Since SUMMER

Howdy!

We're going to do a quicky, just to catch everyone up.

Regarding homemade laundry detergent: I've officially used my last scoop, a month or so ago, and couldn't be happier to be back on my usual. Homemade is awesome for people who like it! I'm just not one of those people.

What we've been up to the last few months:

If I'm honest, not much! Ha...

We're expecting a munchkin, due at the end of March. I'm FINALLY done with my morning sickness craziness - in which I was unable to even find medication to calm the nausea. It wasn't a fun time :)

BUUUT - during my first 5 weeks of pregnancy, I was NOT sick, and I was able to attend Church Young Women's Camp to help out with "media". Who ever would have guessed they'd have that specialist at a camp of all places. I know, right? I LOVED it. I hope to get to help out with Young Women's Camp in the future. Unfortunately, I won't be able to next year due to a certain tiny baby growing inside of me as we speak. But, maybe the year after that? One can hope :)

Soon after the week of camp was over, my morning sickness set in, but luckily not in in full stride. We had our first (hopefully) annual Smith Family Reunion with my parents and immediate siblings et al, and it was a blast! I chose not to participate in the mud run 5ishK we had scheduled to do (which looked like a BLAST) but I hope to do it next year, if that's what we plan. There's talk going around about maybe doing that kind of thing every other year or every few years even. We'll see what wins out in the end, I think it was a hit with everyone who got to do it!

I did participate in an AWESOME double length slip n slide that was set up in my parent's backyard and now have a few scars on my ankles from it, it was that fast and awesome! Probably a little wreckless, but, luckily, no harm done.

I stayed in bed or on the couch for a good part of August through, well, a week ago, and had plenty of the usual morning sickness that lasted 24/7. HOWEVER, I was blessed to be able to find random "cravings" that would actually take the edge off, even when medication wasn't working. The food items would "work" for a week or two at a time, and then, inexplicably, would become repulsive and have the opposite effect. But it seems I was always able to find the new thing that worked. Some of those "magic cures" were Pringles, chips and cottage cheese, McDonald's Sausage McMuffin, green chile frozen burritos, mozzarella cheese, salt water taffy, and top ramen. There were definitely more, but those are the ones I can remember without thinking TOO hard... and notice most of them are of the salty variety? And, the extremely bad for you variety? Greasy. Anyway

As I said, luckily that horrid stage is through, and I can again stomach whatever I want, so lately it's been SALADS. MMMmmm. Probably to make up for all those super unhealthy cravings.

I was SUPER blessed with awesome girls who played rather nicely together while I was on the couch, and who watched WAY too much netflix so I could "nap" in bed, when a couch wouldn't cut it. (Which was, let's be honest, 90% of the time...) I think They're getting used to not being babysat by the TV very quickly, for which I am grateful. I thought they were going to ask for a show every time they felt any wave of boredom, but that hasn't been the case.

I was also blessed with an awesome husband, who did EVERYTHING once he got home from work so that I could continue doing the nothingness that helped me to feel better. AND awesome parents who let me hang out at their house and veg on the couch while they kept an eye on the girls. AND awesome in-laws who took the girls for large chunks of the day at a time, which gave the girls a break from me, which I'm certain they needed, and also gave me a TRUE break where I could really nap and get feeling better. I was definitely spoiled!

More of what we've been up to - OTHER than all that....

Trenton took the girls to the Puyallup Fair, and they LOVED it. They came home happy and messy and with a bubble gun for loot. They got soft serve ice cream cones from Tillamook (I was definitely jealous!), an elephant ear to share (they only make whole wheat now, which - if I remember correctly, just isn't the same....), and curly fries. Evidence:

The girls also did a lot of daddy daughter dates that were less adventurous, but hopefully just as enjoyable, that were as simple as getting groceries or checking the mail :) Anything type of errand that is just dad and one or both of the girls is considered a daddy daughter date, at least in my book. Those munchkins sure love their dad!

In this last week or two that I've been feeling "normal", Brooklin, Mackenzi and I all got our hair cut! I LOVE my cut. I NEVER love my cuts! I usually get used to them, and then love them, but this time I really did love it from the beginning. She used a razor to thin out my hair in back ONLY, which has been AWESOME. WHen I've had my hair thinned before, they have done it all over, but the thinning just in the back has seemed to be the magic cure for my shedding, AND still look and feel good. Love it. Brooklin got her hair chopped off. I don't want to grow it out until it thickens up a bit. I think it looks too scraggly when it's as thin as it is, and long. I was loving being able to put it all up in one ponytail though, but, there will be plenty of ponytails in her day, so I didn't get too sad about it. As for Mackenzi- she was getting a pretty bad mullet, so I chopped it off as well. She looks like a baby again. I love it! Haha... I think her hair is going to grow out nicely now though. It'll be a lot more even all around anyway, I hope.

Trenton is officially on the look out for a dream job, so if you know of any accounting jobs that inspire growth, don't work you to the ground, and allow a better family life, pass us the info! Working at a big accounting firm has really been hard on him, and he's getting antsy for some change. Although i HOPE things will happen quickly for him with finding and getting a new job, I'm thinking it will take plenty of time and lots of patience, especially on his part. Like I said, he really is ready for something a bit more 'normal'.

I think that wraps up our update for today.

Oh, we get to find out the gender a week from today, because Trenton will be in Alaska for three weeks starting at week 19, so instead of having us wait until week 22 to get checked, dr. Bigler is letting us come in early at 18w2d. WOOT! I'm stoked.

Guess the gender if you want... but... does it matter? It is what it is! :D