A Christmas Tree!

So I haven't put up our Christmas Tree or any decorations for the past two years. Just been too busy or too lazy, I guess. 

Ben had a day off yesterday and we decided to get the tree out and decorate it since we were both home. Chloie helped us put it all together (meaning, she took the branches I had laid out of the floor and put them back into the box when I wasn't looking. Then when we asked where they all went she'd say "I dunno!") Such a good helper!

We put the lights on and plugged it in {Chloie's reaction "Whoa! It's Hots!"} Then she helped me put on the ornaments [Which she calls "da Balls"]. She is now obsessed with the tree!

It's nice to see her excited about it. I don't think she understands why we have a tree in our house but she's enjoying it.

I'm excited to see her open her presents on Christmas morning this year. Last year she wasn't really into it. 

I'll admit, with my due date being so close to Christmas I've been worried that her Christmas would be ruined but Ben offered to do the Christmas Shopping if the baby comes early, to be santa and make Christmas fun for Chloie even if I'm in the hospital. Which make me feel a ton better! And honestly I think he's excited to go buy toys for Chloie.

Here's a few pictures of our tree and a few decorations!

 Chloie saying "Whoa ma! It's a twee!"

She touches the lights and says "ouch it's Hots" 

and the last of the decorations, I'm still working on making my wreath. :)

Thanksgiving 2012 and Month 9

Our Thanksgiving was really laid-back and fun this year. It was the first year for my family that we didn't go to a grandparents house or have half of our extended family with us (not that we didn't want them to come). It was just us, my parents, siblings and nieces. Small but nice. I didn't take as many pictures as I usually do, pregnancy brain... but I got a couple with Chloie and Jayce at least. 

Jay was sliding across the kitchen floor on his skate board and Chloie decided to join him. It was pretty funny.

Then Jay decided to play dress up with Chloie.... This is what happens when your 9yr old uncle wants to play dress up... :) 

Then we went to have dinner with Ben's family, once again a nice small group of people. :) Ben had to leave right after he ate to go to the fire station for the night. But Chloie and I stayed for a little while. 

Chloie danced and sang with her grandma. 

 She fake cried a little bit every now and then... just because. :)

 Then, being about as graceful as her mommy, she somehow went from twirling around the front room to chipping her tooth on the computer stand by the TV. :( 

  I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving with your families as well!

And I just had to add this one last picture of Chloie, I was cleaning the house this morning and found her on the floor in front on the tv with my shirt around her waist like a skirt, sucking her thumb, and surrounded by her various stuffed animals watching Aladin. She is just too cute sometimes, for those of you who had to endure crying, screaming, angry yelling Chloie yesterday I'm sure you can understand why I had to take a picture of her like this today. :) The little moments of cuteness really do help make up for the hours of orneriness. I love her!

Onto the NINTH month!

We have 3 weeks and 4 days left until this next little girl is due! YIKES!

I am now officially nervous! I'm gonna be a mommy of two in a month! Less then a month... :S

I am also VERY VERY EXCITED :) I will no longer be pregnant in a month (insert happy dance here!)

and I will have two cute girls to snuggle with, two bums to change (not exactly what I wanted but... oh well Chloie's just not ready for the potty :( ), two little girls who will most likely be snuggling in to bed between Ben and I often, two little girls to play with, two little girls to dress, to feed, to love, and to tickle! I seriously cannot wait! THIS IS GOING TO BE THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER! :) (assuming she doesn't come late, in which case it could be a very uncomfortable Christmas... ha)

We are now at the point where we are going to Doctor every week, which is the best cause it makes the last few weeks go by so much quicker! I have been measuring about two weeks ahead up until this week and I have now stopped growing. I measured 35 1/2 weeks three weeks ago and as of last week I am measuring 34 weeks... odd, huh? but I guess it happens. My doctor said that the braxton hicks contractions I've been having this past week might actually be early labor which could be why I "shrunk" and he says that I've probably topped out and I most likely won't get any bigger even though the baby will continue to grow. ( I think that if he hadn't also been my mom's doctor he wouldn't be as laid back about me not gaining weight and not measuring bigger then 34 weeks... thank goodness he dealt with my abnormal mom :) )

