It's a....

As most of you know, I have felt fairly certain that we were having a girl for my whole pregnancy.  I have referred to the baby as "she" and we only came up with a girl name.  I was 100% sure we were having a girl until about 2 days ago when I panicked.  I realized that if we had another boy I would love it so much, but I would be sad about not having a girl.  Understand, it isn't that I DON'T want a boy, it's that I REALLY want a girl.  Send me a boy next.  I'll be happy.  I just needed 1 girl.

So when we went to the place today to find out what we were having, I told the woman not to start with the gender.  I told her I was so nervous to find out and to please just show us the whole baby before we started discussing gender.  So she is going over the baby and showing us all of the parts.  It loves it's hands and always has its hands near the face, sucking the thumb, etc.  Very cute.

All of a sudden I see something between the legs and I said "Oh my gosh - it's a boy!".  She said "Do you want me to tell you?" And I said "Yes, tell me."  So she said "It's not."  I started crying.  I think I would have cried either way at that point because of the anticipation.  I said "It's a GIRL?!" and she said it was.  I told her I saw a PENIS!  Evidently, this little girl is a trickster because she had the umbilical cord between her legs! I totally thought it was a penis, but NOPE.  We are having a little girl!

We already have a name and we are so excited that we will be welcoming a sweet little girl into our family in November.  I'm hoping to go until 11/11/11 because that would be the coolest birthday ever.

Of course the boys had to sit on the table with me the whole time, with Hunter shining a flashlight on my belly and "helping" the lady do the ultrasound.  So cute.  Such a perfect experience.  We are SO excited.

Hunter is 3

Hunter is 3, and he has been since May 11th.  I thought I would post all of the wonderful things Hunter can do now!

He is a very expressive boy who can tell you exactly what he likes and what he does not.  He uses full sentences as frequently as possible.  For example, at My Gym the kids are ask to say their name and then some random question every week.  So they might ask what is on the kid's favorite pajamas.  Most kids say "Denny, dinosaurs".  Hunter says "My name is Hunter and Mickey is on my favorite pajamas."  I am always so impressed that he prefers to tell the whole story as opposed to just answering as his peers do.  Perhaps it's because he is such a jabber jaws! (Like his mommy).

Hunter can swim.  He doesn't really know it but even his swim instructor says he can swim.  He lacks the confidence to do it on his own without being MADE to swim.  But if you make him swim, he can do it all by himself.  He even uses his arms and legs.  I'm very proud of his ability to swim because we've been in swim lessons for a long time!

Hunter knows his whole alphabet (can sing ABCs) and has a natural interest in letters and number.  I haven't been pushing him or even trying to introduce them into his life consciously BUT he can spell his name and he can recognize all of the letters and numbers.  I think I will try to help him with this because he really wants to write his name, which he can do if he has a big enough surface (like a sidewalk and sidewalk chalk).

He is potty-trained.  I don't think I ever officially posted this, but in January/February I potty-trained Hunter.  He does an amazing job!  We haven't yet bit the bullet and done night-time training but I imagine we will do it soon.

He wants things his way.  All the time.  He knows how to get this (he thinks) by whining and throwing fits when he doesn't get what he wants.  I find it very amusing that Hunter and Landon are both throwing tantrums.  Sometimes it makes me laugh when it happens at the same time.

Hunter is the most social kid I have met in my entire life.  He LOVES other kids and refers to everyone under the age of 25 as his "new friend".  He talks to everyone, especially kids.  He has an amazing zest for life and for fun and has never-ending energy.  The amount of excitement he has when other kids come over can be overwhelming for them.  It's funny and cute and makes me smile.  I love how social he is.

I am so proud of my big guy! I love him so much and cannot believe he is 3 years old!!!

A month of fun!

I have no idea why these photos get uploaded in such a random order but there are 73 of them and I'm not rearranging so I will explain them as I go.

On Thursday, May 12 I was hooded!  This is so exciting because it is an honor only given to people who graduate fields with some kind of Doctorate.  Although I am not 100% done, my advisor determined that I was close enough to "walk".  This means graduation is imminent.  Although my main advisor was herself being hooded with an honorary doctorate in Sweden, my co-advisor was able to hood me.  This was really neat! So Dr. Toben Mintz hooded me in front of Brian, my aunt Donna, Susan and Billy.  Afterwards we went out to eat at a yummy steak restaurant in downtown LA.  Mmm.

Here I am in the act of getting hooded.

 And hooded!

 And a hug. (Can you tell I wanted every second of this captured in the record books?!).

 The Vice Provost, Sarah Pratt handing me a "degree".

 All done!  The reason this is so important to me is not because I really needed the degree.  It isn't because I plan on having some big fancy career.  There are 2 very important reasons that I didn't quit the program (no matter how many times I tried).  The first is somewhat obvious if you are a mom: you have to do something for yourself.  The two afternoons a week that I spent working on a problem that I consider to be very important were a good break from the boys.  I got to think about adult problems and keep in contact with people who were important to me.  I feel like a contributing member of society, especially on such a hot topic (Neural basis for Alzheimer's disease and protective factors against its clinical onset).

