So, you've NEVER wanted to eat laundry detergent?

I asked my mom that the other day. You know, just to verify that I am, indeed, CRAZY!!!!

Sigh. I KNOW I KNOW I should just keep these things to myself. But frankly it is too bizarre and that is why I share. I mean, I came out with it before so it’s already out there.

If you recall, when I was pregnant with Logan I posted something about how I maybe sorta CRAVE SAND AND DIRT when I am pregnant.

It happened with Carter, Logan, and now . . .

YES. And actually, I have been desperately trying not to think about it. I was like, come on, it is ALL IN YOUR HEAD. Just cause you “THOUGHT” you wanted to eat dirt with Carter, you think every time you reach the 3rd trimester it has to be that way.

But honestly. I am NOT MAKING THIS UP!!! IT IS NOT IN MY HEAD!!!! The more I suppress the urge the harder it is. And with Logan, there was still snow outside at the time so no dirt was readily available, making it a little bit easier to handle. But now—- HELLLLOOOO!!!! It’s everywhere!!!! YES! All of your front yards tempt me!!!!

I know I sound completely insane. But, like I said when I posted it last pregnancy. . . I am definitely not the only one. Just google “pregnancy and craving dirt” and you’ll see, YOU'LL SEE!!

Oh yeah, so about my blog title, that is the OTHER thing. Oh my heck, every time I do laundry ! ! ! I want to eat that Gain right up. Like dump that box over my head and play in it. But I know it would just taste like soap. STILL. A part of me wants to try it.

Once I start thinking about eating these things it is really really hard to get it out of my head. I start fantasizing about crunching it in my mouth. Every commercial with a beach kills me. When I drive and hear dirt flicking up and hitting the bottom of the car I’m like Mmmm dirt. And taking my kids to the park?!!

But tell me that doesn't look good.


So at my doctor's appointment today I decided to bring it up just in case this is something I should be worried about.

My answer came in the laughter that followed. That's right, he laughed. I somehow got the feeling in all his years of practice I am the first one who has ever brought this up. I had told him that I googled it, and he was like, "So what did it say?! What did you find out??"

So it is pica, and it can mean low iron. Today I got my blood drawn for the glucose test, so he said he'd see if anything looked a little low. Then he laughed again and said, "Just don't eat it."

Thank you. Thank you for NOTHING and for denying me the right to say, "Doctor's orders!" as I shove handfuls of dirt in my mouth. Life is cruel.



So there you go, one embarrassing and shameful fact about Erika.

Other than that, everything's great. I get Braxton Hicks contractions all the time, the baby has hiccups a lot, and my belly button popped out, which the kids find very amusing. My right calf swells up sometimes, JUST the right, weird eh. I am NOT still running, my last run was 2.5 weeks ago. I started running and was like, "I'm done." (and despite exercising way more in this pregnancy than in my last 3, i'm on pace to gain more weight, how is that fair.) Naming this baby girl has been a lot harder than I thought it would be, but I made Nate help me get at least 5 names together. Maybe I'll share sometime!

All right I better go eat some "iron" or something. Just do me a favor, if you see me outside "weeding" please make eye contact and wag 1 finger and say, "No dirt for you."

Happy Birthday Hubby!!

I asked Jenna why she loves daddy and I typed this up as she said it:

I love him that I love him to come home and hug me.

I love to play with him on the daddy rides.

I love to kick balls with him.

I love to like him to watch something with me.

I like daddy to jump with me.

I like to eat snacks with him.

I like to ride on the giraffe. (Mmmm. . . not sure what that means?)

I like him to go at church with me.

I like to talk on phones with him.

I like to play with him every day.


Then I asked Carter, and he said:

Because he loves to play with us.

He plays Memory and Duck Duck Goose and Hide and Seek.

He makes, he makes. . . . you make chicken.

Oooookay. So Carter didn't really get it.

WE LOVE YOU NATE, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! ! ! ! ! ! !

Relax, Woman!

