The mystery of the missing toad and other thoughts

Today I decided that we needed more crickets for our toad. I decided to check on it, but unfortunately, it was not anywhere in its enclosure. I have looked throughout the day in and around its habitat, but to no avail. Our toad is missing!! We don't know where it hopped off too. More than likely, it has fallen somewhere that will decrease its chances of survival. Joseph is sad and says that he wants another toad. So a fond farewell to our amphibious friend who provided many hours of enjoyment. May she be happy wherever she is and not be dead in a vent where we can smell her and not reach her.
Today was black Friday. I got a few gifts, but mostly stuff in preparation for our guests in December. Joseph was good as we went from place to place. After a couple of hours he told me he was ready to go home. Joseph has decided that his name is only Joseph. Grandpa Nunez calls him Jose and he says "no, I Joseph." We call him by his full name and he tells us that he is only Joseph. He also has decided that he is scared of the toilet and refuses to tell us when he needs to go to the bathroom. He is also afraid of the bathtub because there are bugs in it (from the one time a beetle made its way into his bath). He is starting to throw a lot more tantrums. It is frustrating. Normally we could tell him no and he would be fine, now, tears and whimpering, laying on the ground. I thought the terrible twos were over. Not that he was ever bad. He isn't even bad now. It is just hard to hear the whining and the crying when you tell him no.

Thanksgiving was nice. We ate at my parents. Alison and Ryan were there. Those are Joe's hands. I managed to get everyone else that was there. We had lots to eat. What am I thankful for?

• My husband. He is amazing. He works full time and gets home and works on our home. It looks AWESOME. I love him dearly and am grateful to have such a handsome, smart and handy man in my life.
• My little Joseph. He makes me happy everyday. He likes to say that he loves me so much and when I respond in the same manner, he says that he loves me "big, stomp so much." Today it was "apatosaurus, stomp, big so much!" He tells me that he is growing up but that he is still a little boy. I am grateful for such a loving and tender boy.
• Baby Brother and second son. I am starting my 8th month of pregnancy and am grateful that we can almost meet our second child. It is crazy to think that we will no longer just have one, but two. How will I manage?
• Being cancer free for 2 years and counting.
• Our home. Our house is nice. I am sad that we are going to sell it, even though the prospects of what will be are exciting and scary. It has a huge yard and it has a nice layout. Too bad we have to move.
• Our car. We have had a running car for the past couple of years, for which I am grateful. It is gas efficient, what more could you ask for right now.
• Our jobs.
• Family. We have such a supportive family on both sides. We are grateful for their prayers and concerns on our behalf. Crazy how fast time flies and how our family keeps growing.
• Friends. We have a good group of friends that I know we can count on for just about anything.
• The gospel. Life isn't always easy. I am grateful to a loving Heavenly Father who provides for us and a Savior that can help us return home to our Father one day.

I could go on, but I will leave it at that. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Waiting for Joe

Right now I am waiting for Joe to get out of our 1 working bathroom. I need to get ready for bed. Today was a good Sunday. Joseph has had quite the appetite lately, so I think he is growing. I want him to be a lot taller than me and at least as tall as his dad. Of course, with my genes, that may not be as easy as it sounds.

After church, Joseph and I found some seed pods that rattled. He liked them because they made music and were soft. We brought some home to be our instruments. I also let him know that on Wednesday he can come to work with me. Students won't be at UVU, so it will be a good day for him to come. When he heard the news, he drew in an excited breath and then said, "mommy, you made me happy!" What a sweet boy.

Joe is out, I have got to run!!

Well, BYU lost. I was disappointed, but at the same time, it was to be expected. Utah has a great team this year. It is good that they will get lots of money and it will be spread around the conference. I left during the second half and maybe that is why we lost. Of course, I have a hard time watching any game involving a team that I am rooting for. I usually feel that I will jinx them in some way.

I am ready for Thanksgiving break. I have lots to do to get the house in order. Joe has been working hard. He tiled the shower last night and has grouted the kitchen, the bathroom and I think he is doing the shower right now. I have been washing clothes all weekend and I cleaned the kitchen. Joseph has been wanting to play all day. We raced cars last night, and this morning. He watched dumbo this morning. He thought the pink elephants on parade portion was scary, but he enjoyed it. We have also made 3 thank you cards. We still need to make 6 more. The baby is moving a lot and likes to move on my bladder. Joseph got a kick out the baby the other night. I was putting him to bed. The baby was moving a lot, so I asked Joseph if he wanted to touch his baby brother. The baby put on quite a show. He kicked, he moved, he wiggled and Joseph found it to be hilarious. He loved it and laughed for a long time.

