20 weeks!

Well, I am halfway through my pregnancy. I am feeling pretty well for the most part. I am feeling the baby a lot and really enjoying that. I have had a bit of swelling and early Braxton Hicks Contractions but other than that things are OK.

We had our big u/s this week and baby looks great! We do know the gender but we aren’t sure if we are ready to post it publicly or not.

Here are some cutie patootie pics of the face and my 20 wk belly.
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20wks

February 21, 2010 - 4:23 pm Ginny - You look GREAT! Baby is cute!

February 21, 2010 - 7:01 pm Vanessa Shannon - Everything is looking great! I dont know how you do it.... can I find out from your mom what you are having ;)

February 22, 2010 - 10:40 pm laurata - Oh my Goodness!! I had no idea you were expecting. Congratulations on this thrilling bit of news.

February 26, 2010 - 11:31 am Mom - You're glowing! Happy mommy...happy baby...happy grandma :-)

Time is Flying By!

I can’t believe I haven’t updated my blog in over a month and a half. Between morning sickness fog, tiredness, school, and photography I just haven’t been able to make the time.

So, the update. I am now 16 weeks pregnant. The morning sickness is gone and I feel pretty great. I feel the baby moving around a lot. This bean is very active. We are planning on keeping this baby’s gender a surprise. We are trying to come up with names, but boy names are proving elusive. We need a 2 syllable boys name that is unique, but still timeless. I like Judah but Dave doesn’t like any name I throw out. For a girl we like Eloise.

The kids are doing great. Sullivan is back at home with me. He just wasn’t ready for the pressure of a school environment. Xander is excelling and preparing to go to Paradigm High next year. It’s a charter school and the lottery is next week. We really hope he gets in. Rani is doing well in school as well. She is cruizing through her work. I have decided to keep her home next year now that she has found her groove.

We have decided not to move for now. We will maybe think about selling again in 2011.

And last but not least, here is my 16 week belly picture.

January 20, 2010 - 9:47 pm lisa - You look fabulous! Congrats on the morning sickness going away. Kuddos to making a post period! You have LOTS of plates spinning and a cute lil addition baking in the oven! Be blessed! :-)

January 22, 2010 - 1:06 pm Sara - I love your name ideas! Eloise is one of my very favorites :) Glad to hear you are feeling better!

February 5, 2010 - 3:33 am Danielle - I just came across your blog as we consider adopting from India. I read about the plight of little girls over there and as a mother of four boys I would dearly love to help one of them. I am reading your blog with interest! You look radiant, congratulations on pregnancy number 7!

February 7, 2010 - 10:34 pm Kikilia - Congrats on #7... for boy names would Noah work? Sorry, but I can't remember all the names for your boys. I also like Rhys- but it's only one syllable. Good luck and congrats again. BTW- how is Eloise pronounced? Is it E-loi-z or El-o-weez?

Making it Official

I thought it was probably about time I made things official here on my blog. There is a reason that I haven’t felt like updating my blog in a while. I am 9 weeks pregnant with number 7! :-) I know that many of you have heard the news already on facebook or face to face, but I thought I would put it out here as well.

I am so excited! I didn’t think we would have any more children. It was kind of a whim that made us decide to try for one more but I feel the spirit of this child and he/she is so excited that it is his/her turn to come to the earth. I am feeling pretty nauseated and blah most of the time but honestly I am just as excited for this baby as I was for my first baby! This baby is due July 4th, 2010.

Here’s the proof!

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November 30, 2009 - 8:49 am Karina - Congratulations. After just having number 4, it's amazing to me that people have more kids than that :D Your family is beautiful.

November 30, 2009 - 9:30 pm Ginny - CONGRATULATIONS!

January 7, 2010 - 10:02 pm April - WOW!! CONGRATS!!! Hope your feeling good!

Halloween 2009

This year we did a nursury rhymes theme. I didn’t let Xander get out of it either. LOL Except he “lost” his mouse ears.

November 10, 2009 - 4:15 pm Vanessa Shannon - A D O R A B L E ! ! ! What a great idea...did you make the costumes? Viginia is too dang cute in that sheep outfit... Hey whats going on with your blog? Are you changing the design???

November 11, 2009 - 12:40 pm MelissaJ - Those are so WONDERFUL! They are all such BEAUTIFUL children!! LOVE the girls costumes and your Little Boy Blue!! Well, I also love the 3 blind mice idea..Okay..like I said, they're all wonderful!!

November 12, 2009 - 11:23 pm wendy - What great costumes! And gorgeous photos!

First Day of School

Can you believe I am sending my oldest three to school? Neither can I! Here is a post I wrote on Crazibeautiful about it

To School or Not to School

The school is only part time. It’s a great middle ground for us. So far they are really happy there. The school is called Benjamin Franklin Homeschool Academy. It’s a little red brick school house. There are only 7 kids in Xanders class and 6 in Sully and Rani’s class!

