Tiffany, Alex, Ben, and Ashlyn

Look Who Just Turned TWO!

2012-01-17T07:45:00.000-08:00

Last week, Ben turned 2. (correction: 2 months ago, he just turned 2--that's how behind I am!) His doctor appointment was on his birthday and we got out relatively quickly without totally trashing the place and causing a ruckus. That's pretty successful in my book. He did, however, open every drawer and cabinet he could find and constantly turned on the water, but there was no slamming of the drawers, removal of the file folders (who puts that at a child's height and doesn't lock it anyways??), or hitting of doctors. That's just a glimpse of his behavior at Ashlyn's last appointment. You're probably thinking that your child isn't so bad right now. It's ok. If you ever need a reminder, just call me. I'll be happy to trade for a few hours. :) Anywho, since Ben is behind on his language skills, I expressed my concerns in a non-hysterical way and the doctor gave me the usual "it doesn't matter how fast they get there, just as long as they get there. Learning to talk is not a race." I get that and that's why I'm not hysterical. BUT, I do think he's behind and I'm not going to sit around until he's 3 when the doctor really gets concerned. I asked for a referral to the early intervention program from the state for an evaluation. The doctor suggested a hearing test. I thought he could hear just fine because he responds to you, even if he can't see you, and he follows directions well, and can point things out in a picture. So I decided to humor him. Guess what? He did NOT pass. Now I'm waiting for an audiologist to call me back. It seems as though either surgery (yikes!) or hearing aids may be in his future. I don't want to psych myself up for something that isn't in the prognosis, but I'm a little nervous. Yet relieved to possibly find an answer for his lack of words. We'll see. He is 27 pounds and 35 inches tall and definitely 2.

**update: His hearing is perfectly fine, according to the audiologist. He will be starting speech therapy here soon though.

His favorite toy of the night

A wooden train

Cake balls! They were yummy but not very pretty

Sometimes climbing on the box is just as fun

Sleep

2012-01-17T04:25:00.000-08:00

My precious boy Ben has decided that sleep is not for him. Ever since Christmas, he screams like he's absolutely terrified when we put him down to sleep. Imagine my dismay since this was my child's only redeeming quality--he was an excellent sleeper. He'll only sleep if you lay down with him. Of course I usually fall asleep first, wake up around 1am, sneak out, and then get woken up again by Ashlyn who thinks she needs to eat during the night. This wakes Ben up and we all sleep on the living room floor. Ben hasn't been taking afternoon naps and I have a bunch of things I want to get done. I'm cranky because I slept on the hard floor and I don't get any "me" time to get stuff done/relax/burn some calories. I'm sure the extra cortisol in my system is storing up even more fat. That's ok...I like a challenge. Ben pushes all of my buttons all. day. long. I'm starting to think my kids will not live past age two. Or maybe I won't. This seems to be a VERY long phase. But it's just a phase, right? Kids do eventually grow out of the "I'll do exactly what you just told me not to do, look at you, and laugh when you get really mad" phase. At least that's what I keep telling myself.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2011-12-01T22:37:00.001-08:00

Now that we have finally cooled down (I actually need a light jacket when I walk outside now) that I might be getting in the Christmas spirit. I was completely ready for gift-giving, but it just didn't feel like that time of year. Maybe the tree and lights will help this weekend. We don't decorate much because 1) we don't have many decorations, 2) they are boxed amidst all of our other stuff that we're not using, and 3) it's already a packed house. The last thing I want to do is set one more trinket on a bookshelf. Our traditions this year are:

to get a christmas angel from the mall
to read the advent calendar each night
to drive to see Christmas lights
to see the temple lights
to make candy and cookies and sweets galore!
to help out a family in the ward
to do a little craft with the kids each day

Today's craft was making snowflakes. It was the first time I had ever given Ben scissors. He doesn't quite get it and I don't think it helped that I don't own a pair of left-handed ones. I'm going to have to rectify that before too long.

What are your plans for the season?

PICTURES!

2011-11-14T13:18:00.001-08:00

Sometimes it's nice to have a child with a birthday near the holidays because we can take his yearly pictures at the same time as our family christmas card ones! Can you believe my boy is turning 2 on thursday???? Me neither. Get ready for a walk down memory lane very soon. I might just need a new box of tissue. Anways, back to the pictures from this year. We got so many fantastic pictures! Here are some of our favorites!