Just because I have it

Here is a picture of me at 30 weeks. I swear I look a lot bigger in person. Man, I hate my double chin! The baby moves a ton. He is quite active. Our next ultrasound is December 4th at 9 a.m. Hopefully all is better. It is fun to feel him move, I just dislike the acid reflux that I have nightly that wakes me up. I will be glad when I don't have that any more. Oh, and stretching is painful, as is turning from side to side at night (I look forward to sleeping on my back and on my belly in the future).

The long walk

Last week I was super sore, and Thursday was a day that I just wanted to sit in my office. Of course, it was the day I needed to walk the most. I walked to the new library for a seminar. I had a hard time staying awake. I got back to my office and sat down, happy to be off my feet for a few minutes.

A man brought an elderly couple to my office and asked if I knew where they needed to be. I said that I could try and help them, so the man left them. The woman was upset because they were late to a photo shoot. After a few phone calls, I found where they needed to be. I asked their names and they told me they were Bill and Margaret Pope. They were being recognized for their generous contributions to the university. The event takes place on December 5th, but they were taking pictures now. I thought the name Pope sounded familiar, after all, my office is in the Pope Science building. They needed help finding where they needed to go, so I walked with them through a maze of hallways to the opposite end of campus (I think it took us 20 minutes to get there). On my walk, I realized that they are the Popes who contributed to get the building I work in built. There is a huge portrait of Bill Pope across the atrium from where I work on the wall. I decided to help walk them where they needed to go because I couldn't very easily explain the way to the building. Luckily, they arrived safely and the person that greeted them said they would drive them back to their car. Thank goodness because I felt bad they had to walk so far in the first place. I was just happy that I could help.

I forgot my camera...Dang!

Joseph wanted me to take lots of pictures of him today. He was playing male model. "Mommy take a picture of me like this." Joseph was in one of his vintage Joe shirts. I also recorded him telling the camera what dinosaurs he has. I will try and post it later.

We have had an eventful weekend. I didn't accomplish nearly what I wanted to, but I did do other things. Friday, Joseph and I went to the Museum at Thanksgiving Point. Joe was working on the house, so he didn't come with us. I had some tickets for half-off admission. Joseph and I were there for 2 hours. When we first arrived, he asked me to take a picture of the dinosaurs. I looked in my camera then and realized that I had forgotten it at home. It was disappointing because there were fewer people there than daytime hours. We spent a long time playing in the sand and water table. I built a small lagoon for Joseph to play in the water. We also spent a lot of time uncovering fossils in the sand pit. Joseph swam in the sand. All in all, it was great fun. He liked seeing the big dinosaur skeletons. We went into the gift shop. They had miniature skeletons, so I bought some for Christmas. Joseph would love to go more. Now that he is 3, his admission price went from free to $8.

Yesterday we took Alison to pick up her wedding dress. She looks so pretty. Joseph enjoyed the cat that was at the home. We got home and I tried to clean a little. I was exhausted and wanted to stay home, but Joe convinced me to go the Real Salt Lake game. It was the Western conference title game. RSL was playing the NY Red Bulls. I only wanted to go if Joseph went. He came too. I was happy. It was really cold, so Joseph spent most of the time wrapped in a quilt. He kept me warm. I also bought hot chocolate and popcorn. Joseph was not in the mood to be there, so I had to distract him. Joe helped him get into the cheering and the game.

I asked Joseph if he had fun at the soccer game. He said no. I asked why. He responded that he was sick. I asked what made him sick. He said that he was just tired and that the music was too loud and it made him sick. There were 7 of us at the game (including Joseph). It was a fun night out, but yet again, I had forgotten my camera.

Joe has been working on cleaning our yard. Joseph was helping him. Joseph would take his wheelbarrow wherever daddy was working. When Joe would go and dump it, Joseph would go with him and play in yard. It was cute. My two men hard at work.

Before I forget...

Joseph likes to parrot things that are said to him. He also likes to say, "goodnight mommies, goodnight daddies!" When I say, "goodnight Josephs," he says, "I only 1 Joseph."

29 week check-up

I had my check-up yesterday. I weigh 149.5 pounds. The baby is active and the heartbeat is strong. Everything seems okay thus far. I do have to go in for another ultrasound in about 3 weeks. The baby's obstruction is still there. There is not much more to say on that.

Joseph was kissing and hugging his baby brother last night. Joseph would put his face on my belly and say that the baby kicked him. He even tried to tickle his baby brother. He wants the "2" babies to come out right now. I told him that that 1 baby would come in January. He keeps insisting on 2 babies: a boy and a girl. Still no name for the baby.