So this last week Nate and I both accomplished some things: Nate finished his Master’s schooling!!!! He began in September and worked way hard to finish in 4 terms so he's pretty much freaking amazing. His graduation is in June. I am just so proud of him. He’s anxiously awaiting his final grades. ANNNND me, I’m anxiously awaiting MY final grade, cause guess what, I finished medical transcription schooling!! I didn’t plan on finishing the same week Nate finished but it worked out that way interestingly enough. My “oh I can do it in 4 months” turned out to be nearly 7 months, but that’s okay! I’d go into details, but I really don’t want to say much about it until I find out I passed the final, ya know? Don’t worry I’ll announce it one way or the other. The good news is if I didn’t pass, I have 2 more retakes. The bad news is, it was HARD and I never want to take it again!!!!! The objective portion was not too shabby but the transcription portion, sheesh. And people are pretty much only hiring Honors and High Honors grads, so obviously that is what I am going for. But to save face, I will just tell you:

I hope to pass.

(NO I WANT HONORS!)

They told me the results would take about 2 weeks. I HATE WAITING!!!!! I’m SO NERVOUS!!!

So yeah, the test was online and they give you 48 hours to submit it. So after 48 hours of stress and frying my brain, I submitted it Saturday. Nate surprised me and had his mom watch the kids so he could take me out to lunch to celebrate.

Then we got home and I started cleaning like a mad woman.

He was like, “ERIKA, what are you doing, RELAX!!!”

I was like, “I CAN’T!!! THE HOUSE IS A MESS!!”

Is anyone else like this?

I didn’t used to be. But over the years I have turned into the obsessive crazy woman, who, once she starts cleaning she can’t stop.

Now if you’ve been to my house you’d be like, UH- wouldn’t have pegged HER for a Clean Freak.

Sure, compared to lots of people I am pretty laid back when it comes to house cleaning.

But I can be sorta Bipolar when it comes to housework. I can be laid back, and then, OUT OF THE BLUE, WATCH OUT!!!!!! I just HAVE. TO. CLEAN. And I can’t think about ANYTHING else. The kids could be screaming or Nate could be begging me to play with him or I am running late for something, and my mind is like “MUST. CLEAN. MUST. CLEAN.” until the particular task I'm working on is done. It’s kind of sad. Especially cause Nate was like, “Dude! You’re done! I’m done! Let’s play! Let’s celebrate! You don’t have to clean RIGHT NOW! Let's both clean LATER!”

And my rational mind was like, yeah that makes sense, but then the back of my brain was like, There is no way I can enjoy myself today and ALL that I have accomplished until there are NO dishes in the sink, the floor is not sticky, the bathroom garbages are all empty, and there are no toys on the floor.

It’s a sickness, I tell you!!!!

I wish I could magically see past clutter like Nate can (it’s NOT FAIR) but I can’t.

But I have to say once I was done, I did feel better.

And now the house is messy again. Good thing I cleaned right then, WHEW! :) :) :)

Here's your screaming, bleeding child! Happy Mother's Day!

Ahhh. Mother’s Day. I heard Nate wake up and head into the kitchen to make me breakfast and I rolled over and thought, yay! Zzzzzz.

5 minutes later I woke up to a screaming baby. Not “I’m GRUMPY” screams, but “I’m IN PAIN!” screams.

Jenna had put Logan on the couch and he fell off and hit his head on the coffee table, right on his ear. Poor baby was bleeding like crazy and he wouldn’t let us touch it without a fight.

Yay for Mother’s Day! Yay for starting it off covered in blood!!!

We wondered if we should take him to the doctor, but he finally calmed down enough for me to keep pressure on his ear and although it took a bit, it finally stopped bleeding.



So I didn’t get to sleep in, but breakfast was AWESOME!

Being a mom: There is the good and there is the bad. Ain't it the truth.

Last week, within 2 days, Carter: dumped the salt and pepper shakers all over the kitchen table and then “cleaned" it up, therefore spreading little grains of salt and pepper to all corners of the kitchen.

Then, a couple hours after I got that all cleaned up and could walk into the kitchen without stepping on grainy particles, Carter smashed half a tube of Ritz crackers into fine dust and "cleaned" that up, too. It was EVERYWHERE!!! ARGH!

Then, Carter found our gas can on the floor of the garage and decided to pour it out and splash in his giant puddle of gasoline. (Soooo, time to get shelves in the garage, eh??) Our house finally smells normal again. At least close.

And might I just say: Carter + blue crayon + couch = angry Mom.

Carter is NOT the only one who causes trouble around here so I am not being fair at all in telling you only Carter stories. It’s just his stories stick out...

