The gift of life

About 3 weeks after I found out I was pregnant my Mom was diagnosed with Lymphoma.  And now, just 2 weeks before this baby is born my Mom has completed her treatment from the horrible disease.  There is no doubt in my mind that her journey has been harder than the pregnancy but no matter what we are both receiving a gift...the gift of life.  Can't ask for much more than that. 

Almost 36 weeks

I don't have much to update on the pregnancy other than complaints...I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes again so I am taking medication for that.  I am so tired all the time and have zero energy.  Which I am sure taking care of a 2 year old and working full time doesn't help.  I have cut back my hours at work and am working 2 days a week from home which is really helping.  The baby is very active and loves to stretch.  I had an ultrasound last week, the babies head is down and one shoulder is sitting on my right hip, which would explain why the right side is so uncomfortable.  The good thing is I know all of the complaints are all worth it when we get to meet our new little precious baby!
Mostly everyone thinks it is a girl...neither of us have any hunch.  3 more weeks!

Carter Update

I feel like I haven't posted any updates on Carter for a while.  I really meant to keep up every couple of months with his stats and that obviously hasn't happened.  He was at the doctor recently for an ear infection (imagine that) and weighed exactly 30.0 pounds and is 35 1/2 inches tall.  There are some things he has done recently that I wanted to get down on "paper" before I forget (although the first one I would like to forget)

• I will preface this with Carter has always been a good sleeper, he fights going to bed sometimes but normally will just cry by his door for a few minutes then crawls into bed and sleeps.  Well, one night (before we knew he had an ear infection) we put him to bed and he screams by his door for at least 15 minutes, Nate went in to check on him and he had thrown up and then laid in it.  We felt horrible because we didn't know he was sick, so of course we apologize and clean him up.  So the next night we put him to bed and within 2-3 minutes he has thrown up...so we go in and clean it up and clean him up and put him back to bed, well he cries for at least 45 minutes and we go back in and he can see how upset we are and throws up again..all over Nate.  Well, this pattern continued for 3-4 nights.  I ended up taking him back to the dr because his ear wasn't getting better and discussed this with him.  He told us we just had to "break" him.  He said unless he wasn't breathing we could not go back in his room or even acknowledge him.  He said he might throw up and scream but it would only last 3 nights.  So I put a towel down by his door (the thought of puke sitting on my carpet is more than I can handle) and we put him to bed.  We heard him throw up a few times in between screams and then he cried for about 45 minutes but finally went to sleep.  Night 2, he threw up a little and was asleep in 10 minutes.  Night 3 no throw up and asleep in 5 minutes.  He still isn't going right to sleep...but he only cries for 10 minutes or so and no more throwing up.  LUCKILY! 
• Carter is talking so much, I can't even list the words he knows.  The latest ones are ladder, hammer, candles, and monkey.  He picks up on everything and will repeat almost anything.  He says almost everything the correct way but for some reason Motorcycle comes out like guck gook.  Every time. He is also really into saying "No mama, no Mom, no Mommy" catch the pattern? He is also calling Nate Daddy which is funny....it's normally just been Dad.
• Carter has really good manners, he is always saying please and thank you.  He gets a little mixed up on when to say them but at least he tries.  I have also tried to teach him excuse me since he thinks it is SO funny when he farts but when I ask him what he says...he says please. 
• Carter is obsessed with the cartoon "peppa pig" ...he loves it and can not get enough of it.  I had about 3 episodes saved on the DVR and I had to record more because I could not watch the same 3 episodes any more.  He knows the 20 or so we have saved so well that he will tell me what is going to happen before it happens. Pathetic, I know.
• Carter loves all of his family and can say all of their names really well.  We often repeat names while we are in the car and have turned it into a game.  For some reason though he loves seeing "Wobbie's house" I am sure it is because its on Main street and we pass it every day at least twice.  He always points it out, it is pretty cute.
• Carter LOVES to have visitors.  He gets so excited when he hears a car pull up.  He runs to his toy box and climbs on so he can see out the window.  Then, he has to watch out the window and yell "bye" as they leave. 
• He knows what he wants and when he wants it...I think this comes with the age.  And overall he does pretty well.  

Helping dad change the light bulb.  He loves to "fix" things.

Just a random pic of the kids..we were playing up at Kari's and Gpa came to get the skid steer.  

Cousin Drewes

This is the day we stayed home sick, his tube was blocked and infected and he was miserable.  He saw cookie dough in the fridge and I had to make cookies.  He stood by the oven until they were done. 

Helping Mom clean his room

So after the ear infection he broke out in this rash, the pediatrican thought it was eczema but we went to the dermatologist and he said it wasn't.  He gave us a strong steroid cream and it cleared it up really fast. I felt so bad for him, it was keeping him up because it itched so bad. 

This was waiting for the dermatologist.  I love this picture.  He looks so grown up and happy!

GIRLS NIGHT OUT

We headed to Wendover for a girls night out.  It was so much fun.  Mindy had just turned the big 30 and Amy had also celebrated a birthday.  We got a bunch of girls together and headed out west.

All the girls at dinner

Amy and Mindy with their bday $$$

Brenda just couldn't decide on a dessert.  :-)

I was the big winner...I put $10 in a penny machine and ended up with $175

Hanging out in the "lounge" waiting for the gamblers. 

Easter 2012

Easter was pretty low key this year.  We went to church with my parents and lasted about 20 minutes, Carter was not cooperating and I didn't want to be annoyed the entire time trying to make him be quiet so we just figured it was easier to leave.  Mindy took a few family pics for us after church.

Carter's easter present....the Dune Racer.  He loves it but is more interested in it when other kids are around to ride with him.

We colored Easter Eggs with the Palmer girls, of course I didn't get any pictures of the actual coloring. 

We had easter dinner at Robbie and Mindys and did an Easter Egg hunt with the kids.

All the kids...except Drewes.