almost 38 weeks

Getting ready to meet our baby girl. Last Wednesday I was 2 cm dilated, we'll see if I've changed much tomorrow. I can't really think of anything else to do to get ready. Both kids rooms are decorated, we have diapers and anything else we should need. We rearranged and actually decorated our room so there is room for the bassinet and rocking chair. The baby seems to have dropped down so my ribs aren't so sore, which is nice. I feel ready and nervous at the same time. I'm kinda afraid it've forgotten how to have a baby since Elliot was so different; I never even felt contractions (epidural was in before so my blood pressure wouldn't go any higher) and I didn't push at all-he sorta slid out being so small. I'm sure ill remember just fine and it will go great, but I am still nervous for labor. I actually had to go to labor and delivery Saturday because I was super swollen and couldn't get it to go down, which is a sign of preeclampsia. My blood pressure was fine though so they just monitored me and baby for 45 min and sent me home. They want me to be extra cautious though, so every little thing is important.

Summer in pictures

So I finally uploaded some pictures! This post will probably be pretty random...

Libby took a pic of me and Elliot and it actually turned out pretty cute

Richard in our front room/Music room shortly after moving in

We got a badminton set for our awesome backyard. We've gone through like 20 birdies this summer 

Elliot is helping Tim out

Grandma and Grandpa Hill sent "flat grandparents" and a story for the kids. We haven't  been very good about remembering to take them on adventures, but the kids sure love playing with them when we find them

Elliot wouldn't let Libby have a turn holding flat grandma

Went and fed the ducks a few times. This is a really pretty park

Loving the swings

One of my favorite things Libby learned this summer is how to pump her legs on the swings! I just give her a good starting push and she is good for quite awhile.

Elliot is afraid of slides by himself this summer, but loves to go with Daddy

Libby testing her climbing skills

They had a nice good snuggle before we left

Took the kids to watch Richard's soccer game and Elliot slept through the whole thing

Father's Day after church

Handsome boys

Touring Adobe with Perkins and Egans

Elliot watching Daddy play soccer

Libby watching a movie instead of watching the soccer game

We had a Jurassic Park movie marathon with Thomas and Mary Mann. The kids seemed to enjoy it

Some of our old buddies from Rexburg who also live in Utah met up with us at the splash park! Elliot was too busy to sit for a picture and apparently none of the kids wanted to look at the camera

Loving the water

Backyard sprinkler fun

Elliot thought the play ladle was a good cup

Taking a sand break. Not sure if you can see the glittery sand. Libby thought it needed to be prettier and dumped a container of glitter in there

Elliot goes through hat obsessions and a couple times has insisted on wearing them to bed

Pre 4th of July celebration with the Egans and Perkins

Insisted on sleeping together in Elliot's toddler bed. Very snug.

We got a pool and of course the kids must ride the daddy boat. unfortunately our grass has not recovered from having a pool there for 3 days....We have plans to put it on the patio with some padding under. We need to pump it up again though

4th of July with Chad's family and some neighbors

Richard somehow didn't realize that he bought like 30 tanks but it worked out, the boys loved driving the used ones around afterward. Elliot wouldn't give his up for a few days.

Isaac and Cody doing sparklers.

little fish

Today after church the kids were eating otter pops and Richard and I were hanging in the living room (which leads to the backyard). The door was open so the kids could eat outside. After Elliot was done I asked Richard if Elliot had gone outside and to see what he was doing. We have a little kiddie pool that still had a couple inches of water from yesterday and Richard looked out and said "yep, Elliot went outside. He is getting naked by the pool." He was down to a diaper and working on the last sock. It was pretty funny. Richard made him put swim shorts on which are somehow too big around (12-18mon size). They lasted about 5 minutes before falling completely off and Elliot continued to play in the nude. It was funny. He loves water so much! He kept laying down in the water and pretending to swim and then he'd switch to his back. He doesn't care if his face gets wet at all, which is awesome but also scary. He doesn't seem to have much fear which makes me glad we don't have a real pool. 

still in the oven

I just wanted to point out I am NOT in the hospital. And that is awesome. This time in my pregnancy last time around I may have been convinced I was dying in the hospital and had Elliot the next day. I have had some weird, uncomfortable pregnancy symptoms but we're pushing through. Probably about a month left, I keep having to remind myself that it's not that much longer and no matter how uncomfortable and gigantic I feel, we're glad the bun is still in the oven!

