Birthday weekend 2013

This was the whirlwind weekend I knew I had to make it through before I could really start hoping Baby 3 would arrive.
   Tyler has been sick or working full schedules and weekends the last 3 weeks and so I was especially tired and excited for Saturday March 16th when he had pledged the day to me!  We started out with cleaning and got the house spick and span for the weekend festivities.  Next we drove around town enjoying the time as a family and running random errands.  The rest of the day was a mix of bike riding, cake decorating and house decorating as we prepared for Alex's birthday the next day.  Heidi has been so interested in riding Alex's bike for the longest time, so we picked up an extra set of training wheels to mount on Alex's bigger hand me down bike and got them both set up.  Alex biffed hard once and suffered scrapes and bruises from it, but got back on and went on a ride for a few miles with Daddy and the neighborhood girls.  I was very proud.  Heidi spent the day trying to learn how to pedal forward, but I can happily say that by Tuesday afternoon she had mastered it.  While everyone was gone on their bikes, I tried to finish the cake.  I'm such a perfectionist when it comes to cakes usually, but at 38 weeks pregnant and decorating at the end of a long day, I was done in and not very proud of what I had accomplished.
    Sunday was great.  Alex woke up surprised that the house was decorated, we went to church and had family over for dinner that evening.  It was fun to have family around to celebrate with- something I'll miss next year.

   Monday was the day of all days!  Tyler planned it out, pulled it off and was super Dad the entire day!    Since Alex's birthday was Sunday, mine was monday and we wern't sure how baby arrival would effect Tyler's birthday at the end of the month, we decided to do one big party fun day on Monday and celebrate for everyone (Since Tyler didn't have any classes to teach because of Spring Break.)

I'm loving having another photographer in the family!

        The girls slept in until 8:30!!!  At which point we almost had to drag Heidi out of bed so we could go to breakfast.  Tyler had printed out "Clues" from the birthday Goblins and put them in envelopes.  Alex found the first one which led us to IHOP where we cashed in our free birthday breakfasts.

IHOP was also the place we had to talk to Alex about camera etiquette.  Mainly because she tried to take pictures of EVERYONE eating ALL around us, and the server.  It was a bit awkward.

The next clue was to the disney store because the shoes I got her were too big and we wanted to find a smaller pair.  We walked out with two tiny sets of princess slippers the girls wore EVERYWHERE the rest of the day.  Next we went to see Grandma Jake and show off the glitz.  After that was Sonic for drinks and then a park.  At this point Alex was having a blast (and we were running out of clues!)  She would ask if we had seen the birthday Gobblins and if we could ask them for the next clue.

    Lunch was Tucano's which I was able to enjoy despite my limited stomach space, and then we did the coolest thing ever.  The Provo Beach Resort has a giant play place that even adults can play in (with their kids) and we had the whole place to ourselves!

Tyler and the girls ran them selves crazy for about 2 hours going up and down the 4 levels, and playing all sorts of games.  It was fun to watch and they were so exhausted by the time we were done.   The last clue was hidden in the maze of a place and when Alex found it she yelled "MOM, DAD, I found something amazing!  I'm coming to show you!"  She brought it down to us and opened it up to reveal icecream.  We went to Coldstone and then came home for a quick cartoon and then early bedtime.  Everyone was so well behaved and happy the entire day.  Tyler took care of almost every child issue and I got to just waddle around and enjoy my family.  It was the perfect day.

   Tuesday was suppose to be a pretty good day as well.  I had a early morning OB appointment and was surprised to find that despite all my discomfort and contractions the last 7 days, there was no change expect that the baby was once again measuring small.  About 35 or 36 weeks instead of 38, which officially squished my hopes and desires to go into labor early.  Of the 4 women in the ward due in March, 3 have already delivered and each one was 8-14 days EARLY!  I'm trying not to be jealous or hopeful and am now settling in the for the full 40 weeks.  The rest of the morning was rather hurried and chaotic for no reason really and nothing really went as planned the rest of the day.  The girls were excited to visit Temple Square before Alex's hip appointment that afternoon, but we got off late and promised we would go afterwards.  After 2 hours at Shriners with girls who bounced between crazy and too shy to look at the doctor or answer questions, we were told Alex's hips were looking pretty good, but we still have go back in another 18 months- 2 years for another check up.  We love Shriners and the amazing staff there.  It was a terrible wait, but would have been 100 times worse if everyone hadn't been so kind and helpful and thoughtful as always.  They even noticed it had just been Alex's birthday and gave her a gift and did an x-ray of Heidi's hips and said she had no problems!


      After the doctor I was exhausted and we decided to skip Temple Square, much to Alex's disappointment.  I felt terrible about it because she had wanted to take pictures with her new camera, but it was rush hour and we just wanted to get home.   The last stop of the day was going to be a stop at IKEA to get my birthday present (a yellow duvet and down comforter), but Alex threw up in the parking lot which stopped those plans.  So we drove home, Alex with a big gulp cup in her lap and me trying not to act like a 3 year old who had her toy stolen (I blame the pregnancy).  She's been fine since the incident and so it was probably a case of over indulgence the day before- too much birthday!