I have been trying VERY hard to enjoy this pregnancy, I LOATHED being pregnant the last time (probably because I wasn't ready for it, gotta love surprises!) So I'm focusing on all the good things this time around, being that it will most likely be my last (babies are expensive, I dislike being pregnant, and Ben and I are more then okay just having two girls), and I am trying to just be grateful that I have been lucky enough to be able to have kids. :)

So here are my positives: I didn't start showing for awhile (which was nice), I haven't been sick, my clothes still fit (a little tight but still do-able), I haven't been overly exhausted, only a couple "mood swing" moments, all in all I've felt pretty normal though out this pregnancy. I'm just starting to get uncomfortable and I only get heart burn when I'm trying to clean or picking Chloie up.. haha. And Ben has been really sweet and interested in this pregnancy which has made it a lot easier on me. :)

So minus the hip pain and back aches and the pregnancy induced carpal tunnel syndrome this pregnancy has been great! :)

And since I probably won't get much bigger this is the last picture I'm taking of myself until after Baby #2 is here. :)

36 1/2 weeks pregnant. 

Learning Lessons

Lately Chloie has been throwing these temper tantrums when ever I have to do anything for myself... like shower, do my hair, eat, go to the bathroom, clean the house, really anything that takes my attention away from her. It's starting to worry me, especially with only 4 weeks and 6 days til my due date.

I have tried ignoring, consoling, time outs, and even bribing her with otter pops to get her to calm down, but she just gets more angry the more I try.

 The other day she slammed her bed room door and tore her room apart, bed unmade, clothes, and books thrown every where. So I sat outside her room and waited  for the yelling and crashing to stop then opened to door to find one very sad little girl. She came RUNNING over to me and tried to hug me. I decided to try something I haven't before, I said "not until you help me clean up." ( I usually just hug her and clean up after her) She said ok and started putting her socks back into their box and put her pillows back on her bed and books up on the shelf. Then when she was done putting all the clothes back in to the boxes she turned to me and said "pwease" so I helped her put the boxes back into the cubby. 

Once everything was done she climbed into my lap and hugged me. 

Then, with out being told to, she said "I sorry".

My little girl, who isn't even two yet, said sorry not because mommy told her to but because she was sorry.

She then said sorry to her bed and to her boxes and to her books and even to her sister's crib (which I'm guessing got attacked at one point during the tantrum).

So even though I felt like the MEANEST mom ever, I actually feel like she learned a lesson and so did I.

Watching her pick up her mess made me realize that I don't have to do everything for her, she is getting so big so fast that I think doing everything for her made me feel like I could keep her little for just a big longer, she can pick up her own messes. And at this point with another baby coming so soon I think it's time I start letting Chloie be responsible for some little things around the house. I don't want her to feel left out when the baby gets here. She is attached to my hip 24/7, she still needs me so I need to start showing her that I need her too.

So we've been working on helping mom make the beds in the morning, brushing her own teeth (I still help a little with that one but can ya blame me?) :) , putting away her toys when she is done, and helping mom in the kitchen. She LOVES to help, it seems to make her happy. We haven't had a tantrum in couple days and it is SO NICE! She doesn't freak out every time I have to do something for myself as long as I give her a job to do.

 I was so proud of her for picking up her room all by herself with out whining I had to take pictures to show her daddy. 

Giving Thanks

First of all I CANNOT BELIEVE ITS ALMOST THANKSGIVING!!!
This year has FLOWN by!

 I've noticed a LOT of people doing the whole "today I am thankful for..." thing on Facebook and Instagram and it got me thinking about all the things I am thankful for in my own life.
So I've made a list (because remembering to post something I'm grateful for everyday is just not gonna happen for this pregnant girl.).