Talent show and film festival videos

our little Liberty was so brave and sang in the ward talent show! When daddy said he was doing it, she wanted to too, we didn't think she'd go through with it though. We both thought she'd chicken out when she got up there but she proved us wrong.




For the Bell Family reunion we had a little film festival, all the videos were awesome, hopefully the other videos are posted. Here is our submission featuring Libby and Elliot. I took some random footage of the kids and Penny and Richard did an amazing job of editing it all together. I was surprised at how they put it together so well.

28 week pregnancy update

We have hit the 3rd trimester of pregnancy now!  I am now 29 weeks but at 28 weeks we got a peek at Miss Eleanor. She looked quite comfy all stretched out in there. She is measuring at the right size and I am no longer partial previa so a c section isn't required! Yay. I had a bunch of tests done and I passed the diabetes, platelet count, and liver tests! Another yay! My blood pressure was also really good. The only not so great thing was my iron was low. They'll check it again next time and might put me on a supplement. I wish I liked leafy greens, like at all, so I could get my iron and increase veggies, but I find them generally repulsive, I can only stand small amounts of lettuce on sandwiches. Anyways, fingers crossed I keep passing my tests.

I am getting anxious to be done with this pregnancy though. I have had horrible heartburn lately and I am very uncomfortable all the time. I've made some cute things for the baby's room too which make me excited to decorate. Her room is being used as a temporary workspace though. I am a vendor at the Wonderland boutique June 6-7 so I have been working like crazy. Richard is gone a lot of nights and I don't like being down in the basement while the kids sleep. (not used to this big house I guess). I feel like I haven't done nearly enough for the boutique but I have worn myself out, plus trying to get ready for the Bell family reunion and generally have fun with my kids, iI think I may finish the last few I have cut out and call it good. One of my aprons will be on TV on Tuesday. I don't really know any details, but the boutique is getting a shout out and my Elsa dress up apron will be featured. Woohoo, almost famous!

Sorry no house pics yet! We're getting our couch delivered on Tuesday, so we have to wait for that and we just barely got the desktop to connect to the internet and that's where I like to do anything with pictures (i'm way too lazy to look for the USB camera cord, I'd rather just stick the card into the card reader). For now you can see random pics on Facebook/Instagram.

Also hopefully soon we'll have a video of Libby singing in the ward talent show. I'm so proud of her, she really did awesome! We didn't know she'd be so brave!

Random kid post I never finished...

Elliot has been holding out on us I think. Today Libby got hurt and after she was all better, Elliot wanders over to me and says "Libby got hurt. Libby got owie". Pretty good sentences considering I've only heard him say most of those words a couple times and never together. Little stinker. He is really in to hugging these days which is so stinking adorable. He'll walk up to one of us with his arms wide open and say "hug" and then "aww" while he's hugging you. I love it when he hugs Libby. They've gotten to be pretty good friends lately and play really well together (most of the time).

Libby has reached one of the girl stages I really was dreading. The "I'm not gonna be your friend if you...." stage. I hate it so much. I knew she'd pick it up sooner or later b/c I've been around enough kids to hear it and she's told me a few times girls at preschool said they didn't want to be her friend for the silliest most trivial things. She told me if I peeked at her picture than she wouldn't let me have it and would give it to daddy. I've heard her say it once or twice to one of her friends and I'm hoping we are going to stop it before it gets worse. She can also be one of the sweetest girls and often tells me that I am the best mommy in the world and that she loves me, which is nice to hear and makes me feel good. I was proud of her today, I let one of her friends come over to play and Libby let her wear the fancy Cinderella dress from Grandma Olive and volunteered to be the prince. She is older than most of her friends and always gets to be the queen or princess, so it was kind of a big deal that she was being so considerate. She danced with Cinderella too which was kind of amusing for me!

{Started this before we moved... can't remember what else I was going to write about. Kids are doing great with the move. Libby of course has already made friends at church/neighborhood and Elliot is doing fine in nursery. Elliot is continuing to talk better and better. I wish he was eating better. He basically lives off apples, granola bars, animal crackers and dry cereal (and milk and apple juice too). He'll occasionally eat what I make (mac n cheese, ramen, rice & beans, and pancakes). He won't even eat any desserts--even m&ms. He is crazy. }