a little baby celebration & thoughts at 39 week pregnant

when my friend mindy suggested a night out to dinner with friends in lieu of a baby shower, it sounded like a perfect idea. after all, we really don't need any more baby stuff, but i sure love spending time with friends. we met up at mellow mushroom, enjoyed chatting, yummy pizza and basically shut the place down (seriously, i couldn't believe how late it was when we left). i'm so grateful for good friends (why in the world didn't i bring my actual camera. cell phone pictures are not great for big group shots. half of us have demon eyes too. oh well, at least we got a picture)! 

so here i am: 39 weeks (and 2 days...because when you are this pregnant, every.single.day.counts)

i have been horrible about recording anything about this pregnancy. but this much i can say, it has flown by! and like my other pregnancies, it has been great! i know this may be unusual, but i really love being pregnant! i still feel really good and go to the gym about 4 times a week (my bodypump instructions keep telling me not to go into labor during their class and i assure them we're not that lucky :)  i sleep really well, feel great physically and on saturday just started feeling a little pain in my tailbone (i'm assuming he must have moved a little). he is super active...still! he is moving all the time. he loves to be rubbed (clarification: he loves when dave rubs my belly. and so do i, so win/win!). he's similar to logan in that if we push where he is, he'll push back (emma would retreat). when dave talks to him, he will almost always respond to his voice with a kick (or punch or whatever it is he is doing in there).  

of course the question i get asked a lot is, "are you ready?" and really, who is ever really ready?! but i guess we're as ready as we'll ever be (because really there is actually very little you need for a new baby, practically speaking). we have diapers, i washed the carseat (since it's been in the garage for over a year), i washed all the baby clothes (talk about some major nostalgia seeing all of logan's old clothes), we now have a car we can all ride in together (yea!), logan and emma are now sharing a room and dave is in the process of painting the pink accent wall in emma's old room white (sad), my parents are "on call" to watch logan and emma for whenever this guy decides to make his debut, i managed to get a pedicure (let's be honest, that really is a need) and i even threw a few things in a hospital bag today. so really we are just playing the waiting game. (for memory sake) at my 39 week appointment (4 days ago) i was almost 4cm dilated and 70% effaced. i'm due this coming wednesday (july 31st), but we're expecting this guy to be like his brother and sister and come late. i'm willing to go a little longer overdue this time in an effort to go into labor on my own (i just really want to experience it), but 1 week overdue is my limit! beyond that, i will feel like i gave it my best shot and be induced! but i'm really hoping it doesn't come to that. please be good to your mama little guy and just come...like tonight! ha!

the end of an era

this past sunday was the first time in 5 (plus) years that ward council was held and i didn't attend (not including those i missed because i was out of town or had just had a baby). 2 sundays ago i was released as relief society president and while the timing is right, it's definitely bittersweet. don't get me wrong, it was a hard calling. there were so, so many times that i felt way in over my head, as i tried to counsel and/or comfort those in difficult situations (that were so far removed from things i have personally experienced) and so many times i thought to myself (and asked the lord), "there has got to be someone more qualified for this than me. are you sure you called the right girl?!!" but time and time again i was reminded that the lord qualifies those whom he calls, and that if i was humble and willing, he could use me (not that i would do everything perfectly, but better than if i tried to do it alone). it seemed like just at the times that i was feeling most overwhelmed and inadequate, he would open my eyes to a way in which he had guided and directed me, and i would be reminded once again that this is his work, he was in charge and i needed to trust in him. this past week i read a quote by president lorenzo snow that really resonated with me. it said, "to properly discharge the obligations devolving upon us, we require supernatural aid...." i think that is not only true in fulfilling callings, but in our efforts to live the gospel. we can't do it without his help and i am sure that so often he is just waiting for us to come to him so he can help us.

another huge blessing of this calling was the opportunity to serve with amazing women (debbie, wendie and aubrey pictured above at our last hurrah, before 2 of them moved away). i learned so much from them; their testimonies, their insights, perspectives and experiences. i grew so much from my time working, praying and serving with them. 

all of this reflection was fresh in my mind last week when i got together with mindy and jessica. i couldn't help but think of the 3 years we served together in the young women's presidency. once again, i couldn't have asked for better counselors to serve with. and working together with them was just plain fun! there really is an incredible bond that is formed when you work, struggle (and sometimes cry), pray and plead with the lord and experience miracles while in his service. 

