37 Weeks

I'm almost at the end! Hooray! I'm starting to get very impatient and antsy for this baby to vacate her 9 month residency and join our family. She feels huge! It's almost like I'm carrying a 10 pound bagful of potatoes or rocks in my belly. Her kicks have become quite powerful and strong, and sometimes painful. I feel like she's going to push right out of me sometimes. She responds to almost everything I do, which is both cute and irritating sometimes. If I eat sugar she'll start moving. If I lie my arms across my belly she'll kick me. If I start talking or singing she'll give a few blows to my ribs. The kids have been taking advantage of this, too. Emma felt her for the first time the other day when I told her to lay her face on my belly after I had some sugar. The baby instantly brushed her foot against Emma's cheek and Emma sat up squealing with laughter. Scott likes shaking my belly lightly and then resting his hands where he knows the baby will kick. He rarely gets disappointed.

There have been plenty of fun and exciting moments during this pregnancy, but I'm ready to have it end-- with a healthy, full-term baby, of course. I'm anxious to meet her. And I'm anxious for my body to slowly get back to normal-- if that's even possible.

Motherhood

Mother's Day has come and gone, but my thoughts on motherhood are still active in my mind. I am grateful for the examples of wonderful mothers I've encountered throughout my life and what I've learned by observing them.

My Mother

My mother has always been a constant example of love, discipline, hard work, charity, honesty, and sacrifice. She has always been an excellent mother to me. She was constantly devoted to my needs and care while I was growing up. I have memories of her taking my sisters and me to the park daily, brushing my hair, singing to me, teaching me games, and telling me stories of her childhood. I never questioned her love for me while I was a child. She told me how much she loved me constantly, and she showed how much she loved me by spending quality time with me. I feel very blessed to have been raised by such a wonderful woman.

My Grandmother

My grandmother was a tremendous influence of motherhood during the first few years of my life. I was her first grandchild. She helped raise me and take care of me. I will never forget the songs she sang to me, or the books she read, or the poems she recited to me from memory. I remember the way she laughed and the way her voice would get soft when she spoke to me. As an adult, I now share her love for animals and wildlife, her quiet and loving demeanor, her appreciation for poetry and songs, and her phlegmatic and nurturing personality. I find that I treat my husband very much the way she treated my grandpa. She taught me to look for the good in people and to always be polite and kind. I love and appreciate all that she did for me.

My Mother-in-Law

Margaret is and always will be an excellent example of motherhood to me, my husband, and to Scott and Emma. Right now she truly is the head-mother of our home. I learn a lot by observing her and going to her for questions or concerns. She is full wisdom and knowledge, and I go to her for advice and counsel frequently. I also learn by watching her interact with Scott and Emma. She has been a huge mother-role in Scott's and Emma's lives. Margaret's warmth and loving personality has blessed all of her descendants and will continue to do so for years to come. We all love her tremendously.

My Role as a Stepmother

I love being Scott's and Emma's stepmother. It is definitely not an easy role, but it is one I treasure and work hard on every single day. I know that I am a powerful example of motherhood in Scott's and Emma's lives. They spend more time with me than anyone else, so it is very important to me to be a good example to them. They look up to me and love me for who I am and what I represent. Their love for me did not happen spontaneously, the way children instantly feel toward their biological parents. I had to earn their love and work hard to nurture and keep it growing. Because of that, I have learned not to take their love for granted. I love and appreciate them more than words can express. I love how well they get along with me and the wonderful memories we create together. I love being their step-mom.

A Biological Mother

I am excited to take on the new role of being a biological mother. My heart already bursts with love for my unborn daughter and I am anxious to finally meet her and hold her in my arms. I can't wait to be her mother--- to watch her learn and grow. I want to be a fine example to her, the same way my mother, grandmother, and mother-in-law have been to me. I want her to feel secure. I want her to grow up knowing that she is a divine daughter of God, and that she is priceless, special, and loved.

An Early Mama's Day Present

I officially have the most wonderful husband EVER! Brad took me to South Jordan tonight to pick up a glider rocking chair for me to have before the baby comes. It was the last big item on my Baby Buy List. He wanted to make sure I had a glider by Mother's Day. Isn't he sweet? :) I love, love my husband. Now I have one less thing to buy before Little Lizzy comes. Only 5 1/2 weeks until my due date!

The Highlight of My Day: April 2009

Something good happens each day. Here's what happened in April:

April 1, 2009: I had to go to jury duty today. The nice thing about the day was that I hit a milestone. I drove for the first time to SLC all by myself, in the snow, in rush hour traffic. To me it was a big deal, since I'm still a hesitant driver.