September 8, 2009 - 1:47 pm wendy - I think it's great that you were able to be honest with yourself and know that something different was needed. I have had such a hard time letting most of my kids go back to public school, and yet I have known it was the right thing at this time. I feel like a failure and yet, I know I am not. I am just always trying to make the best decisions I can for my children. I can't believe how grown-up they all look!

September 15, 2009 - 1:25 pm Emily - Wow, that's wonderful! Love the pics! Rani update on Hopechild? Would love to hear how she is growing and changing.

First Day of Dance 2009

I should have posted this a while ago. On August 27th, Rani, Ollie and Finn started dancing again at Starz Unlimited. Finn is doing only clogging this year and Rani and Ollie are doing both clogging and ballet. Poor little Virginia wanted to dance so bad! She sat outside the door crying and if anyone opened it she ran in and started tapping one foot like she was dancing too. Two more years little baby!

2009 Knights of Freedom Summit

This was our fifth year putting on a summit for the boys in the Knights of Freedom groups throughout the Salt Lake Valley. We had 131 boys participate this year and in the final battle they were fighting about 70 villains. It was amazing how huge it was. Emily is has spearheaded the event for three years running and she has a phenomenal mind. It takes so many volunteers and so much organization to put on an event this large. I am so impressed, and so glad to be just the photographer! LOL

This year there was a group of nobles called the “Elitists” that were disgruntled with the way the King and Queen were running the country. They thought they should be able to play all day and have the countrymen do all the work. Xander was an Elitist and Sullivan was a Knight. The Elitists enlisted an evil General and his men to join him and threatened the life of the Prince if the Queen wouldn’t sign over the country. The boys had to be so brave this year. They had to learn the knightly virtues, go on a quest, and fight for their country in an amazing final battle! It was awesome!!!

Rani’s Baptism

I am so proud of my sweet girl for choosing to be baptised. It is not a decision she made lightly, and out of all of my children to be baptised, she was the most sure and the most excited. She made promised to live as Jesus did and to take his name upon her. She looked beautiful. The photo with Dad was taken on her baptism day and the rest of the photos were taken today of the dress my mom made for her. I also took some of the two girls together. Virginia is wearing her blessing dress from last year. I can’t believe it still fits!

August 17, 2009 - 12:53 am Maggie - Oh, Rani! Congratulations on your decision to follow Jesus and be baptized! We remember mommy singing at Alakanu's baptism and making it a special day. Looks like yours was a very special day, too! Love and kisses from Maggie and Alakanu

August 17, 2009 - 7:54 am Tamary - Beautiful pictures! Congratulations to Rani!

August 17, 2009 - 4:54 pm Katie - I love that you have presented it as a choice and not something that automatically happens at age 8. That is the route I have taken as well.

August 18, 2009 - 9:14 pm Cristy - I'm so happy for you Rani! What a great decision you made! I love the pictures Tamra! What cute sister pictures, they are gorgeous girls

August 28, 2009 - 3:25 am hildur hyde - they look beautiful tamra, and we love the one of rani and dave. miss you guys.

September 4, 2009 - 1:56 pm Emily - I am weeping with joy! I have watched Rani grow and grow and I feel so lucky you have shared her with us!

September 8, 2009 - 1:44 pm wendy - These are absolutely beautiful photos. Rani is gorgeous. I love the ones of her with Virginia. SO sweet!

Birth is a Journey

I just posted a new blog post on Crazibeautiful. Please check it out and give me some blog love!

Birth is a Journey

She’s Walking!!!

I can’t believe my baby girl is finally walking!!! She took her first step about 2 weeks ago and just this week she has gone from a couple of steps to trying to run! She is sooo wobbly and sooooooo cute!

Another milestone is that she finally hit 20lbs. She can sit forward facing. LOL She doesn’t like it! She prefers the infant seat, silly girl.

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August 11, 2009 - 9:15 am Emily - Oh Tamra! She is just adorable! Happy, happy birthday not so little Baby V!!!!

August 11, 2009 - 10:49 am Lisa - Your kids are all SOOOOOOOOOOOO adorable!!! CONGRATS!!! She is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO stinking cute though!!!

August 12, 2009 - 12:21 am Vanessa Shannon - Too cute! Love the outfit and her cute hair!

August 12, 2009 - 2:14 pm Heather - How did you get her to gain weight? Kennedy was 2 in June and just barely hits 20 lbs with clothes on. I need her to srart gaining.

August 15, 2009 - 6:11 pm April - Little V is so sweet!!! I love that outfit. Raygan-Elise just started a few weeks ago too. Aren't they cute! I'm ready to turn Raygan-Elise around but we can't get over 19 lbs. Been stuck for a few months. Did you go back for year visit about eyes yet? We went bout 3 weeks ago...everything still same and they said come back next year! YAY!