Tuesday, April 30, 2013

My sweet baby girl

Dear Rebekah Mae,

In a few weeks you will be in our arms. Right now I know that you are in the arms of your loving Heavenly Father. You are so perfect. I know you won't always stay that way. None if us can. But I hope you stay as close to our Heavenly Father as you can. I want you to know that daddy and I love you more than you will know (until the day you have your own children) A parents love is so strong it can overcome anything. We will be here for you forever. Because we made the choice to be married in the Temple we have made covenants and have the blessing of an eternal marriage and our children are sealed to us as well. We are a forever family! How great is that!

We want to teach you and guide you in this life and help you to always feel important and blessed. We are so grateful for the opportunity to be your parents. I can't wait to meet you and see your personality develop. I know whatever you do with this life it's going to be great and you will bless the lives of many. You already are blessing our family. Noah is going to be such a great brother to you.
We learn to love others from the example of our family. Let me tell you, you are getting the best example ever. Daddy is an amazing man and couldn't love his children more. I fall in love with him more and more everyday just by watching the way he is with Noah. The way he takes care if me in order to take care of you make me know how much he cares for you as well.

Keep growing sweetheart. We can't wait to hold you and give you loves!!

Love Mommy

Ps. We had a dr appointment yesterday. I gained 2lbs which is the recommended amount. I'm up a total of 20lbs now. I should be gaining about a pound a week now. We shall see how that goes. My iron is better and I have more energy considering I'm growing a human. I have been having contractions more and more but nothing to be concerned about since they are very irregular. Dr said that my belly is measuring perfectly and that I have a nice looking tummy :) haha. He was also surprised I was wearing normal skinny jeans at the appointment and not maternity jeans. He said "kuddos" lol. He said after feeling my stomach and uterus that it feels like Bekah girl is taking up a lot more room than Noah did and kicks more. He said its just a guess right now but that he thinks she is bigger than Noah bug and will be about 8 or 9lbs. He said I can get an ultrasound at the next appointment to see how she is growing and get an estimate on her size and see her position. Ultrasounds aren't always correct with weight though. They are give or take 2 lbs. but it's a nice guess. I can't weight to see her!!!! It doesn't make much of a difference how big she is. 8lbs is the average size of a newborn anyway. It's just so weird to think of something bigger comin out of me after having such a small Noah. But I can do it!! Maybe bigger will be easier because of gravity and more to push haha. So my ultrasound is scheduled for May 15 and dr appointment after. Yay!!

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Baby loves

It's summer in Arizona. I guess it's actually spring time but here spring really only lasts a week (usually over Easter) and then it's so hot/warm we skip to calling it Summer haha. At least I do. It's been getting into the low 90's so far. I love the heat!! Makes it perfect for swimming!! And wearing shorts and dresses all the time!! Yay! Swimming makes me feel like I've lost 20lbs since the weight gets lifted off my poor preggie body. I took Noah to our pool two weeks ago and he had a real fun time. Then yesterday we went swimming with some of my family and friends. He loved it! My brother in law (the one that's on his mission) girlfriend Kelli came over and did swim lessons for the kids for free. So kind of her. She does it as her job so she is trained and certified to do so. It was mostly songs and techniques to get the kids used to the water. When they get that down there are more lessons. I hope we can get together and do it more before Kelli leaves to her mission in the next few months. Adriana and Spencer had a fun time being with us all too. Spencer was the most relaxed in the pool. Cortney always forgets she likes to swim and has to do I a couple times before she remembers again every year. Silly kid. Amanda wasn't feeling well but still wanted to come so she sat in the water while my sister Andrea did the lesson with Cortney. Corey and my Dad toon turns playing with baby Joshua. He wasn't a big fan of the water. It was probably too cold for his baby self.

