Weeks 15 & 16 - visiting family & some rash relief!

It has been a busy last couple of weeks! We had a fun time in Utah celebrating the twins 5th birthday late with extended family (Blake got covid and pneumonia right before the twins bday so we had to cancel our original trip in May), and visiting grandparents and an aunt and uncle in Nevada. The kids had a blast in Utah in the cooler weather. They played their hearts out outside in my grandparent's beautiful yard, a kiddie pool, on a slip n slide, zoomed on their scooters, and chased weenie dog pups. Thanks to everyone who came to their party, so many fun gifts ❤ Claire also got a haircut by Aunty Ash in UT. It has been driving her nuts and is long and heavy and itchy, so she got a cute little Bob cut! Blake and I are sad to see her long beautiful hair gone (especially Daddy), but man, I'm gonna save money on shampoo and conditioner for sure, ha ha. And it takes way less time to wash. Also, no more knarly tangles! I likely will never go back to long hair myself, blah! The kids had a great time playing with their aunt and uncle in Henderson too, we missed the other fam that was out of town but we hope they had fun on their trip! The twins discovered a love for checkers and chess with Uncle Cam (they didn't really play, just pretended and collected all the pieces in piles, lol). One of their uncles is also named Cameron Blake and it confuses Cam, so he calls him "that guy" 🤣 So, thank you That Guy and Aunt Wacey for entertaining the kids while we visited! Claire also had a blast looking through Daddy's mission pics with Grandma, she played Where's Waldo but with Daddy in each one of his mission pics, ha ha. Cam was so pooped by the time we left Blake's parent's house that he sacked out on me so we laid him on the couch, ha ha. They were sad to come home but also happy to sleep in their own beds again. Me too. It was a lonnng drive but the kids were angels like always! 

One of the best things about our trip was the COOLER weather! My rash almost completely went away in Utah, I was so happy I could have flippin cried. I was able to go outside for the first time in like 6 weeks and watch the kids play! We have been home in AZ for only a few days and my legs are already rashy and back to driving me insane. The van was a mess when we got home so I had to vacuum it out real quick so pretzels didn't get ground into the seats even more. And just in that time, in the shade in the garage, my chest broke out so badly. I'm so bummed. My midwife recommended cooler weather if possible and it definitely helped. I am going to go back as soon as possible!! I don't want and can't keep slathering myself in this Nystatin cream, that's not healthy. We have some house and car repairs that need done first (those are stories for another day) and I have a dr appt next week. But hopefully my parents new home will be done very, very soon and I can go back up and stay for awhile because this itching is absolutely obnoxious! And it is so awful not being able to stand wearing clothes, go anywhere, or being able to go outside and play with the kids 😔

I can't believe I'll be 17 weeks this weekend! So crazy. Time is just flying. Still can't believe there is a tiny person in there! Seriously guys, like even though I can feel him move, and my belly is growing, I'm still not convinced that this is all happening 🤣 Sweet little miracle boy 😭💙 Right now our little guy is around 5 inches long from crown to rump (more like 7 including his little legs) and has hair developing on his head and eyebrows. So cool! He can also taste the amniotic fluid with his tiny newly working taste buds and is already developing taste preferences according to a medical article I read recently. That just blows me away. At only 16 weeks he can taste! How can people justify abortion?! I won't even get started, but anyways. At this time during pregnancy the eyes and ears have moved into their final positions and he now has limited hearing! We probably all sound pretty crazy to him 🤣 If I don't overdue it, I have way more energy now a days. House work doesn't seem like such a gigantic and exhausting task, though I still don't like it, ha ha. And I am needing to nap less. Luckily the twins are little angels and will just sit and watch a movie or play toys while I sleep on the couch! More foods are also sounding appetizing. I've been eating lots of avocados lately, mangos, watermelon, sausage and hashbrowns, Naked or Bolthouse Farm smoothies drinks, and In n Out fries with this awesome new vegan Sir Kensington Special Sauce I found on Vitacost! It reminds me of fry sauce and is oh so tasty! Since we have so many food allergies and can't eat out, In n Out fries have been what I get when I'm craving something not from home. Just potatoes and sunflower oil, so nothing too unhealthy. But I need to not be lazy though and make my own homemade fries, ha ha. I even bought a fryer recently. 

I will post a belly pic next post, I definitely grew recently. So exciting to feel him start moving more! My back is starting to hurt quite a bit, as well as my tailbone. My belly will be huge soon enough ❤ I accidentally forgot to take a pic of the 15 week baby board before I started erasing it ha ha, so here's part of it, lol.