Insomnia ...

.. stinks! I have had the worst insomnia this pregnancy. I've never had it this consistently until now. For the last several weeks, every night without fail I am awake in the middle of the night for up to several hours. Last night I think I was awake from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. (This is why I'm in bed by 9 p.m. I've got to squeeze some sleep in!) It's just hard because I'm sick all day and then can't adequately rest at night. Last night I was tempted to read or do something "productive" during my awake time, but then I didn't want to stimulate my mind and make it even harder to fall back asleep. I should just get up and throw in a load of laundry ...

Has anyone else out there had bad insomnia during pregnancy or at any other time? Any advice for helping to reduce it or get rid of it altogether? Any tips would be appreciated! Thanks :)

Sincerely,
So sleepless

p.s. I must say I am very grateful for Sunday afternoon naps. (For some reason I can easily conk out on this day.) They have been my saving grace! Mike has been so kind and understanding about giving me this time to rest!

Grant's Curls

Here's a closeup of Grant with his curly hair. It's so cute on him, I guess I'm glad we passed the trait on! ;-) I think this bundle of locks comes mostly from his father! Even my hair isn't this curly.

My New Bike and Pregnant Belly!

It seemed appropriate to pair the two together (the bike and the pregnant belly) since they're both fairly new to us!

I look really weird in this picture -- sorry! I don't think I could have gotten Mike to take any more pictures though :) My belly has already popped and I'm only three months along! (Oh, by the way, I'm pregnant!) A friend of mine who's an ob/gyn told me my uterus is more flexible since I've already had a couple kids -- hence the fact that I'm showing earlier. Anywho, I just hope I don't keep growing at this rate to the end. :)

We're excited to be expecting again and feel very blessed. We'll meet our new baby January 7 or thereabouts. Perfect weather in which to bring home a baby in Arizona! We're excited to meet him/her!

And Mike bought me this gorgeous bike for my birthday. It's exactly what I wanted. It's yellow with a cute basket up front. We already cruised around the neighborhood as a family unit Saturday night. :) Aaron and I were up front, and Mike stayed behind with Grant -- though they weren't too far behind! It was so fun to pedal beside Aaron. Here's to many more family adventures! Thanks, Mike, for the great bike! Love it.

p.s. And Grant is the cute curly haired boy standing next to me!

Grant's Stats and New Bike-Riding Skills!

Granty had his three-year checkup today with our new pediatrician, who is just wonderful. She hails from Colorado and has 25 years of experience. She is just warm and friendly -- I love that! She asked Grant where he got his blue eyes from, and Aaron piped in, "Jesus!" The doctor said, "Yes, Jesus did a great job making this little boy" (or something like that.) I thought it was so sweet. With Grant in the 77th percentile for weight at about 33 pounds, she noted that Grant is not fat, but "stocky" with big bones. :) She asked him what his favorite fruit was, and he replied, "pineapples." That was a surprise to me! He has good taste though :) He's in the 56th percentile for height at 37.5 inches. I should also note that Grant is a very sweet little boy and, although he's heavy and I don't like carrying him anymore, he's still my little sweetheart!

Turning 3 marked a big milestone for Grant -- he learned how to ride a two-wheeler! (This is what happens when your husband is a bike enthusiast.) Grant learned in just a couple of mornings with Dad helping him before he left for work. He's riding like a pro now and can ride alongside his brother. I see many bike adventures in their future! I hope to get a bike soon, too (hint, hint) so I can keep up with these boys! A beach cruiser will do ... one with tassels and a yellow basket up front ... something to putt around the neighborhood on!

Here he goes:

Are We Living A Christ-Centered or A Self-Centered Life?

Today's Sunday School lesson was on forgiving and not judging others and how, if we expect to be forgiven of our mistakes, we too must forgive others of theirs. Because we all make mistakes, right? It is not up to us to decide who gets to be forgiven and who doesn't. We are to forgive all men. It was a beautiful lesson.

The part that stuck out to me, though, was a comment made by a woman in the congregation. She said either we live a Christ-centered life or a self-centered life. If we're living a Christ-centered life, then we are striving to be like the Savior and are loving and forgiving of others, because of course no one is perfect, and because that is how the Savior lived. We're less likely to judge and criticize; we never truly know other's circumstances or their reasons for doing things. We love freely.

However, on the opposite end of the spectrum, if we're living a self-centered life, then we may be less likely to forgive and quicker to judge because we are only thinking of ourselves and aren't showing Christ-like love. I am not putting it as eloquently as she did, but I think this was the general idea.

I just love the idea of striving to live a Christ-centered life -- to be as quick to forgive as children are; to love others, even if it might be hard; and to not judge others -- period. As Elder Uckhdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said in his amazing talk on not judging others: "When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following: Stop it! It's that simple." If you want to read his talk, you can do so here.

Oh, I love it.

This is my absolute favorite part of his talk, a "self-test": (Easier said than done, but I am trying.)

My dear brothers and sisters, consider the following questions as a self-test:

Do you harbor a grudge against someone else?

Do you gossip, even when what you say may be true?

Do you exclude, push away, or punish others because of something they have done?

Do you secretly envy another?

Do you wish to cause harm to someone?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may want to apply the two-word sermon from earlier: stop it!

In a world of accusations and unfriendliness, it is easy to gather and cast stones. But before we do so, let us remember the words of the One who is our Master and model: “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone.”¹²

Brothers and sisters, let us put down our stones.

Let us be kind.

Let us forgive.

Let us talk peacefully with each other.

Let the love of God fill our hearts.

“Let us do good unto all men.”¹³

What beautiful words, and what a beautiful way to live! Lovely message today!