OtterPops: Still here

Yes, I am still here, blogging. I am trying to endure to the end well, but I'm telling you: I can feel the "end" a lot quicker with this 4th pregnancy. I am hoping to be caught up on my blogging/pictures before this baby comes so I can just relax and concentrate on the baby and sleep once she decides to join us, so here is the latest...

Lillian has been very into dolls lately, particularly one that Jared bought her at a garage sale which she has named "Ameridoll." She takes such good care of her, does her hair, and tells me "sorry, mom, I can't do my chore, I'm watching my baby!" so I often get put on babysitting duty when I want her to do something. She is in luck because every baby bouncer, bassinet and car seat are empty and waiting so she has been using them to her advantage in taking care of her dolls.

Jocelyn has continued to do really well at soccer and is excited for our family outing to Disney on Ice this coming weekend. As long as I don't have a baby, I will be accompanying them, otherwise it will be a good distraction for the kids (and a peaceful night for me), while Jared takes them. This is a picture of Jocelyn at our pumpkin patch trip yesterday...It was pretty fitting. Lilly was refusing to sit in "the chair" because she insisted she was a princess, not a queen!

This past weekend we had our annual spooktacular dinner combined with a birthday party for Jonas. I failed to take any pictures of the spooky/fun food that everyone brought, or the crazy crew of kids running around,but it was fun to get together with friends and family and celebrate a birthday for my little man. He will turn two on Saturday, so we just celebrated a week early.

The girls decided months ago that they wanted to do "scooby doo" for our family halloween costumes so here we are at the trunk or treat. Jocelyn's daphne costume didn't make it all in the picture, but I'm sure we'll get more fitting pictures on Halloween when I will hopefully be "postpartum" Velma instead of pregnant (or fat) Velma.

More Pictures from the pumpkin patch. We had fun joining Lillian on her preschool field trip where we got to go on the train ride, the hay ride, each kid picked out a pumpkin and we went through the kids version of the corn maze. Fun, as always!

One of the highlights of our craigslist purchases lately has been furniture for our "formal dining area" which includes a piano, table and hutch. I still need to get the piano tuned, but it's been a fun addition that makes it really feel like a home to me. I can play songs for Family Home Evening, or the kids just play on it (ideally when someone isn't napping). This was Jocelyn "teaching" Jonas how to play the other day.

I decided there is really nothing attractive or picture worthy about being 9 mos. pregnant, but here is proof of how uncomfortable it is and that I did make an effort to record this huge bowling ball of a stomach!