Our new arrival!

Welcome to the world: Nicolette London Moesinger, 8lb 11oz, 19 1/2 in, November 16th 9:30 am

Halloween

The first picture below is of a fun fieldtrip we did last weekend. G LOVES trains so we rode the large frontrunner from Ogden to SLC and the trax train to dad's work downtown. We went to an arcade the next day, played in the snow and got hot chocolate, & have even visited McDonald's. We let Glade choose a few fun activities to do while we still can...

Happy Halloween! We had a great Halloween at our house this year. Lots of trick or treating to family & friends. Glade got to attend a preschool party too. His gaucho costume (Mexican cowboy) was a hit! We are very cultural at our house--last year we were old custom Japanese people. Glade's costume included an authentic Mexican poncho & LARGE sombrero hat. See pic below. His furry mustache lasted 10 seconds, so we compromised with waterproof eyeliner & mom's limited artistic abilities. Glade enjoyed his costume & really got the hang of trick or treating this year. He also enjoyed sharing candy bars with the kids that came to our house. Dad was dressed as Russian: large fur hat, trench coat, and of course Stalin mustache...(yes, Glade's mustache reject). I was a very pregnant Minnie Mouse. We dressed up for a church party. Somehow, even though Greg was in charge of the party, we were the only ones that got the memo to dress up. But, we love Halloween at our house, so we didn't really mind. :)

I have been feeling lots better since my kidney stent was removed a couple of weeks ago. Phew. Still some pain in my back where my kidney is, but it should resolve once baby girl is out. We have all been busy preparing for the arrival of baby THIS Wednesday!!! Why do we know when she is coming? Unfortunately, she is face up and therefore will not descend into my pelvis. So, another c section it is. Let's just hope she is not 9lbs 11 oz like her brother. But then again, big babies sleep and eat well (or so I hear)...The nursery is 100% ready, her closet is OVERSTOCKED, the diaper bag is packed, Glade's room is now equiped with toys and entertainment for him, babysitters are arranged, Greg moved his court hearing (thank goodness!), the bassinett is out, the bottles are cleaned, & I am so mentally ready to get her here.

Nesting is a fun phenomenon full of OCD habits. Organizing, cleaning, throwing away. My poor husband tells me I'm being bossy when I tell him to put his shoes in the appropriate spot, etc. I can't help it. Its innate, right? We are 99% sure of her first name, but are still deciding on no middle name or 1 of 3 names. I have enjoyed my middle name so I see no harm in giving her one.

Greg has been sleeping at work or leaving before the sun and getting home well after bedtime. He has had many court hearings, a large trial, & depositions all in the last 2 weeks. But, he is SUPER helpful to his bossy wife in rearranging and organizing. We debated about setting up Christmas ahead of time, but I just couldn't do it yet. I love fall too much and it has seemed so short.

Glade has made a paper chain to get ready for baby sister. He is a very visual counter. He is excicted to tell you baby sister is coming in 3 days. 3 days. aah! Well, our next post will hopefully be an announcement of our baby girl. Fingers crossed for a smooth delivery.

A clean bill of health

Wow! What a busy 2 weeks--to catch you up we will start happiest to craziest:





Glade: We took Glade up to Park City last week for a fun condo stay. Greg took Glade swimming, hiking, on the alpine coaster, to the park, & many other fun things while I was a bit out of comission (details to come). G has also been enjoying preschool and is looking forward to his Halloween party this coming week. He will be a gaucho-which is a Mexican cowboy. G has spent alot of time with different family members and friends the last couple of weeks and has enjoyed the change of scenery-I hope!





Greg: He is super-swamped at work, but managed to squeeze out a few hours to care for Glade and me. He had a hearing, mediation, and deposition this week alone. He is running a million miles an hour but is still managing to care for the house plants, do the shopping, & arrange help with Glade. I got lucky.





London: Okay, where to start? Last week in Park City, I woke up feeling like I had the flu. Stomach symptoms, bloated pain, etc. It got gradually worse until I was dying in pain. I made Greg take me to the hospital in Park City where I spent a couple of days on pain medication and with a catheter trying to pass what they guessed was a kidney stone. This was unlike any stone I have ever felt before. And I've had more than my fair share. An ultrasound showed my kidney was extremely inflamed. They sent me home when my pain was under control with some more pain medicine to hopefully pass the stone and feel better. I slept the week away only waking to eat with pills, and pee blood. It was miserable. Finally, this past week, I went into my OB to find an answer. He had me consult with a urologist who immediately scheduled surgery that day.