The semester is winding down for my Sean husband man. He was pretty stressed this weekend but has since calmed down after realizing his 10 page paper he thought was due tomorrow is actually due next week. He has finals next week as well. Last day of school is the 7th!! We both are excited for that. He is going to start looking for a full time job in the social work field so he will have experience on his Grad School application. In August he will start his last semester of undergrad!! It's only two classes which will make it easy to continue to work full time.

We are no longer in the double digits in the count down for baby time!! I'm 31 weeks today, only 9 more weeks to go. We are so excited to meet you Rebekah Mae! Noah has been doing much better with babies and even with being around people without Sean and I around. He is such a shy guy normally without us and he cries a lot. But the last few weeks have been such a change. It's great seeing him branch out and be more comfortable. He is such a cutie boy. His new thing is to pat our back and call us honey. Love it :)

Sean loves his bedtime routine with Noah. I occasionally take over bedtime (of course on Saturdays since Sean is at work til 10pm) but Sean prefers to do it. It's become his special dad time with him. I don't mind since my belly is getting more and more tight and uncomfortable. It's a lot of work to hold and cuddle him and lift him into the crib. We need to get on getting him into the toddler bed full time. He has only slept in it a few times. We still do family prayer and cuddles but then Sean takes him to her and does extra stories and cuddles. They are such buddies.

I have been feeling more energized since starting the iron pills and eating more iron in my diet. I still get really tired by the end of the day but being in the third trimester and having a toddler does that to you regardless of iron levels. Melissa and I have retuned to the gym and are back to doing yoga! I love it. I feel more productive and healthy after a class. Bekah is still moving and kicking like a ninja baby. All is just going well for us in the Howells clan.




















Friday, April 19, 2013

Boston

The whole country is following what's going on with the Boston Marathon Bombing that took place earlier this week. Now one suspect is dead and the other is still at large. Most of Boston is in lockdown. Police in full body amour are searching for a 19 year old. His brother , 26, was shot and killed during a shoot out late last night. They both had explosives attached to their bodies and were throwing explosives at police during the shot out. It's all very intense serial information coming.

I don't know how people can have so much hatred in their bodies to kill innocent strangers. It's pretty scary to think about. The world is a strange scary place. But even with all the out of control things going on and the acts of violence and hatred there is still good in the world. It's easy to forget that when tragedies happen. It's easily to focus on the scary details and horrible things going on. I know that the Gospel is true. I know that the Savior lives and that our Father in Heaven knows and loves us. Even with the bad in the world and the evil going on we can have personal peace in them. This past conference there was a talk that really touched me. Well many talks but one comes to mind for the situation going on now. Personal Peace: The Reward of Righteousness
BY ELDER QUENTIN L. COOK

Some quotes from the talk that touched me are :

"Events often occur that rob us of peace and heighten our sense of vulnerability."

"In contemplating these events, I have been impressed with the doctrinal difference between universal or world peace and personal peace.
At the birth of the Savior, a multitude of the heavenly host praised God and proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”4

However, it has been poignantly noted that even in this eternally significant period following the birth of the Son of God, Herod the king carried out the slaughter of innocent infants in Bethlehem.5

Agency is essential to the plan of happiness. It allows for the love, sacrifice, personal growth, and experience necessary for our eternal progression. This agency also allows for all the pain and suffering we experience in mortality, even when caused by things we do not understand and the devastating evil choices of others. The very War in Heaven was waged over our moral agency and is essential to understanding the Savior’s earthly ministry."

"We earnestly hope and pray for universal peace, but it is as individuals and families that we achieve the kind of peace that is the promised reward of righteousness. This peace is a promised gift of the Savior’s mission and atoning sacrifice."

"The peace to which I am referring is not just a temporary tranquility. It is an abiding deep happiness and spiritual contentment.16"

"We all long for peace. Peace is not just safety or lack of war, violence, conflict, and contention. Peace comes from knowing that the Savior knows who we are and knows that we have faith in Him, love Him, and keep His commandments, even and especially amid life’s devastating trials and tragedies."

