A weekly update...

So, it has been a week since Sarah broke her leg and it feels more like a year. I knew it would be hard to try to go anywhere with both of the girls but I didn't know just how hard. So, here's the routine. Once we have all managed to get ourselves into the car--sweating in the blistering heat--we blast the air conditioner and drive to our destination. Upon arrival, I take a moment just to sit in the car, enjoy the air, and get a few more minutes to rest. Then I grab the stroller or closest shopping cart, drag Sarah out of the car (I think her cast adds another 20 pounds), and put her in the back of the cart because her cast gets caught under the child seat making it almost impossible to pull her out. Meanwhile Avery is unbuckled and loaded in as well. If that is our only errand, we promptly head home where I have to stop the car, open the garage, and pull into the garage. I get out, bang the door on the garage wall and squeeze out the car with my huge belly. I pull Sarah out and try really hard not to close her foot in the car door. I grab the garage door with Sarah on my hip and close it causing the garage to be completely dark. Sarah and I stumble to the light as Avery is working her way out of the car screaming about the dark and how I am leaving her. Once inside, Sarah gets put on the ground while I make a dozen trips unloading the car. Because we go through this routine at least once a day, I wonder how I could have gained any weight this pregnancy.

The nice thing is that even though Sarah has been experiencing a lot of frustration with not being able to get around like she used to, she has learned to crawl. It looks pretty sad seeing her drag her leg behind her, but it makes her happy. She has figured out how to get in and out of bed and even down the stairs. It is no wonder she is so exhausted by nap time and bed time. I still do my share of carrying her around so it is no wonder I am so exhausted by nap time and bed time.

Of all the Luck!

This weekend, I shouldn't be here. I am supposed to be childless and hanging out with my college buddies in Salt Lake City. We had a temple trip, a spa trip, a birthday party, shopping and eating out all planned for our weekend together. Not to mention all the laughing, crying and talking we do when we get together. I love my friends and was very sad when I had to cancel my trip to see them this morning.

You may ask why I would pass up such a wonderful trip? I tell you, it was just bad timing and bad luck. Yesterday, as I was folding laundry in preparation for my trip, Avery and Sarah decided it would be fun to jump off the ottoman in my room pretending they were jumping in the water. Well, Avery got a little too excited about jumping and leaped off the ottoman before Sarah could move out of the way. Sarah screamed. I freaked out and an hour later we found out in the urgent care that she had a broken leg. All they could do was put a splint on and refer us to a orthopedic surgeon. As I watched Sarah giggle all the way home last night as a result of the morphine, I knew I couldn't leave her helpless and without her mom all weekend after such a traumatic event.

She was pretty traumatized at the urgent care last night but we faced a whole new round of screaming this morning at the specialist's office. Fortunately the break did not require anything more than a cast. It could always be worse right?


Brave Sarah trying to smile with a broken leg and crazy hair.


She calls it the big purple bandaid.

Happy Birthday Avery!

Elisabeth Avery turned four years old yesterday. I love to see the excitement little children have on their birthdays. Avery was no exception. I don't think she stopped smiling all day. We started the day with birthday pancakes then got ready for church. The primary sang to her and she got to help during sharing time. We let her open some presents when we got home from church. We had her big family party later that evening. She felt pretty special all day long.

Avery, The birthday Princess!


Playing with her new toys.


Making her Birthday wish


Sarah waiting for the cake

Thank You Eduard!

If you pay any attention to the weather, you might have noticed the tropical storm Eduard we just experienced down here. I had just finished complaining about the heat and lack of rain when it hit. When I heard it was coming I made all the neccessary preparations--gas, flashlights, and food. I have to admit, though, I was pretty excited. We spent yesterday indoors enjoying the lack of sun and cooler weather the storm brought. And it rained all day long!!! I am so grateful for all the rain we got and so are my plants and the grass. Well, it wasn't nearly as bad a storm as we thought it would be. That was the best severe weather I could have asked for.

It's TOO HOT!

When I was ten, my mom was pregnant with my little sister in the dead of the summer in Mississippi. She used to walk around the house saying, "It's too hot." Not only was it what she said that me and my siblings found funny but how she said it--in this high pitched, dramatic fashion. We have never let her forget and often look back on those days giggling at Mom's intense reaction to the heat that summer.

Well, now it's my turn. This is my third pregnancy taking place in the summer and the most miserable by far. I was pregnant with Avery in Virginia and with Sarah in SLC/St. Louis. This is by far the hottest place we have ever lived. With temperatures in the high 90s, high humidity, and very little rain, I am almost positive I cannot possibly survive the summer. I hate the heat and I hate being outside. My body temperature is at least 10 degrees higher than normal and I am tired of sweating all the time. So I walk around the house the same way my mother did 20 years ago complaining that "It's too hot." Yes, I am dramatic about it and yes I position myself under the fan with the air conditioner on every chance I get. I can finally empathize with my poor mother.