No News is NOT Good News

We were expecting to walk away with an offer while we were in M* interviewing last weekend. But, alas, they decided to drive us crazy and told us they'd get back to us sometime this week. We have yet to hear anything from them as of today and it's driving us insane. We're so filled with anxiety that we can't think about anything else. Steven hits the "refresh" button on his email account about ever 5-7 minutes. It's been pretty bad. So for those who are still wondering what in the world we are doing.....we're still wondering the same thing.
Besides that, we had a wonderful, but most importantly - FREE - vacation last weekend. It was such a beautiful place. When we told people that, they'd look at us surprised and say, "Really? It's the ugliest time of year. Just wait until the other seasons roll around!"
We probably won't be wined and dined again - at least for a long time. I don't remember ever ordering both appetizer and dessert in one sitting. I felt very spoiled and took full advantage. Maybe that's why we don't have an offer yet.

The Priest, Minister & Rabbi

I was thinking today about my office at work. I share my space with four other people. We all come from different backgrounds and various religions. It actually sound like I'm beginning a bad joke when I tell people, "there's a Baptist, a Muslim, a Mormon and Non-denominational all in the same room...." I still don't know how many of us it takes to change a light bulb, but we're an interesting bunch nonetheless (not to mention two Catholics in the next room). The majority of us LOVE talking about religion and what the other believes. It makes for some great lunch talk.

Discussing all of these different religions has made me realize how much I love my church. I love it's base, it's organization, it's standards, and the many, many things that set it apart from other churches; Our Book of Mormon, our work for the dead, a living prophet, our temples, that we aren't a break-off from another religion, the missionary program, eternal families, and best of all: the Plan of Salvation is something that saves me on those days when I feel like I'm going nowhere. The more I hear and learn about other religions, the more mine makes sense to me. Every time I feel like doubting and questioning it, all I have to do is open the Book of Mormon and I know within moments that it was translated - not written - by Joseph Smith. And if the Book of Mormon is true, well then, there's not too much to question.

I'm happy and very grateful to belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I don't know where I would be today without it, and quite frankly, I don't want to know.

Though I don't know the punchline to my ongoing office joke, I do know where I belong, that I am loved, and where I am going. That's enough for me.

5 Months

I'm officially five months. Before you decide to post a comment to this picture, allow me to answer some of your burning questions.

1. Yes, I counted right. Five months (only) to the day.
2. No, there's only one in there - though multiples run rampant in my family.
3. I'm only 2 lbs heavier than what the books tell me I should be. I just get HUGE and have pretty big babies.
   
4. No, I'm not insane to post this so the world can see. Just those loved ones who live far away should be privy to such pics - this is just the easiest way.
5. Some things should be documented. I'm still not sure if this was one of them.

If your wondering if I've ever taken "just belly" pics. It's just not my style. Besides the fact that my stomach now has stretch marks that look more like a road map of CA (or like someone has stretched seer-sucker material accross my tummy), I'm just not comfortable showing the world my stomach. So, that may answer your 6th question. This is as much as you're getting.

Oh, #7, I'm getting my roots done tonight, don't worry.

Cravings & Such

Cravings are a given with any woman (at least the ones I know) and just multiplied when she's pregnant. Due to the holiday season , graduation, Thanksgiving and Christmas all came within a month of eachother which means lots of free and somewhat unhealthy meals, desserts, etc were offered to me within one month of eachother. Becuase of my lack of self control, I'm 5 lbs heavier than I planned to be at this point during my pregnancy. It doesn't help that I'm one of those women who gets HUGE when she's pregnant...we're talking can't-fit-into-maternity-clothes-by-month-9 huge. Oh well, what to do.
Here's what I've been craving lately:

• Blue Cheese - or any cheese; the smellier the better. Right, Dominique?
• Chocolate - uh, duh. Dark or light you may ask? YES.
• Hard Candies - I've tried to be good and get the sugar free kind.
• Ice cold drinks - or if I have to, shakes...I'm not one to be picky.
  
• A Pedicure - I know it's not food, but, oh, how it sounds good.

Separation Anxiety

A small town in Oregon is flying Steven and I out for up to five days to check out the city. We're not going to take all five, we've decided three will be enough for us to make a decision and, if necessary, find a place to live. My good friend, Julie, lives in the same city. It will be nice to see her especially since she'll be having her baby sometime between now and then. Even if we don't like the situation, Steven keeps saying, "it's a free vacation!"
I'm a little worried (as always) about leaving my kids with someone for that long. The really sad reality about it is, the kids will be just fine (more spoiled than necessary), our best friends who are sitting them will be great (they love our kids and our kids love them), but I will be a wreck the whole time. To top it all off, Bradley's taking his vanguard test the weekend we'll be gone. GUILT is wreaking havoc on me. I know it's important for Steven and I to have time for just our relationship, but why is it so hard?

