Out of the mouths of babes...

One more quick post (I know what you are saying right now - TWO posts in one day???) I really need to get better about writing down the things that Quinci's says, especially when they are so dang cute and insightful!

The other night we were at my parent's for Sunday dinner and Quinci went to the park to play with her cousins. She came back quite a bit later, minus her shoes (for anyone that knows my daughter, this is not unusual as the child NEVER has her shoes on for more than a minute after we reach our destination!) Scott asked her where her shoes were and she shrugged her shoulders and tried very desperately, but unsuccessfully, to blame it on someone else (another recently added personality trait, that I am assured will pass...) Scott made her go with him back to the park to look for them. They came back successful and Quinci had the biggest smile on her face. She said she wanted to tell me a secret (the girl LOVES secrets!) and whispered in my ear that while they were looking for the shoes, their search was proving unsuccessful and so they said a prayer and the shoes were instantly found. She was so excited (I wish I could truly convey the awe and excitement that were in her voice as she told me, but you will just have to imagine it!) I was grateful for her daddy seeing the most perfect of circumstances providing such a fantastic teaching moment and taking the time to do so. I know that Quinci learned something special and important at such an ordinary time. I started to cry (of course!) and gave her a huge hug. I was so proud! My "baby" is truly growing up! Maybe this teaching stuff won't be so bad after all.

Service - Paying it Forward

Just a quick post before I begin the struggle to try and sleep a bit!

I was talking with a friend today about all of the struggles that we are facing in the world today. More specifically, the financial struggles that many of our own friends and family (and ourselves!) are going through right now. We were talking about job issues and issues with being able to make ends meet (or not being able to...) . It struck me very hard that there is at least one bright spot in the gloom and doom that seems to be around every corner these days. I think it is the opportunity and desire to serve that voraciously seems to come into play during these times. I know that I have personally been in awe over the service that my family has received over the last several weeks, especially by those that seem to be in need themselves, but still find the time to give in some form or another. I have had my testimony of service so strongly reinforced these last weeks through meals, phone calls, babysitting my 4 year-old (that right there deserves to be awarded with the highest of honors!)gifts given to that 4-year old, and a beautiful baby shower, attended by so many and given so selflessly during these hard economic times. I am not sure all of these women (and men!!!) really know the impact they have had on my testimony and my family's lives. It has done my heart good to view my friends and family in this way! As I was talking to this friend, and in some small way able to help her with a struggle she was having, I realized that yes, little-ole (HA-HA!) bed-rested me can also serve and pay forward the many kindnesses that have been shown me. It didn't cost me a thing and it sure made my day knowing that I could do something to make this doom and gloom a little brighter! I really think that is why the Lord gives us these hard times.To remind us of our purpose here in mortality and to prove to Him that we can and will prevail.

Bed Rest

Bed rest is certainly not all that it is cracked up to be ( or at all as "wonderful" as it sounds.) Last week I went into preterm labor, ended up at the hospital for 6 1/2 hours and my doctor put me on a lovely medicine called Terbutaline. He then ordered me to bed "or else." I kept asking him if there were certain things I could or couldn't do and he finally asked me if I needed him to tell someone in particular that he had ordered me to do these things (I think he thought someone, namely my husband, was giving me a hard time about "slacking off". ) I laughed and told him it was quite the opposite, that my grouchy husband and "pushy" ;o) friends had been telling me for weeks that I was doing way too much and I needed to "back off" (those were Scott's exact words!)

So, I left the office with my mom in tow (she told me I could not drive myself; it seems I have several bed-rest Nazis in my life!) and she came right home and put me to bed! I felt like a 10 year-old again! She did, however, make me dinner and vacuum my floor before she left!

No, really, I have been overwhelmed at the amount of love and concern that everyone has shown me and my little family (soon to be "not-so-little"!) in these times full of tests and trials! I have had meals, calls and most importantly, the most important little person in my life, Quinci, has been taken care of everyday! I have grown accustomed to Cindy's, Karissa's, and Cheryl's calls each day to take Quinci and to just see how I am doing and they mean more to me than these amazing women will ever know! I do believe that Quinci loves each of you more than she loves me!! I can not forget to mention Mel as well. She has both of her kiddos having surgery within a week of each other and she still calls me most days to check in. She brought us dinner the night before Collin's surgery. Who can go wrong with beautiful friends like these! I now know the reason that we were directed to move out here! I thank the Lord for the little inspirations He sends our way. Now, can He just send one about a job.......

One more thing. Bless our Compassionate Service person's heart. She has been so overwhelmed with the many needs of the sisters in our ward, but she still never neglects to check in on me as well! Karolien is PERFECT for this calling and also the perfect neighbor as well!

This one's for you Cheryl....

I had a request for a chocolate cookie recipe that I made the other night. I feel so honored to have someone ask me for the directions to something I made!!

Fudge Balls (Unfortunate name! I won't even tell you the conversation that ensued at my family dinner when my brothers heard the name!!!)

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 squares unsweetened chocolate ( 1 square equals 3 T. cocoa and 1 T. oil)
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
powdered sugar

preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter with cocoa in a pan on the stove. Remove from heat. Add sugar, egg, salt and vanilla; mix well. Stir in flour. Mix well (you may have to squish it with your hands to get all of the flour mixed in good.) Shape into balls. I like them a little bit on the bigger side because then they don't dry out when they cook. Bake for 7-10 minutes (in my oven, with the larger balls, I cook them for 10 minutes) Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar.


