It's a............?

healthy baby GIRL! I get to use these!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My little girl is 4

Last Thursday was Allison’s 4^th b-day and the Dixons joined us for a day at Disneyland. The weather looked questionable and forecasted rain but we hardly got drizzled on for maybe 10 minutes at the beginning while we picked up Allison’s fun card. Since we already have season passes (thanks to Tom every Christmas), they give you a gift card that is worth the price of a ticket…that you can use toward merchandise at Disneyland or California adventure. That’s 60 bucks!!! So we got Cole a little laser gun shooter from the Buzz Lightyear ride, and after we went to California Adventure and rode the new Toy Story ride, she got a Jessie doll and a same Buzz Lightyear laser gun, and then we got a laser gun key chain for Cameron for his birthday too. And we still have 4 dollars left on the card. It was fun just letting her get things we never would have bought to begin with. The kids did GREAT especially with no naps. There were hardly any lines and check out the amount of rides we went on:

The Astro Spaceship ride, Maddie and I went on Star Tours, Buzz Lightyear-5 times, Some went on Space Mountain, Nemo--(only worth it when there's little wait), tea cups Storybook Land the carousel, Dumbo, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, some of us went on Peter Pan (My favorite ride--also the longest wait), others went on Snow White, Winnie the Pooh, & Splash Mountain. And we seriously did most of that in 3 hours.

Then as we went over to California Adventure Shannon and Andrew had to leave and we kept Maddie and Audrey with us. Maddie and I went on Soaring over California. My first time....that is the COOLES, most clever ride I've ever been on...one of my new all time favorites. Meanwhile, Dan took the kids on the seahorse carousel like 4 times, and then Dan and Madison went on California Screamin' and the little ones just stayed on the seahorses for another 5 rides. We went on the new Toy Story ride altogether....that was fun too, then Dan and Maddie hit California Screamin' one last time before the park closed. I was bummed not to see the Aladdin show, and Maddie was bummed we ran out of time to go on the Tower of Terror

Needless to say, we had a pretty sweet day at Disneyland and were pooped by the time it closed at 8. Allison had a great birthday!

I can’t believe she’s 4. That seems so old! I’m excited for 4. When Allison was a new born till 1 year old-it was a cake walk. 2 was not so fun (there were times I really didn’t like her, even though I still loved her), 3 got better but still had its bumps. I think 4 just sounds like a little kid instead of an infant or toddler. The naps are tapering off but we tend to still squeak one out every so often (she’s napping right now on the couch) and I told her when she turns 4 she’s wiping her own poopy butt—this started on her birthday at Disneyland at the end of the day. She totally got her hand in the wet toilet while wiping and freaked. Eeew. We’ll have to work on that.

She’s learning so much at Joyschool. The other day, she was trying to shut the lid on my bin of maternity clothes but it wouldn’t close. She told me we needed to put it in a different order to make it fit. Then she told me, “that’s what I learned—about order,” then she proceeded to sing me the Joyschool song about order she has only heard at Joyschool. She loves to sing and learns songs very quickly--she always has. She has a really good voice too and always sings in tune. She is learning about sounding out words and counting. She’s growing up so much. She is in Sunbeams and has the sweetest teacher whom she loves. She can often be found singing primary songs around the house....she has only been there maybe 4 Sundays but already knows some songs! She LOVES coloring, riding her bike, and playing “Sister” or “Stister” as she still calls it (that's like playing house but just with sisters.) She also loves her cousins and doesn’t ever get sick of playing all day with them. She’s getting used to having a brother following her around all day. She uses him to her advantage now, like having him come upstairs with her in the dark to get something, or having him sit on the stool in the bathroom while she has to stop playing to use the potty (that can’t last long I know).(It makes me remember the times my brother used me--hey Krystal? You want some bread? Ya? Go get us some!---off I'd run to get us each a rarely bought slice of white Wonder bread. Allison LOVES her daddy and he has this way with her. She just melts at anything he says and thinks he is the greatest man alive (and she’s right). I feel so blessed to have our little Allison. I keep praying at night that she’ll grow up realizing the joy the Gospel brings. It scares me to think of my kids growing up making their own choices in the big world. In the meantime, I guess all I can do besides pray is keep on keeping on. She loves Family Home Evening and sometimes asks for it mid week—(I know I know it won’t last—but we’ll try) she says the sweetest little prayers that are so sincere and honest. It will be hard to see her stumble and fall at times but that’s what got me to where I am today. Being a parent takes so much energy---all day and all night, and most especially when you don’t have it. I’m hoping this year will bring us some more Allison fun….and maybe fewer freak-outs and tears (it’s worth a hope right?)

