33 Weeks and Counting!

We have now reached week 33 of pregnancy!  Lucia measured a little over 1000 grams (2 lbs 4 oz.) at her 32 week growth check, which is more than we or the doctors ever expected!  I think she is in the first or second percentile for growth, but hey! she is still on the charts!  Chris has been making a cheesecake every week to fatten up this little baby (hopefully it's not just Mommy who is getting fat).  Amniotic fluid levels have remained constant at around 15 for the past few weeks and my placenta has moved up (no more placenta previa)!  We are still going in three times a week to be monitored, but so far she just keeps surprising us all.  I am still terrified that something will go wrong, but I do have this small glimmer of hope in the back of my mind that maybe, just maybe we'll be able to take Lucia home with us with zero or at least a relatively short NICU stay.  That might just be too good to be true, but one can always hope right?  We are just praying that she will have some major growth spurts in the following weeks.

I was able to attend church last Sunday to see Nina's first primary program.  I absolutely loved it.  Although she was terrified, Nina did so well with her one line.  She was the only Sunbeam who didn't need any help.  She said, "I love my family because they are so good to me."  After Nina said her line, Miri, who was on my lap, happily cried out, "She did it!"  We were all so proud of her.  Weston stood up on Daddy's lap for all the songs and conducted the music. After church, Chris made Nina a bright blue cake with bright yellow frosting and sprinkles to celebrate her success.       

Halloween was different this year...at least for me.  I wanted to go trick or treating with our adorable kids, but alas, I had to miss out.  Not being able to do much of anything for the past 5 months has been hard; each week feels like an eternity.  Anyways though, the kids had a blast.  Nina dressed up as Ariel...with butterfly wings.  Miri was a purple bat, Weston was a lion, and Chris was a Jedi.

We were all able to attend the Phoenix Temple Open House this past week.  Nina has been looking forward to this for a long time.  She planned out what dress she was going to wear months ago. The temple was lovely inside and out.  I got to be wheeled around in a wheelchair while holding my portable oxygen tank.  The girls could hardly contain their excitement as they walked through the rooms.  Nina's favorite room was the baptistry and Miri's was the sealing room (at least that's what they told me a few days later).  Chris and I have been so excited to have a temple less than 20 minutes away from us...but now that we are moving in two months, we will hardly have time to enjoy such a luxury.  Once we move, we will be about 2 1/2 hours away from the Nauvoo temple.

Weston has been a bit slow on picking up words, but he is such a smart boy. His first real word has been "cheese," which is something he loves to eat.  And lately, he has been saying "Dada" and pointing to Chris. He figured out this week how to get out of his bedroom.  Apparently, if he stands on his pillow pet, he is tall enough to reach the door handle and get out.  We have since taken away all pillows from his room. He is such a problem solver...just like his Daddy.