34 Weeks

During Thayne's 39 weeks of gestation, all I had during the day were hours of thinking about and anticipating his birth, plus naps at the slightest whim of fatigue. The days dragged on just waiting for that magical day when I could hold him in my arms, and I could tell everyone exactly how far along I was at any given moment. I prepared for labor and delivery like it was an athletic event with fast paced walks, squats, and pregnant lady stretches. Not so much this time.

This pregnancy has flown by. Thayne has kept me very busy. I am completely at his mercy for naps. And sleeping in is not an option. I am doing a lot of lifting. In and out of car seats. Into high chairs. In and out of the bath. I get tuckered out from daily activities. Extracurricular walks and exercises have not been a high priority. There are new pregnancy symptoms from life with a toddler. I now know that lifting a lot really does affect pregnant backs/hips and can create quite the burn along the muscle-lacking mid line by the end of the day. 

This week I've been making it a priority to fit walks and stretching into my day and it has made a huge difference! I have got to remember to be better about those throughout my next pregnancy. And I've got to remember that pregnancy comes with cycles just like everything else. There are days at a time that my belly feels so tight that I swear it will literally rip apart, and then it's as if my body grows extra skin during the night, and I'll wake up one day feeling comfortable in my own skin once again and little baby movements are fun again instead of painful. That is, until the next cycle begins.     

I am so excited to for our Little Miss to come and am so grateful her pregnancy has been void of complications thus far. There are so many little things about pregnancy I've forgotten, and hopefully this little post will help me remember just a few things for future babes.

Tah Dah! A 34 week baby bump for baby #2

Cuddles + Reading = One Happy Daddy

A very well spent Saturday morning

My Big Boy!

Thayne loves his new stool from Grandpa Scott. He is so excited to explore the mysterious and new world of The Counter Top!

Watching me make dinner from a safe distance

So happy to be be a Big Boy!

Cookie Monsters!

My Cookie Monster boys! Tyler found pajama pants to match Thayne's favorite "Cookie Mon-ter Dammies" and Thayne was SO excited! Even more excited than Tyler, which is really saying something.

Full of Imagination and Sweet Smiles

I have been amazed by our little man over the past couple of weeks. He was an angel on our Christmas vacation in Spokane. He LOVED playing with all his cousins and seeing his Grandparents. He knows everyone by name and still brings them up at random times, including the Sagen's "Doggie." He'll talk about "Bam-pa, hug?" during meals, calls auntie "Tawa" throughout the day, and always brings up a cousin while he's playing. 

While in Spokane, I talked with different family members about things I can do to help Thayne with the upcoming addition to our family, and I really appreciated what Jill and my Dad said about encouraging his independence in the small things and pointing out the advantages to being a Big Boy. They recommended letting him take on the activities that he's capable of, like putting on his own socks, and letting him do things with Daddy because he's a Big Boy. So this past week out of desire and necessity, I've been more mindful of letting Thayne be more independent and he is loving it. He wasn't too happy at first when I wouldn't carry him up the stairs (I have a hard enough time on my own these days), but was very cooperative and even a little proud when I held his hand and helped him walk up like a Big Boy. 

Thayne is an awesome little helper. He'll help me put the blocks in the basket, stack the books on the shelf, and get the bean bags in the box. When he finds anything that might be garbage, he'll show it to me and throw it away when I ask him to. When I hand dirty clothes to him, he'll put them in the washer, and then he'll help me transfer the wet clothes into the dryer. He loves to "help" me sweep and pulls out his smaller broom anytime he sees me with the big broom. I've started sweeping only when he's asleep.

I love watching him play. He's starting into imaginative/creative play. The other day he was playing with a mixing bowl while I cleaned the kitchen and at first he was using the bowl like a drum (he loves his book "Hand Hand Fingers Thumb" from auntie Jill), and then a couple minutes later he was "swimming" across the floor with his tummy on the bowl. His favorite independent activity that surpasses even playing with blocks, is coloring. He is constantly finding "color" (pens, pencils, crayons, anything that makes a mark on paper) and looking for paper to use them on. He draws swirls and loops and if he's using a coloring book he'll try to stay in specific areas such as eyes, or a shirt.

He's experimenting with facial expressions and voices it is hilarious to watch. I'm working on catching some on camera.

His favorite phrase lately is "uh hoed dat" which translates to either "I hold that" or "you hold that" depending on the circumstance. He'll point to things asking, "uh hoed dat" or hand me toys while he's playing asking me to "uh hoed dat" mostly with blocks so that he can build tall towers and worry less about them falling over. While watching "silly mon-ders" ie Monster's Inc the other day, he started reaching towards the TV saying "uh hoed dat!" whenever furry monsters would come on the screen. And then when the little girl was crying he became very sad and, again reaching for the screen, said, "uh hoed you!" It was very sweet.

He is such a sweet boy and I am getting excited to bring home a new baby while he's in this stage. (I'm desperately hoping it lasts until she comes!)  

