News from the baby front...

I had a doctors appointment this morning. I am 36 weeks whoo hoo! I am dilated 1 cm. Like that really means anything. I think doctors just say things like that to make pregnant ladies feel just a tiny bit better. But I'll take it. He said that if I were to go into labor anytime soon they wouldn't stop it. If I make it to the 19th of January then he will induce me. So let the count down begin. 20 more days for sure. I highly doubt that I will go by myself. Bode was quite content to stay as long as possible, I bet she will be the same. Or not, you never know. Either way I am excited to have a date to look forward to. Now I can really get all the odds and ends together before she makes her grand entrance.

Oh by the way, anybody have any good girl names they want to share? We are still stumped for a girl name.

Christmas Festivities...

Christmas Eve Eve

We had a family get together at our house a few days before Christmas. We had a White Elephant Party with all the members of my family. Well all except Pete and Britt and their little girls. They were missed. Everyone trekked across the valley half way to California to party at out house. We ate some Mexican food, played a couple of games, ate a lot of yummy sweets and even squeezed in a game of settlers. Thanks to everyone who came, maybe we can make it a new holiday tradition.

This is one of the funny things of the night. I mentioned awhile ago that when we were younger we had a party every year. Every year there was a puzzle. Once you get stuck with the puzzle you are stuck with it the whole time. So this year when it was my Mom's turn she was looking over the presents, shaking a few, and she shook one and thought is was a puzzle. She said "oh no I am not getting stuck with a puzzle this time!" So she grabbed another present and opened it. Ha guess what was inside... a puzzle. I know that this doesn't sounds incredible funny to all of you, but it was to us. Good White Elephant gift Aaron.

This was my favorite White Elephant gift of the evening. Tim and Connie had this brilliant idea. From the outside it looked like a box of tampons, felt like tampon and was even sealed. Lee opened it and was like are you serious!! She was a bit perturbed and ripped open the box to see if it really was tampons, stuffed inside was and i-tunes gift card. I did however love the wrapping idea. Jer and his yummy popcorn, no one traded with him that night.

I hope everyone had a good evening. I was trying to see how I could meet up with all my family this holiday season and the party was my solution. I am bummed that I can't make it up to Pinetop this year with everyone. No traveling for me right now. I love my family and am so grateful that I was able to see everyone.

Christmas Eve

We had a nice Christmas eve. I got up early to finish up my last minuet Christmas shopping. Then when I got home Jeremiah took off to finish his Christmas shopping. So he and Bode left the house and I got the house to myself, I love that.

Bode got extra spoiled this holiday season when Grandpa Alex and Louis stopped by to spread some holiday cheer.

After many unsuccessful tries to get a decent family picture with Stat, we stick him outside and finally got one.

Christmas Evening we went over to celebrate with Grandpa Glismann and the rest of Jeremiah's mom's family. I forgot to bring in my camera, oops. I love the holidays and is was neat to spend it with family.

Christmas Day

Bode got up around 7:30. Then is was off to open stockings and presents. It is really fun to have a child old enough to enjoy opening presents. It made this Christmas so much fun.

Bode and Daddy.
Bode loves to color and draw. This easel was the perfect gift for him.

At first he wasn't to sure about opening everything. He took his time and opened them slowly. But by the end he was tearing into them.

After presents we had french toast, bacon and OJ, yummy. Then we got all ready and when to the Brooks' house, then to Grandma Davis's house to eat lunch.

This was the first year the I have not had Christmas in Pinetop. I have missed the snow and my family. But I am so grateful to have such a great group of people down here to call family. This Christmas was wonderful!

Now that it is all over, I can get all the odds and end ready to have this baby. That seems crazy. Jer kept telling me to wait until after Christmas to get all the last odds and ends. Now that time is here, am I ready to do all that stuff? No! It has gone by really fast. But I am defiantly ready to not be pregnant and take of a baby instead.

I also don't want to take down all my Christmas decorations. They have made me so happy everyday and I am not ready to give them up. Normally I am chucking the tree out the front door the day after Christmas. But taking everything down is part of my to do's before the baby comes.

It keeps growing and growing and growing...

Happy Christmas Eve! I am very excited for tomorrow. Not really for me or Jer, but for Bode. He is old enough now to kind of understand what is going on. He walks around the house singing "jingle bell, jingle bell" or "snowman, snowman". He loves all the Christmas lights up everywhere. We have driven around a few times to look at lights, he is so into it. Hope you all have a great Christmas tomorrow!

