Ready For Baby?!

So, I think I am as ready as can be for this baby. I'm certainly ready to stop gaining weight and get back to running. I have never felt like I've "nested" during the final days of pregnancy because I always like to have things cleaned and organized. But if I did nest, it would have been the last few days. As I was putting Christmas things away, I did find myself cleaning out a few cabinets along the way. My floors, shower, frig, microwave etc. are all clean, laundry is done and I am caught up on my blogging (not my scrapbooking but that will never happen). My sister brought me a birthing gown yesterday as she returned home from Farmington, made by my mother (it is super cute), but other than that, I haven't packed a hospital bag. Of course, there will be plenty of time once labor has begun because I am NOT rushing to the hospital. We don't have a name, but again, plenty of time to discuss that during labor. We haven't decided where we are going to put the baby and what to do with Hannah (she is still in the crib). But I figure we have time since the baby will be in our room for the first little while. Though we don't know the gender, I have boy and girl clothes already that are easy enough to get to. My mom asked if I had gotten everything out and washed it. I said why would I want to do to that. Everything was clean when I put it away, why spend the time washing everything again (my OCD is not nearly as bad as hers). We would really like to have the baby this year! Our insurance deductible is going up next year and Lily had her ACL replaced today, so it would be nice to be able to pay one deductible for the two. I know that would be a huge stress relief for Chuck! In addition he has this week off for vacation and the next week forced time off with no pay, so he's around. So, could we please please please catch a break? It seems like after the many emotional struggles and financial inconveniences over the last several years, we are due!

More Christmas Pics

I can never get the pictures arranged the way I want to when I post, so here are a few more...

H after emptying her stocking...notice how everything is in piles...scary for this age

her new shoes...it makes me a little nervous when she walks around in those shoes and no shirt

Charity, Kwan and the kids (watching Forces of Nature)

Christmas 2009

It was a quiet Christmas around here this year. On Christmas Eve, we went to our annual neighborhood potluck. Then Chuck and the kids watched Mr. Kruegger's Christmas while I made cinnamon rolls, which we ate some of just before bed. Once the kids were in bed, Daddy Santa had to spend 3+ hours assembling H's gift while Mommy Santa went to bed. Both kids actually stayed quiet all night and didn't get up too early. I was worried C would come out while Daddy Santa was assembling, but he did not. (He has gotten back in the habit of coming to get me just about every night.) Santa brought H a kitchen, which I know both kids will enjoy and actually play with, and C got a red tanker truck. C enjoyed opening his gifts but H didn't really care. Both the tanker and the kitchen were big hits and C is also really enjoying a Forces of Nature video my sister gave him. H got a baby doll and some high heel play shoes (which will not be worn out of the house, we've already played that game) which were the big hits for her. We just hung out and played the rest of the day. Charity and Kwan come over for dinner and instead of the traditional Christmas feast, we had lasagna, bread, salad and brownies with ice cream for dessert.

family photo

I think our kids are so gorgeous!

H's new kitchen

I actually got a good picture of C!

C got H a panda bear. And there is a story behind why. He had asked for one, which my mom found and bought while here over Thanksgiving, but he found it in my room, so he got it. Since then, those kids have fought over that panda bear! A couple days after C got his, I took H to get one but she wanted a doggie instead. When C found out that she got a new dog, he had to have something too. He didn't understand I was doing this for him. At first I refused, but after days of whining, I gave in. So, on his Christmas list was a gecko, so we found a gecko and bought it for him. We are all even right? Wrong, H still wanted C's panda. So, that is what she got for Christmas from him. I have not seen them fight over the panda since, but I haven't really seen them play with them either.

watching Forces of Nature (H is at a stage where she likes to have her clothes off. She gets that from her dad).

Pre-Christmas Fun

Lily and Emma had their Christmas choir concert, which we all went to. However, after about an hour of C and H treating me like a jungle gym, I had had enough and took them home. The choir performed two nights, with Lily having a solo one night and Emma the other. Unfortunately for me, Emma's solo was so late in the program, that we had already gone.

I love this picture, but it also makes me very sad. I can't help but think about all the heartache we've (especially Chuck) experienced over the last several years and how much of the girls lives we have not been able to be a part of.