"Remember, “God is not the author of confusion, but [the author] of peace.”20 For those who reject God, there is no peace. We all participated in the councils of heaven that provided for moral agency, knowing that there would be mortal pain and even unspeakable tragedy because of the abuse of agency. We understood that this could leave us angry, bewildered, defenseless, and vulnerable. But we also knew that the Savior’s Atonement would overcome and compensate for all of the unfairness of mortal life and bring us peace. Elder Marion D. Hanks had a framed statement on his wall by Ugo Betti: “To believe in God is to know that all the rules will be fair, and that there will be wonderful surprises.”


Elder Cook then spoke of the ways we can find peace through our Savior. We can stay close to Jesus Christ by being humble, repentance, temple attendance. Renewing our covenants we have made.

I am so very grateful for the Gospel and the presence the Saviors atonement has in my life. I know that Heavenly Father loves all his children and has an outstretched hand to all of us. Our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ know us each personally and want us to be happy and to make correct choices and return to them. They have provided a way that we can do that. Even in a scary sometimes lonely world we can find peace in them. It may not be universal peace with no trials or scary things goin on but it is a personal peace. One that we can carry over to our family and friends.

My prayers go out for those in Boston and those with family or friends there. I hope you are able to find peace through our Savior and heal.

Here is the link for you to read the whole talk if you wish (I recommend it!)

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/personal-peace-the-reward-of-righteousness?lang=eng





Friday, April 12, 2013

Iron

Apparently it's pretty important stuff for your body. Not just the pumping iron that Sean loves to do either. It helps bring oxygen to the cells in your body.

I had the glucose test last week and the nurse practitioner called two days ago to let me know the results. I passed the glucose test no problem. Yay for no sugar issues :). But she said that my iron was severely low and that I need to start taking iron pills everyday. When I told Sean his response was "well how did I not realize that?" I as in him. He said that I've been so tired lately and having a hard time sleeping and he wished he made that connection a couple weeks ago. Then I could have started fixing it sooner before it got so bad. It's true. I haven't been sleeping well not only because of the large belly but because my body just won't go to sleep. Also I haven't had much energy to do things. Walking up the stairs with Noah is such a chore. I looked up symptoms of anemia and it said insomnia, leg cramps, bruising, fast heart rate, fatigue, dizziness and a couple other things I don't remember. Of those I have been experiencing the dizziness, fatigue and insomnia. Not getting enough sleep has been hard, especially when my adorable toddler wants to go outside and play and go for walks. We have been spending a lot of time playing in the living room. I'm hoping these pills kick in ASAP and I get my energy back.

Adding more iron rich foods to my diet should help. Things like red meats, egg yolks, spinach, beans, and cereal are rich in iron and i will be happy to eat. A lot of gross things like liver and mollusks have a ton of iron. But I won't be eating those.

Pregnancy does have it's difficulties and downsides for sure. I didn't have this with Noah but there were other things like the round ligament pain I had with him. Each one will be different I'm sure. But even with the hard parts I just love being pregnant! Feeling her move and knowing she is growing and mine is just amazing. I'm creating life! Right now as I sit here blogging (instead of working haha) I am also creating a small precious life. This is such a blessing from my Heavenly Father. It's a tiny little glimpse of what it's like to be Him. He created us and now watches us grow and learn. We get to create our children and watch them learn and grow and teach them. Pretty wonderful.

I love my little Rebekah. Sean says she is wild. I agree. She moves much more than Noah did. I feel her flips and kicks and stretches all the time and they are so strong. Sean loves feeling her wriggle around in there. I can't wait for her and Noah to be friends :) keep growing strong little one.

Oh! I'm now 29 weeks!! What the really? It's crazy how fast it's going.







Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Conference Time- yay!

I always look forward to this weekend! The spirit is so strong and revelation and guidance from Heavenly Father just flow. Answers to questions come. Faith is strengthened. It's just amazing. I love the restored Gospel.