Getting Ben to smile at the camera is a trick in itself

my two favorite boys

LOVE the coloring on this

this is the one and only time that she looked right at the camera

here he's ready to throw the fruit at the first unsuspecting person he can find, usually his sister

the classic, "are we done yet?" look

7 months

2011-11-08T14:10:00.000-08:00

I started this post when she turned 6 months and am just now getting around to finishing it. At 6 months, she was 12 pounds 6 oz and we have since had TWO weight checks (annoying little things) and she's now 13 pounds 5 oz! YAY! She's steadily gaining weight and doing well. Luckily, we haven't had to add formula to her diet. I've been eating good fats and she's been eating more solids and it seems to be a good combo. She's had rice cereal, peas, green beans, squash, and carrots. She likes carrots and tolerates the rest. Her first facial expressions were hilarious! (Since then, she's also enjoyed sweet potatoes, bananas, prunes, and peaches.) She's a pro and sitting on her own and scooting around and I think we'll be officially crawling in the next day or two. Her favorite things to go after are shoes, Ben's beloved magnetic letters (which he will NOT share), and his sippy cups. They are the 12mo+ ones (I haven't bought any since) and she can get the juice out. haha. She's a strong sucker! I think this is my favorite stage of babyhood.

We had some family pictures taken on Saturday and got a few back. This one is my favorite so far:

Thanks Mimi for making us look so good!

A few of Ben's favorite things

2011-10-12T13:32:00.000-07:00

Here are some of Ben's favorite things at 23 months:

Book: his Jesus book (called My Little Book About Jesus--he turns every page and points to Jesus about a zillion times each day)

Song: probably itsy bitsy spider, but I think do as I'm doing would be a close second

part about nursery: naptime! he has fallen asleep 3 out of the past 4 weeks, which really sucks for us because then he doesn't nap at home and I really miss my 3-4 hours of afternoon bliss

Food: mac and cheese, broccoli/peas, ketchup, bread, fruit snacks, all fruit

TV show: word world--it's more like an addiction

toy: blocks/dirty clothes. he's not so interesting in building with the blocks as he is putting them in piles

chore: laundry--he loves to load and unload the washer and the dryer

Just a side note...he's starting to say some words!! YAY! He can say mama, dada, wow, moo, baa (although it's more like maaa), this, two, and maybe a few more. Sometimes I think I here stuff and I wonder if I'm hearing it because I want to or because he's actually saying it. Last night, Alex and I both thought he randomly said here we go! He shakes his head no for most everything and can sign please if you ask. I need to work on it more. At least there's some progress!

Our Dream Home

2011-10-09T21:18:00.000-07:00

Alex and I have a tradition of looking at model homes. It might even be classified as an obsession. We love finding things we like and we love that it's free. On Friday, we found the home of our dreams. It has absolutely every quality that we have ever wanted in a home (gourmet kitchen, big tub plus separate shower, sink in laundry room, amazing pantry, separate living and family room, everything). It's a Richmond American home and it is gorgeous.

The price of such luxuries? A mere 220k.

Not too bad if you've ever watched the show House Hunters on HGTV. Are there any homes under 500k that they show? Seriously people. I can't afford that much home. The international version is even worse. A million dollars? Crazy!

Do you want to see the house that I am trying desperately not to covet??

*sigh*

An Exciting Night at Work

2011-10-09T21:02:00.000-07:00

If you didn't know, I work in a pharmacy. Other than the occasional angry patient (or sometimes frequent angry patients) work isn't usually too exciting. And that's the way I like it. This past week was a little different. One night at about 11:50pm, a guy walks up to the counter where I am standing ready to greet him with a smile and demands all of our oxycodone. He threw a bag on the counter, flashed a weapon at his side and succeeded in scaring the heck out of me. My eyes got really big and I involuntarily started backing away from the counter. I looked toward my pharmacist who was unfortunately at the other end and started calling his name. He didn't look up at first so I tried to sound more insistent. Luckily, he sensed something was wrong and came over. He told me to head to the back and I got completely out of the pharmacy and called 911. I didn't want to be stuck in some sort of hostage situation! All in all, the guy left before my pharmacist came back with the drugs (he stalled) and the police came shortly after that. I kept thinking that I need to memorize what this guy is wearing and what he looks like but fear is a bit paralyzing and I didn't remember anything useful. Oh the joy of dispensing drugs!

Camping Trip

2011-09-19T14:16:00.000-07:00

This past week, we went up north to go camping in cooler weather. If camping with 1 child in diapers is fun, then doing it with 2 should be twice the fun, right?? Wrong. I have changed diapers in the strangest places now. Oh and the whole pack it in, pack it out rule of the outdoors--not very enticing when it's not one, not two, but three poopy diapers.

Let me tell you, Ben loves the outdoors! There is no other place he would rather be. It was heaven for him, except when he had to come inside the tent for a diaper change. Then of course he screamed bloody murder and started to kick me. Sometimes I wonder if he'll live to see his second birthday, but that's another story for another post.

I'll let the pictures do the talking...

the first lake we went to--willow springs maybe?

