Little Things Lately

I am 38.5 weeks pregnant and our baby girl could make her debut ANY minute, so I thought I better get pictures up of what we have been up to lately.

Round Rock Express

We snagged some free tickets to see the local baseball team, Round Rock Express. There were some other families from our ward there and it ended up being a really fun summer night! 

 

  

As you can see our boys stayed entertained the entire night and loved being with friends. The culmination of the whole night was fireworks. Wes isn't a huge fan, but he REALLY wants to be because his big brother thinks they are so cool and the whole stadium was cheering. He was such a sport and tried really hard to enjoy them, and we got some totally awesome faces out of him! If you want to see the video of this awesomeness, please check out Brian's Facebook page.

Big Kid Fun

Thad LOVES riding his bike to school but I am too pregnant and it is too darn hot for me to follow him on foot or ride a bike, so this is the fun view I get each day, twice a day! 

He loves to try and race me on his way home and is always astounded when I catch up to him after he got such good head start! 

But when I do catch up to him he will slow down, smile and chat with me and I have to remind him to keep his eyes on where he's going. Man, I love this big kid!

So about 2 weeks ago I was shocked to discover (yes, I discovered it after noticing a big gap in his bottom teeth) that he two front bottom teeth were loose!

He was SO pumped and had to tell Caden as fast as he could and for the next week I frequently found him with his finger in his mouth wiggling that tooth.

He was so brave and let dad try to yank that thing out with a pair of pliers...

but to no avail.

The next day before church it was even looser and dad just grabbed a tissue, pulled a couple times and that baby finally came out! 

I just think it is THE CUTEST little hole ever and I love how much he loves that he finally lost a tooth!

He couldn't wait to put it under his pillow that night and was very pleased when he discovered four quarters under his pillow the next morning. So far the tooth fairy has a pretty good record around these parts...hopefully that lasts!

Little Kid Fun

Wes and I have been enjoying our days together since Thad started school. We had to stop at Costco one morning and I couldn't resist enjoying some ice cream with this handsome fella after he insisted on coming to the store with me. I had a friend text and ask me if he wanted to come play and I went to turn the car around to take him and he asked what I was doing. I asked him if he wanted to go to Caleb's and he just said, "No, stay with you and go to store, mama!" I flipped that car around again and kept him with me because these days are numbered and I just can't get enough of this little man! 

I have recently realized how much this boy loves animals. He has always loved our neighbors' dogs, but yesterday he was totally obsessed with a frog some of his friends caught and today he had zero hesitation taking this snake from dad to go show all the neighborhood boys. 

I love those hippo teeth and that lisp he talks with. I think it's safe to say he is my favorite two year old in all the world!

Brotherly Fun

We had a hot chocolate and pumpkin cookie day today because I am almost positive it will be the only fall-ish day we have all month. It was a perfectly cool morning for a run for Brian and some yard work and playing with friends. It started raining after a couple hours, so we headed in for some yummy hot cocoa and a movie. I love fall days and hope we get some more between now and winter. Texas is definitely not the place to live to experience the fall season. 

Baby Girl Monsen 

This is kind of how I feel about Baby Sister being due in TEN DAYS! Can you believe it? Sometimes it just doesn't seem real, but I know she could arrive ANY minute. Both boys were born 10 days early, so really...Any. Minute. 

I had some fun comparing all three pregnancies at about 37.5 weeks.

I can definitely tell that belly is getting bigger with each one, but I don't mind one bit. I am so blessed to have such breezy pregnancies and am so grateful for this body that performs such a miracle for our family.

I don't think I can say I'm 100% ready for this little gal to come, but I don't think I will ever be able to say it, so whenever she decides, we will make ourselves ready!

 I had a root canal re-treatment last Friday and thought I was being all smart and getting it taken care of before Baby Girl, but it actually almost drove me to insanity. I figured it would hurt for a day or two, but I was brought to tears more times than I can count over the next six days with throbbing pain in my mouth. Brian was so sweet and came home early on Monday after I called him in tears and took care of the boys so I could sit and hold my mouth. I was on the phone several times with my nurse and the endodontist trying to figure if there was more I could do for my pain management, and they kept saying, "Ibprofen would be very helpful..." Well, that never made me feel better knowing I can't take that while pregnant, but on Thursday morning I called the endodontist and told them I was "LOSING MY MIND" and that they had to do something for me. I went back in and he opened it up, put more medicine in it and gave me a stronger antibiotic. Things have taken a 180 since then and I am back to my normal self! I really thought it would never end, and I couldn't even think about having the babe until my tooth was taken care of. It was kind of pathetic how much it was consuming me! Looking back, I would have waited until after I had the babe so that my medication options would not be so limited. You live and you learn, and I definitely learned the hard way!