C and H hosted a "cookie and a craft" activity with some of their closest friends. We made reindeer candycanes and decorated sugar cookies (The kids went to town on the sprinkles. I don't think they understand the meaning of the word sprinkle). It was total choas, but a success. I tried to get C to give me a nice smile, but after a couple of attempts, I got this picture and decided it was one I should post because it really captures his personality.

H almost always has a "cheese" smile for me.

We went to see the Temple lights and nativity scenes from around the world with our friends the Herrera's. We had some good rain that day, so it felt a little more like Christmas than usual.

We went to see Santa (per C's request) at Bass Pro Shop, where the photos were free.

Hannah would only get close enough to get the candy cane.

C did tell Santa from a distance exactly what he wanted (a red tanker truck with outriggers) and was finally convinced to stand in front of him for a picture.

Charity and Kwan took the kids to see a display of gingerbread houses, giving Chuck and I an opportunity to go out to lunch.

We took a trip to the zoo with one of Chuck's last vacation days. The kids enjoy going to the zoo, but as they have gotten older and more independent, it has been hard for me to do on my own.

Although H can go down the slide by herself, she still hesitates, so C sometimes takes her. It is too cute!

Emma turns 16!

Yes, I know it is hard to believe. Emma turned 16 on the 19th of this month. She and Lily were able to come over for dinner to celebrate. She requested breakfast for dinner and mint chocolate ice cream pie. She had asked for and was given a pair of green converse sneakers. (I had the same ones when I was in high school. I wonder how much they cost then compared to now.) Happy 16th Birthday Emma.

A Glorious Weekend!

A glorious weekend for me is being without my kids. I glorious weekend for Chuck is being in the woods with the kids. And they seem to like it too. So last weekend Chuck took C and H camping. They left Fri. afternoon and come home late Sun. afternoon. Of course, I worry about them the whole time, but Chuck said it was a perfect trip. It wasn't too cold and the kids got along well. I spent the weekend getting ready for Christmas, cleaning the house, running errands, getting a pedicure, going out to lunch with a friend, etc. I even got a little bit of scrapbooking done. That will be the last weekend I'll have to myself for a while.

Does this baby make me look fat?

Directly the answer is no, it's the fat that makes me look fat. But indirectly the answer is yes, since it's because of the baby I'm getting so fat. I've gotten so fat/heavy in fact, I've had to give up running. Last week, I ran a mile and just couldn't handle the shin pain. The frustrating part is that I feel fine after a couple miles, but it's torture to get there. But I have to admit, my back doesn't feel quite out of whack and my butt pain is a little better, but not much, since I've stopped running. I'm walking instead of running and still teaching all my classes, as well as practicing yoga and lifting weights. I have been experiencing some heart burn, but other than that, I can't complain. I'm feeling pretty good. BUT I can complain about all the comments. In the last couple weeks, I've been told, "It looks like you're not going to make it." and "You look like you're about ready." What do those comments mean anyway?! And of course, the oh so popular, "It looks like you're about to pop.", "You're getting too big." and "It looks like you have twins in there." I'm getting to the point where I'm about to become a recluse or hit someone. Anway...the baby is very active and allowed me to not put on any weight since my last appointment! I'm 36+ weeks, so it's probably time to start the guessing game, birth date, weight and gender. Send me your guesses. You might win a prize. Just a little FYI to help in your guessing, my due date is the first week of January. I don't believe in scheduling inductions or c-sections. C was 8 days past his due/guess date and was 7lb 7oz. H was 11 days past her guess date and was 8lb 13 oz. I have felt virtually the same with all pregnancies and have put on the same amount of weight. Oh, and we are open to suggestions for names also. Serious ones though! We have many girl names but not many boy names and we'd like the boy names to start with C.

Hannah Grace

Here are some cute pictures of my beautiful Hannah Grace

Here she had put all her jewelry on and was way too cute!

She loves to play the shape builder game on my Ipod.

I always put C to bed first and he keeps his light on for a while to "read". So now H wants to keep her light on. This night she insisted on taking a memory card game to bed. After being in bed for a while, I went to check on her and she had placed all the cards on her pillow and was putting them back in the box. After a while, she did fall asleep with the light on. Notice the box of cards in her left hand.

It's a little hard to tell, but here, H had put a baby in her PJ's just like Mommy.

I came in from my morning work out and there was H sitting on the couch waiting for me in the dark. C would have been there too, but he wasn't up yet.

It's beginning to look a little like Christmas!

