First day at Challenger School!

Amelie started (real) preschool today at Challenger school.  She has been very excited for weeks, but I guess the day-of always comes with it's own snags.  She did not feel the same rush to get moving this morning that we did, so we left later than planned.  We made it within the 15 min drop off window (by like a minute or two) and we appeared to be the last ones. :)  She was still excited to go, but not as obviously.  We picked her up and she was very quiet - at first I thought she was sad or something from the look on her face.  She was not upset, but dad and mom had to pry info out of her for a long time before she gave any kind of report.  She's really gonna love it, and got a glowing report form her teachers (we have a secret in, so we know.)  Her reported favorite from the day is when she got to play the fairy and all the others were giants.

 So cute! Check out that uniform - it's intense!

Totally ready!

Up the canyon

Last week we went up the canyon for a fire for our weekly Sunday dinner.  We discovered our new favorite dessert, the girls saw a snake (!!), and Mal took them around on a spy adventure.  Oh yeah, we can't forget the tree (branch) the girls were so pleased they planted.  I can't get enough of going up there!

 Look closely, the girls are sneaking around in there somewhere...

 Bananas filled with chocolate, nuts, coconut... and put in the coals. Mmmm mmm!

THE tree

Baby Boy Shower!!

My darling little sister Mallory (also pregnant) took it upon herself to throw me a baby shower.  She kept the details a surprise, which ended up being a carnival!  It was so cute!

 Only some of the goodies!

 I kept trying to get a better pic aroun those lights but couldn't.

 Hit the cans game.

 Legit carnival food - popcorn, cotton candy, hot dogs, nachos, and drinks in mason jars!  Not to mention those straws.  I love it!

 The cotton candymeister. He makes it for you fresh! (and eats some...)

 Festive orbs all over the yard.

 My momma sash!

 Ambiance

 I know it's blurry but I had to include grandma playing the game! 

 (We moved inside when it all-of-sudden got super windy outside.)

Amie trying her hand (the better the knock, the more raffle tickets you got!)

What carnival would be complete without a cutout?  SumoCam:

 

 

And finally, there were shower games and presents. I/we got lots of diapers and gift cards to Babies R Us - just what I needed!  I have already gone to get the double stroller we are very much in need of.  Thank you so much everyone! (I got just the one I wanted too!)

 Some one got ahold of my camera, and things got a bit blurry.  Sniffin diapers!

 Grandma Chris didn't forget the girls!

Just making sure it fits...

Thanks again Mal, Fam and everyone who came or sent presents! It was a great night.

A Little Tea Party

 Right after I shot this candid, Amelie tasted her tea and said "Adequate."  Where do they get this stuff?!

Then they saw the camera and wanted to pose, saying "Tea party!"

Gotta love 'em!

Funny Things the North's Say/MTMMS Combo

At the breakfast table:
Mom: Amie, forks are for food and your mouth, not chairs and floors.
Amie: My pleasure!

Amie: Mom, you're the best!!

Dad: Amie, I think it's Pluto.
Amie: No, it's Pooh-toe!

Dad: Cutie miss!
Lisie: Cutie dad!

(To 2 naughty girls avoiding bedtime.)
Mom: If you two can't stop, we're going straight to bed now, no matter how early it is.
(Looks at the clock to find it is exactly time to get ready for bed anyway.... good one, mom.)

Amie has developed a little habit where she speaks silly, for example says "sh" in place of "s."  After an especially snuggly/lovie morning, Amie says, "Mom, you're the B!@#%!"  Or best.  But Jeff and I both heard the first!

The comparison post

I've wanted to do a comparison of all 3 pregnancies, so I was waiting for the old 36 weeks to roll around to get them all at the same time period.  I think the result is a little more anticlimatic than I'd hoped.  (Though it does appear that I gained the most face weight with Alisa, and that she was sitting higher up - both Amie and the boy are already moved down in these.) 

Amelie at 36 weeks

Alisa at 36

(Secret boy name) at 36 weeks

Jeff keeps commenting how much younger I look in the first picture - I said that was before I was old with children. :)

I happened to go in for my 36 wk appointment today, and lo and behold, we're following exactly the same trend as with the girls.  I'd been very curious to see the results of this appointment, since I've definitely been having BH contractions for a couple weeks now.  Sure enough, I'm already dilated to 3cm, and about 60% effaced. Yes, active labor starts at about a 4/5, but I'm trying not to get too expectant, as I tend to hang around from 3-4 for at least a week or two.  My doctor did warn me, though, not to wait at all when things get going, since this is my 3rd babe and I have a history of short labor.  We're knocking on wood, here!  Of course, we don't want baby North to be too early, but I'm still also hoping for a delivery far enough away from my anniversary that I still get to have an anniversary.... every year forever after.

In other news, we finally picked a name!  It kinda surprises me, but I love it.  And NO I'm not telling yet. :) Muahahaha!

