Lucky Me!

What sweet little faces!

And this one, too!

I woke up this morning feeling so very blessed to have 3 beautiful and healthy kids, and to be able to be with them every day! They are all at such fun ages right now. Sophie is so smart and talks and acts so much older than her 4 1/2 years! She has been such a good helper with Miles. She loves to sit and hold him and if he starts fussing she tells me, "He's okay mom, I got him!" It is so cute to see the love she has for him and her natural care taking instincts. She was holding Miles the other day and told me, "Mommy - when I grow up I want to marry this little man!" She has been so cute at helping me out, too. Yesterday lunchtime had come and gone and I hadn't made anything for the kids yet. After feeding Miles I went into the kitchen and Sophie was busy making 3 peanut butter and jam sandwiches for us! So sweet. Nora is at a fun age as well, she is a little chatterbox and pretty much talks from the moment she wakes right up until she's asleep in her bed. She has been a little indifferent to Miles and usually refers to him as "the baby" or "that little boy." She thought Miles would be going home with my mom and said to me, "When Naunie leaves with the baby you can hold me again!" She has needed a lot of extra cuddles - which we are happy to provide! She does ask to hold Miles occasionally so I think she is getting used to the idea of having a new baby around! And of course Miles is so fun because he's so cuddly and tiny. He has been such a good baby so far - I'm really hoping that will last! I am finding myself more content to just be at home playing with the kids - probably because the thought of taking all 3 of them anywhere is enough to make me happy to be at home! I am thankful and so happy to have these 3 little people to play with every day! I am one lucky mama!

We miss you already Naunie!

My mom left yesterday to go back to Idaho and we miss her already! It was SO wonderful to have her here. Brian said it best when I overheard him tell someone that when my mom is here it is like having six people here because she does so much! It's like having a mom, housekeeper, nanny, cook, seamstress and handyman all in one! Here is a list of things she did in the 3 weeks she was here: (although I'm sure I'll forget to mention some!)
* insisted on sleeping with the girls and getting up with them EVERY night
* sewed 3 new tablecloths for my kitchen table
* sewed the girls 2 cute dresses
* sewed the girls a Barbie tent
* hemmed my curtains
* painted my kitchen wall red
* bought me some new clothes (some inspiration to lose the baby weight!)
* spoiled the girls with treats and toys
* slept with Miles every night after he was born and just brought him to me to feed him
* re-caulked my bathroom floor - seriously!
* fixed my entertainment center - it was totally wobbly from the move out here!
* cooked most of our meals
* helped me put the kids to bed while Brian was sick
* laundry, cleaning, dishes, etc... (all the stuff I usually have to do!)

I thought the girls would need a while to adjust to life without my mom here - but I think I will as much as them! Now those of you who don't know my mom may think I am a slave driver for making her do all this stuff - but that's just how she is! If she doesn't wear herself completely out and do as much as possible then the trip was not successful! So thanks mom - and we miss you already!!

What a handsome little guy!
Hmmmm..... I hope this won't last - but it's sure cute!
Crazy Nora - still has her binky but for now I don't even care!
Two silly girls!
Mama and Miles!
Naunie and Miles

I thought I'd post some pictures of Miles with his eyes open! So here are some pictures of us with our new baby boy. (You'll notice Brian is in none of them because he's been down with the flu for the last couple of days!)

We're in Love!

We are all so in love with our little guy!

It's good to be home!

Nora and Miles
Proud sisters!
Sophie and Miles
Naunie, Sophie and Miles
Our 3 cute kids!

Here are some more pictures of Miles from the hospital. Sophie adores her new brother and keeps saying to him, "It's so nice to see you outside of mommy's belly!" I couldn't agree more! Nora likes him as well but keeps calling him a her. The first time she saw him she said, "Her is tiny - just like me!" It is hard to believe that we now have 3 children! They are all so sweet. It is so good to be home from the hospital and wonderful to have my mom here for another week!

It's a boy!!

Miles Anson Phillips was born at 11:07 pm on Feb. 16th!

Miles - just because we liked it
Anson - after my brother Patrick Anson

Weight: 7.7
Height: 20 1/4

Lexie had the option for an epidural.....and passed. Everything went relatively smooth and the long wait is over! We are so excited to have him here.

Because I have the time.....

I was tagged by my friend Marie and thought I'd wait until AFTER the baby came to do it, but since I have no baby yet and time on my hands I figure I'd do it now!

10 Years Ago
I was a Junior in High School doing typical High School-ish things. Cheerleading, working at a pizza restaurant, spending time with friends and being twitterpated over Brian! :)

5 things on my to do list
Since my mom is here I basically have one thing on my list....
1. Have a baby before tomorrow
2. Have a baby before tomorrow
3. Have a baby before tomorrow
4. Have a baby before tomorrow
5. Have a baby before tomorrow

Snacks
Apples, popcorn, 100 calorie cookie packs, and any sweets left around my house!

