You don't look pregnant from behind...

Well look at me up there...Does that really matter?! I am definately pregnant!! Large and in charge, fat and sassy, whatever you want to say, the belly says it first, guaranteed...
So, in the words of the Kung Fu panda...
SCADOOSH!

No baby...

Nope, no baby yet. Last week Rus thought there were plenty of occasions where he would be benefited by me having the baby. At night he'd say, "Keri, I have a horrible, long meeting to go to tomorrow, and the only way I'm going to get out of it is if you have the baby." OR, "Keri, I'm really tired. Maybe can your water break at about 5 or 6am, and then I'll sleep in a little longer, and then you can have the baby?" Then he got desperate. "Keri, we're having dinner with my parents tomorrow night, and if you want to get out of it, you have to have the baby." Then he'd rub my belly in a downward motion, as if it was possible to show the baby the correct direction and then he'd naturally follow.
Talk about pressure! So then instead of just praying for me to have patience, I decided that maybe I'd pray for Rus to have patience, too. That, in addition to a couple of meltdowns that I have had when I've woken up and still found myself pregnant have basically cured him of subscribing to my "labor services" to get him out of things. Don't get me wrong, there have been numerous times in the past week that I have thought, "I'd rather be at the hospital having a baby than doing this." Like when I've had to go to Walmart, or another dr's appointment, or church on Sunday with everyone saying, "Mmm, Keri, you look like you're done. When's that baby going to come?" I just tell them I like being large and uncomfortable so much that I think I'll hold on for another month. Fun, fun!
So here I am. Drumming my fingers. Checking my watch. Watching my belly. Mentally weighing the pros and cons of going for a 10 mile walk or 4wheeling down a bumpy road or going to my friend's house to use her trampoline...

Baby Blankets

I'm thrilled that the color brown has had such a better reputation ever since it got renamed "chocolate". Who wouldn't want a chocolate-colored-anything? I saw this fabric at Walmart of all places and decided I needed to dust off my mom's sewing machine and take a stab at actually sewing. I don't really like to sew. I've tried to like it, and I'll admit that I love looking at fabric and envisioning all sorts of cute things, but really when it comes down to it, I'm good for a small simple blanket and not much more. I'm lucky that Rus's family still loves and accepts me despite my lack of interest in the quilting/sewing area. Anyways, these blankets were fast and fun and they're just fabric on fabric, so they should be nice and light for the summer. Wahoo! Project Accomplished! Now I just need a baby to wrap up in them.

A Man With No Belly Button

Okay, so the man at the gym today without a belly button looked NOTHING like this guy. He was old, with a big, albeit firm looking belly, and I swear he had NO belly button. Nothing. Not a scar or line or dot, just a belly with no button. How is that possible?! I don't know, but it's gotten me looking on the internet for an explanation, and after 5 minutes of looking and reading random people's opinions on the subject, I have come to the conclusion that no one really knows anything. All I found out was that if you do want work done on your "imperfect" belly button, it's called an umbilicoplasty. That's it. That's all I know. Well...that and that there is really at least one person out there that I have seen with my own eyes who is neither an innie or an outie. Strange.

Potty Training!

Here he is, the man of the hour, the toddler exraordinaire who can now make his parents happy by simply going in the toilet. "MOM! PEE PEES COMING!" are my new favorite words. We started about two weeks ago and I wasn't sure if it was really going to be successful. The only reason I even tried was because the Thomas the Train underwear was so cute and Jacob actually wanted to wear it, and I had a pack of pullups a friend gave me, and I found a potty seat with tractors on it (Bob the Builder), which Jacob was really excited to sit on...So now here I am...I haven't had to change a diaper for two weeks and that in and of itself is success for me! He's even been waking up in the night to tell me he has to go. It's amazing how much more you love your children when you don't have to change their diapers. Really, I like Jacob much more now than I did before, if that's possible. :) So here are some fun pics...Jacob is just like his daddy...always needing good reading material (Nicole you'll have to show Clint, it's Petersen's 4Wheel Drive, won't he be proud?!)
For some crazy reason the toddler underwear industry has decided to put big huge graphics on the bum of their underwear. I think it's hilarious, this little bum with a huge train on it...even better is the one with Spiderman and his big hand coming out to shoot a spider web...or the one with the huge Hulk on it. Ummm..just slipped this one in here...there's me at 35 weeks. Definately tired of being pregnant, but still not so ready to have a newborn. Hmm, guess I have to get over that fast, huh.
Oh, and have I mentioned that Jacob does not have a bum. So while his diaper did the job of holding his pants up, lets just say that underwear doesn't do as good of a job. I've actually left him downstairs fully dressed only to find him upstairs later with a naked bum, and a trail of shorts and underwear on the stairs. I can't expect him to hold his pants up and climb the stairs, can I?

Thanks, but No Thanks

My sister Amy left me a message yesterday with ideas for names for our baby boy, since we haven't decided yet (I really have to see the baby before I'll settle on a name anyway). Here are some of the names she suggested, with their meanings in parenthesis:

Omega Payne (Great Payne)
Onam Payne (Strong Payne)
Ruben ("Behold the son")
Soreno Payne (Calm Payne)
Sared Payne (Fear Payne)
Saul Payne (Peacable Payne)
Terach ("Goat")
Teva ("Nature")

Hmm...Obviously I need another source of input here. You really have to be careful with a last name like Payne. We could ruin this kid's life, make him the constant object of snickers and giggles, and limit his future career opportunities to clown acts or McDonald's. I guess there's a chance that it could work out and he could be Dr. Omega Payne, but really, I think that a name like that would limit his potential patient field just from a listing in the phone book. I do know of a Dr. Ken Hurt, who is a dentist, and a Dr. Jeffrey Bender, who is a chiropractor, and they are inspirations to me and my son's future. I really shouldn't worry, with a lack of doctors in my and Rus's family history I guess we'd be leaning towards the Major Payne side anyways, but you never know...

Grateful to be a Mother

(my mother's day flowers from Rus)

I felt especially blessed this Mother's Day to be a mother. I know that it is a noble calling, and like any blessing, it is a gift from my Heavenly Father. I know that on most days I take my children for granted. And on hard days I wonder where in the world these crazy kids came from and why I wanted them in the first place. I find it amazing that these "innocent" little spirits can be so trying and so wonderful all at once...And that they can bring out the best and worst in me better that almost anyone (Rus being the main exception). I've been trying to think of different experiences I've had with my kids and the feelings I've felt, and here are some that I've come up with...At any given moment I feel (have felt): incapable, insufficient, overwhelmed, frustrated, overjoyed, proud, embarrassed, speechless, ridiculous, happy, sad, worried, stressed, angry, tired, exhausted, giggly, goofy, childish, too-old, inexplicable, confused, impatient, powerful, powerless, depressed, contented...hmmm...that's all I can think of right now. I could probably give you a detailed example of each feeling, but think I won't. :) I guess my point is that being a mother isn't all bliss, but I am grateful to be a mother because I think I've felt everthing more deeply. It is much harder than I thought it would be, but I think I've had a richer experience, a more valuable and rewarding experience, than I would've had without being a mother. So, again I thank Heavenly Father for this journey, for this season of my life, and for my family.