Alex attempting to fish

Ben is at home whenever he has juice in his hands

A squirrel! It was hilarious to watch Ben as he actually saw them, too. You knew the very moment that he spotted them!

playing in the dirt

Lake #2--I can't even think of the other name. so much for record keeping, huh?

Ben in his super cute outfit that matched!

Sitting on a rock on a trail while daddy fished

The preferred method for hikes--gotta love my moby wrap!

Elk on our path coming back from the hike. Totally freaked my mom out so we went up to the road. I liked our chances against the wild animal vs the cars driving on a 2 lane highway.

the view from our picnic spot

See that nice canopy sort of thing in the background?? That shielded us from the rain that threatened daily

moth balls--the key to keeping skunks away. We traveled 30 miles for a box of these things so that we could put them all around the campsite. Nothing like having poison on the ground near a curious 2 year old. nearly gave me a heart attack!

Ben and Ashlyn refused to sleep in their own beds, so we all shared a sleeping bag. This was Ben's preferred position. Crazy kid.

Me and my baby girl! She absolutely wails whenever I am not holding her. It's irresistible if not a little annoying.

I'm not sure what kind of a face this is...

The black moby wrap is also useful in case your child somehow pees all over her pants, it's cold, and you forgot to bring a clean pair to change into. Not that that has ever happened to us, mind you...

Ben exhausted himself and napped in my arms. It was fun to cuddle, but man is he heavy!

Alex's catch of the week! A gigantic crawfish/crawdad. It was his lucky day and we released him.

FYI: marshmellows + almost 2 year old + short nap = rolling around constantly when it's time for bed. He was ALL over the place! Fun times!

I think I've found my motivation...

2011-08-22T14:38:00.000-07:00

to exercise that is.

You see, I've wanted to lose the baby weight, but not really wanted it enough to truly do something about it. Something that will produce some results.

Well, I think the time has come. Because next year in May-ish, I may be swimming in these beautiful waters with my husband in an ALL EXPENSES PAID trip, courtesy of Schwab.

And I'm certainly not stuffing all of these rolls and spare tires into a swimming suit. Or two. (Cuz who can just wear one in Hawaii??) Oh, and I might need a little black dress for all of those fancy dinners we'll be going to.

So far, I am doing 90 crunches, some planks and lunges, walking the neighborhood, and running on the treadmill. But the key is consistency this time. I think I can do it.

Why would a company be so generous, you may ask?

Because Alex is AMAZING at what he does. They only take the best of the best and he is one metric away from being there.

Just to brag a little, he is #1 in the ENTIRE company at getting leads. No one has more right now for the year. That blows my mind. I'm not #1 in anything at my store, let alone all of walgreens.

Little does he know that if I do lose the weight and he doesn't get picked to go, he's STILL taking me to Hawaii. haha. Just kidding....sort of

Here are some more pictures of that beautiful Grand Hyatt Resort

Need a Laugh?

2011-08-22T14:11:00.000-07:00

I thought this was HILARIOUS so you should watch this video, if you need a good laugh!

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/394360/august-10-2011/yaweh-or-no-way----mormons---god-s-poll-numbers

I Heart Food Network

2011-08-09T14:06:00.000-07:00

Alex and I love watching the food network and we'll really miss it when we move because let's face it, we don't NEED cable. But we sure do enjoy it. We are currently addicted to the Next Food Network Star, the Great Food Truck Race, Restaurant Impossible, Challenge, and a host of others. I also like Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals and Kelsey's Essentials.

I feel like I can actually make fancy dishes! Alex will be the executive chef of our home and I'll be the pastry chef. Pastry chefs aren't usually thin people. At least the good ones aren't, haha. So that kind of ruins my baby weight loss plans. So far, we have made the most delicious ribs you will ever eat as well as a fantastic chicken parmesean.

The only other problem (besides the weight GAIN from this little hobby of ours) is that it is counter productive to my coupon clipping nature. I doubt there's a lot of ways to save when you shop at a butcher, bakery, and farmer's market for the real good and fresh stuff.

Like fresh herbs.

Not the stuff that comes out of the jar. It's amazing what fresh cilantro tastes like.

And panko bread crumbs! hopefully i spelled that right) They make such a difference compared to the "seasoned" italian bread crumbs we always have on hand.

My life will never be the same. And neither will my waistline...

I'm Gonna Miss This

2011-08-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

I absolutely LOVE this song...

