I just had to post these pictures

Mostly because they are just so stinking cute.
If you noticed the rash under Elijah's mouth, please ignore it. That's that I'm trying to do. Because a rash around here usually means one thing - food allergy. And dang it, I just can't deal with another kid in our family having a food allergy. And if my suspicions are correct it's to that yogurt that is on the spoon he's eating off of. I told you I was trying to ignore it. "What did you say? Rash? Food allergy? Who me?"

In other news, Parker wanted to take my picture the other day. And since I had clothes on, my hair done, and makeup to boot I said he could. But the shots he took of my belly are off limits.

The Countdown is On

I really want to put a ticker on my blog showing how much longer I have until number four gets here, but they are all so cheesy. I've looked at several and even put in my information, but just can't commit to the cheesy-ness. Anyway after entering my info I found out that I have only 41 days left to my due date. I knew it was sneaking up on me but wow seeing that number sort of freaked me out a little. I have a big list of things that I want to get done before this little one gets here. That being said a huge project is now crossed off my list. The office has now been converted. Gone are the peachy colored walls that I never liked and in their place are guacamole green and white wainscoting covered walls. We trimmed out the window and I'm in love. It reminds me so much of my house in Utah. Thank you Darren for doing this for me. All of those rounded corners and recessed rounded angles in the walls made this project seem like it was going to go on forever. But now I go in there and sit during the afternoons. It makes me happy to be in there. I still need to touch up the green paint above the chair rail where I caulked but I think it turned out great.
The kids helped me put the baby's crib up on Tuesday. Elijah asked if he could sleep in it. It's a little beat up from the three older ones but is still beautiful and putting it up brought back so many memories of setting it up for each little one we have. I still need to get the dresser/changing table out of the garage and into the room, then move the furniture around to see where everything fits best.I've been trying to stock up on baby supplies as the sales have been around. The baby's side of the closet (the other side still has all of the office stuff in it on shelves that Darren put in for me) is full of what I've gathered so far. I counted up and there are 18 packages of diapers and 7 cans of baby formula in there, all bought on sale with major coupons. Just typing that gives me warm fuzzies. ;)Now I'm trying to get some fast and easy meals into my freezer for after he gets here. I have a few ideas, but would love some more if any of you have them. Parker's allergies make meals tricky around here so pick out your best non-dairy meal and tell me if it can be frozen. I'd love your help with this.

24th of July Celebration - Kirtland, NM Style

The 24th of July celebration was always a fun day growing up. Our parents have been telling us to bring the kids back to it for a while now. Since they usually start school right after that weekend we haven't gone. But we hadn't done anything at all during the month of July and we headed out of town on Friday even though we had to be back for the first day of school Monday morning. It was a quick trip but I'm so glad we did it.There is always a play put on at the community center. Here is Grandma Stewart hanging out with the little ones while Darren and I were at the play. Cousin Olivia's mom and dad were busy with the barbeque that their ward was in charge of this year so she and the boys watched movies with Grandma. Lexi went with us to the play.

The next morning (after going to the garden and being late to pick green beans with Grandma and Grandpa Wells) was the parade. Grandpa Stewart was pulling a float this year and Parker was his right-hand-candy-throwing man, so it was just these two on the sidelines. They waited not so patiently for it to start.They both thought the sirens were a little loud. They always are. But that is the start of any good parade.Here they are waiting on the other side of the road for Parker to throw candy to them.Here Grandpa is throwing candy and Parker is throwing me a kiss. That's my sweet boy you know. There was so much candy thrown out that the kids filled a gallon ziplock bag to bring home. I'm not sure my kids had been to a parade that they remembered so it was a lot of new fun for them.

And They're Off!The foot races are always fun. They have each age and gender race together and it was fun to watch the kids take their turn. (Lijah with Daddy above, Parker lined up below)Alexia won her race. No surprise with those legs that go to her armpits.Really though this was the favorite activity of the kids. The dunking booth was a huge hit! They each got the chance to dunk each other. Lexi was up first. Parker cracks me up! He actually hit the target on his second try but not hard enough to release the seat. So after the third try he ran up and hit it himself sending his big sister into the water.
Pretty soon it was Parker's turn up on the hot seat and it turned out to be a repeat of his performance for his sister.
Love that blue snow cone smile ! ;)So she ended up doing the same thing to bring him down.After a miniature train ride, trading in tickets for snow cones for everyone and a yummy lunch of navajo tacos and hamburgers for the kids (thanks Grandpa Stewart) we headed home to change and then went to my mom's house to can green beans with her. We ended up with 17 quarts of green beans that day. We've opened a few of them since being home. I totally forgot how much better they taste than those in a can. Yum! My kids love them too. Thanks for your help mom. And thanks Jerry and Teressa for letting us stay with you. While it was a quick trip we had such a good time.

Following Up

Parker: Mom, how do you know if you are pregnant or just {whispered as he spelled it} F - A - T?

I should have known it was coming...

A conversation with Parker yesterday...

Parker: Mom how does the baby get out? Does it come out of your bum?

Me: Well kind of Parker, but not exactly.

Parker: Does it squeeze out of your little pee hole?

Me: No.

Parker: Then does it come out of your poop hole?

Me: No sweetheart. Girls have three holes and one of them is connected to the place where the baby is living right now.

Parker: Do I have three holes mom?

Me: No Parker, only girls have three. That's why mom's have the babies. Do that make sense?

Parker: No not really.

So I looked up pregnancy stages on the internet, found a diagram of what our baby looks like right now inside me and showed Parker how each hole had different tubes to different places in my body. He got a good laugh at how the baby was squishing the bladder in the picture and why that would make me have to go to the bathroom all of the time.

Fast forward to the dinner table...

Parker: (to Darren and Alexia) Did you know that mom has a pee tube, a poop tube and a baby tube?

We seriously need to work on our table manners around here.