So here it goes:
I am thankful for...
-My husband who works 6 -7 days a week just to provide for us and NEVER complains. Plus, He knows just what to say when I feel like crap and look like a hot mess to make me feel like the most amazing and beautiful woman ever. Best Husband EVER!
-Chloie, She makes me smile constantly, even when I don't really feel like smiling! She's sometimes drives me crazy... but I never knew how much I could love someone until I held her for the first time.
-Baby #2 (yes, still not set on the name) Who I will be able to hold for the first time soon!
-My parents, who have been there for me through everything and love me unconditionally!
-My siblings, Jordy, for being the best big brother a girl could ask for, protecting me when I need it and putting me in my place when I'm wrong. Whitney for being the best thing that ever happened to Jordan (and for being excited about me being pregnant {the first time} when I still wasn't too happy about it :) ). Baylie, for always being her own person (Yes, Bay, you are tan and your new purse is really cute!) ha!. Jayce, for being the BEST surprise entry to our family after nine years. Little wild and crazy, maybe even a little too much like me at times... but he really is a great kid and we wouldn't trade him for anything!
- Our home
-My in-laws, Seriously could I have married into a better family? I don't think so. :) My mom in law is one of the most talented people I have ever met and has helped me with so much! My father in law is the person Ben looks up to the most, I am thankful for his example. My sisters... Jen- she is an amazing mother. Who, by her example, pushes me to look for ways to be a better mom everyday. Traci- for her confidence and for her ability to know who she is and what she wants for her life. Aubree- for... well being Aubree, I've never felt uncomfortable around her (possibly because she is so much like Ben). It was nice to come into a new family and not feel unwelcome or out of place.
-My extended family, my Christensen side-  For being the most diverse unconventional group of people I have ever met, but knowing that regardless of different beliefs and life styles we will always support and love each other unconditionally. Never criticizing or ridiculing. My Fowlks side - again, a diverse group of people, who in times of crisis or times of joy never fail to come together to help each other or to share in each other's happiness. :)
-My religion, with out my beliefs and with out some serious support from the members (relatives or not) through some tough times, I wouldn't be where I am or who I am today.
-Allie (our dog) Who, even though she cowers behind me when she's scared, I know she will protect my kids from anyone and anything. She Loves Chloie, they are best friends, she never snips or growls at Chloie even when Chloie is trying to ride her like a horse or chasing her around the house pulling her tail. That is patience that cannot be taught, we are lucky to have her. :)
-All my nieces, Paisley, Gwenny, Rylee, and Hadlee. All cute and fun with their own unique personalities, Paisley is so funny with Chloie, She is definitely the boss and Chloie doesn't mind. :) Gwenny loves to just watch Chloie and laugh, and is now interacting more with Chloie which is so fun to watch! and The twins, I love being able to watch their personalities change lately, I can't believe how fast they have grown already!  Love them all!
-All my nephews, Ryker, Oaklee, and Oliver. Even though I don't seem them as often as I would like to, I love my nephews. Ryker is ALWAYS happy when we see him! Such a cutie! Oaklee is a cutie too and I love seeing pictures of him as he grows. And Oliver, I'm so glad he is finally here! He is so tiny and cute and I'm so happy that he is so close by so we can be there to watch him grow!
-Daddy daughter time. :) sometime's it's nice to be able to just take a shower with out Chloie trying to climb in with me or screaming at me.
-Madden 13... Oddly enough, seeing as I use to hate it when Ben played video games, Now it's nice to sit on the couch at 4am when we can't sleep and watch him play. Plus it makes him happy. So what the heck. :)
-this pregnancy, I hate being pregnant, I don't like when my clothes don't fit, or the number on the scale changes. But this pregnancy has been SO EASY, no morning sickness, most of my clothes still fit, I haven't gotten all swollen, and I haven't been super uncomfortable (yet, we still have a few weeks). It's nice to have an easy pregnancy when your chasing around a 1 year old all day long everyday :). Plus it is almost over and it has gone by so quickly!



