Friday, February 29, 2008

Take Me Out to the Ball Game?


The Discovery Health Channel is one of my guilty pleasures in this life! While working remote today I've been catching all of the baby stuff on it.

There was just an analogy made that the birth canal is like a tunnel of bones and that a baby traveling down the birth canal is like forcing a softball down your throat.

None of that really works for me. Not so much. I am hoping to go natural this time around given that two epidurals were less than effective with DD Cakes and I made it to an 8 with Elles after 12 hours before I begged for pain meds. Mark, if you are reading this for time, it's true and you have my sympathies!

On the B Side: I am glad that I have a few months to work on all of this and prepare! Time is a beautiful thing and I'm always thankful to have it on my side.

Space Cadet Strikes Again!


Yes my little Burnt Sienna you are correct! I missed one of the key elements in the whole online world of tag! So let's just call this out and see what comes of it!

Pants (hit it tootsie!), La Douche (don't ditch me now!), Fig Tree (you're so overdue!) and dare I say Mommy Amy (in all of her spare time) can now consider themselves officially TAGGED!

I look forward to your upcoming and ever so fascinating posts! I'm hoping for some serious and eye popping detail ladies! Take the following questions, copy and paste them and put in some serious info as inquiring minds want to know!

What were you doing 10 years ago?
What were you doing 1 year ago?
Five snacks you enjoy
5 Things I would do if I was a millionaire
5 Bad Habits
5 things you like doing?
5 things you would never wear again
5 Favorite Toys

On the B Side: Again, I love, love, LOVE the people in my life! It doesn't matter how they have come in, where they live or how long I have known them. I love them for who they are and the piece of their life that they share with me. xxox

Thursday, February 28, 2008

One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish


The subject of this post is in honor of Dayton's Dr. Seuss Day at school however the content is to share the news of their private swimming lessons to get them geared up for the summer!

Ellie scared me half to death last night as she slipped from the ledge and was saved by her step Mom who jumped half in the water to grab our little tomato as she bounced on her tippy toes to keep her little nose above the water! Although those moments passed quickly they felt like an eternity seeing her big eyes and her hand out reached for assistance.

In the end Ellie was the brave one while Dayton winced and refused to do 'monkey, airplane, soldier' although they both happily sang, 'bubble, bubble, toot, toot, chicken, airplane, soldier' on the way to their cousin's birthday party after their lesson.

I have some video of them at the pool that I will post tonight along with their notorious 'Baby Jesus Meets Charlotte' FHE pictures!

On the B Side: I am so relieved that they are learning how to swim! It's more than a fun activity but a safety issue!

Tag, I'm It?


While I do not normally indulge in this type of behavior I have made an exception in honor my darling Flash Dancer and also my Soul Sista/Comp that seriously stinks like Pink!!!!

What were you doing 10 years ago?
Ten years ago I was in the MTC in Provo Utah training to be a full time missionary and learning French! It was undoubtedly the only time I will ever live on sacred ground in this life time and probably the only time I will ever be able to live on cereal alone...if you've been there you understand!

What were you doing 1 year ago?
One year ago we had just moved into our new home which we have subsequently moved out of due to Mortgage Fraud! It was gorgeous but I will admit that while I do miss the Ward I do NOT miss the commute or the dirty rats who were dishonest with us! Oh and we kind of miss being so close to the other Stott's! ;)

Five snacks you enjoy
1- Pez (my Dad is my supplier and I do not share!)
2- Cheese Fondue (Pear Berry, C'est vrai, non?)
3- Popcorn with real butter (it's all fat free if you lay in bed while eating it)
4- Italian Frozen Ice (this one is new with my pregnancy and keeps baby girl happy)
5- Yop (only found in Europe, sad but true and deliciouso!)

5 Things I would do if I was a millionaire
1- Set up trusts for my kids (my moonbeams future would be secure!)
2- Invest for the future (to make sure we have one would be cool)
3- Put my kids in private school (but keep them living at home, of course!)
4- Buy new house and have a designer completely redecorate (in my dreams!)
5- Travel around the world like there was no tomorrow (after we paid off debt!)