I have said that I make up songs that I don't remember. Last night Joseph requested the spider-web song I had made up. It took me a minute to realize what song he was talking about. He described it to me. I remembered that a few nights ago I made up a song about a little spider that needed to find a place to spin his web. He went all over the place till he found a little boy named Joseph. Then he built his web from his nose to his toes, from his toes to his mouth, and so forth. The "spider," my hand, would then crawl to each place that was name and in process tickle him. He laughed and laughed and then said he wanted to sing it for me. He copied my actions and tickled me for a bit. It was cute to see him smile and laugh.

Joseph has taken to singing as he does things. He sings a going to the door song or other random diddies that come to mind.

Mishi Tag

4x6 - go to your fourth picture file and post the 4th picture, and then repeat with your sixth file, sixth picture.

#4

This is the day that we went to the Museum of Ancient Life. We were taking Alison and Ryan to look at reception halls and we took a little break here. I guess it is one of the largest (if not the largest) dinosaur museum in the states. This is a picture of supersaurus. Joseph loves dinosaurs at the moment. Also, he likes me to sing him "scary" songs about Halloween that I make up. He remembers them and I typically don't, so I have to remake up songs often.

#6

This a a picture of Joseph eating calamari. He really likes the "little octopus" and asks us to get it for him on occasion. He won't eat some ordinary foods, but calamari is a must with him. We are at Carrabba's in Orem. On this night as well, we had asked for a fruit bowl. The waiter forgot it and one of the assistant managers (who we know fairly well) gave Joseph a huge bowl of fruit that he prepared himself. Joseph truly enjoyed all the attention and the great food. I can't say enough about their sirloin marsala. It is the best steak ever!

I tag Meredith, Alison, Amy, Ernest and Lydia, and Danika (I don't know how often she reads this). I know Brittney reads this, but I remember her doing this on her blog.

Before I forget, last night as I was putting Joseph to sleep (which took 3 hours), he told me that his tummy hurt. I asked him why and he said that daddy had gone into his belly and eaten all his food. He also said that his heart is still broken. I asked him why and he said that daddy had eaten part of his heart. What an imagination!

Weird

Today has been a long day. I stopped by to say "hi" to Joseph after a meeting. He wanted to come to work with me. I was in and out all day. At 3 today, the biotechnology club opening social started. One of the speakers coming (we had 5), was my old chair at BYU. He saw me and gave me a big hug and talked to me. When he left, he kissed my cheek and gave me a big hug. It was unexpected. Maybe he still feels bad for what happened a few years ago. Oh well.

Joseph, as he was going to bed, said, "mommy, I want to keep you." It makes me sad that day after day I have to drop him off and by the time I get off, I am so tired that I can hardly function. Maybe it will be easier after the baby comes. ;)

I am very grateful for my little boy and my husband. I am still waiting to hear back on the ultrasound results. If the doctor hasn't called by noon tomorrow, I am bothering him again. I called yesterday, but haven't heard anything. They said they would have it in 24 hours and that was completed as of yesterday morning at 9:15 am.

I got the results. So it looks like the babies obstruction is still there. It is measuring a little bigger to not that much bigger than before. They need me to have another ultrasound at 32-33 weeks (so in 4 weeks or so). If it is still there, they will start talking to a nephrologist to determine what needs to happen when the baby is born. The baby will get an ultrasound after he is born. Depending on what the nephrologist says, the baby may need surgery to put in a stint or they might wait. That is the latest update. There are a lot of "if this, then that" scenarios. The doctor did say that a lot of babies are born without their right kidney and they are just fine. Should I take solace in his statement?

Of doctors and needles

Today I had my second ultrasound. It looks like the obstruction is still there, but I have to wait to hear from the doctor's for the final prognosis. It makes me sad to think that my poor little boy is going to have to have an ultrasound a day or two after he is born, be on antibiotics and who knows what else. I was impressed with myself for recognizing the kidneys and being able to see the obstruction without aid. I wish the doctors had called me today.

Joseph had his 3 year check up today also. He is short and skinny. He is doing all right with developmental things. I asked about his tendency to say that he "just doesn't feel good." The doctor wants me to keep tabs as to when he says it. I told him that he says it every day. He thinks it is probably just mimicing. I mentioned to my mom that he says this a lot. She doesn't think that it is her, but it is. What really worried me and concerned the doctor was the fact that he said that he was dying. He wants to know where he would have heard that, seeing that he is so young. I have my opinions, but my mom would never agree. She doesn't hear what she talks about all the time. Now I have to watch and monitor my son to see if he is lagging behind when he plays and any other symptom that may require testing.

Joseph is also excited about Halloween. He wants to go to daddy's work some more for the scary stuff and candy. He told me he likes scary stuff but not scary music. He is a cutie. He was so excited that I didn't have to go into work today. I love it when he says, "mommy, I love you."