The Heart-Beep

Today I had another weekly visit to my Doctor. A friend of mine was kind enough to watch my kiddies while I went. It was supposed to be super quick, but turned into an extra long wait. Usually I barely have enough time to get in and settle the kids before they call me in to see my Doctor. I sat and looked at their new sign that read "Please ensure your children play QUIETLY".  I laughed in my head because I was pretty sure this sign was put up after our last visit. Hyrum screeched pretty good when we left the toy corner. I then watched the waiting room practically clear out twice and finally got brave enough to ask what was up. These hormones have been kicking my butt lately and I almost cried at the front desk over my 1 1/2 hour wait. Turns out they forgot to move my file to the back to be called in, so I didn't even really exist. This explains why all the 11:00 appointments to see the Doctor were in and out before my 10:15 appointment. 

The appointment was quick and easy. Baby's heart rate was at 136. A boy maybe? We've pretty much agreed on girls names, but boy names have been a little tricky. Names are always stressful for me. I want them to have meaning, or to be family names so that they have someone to look up to or feel proud of. This whole name game is starting to stress me out a bit though. He then asked a bit about my birth plan and scribbled some notes before ripping off a copy of my prenatal papers. I am now 36 weeks and baby could potentially come at any time!

I was definitely grateful to know that my kids were being taken care of. Camilla loves my friends little boy, and tells me so all the time. When I left the appointment I went quickly to take my kids off her hands. They had a lot of fun! On our way home Camilla was telling me about how they played doctor and she checked her patients "heart-beeper" because she had the "coughs".  I smiled and laughed out loud. I love that kid. She called it a "heart-beep" the rest of the way home as she chatted away.
 

Tonight we are picking up Daddy from work and then driving to Calgary for a mini-vacation. We booked an awesome hotel and are looking forward to going to the Temple open house tomorrow with the kids! So excited to be able to spend time with Mr. Stannix this weekend!

Mixing up Memories

This morning brought happy children to my bedside. Hyrum was the first to arrive and put his little chubby face right up close to mine as he stood on his tip-toes. In the dark I could make out his grin, wide eyes, and crazy hair. They ran back and forth and snuggled in their beds in our dimly lit house until we finally made it out of bed.

Cheerios were on the menu for breakfast with cartoons to follow. After I got ready for the day I made up some peanut butter cookies and bagels. As the cookies were baking I could smell something burning, and wasn't sure what it was. As I mixed up the cookie dough to get it ready for the next pan I noticed the dough in the bottom was all burnt. While I wasn't looking Hyrum had managed to turn on the gas burner where the cookie bowl was sitting. I quickly transferred the dough to a new bowl leaving behind all the burnt stuff.

The first pan of cookies was devoured by the children as they sat in front of the heat vent in the kitchen. Every time I would turn around, Camilla's little hand was sneaking another cookie or two off the cooling rack. I smiled to myself as I listened to them giggle and munch together. Camilla refused to get dressed except for her undies and sat cozied up in the fuzzy blanket I made for her (in fact she still isn't dressed). Hyrum was dressed, but still had his awesome bed-head from earlier this morning.

When their belly's were full they went back into the living room and I put in one of Mike's old mix CD's. The kids and I danced together before I was summoned by the timer to pull out the next pan of cookies. As I placed the cookies on the cooling rack I couldn't help but smile really big.

The songs that played reminded me of so many fun memories had with Mr. Stannix when we were dating. I thought about cruising in his white Ford Probe with the flip up lights, listening to the same " old" tunes and feeling like life was perfect. I was reminded of good-night kisses on the front step, surprise visits, sweet phone messages, winter skating, and chats in the library. I am so glad that music can bring back such wonderful memories! After searching our computer I can't for the life of me find a picture of the old Probe!