She was staring out that window, of that SUV
Complaining, saying I can't wait to turn 18
She said I'll make my own money, and I'll make my own rules
Mamma put the car in park out there in front of the school
Then she kissed her head and said I was just like you

You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this

Before she knows it she's a brand new bride
In a one-bedroom apartment, and her daddy stops by
He tells her It's a nice place
She says It'll do for now
Starts talking about babies and buying a house
Daddy shakes his head and says Baby just slow down

'Cause You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this

Five years later there's a plumber workin' on the water heater
Dog's barkin', phone's ringin'
One kid's cryin', one kid's screamin'
She keeps apologizin'
He says they don't bother me
I've got 2 babies of my own
One's 36, one's 23
Huh, it's hard to believe

But you're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this
You're gonna miss this
Yeah, you're gonna miss this

This is how I'm feeling lately. I'm trying to cuddle and kiss my kids every chance I get because I feel like the next time I turn around, they will be in high school and want nothing to do with their mom. So, here are some pictures, since they tell a much better story than I ever could.

ice cream at great grandma's

she can sleep anywhere!

first smile

Sedona--isn't that just the cutest outfit?!

i love this hair

he's not too sure about the hat here

This is my FAVORITE dress on her so far...must. get. professional. picture.

just hangin' out in the rainforest

she often just falls asleep on the floor. weird. Ben did it, too. (in fact, that's what she's doing right now!)

as long as she has that thumb of hers, life is good

my attempt to get a picture worthy to put on a credit card

my favorite pose! that's some tough love right there

ben plays with his dirty laundry all day everyday

Ben's first bowling experience--quite traumatic actually. apparently flashing lights and sounds of pins crashing isn't everyone's idea of a good time...who knew?

Ashlyn is about 6 weeks older than this cute little guy, but she looks so tiny!

Nursery, here we come!

2011-06-28T14:10:00.000-07:00

Ben turned 18 months last Tuesday and is now in nursery at church!! It was pretty much the most exciting day ever for us. Ben, however, doesn't yet love it like we do. I'm sure he'll come around. For now, he stays near us when they play with toys. None of the toys seem to appeal to him much. For singing time, he occasionally folds his arms like he's asked, but mostly he wants to wander aimlessly about the room and pull little girls' curls. He doesn't do well during the lesson, but he's very calm during snack time. Snacks usually last him through the end of the block. This at least saves the crayons from being eaten by him. It's something I'm sure everyone appreciates.
Here are some things Ben is doing now...

sliding down the slide all by himself

holding his little sister

LOVES to harvest things out of the garden whether or not they're ready

He is 24 pounds and 32 inches tall, which puts him at roughly 50% for each.

YAY! He's finally at a "normal" weight. It must be all those strawberries he's sneaking...

What We've Been Up To

2011-06-28T14:09:00.000-07:00

Here is the cliff notes version of what we've been doing the past few weeks. They're things that I want to post and would like to give them each their own, but just can't find the time when so many other "better" things are calling my attention. So here goes...
Ashlyn's blessing May 1:

Well, I can't seem to find the folder that the pictures are in...I'll have to ask around the family, but for now, here is the rest of the post!
Alex blessed Ashlyn in church the first of May. He did another wonderful job and my grandma and aunt were able to come, too! My mom made the dress and I made the flower in her hair.

First Trip to the Zoo

Like the totally awesome parents we are, we left our camera (full of brand new batteries) on the couch when we took the kids to the zoo for the very first time. So, I just have these crappy pictures from my camera phone. :( We had a blast and sped our way through all of the big animals because Ben's attention span is totally not there. He was sometimes more interested in leaves on the ground or the resident pigeon. Strange kid. But, there are LOTS more things for us to do the next time we go! (And it was all free because of the culture pass!)

Hitting
Ben has a problem hitting. He hits us, Ashlyn, and the poor kids in nursery. It was a little boy relatively new to the ward and he looked so shocked when Ben hit him on the head with a golf club. I was mortified. He has a couple of sisters and a brother that is at least 4 years older than him, so he probably doesn't get hit much at home...I still haven't found a way to get through to Ben with discipline. Feel free to offer suggestions!

Splash Pad

We went to a nearby splash pad with some other moms from the ward. It was a little disappointing and we happened to go at a time when about 20 handicap kids were there on a field trip with an equal number of chaperones. Great for them, but it makes for a lot of big kids in a small area, which frightened Ben. Plus, Ashlyn decided that she was NOT sleepy, but indeed hungry the minute we got there. We didn't stay for very long and I only managed one picture from far away.

Diamondbacks

We took Ben to see his second ever baseball game which went much better than the first (see here). He loved to clap, climb stairs, and play in the toddler area upstairs. A wasted ticket for me as far as baseball watching goes, but it was fun to chase him around. Meanwhile, Ashlyn had her first official babysitter (my friend Pam) and got spoiled!

I keep meaning to post updates on the kids, but time goes by so fast and Ben is now 19 months and Ashlyn is almost 3 months! One day I'll be on top of things...

Random Happenings

2011-05-31T12:36:00.000-07:00

Ben now LOVES to help me. His newest accomplishment: doing laundry. He likes to go outside with me (which he always has), but now he loads and unloads--and occasionally tries to reload--the washer with me.

