It's a......

Dec. 1 at 4pm-- gender ultrasound!!
Merry Christmas to me!!
Two things for you to do:
1. make your guess (winners get a treat)
2. pray it's a girl (so Katherine can have a sister and they can share a room)

The Christmas tree is up!

It snowed today, so...
we put the Christmas tree and our few Christmas decorations in the house up! It looks beautiful, but I can't find our camera so you have to come visit to see it. But it looks like this (except the bottom half is sans ornaments):

(well, maybe not exactly)

The boys helped and did a great job. The lower half has no ornaments because we have a destructo-baby in the house! I got all the Christmas tree decorations after Christmas last year for really cheap because we didn't really have any ornaments. We also bought a new tree today because we were using the tree that Todd had during his childhood and it was shedding really bad and had seen its last day. We'll put it upstairs for the boys though. The boys asked if they could have it for their children. All that's left is getting a star or an angel for the top and I ordered some candles (we won't light them) to clip on the tree--hopefully they'll be here soon.

Todd and I went on a date last night and did some Christmas shopping. It was so fun looking at girl toys and not just all boy toys! I think you kind of re-live your childhood through them.

By the way, it is possible to celebrate Christmas and Thanksgiving at the same time. Christmas needs to be celebrated for at least two months!!

Being manly

The boys lately have talking about how to be manly lately. The first thing for being manly, is stuffing your mouth with food. The second thing for being manly, is fighting your brother with sticks. I overheard Alex ask Nathan what the 350th thing for being manly is, and Nathan said, "staring at something with your eyes open and not blinking." Wrestling without shirts on is another thing for being manly.

Thanksgiving and Christmas thoughts

This morning we read in Alma 27, when Ammon and his brothers ran into Alma. They were so excited to see each other, it says this:

Alma 27: 17. Now the joy of Ammon was so great even that he was full; yea, he was swallowed up in the joy of his God, even to the exhausting of his strength; and he fell again to the earth.
18. Now was not this exceeding joy? Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness.

We talked about being penitent and a humble seeker of happiness-- about taking the time to think about our blessings and being grateful even for the little things. If you can find joy in the little things, you will be happy. I told them a long time ago, Christmas was a lot different. Kids only got one or two presents, and they were probably homemade presents. Kids were used to this, and they were still happy and excited about Christmas and those humble presents. Now kids write long letters to Santa, and expect lots of elaborate commercial toys. Am I taking away my child's happiness by giving them too much so they can't enjoy the little things? It's hard not to want to give my kids everything they want for Christmas! I wanted to spend $250 on Alex and Nathan for Christmas, but Todd said he wanted to do $200 so we don't go overboard.

The only two presents I ever remember growing up, is the Christmas I got my flute and the Christmas Allison made me a soft purple scarf. Those are also the only two presents that I still have.

To help them be penitent and humble seekers of happiness, I can help them find joy in decorating the Christmas tree as a family, listening to Christmas music, doing fun Christmas projects together, etc. -- simple joys of Christmas.

Having Thanksgiving first, we can focus on being thankful for the little things we have and continue that into the Christmas season.

Happy Halloween!

Park City condo 2009

Todd's parents have a timeshare in Park City every Oct. and the family gets together and spends the weekend/week together. We all look forward to it every year.

Pumpkin carving:
Alex's:
Nathan's:

Katherine in the bath after eating a brownie sundae:

This year it snowed while we were there. It was very pretty:

The boys in the hot tub while it's snowing. I wish I could've gone in, too!

The pool there is heated (somewhat-- I thought it was still pretty cold) and half indoors half outdoors. Katie and Alex playing:

Alex and Nathan pretending to be asleep:

Grandpa is explaining football to Alex. Alex just went swimming that's why his face and eyes are red.

We all ate too much junk food:

Katie was so funny with these lais! She loved gathering them all and putting them on and running around with them on for a while:

The family in the pool:

This year was the first year someone was missing... Tawnya and family:(. She lives in Iowa now and is sick pregnant and didn't think she could make it on the plane with her toddler while being sick. We missed her but we'll all be there next year, with 2 additions!

Family Picture Oct 2009

Things I don't understand about pregnancy

First, I am grateful that I can be pregnant and bring children into the world. Nevertheless, I HATE being pregnant!! Here's some things I don't understand about pregnancy:

1. Why is it that when your gag reflex is in hyperdrive and you are constantly nauseaus, do they make prenantal vitamins as big as ostritch eggs?

2. Why is it that this time is a time when vitamins and nutrients are so important, does mother nature cause you to throw up everything and only be able to eat french fries for dinner because that's all that you could keep down?

3. Why is it that at this time when smells can make you throw up, is your sense of smell keener than a bloodhound? One night I was about to throw up because I could smell our headboard....

