To Date

While the week is only half over I feel compelled to document some of our events as part of my guilt free journal expedition. The time is passing far too quickly and what I have really noticed this week is that my kids are growing up way too fast!

Monday Highlights
Dayton had an appointment with a Pediatric Pulmonary Specialist. There is only one in the state of Utah so we had to wait quite a while to get in to see her. Our goal is to determine what is going on with Dayton's sleep. He is fatigued often and has never really slept well. Being in the exam room reminded me of something from Gorilla's in the Midst. The Doc quietly studied him over and took lots of notes. She listened to him intently and continued to take copious notes. He goes in for an overnight stay next Thursday. She is convinced that there is something wrong and I was pleased not to be pushed off.

Kayla and Mark went to the Optometrist. We knew that his eyes were bad and thought we would get Kayla in as well. She was hoping to get glasses like Ellie and ended up having perfect eyes like Dayton! That afternoon Kayla was going through a list outloud about who has perfect eyes and who doesn't. Micci, Kayla has proclaimed that you have absolutely perfect eyes!
Kayla had a swimming lesson and she was a real rock star! She and Dayton cruised down the big swirly slide in old school train style and had a blast! Kayla floated really well on her back and has started to learn various strokes. Ellie quietly followed Kayla and her teacher around the pool in little sister style!

Tuesday Run Down
Tuesday was mostly uneventful. I worked a full day in the office and suffered through some serious contractions. I got tons done and was determined to push through it (no pun intended!) I hate that it was obvious to others that I was having an off day.

Dayton had a parent/teacher conference. Miss Kari had good things to report about his progress and showed us his cute little journal. There is a huge list of criteria that they track quarterly and so we reviewed that. His little class is busy preparing for graduation. I can barely believe he will soon complete Kindergarten! Ellie is registered to begin in Miss Kari's class after the summer and she's super excited!

I picked up Kayla from her Grandma's. Dayton and Ellie came home from their Dad's in time to watch American Idol. The kids played and played and Mark didn't get home until long after we were all fast asleep.

Wednesday Dish
Kayla's Mom is out of town so she is with us this week. Ellie has been really excited to have her here and so far the three of the kids have been playing really well together. I was able to get them all up, fed and dressed this AM. I took D&E to school and made it to the office. Some times I think this working full time and being Mom is for the birds!

I made the rounds and picked up all three kids in time for them to swim again at Dimple Dell. Dayton and Ellie had a lesson tonight and did really well with Natalie. They have come a long way in the past two months. I was most pleased to learn that Dimple Dell installed a UV Filter on the pool TODAY to protect against cryptospuridium. That is one parasite that I do NOT want to relive.

We made it home in time for me to keep the laundry moving (we have a life sized mountain of clean clothes piled high in the laundry room), empty and fill the dishwasher and pull together some grilled cheese sandwiches for a hungry bunch of little monkeys! 3 pairs of jammies, 3 tooth brushings, 2 phone calls to other parents, 10 minuntes of play time and 20 minutes of snuggle time on the couch later it was time for family prayer. The kids have been really good about going to bed this week and that is a huge relief physically and emotionally off of me!

Going Forward
I have exactly 99 days remaining in this pregnancy. This one has been entirely different and somewhat challenging for me. At this point it suffices me to say that I am living large!
I have a ton of work to get done tonight and get to start all over again tomorrow! In the afternoon we have an appointment with Christian. Dayton and Ellie will be with their Dad after school which will give me an opportunity to return a few things to the mall, get grocery shopping done and keep that laundry moving.

On the B Side: As busy as life can be I enjoy it. I sat at the pool tonight and wondered what I did with all of my time before I had kids. I have struggled with having Dayton and Ellie being gone when they are spending time with their Dad but over time have adjusted to making good use of that time and not feeling bad. I was thinking about the significance of perspective and how it changes everything. Then out of the blue I read this really insightful post about perspective and it all came together and just felt good. Thank you Kristin!