Pampering the Pregnant Lady

This week began with handsome Ryan

(who is growing up so much lately)

sporting a new tie to church.

He wanted a picture with his dad because they matched in their suits.

Sunday evening the pampering began.

My good friend Julie Waite and her husband brought us an amazing, homemade dinner!

Braided bread, breaded chicken, baked potatoes, green salad and beans, jello salad, chocolate bundt cake...the works!

We were going to go eat at their house, but didn't want to share the flu with them (Trevor stayed home from church with Mom), so they brought dinner to our house!

Talk about the nicest thing ever.

She said, "I think you need a meal before the baby comes, because that's when you don't have any energy." I completely agree, and hope to do the same for someone else someday. 

 It was so sweet and such a big boost, thanks Julie!

This week we spent a lot of time at home.

(with Mom big and pregnant and kids with the flu).

So, we enjoyed small things such as:

"Doggie" and "Froggie" just out of the tub.

A circus put on by "Ringmaster Joe" and "Ringmaster Courtney" complete with a script, stuffed animal tricks, jump rope by "Courtney" and many other indescribable feats.

A clown made out of shapes by the boys.

Ellie had fun playing with all her new things from her birthday!

Including making "Shrinky Dinks" (a craft Eliza Larsen gave her-shown in the picture below), dancing on her High School Musical dance pad (thanks Aly Rigby!), Wearing her new favorite outfit from Anna White almost every day (and sometimes night too!), dressing up her dolls, and playing with her new pet hamsters (gratefully, they are not REAL hamsters...thanks Kara Johnson).

One afternoon (while Ellie was recovering from her turn with the stomach bug we are sharing) we turned on some beautiful, quiet music and Ellie, Ryan and Trevor spent over two hours making a city out of legos together. I'm thankful they have each other, they are good buddies....most the time.

Trevor got a new hat at because Mom shopped winter clearance at Target.

Ellie enjoyed her first Girl Scout award ceremony, where she received three petals and a pin.

She makes a super cute Daisy!

Rob played in a church basketball game Thursday night, and they won by 40 points (some of which came from Rob's gifted three point shot). Although he did sacrifice a hip for sake of the game and limped a bit the next two days.

The kids were able to swim at the Summit with Daddy again on Friday, and Mom was able to have some quiet time. :) Both are such a blessing in the middle of a cooped up winter!

And, Lolly Mom was pampered and spoiled all week!

My absolutely wonderful friends threw me a baby shower!

Everyone brought gifts and tasty desserts to share. It was fun to see everyone and chat (mostly about birthing stories...I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this point... ;).

Thank you to everyone who spoiled me!

My visiting teachers, Cortnie Stoeger and Sara Cardon, came to visit me too.

A girl could get use to all this attention.

And to top it off, my wonderful friend and neighbor Lynne Rama gave me the best baby gift.

She took me out for a pedicure on Saturday!

We also split a sandwich at the famousdeli, which was a very fun experience for a food lover like me.

I had such a relaxing, fun time with, I love you Lynne! 

And, now I have pretty toes and soft feet. :)

Which makes the swelling part of pregnancy not quite so bad.

To make the outing even better, I came home to a deep cleaned house!

And Rob even bought me my favorite candybar. Wow, can a day get any better?

I could get use to this being huge and pregnant thing if all this pampering kept up!

Thanks to everyone.

I went to see Dr. Khraizat this week, and I am dilated to a 3!

(No wonder I am having so many contractions...at least they are doing something).

We are scheduled to go to the hospital on Wednesday night the 3rd,

and be induced first thing Thursday morning.

We can't wait to meet our little guy!

This Week's Highlights: Hair cuts, Swimming at the Summit, Temple Trip, and Celebrating 7 Year Old Ellie Joy!

This week started with Trevor throwing up several times in the middle of the night, and keeping his Dad up all Saturday night. He was so sweet though, and kept saying, "I love you, Daddy. Thanks Daddy." In the morning he felt a lot better, and even ate breakfast. He told me, "My Daddy cleaned up the throw up, and now I'm all clean and I'm all better!" Now that's a good Daddy. We went to Sacrament meeting as a family, but then Trevor and Mom had nursery at home so we wouldn't share his germs with the other kids.

We enjoyed having our Home Teachers, Brother Cuff and Brother Peace, over on Sunday. Lolly was able to have a wonderful Priesthood Blessing in preparation for baby to come.

Monday started with hair cuts for the boys!

They turned out a little shorter than planned...

at least they'll last a long time while we take care of baby brother.

The cool wink.

I'll take another boy any day!

I love these handsome kids.

We went to Library storytime again, which the kids love.

