8 is enough. Or is it?!

I have been a hermit these past 2 weeks. Emily was sick first, then Lukas. You know how they say when life gives you lemons to make lemonade? I took it a step farther than that and made lemon-poppyseed muffins. And bran muffins. And cornmeal muffins. And more raisin bran muffins. And then some pineapple coconut muffins--2 kinds actually, to compare. And I threw in some banana bread while I was at it. Then some French bread. And some granola, just to feel a little healthier. So, the question is, what do you get when you make 270 muffins in one week?

The answer was revealed today at my Dr.'s appointment. How about an 8 pound weight gain? And I don't think it's just because my hair grew another 1/8th of an inch last month....

But who cares. Throw out the scale and feed me more because hallelujah I'm not puking my guts out and I'm enjoying myself. (except the heart burn, but icecream fixes that right up.) I think it's no coincidence that last week in our family scripture study I came across my new favorite scripture in 2 Nephi 9:51 "....let your soul delight in fatness." I'm doing my best!

100 Days and Counting!

For those of you who know me well, you won't find it a surprise that I know when I only have 100 days left of pregnancy. And it's today!!! (And I don't know just because of that twirling alienesque looking thing on my side bar--I figured it out first! (note to self: change that baby as soon as I publish post) Just take a look at my checkbook register and you'll find all sorts of dates circled with numbers written by them. I am admittedly freakish in this regard.) This is a trickier countdown than most because it may be a few days off, and I don't like celebrating uncertainty, but I guess it's better than not celebrating at all. So, it's on to double digits for baby Gus-gus! (for lack of a better name, this is what I have been calling him and heaven help him, because it just might stick!)



When I mentioned to Dan last week that this "big day" was coming up, he just laughed and said "It reminds me of the day when you decided to try and figure out how many seconds old you were and it just so happened that you turned a billion seconds old that day." What are the odds?! So, naturally I made myself a cake and invited the family over to celebrate my billionth birth-second. (And naturally Dan made a spread sheet on excel to figure out when anybody else would turn a billion seconds old and other odd numerical birth-facts. And naturally, being the space cadet I am sometimes, I deleted excel from my computer about 3 million seconds ago and have yet to replace it.) All I know is, it happens before you turn 32.



It also reminded me of the time I decided to celebrate our 100 month anniversary because I had a sneaky suspicion that I'd be expecting a baby on our 10th anniversary. I was right. (For anyone who's too lazy to figure that on out, it's 8 years, 4 months.) It didn't exactly turn out how I had planned (oh, it was going to be grand), but for some people, the planning is the best part. You don't even want to know how many parties I have planned in my head and never got around to inviting anyone except myself. So, I guess we'll just have to celebrate our 4000 days together, which happens May 8, 2010. Or 150 months together, which is November 27, 2011. Or a whopping 5000 days on February 1, 2013. I best get to planning. And no more babies to mess things up!!! (a girl can dream, right?!)



And that was a sneak peak into the curious mind of Sarah Foutz.

Good Times with Good Friends

I can't believe I was lucky enough to see two of my favorite people within about a week of eachother. There are no words for how much I love these women. I will start with Tris. It is no family secret that I married Dan so we could be sister-in-laws. The time we spend together is never ever long enough! Doesn't Tris looks so happy that she's about to cry?! (really it was just because she was about to leave me, waah!)

(and isn't her little bambino adorable?)And this is Lindsay, aka the one and only DJ Hatz. We go all the way back to "the BYU." Spending time with her simply makes one happy. I love it. I don't get to see this beauty often, but that makes our reunions all the sweeter. She's a heartbreaker--when she was getting in her car, Sam was getting his boots on and started crying and said, "but mommy, I was going to go with her!" It's always a party when she's around.

If only everyone in the world was blessed enough to have a Tris and a Linz in their lives!

Like Father, Like Son

Upon coming out of the bathroom, this is what I find. Where do they get it from?! Dan NEVER fixes anything without his CAPE!

I'm Famous!

I knew it was only a matter of time before I got spotted....

Please pardon my musings on my masculine womb

I have to admit I'm kinda bummed. I'm sure I will feel better by the end of this post. I just need to sort out the mess in my noggin. Does it really matter the sex of your child? Are there certain people who are better raising one or the other or is it truly fate? Is there something I am supposed to learn from this little guy in my womb? I wanted to write this post all excited and happy announcing we were having a girl, but sometimes I guess the Lord knows what we need more than we do ourselves. So, I am announcing instead, and getting used to the idea more every minute that:

We are having a boy!!!

(Exclamation points do wonders in situations like these!!!!)

Even though my heart stings a little bit, the practical side of me is weighing in all the money I will be saving on toys and clothes and how he will have little brother playmates at home and thinking about how even more special the relationship I have with Emily will be in the future. I had a heart to heart with her about it after getting home from the ultrasound (as much for me as for her) and I told her, "If I had to pick only one girl in the whole world to come to our house, I would pick you!" and she responded drolly "I've known that my whole life." Not exactly the response I was expecting, but it made me feel good at least she knew where she stands. She will always hold a special place in my heart. As do all my boys. I just hope that I have as wonderful daughter-in-laws as my in-laws have. :D

Everyone is asking me if I'm still think I'm done. For anyone who's been pregnant, you know that the answer is almost always YES while still carrying a child. I don't want to eat my words later, so I'm staying safe and saying "probably because I really want to be" and leaving the rest up to you know who. (and it's not Dan!) I will say that if I could have a guarantee that all my pregnancies would be this easy and I wouldn't have any other, ahem, discomforts, I would certainly be up for more children. I just love the little babies. But on the other hand, I'm ready and excited for the next stage of life. So far, I have loved something about every age. (remind me I said this when I have a house full of teenagers!)

So, there's my ramblings and I feel a lot better now about this whole thing. It's good to not get what you want every once in a while. It makes you reflect on all the wonderful things you do have and how blessed you are to have healthy children, regardless of their gender. Heaven forbid I get spoiled! hee hee (maybe that's exactly what "heaven" is doing!)

Bring on the blue!

Finally, the "Recipe!"

I am dead to the blogging world, I know. Christmas was so last year. I don't know if I can bring myself to blog about it now that I'm living in '09. BUT, after all the pesterings of friends and family, here is the most requested recipe of 2008:

7-10 Grain Pancake Mix (makes about 45 c, so start with your mother-bowl!)
10 c. whole wheat flour
4 c. white flour
6 c. oats, finely ground in blender or food processor (about 4 1/2 c. flour)
3 c. buckwheat flour
3 c. rye flour
2 c. barley flour
2 c. sorghum flour
1 c. brown rice flour
1 c. masa (white rice flour)
1 c. spelt flour
1 c. soy flour
1 c. cornmeal
1 c. flax seed meal
5 c. powdered milk
2/3 c. gluten
1 1/2 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. baking powder
1/4 c. baking soda
1/4 c. salt
1 T. nutmeg, opt.


To make: (about 6 pancakes)
1 c. mix
3/4 c. water
1 egg
1 T. oil
1 t. vanilla


This recipe is very forgiving. If you don't have one (or more) types of flour, substitute something you do have. Like more wheat or white. You probably won't even notice in the flavor. Unless you added a lot more cornmeal, then they get gritty. The sugar is also interchangeable. I got most of my special flours at Freddy's--get creative! I've also ground raw almonds and added them with some orange zest, and it is very good. Good luck! Master Chef Foutz