GRANDMA CAME TO TOWN

daron's mom came into town last week and truly saved the day for this pregnant lady. she took care of our busy toddler, cooked, cleaned, organized, helped us feel more settled into our new home and - my favorite - helped me feel more prepared for this little girl to come.

we literally had an earthly angel in our midst. 

i laid down every day she was here. i couldn't believe how good i felt! you know that crippled-old-lady thing i talked about before? it was practically gone the whole time she was here! i had no idea how taxing taking care of carter has been. this whole time i've just been thinking it was the little one inside me! hello, realization! 

i was planning on making a little collage out of all of these pictures but then i made them all big. the expressions in them make me so happy. for me, i can almost feel the joy that is in these pictures. 

one day, daron and carter were playing upstairs and daron asked carter, 

"carter, do you love grandma?" 
and carter stopped playing and looked at daron and said, 
"yeah dad, i love grandma." 

it was the sweetest thing. 

carter, you better know, we all love grandma, too!
and that you are one lucky kid to have the loving, supportive, incredible grandparents you do... because one day you'll realize, they don't come better.

FULL TERM (!!!!!)

is this day really here!? am i really full term!? guys, this is nuts! 

at 37 weeks, the waddle is in full force. i tell daron i feel like a "rocking ship." my legs feel like they are not attached to my body and i look semi-crippled by nightfall (thanks to the whole my legs do not feel attached to my body thing). hunger strikes have hit. i can't make it through the night without food. last night, daron had the pleasure of "sleeping" next to me while i ate yogurt and almonds in bed. the night before it was an orange with bread. the night before that it was peanut butter toast. he also has the pleasure of hearing me get up 5 times a night to pee and trip over the shopping bag at the foot of our bed that i keep forgetting to move ;) yeah, he's a lucky guy...

every where i go, i get sympathy from strangers. i wish i could say i make pregnancy look good and effortless and oh, so appealing but that is not the case. 

it's funny though because at 34 weeks this little girl dropped over night. i stepped out of bed one morning and could feel that she was much lower (and it was a lot because even daron noticed!) ever since, the nausea and a few other very unfortunate symptoms disappeared. poof. gone! it's been heavenly. (okay, that's an exaggeration). but really, i'm good at this uncomfortable, crippled thing. i can do this. this feels so doable to me compared to the whole i want to throw up all day feeling, etc... now i look awful but feel so much better. so when i'm at trader joes, and it's clear from people's comments that they are in pain from just watching me walk... i feel dumb saying, "i actually feel amazing!"

it's ironic to me that i have impatiently waited for the end of this pregnancy to be here for months and now, i'm more than okay if she takes her sweet time. heaven knows, i need it. 

her room is a disaster 
i haven't packed the hospital bag 
washed the car seat 
bought an outfit for her to come home in 
kicked carter out of the crib (i'm so dreading that one)  
bought her bedding, 
along with the other 1,583 things on my to do list. 

i need two weeks, baby girl. two weeks! 
then, it's time for you to come, okay?

A NO NAP BEACH DAY

this morning, i went to get carter out of the pack n play and found him with a huge grin on his face. when he saw me he gasped and said, "mommy, i feel better! i slept well!" and looked around the room like let's get this party started! i wasn't aware he was feeling bad but it reminded me how nice it is to wake up on the right side of the bed. this kid was ready for an awesome day and he got it!

we spent the entire day chasin' waves, giggling with cousins, exploring the rocks, eating our weight in high-chews and fishy crackers, and digging our toes in the sand. it was spring break at it's finest, almost too good to be true. 

^running to the waves with not a care in the world...

^tag on the lifeguard tower, a recent favorite

^teenagers...these two parked it there and didn't move 

i guess life is tiring when you're growing

^watching these 3 together made my heart want to burst

and also gave us all some serious entertainment!

^no one can get enough of sweetheart...

oh, and then there is me... at a whoppin' 37 weeks!!!!!!

and don't you worry, i got the waddle to prove it..

easter!

a few pictures from our easter weekend...

^^a little melt down because we were very confused where the candy was

^^36 weeks!

the first part of our easter weekend was spent in palm springs to see friends we never get to see. we were there less than 48 hours making it a short trip but we are grateful for any second we get to spend with our friends from far away. 

it was especially fun to celebrate 36 weeks with my pregnant twin! i'll never forget the day shelby called to tell me her big news that she was expecting and then revealed her due date which was the same exact day as mine! i wasn't planning on letting her know that i was also pregnant but, of course, i couldn't hold it in after that. 

after palm springs, we made our way to my parent's house for general conference and easter egg hunts. i had big plans for the easter bunny to set out baskets but woke up sunday morning having completely forgot. high five to me, ha. i thought for sure this year would be my first year doing easter baskets! but alas, next year it is. 

i was sort of sad because i felt like easter sprung up on us this year. moving always throws things off. i am hoping next year to figure out a way to make the holiday more meaningful. easter is such a special holiday and i felt like i kind of missed out on "the real meaning." however, i did teach carter the song he is risen the week before and it was about the cutest thing i've witnessed. 

next  year, i plan to teach him all of the easter greatness and to remind the easter bunny to get into gear! ;)  

TODAY

today... 

carter discovered goggles
the game of tag
what it means to be "pruney" 
and how it feels to swim all day without a care in the world
(except what junk food is next).

daron called me after work to ask about our day
(carter and i are staying with my parents for a few days because my sister is here with her kids on spring break)
and i told him i basically just watched carter love life today.

i watched him swim around in the pool with his puddle jumper with a ginormous grin on his face that stretched from ear to ear. 
i watched his jaw drop as he watched the big kid cousins do tricks in the pool 
and look around in amazement at the chaos in the spa not knowing what fun activity to participate in next.

it was one of those day where time slowed down
allowing me to really savor all the good moments. 
i never want to forget carter's smile at this age 
and what it is like to watch him discover all of life's simple gems it has to offer,
especially when they are things i remember loving so, so much as a teeny tiny one myself.

today...

you were good to us.