I'm 27 and I have a four-year old... and a third kid on the way. How did it happen so fast?

Felt it

Just felt the baby kick yesterday. It was startling because it's still pretty early but I felt it twice so by the second time I knew I wasn't imagining things. 2 more weeks until I find out if I get to use the cutest little dress I've ever seen that I bought last night. Allison thinks it's a boy...Dan too. I just want a healthy baby....so if it is a boy, Tami....you're stoked.

The details

Alright....now that I've got it out in the open that I'm pregnant--*sigh* (Keeping secrets are HARD!)--Here's the scoop on how we discovered that our family of 4 will become 5!
That's right...it wasn't planned. I say that, and yet, we weren't preventing...but we were pretty much relying on the "fact" that I've I needed fertility pills to get pregnant in the past. It was a blessing in a strange way, that we "couldn't" get pregnant without fertility pills because I can't use birth control pills due to a blood disorder. I could get pregnant so easily on the pills with our last two, so we just saw the whole situation as a blessing in disguise.

After a few obvious signs that I COMPLETELY ignored because my brain was totally not there, it hit me....uh, time to take a pregnancy test. I thought it was impossible so I figured I'd take one to rule it out. I stared at the test like a dummy....I had no directions on how to read it, so I was staring at the test going, what does that mean? That's impossible, okay not impossible but what? How? Heh? So instead of planning on getting pregnant next summer, we're having a baby next summer. Funny how the Lord works. I was feeling unsure about our plans to wait and I felt like it would be nice if I could just leave it up to chance to get pregnant instead of planning the exact month. (I know I know...some of you are saying--hello?!?!? At least you CAN plan when to get pregnant and actually have it WORK!) I totally get that. But, at the same time, I was struggling with having that decision fall totally on me (and Dan of course--but it's my sanity and my body we're talking about here--I get ultimate decision :). I was starting to get "the itch" whenever I held new babies and I was starting to wonder if the time was supposed to be sooner than later.

Selfishly, I thought, well, Dan's brother is getting married in the summer, I don't want to be a pregnant bridesmaid, and our family reunion is this summer, and it would be nice to take a nice vacation not being pregnant or nursing. Funny thing is, when I discovered I was pregnant, I really felt like it was supposed to be this way and I almost felt prepared for it...even though my brain was totally not there.

I was already 7 weeks along when I found out and I had already been feeling BLECK for a few days and that lasted until about 9 1/2 weeks and then just stopped. I got really nervous that I suddenly wasn't sick anymore. I actually felt sick like virus sick and not pregnancy nauseous anymore. So I waited nervously until my appointment on Monday to hear the heartbeat. I was really feeling like chances were 50/50 at that point, not knowing what was going to happen. I had no other signs really of anything abnormal, besides the point that I usually gain like 10 pounds by this point and can't fit my jeans, but I've only gained a miraculous 3 and still fit the jeans fine. --Something of course you'd be thrilled over unless of course you were already worried something was wrong. So my sister came with me to my appointment to hear the heartbeat. My doctor looked and looked for it and couldn't find it. I kept nodding my head, like I knew it, I knew it. So she took me to the ultrasound room to take a look. While we waited, I started talking like we weren't going to find the heart beat. I was sort of unemotional about it. At least at that moment. I was just trying to prepare myself for whatever came my way. So we ate some chocolate Hershey kisses that were sitting in the room to comfort the depression. She came in, and I saw the baby (to be expected) I was just waiting to see a beating heart. And then...there it was. She turned up the sound and I took a loud sigh of relief. I decided that at least the cool part about it is my sister (and I) got to SEE the baby too! Everything was fine. And so we ate one more chocolate--this time, a celebration chocolate :)

I wasn't sick a day with Allison, I had morning sickness with Cole for 15 weeks, and I was sick all day (no puking or anything) for 9 1/2 weeks with this one and now I feel great! I am feeling really really blessed.