I can get so mad at the kids, but I can really say that being a mom makes me laugh every day. Like:

Carter asking me excitedly from the bathroom, “Mom, do you want to hear my poo-poo so that you can say, ‘Good job, Carter!’?”

Carter telling me the neighbor’s kitty scratched him, and when I ask, “Were you being nice to the kitty?” he says, “Yes.” Only to add a second later, “Then I pulled the kitty’s tail.”

Jenna tattle-taling, “MO-OM! Carter ate his runny nose!!”

Jenna saying, “We’re going to Grandma Pam’s? I LOVE Nate’s parents!”

Jenna saying, “Mom, my eyes hurt, because I’m STARVING!”

Jenna saying, “Whoa. DAD! Come look at mommy’s belly! It is getting big!”

My kids have been committing potatocide. They gather as many potato bugs as they can find and stick them in jars. Then they’re all dead the next day. Be sad, talk about how potato bugs don’t like living in the house, throw away, and repeat.

The other day I woke up to Jenna and Carter in bed with me using my body as a giant slide for their cars.

Logan initiated his first kiss with me yesterday. Huge, open, slobbery mouth, but guess what I loved it

Being a mom’s hard. But so good.

And now here are some pictures.


"Look mom, I have a baby in my belly!"






Mother's Day was fun visiting Nate's family and my family. I have the BEST mom and mother-in-law ever, thank you so much for all you do!!!

We got to talk to my brother Kenny, who is in Vancouver on a mission! We miss him!!

And thanks to my other brothers for flinging my kids in the air without any severe injuries!








I got to see my childhood BFF Haylee and her new little baby, Brinnley! I love her! The baby loved me, too, just ignore her crying in the picture. Haylee, I hope our girls can be friends just like me and you and get in fights all the time just like me and you and then make up the next day just like me and you! Memmmmoriiieesss!!


Happy Mother's Day!

Those College Days I used to know

Just remembering the good old days at BYU-Idaho. I went there for 2 years until I transferred to Weber. I had some of the best times ever up there, I LOVED it. It helped that I had the best roommates ever. I mean, how can you not love Rexburg when you have memories like these:

Interpretive dancing. We did this ALL THE TIME. I am not a dancer, but when I danced with my roommates, I felt it, I mean I really felt it.


We had many facial nights. And when we got sick of doing ourselves, we gave our FHE brothers a real treat.


So who needs REAL dates??? Not us! We drew ourselves some really hot dates and had a grand time. Yup. Don't we look pretty happy for having PAPER dates??


What is this on our doorstep, you may ask. Yeah we weren't sure either. Some guys who mysteriously called themselves the "Drop-Off Murphy's" left many things on our doorstep that semester: XXX-Large men's underwear, a square of sod, a broken computer monitor to name a few, and this Little Debbie sculpture.


We'd chase after them but could never catch em. The last day of the semester they actually came to fess up and introduce themselves. We had a good laugh.

ANNNND more good times! Piling our mattresses on each other was a blast. Yes, we are like 5 years old. :)


Halloween!!


We dressed up twice even! Jamie and I are Cruella DeVille and a dalmation, aren't we clever?


Can't have too much fun with brownies. Hey, you're lucky I'm not posting the picture of my roommate have "brownie fun" with the toilet. Ahhh, pranks.


We got a REAL Christmas tree and even made a fireplace out of cardboard.


We found this HUGE tube in our complex's storage room, and uh, "borrowed" it to go sledding at the sand dunes a couple times. Until it popped...


Two of our roommates had dates, so the rest of us offered to cook them dinner, and ta-da, we created the COMMUNIST CAFE!! I can't begin to explain how funny it was, but let's just say the menu had the likes of "Lenin Chicken" and "KGB Beef" on it, and we provided a wonderful dinner show of dancing around the table with knives.


We got goldfish for fun. And they died, one by one. Yeah so one day I opened the freezer and found them FROZEN IN THERE! Courtesy of Sarah, the craziest, funnest girl I know. So this is us, having a proper funeral for them. Right by the dumpster.


As you can see, I loved cereal just as much then as I do now.


This was our last day all together, last picture together, so it was supposed to be pretty good. I mean, WHO TOOK this picture?! Probably my mom. :) Oh well at least you can see most of us. :)


All righty I'm done boring you but that was fun for me!!