I can not believe how huge my belly is. It is popping out like 2 feet in front of me. This is me at 35 weeks. Technically I have about 5 weeks left. But hopefully at my doctors appointment on Monday he will let me know when he wants to induce me. Last time we figured that the date would be closer to like mid January. Oh that would be nice.

Preparing for Christmas...

It may be a bit late, but I still have a bunch of Christmas stuff to do before Thursday! My list of to do's gets longer every time I think about what needs to be done.

Stat's Christmas preparation consisted of one thing. Getting the big fix. He is a bit older than we would have liked to get is done, but yea it is done. Hopefully a few of his manly dog habits that were starting to show will go away. You think he likes the pain meds we gave him?

(freaky eyes, and I couldn't edit them out)

I have a bunch of cleaning to do. We hare having a family party here tomorrow night. And my house is dirty. I really like the motivation to get it really clean. These days I am getting to big to do all the regular deep cleaning I usually do, it has just been bare minimum clean. So I am looking forward to having everything "squeaky" clean before Christmas day. I am quite lucky though. I have two, kinda three, reluctant helpers. Lee, Jer and Bode whoo hoo!

Bode has been a big helper these days. Lets see he helped clean up the bathroom, after he pooped in his pull-up and smeared number 2 everywhere. He loves to get himself dressed...in at least 10 different things a day. He helped Lee with her scripture studying by ripping out a few pages. My personal favorite was the helping me fold laundry. Folding laundry is one of my least favorite chores. I usually put it off until the clothes are piling up everywhere are we are living our lives around piles of laundry. Last Saturday night I stayed up late folding all the laundry and was to tired to put everything away so I left it. Sunday night Bode, being such a big helper, decided to refold all the clothes. I wasn't watching him and when I came to check on the quiet kid, all my laundry was in a pile under the Christmas tree. I decided that I couldn't yell or get too mad at him. I know he was trying to help me. But it did make me cry. Seriously, I must be 35 weeks pregnant, because I had to call Jer and tell him what happened, with tears running down my face the whole time. Jer was very sweet and listened to my whole ramblings and then called me every so often that evening to make sure I was ok. Poor people who have to deal with me right now. No wait! Poor me for having to be so crazy hormonal. I need to learn to be better at laundry and put it away.

I still have a bunch of Christmas shopping to do. Opps. Better get on that. Hopefully I can clean today, shop tomorrow morning, cook for the party in the afternoon tomorrow and then be able to relax after that. Oh did I mention that I haven't wrapped present either? This I did on purpose becasue Bode has been very curious about the few that are under there. So I just didn't want him to open any before Christmas, but it is just about Christmas so maybe I should wrap them right?

Hopefully I can get everything done today. Wish me luck. And good luck to you with all your last minuet Christmas preparations.

Jeremiah James

I am so blessed to have married Jeremiah. He really is an incredible person. I am not just saying this becasue I love him. Even if we weren't married, I would feel that he is a great person. He was able to over come great trials in his life and use them for the better. His past could have made him bitter and resentful towards a lot of things. But he chose to use them another way. I won't go into all the details. They are not mine to tell. This was an article written about him when he was a junior in high school. It gives you a brief idea of his past. (if you are interested, I hope it gets bigger when you double click it)

I am very grateful for his family. The Joncas family was blessed with an open heart and I am grateful they opened their doors to so many kids in need.

We don't have a ton of baby pictures of Jeremiah. This was a shot from the hospital. Please notice the incredibly long finger nails. Bode nails looked just the same. They both can clip their nails weekly, and still have better looking nails than mind.

Maybe about 1 year old.

Around 3 years old

2nd Grade 1990

3rd Grade 1991

8 years old

This was the day he was adopted by the Joncas Family.

I think this was about 10 years old

8th Grade

The awesome glasses and "butt crack" hair in all its glory. He lived in Eager/Round Valley in Jr.High. It is funny to me that he only lived a town away from me for a while. I am glad he moved from there though. I don't think I would have married a R.V. boy. That is worse that marring a Snowflake boy. (haha j/k that is for John) Another funny thing is that when he was in high school. He would come up to Pinetop with the Brooks family for vacations. If they had ever attended sacrament meeting they would have been in my ward. I probably would have though he was cute. But he probably would not have noticed me. To quote my little sister "You look better when you got older" thanks Lee.

Freshman year.

I have heard many times form different people that Jer was really particular about his hair. This year I guess he would wet his hair, put gel in it, and then shake his head around until it looked good.

Sophomore Year.

Please note the same shirt and Freshman year. I guess it was his favorite one. It does look good though. Maybe he liked it so much he bought two of them.

