New(ish) Couches, Date Night and More

I got my couches sort of switched on Friday. The two ones that I wanted are upstairs, but only one of the old ones fit downstairs, so now John's going to have to find someone who can help him bring the big one to Value Village or something because I just want it gone. It's so nice to not hurt from sitting on the couch anymore, though.

On Saturday we went and got groceries and had to buy a new cord to plug the van in with because someone thought it would be a good idea to steal our's the night before. I'm just glad that our van started at all. It was a very cold night. That night for date night we played Skip-bo and had nacho cheese dip and taco chips. The snack was very yummy and I had a lot of fun playing Skip-bo with John, even though he won 4 out of the 5 games that we played.

On Sunday I made it almost the whole way through church, which was nice. I'm looking forward to being able to sit through all of it again in April.

Tomorrow will be the start of week 3 of my 25 weeks of goals. I've done my goals every day so far, which I'm really impressed with. My house care goal for this week was to get at least 1 load of laundry done every day. My week 3 goals are to clean the dining room every day (house care goal) and to get at least 8 hours of sleep within every 24 hour period (personal care goal).

Not too much else is new here other than Ty coloured on my walls and lino with permanent marker yesterday. I managed to get the walls clean with a Magic Eraser, but the lino is a whole different story. I've tried some scouring cream I have from Shaklee, Magic Eraser, nail polish remover, disinfecting wipes and WD-40. None of them have worked so far. I'm going to try rubbing alcohol next and if that doesn't work I'm just going to give up.

Anyway, I guess that's about it. Hope you have a great week!

Update and Attitude of Gratitude

On Tuesday Caleb went in with me for my prenatal appointment. He didn't get to last time and was crying when I came out because he'd wanted to go in, so I made sure that he did this time. We heard Brettley's heartbeat and Caleb told me that he likes how it sounds and he wants to hear it again. Then that afternoon John and I got half of the basement cleaned up and organized. It was a total wreck.

Yesterday morning Caleb had his appointment with the specialist for his tonsils. They're still staying in for a while because it's been a while since he was sick, I guess. It's kind of good though because now I don't have to worry about helping Caleb recover from surgery while I'm hugely pregnant or have a newborn. They want to see him again in the summer, however. They are more concerned about his adenoids and sleeping. I guess his adenoids are 50% larger than normal ones, so we need to monitor him once in a while and see if he is gasping for air at all during the middle of the night. We spent the afternoon working on more of the basement. It's about 2/3 done now.

Last night I had Activity Days. The girls had to bring a binder each and they decorated them. They will need to bring the binders to each meeting. It holds all of our schedules and progress charts and other fun stuff. They seemed to really enjoy it. After I got home Ty was partying in their room like he usually does and decided to hit Caleb in the eye with a toy hockey stick while Caleb was sleeping. Poor Caleb, he's got quite the black eye. The hockey sticks will be leaving.

Anyway, today is Thursday, which means it's Attitude of Gratitude day. So here we go:

1) I am grateful that the rest of my prenatal appointments for the duration of my pregnancy are late enough in the day that John won't need to use banked or vacation time, with the exception of 1 hour for one appointment.

2) I am grateful that my basement is getting so clean and organized before Brettley's born. I'm also grateful that John is getting the couches in the living room switched with the basement ones tonight, because the ones that are in the basement right now are a lot easier on my back.

3) I am grateful for my goals and how much better I feel when I accomplish them each day. It's always so nice to have things to work toward each day.

That's about all for now. Hope you have a great weekend!

Goings On

Hey everyone! What a weekend. We, like most of Alberta, got the fun blizzard. John had to go out and get our groceries on Saturday night because we were down to our last couple rolls of toilet paper. He made it there and back without any problems and realized that the grocery store is pretty much dead when there's a blizzard, ha ha. John took Caleb to church yesterday and Ty and I stayed home because he had/has quite the cough from a viral infection. I know that I absolutely hate it when my kids get sick because other parents didn't keep their sick kid home, so when my boys are contagious and under the age of 8, they stay home. I figure that once they're 8 they're old enough to wash their hands enough, cover their mouth and kind of stay out of other people's faces a bit.