We love Family Night, and this week Rob gave a wonderful lesson about being honest and we had yummy peanut butter and chocolate no bake cookies (compliments of Lolly).

Tuesday we had Anna and Leah White to play most of the day while their parents took Jake to the International Car Show. It was fun to have the girls over.

Wednesday we had two doctor's appointments. Trevor's surgery follow up (everything is healing well, which is a blessing after a rough recovery).

While waiting for the doctor, Trevor was lying on the table saying, "I'll be brave. I won't cry." which is pretty amazing and so sweet coming from a little guy who has been through a lot of pain the past few weeks. I told him, "You're wonderful, Trevor." And he said, "I'm not wonderful, I'm COOL!" and then laughed. So, now it's a joke, and I keep telling Trevor I think he's wonderful and he just says, "No, I'm COOL!"  Of course we think he's both.

We also had Lolly's 37 week ultrasound! Baby looks perfect, in position and ready to come. Just what we wanted to hear!

Lolly gave a little Personal Progress pep talk about planning and pacing at Young Women in Excellence Wednesday night. Hopefully it helped the girls see how important it is to keep working at it.

Thursday,

Ellie turned 7!!

She was so excited for her Birthday that she woke up at 6 AM!

She found a balloon at her place at breakfast. She requested waffles, and in effort to simplify (for pregnant mama's sake) they were frozen ones from the store. But, still tasty.

After breakfast she opened her presents.

Thanks Grandma Anderson and Grandma Soulier!

She loved the gifts you sent.

Her big gift from Mom and Dad included a pink, roller suitcase filled with doll clothes!

(Taken in and fitted to her dolls by Lolly Mom).

And...the requested and dreamed of American Girl Doll to be a friend to the one she got for Christmas a year ago. She named her Jessica.

Gratefully, Rob is on a Infectious Disease rotation this week so he didn't have to go in until 8!

Since Ellie woke everyone up so early (she was "coughing" in the hall so the boys would wake up) we had plenty of time for waffles and presents before Dad had to go.

After playing the morning away with all the new toys, we got to meet Daddy Rob for lunch.

Ellie picked to go out to Bob Evan's restaurant because she remembered the twisty straws and ice-cream Sundae's from when we went with Rob's brother Danny over a year ago.

It also happened to be that "kid's eat free" on Thursdays.

How's that for a sweet deal?

Yum.

The Sundae even smiled back at you before you devoured it.

The picture below is what happens when I try to get candid shots of my kids.

They really aren't as cheesy as they appear in pictures, they are self-conditioned to smile quickly when they see a flash!

I wanted the digging into the whipped cream shot...so funny.

Notice, the dolls came along. They went everywhere Ellie did on her Birthday.

We love eating out together on Birthday's!

After lunch we picked up two buddies (Anna and Jake White) and went to Pop-in Playtime at

PUMP IT UP.

Two hours, with the place all to ourselves!

(One of the benefits of Homeschooling)

After dinner and Ellie taking her dolls along in their pink dresses to her Dance classes, we got to see Daddy Rob in his first church basketball game of the season.

He got at least four 3-pointers for Ellie on her Birthday.

That's my Babe.

What a day!

Why not top it off with cake and ice-cream?

Strawberry cake with oreo filling, by request of the Princess.

 The kids were wiped out, and went to bed late. Definitely a Birthday to remember, and with Ellie's memory I'm sure it will be remembered in detail.

Friday we got up late after the big day, and hurried over for a few Birthday pictures of Ellie and Trevor.

(Lolly trying to get things done before baby comes)

I also lucked out shopping Winter Clearance!

I love it when that happens.

We also went Visiting Teaching, took dinner to a family in the ward, and Rob finished our Tax Return. The kids also got to go swimming at the Summit with Dad in the evening.

They had a blast...and went to bed late again. It was another super busy day!

Ellie spent Saturday morning at Chuck E Cheese at her friend Sara's Birthday party (what a rough life) and in the afternoon we hosted

Ellie's HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL Birthday Party.

Red Carpet pictures of the STARS as they arrived.

All you need for a party is some happenin' music (High School Musical of course),

and some balloons.

I was amazed how well some of the girl's knew the Movie as we played a High School Musical board game.

We had cupcakes and Ellie's "Fruit Sippers" from her High School Musical Cook book.

Then the kids made up an Add-on Dance.

They played with the new toys Ellie got until parents came to pick them up.

Saturday night ended the week with Lolly and Rob having a wonderful date
and last trip to the Detroit Temple before baby comes
(Complete with Frosty's from Wendy's on the way home).

The kids had a movie night with the White's (thanks again guys!)

Unfortunately, the week ended where it began with Daddy cleaning up after Trevor all night as he threw up. Hopefully this poor little guy will get better soon.