Comfort Food

The wind last night was strong and loud. The tree branches outside hammered on our roof until early this morning. The sleep I got was broken and I saw almost every hour pass by on the clock. I listened to each breath as my children slept away in their cozy beds next door. I warmed my feet on Mr. Stannix's and snuggled down under the duvet. Turning from side to side was painful and this morning I could hardly walk when I woke up. I think it's safe to say that baby's head is where it should be and he or she is getting ready. 

After breakfast I made up some carrot cake muffins and topped them with cream cheese frosting. The best comfort food ever. I also managed to put a delicious pot roast in the slow cooker for dinner and I can't wait to smell it cooking away this afternoon. I am going to put my feet up for the day, enjoy my children and stay cozy. We will all probably catch an afternoon nap later on, which I am so looking forward too!

There and Back

Today was an outside day! We are trying to catch as much of the sun's rays and fresh Autumn air as we can before the snow flies. We walked up to the mall and back to grab some groceries and some odds and ends. Camilla got a chocolate milk and lollipop out of it and was quite happy the rest of the way home. My little man finished off the last little bit of my steamer after it cooled a bit and loved every drop. He would vibrate while saying "mmm" to let me know that it was warm and tasty. Camilla licked her lolli all the way home, kicked up the leaves, carried sticks, and jumped in random piles of leaves. It was so funny watching her. Those two are definitely good at making me laugh!

Walking has been more difficult lately and I definitely can feel it when I get home. These pregnancy hormones are kicking in and my legs feel all stretchy and sore all the time. After too much walking the rest of my day is filled with random braxton hicks and sore hips. It's crazy that there's only a month left until this baby joins our little family! I've been cleaning and organizing the kid's room like crazy and have managed to even empty a drawer in Camilla's dresser and find some closet space for baby clothes. Tomorrow I have a lot of "too small" and summer clothes to box up for storage and then I'll be done! The more things are coming together the more excited I am.

These old videos totally made me laugh today.

One Day at a Time

Life has been so busy lately! Between work, school, two busy toddlers, keeping up the house, making meals, church callings and this upcoming baby, I've started to feel a little overwhelmed. This week has come too fast and I am not super excited for Mr. Stannix to start CASB again for the next eight weeks (but thinking with the end in sight makes it a little more bearable). I had a few meltdowns yesterday. It was just a hard day. Thankfully Heavenly Father always sends us tender mercies and dinner was provided for us, along with great company. When everyone went home, we left the house as is and went up to bed for the night because we were both so exhausted. After a few bad mommy days I was feeling pretty down on myself and cried to Mr. Stannix telling him that our kids are going to remember me as a drill sergeant more than a Mum. I am so thankful for a loving, supportive husband who helps talk me out of those slumps. Thankfully, today life was put into perspective and I was given the strength I need to press through these next few months. It's not going to be easy, but it will be worth it in the end!

My Dad came up today and surprised us all at church. The kids were pretty excited to see their Grampa! After church we all enjoyed lunch together (traditional Sunday soup), played, and visited. When Grampa left, Camilla stood by the door, looked up at me and said, "Well, that was sure a great afternoon!". She sounded 3 going on 10. It was adorable. Shortly after, she zonked out on the couch for a quick snooze. Hyrum napped for over two hours, which hasn't happened in a long time! It was definitely a quiet afternoon.

Tonight I witnessed the sweetest moment shared between Hyrum and Camilla. We've finally gotten back into the routine of bed time scripture reading and it's been so amazing to see the change in our home. The children are so much more agreeable and peaceful and the feeling in our home is so much better. Camilla reads from her Book of Mormon, Hyrum looks at the picture version quietly on the couch and one of us will read. It's been great! After prayers I asked Hyrum to say good-night to everyone. He looked at Camilla, waved, and clicked his tongue twice (his version of night night). As we went down the hallway she came running for a hug and a kiss. Hyrum said, "hut!" (his word for hug) and they embraced long and hard, then smooched each other right on the lips! He then waved, said "baa" (his word for bye) and started towards the stairs again. As he left Camilla said "I love you!" and he giggled. It's so great to watch them show love, and in that moment I felt so blessed. 

