I WAS firmly against 3rd Trimester Pics....

So after 3 pregnancies I made a rule that I am against any 3rd trimester photos of myself! I was serious too! I know that sounds SO vain, but my face just gets so chunky (well other areas as well) but especially my face and I always DESPISE the pictures of myself in my 3rd trimester and at the hospital. But how could I say that when this lovely lady....

my SWEET sister-in-law Sarah

Mom, Sarah, me, my Ella, Hayley, Peyton, April

...decided to throw me a wonderful BABY brunch with some of my bestest friends in the whole world. Including of course, these blood relations of mine, that I call family.....

my sis Hayley holding the BUMP

...and I knew if these super SWEET ladies & great friends came....

Kami and Joyce Newman (dear family friends)

...there was NO WAY I was escaping a CAMERA or having my baby being completly spoiled (if you ever saw Ella's bumble bee room from when she was a baby, yeah that was ALL this talented lady)! I tried to make her swear not to bring a thing, which she didn't listen, but I actually got teary eyed (OK YES I AM PREGNANT, WAY PREGNANT OK) but they made all kinds of custom gifts for baby TATE. And seeing his name on onsies, a quilt, burp clothe, it just made it so special and real for me!!

So despite truly not wanting or needing a darn thing for this baby #3, I sure felt SUPER special with all my special girlfriends showing up to brunch with me! This one....

Kati (now Aleman)

...has been a best friend since Junior High and drove from LA just for brunch...darn I felt so lucky to have such kind friends! Heather my other Jr. High BF got me a massage which is like the best gift EVER that I cannot WAIT to redeem...ahhhhhh!

These two gals (both moms of 3 like I will soon be) came out from Perris...

Katie Bock and Shannon Morris

We all had a WONDERFUL brunch at this place The Avocado House (thanks to Shelly, who also catered our wedding) for giving us special permission to do this little brunch there (they usually don't) but I KNOW she has new customers now, after all the gals who had never been are now IN LOVE (try the cinnamon swirl french toast with caramel sauce, delish)!!!!

My sweet BABY girl (almost 6!!!!!) also came with us girls to the party!

Ella and I

Kami and I

My WONDERFUL mother in-law who LOVES and LIVES for her Grandchildren and has been SUCH A BLESSING in our lives and to our family!

Of course my TWIN, mi Madre

My "adopted" sister Michelle, and one of Hayley's best friends

Vanessa got me this hanging with my PEEPS onsie which I loved because it has THREE peeps!!!

And just after looking at this picture....

Ella with BOTH her Grandmas from BOTH sides of our family (Nana & Grammy)

...I cant help but think HOW BLESSED I AM!! As a mother of (almost 3) my life is just BUSY being MOM. I take the kids to school, pick them up, do homework, play, clean up, make dinner, bedtime and the day is OVER. I rarely hang out with friends (except my husband of course) and despise talking on the phone (most my friends already know that) so I often don't feel like I have many friends. So this special day and brunch just made me feel like the Queen of the WORLD! I felt so spoiled and blessed to have old friends, new friends, family friends, and sisters all there to just hang out with me and celebrate the birth of my special little guy!

Hayley & Amber peeking their heads behind Katie & Shannon

THANK YOU AGAIN TO MY DEAR FRIENDS!

Valentine Heart Activity (we are full of LOVE)

We stole this idea for this cute little activity of creating hearts of things we LOVE, my kids had a blast writing/drawing on the various hearts & then they hung them on the fridge.  

I wrote them all down (see below) too so we can remember what they said, but tried to take a few close up pictures to remember their drawings as well.

Monsters Inc. (Movies)
My teacher (Mrs. Padilla)
Cuckoo Clocks (? we don't even have one)
Myself: Ella (we do try to instill self worth) :)
Daddy, Ella, Asher, Tate (Family)
Swings
Papa Snakes (this was probably my favorite, Asher put that??)
McDonald's (BLAH, my least favorite place to eat, EVER!)
Numbers
Famuley (family)
My friends
Home
House
Tooth Fairy
Mom
Happy Faces
Yosemite
Food
Asher (by Ella, I think my other favorite, with the picture, SO cute)
Grandparents, Cousins, Aunts/Uncles (they wanted me to name them ALL, its a LOT)
Animals
Aunties (Ella adores EVERY one of her aunts like CRAZY)

Caption THIS photo

GIVE ME A CAPTION!!!!