* * *

He loves to help harvest the garden. In fact, he doesn't even need help. Now that our strawberries have seemed to diminish, he has moved onto tomatoes. The other day while I was hanging clothes, he decided to pick some. The only problem is he doesn't know to only pick the red ones. When he picks a green one, we put it in the compost so at least it doesn't go to waste. Well, he's no dumb kid and he caught on quickly that the green ones go in the "green monster." So while I wasn't looking, he was busy picking as many green ones as he could, then walked over to the compost, pointed and grunted for me to open the lid, threw them in, and promptly clapped for himself and went back for more.

* * *

Ashlyn has recently decided that she doesn't take bottles. I love that she loves to nurse, but for the sake of the family, she really needs to suck it up and take one while I'm at work. Or I might go broke trying every bottle out there.

* * *

Ashlyn sleeps through the night!

* * *

Ben can now go down the slide at the park all by himself. He about gives me a heart attack every time he leans over the rails, but I'm adjusting. Who makes a playground for kids 2-5 (albeit he's not 2 yet) with about a foot in between each horizontal bar??

A-MA-ZING

2011-05-20T10:51:00.000-07:00

I just have to share how amazing I think my cute little daughter is. At six weeks, she goes to sleep from about 9pm til 6 or 7am with one feeding at about 2am, which she falls right back to sleep afterwards. She also does not take a pacifier well, which excites me since I don't care for pacifiers to begin with and always worry that my child will be attached to it way beyond her babyhood. She DOES take a bottle though, which is in her best interest since I go back to work on the 25th! Seven and a half weeks really does go by too quickly. Last and best of all, she falls asleep on her own!!!!! No binkys, no swaddling, no music, no rocking. Just lay her down, she maybe cries for a minute or two, coos, and is out. This thrills me to no end. Ben didn't do this until 7 months and I chose to cry it out with him. Even now, he usually cries himself to sleep with music unless he is super tired.

I just got the okey dokey from my doc to exercise again! WAHOO!!! Treadmill here I come!

Coveting

2011-05-17T12:50:00.000-07:00

Do you ever get jealous of what others have? I am usually jealous of others' lack of debt. I see people buying new homes or paying cash for things that should be paid with cash, but I just can't find the money for and I get super frustrated. I think finances is our big challenge in life. We made some mistakes spending more than we made in our first few years of marriage and it looks like it's going to affect us for 10 years. What other mistakes have such lasting impacts? Why do other people have such amazing self discipline? How do they make grocery budgets work on 35 dollars a week? I want that. We are trying SUPER hard to get out of debt and simplify life, but we still make mistakes. We take the easy road (going out to dinner, anyone?) and give into our wants instead of saying no sometimes. And then I read about how some families are paying cash for things like a HOME or the only debt they have is a home. I try to remember that I have no idea what other people's challenges are. We ALL have trials, even if they aren't as obvious as others. In the meantime, I am grateful I have a beautiful, HEALTHY family and a roof over my head (even if I'm not paying for that roof). One day, we'll learn our lesson, but then what will our trial be? That thought scares me a little. Maybe I like struggling financially...

Easter

2011-05-16T11:45:00.000-07:00

Our ward had a little Easter egg hunt and picnic at the park nearby. This year they didn't separate the kids by ages, so there was a free for all and poor Ben had no idea what was going on and only got one egg, which happened to have bubble gum in it. Poor guy. I was pretty camera shy, so I only got a couple of pictures of the kids.

After church, we had our own little egg hunt for him at home.

He definitely needed some coaxing to hold the basket

What he really wanted to do was open each and every egg. Unfortunately they were filled with things like fruit snacks and chocolate covered raisins. Not the best idea he's ever had...

See the chocolate on his foot. He still had to dump every egg's contents on the floor. Silly boy.

This was not taken on Easter, but is a classic picture of Ben, tupperware top hat and all.

Culture Passes

2011-05-16T11:28:00.000-07:00

The other day I found out about this totally awesome thing during our mother's group that just totally made my day. Maybe even my month. It's called...a culture pass. It's this amazing thing that gets you into museums and zoos and the like for FREE and it's available to check out at our public libraries. The city has never thought of anything so brilliant to do with our tax money. I can't wait to stand outside a library before it's open when one becomes available near me. Yes, I'm that kind of mom.

THE SECRET TO LIFE

2011-05-15T14:45:00.000-07:00

The secret to life with 2 kids, specifically my 2 kids. At the exact ages they are now. So sorry if you were hoping this might solve all your problems. This week I learned that

a little boy at a park

plus

a very sleepy newborn

equals 2 long naps in the afternoon.

I think we'll go to the park everyday at this rate! Too bad it's just a stage...