4. Why are humans the only ones who get nauseaus during pregnancy? I've never seen a dog or elephant going around throwing up when it is pregnant.

random stuff

Mom and Dad, does this picture remind you of....

this one of me?

This girl LOVES her dog!

When Nana put Katherine to sleep at church:
The kids spent about an hour today doing this:

*Nathan is always trying to find ways to get money. Today he told me he would give me "lego training" for 25 cents. He really never wants to spend his allowance-- but his only weakness is Build-A-Bear.

Boardwalk

Nathan, Alex and I just finished a Monopoly game that we've been playing the last few days, and I lost. I was even trying my best, and I lost. Funny thing is that Nathan won, by only buying Boardwalk and Parkplace (nothing else) and put hotels on them both. Alex and I both landed on Boardwalk (me first), and even if we mortgaged everything we couldn't get the $2000. Alex was pretty close to winning.
Funny boys! I don't think a career in business is in my future...

Nana

Nana just came, and we've been thoroughly spoiled! She arrived with a 7 foot tent she made for the kids which was a big hit with all 3 kids. She gave me a break from being a mom-- she played with the kids (Monopoly, Indians, etc.), changed all the poopy diapers, took the baby during church and magically put her to sleep, cleaned my house, did my laundry, made the kids peach crepes every morning, let me take naps, took us out to eat, pulled the weed jungle in the front yard, etc. etc. etc.! Katie instantly loved Nana and always wanted Nana to hold her, which she never does with anyone.
Thanks, Nana! You helped me out more than you'll ever know!!!! We love you!!!

Good news and Bad news

Bad news:
Looking for clothes for me at the mall.

Good news:
I got a really cute church outfit! I LOVE the skirt and got a cute black top for it:

Good news:
My mom came to visit! She made a huge 7 ft. tent for the kids which they love!

Bad news:
She has to leave on Wed.

Good news:
My nausea is getting better!

Bad news:
It's still here, though.

Good news:
I'm still pregnant at least.

Good news for me:

Todd and the boys (and now my mom) are taking care of everything for me. The boys are such good helpers and Todd cleaned the nasty bathrooms for me.

Good news:
Todd made homemade cinnamon rolls tonight and tomorrow he's making homemade lasagna.

Good news:
I have the cutest kids in the whole world!

1st picture of baby #4

(The round thing is a ball for him/her to play with if he/she gets bored)
Here's baby's first picture! Today I am 8 weeks and 2 days. He said my due date is May 19, which means I can get induced on May 12. Katherine was born on my sister Allison's boy's birthday, and she has another boy who has a birthday may 13- so we could have 2 babies with the same birthdays!

too much food network challenge

The boys are building lego buildings and saying "I need at least 31 indgredients!" And they are hurrying around because there's a time limit. Then when they are done, Nathan says in an announcer voice, "Alex Carlson, move your masterpiece." Then he took his tall lego masterpiece and slowly took it upstairs to the school table. Then he said, "Nathan Carlson, move your masterpiece." They both made it.

learning to count

On Fridays the boys go to PE at the public school. I drop them off and then pick them up, and they each have their own time. When I was driving Nathan home, he said the teacher was talking to him before the class came. She asked what his favorite subject was. He answered math. She asked him if he started learning how to count yet. He said that right now he's at 27,000.

Yesterday Nathan told me, "If I get $70 a month, I'd have $840 in a year." He told me he did 70 times 10, and then added 140.

wrinkly feet

Nathan put his feet with shoes on in the water. In the car on the way home, he took off his shoes and his feet were wrinkly "like a 95 year old". The boys were guessing why water wrinkles your feet. Nathan said it was because the water presses against you and makes wrinkles. Alex said it was because water goes in your sweat holes and makes tiny bumps. What do you think?

P.S. It's come....the horrible horrible pregnancy flu. The baby is the size of a poppy seed, so how can something so small take over my whole body and make me feel so horrible and so tired?

Katherine's new trick

the motorcycle gang

The boys are in my bed pretending to ride motorcycles. The pillows are their helmets.

tons of pics and videos

Here is Katie in her words-can't-express-this-kind-of-cuteness Halloween dress and pigtails:

We went to Discovery Gateway in Salt Lake. All the kids had tons of fun- even and especially Katie.

Nathan's math: (all in his head)

140 divided by 5= 28 (I couldn't do that one in my head, I had to use a calculator. He did it fast in his head!)

8 times 8 = 64 (or 8 squared)

6 times 6 is 36 (or 6 squared)

52 times 2 is 104

104 times 2 is 208

28+36 is 64

cute girl with pigtails

the name

Today I was so bored that my eyeballs were falling out and my muscles were oozing onto the floor. Todd went to watch a football game at a friend's house and I was missing him. This was my first (of many) emotional day of pregnancy. It makes me wonder why we decided to get pregnant. I'll remember in May...

