Change of Season

Miriam started first grade this year. I had heard from so many mothers what an adjustment it takes to go from half-day Kindergarten to all-day school. Miriam took to the change like a fish takes to water. She was very ready to go back to school, and when I picked her up at the end of the day, she said it had gone by quickly! She is our social butterfly, and makes several new friends each week. She is also excelling with her reading and math. Now, if we could just get her to listen and focus on her chores at home for 5 minutes--we'll have it made!

Tane had a little bit harder time adjusting to having his sister and playmate gone all day. He is constantly asking me who he can play with if Tait is napping, or... if Tait's awake, he often wants to know who he can play with that's older. This particular day, I was very pleased to see him using his imagination with his cars, which have become his toy of choice since Miriam is no longer dictating the play. :)

Tait gave me a fit of the giggles when I saw half of his fruit roll up smeared all over his face. He had a great time posing for the pictures.

A cute recent funny story about Tait: We were playing "Mother, May I?" after family home evening one night. Tait heard Miriam tell Tane to take four baby steps, and his ears perked up at the word "baby. He ran across the room to where I was sitting, and gave my big round middle a giant hug. Then he looked up at me, and with the sweetest little Taiter voice said "I like baby!" (emphasizing the "like").

So, I had to include a pregnancy shot. Obviously, this has been a huge part of my life this past year. I have had borderline gestational diabetes with each of my prior pregnancies, but was always allowed to just control it with diet in the past. This time was different. I went off of refined sugars about 3 months ago, and a month later, I had to meet with a dietitian to learn all about exchanges, and everything that I couldn't eat, and to start monitoring my blood sugar levels 5 times a day. I followed the diet faithfully, and even lost weight in between doctor visits, but I was not able to get my blood sugar levels under control. So I've been on insulin for the past 5 weeks, and doing weekly non-stress tests & AFI's at the hospital.

The fatigue and the mood swings on top of the diet and insulin management have not made for an easy pregnancy...not to mention the fact that my body just feels older, and doesn't seem to be handling it as well. :) However, I have to add that I have the best support team in the world!! I am so very very grateful to my husband (who has willingly and without complaint allowed me to fix the things that I can eat for dinner for the whole family, and also stopped making Sunday desserts, and rubbed my feet and back more times than I can count, and has given me many priesthood blessings), and to my Mom (who has let me call and cry, or call and rejoice over small successes nearly everyday for the past 6 weeks, and given understanding and advice and encouragement) and to my Dad (for caring and calling just to see how I was--inspite of all of his aches and pains) and to each of my sisters ( who call and check up on me, and keep me in their prayers, and encourage me, and do body talk for me, and much more), and to my children (who have been amazingly patient and helpful through mom's craziness and laziness and everything in between--I can't wait to be normal for them again!). I am extremely blessed! Baby Keck--you and I are very loved, and this really has been a group effort!