I was put under general anesthesia (they monitored the baby, phew!) and they removed a MOTHER stone, which was 1 cm large. It was blocking my ureter/bladder opening and was the cause of my kidney filling with fluid and my bladder pains. The doc had to blast the stone for him to even get it out. There was no way it was coming out on its own. He put in a stent to help my kidney drain and a catheter and I spent a couple more days at my local hospital. The good news is that baby girl should be able to stay in another 1-3 weeks until she is due. I am 36 weeks now. The bad news is I have another procedure tomorrow to remove the stent (which is uncomfortable). Hopefully the docs will give me a CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH afterward so I can relax a bit before baby comes.

Family and friends have been so helpful these past 2 weeks with babysitting, checking in, gifts, flowers, and much more. I only had a teeny taste of the pain others go through and it was rough. I feel really blessed.

Halloween

Halloween is a favorite holiday in our house, so to get us in the mood...

bring on the spiders! As long as I have Glade nearby...

Baby Girl's Nursery

Due to many requests, I have posted what is done so far on the baby girl's nursery. Her closet is absolutely packed, seeing as I've worked on that for months. :) Her crib is new-it is a pottery barn crib (from Greg's mom, Suzanne), and it is a dark brown. The bedding is vintage pottery barn and has an array of colors including orange stitching and turquoise patches. The crib picture shows her room colors: orange and cream. (previously painted)

The mini chair is vintage and is about 20 years old. The dresser I redid and added the changing area and accessories. Besides the clock, I plan to hang some frames or fun pictures on the wall as I find them. I am searching for things I love, not just things to fill the space.

Glade's 3rd surgery

After his annual pediatric exam, it was determined that one of G's ear tubes has fallen out. Normally it is okay for kids to lose them, especially around age 3. Unfortunately, Glade still gets several ear infections a year, even with the tubes. They are usually severe and require severe high powered antibiotic shots to get him better. Not to mention the sleepless nights they bring. So, shortly after his 3rd bday, we put in his 3rd set of tubes. Fingers crossed they stay in and do their job at least through the winter. We have had a healthy summer (knock on wood) and are hoping for the same this winter...especially with a new little girl joining the pack. The above picture is of Glade, brave as can be, hand in hand with the anesthiologist at my work, walking into the OR. He didn't cry, but turned and said, "Mom, you wait right there for me." He also explained to the staff how his bear also needed straws in his ears. My smart boy! He cuddled for 5 minutes when he woke up and was his regular self for the rest of the day. I call that a success.

Brief cuddle moment from my active boy--captured on film. :)

Glade is 3!

The date: 09/15

The party: snow cones with a commercial machine for family; cake (G just ate the frosting) for him

The stats: weight-39.8 lbs 95%; height-40 inches 95%; bmi 85% percentile

The actual birthday: kangeroo zoo in ogden, an inflatable gym equiped with 15 bounce toys

The guests: G's cousins-Kyle, Luke, & G, plus Sissy and Gramma Nonni

G also had preschool and picked out ring pops to share with his class

ah, and finally...the gift: a medium (goes up to 6 feet) plastic basketball hoop-which he asked for

It was a great and busy day all in all. But dad came home from work early to take G to dinner and we enjoyed celebrating with family. Happy 3rd bday Glade!

Pre-School!

First day of preschool!!! Posing with Mrs. Maloney-

With Mrs. Pearson-

Glade on his first day. He was so excited and has been talking about school for MONTHS. So, he was extremely pleased to visit his teachers, classroom, and of 'course the play area! They had an impressive array of coup cars for the kids to ride on (like 20) and a huge playground. I am very excited for Glade to attend school. Gives me a break :) and he will hopefully learn to listen and be apart of a constructive classroom.

Greg wrote an article that was published in the Utah Business Magazine on legal issues involving landlord/tenant policies and recommendations. We were pretty excited and celebrated with the coauthor for dinner last week.

