34 weeks

It's been quite a while since I posted an update, but life has been crazy.  Between moving in, unpacking, getting internet, and the newest thing: losing my cord to download pictures, I just haven't blogged.  And I really cannot find my cord, so even though I took some semi-decent belly shots, you don't get to see them.  I tried taking some at about 30-31 weeks, but deleted them all after I couldn't hide my double chin.  I also have some from last week, but they are still on the camera.  Anyway, here I am at 34 weeks.

Size of baby: Almost 18 inches and over 4 1/2 pounds, according to Baby Center.

Total Weight Gain: 30 pounds.  So I find it funny that every time I tell someone my due date, they respond with, "Really?  You don't look nearly that far along."  Either everyone is just really nice, or I have distributed the weight evenly.  I feel huge.

Maternity Clothes: Not tired of them yet.

Gender: Boy. Still no name.

Movement: Still the best part of being pregnant.

Sleep: Not horrible.  My sleep has been interrupted more by the twins than pregnancy since we moved in.

What I miss: Being able to bend over.  It will be nice to tie my shoes again without grunting.

Cravings: I've been through a hungry phase again--sweets and those same old cheeseburgers.

Symptoms: The joys of third trimester.  Braxton-Hicks, aches, hemroids, and waddling.  But I still think it is better to have him in than out.  I'll put up with the symptoms for awhile, because I'm not ready for a newborn just yet.  I think I'll know I'm ready when it sounds better to have him out than in.

Best moment this week:  Spending an awesome date night with my husband.  12 years and counting.

Halloween recap

What a crazy, but fun, Halloween this year.  Yesterday was spent running around all crazy like.  We started off the day at Tyler's school for the costume parade.  As soon as it was over, I put the twins down for their nap, then rushed over to the house where our stuff was about half unloaded.  Dan and I switched places, so I spent the afternoon directing traffic and unpacking.  Then we went over to my sister's house for Halloween night.  Every year, they set up a party in the garage, complete with dinner (taco soup and corn bread), tv (this year football), fire pit and so on.  The kids all had a blast trick-or-treating.  I was especially excited for Brady and Carter, since this was actually their first year.  I wasn't sure they were going to even wear their costumes.  Every other time I had tried to put them on, the second they were done up, they cried, "off, off."  But they wore them, minus the capes, and had a blast.  Till next year!

 Waiting for the parade to start, and pretending to not see mom with the camera.

 There he is!  The twins yelled out "Tyler" to every Iron Man that walked past.  And "football" to all those dressed up as football players.

 My little superheros at our party.  This was the best I could get--Brady walking away from his brothers.

 But Carter, Tyler, and Rachel will pose for me.

Trick-or-treating!

Our new house

We finally have a house here in Utah!

Now, I've mentioned just how difficult this purchase was.   It was a short sale, and so we were dealing with a seller, a bank, and the most picky lender ever.  In our 12 years of marriage, this is the 7th house we have bought.  I know, we are abnormal.  We have bought more houses together than cars, which is only 5.  Anyway, this was the most difficult of all our home purchases.  We submitted our offer back at the end of August, and we got the keys yesterday.  We were supposed to close last Monday, but the lender needed additional documentation.  They had written confirmation of Dan's employment, but needed verbal confirmation as well.  That pushed us back 2 days, so were able to go sign documents on Wednesday.  But, Dan was out of town, which meant that we had to get a power of attornery so I could sign for him.   So instead of just signing my name, I was signing my name on my spot, and then signing Dan S. by Angela S. as attorney in fact.  Every freaking time!

Wait, it's not over.  Then at closing the title company realizes there is an error in the amount of money I am supposed to have.  So I go back the next morning with additional funds, and to sign something for the seller's title company.  I think I am done, but no.  I get a call that afternoon--the documents have been prepared wrong.  I had to go back and sign every paper again, with that long power of attorney thing.  Finally, all the signing is done.  Now, at every other closing I have done, we got our keys at closing, but not here.  We have to wait for it to first fund, and then record with the county, and then we get keys.

So finally, we have a house.  Now we were able to get permission from the seller to start our projects early, so on Thursday and Friday we had workers there laying out our new wood floor.  It is going to be awesome.  The only other things we are doing before we move in is paint and clean carpets.  We are also starting the landscaping this week, which is going to make a world of difference on the curb appeal.  I am excited to show some before and after pictures of it all.  Our stuff should be getting here around the first of November.  I am so ready to be in our new house.