Junior Year Basketball
What a stud :)

I know one other reason for Jer's success is good friends. I am thankful for these boys and their families. I guess Jer was not a shy boy. Rena has told me it was not uncommon to find Jer at her house when they came home. No one else there, just him asleep on a bed or the couch.

Jeremiah swears all the crazy things they did when they were young where all Jason's ideas. Now that I know Jason better, I think this might be true.

I think Jer feels that he is just the freakishly tall one in Brooks family. They always treat him so good, and they still do. I am so grateful to be an adopted member of their family. Thank you Rena, Steve, Brandon, Nathan, Aaron and Heather for putting up with him.

Oh yes and it is nice to know that I am not Jer's "best" friend. But that glory spot is reserved for Nathan. Jer said I was his best friend in most things, but not when it comes to outdoor things. I told him to go talk to the bishop becasue your wife is supposed to be your best friend. (Hehe) I am glad he has a friend to go do things with. I know how fun it must be to lug around your pregnant wife places. I just hope that someday I won't have to discipline my teen age son and middle aged husband at the same time.

Not picture here, but Jer's friend Brian. Jer has told me crazy stories of racing down the freeway in their "sweet" cars flying to get to work at dashmat. I am surprised all these boys are still alive. Now I am glad the relationship is a more low-key golfing on the weekend kind of things.

I love Aarron Waldon's pose in this picture. It cracks me up becasue I met him at EAC and every picture I have ever seen of him is this pose. It must be his good side. I am glad that Aaron got Jer to got to EAC. If it weren't for him I would be an old maid with cats.

I never had the opportunity to met Joel. But I know that he was a good friend to Jeremiah and is missed.

Senior Year

I won't get to mushy on everyone here. But I am so thankful for my husband. He is a great example to me. He is the eternal optimist. He is so good to me. He follows the spirit in all his choices. I am grateful that he is a good provider for us. He is such a wonderful father. I would have 10 kids just so Jer could be their dad. They would all be so lucky to have him at their dad. I love him more today than ever and I am thankful that I get to spend my life with him.

7 days to Christmas??

I am loving the "winter" weather the last few days. It isn't snow, but I will take the rain in its place. Can you believe there are only 7 days until Christmas!?! I can't I am not ready. I love all my decorations and don't want to take them down. I love my tree and will miss the glow of the lights. I guess I will enjoy them now.

Jeremiah is loving his job these days. I am glad. It makes him happy to do something that he feels he is good at. We are also a fan of the three days off. Granted they come in the middle of the week, but we like them just the same. Like I have posted before, Jer has been so sweet these days. Last night we went to Cheesecake Factory and then walked around the mall for a while. Not his favorite activity, but he was a good sport. He actually suggested we go. I love him! Not becasue he takes me to the mall, but becasue he thinks about things that make me happy and does them.

I am getting bigger and bigger. Not to much longer though. I have started the every two week appointments now. Isn't that crazy! I still feel like there is so much to do. This little girl is getting so big. Those little sweet streches are gone, to be replaced with strong swift kicks to, well, everywhere. She gets the hiccups about 5 times a day, those are funny. Every time I look at my reflection I laugh. My belly sticks out so much it is comical. After my next appointment on the 29th, we will see were I am. If I were to go on my own at 36 weeks they wouldn't stop it. If I get to 38 weeks then they will induce me. That seems close. Jer has told me to not worry about any baby stuff until after Christmas, then I can go crazy getting all the odds and ends together.

Um where did my baby go!?! Bode is getting so big. He is talking to us so much. Not just little fragment of words but full on sentences. It makes the days so much easier. He can tell me things and what he wants, wich really eases a lot of communication stress. They other day he got up from his nap we asked him what he wanted to do and he said "I want Wal-Mart, go look at toys". I never look at the toy section when we go to the store. I avoid it like the chicken pox. How does he know that that is where the toys are? I didn't think it was the best idea to go, if he does see toys he normally throws a fit when he can't have one. So that is why I avoid the toy section, like so many other moms I am sure. He did so good though. We just browsed the aisles, he would tell us "that way" when he wanted us to turn. He didn't even cry when we didn't put anything in the basket. He can be so much fun sometimes!!

I was thinking yesterday that I have neglected something in my journaling of our lives. Um our roommate. Lee. We actually really like her living here. I don't know what Bode will do when she moves out. I set the table for us the other night, Lee wasn't home, so I set enough for the three of us. Bode was very concerned. He pointed at the plates, naming who they should belong to. Mom, Dad and Bode. Then he looks around and say "Lee, wheres Lee go". He didn't want us to forget her. They are good friends.

Bode's buddy.

Christmas memories...

This is a good time to reflect on past holiday memories. I saw a person do this on her blog and thought it would be a good idea to write down a few Christmas memories.