April 2, 2009: I had to take a glucose test today, to see if I have gestational diabetes. That wasn't so fun. The highlight of the day was seeing my doctor and getting good feedback. I am grateful for my healthy pregnancy.

April 3, 2009: Emma and her friend Makenna had a great time washing Rosie after school. Brad and I took advantage of the clean dog and attempted to shave and groom her (our first time). It was a lot of work! At the end of the first round Rosie looked like a sheep. It was hilarious!

April 4, 2009: I loved the morning and afternoon session of General Conference. Lovely! Later, Brad and I finished shaving the dog. She looks like a pretty standard poodle again.

April 5, 2009: Scott and Emma watched conference with us today. Emma made me smile when she began taking notes-- following my example. She wrote down something that she liked most about the talks shared. I thought she was very cute!

April 6, 2009: Tonight we had our Easter activity/lesson for FHE. We had a wonderful time dying eggs, hunting for eggs, and eating yummy candy while listening to our Easter lesson. It was a fun family night.

April 7, 2009: Tonight I made yummy Mormon potatoes and steak for dinner. I am so grateful that I can eat normal foods again! YUM!

April 8, 2009: I got boxes of baby clothes today from Jocelyn and Amanda. I had a great time going through them and organizing them. Baby girl clothes are so cute!

April 9, 2009: I woke up this morning completely in love with my husband. :) What can I say? He's awesome!

April 10, 2009: Tonight Brad and I hosted a U2 party. My favorite part of the event was having the living room and kitchen cleaned prior to the party. Lovely!

April 11, 2009: Brad and I went out to eat at Virg's today. It was nice spending the one-on-one time with him and eating a great lunch at the same time.

April 12, 2009: Today was Easter Sunday and Brad and I participated in the musical numbers in church. It was fun! I enjoyed the music very much.

April 13, 2009: Scott and Emma came home tonight! They were both thrilled that little Cocoa is feeling better.

April 14, 2009: Emma stayed home with me today because she was feeling sick. It was sweet wrapping my arms around her and having her kiss my face and nuzzle my nose. She's such a sweetie!

April 15, 2009: Tonight Brad and I carpooled with Marilyn to Provo to go to an open house for Brad's cousin Matt and his bride-to-be.

April 16, 2009: My mother-in-law and I went out to eat for the first time together in a long time. We went to Woody's-- a charming little diner in Murray.

April 17, 2009: The highlight of my day, and maybe my whole week, is that we finally bought a van! It's a wonderful little Honda Odyssey-- exactly what we were looking for.

April 18, 2009: We went on a family outing to the Jordan River Parkway today, and we took Rosie with us. In the evening we went to Bruce and Loralee's house for dinner and watched a movie.

April 19, 2009: Today was Stake Conference. It was nice coming home early and spending the day together as a family. We played "Blockus" together and I won!

April 20, 2009: Our van arrived today! HOORAY! Scott and Emma were thrilled by the remote controlled sliding doors, and Brad and I love the overall quality of the van. We took a spin to the library in it for fun.

April 21, 2009: Today is my birthday! I turned 29 years old (still not afraid to say my age). Brad took me and the kids to Leatherby's for ice cream. Mmmm...

April 22, 2009: I got the new mini-van registered today!

April 23, 2009: My little baby is not so little anymore. Her kicks and shifting positions feel as if she wants to burst right out of me. I'm grateful that she seems so healthy and lively.

April 24, 2009: Brad and I watched some more of "All Creatures Great and Small" together and made chocolate chip cookies.

April 25, 2009: Today we bought a small bookshelf for Scott's room and transferred his big shelf into our room for Little Lizzy. Brad and I (mostly Brad) cleaned out our bedroom closet this morning and did a bunch of laundry, too. Our room is becoming more and more baby-friendly.

April 26, 2009: We had a family birthday party for me tonight. The Bruce-Clan and James & Marilyn came over for cake and fire. It was nice visiting with everyone.

April 27, 2009: We received great news today! Grandma North will not need the 5 week radiation treatment like we were dreading. Instead she will have the 3 week treatment-- once a week for three weeks. Hooray!

April 28, 2009: I went to my OBGYN appointment today. Both my doctor and his assistant complimented me on how little weight I've gained during my pregnancy. That made me feel good.

April 29, 2009: Today was Rosie's 2nd birthday! Happy Birthday, Rosie-Puppy!