My First Day

2011-05-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

Today was my first day by myself.

With 2 children of my own.

Good news: we all survived!

Ben didn't do any permanent damage to her eye.

I didn't throttle Ben.

They slept well.

Now if only she stayed a very sleepy baby, I think I could do this everyday.

Oh wait, I already signed up to do it everyday...I guess we'll figure it out as we go!

What was I thinking??

2011-04-22T11:53:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wonder what I was thinking having 2 kids under 2. Sure, they're cute and they'll be great friends when they're older, but what about now? How am I supposed to deal with a 17 month old who is becoming very independent and has long since entered the terrible twos and whines at EVERY thing (ie somebody leaves the house, the stroller he's pushing hits a wall/small rock, if you tell him "no") and a newborn who eats every 2 hours? They are fantastic when I have them one on one, but together and by myself?? I go crazy sometimes. It's a good thing there are 4 adults to 2 kids. I dread the day it becomes 2 adults to 3 kids...yikes. For the moment they are both blissfully sleeping. In their beds. At the same time. Must....go...clean!

Two weeks!

2011-04-22T11:46:00.000-07:00

Our little Ashlyn is already 2 weeks old. She is the sweetest little baby anyone could ask for. She also puts up with a lot. Her big brother absolutely loves her, which is both a blessing and a curse. He likes to show his love with some overly enthusiatic hitting, squeezing, and slobbering. He's had many a timeout, but it still doesn't click for him. He does have his moments of gentleness though. He's particularly concerned when she cries and tries to tip the bassinet so he can get a look at her. Occasionally he tries to sit on her. I'm going to have to start waking up at 5am just to shower before he wakes up!

Ashlyn takes it all in stride though. Her eyes get wide when he comes near, but she loves to look at him. She seems to be pretty alert for her age and she is a fantastic sleeper and nurser! She only cries when she's hungry or needs a new diaper (with the exception of yesterday). She wakes up twice at night and goes back to sleep! No crazy bouncing and singing down the hall to get her to sleep like her brother. I LOVE this little girl.

This is how we often find ourselves after nursing...especially at 2pm or 12am. HAHA

Birth Story

2011-04-10T12:42:00.000-07:00

Very few things in my life seem to go as I plan them. This birth was definitely not one of those things. I looked back at my birth plan that I loosely made while pregnant and it goes something like this:
--all natural delivery (no induction)
--no epidural
--no pitocin
--no IV should be necessary since I wasn't group B + this time
--walk throughout labor
--possibly birth using a squatting bar

I got absolutely none of these. Actually, I may not have been given pitocin to contract my uterus after the fact. I don't remember that being mentioned as one of the many things going through my IV.

Yes, I had a C section because Ashlyn's head wouldn't move past my ribcage. Definitely not natural. I was given an IV immediately because you can't eat or drink for 8 hours prior because of the risk of surgery. It took 3 tries to get it in. I think my fear of needles has officially been squelched. I still can't watch though. I was also given an antibiotic (antsa??), reglan, and pepcid through that thing. Let's not forget the morphine, but that may have been placed with my spinal. I'm not really sure and I didn't feel the need to ask. I just enjoyed the following 24 hours that were pain free. I think it's the first narcotic I've ever been given. Nothing like going straight to the good stuff.

The ECV (to turn her) wasn't that bad. It was mildly uncomfortable while my doctor was doing it and slightly painful when she called in a male doctor to assist. Shortly thereafter I just surrendered to the surgical option. But, it was the first time that I actually felt peace about the decision. I even took a little siesta after the nurse had prepped me, yet we were still waiting for the OR. I'm still surprised I was actually able to sleep. The OR is freezing and the warmth in my legs from the spinal was actually a welcome relief. The anesthesiologist was right and my IV hurt worse than my spinal. One of the doctors was there simply to add humor to the situation while they got everything ready. I'm sure he had another job once I was numb, but they could pay him big bucks just for that if it was up to me.

Here's an overload of pictures in her first few days after birth. I actually don't have any of her coming out because Alex chose the video camera for documentation of the event and I highly doubt you want to see the inside of my uterus...don't worry, I didn't either.

the last picture of me pregnant

Alex prepped for surgery

while I sleep (I didn't even realize they took a pic!)

Mommy got bored around day 2 of the hospital and started dressing me up...

I'm really glad mommy didn't buy the flower that was about twice this size...

At first, Ben didn't really care one way or another for Ashlyn. Now he wants to poke her, squeeze her, or hit her. Not exactly the progress I was hoping for.

New Arrival!

2011-04-06T19:44:00.000-07:00

We welcomed Kimberly Ashlyn into our family at 10:39am on Sunday, April 3. She weighed in at 7 pounds 4.1 ounces and 20 inches long.