Girls' Camp

I was lucky enough to get to go to Girls' Camp this year with my Young Women.  I actually skipped the first day, because that was my actual birthday, and I have always been territorial about that.  But, I went up the next day (right after hikes of course... useless there.)  I was blessed enough that my girls saved me a bed, and I even got a second mat on my bed to make it sleep-able for 8 months pregs. My first night there, as we finished up dinner, my ward brought in ice cream with a candle, and had eeeeeeeeeeeveryone sing Happy Birthday to me - how sweet was that?  I was definitely surprised and touched. 
The next few days carried on with crafts, skits, water games, certification, singing with the stars, fireside (with a really, really great object lesson,) devotionals, testimony meeting and on the last morning, a sunrise devotional.  I've always been a very big fan of sunrise/sunset activities, so it was one of my favorites, but there was a lot of grumbling from our girls who were up late the night before, you know, snipe hunting...  Can't forget secret sisters (mine was great,) coming up with roll-call cheers (some of the best were "Feed Me Seymour!" and "Bring out your dead!") the cup game, and generally playing around with everyone - like when the girls decided our single leader was marrying a single YM leader, and that the YW were planning the wedding.  It was a really great time, and I am very glad I sucked up the pregnancy pains to be able to spend it there with them (plus the selfish uplift I get from being there.)

Both the moon and sun visible during our devotional.

 One of the skits, where they brought people up to dance, including Sis. Redd from our ward, in the green.

 Filling up our oil.

 You can call me Tiger.  ... no really, they call me tiger (we had a Sis Lyon and a Sis Bair, so I got dubbed tiger... and of course, decorated my bandana appropriately.)

After arriving home, in true Girls' Camp Fashion, I am sporting 1000billion things.... The anklet I got from Ward secret sister, my tiger from my secret sister, the lanyard they gave us, a wristband to indicate my year, one to indicate my ward, a macrame belt, a t-shirt bracelet (both made during craft time,) my tiger bandana, a glow bracelet, my carrot pin representing our ward theme and finally the necklace with a lighthouse, where I collected beads for each activity.

And, for my own enjoyment... a little sleepy cam:

 

29th Birthday

Man oh man, can't believe I am 29!  Somehow, birthdays have begun sneaking up on me more and more quickly as the years add up.  First, we had North family celebration (with Davey) with enchiladas, stove top tacos, BERRY CAKE!, and chocolate cheesecake.  I got shopping money (just what I wanted!) and despite all our intentions to play games, we ended up watching a little Olympics and turning in.

Last, we had a Radcliffe family celebration with DEEEEEEEP dish pizza that my dad loves to make, salad and these fabulous apple dumplings with ice cream that Jaimie concoted. If I'd known of their existance before-hand, it's what I would have picked for my dessert.

In the middle, on my actual bday, we had lots planned but never felt rushed or too packed.  We started the day with breakfast at Kneader's (have you ever had their breakfast? YUM!) then caught the newer Winnie the Pooh Movie as a family.  (The girls were a little scared of the bakson but seemed to enjoy it otherwise.)  We went from there to an OB appointment (always fun with the kidlets.)  It went fine, the babe's heartbeat and measurements were great, except my blood pressure was reeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaallllllllllllly low.  Like 80-something on top.  Doc said I was probably just dehydrated, which sounds about right.  I've been pumping the water since then.  The girls gave me a certificate for the deluxe pedicure at a little place nearby - score!!

We caught lunch at In n Out after that, then brought the kiddies to stay with Grandma.  I had intended to go do a session at the Salt Lake Temple at that time, but luckily my friend mentioned it is still closed for rennovations right now.  So sad!  I chose to check out the Leonardo instead.  It was pretty fun - very interactive and interesting.  I just wished they'd had more explanation/signage.  There were many things that we had no idea what they were for/would do, but we filled our time anyway.  Jeff dropped me at Old Navy for a little shopping while he went to sign up for his next shift bid, then we went to dinner at (surprise for me) The Garden.  Our food was delicious, and when we arrived, there was a sign and a balloon at our table.  After we ate, they opened the roof, sang HB to me and I got to release my balloon through the roof with a wish.  That was pretty fun!  Jeff gave me my present - a publication of the first year of our blog!  Totally what I wanted!  It looks awesome.  It's expensive enough though, that it might take a few years to get them all...

Am I blessed or what?

Two Too-Cute Cuties

These two are totally best friends... even as I type, they are playing "slip" and "doggy fetch" and countless other nameless games.  They get jealous of each other, of course, but I just love how they play all the time, and hope it lasts through their lifetimes!

A Short Stop

This was one random day that we were free and had a few errands but nothing else to do.  We decided to stop in at the Veterans' Memorial Park at Camp Williams.  It was smaller than I thought, but I'm glad we stopped in. (Amie's been very into taking pictures lately, she insisted on taking one of me and Jeff.)