April 30, 2009: Tonight was my baby shower with sisters from my ward. It was fun! I loved all of the cute clothes and baby items I got from people. Very, very nice!

The Poet in Our Family

Scott has developed a knack for writing poems. Every week Scott is assigned to do one free-writing assignment in his 5th grade class; either a story, poem, or short essay. Scott has written quite a few poems during the past year, and we have compiled a file of his work on our computer. I think he's very talented and that he should continue writing. He's definitely inherited his dad's writing genes.

Here are a few of my favorite Scott poems:

Rats

By Scott North

Rats, rats, I love rats.

They are cute and fuzzy, just like cats.

Rats, rats, they are fun.

They like to steal from everyone.

Rats, rats, they love to eat.

They leave little crumbs on your sheet.

Rats, rats, they are fine,

And I’m happy that they’re mine.

The Sun and Stars

By Scott North

As I was walking home on the rough cement, hearing my footsteps, leaves crunching, birds in their nests cuddling with their chicks. The sun was touching the mountains. Then the sky turned pink, purple, dark blue to black. Stars were winking at me and I saw the constellations. There was the Milky Way, and the full moon came out. I was a few more steps to my house. Then a cool breeze blew in. It was almost eight o'clock. I went inside to brush my teeth and get dressed in some pajamas. I went to my cozy bed ready for the next day.

A Poem about Cats and Rats

by Scott North

I love cats,

I love rats.

Cats are fun,

Rats like to run.

Cats purr, purr, purr.

Rats whisper.

Cats are soft,

Rats are soft.

Cookie
By Scott North

One Easter day my step-mom, Becky

Knocked on my door.

She said a white rat was turned loose.

I went to go look for it,

And soon I did,

And it was a girl.

Then I looked for Becky.

We decided it would be Cookie.

Homework

by Scott North

I get homework every day!

Even Saturday and Sunday!

Oh, that’s too bad.

Aren’t you sad?

No, I’m not, you see,

Because my teacher Mrs. Applebee,

Has chocolate for work.

Monday white, Tuesday milk, Wednesday regular, Thursday dark.

Pop! Darn, it was only a dream!

Too bad, instead my teacher

gives me ice cream.

Batman

by Scott North

The Batman is feared.

He has never been cheered.

He is in his cave.

He goes into Gotham when he hears the Batwave.

He fights villains bad,

And Commissioner Gordon is glad.

Limerick

By Scott North & Michael Moreland

There was a beautiful mouse

Who lived in a vacant old house.

There was an old rat,

Who was a big brat,

And fell out of the chair and went splat.

My 29th Birthday

I got a van for my birthday! Woo hoo!

Or really, that's just how it turned out. Brad and I had been looking for a Honda Odyssey for a few months and we just happened to find a really good deal right before my birthday, so everything turned out quite perfectly for me. I will be the main driver for this van, so it really was the nicest birthday present I could have hoped for.

I ended up having some major allergies on my birthday, due to the pretty spring blossoms taking over the valley, but I still managed to have a fun time. Brad took me and the kids to our favorite ice cream creamery, Leatherbys. Emma and Scott chose some interesting flavors for their floats. Emma picked peppermint candy ice cream with Sprite, and Scott picked a chocolate peanut butter ice cream with root beer. Brad and I shared our classic favorite: Woody's Family Special.

It was a lovely birthday! Mmm... that ice cream was good!

Photographs: Enjoying Springtime

Saturday, April 18th: The Jordan River Parkway

Sunday, April 19: Family Photos after Stake Conference

Flower Photos by Scott

Monday, April 20th: Family Home Evening Outdoors

We are so happy that spring is here!

The Batgirl

Emma has become a huge Batman fan. Her enthusiasm for Batman has reached a whole new level, and so far I do not see an end in sight. She loves getting comic books, chapter books, and "Batman: The Animated Series" from the library. When she's home from school she basically focuses all of her free time on Batman. She spends hours on her new superhero, and has pretty much left the world of Disney Princesses, kittens, makeup, jewelry, and Barbies behind (at least for now). I'm sure she still likes all of these girly things, but they have definitely been pushed aside for now.

Since Emma doesn't really own many "non-feminine" items, Brad and I decided to get something special for Emma to help her express her new found passion: a Batgirl costume. Emma LOVES it! She's been wearing it indoors and outdoors; having a great time playing the part of Barbara Gordon.

I love my little Batgirl. I think she's becoming more and more like her daddy all the time.

Photos by Scott North