40 Weeks...and counting!

It's official! The due date has come and gone, and I'm growing more insane by the hour :) Not really. I'm just anxious to see and hold him, and to feel a bit more comfortable. Here are some random facts about this pregnancy:

*Haven't exercised since December! This has been my greatest challenge, and has affected my emotions more than anything else this time around--definitely tough! Can't wait to have a healthy, functioning sciatic nerve so I can get those endorphins flowing through me again!

*Total weight gain: 26 pounds (4 more than my last pregnancy, but still pretty good considering how sedentary I've been)!

* I've been measuring between 2 and 4 weeks ahead the entire time, yet here I sit...overdue. Those numbers don't mean anything :)

*I was induced with Annabelle on her due date. This time I want to go into labor naturally, at the right time for my body. However, my doctor won't let me go beyond 41 weeks, so I'm praying he'll come on his own before next week!

*I have been so blessed with a healthy pregnancy and normal test results. I think it's easy to take these little details for granted, but it truly is a miracle and a blessing to have a full-term, healthy baby.

*I felt this baby move during the EXACT same week as I did with Annabelle: 22 weeks.

*I didn't have any strong cravings or aversions with this pregnancy. With Annabelle I had LOTS of aversions and ZERO cravings. So weird!

*I feel more relaxed and prepared going into this labor and delivery. I feel I now have more experience and knowledge to make my own choices, if that makes sense.

*I'm so blessed to have Josh as my husband, and as the father of our children. He is amazing with babies and ours are so lucky to have him. He has been incredibly patient with me throughout this pregnancy--that's all I'll say :) Ha ha. He's a Champ!

Can't wait to write about the baby's arrival! C'mon little guy--mommy wants to see you!

Congratulations Graduate!

Annabelle recently graduated from her "Super Beast" class at The Little Gym! She did so well, and loved it. During her final class, she was so excited to show-off all her tricks to an adoring audience which included her mommy, daddy, Grandma and Mimi. What a blessing to have such strong support and unconditional love! She even made Mimi come into class and follow her around so she could show her everything she'd learned.

She came a long way this semester, mastering her forward rolls, bear crawl, bear walks on the uneven bars, slides, gallops, monkey jumps, donkey kicks, sideways and forward walks on the beam, hanging from the rings unassisted, and LOTS of different JUMPS--her favorite! She loves to jump off the tall mats, jump in circles, jump with her arms in the air, jump off the mat and hang from the rings, etc. She often reminds me that "Annabelle's talent is jumping!"

We had a great time together this semester. It makes me sad that she'll be on her own in the fall, old enough to be out of the mommy-and-me class :( I loved being able to participate with her, to hear all her funny little comments, to help her a little along the way. At least we can keep up our little ritual of lunch at McDonald's after class with Grandma. We all love that! :)

Congratulations Annabelle! We are so proud of you and how much you've grown in your physical and listening skills. We LOVE you and can't wait to watch you progress next semester!

Congratulations Annabelle!
"I love reaching for the bubbles!"
"Get my toes!"

"I love to jump off this red mat and hang from the rings!"

Bear walks across the uneven bars--this took her about half the semester to master!

Jumping off the tall mat onto the green dot

"Do you like all my skills Mimi?"

"A monkey says "Ahh-Ahh-Ahh"

"Call on me! I know the answer"

"Trains are fun, especially when I'm surrounded by lots of boys!"

"Thank you Miss Kim! I LOVE you!"

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day! We LOVE you Josh, and appreciate all of your love in return. You are a hard-working, strong, loving, caring, tender, committed, devoted, helpful, active, and WONDERFUL father. Thank you for all you do, and for your powerful example in our home. Love: Robyn and Annabelle

A Weekend Away

Josh and I decided to sneak away this past weekend for some much-needed family R&R! We headed up to Park City with Annabelle, and ended up having a wonderful, relaxing time. We left on Friday night after Josh came home from work, and drove to the hotel. It was beautiful and rainy--pouring rain! But yes...BEAUTIFUL! Annabelle had been extremely anxious all day for daddy to get home so we could go to the hotel. I almost thought she wouldn't make it--that she'd fall asleep on her bed from exhaustion before he got home! Needless to say, she was so happy to finally get there, to find our room, and to explore everything it had to offer. Josh and I simply relaxed a bit, then we all snuggled into the king-sized bed and went to sleep.