39 weeks

2011-04-01T12:57:00.000-07:00

I just got back from my 39 week OB appt. Our little baby girl is practicing to be a gymnast and has flipped....to a breech position. She did a quick ultrasound and sure enough, the baby's head is near my ribs. I have an external version scheduled for sunday morning. If they can turn her, I'll be induced immediately. If not, it's off to surgery I go! So, I'll be holding a little girl in 2 days!! I just really hope it doesn't come down to a C-section. I totally broke down in the doctor's office. Stupid pregnancy hormones. At least she's healthy! Another testament that Heavenly Father is in charge. Hopefully I have the strength to get through it!

10 days!!!!!

2011-03-28T13:27:00.000-07:00

I have only 10 days until my due date. At the beginning, I thought for sure I'd be overdue. I mean, Ben took his time coming out, why wouldn't this one, too? Then as the day approached, I began to think that she was going to come earlier. I was dilated earlier, she felt like she was dropping, and I was totally not ready for her to come. Perfect scenario for a brand new baby to make her appearance, right? Well, I am a little more prepared, but have come to terms with the things that just won't be done in time and she's not here. I think I'm jinxing myself. Alex is very excited to get things going so he can take time off work. He took me on 2 walks yesterday and plans to keep that up all week long. Everyone in my family has their cell phone next to them at work anticipating my frantic call for them to rush me to the hospital. Have I had a single contraction? No. I think I'm one of those people that either don't feel contractions (before they start to hurt, that is) or simply don't notice them. I'm trying to squat more often to encourage the pelvic pressure.

Baby girl, please come out. I really want to meet you and I'm pretty tired of going to work. If you could come before my next scheduled shift on Thursday night, I would be delighted. Love, mom.

Ode to my clothesline

2011-03-28T13:19:00.000-07:00

It's such a strange thing, but I absolutely LOVE having a clothesline. Such a simply indulgence, right? I'm pretty low maintenance. Most days. Here are the reasons why I love it so much:

--it saves a costly appliance and makes it last longer (namely, my dryer)
--it saves ENERGY! yay for lower bills!
--I get to be in the sunshine to use it
--clothes are warm and crisp when they're done! (ok, so I could do without the crispness, but it's a small price to pay)

Just thought I'd put that out there....I got to line dry my clothes today and it makes me oh so happy.

Crunch Time

2011-03-07T11:47:00.000-08:00

I have less than 5 weeks until my due date. At my last OB appt, I was 1cm dilated! Which, by the way, is 2 weeks earlier than I started dilating with Ben. I'm trying not to get my hopes up that I won't have to wait 5 more weeks to see this little girl. But then again, maybe I'll need the 5+ weeks to be ready for her. My mom threw me a wonderful shower on Saturday and we are now much more prepared than we were, but we still have lots to do.

1. install car seat bases in cars
2. sort clothes and figure out what I still need (my project for today)
3. wash clothes
4. organize dresser for 2 kids
5. buy last minute stuff
6. clean house
7. clean booster seat (it's looking rather gross)
8. pack hospital bag
9. pack larger diaper bag
10. wash crib sheets

I feel like it's a much more lengthy list than this, but the clean house one's really going to take some time...

Ben is doing AMAZINGLY well in his toddler bed. He loves the bed and hasn't looked back at the crib for a second. At first, he would wake up multiple times throughout the night and just need some music played or a back rub, or occasionally a heave-ho push back up on the mattress before he fell asleep again. Now, even those times are dwindling. Thank goodness. I am not ready to be woken up at all hours of the night yet. I still need my 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep or else you may find me sleeping on the living room floor in the afternoon while my child chews on a pencil and throws random things into the trash. That may or may not have happened this week...

First Haircut

2011-03-01T10:29:00.000-08:00

We finally broke down and took Ben to get his haircut. We didn't want to buzz it and no one has confidence in my ability to use scissors, so we took him to Cool Cuts 4 kids. Here is a before picture of his hair...

He did better than I thought he would in the chair. They have these cute little cars and the stylist even gave him a sucker, but it never made it anywhere near his mouth. He just sat there very still, almost as if he was scared.

Here he is with his new do! I think he looks older now and I'm kinda sad to see the hair go, but it looks cute.

I'm feeling crafty!

2011-02-13T21:59:00.000-08:00

Ok, so there are a TON of tutorials out there for cute girly things and I just can't wait to do some of these! Here are some of my favs...