It never looks a lot like Christmas here in the Valley of the Sun, but we are starting to get in the mood.

picking out our Christmas tree

Since my mom was here for Thanksgiving, she brought the kids their Christmas PJ's. We used to open our PJ"s Christmas Eve, but now we do it when we get them so we can take pictures and wear them up until Christmas. Surprisingly the kids actually posed for me, but not together. I'll have to lose some weight and a baby before I can wear mine.

We went to the Festival of Lights Parade in Downtown Tempe this last weekend. The parade was kind of lame, but the kids seemed to have enjoyed it. We met C and H's best buddies at the parade, Natalie and Carson.

Happy Thanksgiving

To get in the Thanksgiving mood, we went to C and H's best buddies house, Carson and Natalie's to make cookie turkeys.

And of course, we continued with our annual tradition of running the Turkey Trot. Although, this year, I wasn't up for a 10K being a month away from having a baby, so I did the 2 mile fun run with Cameron and panda (his first race) while Chuck did the 10K with Hannah. Hannah was not happy about not getting to do the Turkey Trot with Mommy! C and I ran/walked the better part of a mile. I was then giving him a piggy back ride when some friends came up behind us with a wagon. So, he rode the rest of the way in the wagon with his friend Noah Smith. He did run across the finish line though. Chuck and H were the second stroller to finish and they beat the Turkey (running it in 44:00min). The rest of the day was spent cooking and eating. We were joined by my mom and dad, sisters and Kwan.

I couldn't get the kids to stand by Chuck and because we started before he and Hannah did, I was not able to get a picture of him. It's not because I'm slighting him.

Lily is 18!

Lily turned 18 on the 21st of Nov. It's hard to believe that she was 8 when Chuck and I started dating. She was able to join us for birthday dinner where she requested pot pies and mint chocolate chip ice cream cake. I took some liberties with the ice cream cake and made a Mint Oreo Ice Cream which received rave reviews. Fortunately, she did not feel the need to get a tattoo or buy cigarrettes on her birthday (so she says:))

Here is a little update from her:
Hello everyone! I'm just writing a quick update on my life! This year is my senior year at Tempe Prep. Football is over :( We had a pretty good season considering we went from 1A to 2A (8-man to 11-man football). I got to be a captain the Homecoming game, which was pretty awesome, but unfortunately I tore my ACL in my second play of the game, and it ended my season early. It was all worth it though and it was a great experience! I have surgery just after Christmas on the 28th, so wish me luck!
High school has been a really great experience, and I love my school, but I am excited for next year. I am most- likely headed to Northern Arizona University in the fall 2010. I am still not positive about what I want to study, but I am thinking about going into music (I have been singing for TPA for 4 years now), or possibly athletic training. Different sides of the spectrum, I know! Every year, the seniors at Tempe Prep go on a trip to Washington D.C. for a week. We go to museums, tour the city, visit monuments, the works. The cost is about $1000 per student. The students are fund-raising and working to raise the money. I am writing to family members and friends to say that if you need any jobs done; babysitting, cleaning, or anything really, I am looking for work! If you would even like something made, I am pretty crafty!:)I hope you all are well!

And the Winner Is...

Chuck Royalty and Josh Brown

Chuck and Josh raced tandem in the Tour De Tucson last Saturday. They attempted to win this race last year, but flatted twice. So they gave it another shot this year and in addition to talent, had luck on their side! I would let Chuck give the details, but I don't think he'll blog and I don't want to bore anyone. But basically, everything just went well, no flats, crashes etc. Chuck did say it was the most challenging mental race he has ever done. He made sure he knew where the competition was at all times and during the final sprint they had good position. They won only by 3 seconds. That would have been an exciting sprint to watch. I am so happy for them! Chuck's been under some stress, so he needed something positive to happen. There are no photos posted from the race yet, but when there are, I'll post them here.

Surprise!

Last week, my yoga students threw me a surprise baby shower! And I was surprised. I came out after class and they had a room all decked out!

This tree was filled with money and lots of it as well as gift cards and M&M's.

Niccole (shown above) and Carla (who is not in any pictures) were the masterminds behind it all.

It was for Chuck also, but he knew about it.

The crowns were made of money also. We did well! This blanket was from the whole class and made by one of my students, Peggy.