So Ty was napping during that time since he hasn't been sleeping well at all. I read a book about how to raise independent kids who know how to work. It was a wonderful book and I totally recommend it to anyone raising kids. It's called 'The Parenting Breakthrough: A Real-life Plan to Teach Your Kids to Work, Save Money, and be Truly Independent' by Merrilee Browne Boyack. I love it. I love all of her books that I've read so far. There are still 2 more that I need to get, but I'll probably wait until my birthday rolls around in October for that. Anyway, so you start working on these independence skills when your kid is 3 and there are things to work on with them each year. We're doing fairly well with Caleb, he just has 7 things left to learn before he turns 5 at the end of September, so we have plenty of time. He needs to learn to:
-Brush his teeth on his own every day (We usually let him try first and then do a touch up)
-Pick up his toys every day (He's almost there with this one)
-Wash the table after each meal
-Make his bed every day
-Make a simple breakfast on his own (cereal, toast or similar)
-Make a peanut butter sandwich (He already makes his own honey sandwiches)
-Tidy up his room every day (We're doing fairly good with this one as well)
So we're going to work on one skill with him every month starting in February, which will be the teeth brushing month.

This morning I when for my WinRho shot. Caleb came in with me when I got my needle. He wanted to and I figured it would be a good experience for him to see that needles don't hurt that much, since he'll be going for his Kindergarten shots in a few months (probably July). He was very concerned when she put the needle in me and kept asking if I was okay and I reassured him that I was. It was a really good idea to let him come in, I think. I also reminded him that when he gets his needles that he'll get a sticker.

So our plans for this week are that tomorrow I have a prenatal appointment and on Wednesday John is taking Caleb to the specialist to see when we get get the tonsils removed and while that is happening I'll be here so the Telus guy can switch our phone and internet for us. Also, tomorrow I start week 2 of my 25 weeks of goals. I've had a perfect day every day this week. When the goals get a little more interesting, I may share what they are, but right now they are super boring and even a bit embarrassing that I needed to make it into a goal.

Well, hope you have a great week!

Just A Bit About Me

I stole the following from C's blog because it's been a long day and I just needed something to relax with.

I WANT: To learn to be happier

I HAVE: More than I recognize = The gospel, John, Caleb, Ty, Brettley (who wasn't supposed to even be able to happen), and so much more

I WISH: For too much, sometimes

I HATE: How good Satan is at his job

I MISS: My mum and my brother

I HEAR: My humidifier, my boys not sleeping like they should be and John shoveling

I WONDER: If John will make it to the grocery store and back without getting stuck

I REGRET: Not making John get the groceries last night (wouldn't send him out until Monday except we're almost out of TP)

I AM NOT: Who I was 7 years ago, in the slightest (For the record, today is 7 years to the day since I found out I was pregnant with L)

I DANCE: Not nearly as much as I should because I love it. Hoping that will change in April.

I SING: At church, at Activity Days and when I'm just having chill time with my music

I CRY: More than I'd like to

I AM NOT ALWAYS: Patient with my kids. I'm working hard on that one.

I MAKE WITH MY HANDS: Meals and cards

I WRITE: On my public blog and on Brettley's blog

I CONFUSE: John quite often, unintentionally

I NEED: I have what I need, I just need to be better at thinking that.

I SHOULD: Go and take a nice relaxing bath while John's at the grocery store

I START: My 25 weeks of goals this past week (Tuesday, to be exact)

I FINISH: My last pregnancy within the next few months. I'm trying to cherish it more. I'm not trying to be cold or unfeeling, but pregnancy and my body do not like each other and have been getting along less and less each time.

Questions about me:

Where were you born:

Digby, NS

How old will you be this year?

27

Nicknames:

Nikki, Nik, Mum/Mommy, Nico and Princess

Are you taller than your mother?

No, we're the same height

Do you cry often during movies?

Sure do

What is your biggest pet peeve?

People who act like they are superior to everyone else because they're LDS. This one really bugs me. I think the majority of people are trying to do the best with what they know and that they should be respected for that.

Favorite color:

I always say blue, but in all reality, there are lots of colours that I love.

Favorite foods:

Pomegranate, Almonds, Lasagna, McDonald's Cheeseburgers and Raman Noodles

Favorite beverage:

Booster Juice's Mango Hurricane Smoothie

Favorite cold cereal:

Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds and Cocoa Rice Krispies

Favorite Smells:

Vanilla, Lilacs, John's Velocity Cologne

Favorite time of day:

Whenever I have a few moments that don't require me to be on full alert.

What is your favorite game?