We would get up so early. Like 3 in the morning. The anticipation of Christmas day was just to great to stay in bed. I do remember that every kid would get up early but as the years went by the older ones preferred to stay in bed, but Lee and I always got up together to take a peak at the presents. We did this probably until I left to college.

One year Jill really wanted a huge stuffed animal. I wanted to be just like her. So I asked for one too. I was super excited to see a huge stuffed Bear under the tree. I loved that bear and slept with him every night even though he took up the whole bed. I even would put something green on him for St. Patrick's so the other toy's wouldn't pinch him.

One year I got a Game-boy. I don't remember asking for it, but thought I was really cool to have one. On Christmas morning I didn't realize the Game-boy was mine. I think my mom had to point out it was mine. I thought Tim got 2 Game-boys for Christmas.

We always had a White Elephant party on Christmas Eve. We did this with the Wessle's and Hardy's. Later when the Hardy's moved the Holmes's took their spot. I loved this tradition. It was always full of fun and food. Certain things got passed from year to year; a fruit cake, and old rocket and there was always a puzzle from the Wessels. The puzzle was always strategically wrapped so you wouldn't know you got it.

I loved baby dolls! I got a Baby Alive and a Baby Shivers. But I always wanted the black babies, they looked more real.

One year coming home from the White Elephant party we were all in the suburban driving home. The version of Jingle Bells came on the radio, the one barked by dogs. And being the oh so musically talented family we are, wink wink, we all started to bark along with it. This continued until we got home and we were all doing it inside. When we got inside the 2 dogs we had barked along with us. We all laughed really hard.

This is not really my story, just a funny one that I wanted to write down. My little Lee was so innocent when she was little. And by little I mean 11 years old. She was a big believer in Santa Clause. I think my parents were worried that she was too old to believe. Right after Thanksgiving Lee was in the kitchen and my Dad was putting on his shoes getting ready for church. He turned to her and said " you know Santa's not real, right" she said "yea" and went on with her little life, or so we thought. The next year in the summer my mom was out by the woodpile and found this little note. "Dear Santa, My dad said you are not real, but I think you are. I hope you are. Love Lee" We think that this incident may have triggered some emotional trauma that she will carry her whole life. (he he)

Ok that is probably good enough for now, I may have more later.

Pregnancy in the eyes of a man...

So I decided a while ago that I would document this pregnancy with pictures not matter how big I get. I didn't do too many with Bode and I wish I had. I do have a few pictures with him but not enough. I do have one horrible mug shot looking one that I took a few days before I had him. (I think that I will pull that out soon to laugh at.) Jer has been kind enough to take the majority of the pictures for me. He was in a funny mood today when i asked him to take them today. I guess he felt it was necessary to document all the things that have grown in the last few months...

My feet. Not to bad. They are not incredible swollen yet. At night I can feel my toes rub together, that is when I know they are yucky swollen.

My face. I naturally have a round face to any extra makes it even rounder.

My boobs. I can't believe women pay for things this big. I don't want to know how big they are going to be when the milk comes in. Yuck!

And last but not least... the Belly. It is really, really poking out there. Last week when I was in Pinetop one morning I woke up and I could breath. I definitely think that she "dropped". Not that that really means too much, but I can now breath so much easier! Ahh one small joy in the last phase of pregnancy. (33 weeks)

Jer has been really sweet to me lately. He is always a thoughtful person, but even more so that last little bit. I can imagine it is not easy to put up with a pregnant lady. Jer is so nice to listen to my complains, rub my back and help when he can. I am glad that he is the father of my kids. I can't imagine a better person for the job. That being said here is a funny story:

When ever Bode toots I tell him that he needs to put it in the potty. Toots for him mean the poo coming and he needs to sit on the potty. So Jer thought it would be funny to well, toot in Bode's face. Yeah gross I know, but it happens. Bode looks up at him and says "put it in the potty dad". Don't you love sweet family memories? (I say very sarcastically)

Its Christmas time in the city...

Don't you love the Holiday Season? I know that I love it right now, but I am sure I will also love taking everything down in a few weeks too. Last weekend while I was up in Pinetop I used my Mom's vinyl machine to do a little holiday decorations and presents. ( Thank you Mom!!) These are some of the goodies that I made for my house this year.

I love that we finally have a nativity. Bode walks over to it points at all the characters and says " Mommy, Daddy, Baby, and doggy". I guess all the animals at the stable were dogs.