But with that behind us, we are moving on! We are hanging the last of the decor in her room tomorrow and I have washed all the blankets and clothes that I need. All four of us are waiting with hearts full of love for this girl to make her debut. These boys are going to be the best big brothers, and I just cannot wait to experience our family of five.

See you soon, sister!

Texas Shower

I just have the best people. Kristen and Caroline threw me a baby shower for baby girl and it couldn't have been more wonderful. Kristen is a creative genius with a great decorating eye and I enjoyed a beautiful night in her home with beautiful people. I wish I would have gotten more pictures with people, but it was just too fun of a night!

  

  

 Yeah, baby girl was spoiled in a big way!

Thank you to Kristen for being the master mind and kindest friend to throw this and all those who came to support!

XOXO

Thad + Kindergarten = Awesome

Thad has officially been in school for a week and he absolutely loves it! August 27, 2014 marks the day that the Monsen family began this journey of school. This boy asked about the first day of school for a couple of weeks leading up to it, hoping it would come sooner than it did. We bought school shoes a couple days before and he asked and asked a lot if he could wear them to play with his friends and Brian and I had to explain school clothes etiquette to him a few times. I'm not worried, he'll catch on!

Here he is right when he woke up! Brian and I told him he could get up at 6:30 and he was waiting for us when we went in at 6:25 because we were so excited and couldn't wait any longer! He was so excited to lay his school clothes out the night before and officially do his chore chart for school. He has been so good about completing that chart every morning and I still haven't had to go in and wake him up at 6:30--he comes out every morning right on the dot with that little brother trailing right behind him!

It was so fun to have Brian around for the morning and he got up bright and early to make some rainbow pancakes.  

Thad was excited! 

I don't think 7:30 could have come soon enough for this boy! He was ready to head out that door and begin his Kinder experience.

  

It was so fun to head to school and think about all the times we would do this over the coming years in Texas. We are still trying to figure out the best logistics of getting him to and from school because he loves riding his bike and he has to be picked up by an adult after school...slowly but surely we will get it....and then baby sister will come and shake everything up!

We got to his classroom, unloaded his stuff and he headed straight for his seat to join in the play-doh with the rest of the class. 

Here he is with his darling teacher, Ms. Knight. She is so warm and bubbly and we have loved the little interaction we have had with her so far.

She even remembered Wes from the Welcome Walk and the supply drop off, and he of course thinks everything is about him, so insisted on a picture with her too. 

She was such a good sport! He was copying her, but wouldn't hold still enough for me to get his smile. He is such a ham!

He wasn't nervous at all to say goodbye to us, but I made him give me a hug anyways. It was nice and tight, so that made me feel really happy!

We stood outside the classroom for a bit spying on our boy and noticed how he didn't even flinch or look back when we left.

Thad is so cut out for this school thing and I have not one worry about him. No tears were shed by any of us (maybe a fake one or two by Wes because he wanted to stay), but Brian and I just couldn't stop smiling because we are just so happy for him. He will flourish in academic surroundings and he just couldn't be more ready for this step in his life.

Wes and I spent the day doing nothing. I figure I get at least one day off (although there have maybe been a couple more), and I was so excited to pick him up that afternoon. When I saw him I kissed him a hundred times and he just smiled and let me which made my heart happy. I asked him if it was long or short and he said, "Long." I asked him what his favorite thing he did and playing Tunnel Tag in P.E. was it--no surprise there, right? 

I love hearing the new things he likes or learns everyday when I pick him up. He always says he can't remember what they did, but I make him think of at least one thing. Yesterday they wrote in their science journals and drew pictures (with a pencil, not crayons) of stars, rocks and bones. How cute is that?! Watching my kids learn is one of the most fulfilling things I have experienced as a mother so far. Kindergarten is going to be good. Really good.