City and reunited with our beautiful girls who had a fantastic time with their grandparents. I needn't have worried. They are looking forward to their next sleepover at Grandma and Grandpa's. :) Thanks again for watching them! We missed them tons, but it was fun to feel like newlyweds again for a couple days. :)

This Week

We visited with cousins. (We have lucked out on visits with cousins this month. I believe we have had four!)

Kate learned to climb out of her crib (and into it too), ruining my newly-made plans for the girls' bedding arrangements. (I blame my wonderful sister-in-law Debbie for jinxing us on this point. :) ) Her mattress is on the floor for now.

Kate got a stomach bug and threw up all over me and herself multiple times, despite my attempts to help her aim elsewhere. She made up for it with some good, exhausted snuggling during her recovery.

Though we love our town pool and are quite loyal to it, we went to the pool in a neighboring town with some friends to change things up. Theirs has a family slide and lazy river, which was fun. (It's been a hundred degrees for about two weeks straight, so pool trips have been necessary.)

Mike manned a table for the city at the county fair promoting an energy conservation program, completed his summer class and chaperoned a youth dance for church.

We took the kids to said fair (twice, actually, to give Mike moral support at his table) and found time to enjoy shaved ice, funnel cake, cotton candy, animal sightings and even a couple rides. Kate and Maggie loved it all. Kate enjoyed saying hi to all the animals and wanted to pet them, while Maggie encouraged them to make their sound from a distance (ie., "Say 'quack' Duck!"). They loved the treats and would have liked more rides. We met up with Maggie's friend there (actually friends of our whole family) and Maggie's reflections on the evening were the following: "I wish I could go to the fair with my best friend Molly again."

And we spent much of Saturday doing some good old family chores.

I am exhausted!