Maybrie singing

Maybrie is a huge talker right now. She talks a mile-a-minute! Most of the time you can only understand one word here and there, especially when she is singing or talking really fast on a play cell phone. But, she is learning new words every day, and she continues to crack us up with the funny things she says and imitates! I have been meaning to post videos of her cuteness for a while now. I don't want to forget this adorable stage. So, here is the first of many videos I hope to post shortly. Enjoy!

Sometimes I just have to laugh!

Today is one of those days where all I can do is laugh in spite of myself! A couple hours ago I would have titled this post something like "nightmare" or "I want to cry," but now that I have had a little time to reflect on the events of the day thus far, all I can do is laugh!

This morning I had to get up at 6:15 in order to be out the door at 6:45am. This alone is a huge feet for me right now since I am 21 weeks pregnant and have been sick with a terrible cold and allergies for the past two weeks. I managed to get out the door on time and reach my destination ten minutes early. I arrived at West Valley High School in Yakima to spend 5 hours taking the WEST (Washington Educator Skills Test) B to get a current Teaching license in the state of Washington. It consisted of three subtests- reading, mathematics, and writing. When I read last night that I couldn't bring any food, I panicked! Sometimes I can't make it 2 hours without eating, so 5 would be bad news! Gratefully, they took pity on me and allowed me to keep snacks at the front of the room and go eat them in the hall with a bathroom pass.

About an hour into the test, near the end of my first subtest, I feel a massive headache setting in and start getting shaky. Great! So, I take my second bathroom break and eat some wheat thins out in the hall. With my head pounding I finish the first test and contemplate how I can survive the next two parts. I raise my hand for the bathroom pass and shakily down a cookie in the hall. Not feeling good. Can't stop shaking and feeling nauseous. Ask if you can take a test at a later date if unable to finish... yes, but no refund, and since each test cost me $85... I will finish them no matter what! I start the math section and quickly decide to skip to the final hand written portion since I am so shaky and don't know how much worse it will get. Surprisingly this goes alright and I feel a little more steady now that some food has worked it's way through my system. Nose starts running and I am told that I cannot get out of my seat to get a tissue, but must raise my hand and then blow my nose out in the hallway! Seriously... how old am I? I go back out for another bathroom break!

Back in the room I try to control my coughing and runny nose and dive into the math section. It actually goes pretty quickly and I am proud of how fast I am moving. After yet ANOTHER trip to the bathroom, I dive into the final writing multiple choice section. About 10 minutes into it, I leap up in a panic, shove my test into the administrator's hands and run down the hall with the bathroom pass and make it to the toilet just in time to throw up everything in my system! I comment to another lady as I walk out that this is the best test of my life and find two worried test administrators in the hallway... they obviously heard me puking! At this point I have about 70 questions to go, and I reluctantly sit back down, hoping the next time I get up it will be to hand in my completed test. 30 minutes later I fill in the last bubble and can't get rid of my test fast enough! Hallelujah! I'm alive!

Oh, wait! It isn't over yet. I make it to my car and think I am finally going to be saved if I can make it to a drive-thru and a store for headache medicine, when the yucky taste returns to my mouth! I turn out of the parking lot, pull over and barely make it around my car and puke on the grass in front of the school. Lovely. Just when I think it can't possibly get ANY worse (and yes, this is one of the most humiliating things I have ever admitted to in my life!) I look down and realize that I have also just wet my pants! I want to die! ... Instead, I get in the car, drive to Miner's where I pick up a delicious burger, fries, and Mountain Dew. Feeling slightly restored with the food and caffeine entering my system I head home. Yep, I get to drive another hour sitting in my own waste! (Horrible, I know, but it is the only way to fully understand what I went through!)

Home. Finally. I walk through the door, anxious to get upstairs to the bathroom and a clean change of clothes, and get mauled by my loving two year old who is thrilled to see her mommy! Maybrie follows me upstairs and into the bathroom while I think, "The last thing I want to do right now is happily and casually conduct a potty training scenario!" But, lo and behold, Maybrie decides it is the "ah-ha" breakthrough potty training moment. She excitedly points to her potty and asks for help pulling down her pants. She WILLINGLY sits on her potty, washes her hands, and wants to sit and try again! I watch in amazement. She does not actually have any success... but let me tell you, this is BIG first step! AND she doesn't want to put her diaper back on so we get to put on a new princess pull-up for her nap. She lets me rock her for a few minutes and then falls asleep in my arms and lays right down for a two-hour nap! HA ha! Wow!

