the first snow

We had the first snow yesterday(5th of Nov) and so now that's over with. I was hoping it would wait until November at least, and it did so that is great. I was excited to see it only b/c it gets me in the Christmas mood, which I can't fully enjoy until after Thanksgiving. But...I did get out my favorite Christmas CD by City on a Hill recording and started listening to that. I am pulling out the boys winter coats and washing them tomorrow.

I've officially decided that being pregnant in the winter is the best way to go. I never minded (too much) being pregnant in the summer, but now that I can see what its like in the winter, it is great! I'm more relaxed about it and not so hot and HOT and I'm not missing any fun activities outside b/c there aren't any fun activities outside. I am looking forward to next spring being able to be outside and run around with the boys and BEND OVER easily. I remember that being the most frustrating thing about summer pregnancy, bending over to play with Hunter outside and having a hard time with it. Plus, I'll be able to shed those baby pounds right away in the spring outside instead of all winter indoors. So, it is definitely cool to be pregnant in the winter. I've had some crampy feelings the last few days, which I remember also having with the boys at five months. I'm not sure why, I think they say the ligaments are stretching, but it isn't any fun, sometimes I get woozy and nauseous from them. It is a relief that I've had them before and been fine, though. I've also started the "charlie horse" phase of the pregnancy. I have to be careful not to stretch too hard when I wake up, or the charlie horses come on pretty good. The baby is moving more strongly now, which is fun. It tends to happen the strongest when I am rocking Hunter to sleep at nap time. I think the baby is kicking for more room. I haven't figured out a solution to the nap time rocking problem for when I get really big and have no lap. Now that the guest room is downstairs, though, I at least don't have to carry him up the stairs, so that is nice.

We have been trying to keep the baby's name a secret this time, which has proven to be tricky, b/c some people we've told and I still want it to be hush hush, but Hunter the other day was saying we should name the baby Alaina, and I told him, no, we were going to name it ***** and so he started telling all his friends the baby's name, so I'm pretty sure the cat is almost fully out of the bag. Brent says we'll just keep the weight a secret and I think that's dumb :) We've yet to determine a middle name, so maybe we'll keep THAT a secret.

We had a good weekend with my parents. Laci surprised us and came along, so it was good to see her, too. We took some family pictures(I will post one at the end) down below the dam here in town. They turned out pretty well. Speaking of pictures, I think I might call Sears tomorrow and set up the appointment for Friday, the kids are fairly over their colds. Tate is still drooling from the teething. I figure if I put a sweatshirt over the shirt he will wear, and then a bib(maybe two) he just might be shirt slobber free by the time we get there:)

We have been staying in the last couple of days. This morning I watched my friend's little girl, Ella, who was born two days after Tate. She is really easy to watch, and I think I might just be able to handle three kids. The kids are really enjoying the playroom. Hunter just said to me tonight that he really really likes it still. I was feeling kind of queasy this morning so I just sat on the couch in there and read them about fifty books.

Tate is really starting to talk and respond. He nods yes or no when you ask him things, he tries repeating words you say, and has learned what sheep say and what gorillas say(he also pounds on his chest when he sees one, it is really cute)

Hunter has changed the words a little in his "poop song" so now it is "horsies poop" over and over again. I might be a little ready for the poop phase to be over, but his father seems to still be in it so that makes me nervous :) Today at nap I told him to go wait with his blanket by the stairs while I went to the bathroom and when I came out he was laying by the steps on his back with the blanket over him, and it was really funny to see. That is about all for now...