So, I decided to go to the store with the kids and get stuff to make rice crispies with Halloween M & M's. Junk food is always good when you're bored and/or emotional.


I also saw a pretty fall arrangment I got. They also had a gardenia with a flower in bloom and I took a good long whif and it made me instantly happy.
I then got on Craigslist and KSL and looked at antique dressers for Katie's room and that was fun, too. Then I played tickle chase with Katie and her little giggles were so adorable!

Todd and I picked out the names:
Abigail (Abbie) Mary
or
Nicholas Maxwell
or Nicholas Bradford

My parents hate the name Abigail, so I decided to let you know early so that you can get used to it:).

I'll find out the gender either right before Christmas or right after. Let's start making a list of guesses for the gender. Those who are right, get a little present from us. Those who are wrong get to buy us dinner (just kidding).

Just overheard

The boys are playing and I just heard them talking about when they get married. "I'm going to marry Avery," Nathan said, "but I don't know what she'll look like when she grows up." Alex responded, "Maybe even prettier, that's what I'm guessing."

********

We asked the boys if the baby will be a boy or a girl, and Nathan said, "let me look." So he looked in my bellybutton and said, "I see a little leg.....and a little footsie....and a little right finger (and he held up his finger).....that's all."

news

I took a pregnancy test last night.










It was negative.









I took another pregnancy test this morning.











It was positive.

read-a-thon, the many names of Bubs, more of Nathan's math

Read-a-thon
Today we decided to do a "read-a-thon". We got unhealthy snacks and the boys decided to do it on Sat. (today) so we could do it with Daddy. It went as well as you might think with a 5, 7 and 1 year old who was grumpy. The kids thought it was a junk-food-a-thon. We did do some reading though. We'll finish tonight because every night before they go to bed they just can't get enough of reading- they want me to read just another book before they have to go to sleep! We all stayed in our jammies, because that's part of a read-a-thon, too.

The many names of Bubs
We realized that Katie is not going to ever know what her real name is. When someone asks us what her name is, I say Katherine and Todd says Katie. At home, we call her Baby, Baby girl, cute baby, bubba, bubs, bubbers, bubber, babe, babes, bubba girl, katie cutie, katie bug, katie bub, bubster, bubberooni. I guess it's only fitting for the family, though, Alex thinks his name is Richard Alex Zander Carlson, and Nathan thinks his name is John Nathan Carlson. It's only one of the many things our children will go to counseling for because of us!

More of Nathan's Math
Allison said I should write down the specific math problems Nathan does. He does many all day. Yesterday Nathan said, "7 take away 9 is negative 2." Then Alex asked, "What's 100 take away 1,000?" He said "Negative 900." I asked him where he learned negatives (who teaches a 5 year old negatives?) and he said he heard me say it a couple times. I remembered when he was first adding and subtracting he would occasionally say the bigger number minus the smaller number and I would say it was negative whatever. I guess he caught on to the pattern.
Yesterday he also told me 8 squared is 64. Great Grandpa Carlson taught him squares and square roots. He literally thinks about numbers all day long. On the way home from our drive to Arkansas, he was counting for 3-4 hours straight. He continued counting from where he left off, a little more each day when he is trying to go to sleep or bored or in the car, etc. Right now he's at 22,000 and says he wants to get to 30,000. He's a little OCD about numbers. His favorite kind of math is figuring out seconds, minutes and hours; big huge numbers; and money math, but any kind of math he loves. If we give him a hard problem and he thinks about it for a while and we try and help him by giving him a hint, he yells, "Let me do it! Let me do it!" He never wants any help. And on his math workbook, he can't have any markings except the answer, and if he has to do some marking, he erases it. We learned carrying in math and he won't write the carried number on top of the next column. He says he wants everyone to think he does it all in his head. He won't do any counting on his fingers, either. Today he said sometime we should do a math-a-thon where we do math all day.

Fall

According to Kristie, Alex, Nathan and Katie, Sept. 1 means you can start celebrating fall and Halloween!
The boys made cute paper chain Halloween countdowns. (no pic)
Here are the fall leaves we put on our schoolroom tree (up high away from Baby Katie)



Sept. 1 we got donuts and apple cider and watched Disney's Legend of Sleepy Hollow cartoon. We got our donuts but we had to wait for Todd to come home. Nathan told me, "My mind has been on those donuts since we got them! So if there is a brain stuck't on to one of them, it's mine."

One of Nathan's recent math genius: "90 minutes is five thousand four hundred seconds." I asked how he figured that out and he said, "One hour is 3,600 seconds and half an hour is 1,800 seconds, so I just added them together."