I then read to Hyrum in his bed and we sang "I am a Child of God" like we do each night. When we finished I waited in the next room and went downstairs when I thought he was asleep. As soon as I started reading to Camilla I heard him run across the floor to the doorway. Sure enough I heard, "ma!". I went up, placed him back in his bed and then came down and read with Camilla again. After a good twenty minutes we went up so I could tuck her into bed. When I got back downstairs I could hear Hyrum giggling. I told Camilla to be quiet and still so that Hyrum wouldn't giggle at her. Soon they were both bursting with belly laughs. I tried to use my best serious voice and asked them to close their eyes for bed. Soon I could hear Camilla breathing deeply, followed by Hyrum's giggle. I then asked Camilla to stop breathing so funny and go to sleep. She then informed me that she was taking deep breaths to stop her from giggling. It was too funny! They calmed down pretty quick after that and I haven't heard a peep since.

Soggy Windows

Camilla woke up from her nap today after I had started dinner. All of the things on the stove fogged up our windows and when she came downstairs she said, "Ohhh no, our windows are so soggy, I just need to wipe them all day!" It was pretty cute. Hyrum must have forgotten his fall yesterday and still insists on driving his car on the couch.

Snowflakes have been falling all day and this old house was quite chilly when we woke up this morning. When I was playing with the children on the floor I could feel heat coming from the vent. The funny part is that our furnace isn't even turned on! Just shows how cold it really was this morning. We all snuggled up with heat bags and blankets and watched a movie until we warmed up enough to get dressed. Daddy even pulled out his winter coat for the bus ride this morning. 

Hot chili and fresh buns for dinner tonight! The perfect way to warm up!

Extra Sleep

For some reason lately, I haven't been in the blogging spirit. I feel like I have writers block or something (I can't even think of a title for this post). The days just seem to come and go and very little has stayed imprinted on my mind. In an effort to document the childhood of my little ones, I will try to remember some of the details of today as best as I can. The highlight was definitely being able to sleep in this morning. I woke up and listened as Mr. Stannix put on his shoes and quietly slipped out to catch the bus. It was around 8:00. I turned over, my legs achy and the baby rolling about in my tummy, to find miss Camilla snuggled down under the covers with her head on Daddy's pillow. Her sparkly blue eyes said good morning as a smile formed on her sweet pink face. She wrapped her arm around my neck, whispered "I love you" (in that sincere little voice of hers) and smooched my cheek. We snuggled and whispered for a few minutes until Hyrum finally awoke and ran full speed across the landing and to my bedside. I turned to look over the edge and the first thing that came out of his mouth was "BOO!". His big blue eyes and mischievous little grin always make me smile in the morning. We got up, made beds, and had morning prayers. The extra sleep was definitely welcomed by all and everyone was in good spirits. 

I went downstairs and discovered that poor Mr. Stannix only had pumpkin pie and orange juice for breakfast. We all had fruit and warm porridge for breakfast and then cuddled up to a Disney movie. I love slow mornings. Hyrum is starting to talk a lot more and says so many things. Some of the words he's learned lately are; bye (ba), Camilla (MaaaA), cookie, bun, bug, shoes, strawberry (baberry), grandma/grandpa (bapa), yeah, cheese, please (peeeees) and a few others. Although they don't necessarily sound like the word, they are close enough that I know what he's talking about. My favorite is when he says "please", it totally melts my heart! Camilla will also ask him a question and then say, "say 'yeah' Hyrum!"

We spent most of the afternoon passing out flyers for the food drive this weekend. Hyrum fell asleep in the stroller cozied up in his warm winter coat and extra blankets while Camilla ran around like a crazy behind me. She had fun burning all her energy. We still have half a route left to do tomorrow, so I'm hoping it's warm! My legs ache from all of the speed walking I did and I can tell this baby's due date isn't far off. 