What I would do if I was given a billion dollars
Buy a house close to family when we are done with school, pay off student loans, buy a new car - or at least have the $4,600 dollars we are spending on the engine for the car we have, travel, college and mission funds, a trip for both Brian and I's families - not both sides together though! Oh, and a MAJOR shopping spree!! :)


3 bad habits
1. Popping my gum
2. Polishing off every last treat in the bag/box/plate/bowl/pan/etc....
3. Trying to do more than I can

5 places I have lived
1. Preston, ID
2. Logan, UT
3. Thompson Falls, MT
4. Salt Lake City, UT
5. East Lansing, MI


5 jobs I have had
1. Pizza Villa waitress and Birthday clown
2. Day Care Supervisor
3. at a school for troubled teens
4. Deseret Book
5. mama

5 things people don't know about me
1. I've been having contractions all day today - yay!
2. I punched a kid in the stomach in first grade and almost got a "strike" - he deserved it!
3. If I wasn't a wife/mother I would want to be a photojournalist
4. I used to be a major animal lover - crying if I saw roadkill or any movies with animals being hurt. I still like animals but I have no desire for a pet until we have a house
5. I often have very vivid and crazy dreams!

One of my biggest fears is:
Something happening to one of my kids

I am tagging:
Rachel
Brittani
Angie
(and anyone else who desires!)

Happy Valentine's Day!!

For some reason I just LOVE Valentine's Day! The girls got some cute matching Valentine's outfits, sparkly red shoes and hair things from Naunie, and plenty of candy! Sophie decided we needed to make a Valentine's cake as well. It has been a fun day to celebrate how much we love each other! Hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day as well!! I had a doctors appointment today and I have another one on Monday, but I'm really hoping I won't be to that one! Our car will be in the shop until at least Monday - long story short we have to get a new engine put in our car - so we are very grateful we have wonderful neighbors who are letting us borrow their van when we need it! Car repairs are no fun, but at least this one came at tax return time! Hopefully we'll have some baby news by the end of the weekend!!

Due Dates Are Lame

All during this pregnancy I've been telling people the baby is due "in mid-February". I really hate having a due date because chances are slim the baby will actually come on that day. Even so, my due date was yesterday and I am a bit disappointed. But I guess it's okay because really what choice do I have? And our car broke down today and is going to be in the shop probably until Friday (hooray for great neighbors and tax returns!) And since I don't really want a Valentine's baby I guess I'm hoping for this weekend. So here I am at 3am and unable to sleep. I had my ritualistic 2am chocolate milk and toast but still can't seem to get my mind to stop thinking. Maybe it's because I'm anxiously awaiting labor, or maybe it's because I just really wanted to post on my blog, or maybe it's just that darn dream I had last night about Val Kilmer dressed up like the creature from the movie The Village trying to kill me? Who knows. But I guess I'll get back in bed. And although I don't like posting without a picture - it is 3 am so it'll just have to wait!

Boy vs. Girl

Because we don't know what this baby is we get asked a lot what kind of baby we are hoping for. And I can honestly say that I'm not hoping specifically for a boy or a girl. Reason being: whatever the baby is, it is supposed to be a part of our family. Which makes me perfectly happy with a boy or a girl! I've also found having a large pregnant belly, especially with a baby of unknown gender inside it, is a great conversation starter. I've talked to many people recently who are ready and willing (whether I've asked or not) to give me their 2 cents on having boys vs. girls, and here is what I've found:
* 2 ladies who found it hard to believe that raising girls could possibly be harder then raising boys (they only had boys)
* 4 ladies who claimed raising boys was easier than raising girls (they had some of each)
* 1 lady who was very nervous at the very thought of raising boys (she only had girls)
Talking to people about this always makes me laugh because in my opinion I think it depends on the child - and the parent. Because I only have 2 girls I am obviously not an expert on raising boys. But I can say I've met some boys that make raising my two girls look easy, and I've met some boys who make raising my girls look like a living nightmare. I could go on about this but I'll get to the point, which is this: When you are giving advice or sharing your experiences on raising children - because we all do it- just make sure you include the disclaimer that you are talking about your own children and not the entire population of boys or girls!
And because I can't post without a picture I've included one Brian took yesterday of my still expanding waistline. I know it's extremely hard to believe but I've had 2 ultrasounds in the last month because I've been measuring small. Ha!
Oh, and be sure to add your vote to the baby gender poll I added to the blog!

Hooray for Naunie!

It is so great to have my mom here for 3 weeks! The girls are having so much fun and loving every second their Naunie is here to visit. They are definitely getting spoiled (and me, too!) We are very lucky she is able to spend so much time with us. Now we are just waiting for the baby to come! Hopefully it will be soon, I seriously don't know how much bigger my belly can get!

Note to self.........

Next time we are going to the Detroit Airport to pick someone up I will be sure that we end up at this airport......




And not this one.....

Sweet girls

I'm sad this picture came out blurry - but I think it's still pretty cute. I thought I'd post it to remind myself how sweet and adorable my girls are, even when they are bound and determined to prove otherwise! Sophie has been sick with a cough and fever and Nora followed close behind. Combine that with a mama who is 9 months pregnant and there just doesn't seem to be enough patience to go around. Luckily the girls are both recovering quickly and I won't be pregnant forever - hopefully only around 9 more days! Wahoo!!

What kind of Ice Cream are you???

Strawberry -( 9% of people)
Your personality is as friendly and appealing as strawberry ice cream (especially the kind with chunky bits of real fruit). You’ve got a slightly sarcastic sense of humor, and you rarely stress out or take things too seriously. You are cute and sweet, but with a mischievous side. You are a bit of a troublemaker, but only because you’re determined to avoid a plain vanilla life.