January Update

I didn't take many pictures during January. That was due to my nasty cold (back from Christmas) turning into a nasty sinus infection...and then that nasty infection settling into a nasty cough...and then that cough injuring one of my ribs from coughing so hard and causing costochondritis (which is inflammation of the cartilage in my ribs which surprisingly causes an incredible amount of pain). I actually thought I had broken a rib I was in so much pain, but after a visit to the doctor and a blessing from Nate and my dad, we were pretty sure it was just costochondritis which should heal after a few weeks.  Whatever I caught in December was probably one of the worst sicknesses ever...and me being pregnant didn't help because I couldn't fight it off. Plus I sprained a ligament in my foot so it hurt to walk for a few weeks too. I was a mess! I am finally over the sinus infection and cough but my ribs are still recovering.  If pregnancy isn't hard enough, all those sicknesses sure added to it.  I hate to sound like Debbie Downer, but it really was a rough month.  You can't take good health for granted!

Despite the sickness, we kept busy redoing the kids rooms during January.  Nate and I repainted my old furniture (which is actually my grandma's old dresser and vanity from the 1950s).  We painted the furniture white and my parents gave us my old metal daybed from when I was a little girl.  I decorated her room with a Shabby Chic look and I love how it turned out!  Callie LOVES pink...so all the pink and white is perfect for her.  If I have one girl, I'm gonna milk it for all I can :)  I have yet to take pictures of everything in her room, but I did take a picture of Callie by her new big girl bed because we transitioned her out of her crib and into her new bed.  And she has done awesome with the switch!  I was scared she wouldn't sleep as good but she does perfect at night.  And for nap time, she sometimes falls asleep still and if she doesn't, she quietly plays in her bed with her dolls and books. I'm so happy that it hasn't been a hard transition.

She loves her big girl bed and has to show everyone that comes over :)  I sure love that girl!

We switched the boys room around to get ready for baby #4's arrival too.  He is going to sleep in Aiden and Brennan's room.  We put the crib under the window and added his dresser by it.  I was a little nervous about squeezing all three boys in one room but it works just fine!  We have the boys' bunk bed, dresser, bookshelf, and Lego table in there along with baby's stuff and it fits alright.  I have been in crazy nesting mode and have already filled baby #4's drawers with his little clothes and shoes and blankets.  I'm nearly 34 weeks so it is getting close! I am getting so excited! I still have to make a valance for the boys' room and do a few more tweaks and then I'll take some pictures of their updated room too.

I have to document a funny thing Callie said one day.  We were doing her little "fishing" game and I was naming off all of the animals on it - crab, octopus, sea horse, squid, stingray, jellyfish, etc.  And then she recited them all back to me (because she is a little sponge these days)...but when she got to "jellyfish" she called it a "peanut butter."  I thought it was so cute she associated JELLYfish with a peanut butter fish :)  Her age is so much fun!  She is SO smart and talkative and often seems way older than she is.  She amazes us with what she knows and does.  I can't believe she is 2 1/2 already!  She is my little buddy all day every day. I am not ready for her to grow up cause she is so much fun!

A & B made this cute little family of snowmen one morning.  They LOVE when it snows and they could stay outside for hours despite the cold.  Their little snowman family including all 5 of us plus the little babe.  Those boys are getting excited to have a little brother and they always include him in their prayers now (Brennan always prays that he won't have any "extra things" cause a neighbor just had a baby with 12 fingers and toes...it makes us smile every time he prays for that!)

 Brennan is always saying the funniest things.  I wish I was better at always writing things down because he constantly makes us laugh.  The other day he was telling me how this girl in his kindergarten class likes him.  And then he goes on to tell me that "like a thousand girls like McKay  because he doesn't have freckles."  I went on to tell him how adorable his little freckles are and that I love that he is unique.  So I took some pictures of him to show him how cute he is! Isn't he so handsome?!

And silly :)

 Our ward has been doing some fun activities (the new bishopric Nate is in is all about ward unity - which is exactly what our ward needed).  One night we went to the ward game night and had a fun time playing the Marble game. We love that game thanks to the Brewers for introducing it to us.  Another night we went to the temple as a ward and then to the church afterwards for dessert.  And our ward also started a playgroup at the church on Thursdays that the kids love to go to to get their energy out.  I love that Nate and the other bishopric members are helping to create such a close ward. We already have great friendships in this ward and love where we live but it's always fun to get to know more people around us.

One highlight from January was going to Fat Cats to celebrate my dad's 56th birthday. The kids LOVED bowling and Aiden now wants a bowling party for his birthday. It was a perfect way to celebrate and maybe it can be a new tradition?!

 I finally made it to Music and the Spoken Word at the end of the month. Because it starts at 9:30, I was unable to go when we had church at 10 on Sundays.  But now that we have church at 1:30, I was able to go!  Nate had meetings all morning (like every Sunday now) so my dad was nice enough to take us up.  Aiden came with me to the broadcast while my dad watched the other two little kids in a smaller theater.  The broadcast was beautiful!  I'm glad we got to see my mom sing in it.  And then afterwards we walked through the visitor center up there and the kids loved it! We'll have to go back another day when we have more time to spend at Temple Square because the kids were soaking everything up.