July Update

I just realized that over a month has gone by since I posted on here. I had my ultrasound, and much to our surprise, we are having another BOY!! Now to come up with the right name... that is always tricky for us, for some reason. My current picks are Lincoln or Luke.

Since both Jim and I were thinking this one was going to be a girl, we were a bit surprised to find out it is another boy, but we are very happy all the same. 3 little boys in a row will surely keep us busy! But it will be so much fun for them as well. Fortunately we have a bunk bed in the boys' room already set up, so when we are ready to move the new baby into the boys' room, we will put Brysen on the bottom bunk and Tysen on the top, and the baby will get the crib. And Aspen will still have her own room, since Madi sleeps in a crib in the Family Room downstairs. For now, that's the best set-up since Madi can be quite loud at night time when she is going to sleep, or when she wakes up at 2am.

I'm 25 weeks along now. Seems like it should be going faster, but the summer is dragging on. We really need to get a ceiling fan in our room- it gets quite hot in there and I usually end up sleeping on top of the sheets, under no blankets. My hands always feel hot, to the point that it is uncomfortable. Thank goodness we have a basement... I may be using the pull-out bed and sleeping down there if it gets much hotter!

The kids are enjoying the free time that summer brings. Aspen especially misses going to age groups and swimming every day at Aspen Grove, but it has been really nice for her to learn to entertain herself more, and to play with her siblings more too. She has done a few sewing projects with only a little help from me (pillow case, skirt, and is currently making a little interactive book from fleece for Brysen). Also, Aspen decided to cut her long, long, long hair- and donated it to Locks of Love. It's a really cute cut, just below her shoulders, and she loves it! It's SO nice that she can brush it herself and take care of it better! It does make her look older. I realize my little girl is growing up very quickly, and she is going to be changing so much these next few years.

Tysen is his usual happy-go-lucky self, and pretty much likes to be doing whatever Aspen is doing. He is good at playing on his own and loves to play in the sand box, or hit the ball around with his bat in the yard. He has been doing T-ball which has been a lot of fun for him. He will start soccer this fall, like Aspen and that will be a lot of fun to watch. His other love of life is playing on the "electronics." Which I have to try really hard to limit. I do feel bad that I can't get out and do more with the kids, but I have such a limited supply of energy these days that even a trip to the grocery store is exhausting. Lifting kids in and out of the car over and over is so hard, especially Madi. She's getting to be a big girl! We've seen a little progress with her here and there. It's sometimes frustrating to have it go so slow with her, and at times we just don't know what to do or how to get through to her. We just have to take it a day at a time and know that she is here to teach us many things, not necessarily the other way around. She really likes being wherever I am, and is my little shadow. She has been in summer school a couple of days a week, which is such a good outlet for her, and for me. She will be switching schools this fall, to a small-group class setting. We don't know where she will be yet, the district will let us know sometime later this month. Aspen is switching schools too, which she is nervous about but a little excited too. I really hope she can find some good friends this year. She struggled with that a lot this past year.

Brysen is becoming very fast at crawling, and he is pulling himself up and walking along the couch. He hasn't ventured into walking yet but that is ok. He is quite good at entertaining himself and loves to sit and play with Tysen's cars or whatever other toys are around. He LOVES to go outside, and will sit and cry at the door anytime someone goes outside without him. He loves to sit in the baby swing Jim attached to the awning. He is fascinated with the cars going by. He is very smart and he loves to smile and giggle. He has this funny little back-of-the-throat chuckle that makes people laugh every where we go, especially at church!

Jim has a lot going on right now. He gave his notice to the other managers at Aspen Grove last week. They were surprised that he is leaving, and didn't want to see him go, but understand the reasons why. It's nice that they are being supportive. Jim is busy trying to get enrolled at either BYU or UVU full-time for this fall. He will stay on at Aspen Grove until mid-August. We are a little nervous that the baby will come 2 months after that, and are busy looking into insurance options and such. Jim will have about a year of pre-requisites to finish up, along with taking the GRE, then he will be able to apply to PA school. And we are really hoping to get in the first time around. We are hoping to stay somewhere in the West, but will go wherever he can get accepted!

I'm looking forward to meeting this newest little guy, and am hoping the days will go by quickly so that I don't have to be pregnant FOREVER. Since I really didn't get a break between Brysen and this baby, it does feel like I have been pregnant or caring for a newborn for a long time. But I feel so blessed to be able to have these children, and they are all amazing kids!