So the other week Chick-fil-A had super hero night. We love doing the various little family night activities around town & especially at Chick-fil-A (remember one of our favorites!).  So Ned made the kids these "SUPER" cool head bands. And I let them make capes out of paper (so they colored the backs) and I was able to trash them at the end of the night. What we didn't plan for was Asher going to the bathroom, losing his pants, running outside (I yelled at him to get shoes as he was running around in his underwear while I talked to the neighbors) and then he put on his rain boots!
So this is what we ended up with (with no help from me).  He is a FUNNY kid and always has been, so he loved that I thought he was hysterical in his super hero costume. Needless to say we did NOT go out of the house like this, but I HAD to take pictures to at least remember this fun time.  You can read a lil bit more about it here and see my cute niece on my sisters blog.

Classic Asher face

Pregnancy Update

How far along? 35 Weeks

Total weight gain: REALLY!?  Well lets just say I am still within range of the recommended gain of 25- 35lbs. but will post this BEFORE my next doctors appt. just in case. :)


Maternity clothes? Refer to question above and figure that one out.


Stretch marks? none yet (from this pregnancy anyway)


Sleep: uh no, when I get up to usually the 3rd time after laying down, at 4ish I usually cant go back asleep (thus the black circles under my eyes)

Best moment this week: getting our new car seat/stroller deal @ Babies R' Us & ordering a new crib.


Miss Anything? being comfortable! (like breathing)

Movement: lots of major movements & kicking like CRAZY still


Food cravings: junk!

Anything making you queasy or sick: thinking about what I eat after I eat it

Gender: Boy


Labor Signs: Have had braxton hicks VERY strongly this pregnancy for months (never with the other 2 pregnancies), but still not regular.


Symptoms: Tired.  Uncomfortable.  Achy muscles (esp. my back). Gosh I sound like a pessimist, sorry!

Belly Button in or out? way out

Wedding rings on or off? still on! :)


Happy or Moody most of the time: Moody with bouts of happiness. :)


Looking forward to: Delivery day. Think I will pack my bags pretty soon. Start washing baby clothes and items. Stocking up a little bit more. It makes me happy and feel more at ease when I DO things to prepare.

Our LITTLE man starts preschool

It still seems a little unreal to me that Asher is old enough to start preschool (we know he isn't BIG enough) but he is on his 2nd week now of preschool and LOVES it! He was so ready.  I think seeing his big sister go to school everyday made him just want to go so bad. So we decided to try to get him started and in a routine before baby #3 hits the house in the next 5 weeks.  So here he is on his first day of preschool, Daddy came too!

His hair looks CRAZY in this picture...

So excited waving to me...

And then the nervous tic (both my kids stick their tongues out when nervous) odd I know...

Thumbs up on the way to his classroom

I spent a morning MAKING MY KIDS DAY being a "good" mom....

....then later spend the rest of the day TRYING NOT TO RUIN MY KIDS DAY saying,  "DON'T....

• don't lay on the couch
• don't wipe your face
• don't go behind the curtains
• don't use your clothes for a cloth

10 weeks to GO...

So I am 30 weeks now, so just about 10 weeks to go. So excited and SO not ready yet (well ready not to be prego anymore, but NOT prepared for an infant in the house yet).  The nesting begins...

Here is our baby boy from the 3rd ultrasound we have had this pregnancy on 12/21/2011...Ned thinks he has my lips already (fuller than his)! :)

Our Hawaiian Christmas Eve-- Mele Kalikimaka

We did have a BRIGHT Hawaiian (themed) Christmas Eve with my family this year...

The luau crew (-me)

Hawaiian Boys

Hammy Family

Todd Crew

Aleman (Shark Attack bloody scene)

Nana & Boppie with the Grand kids

The Boppster & his buddy Asher Bubba Boy