Here are a few pictures of the inside.  This is the front room when you first walk in.  We will be using it as Dan's office, although I really want it for a piano room.

The entryway, facing the front door.

The kitchen and family room are one big open room.  First the kitchen end, then the family room end.

I am in love with the laundry room.

Tyler standing in his bedroom.  The other two kid rooms are quite similar.

 The master bedroom and bath.

I am looking forward to moving in our stuff and decorating.  I plan on posting pictures as rooms get finished. Finally, home sweet home.

fall

We have had the most beautiful fall here in Utah.  I'd like to think we brought some of our Texas warmth up with us, because it has been just a wonderful Indian Summer in September and October.  Of course we had those 3 days or so of cold and even snow flurries, but otherwise it has been just perfect.

We are just getting our taste of fallen leaves here in the valley.  Tyler and his cousin Abby wanted to start raking leaves and play in them, and of course then the twins wanted to play along.  Talk about an afternoon of fun!

I am loving fall.

The vultures

 

Just a little photographic proof that a) my boys are vultures when it comes to someone else's food and b) they absolutely adore their grandpa.

Barnyard Boo

My mom has a grandparents pass to Thanksgiving Point, which means we go there often.  While it was our first time to Barnyard Boo, I'm sure it won't be our last.  My kids had so much fun.

First up, face painting.  Tyler wanted an eye so he could be a three-eyed monster, while my sweet niece Rachel opted for the adorable kitty on her check.

Next was the pony ride: Kade (my nephew), me and Carter, Rachel, and Tyler.  Brady showed no interest and stayed behind with grandma.

They had fun games for all the kids to play.

In the little jail and on the wagon ride.  It was so cute to watch Kade.  He is 4, and just became Tyler's little shadow for the afternoon.  Tyler got an eye, then Kade wanted one too.  Tyler was going to go in the jail, well then by golly so was Kade.  And of course, Kade had to sit by Tyler on the wagon ride.  Adorable.

I think this one sums up just how much fun we had.

Thoughts on adoption

I found my boys like this one morning--sitting side by side, each playing a stolen DS, with a blanket pulled up on their legs.  Boy, I love them.

I don't get to watch too much television nowadays, but at night Dan and I usually have one or two shows that we like to watch together.  Last night I was watching one of those shows, and something about it just kept rubbing me the wrong way.

A large part of the storyline dealt with adoption, specifically a girl who had tried to contact her birthparents.  The thing that was bugging me, was that they kept using the phrase "gave her up for adoption."  I hate that phrase.  I am here to let you all know, that the more correct phrase to use is "placed the baby for adoption."

Think about what is implied in the phrase "giving up for adoption.  It implies abandonment.  It implies that a birthparent doesn't care about this child.  Most of the birthparents I know or know about, nothing could be further from the truth.  For example, our birthparents.  They were together, in fact already raising rwo children together, and when they found out she was pregnant, did not feel they could provide for another baby, let alone two.  They then made a very careful and conscientious decision to do what was best for the children, and opted to place them for adoption.  There was no abandonment, no selfishness, just making a choice to do what they felt was best for these babies.

The other thing that bothered me about the show was the lack of respect given to the birthfather.  In the story he was a grown man with a family who had placed the baby when he was 17.  He had loved her, but didn't feel he could care for her.  Other characters belittled him for the decision he made, and the fact that he wasn't ready to meet his biological daughter many years later.

I guess what was bugging me so much, was that I feel it is so important to respect the choices that birthparents make.  We have a semi-open adoption,  We send pictures and letters twice a year.  In every letter I let our birthmom know that we would love to hear back from her, but she has never sent anything back.  That's okay.  I respect that.  I don't know her well enough to know what she needs, but whatever it is, I will respect her decision.  If my boys want to find her one day and have a relationship, I will support that, but at the same time respect her wishes as well.

Finally, I am so bugged that every time I type birthparent it's telling me I have a typo.  I have only had one or two people use the term "real parent" to me, thank goodness.  I think most people know that isn't the correct term.  I am the real mom to my boys, but we do owe a humongous thank you to two very special people, the birthparents, and their decision to place these precious boys with us.