This picture below is the dresser that I have transformed for lil girl's room. It started out an oak brown with water stains and rusting hardware.

The process: sanded off wood veneer, painted matte paint in a dark brown/2 coats, added weather crackle glaze, then added top coat of turquoise in flat paint. It magically cracked to reveal the brown underneath. I had mudded previous nail holes with wood filler and sanded them flat. To finish the project, I added a clear protector/2 coats for easy wipe off and a smooth finish. Greg drilled in the fleur hardware and voila! A one of a kind dresser.

Contributors include:

(well, because I can't take all the credit)

Bob and Sheila for donating the sturdy Ethan Allen dresser 5 years ago

Several friends and my sister for accepting the MANY picture texts of the process and giving pointers

Greg for drilling the new hardware in

My sister for picking it out and even going to the store to get another

Glade for painting (even when I didn't want him to)

My friend Jodi for picking the color turquoise

The saleslady at Lowe's' paint counter

Without further ado...

Quick catch-up

After reading several friends' blogs, I realized how much I loved getting frequent updates on their lives. And it's been a LONG time since I posted, so I wanted to quickly catch you up on what's been going on in our lives.

We will go youngest to oldest:

Baby Girl: Doc says he will start preparing me for delivery on Nov. 2nd as long as I'm a bit dilated. So tips on how to dilate (I didn't at all with Glade, hence the previous c-section) would be appreciated. That is less than 2 months away. Holy cow. I am getting her room ready: Orange and turquoise and cream are her nursery colors. I redid a dresser and am using a lot of vintage things to create a trendy room for her. She is growing great, though my belly is less than half the size of when I had Glade...but Glade was 10 lbs. Still throwing names around, but we have our favorites...

Glade: He will tell you he starts school tomorrow!!! He will attend the Little Red Schoolhouse, a legend, in Ogden. It is also his 3 yr old birthday next week--it is amazing how fast they grow up! He is pottytrained but admittedly has 1-2 accidents a week. That is pretty good considering his age and gender. He is helpful, loving, and full of energy.

London: (me) uh, besides growing a baby, healing a broken tibia, and passing kidney stones, I feel like I have been in survival mode. Just getting by--I still attempted a lot of swimming with Glade, park activities, and play dates with friends as long as I could rest my leg. I am desperately trying to avoid a cast (already had 2) and let it heal before baby girl gets here so I can continue with my running goals in 2012. Now, 2 weeks post-kidney stones (which may I just say is unfair for pregnant women to have...then they are going through the pain of labor more than one time a year, how rude!) I feel like I have my groove back! Scrapbooking, playing with Glade, enjoying the sun.

Greg: Busy working like crazy, and balancing yard work and church callings as well. Took his church group skeet shooting (what an awesome activity huh?) and loves serving others. Our yard is finally done, minus a fence--which I'm told is coming. Greg landscaped the area by himself and prides himself on unique plants. We have a wide range and it looks terrific. Neighbors favorites include a contorted philbert, canaa lilys, and our wild ferns.

Well, that wasn't a quick catch-up per say, but you now know why a post has been postponed til now. A lot going on. Getting excited for fall, halloween, and of course baby girl!

IT'S A GIRL!

This oreo shake is my prize. After nearly an hour of crying and begging, yelling and crying some more-Greg finally gave in and got me my ice-cream. Why all these emotions over an ice-cream? Well because I'm pregnant and just HAD TO HAVE IT! Yes, for those that don't know this is an announcement-and it's overdo since I am nearly halfway there, 17 weeks. We will welcome a little GIRL in November. Still a bit of a wait, but Greg has plenty of time to get me ice-cream and all my current cravings.

I forgot to mention that Glade has been so worn out from our fun activities that he could sleep anywhere. :) His favorite activity so far has been riding Thomas the Train that came to the Heber Valley railroad. Glade was in heaven.

May/June

Pigs. Glade playing with guinea pigs with his cousin Luke. He was suprisingly soft-the complete opposite of his behavior with his own cat. Sheesh. A few of my sister's friends (they have become my friends too) do a ladies lunch where once a week we go to someone's house and eat lunch and play games. Our friend Britt is the owner of the guinea pigs.