Thanks for flattering me, girls!

Pictures.... at last!

I just love the picture above! It is a profile of one of the babies with the foot of the other one in her face. This could be foreshadowing...

She has her hand in front of her mouth. Her eyes look kind of freaky right now, like dark circles.

Of course I didn't tell you that they were u/s pictures from 3 weeks ago!! We are going tomorrow for newer ones (one benefit for having twins is the MANY ultrasounds you get to have!)

I won't try to explain what each picture is...use some imagination! Some are easier to see than others.

I will post newer pictures tomorrow.

I would like to draw attention to the fact that, once again, I am up at insane hours of the night with these bloody restless legs. Can't a girl catch a break?? I think I may go sign in at the looney bin!

By the way...

Have you noticed the ticker to the side over there?????? 79 days??? Oh my goodness!!! Take about 20-28 days off of that and that could be me!! HELP!!!! Is there any way to post-pone this for about, oh, 4-5 months??????

NOT my most favorite thing to do...pregnant or not!!

So last week, my string of not so good luck continued and I broke TWO teeth!! Can you believe it? One is bad enough but 2 within a very short amount of time. Soooooo, I found a GREAT dentist through my insurance company and they got me in quite expeditiously!!

I saw them yesterday and had 2 root canals (YUCK, YUCK, YUCK!!!!) and they made the crowns for me right then and there. Dentistry has definitely come a very long way. I was there for about 4 1/2 hours (another HUGE YUCK!!!) but now I am done and my broken teeth are no more! Thanks to Dr. Hill and his excellent staff for taking such good care of a 28 week pregnant-with-twins woman (they even offered to get me some lunch! Sheesh!) and for letting me use the facilities every 20 minutes (no joke!). I will definitely go back for all of my dental needs, which will hopefully be minimal from this point on, and was very impressed with their patient care. If anyone needs a good dentist, let me know.

Thanks to Mel for taking Quinci for 8 (eight) hours yesterday and for making us yummy dinner while juggling three rambunctious kids!! She is one fantastic friend! I have been beyond blessed with the friends I had before coming to the promised land (Queen Creek ;o) and the amazing ones that I have been fortunate enough to make since we've moved. Thanks for making this pregnancy and my life bearable!

So, Here I sit...

I would like to point out that it is currently 12:27AM and I am sitting here at the computer. What is wrong with this picture????? I am pregnant with twins and SHOULD be getting my beauty sleep (ok, ok, at least just regular sleep!) Right?? No, no, no not me. I have #@*&%$# restless legs and can NOT fall asleep before 3:30am to SAVE MY LIFE!! Right now, that is about where I am. I have contemplated several different avenues to accomplishing this; however, I have found that every one of them would indeed cause more pain in the long run. Not to mention, what it might do to the beautiful babies growing inside me. AAAAAHHHHHHH!

This restless leg thing is easily the worst part of this whole fertility/pregnancy process. No, really! My mind and body are sooooooooo tired, but the legs and sometimes arms, just don't get the same message. In fact, they say they want to dance. I AM NOT A DANCER!!! Can someone please tell my legs that?

I am going to write about my European baby-making (no worries, it is all G rated - well maybe, PG) in one of the next few posts so those that are not aware of the lengths we went to to get pregnant, can have a glimpse into my life and what some of us will do to have children. AY AY Ay!!!!

Well enough of the pity party for me. I have GOT to try and go to bed. Will you all say a little prayer for me??

Updates!

Ok. So don't anyone fall over dead that I am actually writing a new post here. I still have to figure out the picture thing but I can at least write a bit. My friends ( I shall name no names but you can look at them in the comment section!) are harrassing me about putting something new in here. What? You don't like reading the comment from 3 months ago over and over and over...



Now that I have started to leave comments on other's blogs, that leaves a trace back to mine and when someone visits...well, there is nothing there! Kind of the story of my life these days!



I am nearing the 23rd week of this twin pregnancy and life is definitely getting a bit more challenging these days. I was talking to my friend Mel this morning (ok, griping as I usually do with my dearest friends! The ones who will love me no matter what!) and reading down the list of changes that are occuring and that are disturbing me and my routine! Yikes! I am sooooo grateful to be pregnant, don't get me wrong, but man is this one ever a doozy! I told Mel that I think Heavenly Father is just making me feel ok about this being our last pregnancy (at least fertility treatment pregnancy). I LOVED being pregnant with Quinci. There was nothing hard about it. It was glorious (until the last 2 weeks and I think that every woman who has ever been pregnant can relate to that!) and I felt great. Now...not so much. I DO love the feeling of these active girls inside (and boy are they active! I am certain that I have at least one more Quinci floating around in there!) and I know I will miss that for sure! Just not sure about all of the other stuff that comes with it. For now, I will just be grateful that I am pregnant and that we will add to our beautiful little family! 2 girls for those of you that didn't know. Yes, that is right, TWO more girls! WHOA! Good thing I have the best husband in the world and the best girl daddy ever!

I will scan our recent u/s pictures when Scott gets home later. The computer is giving me a hard time and when that happens, I back down. I am not stupid, I know when to retreat!

Okay. I finally did it (only because Mel is making me!)

So I decided to join the blog revolution. Not because I thought you would all care about what I had to say but 1) Because my "pushy" friend Melanie (you would laugh if you knew Melanie and how "unpushy" she is!) said that others would actually WANT to read about my life (go figure!) and 2) This is the closest I will get to journaling in this lifetime. I STINK at it! We will see how long this lasts!!