More pictures from the last month.
One of the first days I felt better during my early pregnancy. I was about 12 weeks along, I think. I noticed the flowery tree against the sky and is was so pretty. And then I realized, I just thought something was pretty! Instead of being stuck inside my head, fixated on how awful I felt, I was seeing something outside!! It might sound crazy but it was an awesome moment. 
Brooklyn and Sierra had their end of school performance. The arrow is pointing at Sierra. 
Payson whined a lot about being there. Ember was excited to be there. 
Being Mr. Social, he cheered up once I told him he could go play with the other kids as long as he stayed around that big bush nearby. 
Brooklyn was definitely the goofiest one of the bunch. 
There were treats provided after the songs and my family made quite a dent in those. 
Being able to walk around wherever he wanted, Payson was happy the rest of the time.
Ember spilled her water. On the left, in her hair, are flowers from the nearby trees. It was really windy that day and she and I got covered in flowers. 
The sunset was really pretty that evening. A very soft yellow with parts of the sky that were still a deep blue. In person it was so much prettier. Alas, a perfect photographer I am not. 
The kids were sitting in this spot for a few minutes, the sun was setting directly behind them. Everything was glowing. Ahh, so pretty! (I told them to do a silly face. Brooklyn spit everywhere.) 
I told them to do a sweet smile. 
I told them to do a cool dude face. 
The weather was nice, the kids wanted to stay a bit longer just to hang out.
Ember had started walking along that edge, then she held out her hand to Allan, “Help me, daddy?” And I died of cuteness. 
I don’t remember what we were talking about, but I guess I was pretty serious about it. 
Ember seely. (Seely= our baby talk way of pronouncing silly)
Allan, the older girls, and I were taking turns standing over in the (then super messy) corner of the room to make her laugh or smile. She was cracking up at our silly antics. 
It’s important to me that the kids have fun while taking pictures. If it was a huge challenge to photograph them I don’t like the pictures even if they’re cute, because I’d only remember the not-so-much-fun process of taking that picture. This experience was a blast and therefore, some of my favorite pictures of Ember ð
Oh and when we were snapping pictures she’d hop up and run to the corner while Sierra or Brooklyn (and even me and Allan a few times) would sit on the little bench and she’d make us giggle. It was a blast. I have some cute videos of it all, maybe some day I’ll get around to going through my video clips from the last few months! 
One Saturday I took Brooklyn with me on some errands. Ember joined us, too, of course. That girl doesn’t like to be away from mommy. 
Ember fell asleep on the way there. 
Anything better than pizza? 
Brooklyn prefers a hotdog. 
Ember fell asleep on the way home, too! 
The weather that day was awesome. When I got home Allan was working outside in the yard. I left the car on the driveway with all the doors open and let Ember sleep for another twenty minutes or so while I leaned against the outside of the car and watched and talked to Allan. I think the three older kids were riding their bikes at that point.
For mother’s day I made some chocolate covered strawberries for the family. 
Mother’s Day at church. 
I’ve been reading lots of books, often over and over again, to Ember. I love the book-loving phase! 
Brown Bear, Brown Bear was her very favorite that week.
For mother’s day Allan BBQ’d hamburgers. 
Suffering from some major cabin fever, I took the little kids to Peter Piper Pizza for lunch one day. I bought Payson a lunch buffet plate and he had three or four pieces of pizza, toppings only! I felt so wasteful throwing away all that crust, but, what else do you do with a gluten-allergic boy? He also had a big salad, which I had to make him eat by promising he would get ZERO tokens until he did. Ember ate two whole pieces of pizza and about three servings of salad! That girl LOVES pizza and salad! 
WalMart trip to buy a baby pool. 
Didn’t like the one or two options at WalMart, went to Target instead. 
The day we set it up (that same day we bought it) got up to 101, good day for some backyard splashing! I hung up a tarp to provide shade over the baby pool.
Ember was not a fan. She didn’t like the splashing, she didn’t like her swimsuit getting wet, she just didn’t like it at all. lol 
Sierra laughing at Payson splashing himself in the eyes. 
Having some frozen chocolate covered bananas. 
The next week, running a few errands while the older girls were at school. 
Payson looked so serious watching the scenery. Usually he talks nonstop in the car. (Notice the McDonald’s cups? We always have at least one water cup in the car.) 
Michael’s craft store. 
Fry’s grocery store. 
Cooling off with some naked juice. 
Kissing her baby in the car. 
Fixing up baby with her doctor kit. 
She fell asleep on me one night and my camera was on the couch close enough for me to grab to take some pictures! 
Every morning Ember shows me her hair and laughs and says, “Wook mine haiw!!” And then she holds her bangs up with both hands until she can see. 
The little piece in the front is trying to grow back out after she or Payson cut it a couple months ago. 
One day we went out for lunch. Just for something to do. 
Raise your hand if you want a hamburger! 
Lunchtime is often Ember’s naptime. 
Payson loves ketchup. He loves to just eat it. Ember hates ketchup. She won’t eat anything that has even slightly touched ketchup. 
Payson got a cheeseburger with no onions and no bun. It’s always a “thing” when I say, “No bun.” The person taking my order always hesitates, thinking. They’ll fumble to figure out what to push into the register, “Just the… patty and… other stuff? Without the bun? Okay.” And half the time they call someone over to ask what to push. Ordering for allergies makes me feel like a picky person! haha (That’s why I like In N Out, they have a protein version, without bun, that’s a normal order!) 
Belly is big. I’m measuring two weeks ahead, which I always do when pregnant. So big. *sigh* 
Craft project with the younger three while Brooklyn was at her best friend’s birthday party. 
I love that you hardly need anything.
Blue paper.
Fruit Loops
Mini Marshmallows
Glue
I had the kids sort out their fruit loops into colors before gluing and whatever cereal pieces were leftover (and later marshmallows) they got to eat. They loved it. They also got some more from the box after they were all done. 
We got some card games from the Target $1 spot and have been playing a LOT. Our new favorite is crazy 8s. We play one on one or with half of us or, my favorite, as a whole family! Even Ember plays and she does really well!! So fun! (This was the first night we played, only Sierra and I did and Ember was pissed at me because I wouldn’t let her breastfeed while we played!) 
Spaghetti dinners are so great. So easy to make. I put Payson’s meat and sauce over rice and he gobbles it up. He really loves the stuff, luckily! 
Ember was pretending to be a puppy and bringing all kinds of stuff to Allan while he finished up some work. 
Ember is such a mini adult. She loves to copy everything Allan and I do. He was flossing so she ran for a flosser. Then when he came over to kneel by her to floss together she kneeled down the exact same way. She even made sure she mirrored him perfectly with which knee was bent up. So cute! 
That’s the end of catch up post #2! I have more pictures from this week which hopefully I get to this weekend. I can’t wait to be caught up and able to blog about the present day happenings!