From Coast to Coast!

Last Christmas, our plane didn't pass its pre-flight check and we ended up waiting in the airport all day for another flight. Southwest consequently provided us each with $200 plane vouchers that needed to be used within a year's time, which we were happy to accept. After a couple of moves, and our voucher expiration drawing nigh, we started to think more seriously about where to fly to. We of course looked into Hawaii, but realized that wasn't too realistic of an option, and subsequently looked into ticket cost for all airports near our siblings. Much to my surprise, a flight from Seattle to Washington DC was the least expensive. 

I have to say that I love Southwest. When I finally coordinated a time that would work for the Rasmussens and us, I went to book the tickets but couldn't find the vouchers ANYWHERE! I searched the entire house. I could picture exactly where they were in the Provo house, and then in the Magnolia apartment, but hadn't the slightest idea where they would be in our new home. Tyler and I went through every drawer, file, and stack, paper by paper and found nothing. At Brooke's suggestion (I still can't believe this thought didn't even occur to me) I called Southwest and they immediately emailed the voucher codes to us. I booked the flights and anxiously awaited our trip! We planned for Thayne and I to fly over Friday, November 30th and spend a week in DC before Tyler would come the following Friday and we would all fly home together the following Monday, December 10th. Brooke and I were both pregnant and we hoped having a week would give us plenty of time to have quality sister time via sight seeing, shopping, taking care of her normal family schedule, etc., without overdoing it for either of us. I worried about the 7ish hour flight over with just Thayne and I, and picked up a variety of new toys, snacks, and books in the weeks prior to our trip in hopes of keeping Little Man entertained on both legs of our flight. November 30th came, and off we went to the airport.

Tyler dropped us off and helped me get to the check-in counter. I was really nervous about how I was possibly going to maneuver through the airport with a stroller, car seat, and Thayne (this was a huge topic of internal debate leading up to the trip, but I ultimately decided the benefits of being able to put Thayne down during the flight was worth it) and wanted to jump over the counter and hug the lady behind the desk when she said Tyler could come through security with us and up to the gate. 

Thayne was fantastic on the plane. We made it to Denver, and I learned that some airports, such as Denver, have trains within them. I was really confused when the signs for Concourse C suddenly turned to signs for the Train Platform and was still skeptical, but grateful for the Help Desk Man who instructed me to simply take the elevator down to the platform and get on the C train. We had just enough time for a bathroom break, diaper change (so grateful for family bathrooms big enough to fit a stroller), and plane-side check ins with our hour and 45 minute layover. Thayne was wonderful on our last leg and we were thrilled to end the day with Brooke and Scott in their Virginia apartment.

Saturday was filled with Rasmussen activities and we were grateful to tag along while we tried to adjust to DC time. Sunday was occupied by church activities and Thayne started showing some  cold symptoms. Monday Thayne woke up with a slight fever that went right down with a little bit of baby drugs, so we decided to bundle him up and take a nice walk around the Smithsonian Mall and Washington Monument.

DC has the coolest buildings! 

Our awesome walking buddy, Will

THE Capitol Building!

The Washington Monument

The lovely Brooke with Will, Nattie, and their red chariot 

The Smithsonian castle

The happy sicky. We all LOVED the sunshine and 65 degree weather !

The WWII Memorial with the Washington Monument in the background

The memorial was absolutely beautiful

The kids loved the fountains and pools

We started walking toward the Lincoln Memorial, but impending naps and lunchtime steered us to the car instead. The next chunk of pictures are things we drove past and all the pictures are borrowed from my lovely friend, the internet.

The Lincoln Memorial

Looking for pictures made me realize why I expected the White House to be in an open and secluded area. None of the pictures I've seen show all the downtown buildings nestled almost immediately around it

Jefferson Memorial

The Kennedy Center on the Potomac 

We anticipated that we'd explore more in the coming week and felt very satisfied with our walk-around that day.

However, Thayne became more and more sick through the week. One day we did go out for a quick walk in the neighborhood cemetery across the street, and that was really cool and nice to get out. Nights were terrible. Thayne was so stuffed up he could hardly breathe, and his fever required constant doses of baby drugs. Coughing spells woke him (and me) up every time he'd settle into a deep sleep. 

Thursday morning rolled around, and Thayne's fever was still hanging on at 103 degrees, and he started pulling on his ear saying, "owwie!" He also started throwing up from choking on all the gunk in his throat. I tried to call Brooke's Pediatrician to set up an appointment, but turned into a pregnant bawling mess when the receptionist said they couldn't offer medical advice if my son was not a patient. I wasn't quite clear minded enough to ask if he could be admitted as a new patient. Brooke saved the day and figured out where we could take my little sickie to get help. We ended up going to a nearby Urgent Care and after confirming an Ear Infection in both ears, the wonderful Doctor gave us a prescription for antibiotics that we were able to pick up on the way home. We gave him his first dose and he did great as long as he was on meds. 

