I forgot to mention

Did you know that you can see contractions on an ultrasound? There was a small black void on the screen. When I asked what it was the perinatologist casually said it was a contraction. I had no idea those were things you could actually see!

We're having a....

Yeah, I don't know. Doug and Donna know. Anyone wanna take bets on how long that will last? I am actually enjoying it so far. It's only been 6 hours, but still. I know Doug will slip up. My cervix looked long and closed. Here's a tip for any of you trying to increase your cervical length for an ultrasound. Have a full bladder. For some reason, it adds length, albeit fake length, to your cervical length. It measured 4 cm. I'm not sure my cervix has ever been that long, which is why I believe the bladder thing. So far no bedrest, so for that I am grateful. I really like my perinatologist, so if somehow he wants to be my OB, that would work. Ha, I know. The baby looked healthy, which is always a huge sigh of relief. I wish any of my doctors would ever have the same answers to my questions. I get to have another ultrasound in a few weeks when we reach viability!

Merry Christmas

This was one of the first snows of the season. The kids loved it. They played out there for a good half hour, just running around. Now there's much more (though nothing compared to Spokane, I know) so it's harder to run around. Though Ben does love to put his boots on and tromp around until his hands get too cold from all the snow eating.

Ben is big into legos lately, plus I just think this is a funny picture. He will play all by himself, something Charlotte just started doing as well. Charlotte loves to get dressed up in her ballet outfit (a church dress and tap shoes) and take her baby to the store. She enjoys changing her clothes multiple times a day. Here she is with her baby, one of the many.

Doug and the kids love to go sledding in the backyard. I'm not technically on bedrest yet (it helps that my dr hasn't checked anything since the cerclage was put in) but I figure that sledding is one of those no nos anyway. My ultrasound got postponed cuz of stupid insurance. I will be having a drs appt on Tuesday and my ultrasound on Wednesday. I have an appt with a different doctor but I could not get in til the middle of January so we will see.

So forgive the picture of a picture but I thought it was worth showing. We went and waited for a half hour to meet Santa but I'm cheap. I wasn't going to pay 20 bucks for a single picture. Ben had smashed his head into the corner of the chest of drawers and it started gushing blood. The first bandaid I could find was blue and he would not let me take it off. So off to see Santa we went. One of Santa's elves tried to get me to buy a picture to commemorate the bandaid, but I still wouldn't do it. So she gave it to me for free so that I could scrapbook it. I didn' t have the heart to tell her I don't scrapbook. Blogging is scrapbooking, right?


Christmas was great this year because Charlotte really understood what was going on. We spent much of our time going from house to house. It's weird to have so much family around. Charlotte and Ben sure love having so many people to love them. We got to have dinner with my father, then dinner with my grandparents and Mom's family, then dinner with Doug's family and then breakfast with my family. Bob and Donna (Doug's parents) were here for a few days and the kids just love them. We did not spoil our kids too much this year, but my family did.


This isn't the best picture, but we had a Burke family pig out and Grandma Donna got Hannah Montana costumes for the girls and pirate costumes for the boys. The girls loved singing Christmas sons for the crowd. I was still working out the red eye on the camera and all the kids have blue eyes. We sure enjoyed seeing so much of our family lately. I hope you all enjoyed this Holiday season, even if you did have too much snow.

Here's a picture of the whole Burke Family pig out. I've got my pregnant fat face stated, I know, I shouldn't whine...... Aunt Debbie in the middle is also pregnant after many struggles. I honestly could not be happier for them. It helps that we are only six weeks apart so my baby has a close cousin. But still, we are so excited!!!

BYU game

We got tickets to a BYU game that was at 5 pm so we were finally able to bring our kids. Most times the games are at 8, and tired kids at a basketball game don't equal fun to me. We got to go up to the Energy Solutions Arena. The kids were really good. It helped that we kept giving them food. What's a game without popcorn? Afterwards we went and saw the lights at Temple Square. I believe we all would have enjoyed them more if it had been warmer.
We went to try and find Santa at a mall but were unsuccessful. But the mall was great fun. It had poppy water and a huge Christmas tree. I believe the highlight of the night was when I fell heading up the stairs at the game. I swear 100 people saw me. Luckily I didn't get hurt.



Here is a picture of our beautiful tree. We have already lost 3 ornaments...




Here is Doug's belated Halloween Costume. He was, of course, the Hulk.


