Summer Fun

So we have been trying to enjoy this awesome summer weather by going to the pool as much as possible

So Bennett thought that when he ran to the green sprinkler then the red buckets in the back filled up

!

Haley & Bennett had a hard time figuring out when the buckets would actually spill over!!

So Bennett got his first financial "investment" A silver $100 bill....as you can tell he was pretty excited....

Bennett just being Bennett

So this was the beginning of the week...everybody was happy and everybody wasn't suffering from heat exhaustion yet...

So the boys had the hardest time figuring why I made them wear red shirts with big white scorpions....we could spot them at a 100yds out!  It was awesome....Plus the boys looked really good!

Some of the boys had a hard time catching their one fish for the fishing merit badge...the "Master" showed them how it was done.  We spent more time setting up the poles than waiting to catch a fish....I really dont know why it was so hard!  Hook in, Hook out, whola!  Fish!

Found this hiking around Camp Tahuaya.  I thought it was way cool, "Served in the Army of Texas".  Not many states can say that!!!  There is another interesting fact about who this guys was...let me know if you find it...

So its hard to tell but this is thousands if not 10's of thousands of daddy long leg spiders!  It was crazy!  It was kind of like the inside of the cave had fur and the wind was blowing through it...

So pretty proud of one of my Scouts, Chris Olson.  Never shot a gun in his life!  He begged me for 2 months to sign him up for the rifle merit badge.  He did absolutely awesome!  We also won 1st place at the Scoutmaster shootout and won an ice cold watermelon for the Troop!

Found these wagon ruts cut right through solid granite...the only other ones I've seen like this were on the pioneer trails west.

Bro. Woods (my partner in crime) and Adam Hoemke posing next to the sign next to the trail

2nd to last day of Summer Camp...this was the Scoutmaster shootout...one tired pup!  Overall it was a very successful Camp.  The boys earned over 70 merit badges, 15 rank advancements and 10 additional awards and almost all of the Camp Tahuaya Troop contests.  Very proud of them.  Kind of a bitter sweet ending to a great time.  I was released last Sunday as the Scoutmaster in loo of my upcoming deployment.  It is a sigh of relief but defiantly some sadness on not doing it anymore.  On to the next adventure.

Another Post I Couldn't Think of a Clever Title For

Hello!

We've missed a few weeks. Here's a quick update with one picture at the end. I'll put up more later when I'm not so tired.

Matt spent last week at Scout Camp. It was a loooooongs 5 days for him. I told him to think of Scouts as a college course labeled, "Patience 101" and Scout Camp was his final. I think he passed with maybe a B-. All the boys were still alive at the end of the week though, so I'll give him extra credit points for that. Today he was officially released *insert huge sigh of relief on my part* so we will have a short break before deployment stuff begins. Just to summarize: Scouts is an important program. We are incredibly happy Matt is released.

We are also still trying to figure out all of the if/when/where's of Matt's upcoming deployment. And let me tell you, it is truly frustrating to have no idea of the if/when/where's of your husband for nine months. Sort of makes things hard to plan. We'll let you know as soon as we do... 

I have been very busy with Primary lately. We had a teacher in-service today, so I spent a lot of time over the week getting things together for that and making sure everything is in place for when this baby comes. I love the kids in Primary. They are awesome. But I am trying to pass my own "Patience 101" course with some of the leaders I work with. We are all going to make it though...I hope. I also just found out today at Ward Council that we will be in charge of games and prizes at the Pioneer Day Picnic on July 21st. Yes, just days before I deliver. Doing potato sack races. In 101* weather. Patience, patience, patience.

Last night I hosted a baby shower for my good friend Sarah, who is due with a little girl only two weeks before me. It turned out really good and it was fun to get to see some pink stuff around this house. I am starting to feel a little outnumbered with all these boys around. Matt took Bennett to the movie theater during the shower and said he did really well watching the whole thing and eating his body weight in popcorn.

Bennett is hilarious. His greatest ambition lately is to become nothing more than a dancing chipmunk. He believes with all of his heart that this dream will come true when he "grows up," but then he will turn back into a little boy so Mommy doesn't miss him too much. So thoughtful of him.