That afternoon Thayne and I tagged along to pick Scott up from work and ended up going to the National Cathedral. I LOVED it! The cathedral was breath taking in every way. Thayne did a little walking, and snuggled on me the rest of the time. I was grateful that he saved the throwing up until we were getting ready to leave. We had quite the grand exit as I ran through the cathedral clutching a gagging/puking child to my chest, exaggerating my protruding pregnant belly as I held him tight, and trying to keep any puke from hitting the floor with my sweater-turned-burp-rag. Once his coughing episode died down, he was just fine and we were able to get him cleaned up enough to get in the car.

Walking up to the Cathedral

Cute houses like this one were everywhere

I figured it was hopeless to even try to capture the beauty of the cathedral with the camera on my phone, so here are more images from Mr Internet

Notice how little the people are

We drove passed the Iwo Jima Memorial (which was much larger than I expected), Arlington Cemetery, and the Pentagon where Scott pointed out where the plane hit on 9/11

*Borrowed image

*Borrowed image

This is pretty much what the Pentagon looked like from the Freeway
*Borrowed image

Twenty-four hours after starting his antibiotics, Thayne was practically his happy normal self. And it was SO good to have him back. He was finally playing with his cousins and really enjoying himself. With cousins like these, how could he not?

Thayne especially loved "nattie" and their hugs and giggles never got old

Tyler flew in Friday night, and Brooke and Scott were sweet enough to keep Thayne all of Saturday so that Tyler and I could explore the Smithsonian Museums. We started at the Natural History Museum and weren't super impressed. We saw a few cool things like a giant squid, and the Hope Diamond. Those were cool. We each ordered $9 sandwiches in the basement cafeteria; the most over-priced turkey on bread I've ever eaten. Luckily Tyler's BBQ brisket sandwich was tasty. We looked through the archives building and read a letter from the ten year old Fidel Castro, saw the Magna Carta, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Maybe we're terrible Americans, but our absolute favorite was the Museum of Art. The paintings, statues, and architecture moved us far more than anything else we saw. We attempted to look through the Air and Space Museum, but just didn't have enough energy. So we found our way to the Subway and enjoyed the ride and short walk back. Just the two of us.

In front of the Archives Building

I LOVED the buildings! 

"Eternal Diligence is the Price of Liberty"

Rotunda in the Museum of Art

We left early Monday morning and had an uneventful trip back home, except for Thayne throwing up in the Denver Airport. He had perfect timing though. It happened with just enough time to get him and the floor cleaned up, change his clothes, and board the plane.

We had SO much fun with Brooke and Scott's family and they were so good to us.They travel - a lot - and to have the chance to visit them was wonderful. I now have so much more respect for their lengthy travels and the ease with which they seem to pull off every trip. I do wish that Thayne and I had had more healthy days to get the most out of our time with the Rasmussens, but I am grateful that we had a long enough vacation that even sickness couldn't steal all our time in DC.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was absolutely wonderful. Scott and Jana came to our side of the state and Chris's mother, Deb, was gracious enough to let us join her in Magnolia. Siri made an amazing maple themed meal while Martha and I provided yummy appetizers. Martha also made adorable place holders for the table. Here are some pictures captured of our fantastic day taken by the lovely Martha. I forgot my camera.

Our Place Holders! 

Just some of the delicious food

The day following our fantastic Thanksgiving meal, Scott got right to work installing the most beautiful and functional pantry for our new home. He had measured the space during a previous visit and cut most of the wood in his shop at home before coming over for this "vacation". Tyler loved working with his Dad and Taylor, and we both LOVE the finished product. The space has been completely transformed from about 30% usable space to quite nearly 100% usable. The house came with 3 simple wire shelves in this good sized pantry/mud room. Papa Scott custom built floor to ceiling shelves, with room for brooms/mops, and the perfect little bench that includes cubbies for shoes. We now have more than enough room to build up a good food storage, and I use that little bench on a daily basis to get Little Man's shoes and coat on. Thank you Papa Scott! 

Taking out the wire shelving

The Man Himself

In Progress

Working with the Papa

The finished product! If only the room were big enough to capture all of their work in one shot

Resting on the bench he built

The little ones just couldn't pass up an opportunity to snuggle Grandpa

Nelli enjoyed stretching with Grandma while Thayne enjoyed climbing over them

I even enlisted help to get Christmas decorations up while they were here! 

We were hoping to finish up our Thanksgiving weekend with a nice swim at the Mount Si Community Pool. We got the adults and babies all ready, I checked the website to make sure the center was open, and we headed out. We unloaded the babies and with bags of towels and clean clothes over our arms, we went into the Community Center, only to learn that the pool was in fact, not open. The rest of the facility was, but not the pool. We were quite bummed, and learned we should call before we try a similar endeavor in the future. The boys were still able to ride their bikes back to our house and Martha especially loved their nerdy socks-over-their-pants look