I haven't had many pictures taken during my pregnancy (I sure was glad I had taken a shower and put on make-up before this class) but as I look at the pictures from the shower, I think, could I get any fatter! Many people have been telling me, I'm all belly. And thank you for that! But really, I'm not. I have the perfect picture from the shower to prove it, but I'm not going to include it here. I am going to be so fat after this baby is born! I won't have that big belly to make it appear like it's all belly.

Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam

Cameron has the most amazing Sunbeam teacher, Jill Jones. She goes above and beyond the call of duty! She is teaching the kids so much and always has a project or craft that they bring home. Last week, C brought home a name badge with this picture on it. I love this picture! These days I get the "cheesy" smile. I can tell C is paying attention in class by the questions he comes home with. He asked me the other day why we had to wait so long to see Jesus and why couldn't we see him and talk to him now. Answering questions like these is just another reason mothering is so hard. The primary also had their annual sacrament program a couple weeks ago. C had a small part, "The family is ordained of God and is central to his plan." I told him to say it loud and clear, which he did! I was so proud of him! I fully expected him to not say a word. Maybe it was the bribe of taking him to Target and getting him a new toy that did the trick.

Ultrasound #3

I had an ultrasound on Tues. with a different doctor, who said she did not see a "hole in the heart" and the fluid around the kidneys is normal. She seemed to think there is nothing to worry about (not that I was all that worried). And she actually apologized for making us wait. How often does a Dr. do that?!

Okay, this is ridiculous! How much bigger can I get? And I thought black was suppose to be sliming. I am 32+ weeks here and I look huge! I know this is the biggest I've been, but I didn't think I looked that big until this picture. I'm freaking out about how much weight I've already put on with 8 weeks to go! And I'm comparing pictures from when I was 41+ weeks with Hannah and it looks like I'm just about there.

A Day in the Life

Here is an example of a typical day in the Royalty household...
I come in from my morning workout. Both kids are awake and C instantly says "Play with me Mom." We play for a bit, but I'm starving to death, so I get up to have breakfast. C throws a fit because I am no longer playing with him. After breakfast and Caillou, we attempt getting ready for our day. I finally have C getting dressed by himself but H thinks it's fun to run away from me while I'm trying to get her dressed. This makes me nuts! We get in the car to go to the Y. H wants to go for a walk. She takes off down the street and around the corner before I can catch up to her. She ignores me when I say stop. She resists getting in her car seat. Once we've made it to the Y, I have a good workout and a break (which is already needed) from the kids. It takes us quite some time to gather our things (the kids always have to take an animal/doll with them and they always take off their shoes), wash our hands, and get to the car. Again, more resistance from H about getting in her car seat. We head to story time. It is where H took art classes. She recognizes this and says she wants to go to art class. When I tell her we aren't going to class but to story time, she throws a fit. During story time, H engages a little, but C not at all. Eventually, they are both on my lap. As we are leaving, H throws another fit because I won't buy her M&M's from the vending machine. We get home, C wants to watch Scooby Doo. I want to watch Young and the Restless for a bit while I fix lunch. C throws a fit about that. Rather than going to play, both kids sit and watch Y&R. So, I put on Scooby Doo. We have lunch and the kids eat virtually nothing, as usual. We play for a bit, but as we are playing, I am falling asleep. I tell them it's time for stories and a nap. As we read, they climb on me, don't listen, complain about the book, pull the book away from me etc. I receive relatively little resistance on going down for a nap (this is no longer the norm). After naps, we head to the park. C's friend told him he was going to the park today, so C is convinced he will be there. Of course, he is not nor is anyone else. H wants me to swing her, C wants me to build a sand castle (with dry sand) with him. After about 1/2 hour C packs up the toys and says he is ready to go. He carries the toys to the car while H throws yet another fit because she wanted to carry the toys. I get dinner ready and soon Chuck is home. I'm molested thru out dinner as usual, but H is getting better about having to be on my lap. Chuck gives the kids a shower and I help them get PJ's on. Chuck has a church meeting, so I read to the kids, with better luck than at nap time, and put them to bed relatively easily. I sit on the couch and recover before I get up to clean the kitchen. This was a relatively good day. Normally, we have many more fits from C. Being a stay at home mom is not easy! But it's worth it.

Trick or Treat

at least by 15 and 17, you can get them to pose and smile

the loot!

Thanks for the AWESOME costumes Grannie Annie!