(our little cuties)

i'm so grateful for the trust the lord placed in me and the chance that i have had to help build up the kingdom in a small way (although i have no doubt that these callings were probably more for me than for anyone i served). i'm grateful we have a lifetime of serving in the church in different capacities that refine us and help us move the lord's work forward (isn't it amazing that he uses such imperfect people to do his perfect work?! it reminds me of what elder holland said, "except in the case of his only perfect begotten son, imperfect people are all god has ever had to work with. that must be terribly frustrating to him, but he deals with it. so should we").  but for the next few sundays (or so) i will soak up being calling free (and hopefully at home snuggling a little baby. come on baby)!

just a regular day

driving around with optimus prime

todd family reunion: winter park [part 1]

one of the things that i look forward to most each year is when my whole family gets together for our reunion. the todd kids are spread across the country and this is the one time each year that we are guaranteed to all be together. i am so grateful for the huge sacrifices everyone makes to make sure it happens. this year our time together was a little staggered (due to people's busy schedules), but it was still so amazing! we spent almost a week in winter park and it was incredible (the only thing that would have made it better is if dave could have spent more than one day with us. dang work)! we stayed in an amazing house, with an amazing view and had so much fun!

 we went to winter park one day to do all the fun activities that they have at the ski resort during the summer. and let me tell you, it was hard for this pregnant lady not to get to play! but i had fun taking pictures and watching my kids (and hubby) soak in the experience. our kids loved the alpine slide and dave quickly learned not to go in the slow lane (even with the kids) because it was too slow. both of the kids loved going fast!

 

logan was introduced to miniature golf and quickly became obsessed. it was his main request over and over again. i couldn't believe that was what he wanted to do when there were so many cooler things to do. but it was the major highlight for him. 

emma's favorite thing was the trampoline/bungee thing. she loved it! since i wasn't a paying adult, i wasn't allowed in with her but she would sit patiently and wait her turn on the tramp. people couldn't get over her jumping. she has no fear and wanted to go over and over again. she even did flips (with the help of the worker).

 

dave and my dad did this thing that spins you upside down and all around. i love that my dad still loves to do these kinds of things! 

it is the sweetest to see all the cousins together. i love how much they love each other and it makes me so happy that even though we don't live by each other, during this week together they create memories that bind them together. my kids love being with their cousins. logan has already asked when we are going to kansas and nyc to visit his cousins (we already went to utah in may to visit some cousins). 

one day while the older cousins were white water rafting we took the little kids for a pony ride. they both loved it, although logan did end up having a major meltdown before we left (late bedtimes and no naps were definitely starting to take their toll). but even though the whole experience ended in tears, i would still consider it a success!

 

emma discovered water guns and couldn't get enough! i loved watching kate and emma together. they are only 2 weeks apart and it will be so fun to watch them grow up together.

amazing view off the huge, awesome wrap around deck

more mini golf at the ymca

emma would lose patience with the club and kick the ball and drop it in the hole!

a rock climbing attempt. obviously he wasn't into it. but i had to capture the moment first!

i loved when the worker asked emma before he pushed her if she wanted to go fast and she said, "YES!" with a huge smile on her face!

we went on a gorgeous 3 or 4 mile hike one day. since everyone came it needed to be easy enough for the little kids, which worked to my advantage because that meant it was also easy enough for a 35 week pregnant lady! 

since dave wasn't there, mark was nice enough to carry emma. lucky him, he got serenaded all along the trail (she loves to sing)!

she is seriously the messiest little girl!

 my cute little bed buddy one night. even though this picture is such poor quality i had to post it anyway because she was taking up her share of the bed, although when dave saw the picture he was probably laughing that i was finally getting a taste of my own medicine!

my mom rocks! she also tried to do a backflip but didn't quite make it around. maybe next time mom!

there is bound to be a part 2 to this reunion as soon as i get some of my siblings pictures. but for now, this will have to do!