Apples to Apples, Skipbo and Lord of the Rings Monopoly

How many pillows do you sleep with?

1

Do you play an instrument:

Not anymore, but I want to learn to play the piano someday

What was the last movie you saw?

At home it was Eclipse. In the theatre it was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (and it STILL makes me mad that they put that scene in there)

What is your favorite article of clothing?

Nothing I can wear at the moment, ha ha. Um, probably my Transformers t-shirt. I'm looking forward to fitting it again by the end of the year.

What is your dream vacation?

I honestly don't know. I think I'd like to go to the UK, but I really think I'd enjoy a Hawaiian cruise more.

What do you love most?

Aside from the obvious gospel, husband and kids? Music. I love music so much.

What do you wish you could change?

Right now, I'm just working on changing myself to be an even better person

If you were an animal what would you be?

Probably a sloth, ha ha. I honestly have no idea.

What is your favorite "me- time" activity?

Listening to music (John doesn't like this because he has to buy me headphones every time that I blow a pair) and reading

What is one of your weaknesses?

My pessimism

What is your favorite birthday dinner?

If I could pick my perfect birthday dinner it would be chicken parmesan with some really good rice on the side, a virgin strawberry daiquiri and Oreo cheesecake from the Cheesecake Cafe for dessert

What is the emotion you feel the most?

Stress. I am a very stressed out person for some reason.

Do you consider yourself outgoing?

I don't, but I'd like to be better at it.

What are some of your talents?

Um, I can read stuff pretty fast. Is that a talent? Okay, when given the right supplies, I'm pretty good at organizing stuff. I'm quite good at planning things out in advance (John's time off of work for the year, Activity Days plans, vacations, monthly meal plans, the works).

What is a word or phrase you overuse?

Oh my gosh (I realized this when Ty started saying it all the time in his cute little 2 year old voice)

What was the hardest thing that happened to you this past year?

Having someone that I thought was a good friend shut me out of her life with no explanation at all

What is the best thing that happened to you this year?

Finding something that works for my bipolar, finding out we were pregnant with Brettley after thinking we wouldn't be able to have another and going to Utah/visiting Heidi & Nate (and Addie) and Erin

The best thing learned this past year?

That if people can't stand by me during my trials that they aren't worth the effort when I'm doing well

What is the thing that makes you happiest in your life right now?

The gospel, my husband and kids...If you want to get technical, I guess my vitamins are what make me happy, or enable me to be happy. But definitely the gospel and my family.

Attitude of Gratitude

It's Attitude of Gratitude day, YAY:)

1) I am grateful that Caleb was willing to go downstairs and play quietly with his toys this morning so that I could sleep in. I haven't slept properly in months and my body really needed more rest time. He's such a good little kid, I'm very blessed to have him (and Ty as well, even though he's in his terrible 2s at the moment).

2) I am grateful that our PVR was having issues and helped me to finally do what I'd been talking about doing for months and cancel our cable. I wasn't keeping it for myself because I wasn't watching anything on TV anymore, it was more to help the kids have something to do when I don't feel well (which is a lot until April). However, Caleb has figured out how to work the TV and DVD player on his own in the last week, which is very helpful on mornings like this one. I'm very glad to have finally gotten rid of expensive cable and to be switching to Telus to get better internet service (and about the same service that we have already for the phone).

3) I am grateful that John is supportive of my goals that I plan on working into a routine in the next 25 weeks and then keeping. They aren't a new year's thing, they just came at the same time by coincidence. I'm just tired of always being frustrated with the state of cleanliness in my house and the emotional state I always seem to be in. I feel like in the last 5 years I've really lost my sense of who I am and have just become Sister Bly and Caleb and Ty's mom. So I came up with some goals to work on each week that will help me to take better care of myself and help me rediscover who I am as a person. It should be good. I'm so glad to have a husband who supports me in the things that I do. He's awesome and I love him:)

Belated Update

So I had every intention of doing my normal update on Monday, until I woke up to a husband with a super nasty stomach flu. My day didn't go at all how I had planned. He even had to stay home an extra day because yesterday he felt like he'd been run over by a cement truck a few times. Poor guy, it had been over a decade since he'd had a stomach flu.

Anyway, John and I celebrated our anniversary by having mozza sticks and chicken fingers, plus some cheesecake. We played Magic as our date activity. Actually, I think we just made new decks that night. We tried to go to bed early, but Caleb's tummy had other plans, so we had to give him a shower while he was screaming his head off at 1 am because he'd had a very messy accident.

