Not much longer!

So many things to tell, so little energy!

I went to my last pre-natal visit today. Everything is looking good and I will be checking in the hospital tomorrow night! (Assuming there is a bed for me) My doctor assured me I will be having the baby on Thursday. So here we go!!!! I'll be posting pictures up here as soon as I can.

I'll leave you with a few pics of Alison.Our friends were over the other day and Alison was playing with the boys. It got really quiet so of course we started to worry. I found them in her room sharing the chair and reading books together. How sweet!! Ty is one of her many boyfriends.

The dentists in the family will be happy to know that Alison has very good dental hygiene. She reminds us she needs to brush every night before bed. And she thinks a piece of floss is a REAL treat! Only brush and floss the teeth you want to keep!! (Should I let her know those are going to fall out eventually?)

We had a great snowstorm a few weeks back. She was sliding down the slide (sort of like sledding) and having a snowball fight with daddy (below).

And this is what we have for breakfast the day after a snowstorm. A snowball that was kept over night in the freezer. She got up that morning pointing to the fridge and saying something that sounded like 'nobaw'. I finally figured out that was what she wanted. And then she ate the whole thing!
Thanks Shannon for this adorable headband! She loves it and wears it every chance she gets! She even knows that it's hot pink - not just regular pink.

My Belly Pics

Someone (mom) keeps asking to see a picture of my belly. So here you go - 36 weeks. And they say black is slimming. . .pshaw!Just for comparison, this is me at 34 weeks with Alison. I think I looked like this at 6 months with Bruiser. Sheesh!!
This is what Alison does when I ask her if she wants to kiss her baby brother. Cute! I think she's starting to get that there is a baby in there. She felt him kick tonight while we were reading stories. I KNOW she doesn't know how it's about to impact her life! Yikes! If she only knew.

Another Baby Update

No, we still don't have a name. And I'm not making that up! We aren't just being coy. It's a hard thing to decide. It would help if we could spend more than just a week together at a time to actually talk about it some.... Luckily, Nick will be back from his 2nd trip to Japan next week which means he won't miss out on the baby coming early or something. Then he doesn't leave again until the end of Feb.

I had my weekly visit with my OB. My bp's are still low and the baby looks good. However, the doctor has decided he doesn't want me to go past my due date. He wants to induce me on the 31st!! Yikes! I thought I was having a baby NEXT month (never mind that it's only a week early). February 8th just sounded so much further away. So, in just a few short weeks baby brother will be here and that's that! I'm excited, but nervous about having 2 to take care of. Alison is great, she is 2 though and showing me her independent side. Which includes but is not limited to: saying "no" a lot, refusing to wear the clothes I pull out for her, and spending 3 hours during nap time in her bed refusing to succumb to the wonders of slumberland. I think she's also cutting her 2 year molars - that'll make you cranky too.

I need to take some pictures, but really all I do lately is hold it together until nap time so I can catch up on the sleep I missed the previous night from 3rd trimester induced insomnia!! Did I mention that this pregnancy is so much better than the last one? I'm sure all my complaining wouldn't lead you to believe it!

On a brighter note (literally) we had several 70 degree sunny days this week and it was FANTASTIC. I believe it's just a tease before the cold and real winter hit in February. It was nice while it lasted. I even ate lunch al fresco with my good friend Megan on Monday. What a nice distraction - a rueben on toasted rye, awesome fries and a good friend.

Christmas videos

I promised my mom I would get these up today.

this is Alison with her stroller taking it for a spin....

and here she is coming back!



more present opening...



I do love how she crumples the paper into a ball to throw away. She does that with Kleenex too.

Measurements

Well, here's some fun kid trivia.

Alison had her 2 year check in and weighed in at 25.5 lbs and 2'8" tall. I did a growth predictor and she is supposed to be around 5'3" at age 18. She is a petite little thing.

Now, as a contrast, I went to the doctor again today for another ultrasound and they told me how much he weighs. Are you ready? I wasn't - He's already 6 lbs. 15 oz!!!! and I have 6 weeks to go. Conceivably he could gain 3 more pounds before my due date!! AAAAHHHHHH. Alison weighed in at 7 lbs 4 oz at birth and wasn't even 10 pounds at her 2 month check up.

I think this is a good thing - meaning my placenta is obviously working correctly this time. It also proves that I wasn't crazy thinking I was a lot bigger this time around. Bruiser is the best nickname we've heard yet. I think it's going to fit.

Merry Christmas!

So I'm a week late in posting some Christmas pictures but here we go! I have some video too - but I'll have to post that later.I think she was more interested in opening presents than having her picture taken!

Some ornaments - really I just wanted to see if I could get a cool close-up.
Our tree! We got a real one this year and I think it's so cute. Plus I raided IKEA's ornaments when they were 1/2 off the week before Christmas so we were able to make it look decorated! Notice the bottom middle of the tree is a little bare. Thank sticky fingers (aka Alison) for that!

