Mother's Day Smores

We spent Mother's Day at my parents house because my brother, Shaun, who is serving in West Virginia was due to call. Saturday night we built a fire and roasted marshmallows! The boys were so excited! We used the striped shortbread cookies instead of graham crackers and chocolate, which is just as good if you ask me! I got a new watch, so that I could time contractions when the need arises. We give my mom a photo collage of pictures that their wedding! I scanned them in and edited them and printed them off. It turned out pretty good! Over all it was a good day and it reminded me how much I love being a mom and how important that calling is.

Hamburger, everyone?

Last year my parents raised cows that later became hamburger, roast, steaks, and ribs. They decided that it was profitable enough to do again! They have eight baby calves that they are raising in order to have hamburger and meat in the fall. It has been quite the experience! The boys love to go and see the baby cows when we are down in Firth. It has made my sister, Rachal, and my brother, Glen, feel very rustic and country.

Alive and still kickin'

Sorry about not blogging recently, but I have found it difficult to sit at our computer to blog and to find the energy that I need to do it. I have also slacked in giving comments to others because I feel guilty about my non-blogging. Ne ways....this first post will be a short pregnancy update and then I will try to post others that will have pictures.

I am now officially 38 weeks! I am so big that people ask me if I am having twins! There is no chance of that, thank goodness but I am really carrying forward with this baby! He,(His name will be Matthew) is very high up and is constantly pushing on my ribs and lungs. There was a period of time that he was breech with his bum down and his head and legs up. I had to do what I call "bat exercises," which required me to place my legs on the couch or chair and lay on the follow for 10 minutes twice a day. It worked and he flipped! I have been tons of false labor with this baby and have been in the clinic twice with continuous contractions that eventually faze out. They have last up to 4 hours before. I have been checked and Matthew's head is so high they can't even find my cervix! There is a good chance that I might go over! To say the least, I am a little depressed and totally done with being pregnant, but am trying to have a good attitude. At least with all the rain and cold weather that we have been getting lately helps to keep the swelling down in my toes and fingers! I am so thankful for all the help and concern of my friends and family!

And in this Corner....

And in this corner weighing an outstanding weight of 35 lbs in Peter Tietjen. (Crowd noise...Ahhh) And in this corner with sporting a wooden ledge is the front window (Crowd noise again....Boo). Who will win this awesome fight?

THE WINDOW!

The Thursday before Easter Peter tripped and fell against the window ledge in our front room. Because the window is so big and low, he hit right on the corner of his eye. With Peter's past history, (he fell from a shopping cart at Walmart and cracked his skull, for any new readers), I panicked when it started to swell right away. I put shoes on all of us and we ran to Anthony's office. From there we decided that we need to go in and have his eye looked at. We were afraid that something might be broken...with our luck anyways! Luckily, there was nothing broken and the doctor told us that we were really lucky that he didn't need stitches! He got just a little bitty scratch from his glasses most likely. The doctor called it a Boxer wound! Peter continued to swell and get discolored! (Anthony took more pics with his camera then I did but I couldn't find it this morning) Now two weeks later there is only a little bruising left. Oh the Joy of having boys!

The doctor told us to ice it for the next 24 hours but Peter refused to use a normal ice pack (the old baggie with ice in it trick). So I broke down and bought him this Scrobby Doo ice pack. He loved it! He carried it around with him everywhere and it kept the swelling down! What we do for our kids!

Peter's FOUR!

Peter turned four last Saturday! I can hardly believe that he is that old! It has gone by so fast! He is just so big! He goes to Sunbeams, has said his first prayer in Primary (in which he started bearing his testimony at the beginning and I had to step in to guide him a little!), goes to Preschool, loves to play with his brother, and is way excited to have another brother, even though he thinks that a sister would be cool!

We started our day by having banana pancakes with bacon of course! This kid loves bacon! He could eat a whole pound of it if we let him! His crazy about it! In fact, we visit my parents they always cook up three packages because they know how much he loves it! (Ahhh..the privalges of being the oldest grandchild out of two!) Andrew and I then went shopping for grocery and last minute birthday presents while Anthony and Peter baked his birthday cake. He had asked for a sailboat cake but as time got close to the big day, I just didn't know if I would have time or energy to do it. I explained it to him and he just looked at me and said, "It's okay, Mommy. We can just have the regular cake." No crying or tanturm, just pure understanding! So I then became determined to do it for him! Ne ways... it turned out okay! I was pretty happy about it.

My parents came up early to take him to lunch since my dad had to work that night. We went to Artic Circle that now has a new play zone! Peter had a crammy time because it was packed with kids and alot of them were older. He didn't like the big kids climbing up the slide. We came home and had presents! He got a lot of great stuff but loved the play dough and birthday card that barked Happy Birthday the best!



We then went swimming at Green Canyon with Anthony's family and then had cake and ice cream! Oh, and PIZZA! (What Peter picked for dinner!) It was one long day but it was fun! I had to lay around for a few days afterwards to make up for all the activity but it was worth it to see him Peter smile! Happy Birthday, Buddy! (The pictures that my sister-in-law Michelle took! Thanks, Michelle!)

Our St. Patty's Day Feast

Our St. Patricks started out with a few tricks from the leprechauns! Peter woke up with a really sore throat and raspy cough, so yep...to the doctor's office we go! We have been in to the see the doctor for almost 6 weeks straight because of one thing or another! Urg!!!! Lucky, my boys love the doctor's office, especially the PA that we see. After finding out Peter has strep throat, they kindly let us know that he will probably have to have his tonsils out some day! That wouldn't be to bad except they said that same thing about Andrew only four weeks ago! Ne ways... after a trip to Walmart, we spent the day wearing green and trying to stay out of trouble. (What most of our days are like... well, not the wearing green part.) I decided to have a little fun with dinner, which is evidenced by the above photos. We had sausage gravy and biscuits, with broccoli, and white, I mean, green grape juice. Peter was so disturbed by the idea of green food and was not happy with the leprechauns that I had told him turn our food green. He abruptly shouted, "Stop it! Stop doing that!" I was completely taken back, thinking that he was yelling at me. When I started telling him to not talk to me like that, he screwed up his face and announced, " I wasn't talking to you, Mom! I was talking to the leprechauns." Aren't kids great?!

My Helpers

Anthony and the boys have been such a big help to me with this pregnancy! I must be getting old because after doing something really active like grocery shopping or cleaning or the laundry, I have braxton hicks like crazy! So the boys and Anthony have really stepped up and helped out! A couple of weeks ago we had a ward party that involved having people sign up to be host families for other couples in the ward. We were among the volunteers. We had to make the main course for dinner and have everyone else bring a side dish or whatever we assigned them. It was a lot of work getting the house ready to be presentable and getting the dinner done, but my boys dove in that day and really helped! The picture that is above is of "my boys" fixing a sign that I bought at a craft fair in November that I wanted to have hung up for that day. They are so willingly to help whenever we say that we need to clean. Peter and Andrew love to vacuum and dust and mop. I just love all "my boys" so much and all the help that they give me.