Park City. For my birthday, Greg took us up to Park City to enjoy a week at a condo on the resort. We did the alpine slide and coaster-which Glade loved. We swam daily. We shopped-okay, I shopped at the outlets. We BBQd. We relaxed. Which was much needed.

Prom. Okay, give me a chance to explain my outfit. It was an ugly prom for a farewell party for a friend at work. She has a fun personality (put a tarantala in a chinese food container on April Fool's for her husband to enjoy) and suggested the prom. It was a fun night full of big hair, puffy sleeves, and prom pictures.

Uh...broken? I guess that's the best way to describe this photo. Because of my running, my hips got mis-aligned and it caused one leg to be longer than the other. Well, my short leg got the brunt of my weight and impact when I'd land, which caused me to gradually break down the bone. Long story short-broken. Why the cast? Apparently still running on it, squats at the gym, and chasing a 2 yr old are not allowed with a broken leg and I made the break worse. So, a cast it is for 3 weeks. Boo.

Haircut. That's all really. I had a much overdo haircut. But this and a pedicure and getting out of the house really made me feel pampered this week. The gmas and my friends have been so helpful in entertaining me and Glade this week with my leg injury and weight bearing restrictions. I am very grateful.

Glade

This post is all about Glade! His long-standing love/hobby is TRAINS. Still will play with his train table for several hours each day. His imagination is remarkable--He creates scenarios and has the trains talk. Each one is named. I love that it keeps him entertained.

Glade is a big help! He loves to help dad wash the cars-he gets down and dirty, well mostly just wet. He has helped scout out our backyard for any sign of life (I mean the tractors actually pouring the cement and finishing the project) but alas no luck. He has mud wrestled several times. Mud up to his neck. He is also great at digging in the dirt when we are weeding or mowing. What a helper!

This is dad with his jiffy pop. An over the campfire popcorn of sorts. Greg was in charge of an over-nighter with the neighborhood and took Glade. I had the evening to myself! I saw the movie Bridesmaids with my neighborhood gals (the ones also abandoned by husbands) and laughed my head off. Funniest. Movie. Ever. Glade enjoyed the tent, of course marshmellows, and the activities with dad.

Take me out to the ballgame! Sitting on G-pa Gerry's lap. We went to watch Michael (my nephew) play at Ogden High's last game of the season against Bonneville. They played well-especially Michael. It was fun to go support him especially when he sent a special text saying he loves having us there.

Dino Park. We went with my friend Cassie, & her kids (Glade calls Halli-little ally because he can't says H's). Glade tricycled around the dinosaurs and played for hours on the playground. The weather in Utah is finally warming up (at least for a day every now and then). We have gone to a local park too. Yesterday, we went to the zoo. I'm thinking 70 degree weather is just about perfect.

Happy Easter!

Last month, we went to St. George, had some yucky weather but enjoyed swimming. We also met Greg's mission president, who lives down there. That was DEFINITELY the highlight. We went down for a bar (greg's law, not a drinking bar) convention. We have another one coming up in July in San Diego, so we get to vacation in California for over 10 days!

A recent favorite meal: ham cups. Super easy. Surprisingly delicious. You serve them with salsa.

My new kicks! I'm still training for the May Ogden half marathon coming up in a month. I needed some new shoes and of course, pink ones don't hurt!!!

My sister and her hubby took Greg and me to a jazz game for Greg's birthday. We had a delightful dinner & a fun time with just them. I can't remember the last time we went out together without kids.

Ah, last but not least, Glade's easter present. A shopping cart. It's his favorite. He also had fun at a neighborhood egg hunt yesterday, and got a few favorite treats hidden around the house today. We will head to Greg's parents for a money egg hunt (*the best kind of filled egg), & then next weekend we are joining my family at my parents' condo in bear lake for some fun festivities. Happy Easter to everyone! The candies and treats are fun--but the Savior's story in Luke shouldn't be overlooked today. When Christ is resurrected, He says "peace be unto you." That's what He wishes for us.

Joy!

Oh Joyous joy to be able to eat sticky sweets, smile on demand, & bleach my teeth!

Every Monday, we enjoy going to our local library for discovery time--a few weeks ago, we made some stylish glasses. Glade has a hard time sitting down for a full 40 minutes of book reading & song time, but he is gradually getting better. Especially if we bring a friend with us. We have established a routine---each day we try to do something fun for a couple of hours, a few necessary chores, or errands, & cook dinner for dad. So far so good.