This is our Christmas morning breakfast tradition. My mom got me a belgian waffle iron for Christmas one year after my mission. So we started then but then left off for a few years. I started it again last year and I decided they looked so good - I should take a picture for you to see! Granted they aren't "REAL" belgian waffles (those of you who know, know what I am talking about). But they are tasty nonetheless! I mean really, when don't strawberries and whipped cream taste good together?

Baby Boy Update

Okay, so I know ultrasound pictures are somewhat annoying - but my doctor got a really great shot of baby brother's face! I can see it pretty clearly - but I also know what I am looking for! Tilt your head to the right and then your face will be matched up with his. The 2 lighter colored circles are his cheek and his nose and then his eye is just above that. You can sort of see his mouth too. I don't know if that helps - but hopefully it does! I guess it doesn't really matter - we'll have pictures of the real guy soon enough!I've started going to the doctor every week now (I'm 33 weeks) for a non-stress test and an ultrasound to check fluid levels. Everything went really well this week. The baby is moving great, his head is down and there is plenty of fluid. I feel really good and my bp's are still low - in the 100/60 range - which explains my light-headedness! When I saw my perinatologist a couple of weeks ago he was very optimistic about how good I looked, as well as the baby. My OB confirmed the same things this week. So hopefully the next 7 weeks will be very uneventful and things will continue to go well. Especially since Nick will only be home for this next week and then he's basically gone until the end of January. Yes, that's right. And I'm due the 8th of Feb. So I hope this little guy isn't in a hurry.

We really haven't decided on a name. We're not trying to keep any secrets - we just haven't had enough time to discuss it. Besides, we'll probably change anything we decide on at the last minute anyway.

Alison loves kissing baby brother (my belly) and we are getting her some baby doll supplies for Christmas so she can start practicing. She's really cute everytime we see babies out and about - she gets really excited! 'Baby!!!!' she exclaims and then she runs over and takes a peek. Cute.

Someone's 2!!

Happy Birthday to Alison! We had a fun little party early so Daddy could be here. But I will say that after 6 pm is not a great time for a party for someone who starts getting ready for bed at 7. But we had fun anyway. The balloons were a big hit! Every present opening was punctuated by "It's Mine!!" She is cracking me up lately , the way she has started talking. I've included a little video clip of her to give you a taste. I haven't had a chance to really edit it though - sorry for some of the weird camera shots!She totally gets the present thing now. She was timid at first but went at it after the first one!

She got some percussion instruments from grandma - including this triangle. She's a natural!

THE BALLOONS!!

Old and New Friends

I got to see an old friend of mine yesterday - so good to see you Jenny! And our kiddies became new friends! Aaron is only 2 months old and already weighs 13 pounds - Alison barely weighs in at 25.... Anyway, here's some shots of our visit! She was so good with him.

And yes, I think I am addicted to digital scrapbooking - well , I still have a lot to learn but it's fun!

Dress Up

Someone asked me the other day if Alison liked to dress up. I said not really. Then I remembered she loves hats. And recently she has taken to this princess hat which is part of a halloween costume she didn't use. Notice how well it matches her PJs!

Digital Scrapbooking?

This is my first real attempt... not sure I really like the finished product. I do like that I didn't have to get out any supplies (glue, paper, scissors, etc.) I think I need to crop the pictures down some, or not put so many on. I love the continuous shutter option on my camera so I end up with a lot of series shots and then I think they are all so fun I can't get rid of any of them! I took these this summer at our local county pool's splashpad. She's grown up so much since then. (Click on the pic to see it bigger)

Let the FUN begin!!

Now that December is officially here - Alison is really getting into the Christmas spirit. Click HERE to see what I'm talking about!!

Happy Christmas Season to everyone - pull out the Christmas CDs!!

(ok, it was so fun I had to get Nick and I in on the action: Click HERE to see it!)

Newest Obsession

Alison has discovered the word "mine". And "all mine" and "it's mine". This has made it very interesting around the house and she claims my side of the bed as hers, the computer, my shoes, daddy's earplugs, etc. We have to correct her often as to what is her's and what's not. This yellow balloon is her newest acquistion and she does NOT let go of it. She learned her lesson with the last two that flew up high and never came back. We had to listen to "all mine" for 20 minutes straight the night she got this. But you can see how happy it makes her in the second picture so we try not to complain too much! And we've decided a balloon bouquet is about the best present a 2 year old could ask for!

Budding Artist

I bought Alison some crayons a while ago and she liked them, but wasn't disciplined enough to really do anything with them. But in the last few weeks, she has taken to wanting them ALL the time. She gets into this position and scribbles in her book for a while. We've only had a couple of encounters with unwanted canvases - the bedroom door and kitchen floor - but she helped me clean them up (THANK YOU Magic Erasers!) and has done well since. I love the tongue sticking out in utter concentration.

More Photoshop fun!