The Honesty of Children

I'm feeling huge for how far along I am. People keep telling me I look cute - I look cute for someone who's 6 months along - NOT 4!!! I guess I'm just destined to get huge. I did with my first two, why should this one be any different?

My girlfriend sent me a pretty funny story. When she was pregnant with her 3rd, she was explaining to her other two children (2 & 4) that the baby was growing in her tummy and that is why it was getting so big. Her 2-year-old pondered this for a moment before asking, "then why is your bum so big?"

Oh, out of the mouth of babes. The honesty of children is so....uh, what's the word, so.....adorable? Nah, I'd say deplorable.

Parenting

This week Steven takes his boards exam. It isn't until Thursday, so I have the week off from work. When we were expecting Bradley, Steven and I had many discussions on how we planned to "do things" with our kids. One was that we would never pay anyone to baby-sit so we could work. This resolve came in useful this week. They are paying me very well and I turned greedy this week. I told Steven that I was sure there were plenty of people that would be willing to watch the kids while I went to work for a few hours and he could continue to study. He simply said, "I thought we weren't going to do that." I recalled our conversation from 5 years ago and remembered that we didn't have kids so someone else could raise them. I know it may sound extreme. There's definitely a difference between having a child in daycare for 10 hours a day from the time they're 6 weeks old vs. having a family friend watch them for a few hours three times a week for a short while....it's simply the principle of the matter. I hope I'm not offending anyone when I say this. It's just a choice - more like a goal - we made a long time ago, and so far, it's working for us. I really am grateful to be a mommy.

So, for all you stay-at-home mommies out there working harder than anyone I know, KUDOS! Keep up the good work, even if it comes without pay, glamour, promotions, stock options, 401k, lunches, insurance benefits, and a company spending account. You are your child's top employee and you are irreplaceable.

Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,
Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,
Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,
But only one mother the wide world over.
~George Cooper

Maternity Wear

I received a HUGE box of maternity clothes from my sister, Kristen last Friday. I'm in heaven. Not only can I breathe again, but she has flawless taste; so I actually feel cute again! It's a pet peeve of mine to buy something I'm only going to wear for 5 or 6 months, so this has been a VERY welcome package.

I called her to tell her thank you and she explained to me she couldn't fit it all in. "THERE'S MORE?" She said she was holding the rest ransome until I visit her in UT. Love you!

Since I got two new handbags for Christmas and I have a whole new wardrobe, I think it's time to go shoe shopping. Anybody?

Christmas Backlog

This working thing has me exhausted. I don't know how people do it. I would have to be a much more organized person.....which is bound to happen. I go through a "spring" cleaning right after the holidays. As I put away the decorations, I de-junk everything else. It's soooooo therapeutic. I only wish I had time for it. Steven keeps saying, "you know, I can put this stuff away into storage." But there's just something about my (occasional) cleaning OCD that let's me know, if you want it done right, you're just going to have to do it yourself. So until I get to it, hands off. Steven takes his boards exam next week (pray for him) so I'm taking time off work so he can get some studying in. This will at least give me a chance to get started on the cleaning.

After my last blog, I should let you know we had a spectacular Christmas. Some of the traditions that our family embraces stem from our own past or traditions from families that we thought woudl be fun to do ourselves. Every year we exchange new pajamas and get to open them on Christmas Eve. It's something both us did with our families did as children. My next favorite tradition, we got from my SILs family. You get to stay in you pjs all day long on Christmas.

Besides this, we do the usual read of Luke II, leave cookies (& carrots - who could forget the reindeer) for Santa, as well as check out Norad's tracking system.
This was hilarious because as we watched Bradley track SC through Columbia and through South America, he got closer to the US border and Bradley became more and more excited. Finally as SC entered Mexico, Bradley yelled, "WE GOTTA GET TO BED! WE DON'T EVEN HAVE TIME TO BRUSH OUR TEETH!"
Obviously another tradition is to exchange gifts between one another as well as watch eathother open them.
Santa was good to us this year. And so far, though slightly uneventful, our New Year has been just as wonderful. No word yet as to where we are headed.