I think it's a girl...that heart beat is fast....but Dan is feeling pretty convinced it's a boy. So.... YAY for summer babies! At least our little baby Dobes will have some friends close in age :)

Hope that answers all the questions! ...oh, and Summer is a name we talk about for girls...we liked it for Allison but she was born in January. Won't it be fitting for a summer baby. To add to it...Dan says all the girls named Summer that he knew were HOT. Hmm....so do I want a little girl that's hot? A blessing and a curse right?

And if you don't like the name, I don't want to hear about it. :)

Breakfast with Santa

OK--forgive me, I'm totally posting out of order but that's how my brain is currently working. We had a really cool opportunity, thanks to Dan's dad and his wife Jodi, to attend a breakfast with Santa. There was cookie decorating, a puppet show, pictures with Santa....the MOST SINCERE coolest Santa man EVER...., face painting,(or in Cole's case--hand painting) and food galore. The kids LOVED it and it will be a great memory for our family!

Traditions

Growing up, my family always had a lot of traditions surrounding Christmas. Christmas time was always very magical...especially Christmas Eve. Since Dan and I have been married, we've had the chance to carry on many of those traditions and start some of our own. I feel blessed to have a husband who has allowed our family to carry on many of my family traditions that mean a lot to me....some are simple but I know that changing the way you did things growing up can be hard. I like how we've started our own family's traditions by continuing some from each of our families. Here are a few:

Of course, there's decorating the tree. But now I have a new found appreciation for my mom and her efforts with the tree. I HATE lighting the tree but Dan leaves it up to me, not only because I am particular with the way it is lit...each bulb must be securely attached to each branch... but I've watched my mom light our tree with the big old fashioned bulbs year after year.

We usually take a night with the kids and hang the ornaments. I think this is Dan's least favorite part. He gets burned out after untangling ornament hooks for ever. He especially loves undoing my box of random ornaments from past teachers, aunts and uncles, friends and family. I tell him that's what gives the tree character!

In addition to the large bulbs we have the bubble lights! After the heat up a while, they send these cool fizzy bubbles up a long skinny tube. Those are my favorite, and a family I grew up with gave us some as a wedding gift to help us carry on the tradition they knew I loved.

To finish off the look of the tree, we set up a little village like Dan's family always had.


One year, Dan's mom made us a book compiled with a scripture, a story, and a song for each day of December leading to Christmas. Every year we try to be diligent about doing it every day but we always seem to miss on or two. I think as the kids grow up they will really appreciate the stories and understand the true meaning of Christmas from them.
I also grew up with a tradition of the "Thankful Tree." Each day, we take a round piece of construction paper (our ornament) and write something we're thankful for, then tape it to a tree made out of green wrapping paper. Anyone who comes to visit can't leave without adding to our thankful tree.....

or without taking one of these...
Another family tradition--candy planes and trains

I'm sure there are tons more I could post but I'll leave you with one last one that I love. My mom handmade Bucilla felt stockings for us and I have loved making them for each of my kids. I guess it's time to make another one for next year!

Letters to Santa

For Family Night this last Monday, we had the kids write letters to Santa asking him for things for Christmas...that was after we read a story about how it was better to give than to receive--talk about mixed messages. Oh well...this is the first year Allison wrote a letter and she did it all by herself. We told her the letters to write after she told us what she wanted. I had no idea she could take on a task that big! She's growing up fast. She really couldn't think of much so we sort of helped her along (since Santa has already finished the shopping for the most part.)
If you can't read Allison's it says:
Dear Santa, I want *Toy cat *Bike *doll *movies Love, Allison





Cole's was a bunch of scribbles on top of what Dan wrote on there. I copied both of them before they put them in envelopes to mail. Allison colored on it with yellow a couple days later and now I can't find Cole's currently. They loved putting the letters in the mail box. Allison helped put the stamps on. (Yes there are 2 41 centers on there---doh!) I heard the letters actually get collected at the post office and put in some random huge stock pile! I wonder how long our kids will love the wonder of Santa this much. These ages are sooo much fun to do things like this. Christmas is going to be so fun this year, even if it is a little smaller.