And now I am sitting here, writing the longest blog post ever, with more details than necessary, laughing at myself! I hope little Thomas recognizes the sacrifices I made while carrying him... and boy do I have respect for my mother who has done the pregnancy thing 10 times! :) And since I hate to post without pictures, here is Maybrie's new pink potty and the sticker chart I made for her. Happy potty training!

Changes

One of the things I have been so excited about lately is Maybrie's finally growing hair. She actually has enough for me to do more than one style. Plus, she is super girly and actually WANTS me to do her hair now. She brings me her hair stuff and asks for me to do it. And she likes to do my hair and her dolls hair now too... it's pretty funny! Here is the most intricate "do" I have done so far. She actually sits still if she has a movie or book in front of her.

The big change around here is that Lisa and Jaime and their 4 kids moved into their new home in Pasco this past weekend. Brian's sister Emily came to visit for President's day weekend as well, and this is the last lunch Maybrie spent with her cousins before they moved. We have a lot more space and it is quite a bit quieter with only Maybrie running around now. She is missing her playmates though, she asks for them and calls them on the phone now when she wants to talk to them. It is pretty cute how much she loves them. We love and miss you Lisa, Jaime, Lindsey, Olivia, Aidan, and Tyler!

Maybrie, Emma, Olivia, William, Aidan, Jacob, and Lindsey

It's a...

BOY!

He was not shy at all... he made it pretty clear! We are thrilled to be expecting a little boy. I am still trying to wrap my head around the idea and picture it, but I am really excited to start preparing all of the boy stuff. And Brian, of course, is ready to go get a football and raise a little athlete! He is great with Barbies and tea parties, but I think he will enjoy some male bonding this time around. The baby looks great. He is very active and is already kicking his legs. He even managed to wave at us during the ultrasound, it was really cute.

Still Waiting

This seems to be the game we play most often these days. This refers to awaiting news from dental schools for acceptance this fall. To say that Brian and I are anxious and tired of waiting for days on end would be an understatement. I am beginning to think that if news, and hopefully good, does not come by the end of the month we are both going to crack! Brian is currently on the alternate list at Western University in Pomona, CA and we still haven't heard anything from University of Washington. We haven't had anymore rejections either. I guess since we were denied admission to almost every school we applied to at this point last year, we should be positive. But, the waiting and uncertainty is getting old. Please keep us in your prayers and pray that something good comes of all this soon.

We are looking forward to one wait that is almost half over and will have a revealed gender soon. I am having my ultrasound this Thursday at 19 weeks, which means we can finally refer to the baby as him or her! I can't wait! :)

Utah Trip

Brian, Maybrie and I took a road trip to Utah at the end of January to visit my family in Orem and some friends in Provo. Brian managed to take two days of work off, giving us 4 whole days to enjoy in Utah. Being pregnant, I was not looking forward to the driving part of the trip, though I could not wait to see my family. Thankfully, Maybrie got excited about the new adventure and was shockingly wonderful on the way down. She played happily with her baby doll, colored, and the greatest new traveling trick was our portable DVD player... who knew Princess movies could be such a pleasant sound?! We had a great week jam-packed with visiting family and friends. Brian managed to squeeze in a much anticipated ski trip with my older sister Jalene (it's his new favorite hobby he discovered last year) while I took Maybrie and a few of her cousins to see Tangled at the movie theater. The best part was hanging out with my family, though our visit to Burgers Supreme takes a close second! J/K :)

Brian skiing at Alta. They had a professional photographer take action shots and post them on the internet... he was pretty excited about it.

My adorable nephew Howard... can you even stand it?!

Little peanut rolls Eliza... I could kiss her chubba all day!

Maybrie and Howie are just 6 months apart.

The bubs, Afton and Maeryn, my sister Ashley, Anna, and Maybrie waiting to watch Tangled.

Anna and Maybrie were two peas in a pod at the theater sharing their fruit punch and dancing and laughing at the music and previews... too cute!

Maybrie warmed right up to grandma and grandpa and the family while we were there, which was much better than her shy phase during our last visit over the summer. Thanks for a great week! We love and miss all of you living in Utah!

P.S. Sorry there are only a few pictures. Even though I had a great time, I was really lazy and took the "enjoy" rather than "capture" the moment attitude while we were there!