Bode was really excited to put the star on the tree. He was really cute when we decorated it. Every time I put something up he would say "oh thank you mom". I already know that I am going to have to watch the presents like a hawk though. We have two under there right now and yesterday he brought them into me when he came to wake me up. I thought that he walks straight into my room when he wakes up, but no I guess he had been eyeing those presents.

The grand finale! I love the glow of the Christmas tree! Our tree is so beautiful. I love it. Thanks mom for the tree mix up. This one really is a good one.

Poor kid...

Poor Bode. For about a week, maybe a little bit longer, Bode has had cough, runny nose, just things that go along with a cold. When we went up to Pinetop he had one really bad night. All night long he wasn't taking really deep breaths when he was sleeping, just kind of breathing with his stomach not deep in his lungs. The next day he was fine. We just gave him cough medicine and he kept on going all week. On Monday we had a well baby check up and mentioned the symptoms that he was having. Our doctor checked him and said he was really wheezy and needed to do some breathing treatments. So we got sent home with this get-up. He has done really good with the treatments. The mask has a fish on it and when it is time to do it we tell him it is time for fishy face. He goes and sits on the chair and demands that he watched Thomas the Train and patiently does 10 mins of breathing treatments. I am glad that we will get this under control right now, but it still makes me feel sad to see him using it.

Isn't that my tree...

It is really already December 8!?! Life has been busy for us. The day after Thanksgiving we were supposed to head up to Pinetop to spend time with my family. But Bode decided that being sick was a better option and instead of going to Pinetop, Jer came and picked us up in Queen Creek and drove us back home. So plans changed and we headed up to Pinetop on Tuesday instead.

Here is Bode stopping through the snow.

Yea we we found it. Actually there were two sitting right by each other. We asked Bode which one he wanted and he chose this one.

Every year we have made it a Christmas tradition to go cut down our tree the first week in December. This year we went with my parents. Bode was super excited to get to ride in Grandpa's big truck. We asked him many times where he wanted to sit and every time it was the truck! It didn't take too long for us to find a couple of trees. It love going up into the mountains. To bad there wasn't hardly any snow on the ground.

Bode loves grandpa's Truck.

Bode was very concerned about all the mud on the ground and out car. He kept calling it the "yucky poops"

Merry Christmas!

Here is where the Christmas tree story takes an unplanned turn...

When we got back to my parents house the boys unloaded trees and everyone else went inside. the next morning my mom decided to take it upon herself to set up her tree inside. So she cut it down to the right height, got our the tree stand and hauled it inside. Later in the day Jer went outside, he popped his head back in and here is the conversation that followed:

Jer: Her Tricia, where did you get your tree?

Tricia: Over by the fence.

Jer: Well... that is our tree.

Tricai: No it's not!

Jer: Yes it is.

Tricia: Crap!

Too funny! She took the wrong tree. Ours was by the fence and hers was leaning against a tree in the front yard. To make things worst we soon figured out that she had also set up her tree with our tree stand. We will sure give her a hard time about it... but everything turned out fine. "Our" tree looks good in her house and "her" tree looks good in our house.

Pictures to come of our beautiful tree.

Jer had to go home to go to work but Bode and I ended up staying in Pinetop. We came home Sunday afternoon with Lee. It was a bunch of fun becasue my brother, Pete, and his two girls came up to spend the weekend. Bode always has a blast with his cousins. Meg and Mel were good sports and let Bode in on all of their fun. He especially loved being Megan's shadow. He loves his cousin "Gogan".

They were having so much fun. I looked out the window and caught this little bike train. Bode face was all smiles.

On Saturday we when to the parks annual tree lighting. The line for Santa was way to long. So instead they got their faces painted, ate coco and cookies and got little stuffed animals. No offense Pinetop-Lakeside tree lighting committee, but it could have been better. Or maybe we all should learn that when they say they will light the tree at 5 them mean 5:30. Plus next time make sure that when you flip the switch after the countdown to turn on the tree, make sure the tree stays lite for more that 5 seconds before in blows a fuse. All that being said, Bode had a fun time watching the tree get lite up.

These little people are lined up around the fence on the park's Christmas tree. The funny thing is that years ago my mom painted them for a float in the town's parade.

Hello pregnant face.

Next that evening we went to my Mom's ward party. They had a big Jerusalem themed party. Everyone dress up in an assortment of robes and toga like apparel. It was fun. I however didn't dress up. First of all becasue I wasn't planning on going and second I didn't thing the big pregnant belly would look very wearing a tent. I was worried that Bode would just run wild. But he did really good. Again thanks Meg and Mel for being such good cousin and letting Bode play with you. He just stuck with them on the blanket and played. They are going to be good big sister's to their new little brother.

All in all it was a fun week.