The kids love the snow, though luckily this is the most we've had so far. I don't think our luck is going to last much longer.

I have my ultrasound on Tuesday. I'm trying not to find out what we're having. I'm not sure I can stick to my guns about it. Hopefully all is well. They should also be measuring cervical length, so we'll see how it goes.

Help wanted

So I've been trying to decide what to get the kids for Christmas. They don't really need any new toys, I know that. I don't want to buy them something just to buy it. Anyone have any great ideas for toys that I'm not thinking of? I'm going to go to the dollar store and get lots of little things. Will that be enough for a 3 and 1 year old? Charlotte is really excited about Christmas this year.....Do I have to buy them big things? Any comments appreciated

Halloween

I know, I know it's late. But at least it's here at all. Our camera has died and so I have had to rely on the kindness of others' cameras. They gave me these weeks and weeks ago. I am just a slacker.


Marla was still figuring out how to use her new camera phone. Charlotte went with her friend Nicole. Charlotte was Tigger and her friend Nicole was a cat. We went over to Cedar Hills and trick or treated with them. Charlotte didn't complain the whole time. We brought a stroller for Ben which proved handy. Ben was a Bee. When you asked him what he was he'd say "bug"




here is my last minute costume from Marla. Doesn't she look great as an angel?


The kids had a great time. Charlotte and I also went to a UVSC Halloween party with Erin and Peyton but I'm still trying to figure out how to get those. Patience. I might get there.

Cerclage

I had my cerclage placed this morning. I was going to have it under conscious sedation (I would feel some pain but I would not remember it afterwards) but after I threw up at the hospital, they decided that was bad. I guess if I threw up while sedated I could get it stuck in my lungs. So I had to choose between a spinal and general anestesia. I chose general. I like waking up and having it all done. I was out of the hospital in 3 hours. Now start all the fun restrictions. No laundry, no picking up Ben, no baths, etc. I am 15 weeks now and hoping that the morning sickness will stop soon.

Man, Time Flies

Well, it really flies when you sit in bed all day. Yes, it's that time again, that wonderful morning sickness. We've had some great friends who have taken my kids in the morning so I can throw up in peace. Now that I'm feeling better my kids are begging me to go back to the Hams and the Cowdells. My house just isn't cool enough. I'm 13 weeks now and I can't believe how spoiled I was with my old OB. My good friend Shiela recommended Dr Richards years ago and he was wonderful through losing Evelyn and making sure Ben and Charlotte got here safe. I don't think I'll ever feel as safe with another doctor. I keep getting conflicting information from the drs I have seen down here, which worries me. We are going in for a detailed ultrasound on the 11th of November and then assuming all looks well, we'll schedule my cerclage. Doug has been amazing. He comes home from work and takes the kids right away to give me a break. In other news, Doug is done with math in school, which I'm so grateful for. Me being his tutor has proven a good test for our marriage. Halloween post to follow!

Grandma Mary bought sponge curlers for Charlotte's hair and I was really excited to try them in her hair. She didn't even mind sleeping in them. I took the curlers out and took that picture. Then she demanded that I brush them out. She didn't even make it to church with the curls. I was so sad.

Just playing around the other day. Don't they look sweet?

This was how Ben danced for a while. He has already grown out of it, so I'm glad we were able to catch it on camera. And yes, my house normally is that messy. Charlotte is in a puzzle mode. Ben is in destruction mode. Some mothers of boys tell me this is not a phase, but just a male thing. So Charlotte will finish a puzzle and Ben will beg to "knock, knock". Charlotte is really patient with him. He really still only says one phrase or word at a time. I'm sure he could do more, he just seems content. He says what he needs to say and nothing more.

Charlotte has really enjoyed taking pictures with the camera, but I'll spare you the pictures. Just know she does a great job!

This picture's just funny. Charlotte is still hesistant about preschool as she is sure the "fire department" (smoke detector) is going to go off and so doesn't want to go. Last time a tractor was beeping while backing up and she assimilates the two. Still working on trying to figure that one out cuz she has a great time when she does go. Congratulations to our good friends the Newmans. They had their little baby Zackary. Mom had no pain medication. I asked Doug if he thought I was strong enough to do that. He kinda agreed to that but said that it wouldn't be an enjoyable experience. I guess to him me screaming and squeezing the life out of his hand doesn't make for an enjoyable birthing experience. I understand.