He also put me in time-out the other day. I had pushed him (trust me, it wasn't as dramatic as it sounds) and he was extremely offended by my actions. Here is the conversation that followed:

Me: Bennett, I'm sorry I pushed you. Mommy made a bad choice, and I'm sorry.

Bennett: OK, but you need to go to timeout. You go sit on my bed until I come to get you.

(I thought this was a fair enough consequence, since it really isn't OK to push and I would have issued the same punishment to him. That, and the fact that I was curious to see what his view of timeout was. So I sat on his bed for approximately 30 seconds before he came in, very serious, and sat down next to me.)

Bennett: Mommy, we need to talk. Why are you in timeout?

Me: Because I pushed you, and I'm sorry.

Bennett (looking deep into my eyes): Mommy, you know I love you?

Me: Yes

Bennett: I just want you to make good choices. We DO NOT push, remember? Remember when Aspen pushed me? And we had to go home? She made a bad choice like you. We DO NOT push.

Me: Yes, I remember. And you're right. I'm so sorry I pushed you. Can I try again?

Bennett: You know I love you?

Me: Yes, Bennett. I know you love me. And I love you, too.

Bennett: OK, you can try again.

Me: Thanks Bennett.

I cannot describe to you how happy this conversation made me. It was one of those parenting moments when you feel like all your hard work is paying off and at least something is sinking in. Of course, then he got power hungry and tried to make me stay on the bed for like, 20 more minutes. But the first part was good :)

And speaking of Bennett's bed--While Matt was at Scout Camp I entertained myself by spending as much money as possible (my favorite pastime). This resulted in Bennett acquiring a real big boy bed last weekend, and it is super DUPER cute!! It is a BEAUTIFUL solid wood sleigh bed that matches our own Queen sized sleigh bed, and also matches Bennett's little toddler sleigh bed (so on the off chance we ever all have to share a room we will coordinate). And I got it for a steal off Craig's List. I also found discounted Pottery Barn bedding to put on it that matches his room to a T, and I am one happy Momma! Bennett is in love as well. He looks so small and so grown up all at the same time when he is sleeping in that thing. It is very bitter-sweet.

Last Sunday our big boy developed a cold, and by Thursday it had turned into a raging ear infection, so that was no fun. However, Bennett absolutely adores going to the doctor and taking medicine (weird, I know) so it was a good experience for him overall with only one night of painful crying, which we soothed by watching Alvin and the Chipmunks at 11:00 at night. Another one for the Good Parenting book we are writing.

    

Baby Boy #2 is growing up a storm. Which is great, because it means he is running out of room to flail around in there and I am feeling much less bruised. However, we are starting to get a little worried that he may be getting TOO big. My diabetes isn't being controlled as well as we'd like with just the diet alone, and I am thinking they are going to put me on tablets or insulin if I can't get it under control. Ahhhh! I really, really hope not. I have an appointment tomorrow, so I'll find out then. On that same note, I had at least three sisters in my ward tell me at different times this week how excited they were for me because I could deliver any day now. Uh...try a month, ladies. But that wasn't as bad as the sister who told me (in complete seriousness) she couldn't wait to meet my twins. Thank you.

And in other news, remember our baby birds I told you about? And how cute they were on our porch, and how much fun we were having teaching Bennett about nature? Well, "nature" crawled right up there and ate those poor little guys out of their nest for breakfast one morning. Matt did manage to save about half of our birdies from the 3.5 foot long snake by chopping it with his machete, Rambo style. But Bula and her husband must have decided after this incident that they weren't in the safest neighborhood, and they took the remaining babies and flew away. I didn't even know they could do that, but they did, and now we have no baby birds to watch. Bennett was asleep when all of the drama unfolded, but we told him the truth about things when he woke up and he was very accepting of it all. We also had another "run away!" snake drill later that day.