I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the true church. I know that President Thomas S Monson is a true prophet and is called of God to lead His church. I know that the men and women called to serve in callings in the church are called by God.

Saturday Sean had to work. So Noah and I went to Sean's moms house to watch it. Onda and Elizabeth's boyfriend Scott were there as well. We had a yummy big breakfast and lunch. David came over for the second session. Noah slept through the whole first session. Which was nice because I was able to pay attention better. The second session Noah was awake and playing with play dough with uncle Davie.

Sunday Sean was home which was lovely. Our best friends Ben and Melissa an their daughter Belle came over to enjoy conference with us. They brought waffle mix and strawberries. We provided the bacon and chocolate milk. Yum!! Noah once again napped for the first session. He held his hands and stood quiet for prayer again! I love how reverant he can be when he knows he should. . sometimes. haha He is a toddler after all.  I have a couple favorite talks. I will post then randomly on here. If you would like to read or watch the talks you can go to lds.org

Hope you got answers to prayers and felt the spirit. What were your favorite talks?









Noah Games

Noah is a sponge. He soaks up knowledge from every where around him. Sean and I are amazed everyday at the new things he shows us. He is such a polite child. He loves to say "Dank-you" aka thank you. He says it in a sing song voice too which makes it even cuter. He has learned to sit still and reverent during prayer. Being a toddler he doesn't always do it but its becoming more frequent. He holds his hands together and waits til the end and proudly says "amen". He also loves to say Jesus and point him out in pictures. He has been stringing his wide vocabulary into two to three word sentences. Like "more food please" "where's dad?" "That hurts"

Noah has learned a lot of his body parts. So far he can say and point out on himself and others : toes, knees, nose, mouth, eyes, head, butt or bum, belly button, arms, hand, fingers and ears. It's his favorite activity in the morning to point at mommy and daddy's face. He often calls toes "piggies". He loves playing this little piggy went to the market with daddy. So he began calling them piggies. He also will put his foot on mommies and says "piggies" then mommy puts her foot on his and he pulls his foot up and on top again proclaiming "piggies!"

He is doing pretty well with potty training. He likes to tell us during and after he goes. He sometimes lets us know before but it's a work in progress. He enjoys sitting on the potty.

Lotion is a very important thing in his life as well. Haha. He loves asking for lotion and requesting where it should go. Belly knees or arms. He runs it in and promptly asks for more.

He isn't a fan of eating lately. It's a chore to get him to eat most days. But he is usually always happy to eat Cheerios and Fruit Loops. Also Gold Fish.

He is still our little music man. He connects with music. He has been singing along with songs recently. His favorite is a song by B.O.B called magic. He repeats magic over and over in tone with the song. Also he will song along with most songs. He picks one or two words he likes in the song and the repeats it. He still dances enthusiastically to any rhythm he hears. The dishwasher, music, drums. Anything.

He is more and more interested in babies. He points them out and touches their faces. He points at my belly and says baby Bekah or sister. It's pretty adorable.

He loves peak a boo. He hides and yells boo!!

Basically Noah is just a sweetheart kind loving child and we are blessed everyday having him in our lives. We love him.









Sean's Mom taught me how to cut Noah's hair. She did it this time but now I know how to do it for next time he needs a hair cut. This boy's hair grows like crazy fast! He is such a cutie either way though. She was a genius and had some great tricks to keeping him entertained enough to finish the cut. She put him in the sink and ran water for him to play with, made sure he had a sippy cup to drink and play with. Told him to look in the mirror at himself, and let him play with the hair that was cut off. He did such a good job staying mostly still. I just love him. And mama Howell for helping me learn a new mama skill

Monday, April 1, 2013

Things are progressing

I'm officially in the 3rd trimester! 27 weeks:) 3 months to go and we get to meet our little Rebekah. I have a dr appointment this Thursday. We will get to hear her heartbeat and hear how she is growing. I think I get another ultrasound around 30 something weeks. I don't think I've gained much weight still but the belly is growing. I've been having heartburn a lot but nothing crazy. Also I eat all the time!! I'm always hungry!!! Bekah moves so much and very strongly. It feels like he is doing gymnastics in my belly haha. I don't remember Noah's movements being this strong.