The second reason sounds cheesy but it is 100% true.  I don't want to teach my boys that quitting is okay.  I grew up in a house where quitting was never okay - you always completed the season, the school year, whatever.  I didn't want my babies to think that it was okay to quit when things got too hard or something more important came to you.  So now I can tell my boys that I loved them so much that I took a few extra years to finish my degree so I could stay home with them, but I finished it because it is important to finish what you start.

 Me and my beautiful Aunt

 My wonderful husband.  I would not be anything that I am without him and his unwavering support.  He listened to so many crying fits about why I wanted to quit, why my advisor was mean, why I just couldn't do it.  All the while he remained steadfast that I needed to do what felt right to me.  All the while he pushed me to finish.  I have the world's greatest husband and if I could give him part of my degree I would.  But not the Doctor part because I am keeping that part for myself ;-)

 Woohoo!!!! DONE! (Should I be jumping while pregnant and in heels? Probably not).

 Me and Toby.  The other advisor.

 We also had Hunter's third birthday this week! Holy moly my baby is 3! Where does the time go?  It was at My Gym again, like last year, and it was a blast.  Again.  Like last year.  The Elders from our ward came to the party and this is one of them, mid-air.  Welcome to goofy Elder McCullough.

 Landon was overwhelmed.  I wish I could say that he enjoyed the party.  I kept the pacifier in his mouth and a balloon in his hand for about 80% of the party.  Thankfully my aunt was there to help!

 Circle time.

 Whose birthday is it?!

 Hunter's birthday!!!!

 Kim and Ben - some of my favorite people.  And, maybe Target employees?

 Tamara and Will.

 Bridget and Wyatt - he is SO big already!

 Parachute time.  Keagan arrived during parachute time.  Hunter hadn't seen him in almost a month and when he saw him he excitedly yelled "KEAGAN IS HERE!!!!" It was SO cute.

 Our new buddies - Mackenzie, Kieran and Rhys.  I know that Hunter and Kieran are going to be partners in crime.  Rhys and Landon are 3 months apart - so they'll probably be buddies too.

 Sweet little face.  He wants to be held.

 Yay for my birthday! This kid ran so hard that his head was sweaty and cheeks were flushed.

 I think he looks like a Precious Moments doll.  I constantly want to hold him and snuggle him.  He is SUCH a snuggler that he would like this too.  Therefore we are attached to one another about 80% of every day.

 Clapping baby!

 Hunter and Kieran

 The triplets - Chase, Issy and Will.

Three Target employees came to the party (Ben, Kim and Brian).

 Cake time!

 Zipline

 Keagan does the zipline too!

 And Hunter had to do it again.  I would have been up there if I weren't pregnant!

 BUBBLE TIME! The best time of the day.

 Happy Hunter.

 Happy Landon

 Bubble Boy

 Such a sweet little face.

 Hunter is in heaven.

 The week before was mother's day.  On Friday Brian outdid himself and sent me to the spa for the afternoon (massage and facial) and when I came home, the boys were bathed and Brian took me out on a date.  Can you tell that I am GLOWING?!

 Bathed boy.

 The next day we went to my favorite brunch place and then walked around Laguna.  Mmm.

 Down by the ocean

 Daddy and his boys

 And walking back up.

 If you build it, they will come.

 Me and Mr. Snuggles + his pillow.

 On Hunter's actual birthday, May 11, Daddy had his regular morning with Hunter.  Then Landon and I met them at My Gym.  We didn't want to be apart on his birthday!  He is in the class with Gavin, who he has known since he was 2 months old.

 Him and his friend Denny, who he has taken this class with since he was 6 weeks old!  Notice that Landon thinks he can do everything his big brother does.

 That night we went to the Proud Bird for dinner.  It was so much fun.  Hunter listened to the control tower and watched as the planes landed.  Only a few hours later, my aunt came to town on one of those planes!

 Landon wanted to sit by Hunter.  It was the only way he would sit down.

 Oooh cheesecake! (And a sundae).  This place really spoiled him!

 Aunt Donna came to town!  She is snuggling the littlest man and is obviously so happy to be here.

 On Friday Hunter went to school.  I went early and brought cupcakes so that they could celebrate his birthday.  This is his friend Isla, whom he loves.  Actually, he tells us that he would like to take a shower with Isla so I'm not sure what they're teaching him at that school.  I thought she looked adorable all covered in paint.

 Cupcake time!

 Aunt Donna and Hunter taking photos - one of his favorite gifts EVER.

 Park play time.

 The boys in their house.

 Peek-a-boo

 My Gym party set 2 of photos.

 Elder McCullough and Hunter

 The fam

I am so proud of my 3 year old son!  He is amazing and makes me laugh pretty much constantly.  He also knows just how to push my buttons.

A conversation he recently had with our babysitter went like this:
Hunter: "Rachel, you have a vagina because you're a girl.  I have a penis because I'm a boy."
Rachel: "Uh huh"
Hunter: "Can I see it?"
Rachel: "No"
Hunter: "Why?"
Rachel: " Ummm"
Hunter: "What color is it?"

I hope that the sexual harassment ends at age 3.  Silly little boy!