Report

I am finally officially through the first trimester by every measurement. I am also finally starting to feel better. So smart me, I decided to deep clean my kitchen this morning. (I know, shame on me for doing it on Sunday, but I had to take advantage of the energy and motivation which rarely come together at the same time). So then I was exhausted the rest of the day, but at least I wasn't nauseous!

So my report today is to assure you that we are still alive, and here is what we've been up to:

Bryan's brother Andrew (die-hardest BYU fan ever) came up to visit, motivated mostly by seeing the family, of course, and a little bit by the BYU vs. UW game. Their tickets were for seats on the Washington side, so it was a little awkward when BYU beat Washington's trash. ;)

Sunday dinner with the fam: we are so lucky Matt and Michelle live so close, and of course we are so glad Andrew came to visit! And we are so lucky that my first-ever pork roast dinner turned out fabulously! Enjoyment was had by all.

Last week my sweet little sister Sharley was married! Unfortunately, we didn't get our camera out at the right times because naturally we were chasing around our two beautiful future-runners. So instead of a picture of the bride and groom (who both looked amazing, by the way), you get a picture of our little family.

Caleb got this bridesmaid's number. Just kidding, this is his fun cousin Zeeli.

This is my brother Dallon and his cute little family, Patty, Zeeli, and Emma.

Here we are playing at Grandma's house. This car goes from 0 to 5 in 10 seconds.

Savanna did not draw this picture. She is only taking credit for it.

Also, I'd like to give a shout out to my mother-in-law, Kathleen! Watch for her in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir this coming weekend in General Conference.

Well, that's all the interesting stuff, so I will quit before I bore you.

Hydration

When I'm pregnant, I tend to have dreams where I am extremely thirsty. So I get a drink of water, but I can't taste it. So I drink more, and I still can't feel it going down my throat. Eventually I wake up and get a real drink of water, but sometimes I only think I woke up and got a real drink of water.

And this morning I drank two cups of milk, a cup of water, and I'm still thirsty. And I promise I was awake.

But what this blog is really about is how to keep your kids hydrated. I have been having a hard time making them drink lately, so here are a few things I've tried:

1. Get a new, fun-looking container. This lasted as long as the container was "new."
2. Get sugar-free drink mixes to sweeten the water. This lasted as long as the drink was "new."
3. Get juice boxes. My kids still love these. But they can't have juice every time they drink.
4. Get straws. This one seems to be the favorite so far. I can get them to drink anything with straws.
5. Get twisty straws. We have one, and it's fun, but it's hard to clean. However, you do what you have to when trying to get your kids to drink!

Do you have any other suggestions?

Tolerant

Definition by Caleb:

The less vertically challenged of two ants.

Pet Peeve

Living out of a suitcase.

In fact, I'm not leaving until tomorrow. But if I don't get my toothbrush and contact stuff packed, it may be forgotten in the morning. So, I pack it. And then I unpack it to use it tonight. Then I repack it. Then I unpack it to use it in the morning. Then I pack it again. Now I'm sure it has been packed, and I won't forget it.

Then-THEN! We go on our merry little way, have a great flight, and arrive safely. But because I'm not at home, and I don't have space for my stuff, everything stays in the suitcase. OR, it gets strewn all over whatever room we're staying in. Which is worse than living out of a suitcase. And since any given trip requires me to spend as little time in that room as possible, the stuff stays strewn, I never get organized, and then it's a big mess when it's time to pack it all up again. And you guessed it, the night before we leave, it starts all over again. Grrrrr...

Our Comings and Goings (and Stayings)

Yesterday, we had an ultrasound. Here is our cute little peanut. The baby was so active, it looked like it had hiccups (is that possible at 10 weeks?), and it had a heart rate of 165. I feel very relieved to have heard the heartbeat, and I feel very relieved that I don't have two peanuts!

Caleb doesn't take naps anymore.
Well, most of the time.
But when he does, he falls asleep in random places.
I was actually asleep in the chair above him,
and luckily didn't try to put the foot rest down when I woke up.

Every day, Daddy puts on music.
Sometimes we dance, sometimes we do sit ups.
And sometimes we do both.

This is Savanna's cute hat from Thailand.
Thanks Uncle Matt and Aunt Michelle.

If you are ever looking for a fun way to eat dinner,
try rigatoni.
Savanna put every noodle on her finger,
and then waved "hi" after each one.

This little stinker wouldn't let me put her hair in ponytails until last week.
I think she realized that she can see better without the bangs hanging in her eyes.
And I like the way her face looks, when I can actually see it.

Savanna is very thorough.

Might as well be comfortable if you have "work" to do.

For weeks, Caleb was searching for a Buzz Lightyear costume on the internet (yes, he can actually search for stuff now, yikes!). When he mentioned his obsession to my visiting teaching companion, we were very excited to learn that she had a Buzz Lightyear costume in her garage that she didn't need anymore. In fact, Caleb begged me to call her every day until she brought it, saying things like, "I've waited my whole life for this."

Pregnancy is much harder when you have other kids to take care of. I can't even lie down without everyone sitting on me. I'm not exaggerating, this happens every time I lie down.

And finally, one of Savanna's routines:
After we fight, scream, thrash, kick, weep, wail, and gnash our teeth while brushing our teeth, then we let Savanna do it "all herself."

And then we throw another tantrum when it's time to put the toothbrush away.

My Ngangy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j2xEwEHbrE

This should be sung to the tune of "My Buddy":

My Ngangy

(My Ngangy)

Wherever I go, you're gonna go!

My Ngangy

My Ngangy

My Ngangy and me!

Burst of Energy

For the first time in 9.71 weeks, I had a burst of energy. So I took advantage of as much of it as possible, cleaning and organizing things I have put off for way too long. Because who knows if this is the end of the morning sickness? And if it's not, then I better get stuff done when I can!

And yes, I am embarrassed to say that I'm not even ten weeks, and I'm that big. I don't think I really showed with my first baby until I was 3 or 4 months along. Yep, I'm huge.

Also, my appetite came back (for who knows how long), so I am enjoying the remnants of my corn chowder.

As my first doctor appointment is this Thursday, I won't be able to say for sure whether I have a healthy, growing baby inside me until then. I probably should have kept my mouth shut until then. However, it was getting more and more difficult to hide how I was feeling, and it is nice to have the support and prayers of loved ones all along the way.

The due date is April 2nd-ish.