Noah is doing well with me holding other babies now. He doesn't mind when he sees me holding Joshua as long as he gets to be close to me too. He grabs at my belly a lot and says Bekah an sometimes bites my stomach. He is going through a biting stage. We are trying to break him of that habit. He does it to be silly. He doesn't realize it hurts. It's because we play bite him but we use our lips. He hasn't figured that out.

Other news for our growing boy. Noah took a tiny little poo in the toilet this week! He let daddy know he had to go so Sean put him on the toilet and he went! It was exciting. I was at work but Sean texted me about the bug moment. He said he gave him lots of praise and that Noah was very pleased with his accomplishment. We will see how this all goes. I probably am getting my hopes up for nothing but it would be A-Mazing if Noah was potty trained before Rebekah came and doubled the diapers. He had been using the toilet every once in a while all week now. And is even in pull up diapers now. He lets us know after he pees and sometimes he does before. That's when we get him to the toilet in time.

Sean is doing really well in his classes and loves learning. He likes to tell me about it all and it's fun. He is working out almost every day now and it is paying off. His biceps are getting big. I like :) haha.



After our nap one Sunday after church.


Noah loves helping Grandma with outside chores. Especially with his little man rake.


We are lazy in the mornings and kind of lounge around for the first 15 to 30 minutes.


Cortney and Noah love playing together :)


Sean's Dad Mitch came and stayed with us for two nights so he could be there for Seth's Farewell talk. Noah had a lot
of fun playing with his Grandpa.


Noah loves clocks! He calls watches clocks too. So we decided as a treat to him we would
take him to walmart and let him pick out his own little "clock" We thought he would like the
little kid ones with fun characters on them. We were wrong. First thing when we brought him to the
watch section that was the one he grabbed. We showed him the other ones and he was not even slightly interested.
Turned out that grown up watch was only $5 and the kid ones were around $10 or $12. He carries it around and plays with it a lot. So adorable.




Kind of fun fact. I still fit into non pregnancy clothes. Those pants I'm wearing are my brother in law's. Seth leaves for his mission this week so he gave a bunch of his clothes to Sean. I was wearing a dress at their house on Easter and wanted to change into pants so I tried on his and they fit!! . . . Well kind of. haha I had to use a rubber band to keep the button kind of closed. But they will fit me better when I'm not all preggie. Pretty cool they fit otherwise.

Easter

Happy Easter everyone! I love this day. Last night I put together Easter baskets for both my boys. Sean's had candy and hot Cheetos in it and Noah's had lots of goodies, a toy monkey, and play dough! Sean and Noah got them this morning. He was most interested in the plastic eggs with candy. He would hand them to us and say "candy,open please"

We hung out at the apartment all morning and just enjoyed each others company. Then we went to church with Sean's mom. Noah didn't have a nap so he threw a couple tantrums. But we got through it. Now we are just at her house with her, her boyfriend Scott, Seth and Onda and David. We did an egg hunt for Noah in the backyard. At first he was putting rocks in the basket. He had a lot of fun getting the first egg. Then he saw it had candy and that was all he was interested in. Haha it ended up being us picking up all the eggs. We had dinner and then afterward all said our testimony of the resurrection. It was a good talk.

I'm grateful for this season and the time it gives us to reflect on our thoughts of our Savior. I know that Jesus Christ lived and died for us and was risen again. I know that because if his sacrifice we have the opportunity to use his atonement in our lives and repent and return to our Heavenly Fathers presence. There was a talk one conference that talked about all of us having our own Fridays and Sundays. The talk is titled "Sunday Will Come" by Joseph B Whirthlin. Here is a quote for it:

"Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.

But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come.

No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come."