Nesting has kicked in!

This picture was actually taken 3 weeks ago, so I was at 33 weeks.  I can't believe how much bigger I am now!

We are getting so excited for the arrival of our little boy!  I can tell it is getting close because my nesting instincts are really strong right now.  There are two things I said in this life that I would never do and they were sewing and giving birth naturally.  I for some reason have had this overwhelming desire to do both.  My sister-in-law let me borrow her sewing machine when I made the smocks for the kids and then after Christmas I just thought why not just try it.  I went out and bought fabric to make a car seat cover and nursing cover.  I got started on the car seat canopy right away and finished it that night.  It was the very first project I did completely on my own without any help and was so proud of myself!  I know it is so simple, but I never thought I could do it.  I still haven't started the nursing cover, because I got side tracked in making a rag quilt for Erik.  Rag quilts are the perfect beginner sewing project because you can't really mess it up.  I thought for sure that it would look terrible when I got done, but because of the rags you can't really see the glitches.  I will post pictures with this entry as soon as I get some.  I have been terrible with the camera lately.

I really am not trying to announce that I am giving birth naturally to get everyone to think I am trying to brag or be tough, because this is really my journal and I have had a really neat experience preparing for this baby that I don't want to forget.  I have really bonded with this little one already and I am so excited to have an incredible experience without drugs getting in the way.  Of course I don't think the epidural is bad and for others, it is better for them.  I used to think that I could never give birth naturally, but comparing Bria's birth where I had the epidural to Erik's birth where I had to do it naturally, I actually thought that the natural birth was a better experience for me.  I felt everything and going from the most extreme pain I have ever been in to absolute heaven was an amazing experience.  I was more alert and I got to get up right away and be with my baby.  I got to bathe him and we just seemed to bond faster because there weren't any drugs getting in the way.  I knew that with this labor, I probably would have the same situation where I wouldn't have time to get the epidural, so I decided to prepare myself in doing it naturally and have an even better experience.  Derek and I are so excited to be in absolute control and to do this together with our little one.  I have been practicing the Hypno birthing method and have learned that fear makes the pain so much worse.  I have convinced myself now that I am not scared to do this and I can't wait to go through this experience.

Little Artists

Best Christmas present Santa brought!  The kids love painting and we have been having so much fun!

Christmas Afternoon at Grandma's

Christmas afternoon, we headed over to Grandma and Grandpa's house for dinner.  Grandma always gives the best presents!  Whatever Grandma gives Bria, she just treasures it more than anything!  She loves her grandparents.  

 Here we all are gearing up for the yearly Christmas program.  The grandkids sing fun songs first and then my sister, Holly narrates the birth of the Savior and in between we have musical numbers.  My favorite is when my grandpa sings his solo.  His voice brings back so many childhood memories and so much comfort.  He is so amazing.

Some of the kids singing and performing.  When all the kids sang, I was video recording it and that is why I don't have Erik in there.  I also took a video of Erik's solo performance and didn't get a picture.  He decided he wanted to perform on the piano and after he sat on the bench, he turned to all of us and stated, "Jingle Bells" and then on he went singing and playing Jingle Bells.  It was so funny!

We always have a good time together as a family and are so blessed to have each other.  I am so grateful for my family and love them so much.

Christmas Morning

Every year I make myself sick on Christmas because I get so excited that my body just can't handle it!  This year I tried to keep it under control, but it was so hard!  The kids woke up and came in to get us.  Bria was so jittery, we could hardly keep her on the ground!  Erik was just giggling because of all the anticipation.  When I was a little kid, we always sat on the stairs until our parents told us we could come down.  I remember they always took FOREVER!  Get the video camera set up, turn on the music, the lights.  I think it is so funny how we parents just do the same thing to our kids.  Here is Bria and Erik on the stairs in complete torture!

When we gave the okay, the kids came down a little more carefully than last year.  We were kind of disappointed that they weren't just tripping down the stairs and not noticing like they did the previous year! They first dug into their stockings.