On Saturday morning we ate some breakfast, then headed to the pool--Annabelle LOVES "the poo" (she hasn't quite mastered the "L" sound yet, which always provides us with lots of laughs)! Josh and Annabelle had some great bonding time in the pool--playing peek-a-boo under the water, dancing together to all the princess songs, learning how to blow bubbles, and much much more. My maternity swimsuit is somewhere stuck in storage; my neighbor's is in the same place, and I just couldn't justify buying another one when I'm due in 2 weeks. I'm very much excited to take a plunge with them after the baby comes! I still had a wonderful time watching how cute they were together and how much she was enjoying her time with her daddy. I snapped LOTS of pictures and got in some good reading as well--time enjoyed and well spent!

Pool time was followed by nap time. Annabelle and I took a wonderful nap while Josh took the opportunity to read. The remainder of the afternoon was spent playing in our room, reading, talking, just hanging out together. That night, we met up with some friends (guys Josh served with in Afghanistan) for dinner. One of the guys was having a birthday party at his parents' house in Park city, and since we happened to be in the area, it worked out perfectly! It was fun to see the guys and their wives again. Annabelle also had fun playing mommy and big sister to the 2 little babies that were there--she is going to be such a darling sister to her new brother!

Our little vacation came to a close on Sunday. We drove home and spent time with family, which is always a nice little close to the weekend. I'm so glad we took the opportunity to go! It was just what I needed--a little break to relax and recharge for the weeks ahead.

The view from our room--the clouds and rain were so pretty!
Ready to go!

"Hey Good-Lookin!"

"Where's Daddy? There he is!"

"I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream..."

How cute are they?

"Daddy is my Prince"

Blowing Bubbles

"Hi mom!"

Can't wait to go again!

This is the Place

We recently took a little day trip to "This is the Place Heritage Park." I had never been there, but thought it'd be fun for Annabelle, who LOVES train rides and pony rides! I was right! She loved it, and I loved it as well! The weather was so beautiful--warm, but with a cool breeze. I loved being able to let Annabelle run free without worrying about her getting lost amongst a crowd, getting hit by a car, pulling things off shelves etc. :) The atmosphere was perfect for a stress-free day out. What more could I ask for? It was perfect and I can't wait to go again!

"This is the Place!"

"All Aboard! Choo-Choo!"
"I LOVE trains!"
"Look at my CUTE ponytails! This is the 1st time I've worn my hair like this!"

"I want to wash the clothes! Man...Mommy sure has it easy!"

"I can hang them on the clothesline all by myself!"

"We got to color a picture in this house! I took the opportunity to color...ummm...about...7 pictures during my time here. No need to color details--just scribble a little and move on to the next!"

"What's better than a pony ride? FOUR pony rides WITH cousins! My horse was sad, but Paigey's horse was happy"

"This nice lady let me help feed the sheep! I liked it, then I didn't, then I did, then I didn't. Let's put it this way: I really want to like it, but I don't. And I don't care for the smell either! Yet this is my favorite picture to look at!"

"Look mom they're kissing!"

"I need to run on the bridge. I also like to sing on bridges. They make me very happy!"

"I like turtles and lizards"

Waiting for a ride on the Mini Train. The views were amazing!

"Can we go look at those statues? It's Thomas Monsen!" :)

What a wonderful day! Thanks for joining us mom, Brittany, Paige and Daisy!

I Did It!

