To say or not to say, that is the Question?

(not a self portrait)

After weeks of hearing some great and some not so great comments on my body, I thought I would write a nice little post to inform the world on appropriate and not appropriate things to say to a pregnant woman.

Things to say: When a woman is pregnant her self esteem is not at it's highest point. A pregnant lady is impatient to get her beautiful, but not fully "cooked" baby out of her body so she can breathe, eat, and generally feel like a person again. This is a time to only say kind and uplifting things.

1. You look great!

2. Wow, you are so tiny!

3. I wish I looked like you when I was pregnant!

4. You are almost done.

5. Wow, I would have never thought you were that far along!

Things not to say: this is a great guide in whether or not to voice your precious opinion.... Imagine said pregnant lady is simply overweight and not pregnant...would you still make your very perceptive comment? If not, DON'T SAY IT! She already knows what you are likely going to comment on. If you must make a comment...say it in your head and move on. If you just can't help yourself, change the comment. If she is bigger than a planet, you could simply say..."You look fantastic!"

1. You are starting to waddle!

2. How far along are you? Oh, you still have a LONG time to go.

3. You keep getting bigger and bigger, each time I see you.

4. Lookin' BIG!

5. Have you been eating a lot of donuts?

6. How much weight have you gained?

7. You have got to be having twins!

Maybe, just maybe, we could leave all comments about the pregnant woman in our heads. Simply treat this woman like the person she is, and forget her personal appearance for now, and give her something else to talk about. You could ask her about a book she's read, if you could do her laundry, how she gets her bathrooms so sparkling, etc.....

That time of year.

Yes, it is that time of year. Alas, we ran out of the beloved homemade jam, and the "stitch" (Mitchell), had been asking about 10x a day when we could make jam. I told him we could buy some jam, and he pulled a nasty face and pronounced the truest statement of all...."but, homemade jam tastes so much better." Yes, he has found the light, he has figured out that most things taste better when they come from the kitchen instead of the shelf. Smarty pants!

You might think I shopped all the great deals, and spent the day washing, and cutting berries. Alas, I found a simpler way. I simply bought the bags of frozen berries from my beloved Costco, and make jam that way. Luckily, I had tons of sugar and pectin in my pantry, so I didn't have to go shopping (I hate shopping, is that okay to say?). I spent the night making over 20 batches of jam, while Bj cleaned out the pantry (I know ladies, you are jealous). After making all this jam, I have to profess that I have a preference in pectin.It is....

Why? This little pouch of perfection uses SOOOOOO much less sugar. And less sugar makes momma one happy lady. Of course, the fruit doesn't go as far, but I feel so much better when I use 1 1/2 cups of sugar per 4 cups of fruit, as opposed to the other... 4 cups of sugar to 2 cups of fruit.

Now, we are fully stocked (well at least for a little while, Lizzy likes to make Jam sandwiches) in berry and strawberry jam. The freezer is bursting with containers of jam, and when Bj makes his 15 PB&J sandwiches on Sunday nights, we have plenty of homemade jam to keep the little mouths happy.

ALREADY!

My kids have been so excited for school to start. Okay, Liz and Mitch have been excited. Mitch woke up at 5 a.m. this morning, and went on a bike ride with his dad (everyone needs to work out before school starts!) Liz came in my room at 6 a.m., and told me to get up. She promptly got dressed, went downstairs, packed her school lunch, and prepared herself for her first day of school. She happily let me curl her hair, and cleaned her room, and did let me take pictures of her. Madeline (although not happy to go to school) still had a happy heart and enjoyed watching her little sister get so excited for her first day of school.

We drove them to school, and took pictures of all the "firsts." Elizabeth gave us a hug and kiss, and happily sent us on our way. Mitchell took his "helping other people" job seriously, and went about telling the new kids where and how to check in and start the day. Madeline surprised me...she got to class and I could tell she was feeling the stress of the moment. Her eyes watered, and she asked me not to leave. This is her first year (she's going into 4th grade) where she hasn't had a best friend in her class room, and I think the unknown of the upcoming year was slightly overwhelming in that moment.

So, here I am at home. Just finished my workout without one interruption. The sheets are being washed, beds are getting made, more laundry is waiting, and still there is QUIET. I think I might be insane to be ending this solitude in about a month. Ahhh, but the joy of a new baby (right?). So, now I am off to finish Mr. Noah's quilt.

Already loved!

I have tons of pictures to download, and so much to write about, but honestly....I don't want to do any of that stuff now. However, I do want to comment on this little guy growing so safe and warm within me. He is already so loved. Each day the kids kiss, cuddle, try to burp, and generally love this kid to pieces. Heavenly Father's plan is so amazing to me. I love that we are all sent to families that are already excited, happy, and ready to love and cherish us. Today, Elizabeth sat and "burped" Noah during sacrament meeting, she kissed him, talked to him, and sang to him. Mitchell gave me the biggest hug tonight before bed, then gave Noah a big kiss and told him how much he loved him. Man....kids really know how to melt hearts!