Bria had a yo-yo in her stocking and Erik was so jealous.  The yo-yo from the dollar store ended up being his favorite toy and it wasn't even his!  We tried to hide it, but he would just cry, "Yoi yoi!"  Bria got the one thing the she asked for: Sleeping Beauty!  She was so excited, she didn't know what to do other than throw herself around while screaming, "I got Sleeping Beauty!"

Bria also got a digital camera, which she wanted so badly.  She took 300 pictures on the first day!  She loves taking pictures!  She also got an Easy Bake Oven with a bunch of little cookware.  Bria loves to cook, so she was ecstatic when she found out that she got to make her own little treats!

Erik got a leaptop, guitar, and binoculars.  He had the binoculars around his neck all morning looking through the wrong side, but whatever works!

Both of the kids got an easel and all the equipment to go with it.  I even made them smocks!  Shocking, since I have never been able to make anything all by myself if a needle and thread are involved, but somehow I did it and am excited to sew more in the future.

After the kids opened their presents, Aunt Teresa and Uncle Duane came over for our Christmas breakfast.  We had french toast, pineapple, grapefruit and some yummy orange julius.

We just relaxed all morning and played with all the toys.  It was so fun to not have to rush anywhere and just be together as a family.  Our Christmas morning couldn't have gone better!  We are so grateful for all the blessings we have, especially for such fun little kiddos!

Christmas Eve and Happy Birthday DEREK!

I love Christmas Eve because it is so exciting with all the anticipation of all the magic that is about to happen, of course the spirit of the true meaning of Christmas and because it is my husband's birthday.  For his birthday, I got him a pasta maker, by far the best present I have ever gotten him!  He was ecstatic about it!  Not many people are like this, but for his birthday, he wanted to cook all day and make everything from scratch.  It is a tradition now in our family that on Christmas Eve, we have a complete homemade lasagna, including the noodles being made from scratch.  Derek was like a little kid playing with play dough!  He hardly let us have a chance at it!

 Here are his very first noodles.

We had Derek's sister and her family over to celebrate Christmas Eve.  It was so fun to see our kids and their cousins running around the house with so much excitement!  We had an amazing dinner thanks to Derek.  I made a salad and set the table!  In my defense, Derek would rather be the one doing all the cooking.  I just clean up after him:)

The adult table:

 and the kid's table.  Erik had to wear that costume the whole night!

 After dinner, we decorated the gingerbread house.  Of course the kids ate most of the candy, but I think it turned out pretty good since they did it all themselves!

Then we had some dancing...

Derek made his own birthday pie and it was absolutely amazing!  We put candles in it and sang to him.

 Then the kids gave him 32 spanks!  Everyone was laughing hysterically!

Then the kids got to open their presents from Grandma and Grandpa Anderson.  It is a tradition that they get pajamas from them and they wear them to bed Christmas Eve.  It was really fun having all the cousins open them together and get in their jammies.

All the Grandkids in their adorable jammies.  Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

Then it was time to say goodbye to the cousins and get to bed so Santa could come!  I went downstairs after the kids were fast asleep to make sure he came and he sure did!

My early Christmas present

I have been wanting a mixer for a while now and I think all my hinting was a little too much for Derek!  Funny thing is, though, I think he wanted it more than I did!  Derek is always so good at keeping surprises, but this year, it was impossible because of all my hinting and of course he needed to get the right thing so we talked about what would be best for us.  We decided on the compact bosch mixer and we love it!  He did find a fun way to give it to me though.  I was sewing at the table and he came in the kitchen and started making all this noise.  I thought he was popping popcorn, but when I went over to see what he was up to, he had my bosch all set up and going!  I was so excited because I wanted it for the holidays to make treats.    We used it almost every single day just cooking up a storm!  Derek and I love being in the kitchen together.

This is my very first loaf of bread which I was so proud of!

And Derek made his mom's famous cinnamon knots which turned out so amazing!

I can't believe we have lived without a mixer this long!  Making cookies is a breeze and we have had so much fun making pizza and rolls.  Such a fun Christmas present!