I'm gonna stop there, even though there is so much more I could add. Gotta go be a mommy now, Nap time is over. :)

Little Miss Chloie Kae

Chloie is getting so BIG! She is such a little person now it's crazy.
I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE being home with her, she is one hilarious, curious, crazy, fun little girl!
Here's just a little bit of what we've been up to lately.
She loves to "help" me when I'm working on and she acts so interested in everything I do, I hear a lot of "whats that?" and "why?" and "o I see".
 She loves to help me cook, she has to have her own spoon, or spatula and she likes to help me measure and add ingredients (I love to cook so its fun to have her be so interested in it as well).
Every morning we have to same routine (for the most part) she wanders into my room, helps me make beds and then she gets in the tub (She gets so excited about baths, they are her FAVORITE!") Then we get her dressed and make breakfast together. When we don't do this it makes for one ornery Chloie.
She's been so good with washing her hair and putting away all her toys when she is ready to get out I've started folding and sorting laundry while she is in the tub (which I do in the hallway just outside her bathroom So I can keep an eye on her, I swear I'm not that neglectful) and the other day I was folding and stopped watching her for a split second and I hear "OH NO, MOM! OH NO!" then giggling, so I look up and this is what she was doing....

Scared me to death, at first. Then I had to grab the camera and get a pic of this little monkey. She thought she was pretty funny and kept trying to climb back up. So after telling her NO a few times and saying "that scares mom, don't do that." she says "no no, ma!" and touches the handle and screams like she is terrified of it. I haven't had any problems with her climbing on it since. :)
She is back to sleeping through the night in her own bed, HOORAY! She got 4 new teeth in all at once (we are a little behind getting teeth, she didn't get her first til she was a year so we are still dealing with the teething stuff) so she was a little grumpy the past week... But now she's back to being Chloie. :) Which makes me VERY happy! She's always been such a easy baby that it kinda throws me for a loop when she is more... difficult... then I'm used to.
She is very friendly with our oven lately... her reflection is her best friend it seems. We go from dancing and singing and reading books to the oven to screaming, yelling angrily, and (fake) crying to the oven. It's pretty entertaining.
She is FINALLY starting to be more verbal about things (the sign language has helped out a lot with chloie) She is starting to say the words as she signs them instead of signing and whining, and has started saying short sentences with out signing. (which is a big deal) She's always been rather quiet so for her to try to communicate is so nice!
She is also developing a bit of separation anxiety... but only with Ben, if I leave it's no big deal but when he leaves she has a melt down. The other day she stood at the garage door while he was trying to leave and screamed "NO DADDY! NO!!!!" and cried and hung from the door nob. So he tried to give her hugs and kisses and calm her down but that resulted in her hanging on to his neck for dear life! When we finally pried her off she SOBBED into my hair and said "Bye, dad, see you!" between dramatic sobs for about 20 minutes. She really LOVES her daddy. :)


Even though I have the occasional frustrating day with Chloie. She really is the easiest kid and I am lucky to be able to be with her 24/7! I wouldn't want to miss a minute of her craziness! :)

Sleepless nights and Baby #2 update

I don't know what my kids (Chloie, baby, and Allie) have against a sleeping mom.
Chloie hasn't been sleeping through the night for the past week and I FINALLY get her to go to bed on time and to stay asleep in her bed and what does Allie do?? Wakes me up every hour by barking, liking me, whining, getting in to garbage... ya know, the usual. Then when Allie finally lays down (4 o'clock AM) The baby starts kicking... Then Ben gets up makes a shake (blenders at 5am are extremely loud) then plays video games (also loud). So by this point I've given up on sleep and decided to start cleaning... Then Chloie wakes up and pees... on MY bed. Great!
After all of this I realize... This is just the beginning. I will be up all night for the next few months, whether it be with Chloie, Allie, or the Baby (or all three). I think everyone is just helping me get used to it early. So In reality I should be thankful for my cute little girl keeping me up late and waking me up early, and my dog reminding me of how a baby will wake up every hour on the hour and need my attention.
But I would be even more thankful for one, just one, full nights sleep in the next 5 weeks before the baby comes. DREAM BIG!
:)

I did, however, get the BIGGEST hug and kiss follow by "lub you, mommy" this morning. and Ben told be I look pretty (before make-up and hair were even thought of this morning) and said my belly looks smaller today then it did yesterday. So even with no sleep my family still loves me.
What more could I ask for...