So I figured out how to download some new fonts and how to type in photoshop - I took this picture of Allyn's new baby (Banks' little bro. - see AK's boyfriend). I thought it was cute so I was experimenting a little. I think it turned out pretty good. Maybe I'll make my own baby announcements when the time comes..... Digital is so much easier than paper, scissors and finding the right glue or tape! (again, clicking on the image will give you a better look.)

Look at what Photoshop can do!

I've just started messing around with my photoshop program. I know I should read the manual, but I did come up with this cool effect on the photo below. The original is in the previous post. Give me some time and I'll come up with some other cool stuff. Next up is learning to do digital scrapbook pages. (If you click on it to see the larger image, it looks even better.)

Another Trip to Utah

This will be the last trip for a while. I'm now entering my 3rd trimester and won't be able to travel soon. I had an appointment with my perinatologist today and everything is going just fine so far. My BP is normal and the baby looks totally healthy and he's already 2lbs 6 oz. Crazy! I can feel his feet against my belly all the time. He must be a natural swimmer, I think he's doing flip turns or something.

Here's some pictures of AK in Utah.
She absolutely loves this hat. I'm just glad it still fits her. You may be wondering why she was wearing it in October? Well, look below and this is what we woke up to a few days after we got there!

She really has started to love taking a bath. She runs around saying "Bath! Bath!" all day. And when she gets really desperate, "I need bath!"
This is her makeshift desk. Auntie Lolo's (Willow) stool pulled up to Grandma Suzie's coffee table. The shelf was a perfect foot rest.

Cute Little Bug

Okay, I know I'm late, but here's some Halloween pics!

A Great Magazine

I just posted some stuff about a great magazine - Brain, Child - on my other blog. If you don't have the link you can click over to the post here.

Alison's boyfriend

This is Banks. And we love him.

Pregnancy Update

Someone asked in a comment to update everyone on my pregnancy. I had a doctor's appointment today and everything seems to be going well. I am 22 weeks along and feeling pretty good. Except for being tired. Because of what happened last time (the eclampsia and blood clot) they are watching my blood pressure and all the other signs of pre-eclampsia. My BP has been around 100/60 every appointment. I am taking a baby aspirin every day as it is shown to reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia significantly.

The little guy is a busy body and I'm getting kicks big enough to see from the outside, not just feeling them from the inside! I'm trying to wrap my mind around having a little guy around here - since Alison is all I'm used to. But I think it will be fun - plus all the clothes are my favorite color! Baby blue!!

With Nick being gone for work all month I'm going to CA to see him and then on to Utah to see my family again. After the Utah - Oregon - back to UT - and home again flights last month and then this trip, I think it's fair to say that I've filled my travelling quota for a year or so. Going alone with AK makes it even more decisive that I won't be going anywhere for a while. That, and the doctors have told me not to travel after November. (Sorry Sam and Laura).

So there's my little update. Any suggestions for boy names?

She's beading!

So I bought her some pony beads and pipe cleaners to string them on. My friend Carla suggested it (Thanks!) Every time she'd slide a bead down to the end she exclaim "Yay!" She has such a serious look of concentration though! She really was enjoying herself.

Some new photos

She's still doing yoga! Cobra (above) Down dog (Below)

Somebody loves bananas!!

This was taken on one of her many flights last month. We're up for 3 more this month and then I'm DONE travelling with an almost 2 year old for a while. One, because I'll be getting too close to my due date and Two, it's too exhausting to do it by myself.She can't seem to stay out of our stuff. The minute she sees the bedroom door open she bolts in there to check out our nightstand drawers. I came in to see her with one of Daddy's earplugs in (so I had to help her get the other one in so I could take a picture). She is thinking "What? I can't hear you!! Did you say, No?"
Her favorite outdoor pasttime,

Next to picking leaves off the plants in my pathetic little garden. She loves to "garden". Maybe next year I'll actually do a better job. We did get a few strawberries, that mostly the birds ate. Here she is sampling the fresh basil - which she apparently loves.

It's A . . .

BOY!!

It's true - some of you may not know - but I am pregnant again, due Feb. 8. And we found out today that Alison will be getting a little brother. I better start shopping for camoflage baby gear! Here's a couple of ultrasound pics ....He's got the same profile Alison had in her ultrasounds.

Here's a 4-D image - the doctor said we would be surprised how recognizable his face will be from this.

Alison Simpson

No, it's not Ashlee and Jessica's sister. It's MY Alison! Haven't you ever wondered what you would look like as a Simpson? You can find out at Simpsonizeme.com
(yet another way to waste time....) You can see what I look like here.

Adventures at Grandma Suzie's

What luck that we were able to come to Utah to visit my family while Nick was in California on business. The 2nd day we were there Alison got to try her hand at "fishing" at Cabela's.

We also went to Bear Lake - here she is with her cousin Callie.I have more pictures of our trip, but I will have to post them later....

Here she is trying on her halloween costume - this was at the beginning of August and it was HOT! Her head was totally sweaty when we took it off. But she loved it! Cute little bug.