Preschool and Twilight

So I finally just discovered these books. Where have I been, I don't know. I read all of them last week. And yes, they're cheesy but I love them. I'm always a sucker for a good love story. I used every nap time and bed time to cram them in, and I'm glad I'm done. I'm a little angry that the author is being pouty about the 5th book and is refusing to finish. But then again, what do I know? I'm not an author.
I'm glad I've had those books because Ben has decided to hit his terrible twos early. He's driving us nuts. Yes, I know I've said that before, but it's still true. He is amazingly funny still though. Today Charlotte and I went to Old McDonalds and played (McDonalds) and ran some errands while Doug and Ben watched the football game and had some good bonding time. Charlotte and I ran into all sorts of family today. We love living close to so much family.
But the biggest news is that Charlotte started preschool. Doug's cousin Shauna lives in Lehi and had an opening. Charlotte loves it. I'm still a little iffy. It's a long drive and it's hard to leave her. Plus, Ben still hates the car. Anyway, she is so excited. She woke up at 3:30 Tuesday morning all ready to go. It's all I can do to keep her in the house til 9:30. She has made friends with the boys already, which doesn't surprise me. It's amazing to me how much she loves it. This way too, Ben and I get some one on one time.I don't have any pictures yet to post, but Shauna took some so I hope to have some soon.
Doug had an ok time in St Joe for work, though no one loves 4 hours of sleep a night. It's gotten colder here which I'm oddly sad about. I didn't realize I liked blazing heat. Anyway, that's about it for now

Dinosaur Museum

We went to Thanksgiving Point's dinosaur museum the last Tuesday of the $2 deals. The kids had a good time, but it was definitely not worth the $8 or $10 it normally is. Well, I wasn't a big fan, but judging by all the pictures of dead dinosaur bones Doug took, I think he rather enjoyed it. I won't bore you with too many of those here. The above picture is Jaden, our ever energetic neighbor. He always makes sure the kids have more fun.


I'd love to actually see a turtle this big, so I was fairly impressed with this one.


Looking past the snot, it's a pretty cute picture, though I'm not biased. We somehow managed to forget the stroller so Ben spent half of the time on my hip. He is, though, much more outgoing than Charlotte. It's easy to love both kids because I love them both for different reasons. Charlotte is sweet and timid and nurturing, just like I was. Ben, on the other hand, is a ham and bold and runs into situations I would never try.

The whole trip took a little over an hour. Charlotte loved the star tunnel and the sandy water and Ben loved digging for fossils. I'm not sure how much they learned about the evolution of the earth, but I'm not worried!

Bad Mommy

So on Monday night we went over with Charlotte what you should do for different disasters like earthquakes, fires and tornadoes (Doug informed me the best place for a tornado is in the tub...did not know that). We talked about when the fire alarm goes off you should run to the nearest door and to the mailbox. Genius Mommy then had Daddy "go to the kitchen" and set off the fire alarm. She had never heard it before and I wanted to make sure she knew what to do. She ran outside with me and Ben and waited very carefully for the firemen to come. We finally convinced her it was just a drill and I thought we were done. Now anytime she goes into or out of her bedroom she needs to have someone with her because she's sure the alarm is going to go off again. She actually seems fairly terrified that it's going to make that horrible noise. It's been 3 days now and it shows no sign of letting up. She woke up from her nap this afternoon and wouldn't leave her bedroom because of the fire detector. Some would say I shouldn't complain about this.......but it's the principal of the matter. I can't remember her being afraid of anything so much. Ideas?

Boating

We had the wonderful opportunity to go boating with some friends of ours that we met back in Spokane, the Bradleys. Charlotte is friends with their little girl Nicole and her mom Marla is honestly the nicest person I know.

Nicole's Dad, Jared, let Charlotte steer the boat with her. She felt oh so important. Plus, we didn't crash so that's always good.



Ben doesn't ever like to stay still so it didn't surprise us that every time they cut the engine Ben ran back to the end of the boat so he could jump off into the water. Ever fearless. He saw the girls diving and put his hands together like their so he could jump off.


Charlotte eventually decided that the water wasn't too bad. Much to our surprise, her favorite part was tubing. She would have gone all day if we had let her. The whole time she asked to go faster and go back and forth over the badump (the wake) and she never got scared. She even sat all by herself.


Ben got sunburned a little on his face, but luckily I got sunburned the worst. Charlotte and Doug escaped with little more than a tan.

