In case you're wondering...

...why I've been blogging less.

We're finally making the jump to baby #3! I'm just over 12 weeks along, due November 6. I feel so busy with life with 2 kids that it's hard sometimes to remember that I am pregnant...unless I'm desperate for a nap. Plus, I just got called as the new Relief Society president in our ward, so I think that will also take away from free time for blogging and make life crazier even before baby #3 arrives.

Here are a few stories/observations from my pregnancy thus far:
*I usually don't make comments about my body, but I think Kaia must have overheard me express my concern when talking to my sister on the phone that my belly was going to pop out a lot sooner with a third pregnancy. At bedtime one night, Kaia began stroking my belly and said, "Your tummy is bigger! It's beautiful!" I'm not in maternity clothes yet, but I can tell I'm about to head into that awkward phase when my normal clothes will stop fitting but I won't be big enough for maternity clothes - any suggestions for what to wear during that time?

*I've been surprised by how good some foods have tasted this pregnancy. In my other 2 pregnancies, my taste buds seem to take a vacation and nothing tastes as good as it should. But so far with this pregnancy, I've actually wanted to eat Asian food and I requested takeout Indian food a couple of weekends ago. Peter was shocked that I was gobbling up even the spiciest dishes.

*Speaking of food and cravings, I dreamt about beef jerky one night - yeah, I literally dreamt about it. How weird is that? And then I couldn't stop thinking about it all day. Finally, I headed to Target with the kids at 4:30 in the afternoon to get what we needed for dinner - a meal of beef jerky, fruit leather, and Yoplait yogurt - yum! But I haven't really liked beef jerky since then.

*Kaia is at an age where she is really excited about having a new baby. She also likes the idea of naming the baby. She'll often say things like, "If we have a girl, we're going to name her Chloe, and if we have a boy, we'll name him Joe!" Okay. A few of the other name suggestions have been Yaella (named after a girl we met) and Tree or Jason for a boy. I think I'm retaining naming privileges for this one.

An Overheard Conversation

I was sitting on the floor reading a book while the kids bathed tonight, so I wasn't completely paying attention until I heard Asher say something about how he really wanted to pee in the bushes at the park (some manly urge, I guess?). Kaia loudly exclaimed, "You want to pee in the bushes! You miscreant!" Where did that come from? I know miscreant is not a part of my normal vocabulary. I'm left seriously wondering where she picked that up. Can anyone think of any kids movies that use it?

Palmyra

When I learned that Peter would be getting off of work at noon last Friday for Good Friday, I knew we needed to take advantage of it. We decided to head to Palmyra - the first time in our 5 1/2 years of living here that we've visited any Church history sites. I was utterly overwhelmed at times by the power of the Spirit that I felt in these places. Kaia threatened once that, "You'll have to leave if you keep crying, Mommy!" But I couldn't help it. The events of the Restoration were made real to me in a way that had never happened before. I can't describe in words how amazing it was to be standing in the very place where Joseph Smith saw God, the Eternal Father, and His son Jesus Christ; or the place where he received the golden plates containing the Book of Mormon from the Angel Moroni; and even the place where the Book of Mormon was first published. I was struck time and time again by how amazingly blessed I am to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Outside the Palmyra temple:


One of the great things about kids is that they can find entertaining kid things to do no matter where we are. Asher was compelled to throw rocks into every "river" he saw in the Sacred Grove.


You never know when you might need a whole bunch of sticks??


Dropping the little gravel rocks into the cone:


The kids were so excited to see this cat. Asher was surprisingly brave around it and kept saying, "Here's your toy, cat. Here's your stick!"