On to baby #2 update.
I am in my 35th week! (5 weeks and 6 days to go!) So close to being done! :) If she comes early like Chloie did I only have about 4 weeks. But seeing as I haven't gained nearly as much weight and she seems slightly smaller then Chloie I doubt that will happen. So a Christmas baby it will be, most likely. :) I haven't gained any weight at my last 2 Dr. appointments (even with all the Halloween candy I ate. odd, right?) but I am still measuring about 2 weeks big. Which is good (means the baby is gaining and growing). She is also a very active baby, even more then Chloie was, She likes her space too. She kicked the Dr while he was trying to measure my belly. And I mean kicked (repeatedly) I think she surprised him the first time cause he jumped back a bit. It was funny. She kicks anything and everything that touches my belly, She doesn't like to be touched it seems... Everything about this baby so far is opposite of Chloie. I can't wait to meet her!

 I keep hearing from people that I don't look more then 4 months pregnant, TRUST ME  I FEEL IT! Heartburn, shortness of breath, braxton hicks, sore ribs and hips and all. But compared to the pregnancy with Chloie this one has been a BREEZE! Which I am incredibly thankful for, makes chasing Chloie around so much easier then I thought it was going to be. :) And I'm not dying for it to be over, don't get me wrong I am so excited to have the baby here and to have some energy. But being pregnant right now is really not that bad and I think I can make it to my due date with out wanting to punch my husband in the face (for those of you who haven't watched "what to expect when your expecting" you need to! its HILARIOUS).

Happy Halloween!

This year I decided to make Chloie's costume and it turned out pretty cute!

Her cute cousins, Paisley, Rylee, and Hadlee were tinkerbell for halloween so I thought it would be fun to have Chloie be a fairy too.


It was so much fun this year, Chloie was actually interested in what was happening. (last year not so much)

We went to my parents ward first for trunk or treating and she was hilarious. She would not talk to anyone! Normally the child doesn't stop. I think she may have been overwhelmed by all the people running around dressed up all crazy. But she would take candy from people and run to either Baylie or I (whoever was holding her candy bag) and put the candy in it, EXCEPT for the dum-dums. She had to hold all of those. :)
After that we went to visit my Grandma and Grandpa Fowlks and were greeted by "grandma" (My grandpa wearing a wig pretending to be grandma). Chloie LOVES her Grandpa-Great but would not go near him til he took off the wig. She spent some time playing with Grandma-Great and some spider rings (she had about 8 rings on her tiny hands at one point, She loved them).

Then we headed to Grandma and Grandpa Andrus' ward for their trick-or-treat. It was a lot of fun following Chloie and her Grandma around the Church getting more candy and seeing everyone's costumes. (Royalyn kept making sure to introduce us to everyone, Chloie as Ben's first little girl and my belly as Ben's second little girl. (She is such a cute grandma! :) ) Apparently people were shocked by the fact that we already know what we're having and that I am due in just over 6 weeks. I don't feel like I'm that small, in fact I feel rather large.)
 By the time Ben got to the Church we had gone around the whole place and collected TONS of candy. (Ben was working at the fire station and didn't get off til after 7) Chloie was having a blast running around the gym gabbering at everyone and watching Charlie Brown. I guess the fun really wore her out. She passed out within minutes of getting home and in her pj's. :)

It's so fun to spend time with family on holidays and the bigger Chloie gets the more fun it is!

Hope you all had a happy Halloween!