12 weeks down

Here is a picture of some of my "Conference Cookies" I am going to make one more kind this is Oatmeal Scotchies, and Peanut butter blossoms. I am still working on either Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chocolate raisin cookies or just plain Chocolate chip cookies!
Today I am officially 12 weeks pregnant with our 5th child. I am feeling... well as good as it gets I guess. I hate to complain since I know I have it soooo easy compared to the many who spend the entire time sick, on bed rest..... I am fairly lucky I get tired, and most food sounds yucky to me most of the day. There are a few things I really like to eat that always seem to help. Apples are a big thing for me right now and have been for about 3 weeks. To much sugar is really not good (which is totally opposite of my normal eating habits!) Meat is actually not repulsive to me. I don't love it but I don't hate it which usually I am a all or nothing when it comes to meat and pregnancy. My weight remains the same which is good since I started out heavier this time and can afford to not gain any for a while. My body kind of does the same weight thing each time. I am hoping it will hold true with #5 so that I don't have even more to loose when I am done. My main "complaints" this time around are that since it is baby number 5 (actually pregnancy #9) my body really has been stretched to the limits and doesn't have much support left. My muscles have given up already (I am showing to the point people close to me notice!) Since there isn't much muscle tone left it not only shows but it hurts. The ligaments are all stretched too so if I move quick, or wrong, roll over in bed I get a really bad sharp pain clear across my belly. I wake my self up moaning because my body hurts, and I have a hard time breathing. The baby is what the size of a peanut? How can I feel crowded??? I hope things don't get worse they just kind of remain the same for a while. I keep thinking I want a baby bad enough to do this! I can do this! Last time right??? We'll see about that one but for now I can believe that to keep my sanity. I love my children and I love babies. I actually typically don't mind pregnancy, but this seems to be much worse much earlier. Partly because it is #5 and partly as my mother keeps reminding me I AM OLDER! Sure it is almost a decade since I got pregnant with my first one but in my mind I am that same young 20 year old having my first baby!!! Apparently my body doesn't agree. Oh well. It will totally be worth it! The other side effect I suffer from is a bit of grouchiness. I feel bad because I often feel a little bit like Jeckle and Hyde to my kids. I try really hard and hope that in another week when my 2nd trimester is gear maybe I won't be so tired and cranky. This morning was probably my worst day yet. I won't go into details because I feel like the worst mom ever. Lets just say, my boys were fighting instead of getting ready for school, they got in BIG trouble, and ended up loosing their pizza and movie night (every Friday we have a pizza picnic and watch a movie). I told them they would be eating PB&J and going straight to bed. There was a lot more crying and then Brock almost had to walk to school instead of ride in the car! It was a very rough morning and I left my boys at school feeling awful! I tried to get my head back on this morning before my presidency meeting, I almost made it. So I was frazzled all morning but a short nap on the couch has helped. I am hoping that my boys and I can patch things up this afternoon. I told them just before they left that they could earn back their pizza if they could get their room clean before dinner time WITH OUT fighting! This is almost an impossible task but I am hoping it is insentive enough that maybe just maybe we can find some peace, and I can regain my sanity. If not then I guess they will have an early bed time and I will regain my sanity in the quiet of the evening!

On the happy side one of my most favorite weekends of the year is this weekend and I can hardly wait! It is our General Conference when the Prophet and all the apostles and many leaders speak to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It always fills my heart and it always ends before I am done listening. The other benefit is that my dear friend Allison and I always spend the entire weekend scrap booking and listening. This year I have some good packets and bingo cards the kids have to do while we listen and I plan on kicking them outside or up stairs during the in between so that they can work their wiggles out. So today I am spending the rest of my day baking cookies! I call them "conference cookies" I bake lots of them and this time several different kinds so that there are lots of choices. This gives the "kids" something that they can easily snack on with out disturbing anyone, or asking what can I eat.... plus who doesn't love to have yummy treats. I just love to make the weekend special. It almost feels like a holiday to me! I even have a special breakfast we have. I always make waffles. I don't make them a ton in between conference, so the feel like a treat. I make sure there is some yummy fruit, jam or something to put one them! I think I am salivating already. But I am smelling the cookies too, not to mention I already ate one! I am hoping to "fill my cup" this weekend! Which I am sure I will.

There hasn't been a whole lot else happen this week. Last Saturday my wonderful friend Kelli came to visit us from Wyonming! It was so wonderful to sit and visit with her. She stayed till 2 am and it was a lot of fun. I miss her lots! So it felt good to visit and get to meet her new baby! She looks a lot like her big sister to me. She is definatly a Gard baby that is for sure! I have been doing my part time child care, which I actually really like. The boys I watch are so good and Amelia is actually lonely when they aren't here. So it is really nice to have them. Plus Wed I took the girls to the library for story time. A highlight of our week always! The fun thing for me is I actually got our book club book for this month so I will actually get it all read this month. We are reading "This I Believe." I am about 100 pages in and loving it! I keep thinking about what am I going to have be my "This I believe" statement for our club meeting. I am not sure yet so I will maybe post it when I decide.

The only sad news of the week for me anyway is that ER ended last night. I know totally lame! But I have been a fan since I started college 12 years ago! There were times where I didn't see it because I didn't always have tv. But for the most part I watched and I will be sad to say good bye to the characters. I am one of those lame people who gets so into these characters the feel real to me, when they stop showing the show I start to wonder stupid things like, I wonder what "Abby and Luka are doing?" DUMB I know! I went through the same thing with Friends when it went off. But I am sure I will get over it! It sure was fun seeing all the old characters they brought back though even for a short time. Ok Enough of my lame chatter I will get back to making my cookies, get a load or two of laundry done, maybe get by toilets clean before we have people here all weekend, and make pizza for my girls and maybe the boys.