We didn't do much on Saturday. I spent most of the day resting because my iron level is low and it's slowly getting back to normal, so I was just exhausted. On Sunday Caleb started his new primary class, CTR 4, and I was helping in nursery. John helped for the last block as well after he was done teaching his Sunday School class. We started 9am church for the year which I think will be really good for us after a couple of weeks to get used to it. Now it will be Ty's nap time when we get home, which will be nice. We found out over Christmas that he is definitely not ready to give up naps yet.

So that's pretty much all that's going on right now in our house. That and we have cancelled our cable and are switching our home phone and internet over to Telus. I didn't think I'd ever see the day that I'd willingly go back to Telus, but their internet deal was better than Shaw's and we get a discount for the first year on top of that because we opted not to get the free XBox 360.

Baby wise I am having lots of Braxton Hicks lately, which is very normal for me. On Monday I go for my WinRho shot (next time I'm picking a positive blood type) and then I have my next prenatal appointment on Tuesday. That's pretty much about it.

See you tomorrow for Attitude of Gratitude.

Christmas

Hey everyone! So I've decided to finally get around to writing about Christmas. On Christmas Eve we travelled down to Magrath to my in-law's place. We stopped in Calgary for lunch with my brother and future sister-in-law. It was great to be able to see them at least for a little bit. While we were eating lunch we found out that our step-sister was on her way to Edmonton in an ambulance. She has had back problems for years and it finally got so severe that they couldn't wait any longer to do something about it (she ended up having surgery on Christmas day, came home on Boxing Day and is recovering well).

That night we had supper at my sister-in-law's house. The kids had hot dogs and the adults had mushroom melt burgers, which were REALLY yummy. Then the boys went back to Mom and Dad's and opened their Christmas PJs, which were blue with penguins and say "Cool Like Dad". I thought they were really cute and they were a really reasonable price from Old Navy. Caleb left out some caramel popcorn for Santa and went to bed.

The kids woke up at their normal time on Christmas morning, maybe a bit early. We read the story of the Savior's birth to them before we took them upstairs. They got to open their presents from us and each other as well as their stockings from Grandma Jo. John and I also opened our gifts from each other and our stockings from my mum. Caleb got Hungry Hungry Hippos, Operation and some Last Airbender action figures, as well as all of his stocking stuff. Ty got a talking plush Caillou doll and 4 wooden puzzles as well as his stocking stuff. John gave me a book that I've really been wanting (see 2 posts ago) and I gave him a Magic: The Gathering fat pack. It was nice to not have a crazy amount of presents all at once. Then John's dad made us a great breakfast with bacon, sausage, eggs and pancakes. It was awesome.

That afternoon we had our big family dinner with John's parents, siblings, nieces and nephews and us. It got pretty loud, but I had a headache to begin with from my cold, so it probably seemed worse than it actually was. The turkey was great as far as turkey goes. I'm not a big turkey fan, but this one was quite decent. My favourite part was the stuffing, of course. Then we opened our exchange presents. Caleb got a big bucket of Play-Doh and toys, a Cars 2 t-shirt, a book, some crazy bracelets, a yo-yo, some cars and other stuff that I can't remember off of the top of my head. Ty got a bowl for snacks that's almost impossible to spill stuff out of, a Cars shirt, some bracelets, some Thomas trains and some other stuff as well. John and I got a collage of pictures of the kids that's already hanging in the living room and a coupon for a night out at Cineplex. I also got some Bath & Body Works soap, a plaque with a quote that I love on it "Life is to be enjoyed not just endured", a ceramic turtle dish and a few other goodies. John got a book, an iTunes gift card, a tie and other goodies.

We stayed in Magrath until Thursday morning and then headed home. We were supposed to be there longer, but Caleb had gotten sick while we were there (eww!), Ty wasn't napping (I kid you not, he didn't have a single nap there) and I was just ready to get back to a bit more normal of a routine. I'm very much a creature of habit. It was really nice to be able to get down there and spend some time with the family, though. John and the boys are planning on visiting again in February, but I'll be 34 weeks and will be in no shape to make the trip, so my mum is coming here and spending that weekend with me. We're going to get some freezer meals made for when Brett comes.

Anyways, I guess that's all for now, so I'll write again on Monday:) HAPPY NEW YEAR!