Doug and Jared were bruised for days afterwards when Marla flung them off the tube. They flipped and hit the water twice before finally splashing in. Doug said it felt like he got hit by 2 by 4s. Marla and I managed to stay on our tube the whole time, though I bet that had more to do with Jared's kindness than our skill. We also got to kneeboard, though it wasn't half as fun as the tubing.


We're in the middle of a sickness. Both Ben and Charlotte have had fevers for two nights. But that didn't stop us from going to the Highland Parade where we picked up oodles of candy. Of course, we'll end up eating more of it than the kids, but that's the way it goes, right?

Vacation Continued

Yes, I know I'm a slacker. Doug's vacation seems like forever ago. Doug's cousin owns a few horses and his wife took us over to go see his horses. They were the friendliest horses I had ever met. We were unable to ride them, and I think I enjoyed the horses the most, but it's the thought that counts, right? We fed them lots of weeds and lasted as long as we could in the heat.





We also took the kids on their first train ride. Well, not really a train, TRAX, but they'll never know the difference! Charlotte loved it. Ben thought it was wonderful because he was able to sit on Mommy's lap.


Here's Daddy and Charlotte on the train.


We took the kids up to Temple Square. We've been here 10 months now and just finally made it up there. We took the tour of the Conference Center and the Visitors Center. Charlotte, through the whole thing, kept asking when we were going to ride the train again.


This one is my favorite

Between Doug and I our kids didn't stand a chance of being able to open their eyes for pictures.


Here's Charlotte in the gardens


Here's a great picture of the Temple that Doug took.

You know you made something good when

Happy Kids

A little while ago a friend of mine stopped by with her 2 month old baby. Both of my kids were in heaven. Ben was just giddy and kept asking to hold the baby. Of course, the baby was actually just laid on Ben, but that didn't matter. Charlotte was very good about holding the baby. You can see that the poor baby wasn't too excited about the whole thing.


Doug had a week off a while back. We're poor, so we didn't do much. But we did go bowling. The children loved it. Thank goodness for bumpers and the rolling ramp.

Ben now thinks he has to squint whenever we take a picture to get ready for the flash, so we have to try to find creative ways to get him to keep his eyes open. Doug did awesome at bowling and we all had a great time. Grandma Donna was also with us that week and we loved having her around.

Happy Belated Father's Day

Happy Belated Fathers Day to all you Dads out there and all you wonderful uncles and grandfathers. We are blessed to have many wonderful "fathers" in our lives. But by and large the best Father is our Daddy.


He always finds time to be with the kids and makes them feel important. Family has always come first in his life and my kids and I know that.


When he comes home from work he can't wait to see the kids and hear what they've been up to. He gives me breaks from the kids when he knows I need it. He doesn't put "his" time before us. I am so grateful to have him in my life. My kids wouldn't be the wonderful little people they are without him. Thanks Daddy!

Singing

Charlotte has found a songbook her size and has decided to lead us in music. She makes up her own songs, it's the cutest thing. This one is her favorite song to sing.



Ben's squinting because he doesn't realize it's the video and not the camera. He's bracing himself for the flash.

Here's Ben enjoying the wonder that is coolwhip.

On the top of his head is a scar from where he fell off the concrete steps. It happened in slow motion almost, but luckily didn't do too much damage. On Thursday he knelt down on a manhole and gave himself 2nd degree burns down 75% of his shins. He was so brave. He cried for about thirty seconds and that was it. Me, I would have been screaming forever.

Here's a pic of the bandage we have to put on his leg. I'd show you a pic of the burn, but it really grosses me out. I could never be a nurse. I'm so proud of people like Erin who do that for a living.

I've tried rather unsuccessfully to update our blog page. I guess all I can say is I gave it an honest effort. We're just plugging along here. Doug's math class is kicking his butt, but he's over halfway there. It's too hot and I can't wait for fall....I think that's it!

found it!

Here are Sam and Charlotte finger painting. Does cleanup and prep for this always take longer than the actual process?



Here's younger brother Isaac sliding down the mattress, a favorite pasttime.



Ben is the only one who will really run through the sprinklers. The other kids pretend, screaming as they get sprinkled with the least amount of water. But Ben gets in there. He loves water. We often turn on the hose outside and he'll water the lawn for 10 minutes or so. I know, good for the grass too. As Charlotte prefers to run bare bumed through the sprinklers, we don't have too many pictures of her available.



Here's our ever faithful guard kitty

Ben's up gotta run