Little Angel

A couple days ago, I overheard my sister (who is expecting her second baby next month) talking with my mom. She was wondering how she'll have enough love for two children when she already loves her son so much. I remember asking my mom the same exact question when I was pregnant with my second. She also wondered if she would feel guilty that she couldn't spend as much one on one time with the second that she could with the first. But I didn't wonder or worry about these things this time around. I already knew the answer. Somehow Heavenly Father just gives mothers more love with each child. You don't have more time, but you have enough love for them all. You don't have a certain quantity of love to give children that has to be divided every time you add another. He just gives you more. I think it's kind of a miracle. So, just like I did with Connor and Mylie, I already love Mariah SOOOO much. She's such an angel. Here are a few pictures!

Ahh . . . contentment.

BIG yawn!

Mariah's first trip to church. Nine days old.

*How embarrassing! I just had to edit this because I noticed that I had called Mariah Mylie in this last picture. I can't believe how often I have done this, but on the blog?!?

Welcome, Baby Girl!

Well, she's finally here!

Mariah Kristine Micheli

Born Nov. 14, 2008 3:09pm

8lb. 20.5 in.

BEAUTIFUL!

Proud siblings, Connor and Mylie Jo

Of course, I have to include the newborn picture where she is all swollen and looks like she's been through the worst, since she probably just has. Already, she looks so much better. More to come soon!

Nesting?

There's this instinct that pregnant ladies supposedly get just before they go into labor--an urge to clean house, prepare for a baby, and do all sorts of domestic things. So, I'm wondering when this baby is going to come, because I've been "nesting" for 10 days now! Here are a few of the things that have kept me busy while anxiously awaiting our new arrival:

1. Cooking super-duper-bad-for-you desserts. Here are a couple awesome recipes for those of you who don't think you're getting enough calories per bite from your regular brownies or pumpkin pie.

LAYERS OF LOVE CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

3/4 c. flour

3/4 c. baking cocoa

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. butter, cut in pieces

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

3 large eggs, divided

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. chopped pecans

3/4 c. white chocolate chips

1/2 c. caramel ice cream topping

3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

PREHEAT oven to 350 F. Grease 8-inch-square baking pan.
COMBINE flour, cocoa and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large bowl until creamy. Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add vanilla; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Reserve 3/4 c. batter. Spread remaining batter into prepared baking pan. Sprinkle nuts and white chips over batter. Drizzle caramel topping over top. Beat remaining egg and reserved batter in same large bowl until light in color Stir in chocolate chips. Spread evenly over caramel topping.

BAKE 30-35 mins. or until center is set. Cool completely and cut into squares.

TURTLE PUMPKIN PIE

1/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp. caramel ice cream topping, divided

1 graham cracker pie crust

1/2 c. plus 2 Tbsp. pecan pieces, divided

1 c. cold milk

2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) Vanilla instant pudding

1 c. canned pumpkin

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tub (8 0z.) cool whip, thawed, divided

POUR 1/4 c. caramel topping into crust; sprinkle with 1/2 c. pecans.

BEAT milk, pudding mixes, pumpkin and spices with whisk until blended. Stil in 1 1/2 c. cool whip. Spread into crust.

REFRIGERATE at least 1 hour. Top with remaining cool whip, caramel topping and pecans just before serving.

2. Cleaning house. My house is CLEAN right now, and I really don't want it to get dirty before I leave. Also, I cleaned my entire basement, which was a wreck, pulled up all my dead flowers outside AND hauled them away in a wheelbarrow (shouldn't this put me into labor?!?), and did little things like dusting ceiling fans and light fixtures.

3. Preparing baby room. I've cleaned all gender-neutral clothes and have them in the dresser, I have diapers and wipes set out on the changing table, and have moved my rocking chair back into the baby room. Tony isn't real thrilled about this since he has used it in the family room since I finished nursing Mylie Jo over 2 years ago.

4. Quilting. Actually, I don't know how to quilt. I just know how to make this one type of baby blanket with a sewing machine--no tying or handstitching or anything like that. But I made two of them, one for a boy and one for a girl! They turned out so cute, I'll be a little disappointed that I only get to use one.

5. I read a book last week. It was the newest by Richard Paul Evans, my ABSOLUTE favorite author! Reading his books is like Christmas for me. I even had the library call me as soon as this book arrived so I could have it first. But, as soon as I'm done reading, I have this huge let-down knowing that I'll have to wait an entire year to read the next one since I've already read all the rest.

So, now I really don't have much to do but wait. But I won't have to wait too much longer. If I haven't gone in to labor by Friday, I'll be induced that morning. I'm a little nervous about the whole labor and delivery part of this, especially if I'm induced. I've gone into labor naturally with the other two, and really want to do it that way again, but we have some conflicts next week, so we've decided to have the baby this week one way or another. I know I've done this twice already. Maybe that's why I'm so nervous. Who really wants to do it all AGAIN!?! Anyway, wish me luck!