5 Bad Habits
1- I am a nail biter (guilty as charged, nasty I know)
2- I live in my jammies (always have, always will)
3- I am incredibly impatient (nothing to do w/ emotional IQ but thanks Dad!)
4- I prefer the Nittany Notes method in life (it's all about saving time!)
5- I shed like a dog (it's like I had a brain tumor for breakfast or something)

5 things you like doing?
1 - Being silly with the kids (Mom quit that monkey business and just drive says D)
2 - Reading (non-fiction only with the exception of the Twlight series...I'm pro Jacob!!)
3 - Taking a warm bath (Calgon take me away...oh and toss me my book!)
4 - Going to the spa (Sego Lily is my fav but I don't discriminate...or stay awake!)
5 - Talking on the phone (how many girls do you know had their own phone line in 3rd grade? I'm a lifer!)

5 things you would never wear again
1- Pegged pants (it was a middle school thing & luckily didn't last long)
2- Tapered pants (MC Hammer was never cool!)
3- Pleated pants (I swear Shell lives in these...so gross!)
4- Cotton G's (they have much better alternatives, you know?!)
5- Thermal G's (these were only ever worn on my mish due to the extreme weather, surely Pear Berry's got my back on this one as well)

5 Favorite Toys
1- My laptops (hands off Marky Ba Farky!)
2- Swivel Sweeper (have you seen these babies in action?!)
3- My 'Genali' (do not mess with the mirrors, put your seat belt on and no eating!)
4- Tevo (another time saver that ranks with Nittany Notes in my book!)
5- My phone (it must always be ready to rumble) Amen.

On the B Side: I am grateful for my friends! I have some really amazing ones that seems to keep across distance and time!!! As one of my wise BFFE's once said, Friends are the Family You Choose!

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Our Apple Does Not Have a Stem!


That's right folks, it's official. Ladies and 'Gendermen'...IT'S A GIRL!

Mark picked me up and we were super excited. Everything looked really good from what the Radiologist could see today. The brain, heart and kidneys were as expected and there are no obvious abnormalities. The baby once again proved herself to be quite the mover and shaker! She was rolling around and apparently practicing her latest dance moves!

I drove to the kids school to share the news with them. Ellie was sitting with her friends eating lunch. I told her that I came to tell her something important and she knew right away why I was there. Her eyes lit up and she tried to maintain her giggles and listen attentively while I whispered in her ear that she was going to have a baby sister! She burst with giggles and shared the news with her friends while she carefully scooped up some more peas with her fork! I can still see the spaghetti stuck in her teeth as she grinned with pride!

I went back to tell Dayton and he thought it was time to go so I had to break the news and tell him that I was just there to tell him something important. He also knew instantly what the visit was about! His eyes were fixed on mine and I did my best not to sound broken hearted for him as I said, "You're going to have to teach your little sister to play basketball!" His reaction was far from what I expected. He dramatically threw his hand in the air and palmed his face while brimming with giggles! "Oh no!" he exclaimed amidst the excitement. He really was excited and I really was relieved! He kept his hand on his face and there was no shortage of giggles.

On the B Side: I am so glad to know ahead of time this time around!!! The planing and preparation will go a long way towards organization and more than anything it's just fun to include the children and feel their excitement!


This morning Ellie was eating breakfast when Kayla woke up and wondered into the kitchen.

Ellie: Kayla eat your cereal before it gets foggy like mine

Kayla also reported that Ellie made a puppet show with her socks again last night when they were supposed to be sleeping!

PS I neglected to mention that last nights drawing theme (a conception of our own design) was Baby Jesus meets Charlotte! If I get ambitious I will scan and post their creativity tonight!

On the B Side: I love the kids little conversations and ideas!

Monday, February 25, 2008

Hamily Fone Evening or Bust!


Um, bust?! When Monday rolls around the kids are always really excited about 'Hamily Fone Evening'. Unfortunately I wasn't prepared and had to pull something off. Luckily I had pulled some chicken out of the freezer last night and was able to throw together a decent dinner accompanied by Lion House rolls.