"I did it! I earned the 'Green Tiana!' I LOVE princess barbies, and really wanted this one. Mommy said I had to earn it because I already have 'enough' princess barbies (she must've forgot that a little girl like me can NEVER have enough princesses)! Well, I had a choice to make: Do the chores or go without the barbie. Off to work I went, having a great time along the way, singing princess songs as I cleaned, and learning a few new skills in the process (such as how to use a rake and water plants)! After I helped mommy clean my room, helped Grandma in her yard, colored my neighbor a beautiful picture, and had some friends over to share my toys (that one didn't really seem like a chore, but I wasn't going to say anything...Shhhh), mommy took me to Target to get the Green Tiana! I was SO happy! I grabbed her off the shelf and said, 'Let's go back to my house right now!' This picture is of me smiling, right after mommy toook her out of the box. Isn't she beautiful?! I'm already negotiating a job chart for Belle!"

Smithfield 2010

Each year on Memorial Day, we head up to Smithfield, UT for a Smith family reunion (my mom's side of the family). We all meet at the Smithfield Cemetary to put flowers on the graves, then head over to a nearby park where we enjoy a delicious pot luck, visit with cousins, aunts and uncles, and watch all the kids play in the playground. It's a wonderful tradition that I've always loved.

My cousins and I were always very close growing up, even though they lived in Pocatello. We visited A LOT, and I have many fond memories of all us girls choreographing dances out on the lawn and in my grandma's basement, playing in the treehouse and out in the orchard, playing night games with the neighbor kids, and eating delicious meals, ice cream cones and frozen cookies at grandma's house. Smithfield has evolved over the years, and each year brings new experiences. I remember the talent shows we'd have, with everyone coming prepared to show-off their latest routines. This was usually followed by fun times in the playground and a water fight to finish it off. For a few years we'd all enjoy a fun game of baseball together, with my dad bringing enough mits, bats, and balls for over half the family! Some years have been beautiful; some have been so rainy and cold we'd have to leave after spending only 1 hour together! But that never mattered--you NEVER missed!

For as long as I can remember, my grandma has been there; I don't think she ever had to miss due to illness or travel etc. It was her time to see her entire family, to visit her family's graves, and later her husband's grave. She always reserved our pavilion at the park, and brought the chicken for everyone to eat. It's funny because many of the recipes shared in our pot luck are grandma's recipes, but here she was in charge of ordering the KFC! Ha ha :)

This year was different from any previous year thus far in my life. Grandma "Smith" passed away in September. It was empty without her there, and I'd often look over to where her chair was usually set up, half-expecting to see her sitting there smiling with a blanket over her. It was surreal going to the cemetary to visit her grave, and reading "Smith" on the tombstone, as if that were destined to be her little nickname in the later years of her life. It seems so fitting. I know every tombstone has the last name carved into it, but when I look at hers, it feels more special and tender. I hope she was there on Monday--I feel that she was. When Paige, Annabelle, and Daisy sat on her grave, my initial instinct was to get them off, but as they sat there, the feeling came to me that Smith would've been ok with that, that she would be happy to have those 3 little girls so close to her again--on her lap so to speak :) I wish they could've had her around for a little while longer. Annabelle and I were having a little talk in her bed the night before Smithfield. We were remembering Smith, her house, the fun toys she always had for her, Paige and Daisy to play with, the "picnics" on her coffee table, the famous M&M candy jar, always full and waiting for them, and the loves and kisses Smith always gave as we were leaving. The next day Annabelle was certain we'd see her, and that she'd give her M&M's and candy at her grave :) It was cute. I love having these little heart-to-hearts with Annabelle. She has an AMAZING memory and understanding for her age.

This year was wonderful. It felt good to be there, to be there continuing the tradition that meant so much to her throughout her life. It was good to see my cousins again, the weather was BEAUTIFUL, it felt sombering yet peaceful, and when I see the kids making up dances together on the lawn, everything feels full circle. Time goes by way too fast, but I am so grateful our children are experiencing this little slice of tradition and fun. I hope it never stops!

The Bos Family: I'm 36 weeks pregnant!
Annabelle Alyse
Annabelle and Daisy: BFF's when apart, RIVALS when together!

Paige, Annabelle and Daisy saying hi to Smith

Hanging with a new crowd! These are Annabelle's 2nd cousins: Brittany, Emma and Ila

Tiny Tot Baseball! Thanks Ashley for helping Annabelle through her 1st game! She had SO much fun, and was a little addicted to you after she played :)

What a WONDERFUL Memorial Day!