Oh! And Bennett can swim now! We took him to swimming lessons again this year, not really to learn to swim, as much as to learn to follow instructions and have fun in the water. But on the last day of the two week course, Bennett just suddenly jumped off the step and sunk to the bottom like a rock. I was a little freaked out, as was the lifeguard on duty who immediately jumped in to pull him out. But when he surfaced, Bennett wasn't out of breath at all, and he calmly explained to the lifeguard, "I was just swimming under the water like a fish. You know, I can do that!" I wasn't so sure. Bennett, apparently, was sure, and he promptly jumped off the step again...and sunk like a rock again. Right before I was about to signal the lifeguard to rescue my child for the second time in two minutes, Bennett started moving his arms and legs and actually swimming under the water! Like, for real! And the kid can hold his breath for a long time, too. After that he was under the water the rest of the time and loving every minute of it. He has to take breaks where he stands up, breaths, and then goes back under, but as long as he can touch where he is, he really can swim quite well. The only thing is, he keeps his eyes totally wide open the entire time he is down there, and he looks up at the surface while he does. So it's super creepy-looking. But hey, whatever! We will be spending lots of time in the water this summer. 
    

Probably watching Alvin and the Chipmunks

Some Baby Thoughts

So I haven't really talked a whole lot about this pregnancy because to be honest, this baby just feels like he is already a part of our family and not a "big deal." (every baby is a big deal though. I do realize that.) But I know that one day I will look back on this blog and think, "Why didn't I ever say anything about that time?" and I will regret it. So here are a few of my personal thoughts, mostly for my own benefit...

1- This baby is late (according to our time frame). Matt and I really planned on spacing our kids out right around two years apart. But when your husband lives in a different country for a year without you, child spacing is sort of a hard thing to control. So baby #2 will be making his appearance when Bennett is almost three and a half...WAY older than we thought. However, there are advantages to Bennett's old age which we appreciate. Like potty training. And the fact that he totally gets what is going on, and is genuinely excited to get to meet his new little brother. Of course, we will have to see what happens once said little brother arrives. :) I also think Heavenly Father knew that with the kind of pregnancies I have, I really needed a partner there to help me through all the yucky stuff. And if everything had gone according to our plans, that would not have happened and I would have been on my own with a toddler and a husband fighting in a war. Heavenly Father is so smart and I am SO grateful.

2- My body does not like being pregnant. At all. Mentally, I could be pregnant forever. I love it!  But physically my body has a hard time adjusting to supporting two, which results in a lot of time spent over the toilet and at various doctor's and nationalist's office. With Bennett I was at least mildly sick the entire nine months, which meant I always needed to know where the nearest toilet was located. With this baby, I was in a literal fetal position for the first four months, but only threw up a handful of times. (Which was waaaaay more awful than throwing up and getting it over with, just so you know.) But then one day it's like somebody just turned off the sickness and I was back to normal. I still have all the regular pregnancy symptoms, but welcoming death is no longer one of them. So as far as I am concerned, life is good. And besides, my theory is that hard pregnancies makes for great babies. At least it was true with the first one. :)

3- I always knew this baby was a boy. Because my sickness (or lack thereof) and the way I am carrying this baby is so different than it was with Bennett, I totally thought we were having a little girl for the longest time. But even as I was telling people (and telling myself) that I knew he was a she, a little voice kept telling me I was wrong. So on the day of the ultrasound I was not surprised at all to find out that voice was right. What I was surprised at was how HAPPY I was! I sort of expected to be a little let down in all of my frilly pink dreams, but it was the exact opposite. It was almost like a sigh of relief was let go somewhere in my brain, and I was just so genuinely excited about having another little boy. One day down the road we may have a little girl, and I will thoroughly enjoy every lacy-dressed, headbanded moment. But for now I am more than content to be the mommy of little boys. I like little boys.

4- I have gestational diabetes. Again. When they told me I cried all the way home from the doctor's office. Having this with Bennett was horrible and I was literally starving for the last trimester of his pregnancy. And while it was nice to leave the hospital in my regular jeans, I was seriously depressed when I found out I was going to have to follow that stinking diet again with this one. However, I have been pleasantly surprised to find that, while counting every carbohydrate I consume and taking sugar readings four times a day is not very fun, it is much, MUCH  more doable this time around. Maybe because I'm not sick like I was with Bennett, or maybe because I am more distracted living everyday life so I don't notice the hunger as much. Whatever the reason, I am happy it isn't as big of a deal as I feared it would be in the beginning.