During a brief sunny moment, we went to a local park with a asphalt trail and rode Glade's bike. He enjoys going around our cul-de-sac when it's nice. We are working on pedaling. Unfortunately our backyard is far from done, & so we have no where else to play outside. I can't wait for his swingset and climbing gym to be set back up so I can send him out to the fenced backyard to run off his energy. Our weather has been crazy. Fingers crossed for a few consecutive days without snow or rain, so we can pour our cement!

This past week was full of dr's appointments. I was cavity free. Glade went to see Dr. Gilbert DDS for the first time. He only opened his mouth when screaming, but at least he was deemed cavity free. He is great at brushing his teeth. He goes first, then I get to brush after. Double duty. Our sweet cat (sweet tempered, but totally lazy), had her annual exam. She is in tip-top shape and the vet even commented on her soft fur. I informed him it was due to her quartly cat washes-aka showers. Not sure what was more traumatizing--being held by Glade in the car, or the appointment itself.

We celebrated Jan's (my lil brother, 23) birthday last month. He is really into Japanese animation so we found him an extremely large 25x40 movie poster of a classic, "My neighbor Totoro." It was a fun surprise!

PUBLISHED!

I took the picture (above) when Glade was six months old. I had taken him into see Dr. Grandpa, who is an Ear/Nose/Throat surgeon for the millionth time for ear infections. This picture was taken as proud Grandpa poses with his grandson, and Glade screams after his ear exam. Classic photo. Grandpa entered it into a "letter to the editor" and they published it--photo and all.

Last week was a rough one. Sickness all around. We were spreading the flu like wildfire. Again, I remind readers of the flu's earned name: Satan's Fury. Well Satan's Fury hit Glade one night, me 2 nights later, & Greg's mom 2 days after that. We puked our guts out--literally. It was a 5 day flu. I would never wish that on anyone. So, we got ZERO accomplished for the week, but are 100% improved this week.

Yesterday was a momentous occassion. The dreaded braces came off! Now, why oh why did an adult (me) have to get braces again? After a first round of 4 years didn't fix it? Well, my overbite came back and I was chipping and grinding my teeth right off!!! So, braces became my teeth's most intimate friend last May. This is the before picture.

This is the oh-so-glamorous after picture. I am trying to show the bottom teeth also and my left side is droopy because it was numbed.

My everyday smile. All fixed up! Thanks Dr. Shepherd for fixing my teeth and 8 months sooner than promised!

2 weeks ago I had 5 kids...

Was it just a dream? Or did I have 5 kids? It's true! 2 weeks ago, I watched my sister in law's kids while they headed off to Vegas. She kept Glade the next week while we cruised the carribean. Such a nice trip. Relaxing, pampering, & some sight-seeing too. Ideal way to travel. Greg is already looking to book the next one. This is my exhausted face after a week of pre-vacation chaos.

It's a miracle! Yes, all 5 kids are sitting at the table eating together. What the picture doesn't tell you is that it was 4:45 pm. Between basketball, st. government, homework, church youth group, piano lessons, & ballet--this is the time we had to eat. Luckily I prepared the meals ahead of time and just had to throw them in the oven after school. Glade loved having "adopted siblings" for a few weeks. My neice and nephews are perfect angels, but I still was a bit overwhelmed. One kid to 5 is a BIG jump. It made the vacation all the more worth it.

Favorites of the week: feeding the ducks after school. My 12 yr old nephew, Matthew, was admittedly scared of the geese. Glade wasn't. I had fun doing Caitlin's hair-she's 8. Maybe a girl wouldn't be so bad? I still have to wait awhile to warm up to the idea of child #2. Michael, 15, played his last bball game vs. Skyview at Mount Ogden and made some incredible plays. Johnny, 17, was selected as a finalist for the Presidential scholarship to the U. Yes, Greg is thrilled. So we stayed up til the wee hours writing his essays that were-of course-due the next day.

All in all it has been such a fun time for us. Even the post-vacation hysteria has been manageable. Glade slightly regressed from his potty training & is a bit of a BEAR but otherwise we've enjoyed seeing friends, and getting caught-up on regular life.