Odds 'n' Ends

So, I haven't updated my blog for awhile, and I have a few odd and ends to post. First of all, the second to last Wednesday in October was the Micheli Bull Sale. The kids love to get all dressed up for this every year. I thought they looked so cute this year!

Connor really wanted me to post this random picture of a toy he really loves playing with! These are called Balance Buddies, and they are wooden guys that you can put together in all sorts of balancing stunts. Connor loves to use the diagram (map, as he calls it) to make all types of formations. Tons of fun!

Finally, I wasn't going to post these, because it's about all I've seen on everybody's blogs lately, but here are some of our Halloween pictures. Yes, the pictures of the kids in costume are in a hotel. We were in Casper at state volleyball. They didn't seem to mind, though. They got to wear their costumes to our game that night, then went trick-or-treating to a neighborhood as well as all our volleyball players' rooms in the hotel.

Is this a problem?!?

Yesterday morning, while watching the Today show in a hotel room in Lander, I caught a clip about the "soft" addiction of shopping, and the damage it is doing to thousands of people who struggle with it. It was both interesting and sad. I left my hotel room about ten minutes later and walked across the street to Alco and Family Dollar . . .

. . . less than an hour later, I was headed back to the hotel with three sacks of "stuff" that I had purchased. Now, I'm beginning to think that I may have a problem as well. However, my problem is a little different. Let me explain.

Where I live, it's pretty difficult to be addicted to shopping. It would be like saying that someone who drank once a month, if that, was an alcoholic. But I have to admit that I really get a buzz from finding a great deal. Here's where it gets a little weird. As I've listened to other people talk about "deals" they've gotten on things, I realize that I've taken the idea of a good deal a little too far. For example, if a shirt is over $5, it is not a good deal in my book, and not worthy of my $5. So here's the short list of what I purchased yesterday:

1 pair of jeans: clearance price $4.50
3 shirts for me: all under $3.00
2 dresses for Mylie: $3.00 each
Halloween costume: $5.00 (this was definitely a splurge!)

And I felt just a little guilty about the money spent on me. I haven't always been this way. I have always been a fan of D.I., but back in my college days when money grew on trees (at least for those with great scholarships at UW), I once bought a pair of jeans for $50!!! The thought of it nearly makes me sick to my stomach. I've kept myself in jeans for the last 3 or 4 years for that price, I'm sure. But slowly, over time, the problem has gotten worse.

One of my "low moments" came just a few years ago, when I wore a pair of ugly brown shoes for about a year and a half, just waiting for the right shoes at the right price so I could have a decent pair. But, I was rewarded for my wait, finally finding a pair of like-new leather shoes that were oh-so-cute at a yard sale for $3.00 Just the price I was willing to pay!

Another confession: I often go into a dressing room at DI or a department store with very low prices with a stack of things to try on. I honestly hope that some of them won't fit so I won't have to decided if those cute $7.00 jeans are just a little too expensive.

Finally: I think it has been at least three years since I have even looked at a rack of clothes that doesn't have a CLEARANCE sign on it.

So, decide for yourself: Am I just a cheap tight-wad, a frugal Mormon mom, or a hopeless bargain addict? I don't know. But I can't wait until this next weekend since I'm going to Casper and am bound to find an amazing deal on something!

First Snow

So, I'm a little late with this post, but last weekend, we had our first snow. I was babysitting two of my nephews on Saturday, and so the four kids went outside for quite awhile and had a blast in the new snow! Mylie was especially excited and antsy to get outside since she doesn't remember last winter very well and was just so curious about the snow. It wasn't too cold, so they had a great time doing all the snow stuff:

SNOW ANGELS,

SNOWBALL FIGHTS,

SNOWMEN, and of course . . .

SLEDDING!!!

And then if that wasn't fun enough, Connor asked his dad to bury him in the snow. Yes, that hat is really on his head. Breaking out was pretty exciting for him, too.

P.S. If this snow was still on the ground, I'd probably be bitter enough about it that I wouldn't find any joy in posting these fun pictures. However, it has long since melted, and we've had a beautiful week! Fall in Wyoming!

Belly Shot

So, I've noticed that it's the thing to do in the blogging world--pregnant ladies must share photos of their growing bellies. So, I guess I'll follow tradition and do the same. Less than a month to go! I feel great, however, and am actually hoping that I'll actually go to my due date or close anyway, since I still have 2 1/2 weeks of volleyball left, and certainly don't want to miss state tournament.

Now, people say that you can tell if you're having a boy or girl by whether you're carrying low or high. I don't know what this means, though. Is this just for tall ladies? For me, at 5'2", I feel like the baby is taking all the space between my ribs and hips! Is it possible for it to be high or low under these conditions? If you can tell by looking, please enlighten me.