On the way home I stopped at Deseret Book and picked up a DVD (lame, I know). The DVD was supposed to be about babies leaving Heavenly Father and coming to earth in various countries. Seems perfect, right? Um, no. Frankly it was just weird and left even the children confused and giggling. Not exactly what I was going for.

We resorted to reading the Friend magazine. I picked up three copies today just in case the DVD was less than effective. We made some cookies with Reeses Pieces and drew pictures like the ones that had been sent in to the Friend. It ended up working out okay and served as a really strong reminder to be prepared! I know better.

On the B Side: Sometimes I feel like I am learning the same lessons over and over again but if I have to keep 'learning' than apparently I am not really learning anything at all! I am thankful for these subtle reminders that prod me to be much like a boy scout...PREPARED! I strongly believe that you get out of life what you put into it. Time for me to pick up the pace!

18 Weeks and Counting!


Dear Baby Cakes, You are 18 weeks old tomorrow! Rest up little one as tomorrow is a big day for all of us! We have an appointment for your next ultra sound and we will finally know if you are a boy or a girl!

Word on the street has it that the pads on your finger tips and toes are now formed and your finger prints are developing nicely. You are roughly 5.5 inches and weigh 7.5 ounces. Your ears work well and I'm sure you hear all kinds of sounds these days. There is no way you can miss those silly siblings of yours because you can't miss that racket! They are so excited to meet you and often hug my belly.

You kick, swallow and sleep. You are definitely a mover and a shaker! I notice the most movement between 8 PM and 11:30 PM. I can't determine if it is because I am generally more still and things are more quiet during this time or if you are just a night owl!

Your heart now pumps between 25 and 30 quarts of blood per day. Keep up the good work and strengthen your precious heart! You'll need it to hold all of the love we have for you <3

On the B Side: I am so thankful for the opportunity our family has to experience this together. We love thinking about you, talking about you and trying to patiently wait for your birthday! You bring much excitement and anticipation to our little family so thank you for giving us yet another reason to come together. We sure do love you already!! xxox

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Weekend Update


We had a nice relaxing weekend together as a family! The kids did a great job helping out and played well together. Dayton is feeling much better and seems almost fully recovered with the exception of a few sniffles.

Poor Ellie bumped her noise on the fireplace Friday night and has had a little swollen and bruised nose. Her tears dried quickly and I had hoped that the ice would keep the swelling down. She doesn't seemed bothered by it but I'll feel better when the bruises fade.

After some cabin fever on Saturday the kids and I went out and about. We got to see Rubin and the Grateful on Saturday and they have made themselves quite comfortable at my Mom's. We also went to a park in Sandy and the kids were able to burn some energy. The sun was out and it was a nice change of pace.

All in all we were able to complete the following;

-Cleaned the bathrooms
-Put fresh linens on all of the beds (blankets included)
-Completed all of the laundry (including put it away!)
-Vacuumed the upstairs and swept/cleaned the tiled areas
-Ran the dishwasher way too many times
-Made a serious drop off at the DI
-Cleaned and organized the Master bedroom
-Began organizing our storage room downstairs

The kids were a big help with all of these tasks! Usually they get bored about 10 minutes into it but keeping 6 little hands busy for 10 minutes still gives me 1) a good head start 2) keeps them out of trouble and 3) helps build the concepts of team work and accomplishment!

Our Friday night slumber party was graced by "Snow Buddies". The kids didn't love it as much as I thought they would but I managed to cry 3 different times. Keeping them all busy, fed and out of trouble is as much work as ever. The girls are big on imaginary play and coloring while Dayton is more geared towards games. He loves computer games, board games and card games. Either way 3 is an odd number and requires me more often than not to be the extra playmate. I don't mind ;)

My Mom stopped by on both Saturday and Sunday and the kids also got to see Jazzy and Micci several times. The kids were invited to be a part of their wedding. This will be the third wedding for Dayton and Ellie. Mostly we just had fun being together as a family especially after a long week!

On the B Side: I love time like this that is free from drama! I also love it when the kids are all in bed and asleep by 8:10 PM! How you like me now?!