These littles

These kids kill me. They are sweet,sassy, snugly, grumpy, sad, and everything else in between. We are always busy with this it that and his month has been no exception. 

We have been out to eat more than usual which is my favorite thing to do. Eat and be served. I will explain my reason for more than usual eating out later...

We took a trip to Houston one quick weekend. I was able to work some and list a house and help them find a new house. I was also able to get my head shots taken from the very talented Whitni!  It was fast and busy and very productive! It was also Mother's Day and we got to spend it with Whitni and her family. Brent made us to breakfast lunch and a delicious dinner... Complete with fresh crème brûlée - mmmmm!

The weather has finally gotten beautiful and we have been loving being out there. Libby and Sean moved in right up the street from you, and it is so fun to have them so close. When they first moved here two years ago, we contemplated if we wanted to be in the same word. We have been trying it out for two years and love it and finally decided that there is no reason not to live even closer, now we can walk to each other's house and it is perfect! I give her total props for being halfway pregnant and playing soccer with my kids. She has all the energy!! 

that being said I have none of the energy. If you can't tell from the picture below, yes I am pregnant. I cannot believe that I am announcing it either. I have been letting it just happen on its own and letting my belly grow without having to worry about telling anyone. Now my belly is too big and I think it is unavoidable but I have to tell people I am pregnant, if they didn't already know and noticed that I am growing a huge belly. This picture is from 13 weeks, I am now almost 15 weeks. I am showing way sooner this time than I have with my others, I am still sick, I am still tired, and I now have heartburn. This pregnancy was not part of the plan, so I am still having a hard time putting my mind around having four kids. After having three kids, I was doing with a lot of anxiety and had to go and see a counselor.  I am so scared to bring another child into this world for my reaction and my anxiety that I will deal with. I hope that the fact that my kids are all older will help a lot with the situation. When I had Courtney Natalie was three Boots was two and Courtney was a newborn. This time around Natalie will be eight, boots will be six, and Courtney will be four. I am still terrified to have another child, also we just got rid of all of our baby and maternity things that we own! Literally we got rid of the last of it about a month or two before we found out we are pregnant. I am due in November, and we find out what it is in about a week. I think at that point I will start to get really excited.

I love spending time with Courtney every day, she is just a real sunshine in my life. She is so sweet and thoughtful and smiley, other than when she is grumpy and crying and tired(which is half the time!). 

This is not a great picture of Libby and I, but we were able to sneak into the airport and give my dad a big hug as he was on a layover here in Dallas. I sure love my family, I don't know what I would do without them. I seriously have the best parents and siblings. And yes you can kind of see my belly again at 14 weeks in this picture. Why does it look like I am 22 weeks along? I don't know. And I don't want to talk about it.

The kids have started their swim lessons, and they are doing wonderful. Natalie and boots are both learning strokes and Natalie is excelling very well at it. Boots just looks like a spaz.  Meanwhile, Courtney gets the cutest bum in a swimsuit award. She is also the chatterbox of her class, I had to tell her swim teacher that she doesn't have to talk to her anymore in class!

now for the really exciting news, on Friday Brian called me around lunchtime and told me that he had gotten braces!!! I was so surprised and shocked as he was only going in for a consultation. I am looking forward to him having straight teeth and healthy mouth, but I am not excited about having a husband who looks 12 for the next 15 to 18 months of our lives. Uggg! I had braces when I was 11 and 12. It is so weird to see them with them.  It also helps that our nephews Braden and Drew just got them as well!! 

May has been crazy and June will be even crazier, but I am so blessed to have such a healthy happy family and to live in such a beautiful place around people I love.

I am so grateful that we have access to modern medicine and doctors are at our fingertips. I am so grateful for heavenly father who was there to listen to our prayers when we need him the most. And I am so grateful for a loving family that knows what's important!

Nati

Poor nat. 

Starting on Saturday morning Natalie started to complain that her stomach was hurting. All through Saturday night and Sunday night she was throwing up, and still complaining about her stomach hurting. My kids have only ever gotten a quick 24 hour something and so when things were not looking out I started to get worried. 

All day Tuesday she had her arms covering her stomach and could barely stand up straight or move. I was really worried that it might be her appendix. She was fine through the night and Wednesday morning she told me she was ready to go back to school. After school on Wednesday she immediately started to complain her stomach hurt. I had already decided that if the pain came back and was just as bad but I would take her to the hospital. I took her in around seven and there we sat and waited for tests to be done and x-rays to be taken. They were pretty sure that it was not the appendix... They were also pretty sure that it was a sure case of constipation.

After the x-ray came back and they confirmed that she was completely full to the max with poop and was totally constipated. She got a new silly band bracelet and two stickers after her x-ray. This made up for all of the stuff we had to do in the hospital.

They discharged us just after midnight and we were able to come home. She stayed home from school Thursday and Friday to rest and make sure that everything past properly. Sure enough she was feeling back to herself after having a couple of bowel movements. 

I was pretty embarrassed that I took her to the hospital for constipation, but the doctor reassured me that you don't want to mess around with children and stomach pain. I am glad I took her in, it's better to be safe than sorry. 

This is Saturday at the very beginning of her pain. We brought boots to Legoland for a party and Natalie could barely smile.

At home she sat around and laid around watching the iPad all day.

This was right after her x-ray in the hospital.

I love that sweet girl, and I hate to see her or any of my children in pain.

I was reflecting on the many times that I was in the hospital as a young person.  When I was 12 years old, my appendix burst and my mom had to rush me to the hospital for emergency surgery. It was one of the scariest moments of my life. I remember looking at my mom in the waiting room between throwing up and feeling horrible... And I asked her if I was going to die. I honestly thought that I would die because of the pain I was experiencing. 

I remember the look on her face of worry and concern and love as the tears fell down her face and she held my hand beside me. She didn't really have an answer for me and I knew that she was scared too. I remember them rushing me through to the OR and my mom and dad sitting beside my bed. They said a prayer with me before I went in and I remember them blessing me that everything would be okay. I also them remember them praying to be okay with whatever God's will was. 

After two more ER visits in the following four years, and a few surgeries later, I learned even more the love that my mom and family had for me in times of trial and pain. 

Even though Natalie was only experiencing constipation, the pain that she was going through was almost unbearable for me to watch. I wanted to take it all away so that she would not have to experience such things. I have also been thoughtful about the sacrifices that our Savior Jesus Christ made in the garden of Gethsemane. All of the pains and sorrows that he felt. She knows the pains that we feel and he knows the sorrows we passed through. He wants to take it all away and help us to be better. It has taken me a long time to understand the reasons why we must go through pain and sorrow in this life. I wish I could take it away for my daughter so she doesn't have to feel and experience either. I feel so blessed that she is healthy and has a body that works! 

I'm also grateful that she decided to finally poop it all out!!