Hyrum has been obsessed with his ride-on car again today. I caught him multiple times sitting on it on the couch and bouncing up and down. Each time I would lift him and it down and remind him that we only drive our car on the floor. As soon as I left the room he would put it back on the couch and bounce on it some more. One time when I was in the bathroom I heard little hands playing with the door handle. Eventually the door opened and on the other side was Hyrum, standing on his car, with a giant triumphant grin on his face. Now every time someone is in the bathroom you can hear him dragging his car over to help him open the door.

One of my pet peeves as of late is all of this extra energy my kids seem to have.  By the time the late afternoon rolls around they can be found RUNNING down the hall and into the living room to the couches over and over again. Usually Camilla is "chasing" Hyrum and they'll be screaming or giggling their heads off. I try so hard to stop them and initiate some quiet time, but today I gave up. As I cooked dinner I chose to let the laughter and giggles be music to my ears (and tried really hard not to worry about collisions). The older Hyrum gets the more they enjoy playing and wrestling together. It's been a neat change to watch (amidst all the craziness).

The Big Turk chocolate bar that I am now eating is the perfect end to my day! Soon Mr. Stannix will be home for the evening and my life will be complete. Man I love that guy! And just so this post isn't pictureless I'll leave you with a little snap shot from Saturday afternoon.

Thankful

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend! It started out with General Conference and ended with a nice relaxing day spent together. Conference was so wonderful to listen to as always and a few of the talks really hit home. We got together with some of the Stannix clan for Sunday evening and enjoyed a nice Turkey dinner together (I even managed to almost duplicate my Mum's dressing). Mr. Stannix did a great job carving the Turkey! It's been great to have him back after his week away, I don't think I've been smooched so much since we were first married! On Sunday night he even told me I was remarkable. I don't think I've ever been called that before! I adore him.

I am thankful for so much this year, I don't even know where to begin! I am very thankful for a wonderful husband who works so hard to provide for us. I am thankful for our two beautiful children and their sweet smiles and giggles each day. I am so thankful for a healthy body and healthy pregnancies. I am thankful for the opportunity to have another sweet spirit join our family, motherhood is truly a blessing. I am thankful for all of my family members and the role each of them has in my life. I am grateful for my testimony and the happiness the Gospel brings. And I am grateful for the knowledge that I have a loving Heavenly Father and older brother Jesus Christ.We have been blessed with so much and there is much to be thankful for!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Maternity Photoshoot

On Thursday my sister had the day off work, so we loaded up the kids and went out to shoot some maternity pictures. It was a bright, sunny, Fall afternoon with just enough crispness in the air to make our cheeks nice and rosy. I loved watching my kids run around and enjoy the fresh air as they tagged along. They looked so healthy and vibrant with their bright rosy cheeks and pink noses. I have never had professional maternity pictures done before and she needed a subject, so I was pretty excited! We had a lot of fun and it was great to spend the afternoon with my sister! She took a lot of pictures that I am in love with, so I'll narrow it down to just a few to share!  I can't wait for this next little one to join our family!

 

Thanks so much Emma! 

Check out her photog page here.

Gramma's Barbershop

Today I finally worked up the courage to cut the little man's curls off. He woke up with a giant rats nest in the back of his hair, something needed to be done. When Grampa took Camilla to town for the morning I strapped Hyrum in the booster and wrapped the hair cutting cape around him. I debated trying to cut it on my own. Thankfully Gramma came to the rescue and made quick work of it! 

When Gramma asked him to look down at his toes so that she could trim the back up, he leaned all the way forward and practically touched his nose to his toes. It was super funny. I was too busy laughing and forgot to take a picture of it.

 

He was a pretty handsome dude after. We didn't take much off the top, mostly just cleaned up the back, but it definitely made a difference.

Although the back looks much better, I'm still going to miss those curls!

When we finished we got Hyum to clean up the mess. He enjoyed vacuuming for the next hour or so. Who needs toys when you own a vacuum? Gotta love cheap entertainment.