5- I am getting a C-Section. When you are in the military (well, at least here) you get a midwife instead of a doctor. At first that freaked me out, because I sort of like doctors when it comes to delivering a baby. But it turns out the only real difference between the two is the title and the fact that midwifes like things to be au-natural. Which I am all for. However, Bennett literally destroyed me when he was violently vacuumed into this world, and both my last doctor and the plastic surgeon who had to fix me up told us that IF we ever had more children, they STRONGLY recommended we do it C-section. When I told that to my midwife, she was none too pleased. Luckily, I was little more concerned about the fact that I could lose permanent control of my bowl movements than I was with her feelings, and I didn't really care what she thought. Then I got diabetes and was moved to the "High Risk Pregnancy" doctors anyway, who are the ones who do the C-sections and are much more cool with it. So long story short, this baby will come on a very specific day, at a very specific time. Which makes it nice for calendaring. Although I am still a little nervous about the actual surgery part...

6- This baby is a vampire. If you have ever seen the last Twilight movie that came out, you have seen my pregnancy. It's like this kid has super strength and agility and he spends ALL DAY and ALL NIGHT taking it out on my internal organs (bladder, specifically). He has no sleep schedule. It is just constant movement. Constant. Today, for example, we had a doctor's appointment and it took the nurse 10 minutes to get a good heartbeat reading because Mr. Who wouldn't stop flipping around in there. And it hurts. A few weeks ago he literally kicked me so hard he bruised me from the inside out. I didn't even know that could happen! This seriously must be what Superman's mom felt like. They say that the inter-utero personality is a good indicator of what the baby will be like when they are born, and if that is true I am legitimately scared for what the future holds. We are going to teach Bennett how to box so I can feel safe leaving them alone together in the same room when he's born. At least I am very certain this little guy is growing healthy and strong...very strong...

7- I am carrying LOW and straight out front. Like a triangle. I have no idea where this baby is going to go when he "drops" unless it is to my knees. As a result, I do not feel like a glowing mother-to-be as I did with cute little round Bennett. I feel more like a sideshow freak at a circus. And I must be looking extremely pregnant lately, because people's comments have gone from, "When are you due?" To "WHEN are you DUE??!!" They give me sympathetic looks when I tell them not for almost two more months--which is an absolutely correct response on their part. The third trimester exhaustion has officially kicked in, along with the narcoleptic insomnia (to coin a phrase). And even though he is so dang low, I swear it is affecting my lungs somehow because I am literally out of breath all of the time. I lay in bed at night and pant. I am so ready to have this baby!

8- I am so not ready to have this baby! I mean, of course we are excited. The room is almost finished, the clothes are washed and hanging up, the diapers are bought and waiting. We watched Bennett's birth video the other night and I was crying (shocker) because of how wonderful that moment was, and I couldn't wait to meet our next little one. But at the same time I am terrified. I feel like I am starting from scratch here. I walk down the baby isle at Wal-Mart and think, "We are really going to do this again. The baby food and the diapers and the spit up (please no!) What were we thinking?!" But there is no turning back now, and I wouldn't turn back even if I could. It is just a little scary to realize that the idea of having two kids is going to become a reality in just a matter of weeks.

9- Matt has a very, very good chance of deploying again very, very soon. Which is probably why I am so apprehensive about the whole "two kids" thing. And while we have already done this before, and actually had a lot of fun and really grew from it, I am just a little bit scared to face another nine months or so alone with an almost four-year-old little boy and a newborn. And how do you even balance those two worlds with two parents, let alone all by yourself? And how do I travel like that? (NOT by flying, I'll tell you that now). And how do I keep them both happy? And how do I get sleep? Or sanity? I am nervous, to say the least. Although, I also know that we will do whatever we have to do and everything will work out for the best and probably be just fine. But am I scared? Yes. Very. But can I do it? Yes. Absolutly.

10- We are so blessed. I am afraid some of what I have written here has come off as complaints...and I guess some of it is (I mean seriously? Stop kicking my kidneys!) But for the most part I am just happy. So, so very happy. Heavenly Father has taken such wonderful care of us and our little family. It is easy to complain about things like pregnancy and deployment schedules. But guess what? That is called life. And as far as I am concerned, I have been blessed with a pretty dang good one. I honestly can't think of anything else I would rather be doing right now than exactly what I am doing, and I am so thankful for that amazing opportunity! In just a few short weeks we will get to meet this new amazing life growing inside me, and I can't wait. I love my life. I love my family. We truly have been so blessed.

So lets have a baby!!