-- knit receiving blankets and hats (ok, so I'll probably receive a ton of blankets from family, but on the off chance I don't, I am definitely making these! I think I'll even splurge and do the applique. Oh and those hats are knock my socks off cute.)
-- bow board
--cloth toys
-- I spy bag (Ben has one of these, but I didn't really learn to make it, I just stuffed it with cute boy things)

And just so Ben doesn't feel left out of these crafty shenanigans, here are a few for him...
--felt toy truck
--tool belt

Why not throw in one for me??
-- maternity band (for those I'm not pregnant anymore but still look fat days...gotta love that look)
-- mesh bath toy bag
--diaper case for quick trips
--matching ties for father's day! alex never reads this, so it doesn't spoil anything :)

These all link to a site I stumbled upon called make it and love it. I am in love with these tutorials. They seem super easy to understand for someone like me who is not creative, but can follow directions! I am so excited to get started. I also love the idea room (.net) and mormonchic.com. Fun stuff! Anyone care to join me at JoAnn's????

Toddler Bed

2011-02-07T09:57:00.001-08:00

I just put my little guy down for a nap in his new Cars toddler bed. So far, so good. He's talking to himself like usual and it doesn't sound like he's fallen off yet. Yay! Hopefully this will be an easy transition...

14 months!

2011-01-25T12:06:00.000-08:00

My cute little TODDLER is 14 months already. Here are some things he's doing now:

make various football signs such as "touchdown," "no good," and "holding." He's also picked up on traveling, but that's a different sport and something we didn't teach
he is starting to fold his arms during prayer, which is good because he learned the football stuff WAY earlier and I feared we would be cast down because if I can't teach him to fold his arms when they are clearly capable of such things, how the heck will I teach him everything before he turns 8? still a daunting task, but at least I have hope :)
he enjoys putting toys BACK where they belong almost as much as he likes to take them out. YAY!
he still can't drink from a cup without getting water everywhere. we did start with a spill-proof sippy and I'm afraid it has taught a bad habit.
he loves to spit
he says mama and dada, but not very often
if he doesn't get his way and you are holding him, he gets this look of sheer terror on his face and starts to claw at yours. then, he bites his hand.
he's teething again

Five Generations! (well, sort of...)

2011-01-25T11:53:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of Ben, Alex, Ben's great-grandpa Keith, and great-great-grandma. And her dog. Alex's dad couldn't make the trip, but we feel the dog was a good sub at the last minute. Ben is much more interested in the dog than the camera, which is good because it is how we bribed him to sit on grandma's lap.

East Coast Trip

2011-01-25T11:50:00.000-08:00

I am happy to report that Ben did splendidly on the plane! He did not try (too often) to get out in the aisle and the binky was a lifesaver. He doesn't get the binky much at home, but he sure got an overdose on our trip. I didn't put the camera in our carry-on, so I don't have pictures of his first flight. :(

We stayed with Alex's grandparents in NC and they have a cute little dog. Ben was SO excited to see this dog all day, everyday. It never got old. He would follow him while he was playing catch and just laugh and laugh. So cute. I wish we could get him a dog of his own. We celebrated Christmas with family and Ben got a bunch more presents that we had to ship back to us. We were spoiled.

I was hoping for snow and all I got were some flurries. One day I'll be able to build a snowman...

The real adventure began when we drove to Virginia to see Alex's mom and step dad. Alex always said that he grew up in the middle of nowhere and until now, I really didn't have a good feel for where nowhere truly was. It's about 2 hours from Richmond. Once you get off the highway (if you can call it that), then you drive and you drive and you drive some more. Then the paved road ends (along with any state maintenance) and you continue on the dirt road. At the end of that, you're home. On the way there, I saw this place that sold out houses and I grew concerned. I immediately asked if they had indoor plumbing and Alex laughed. They do, but once I saw the bathroom, I almost wished for an outhouse. lol. No showering for me those 2 days!

They have a wood burning stove as their only source of heat. Since we didn't want little fingers touching it, we had to stay out of the kitchen, the only warmish room in the house. I wore my jacket and boots inside at all times. It was quite the experience...I think I'm more of a city girl than I thought.

Resolutions

2011-01-03T20:52:00.000-08:00

Here are my New Years Resolutions. You'll notice that i share these with half the world. :)
1) Lose weight. Shocking, I know. I never fully lost my baby weight from Ben and I really don't want to make that a habit. So, I am going to try super hard to be more determined this year. I can't start on this until about June, since losing weight while pregnant is frowned upon. That also makes it the middle of summer in AZ. Not so inspiring to get outside and run and I don't have the money for a gym membership and my parent's treadmill has become a storage rack, thanks to our friendly invasion. Ours is at a friend's house soon to be placed in the shed outside. Goal: get to 140 pounds. I'll give myself a year to take it off. My plan: walk with the kids in the stroller, lift dumbells, run outside, jump rope, do pilates, and sit-ups.

2) Work out a better budget, together. Right now Alex does the "budgeting" because I freak out with how many bills we have and how little money we have and yet still spend money on non-essential things. We are going to work together and hopefully my saver side will rub off on him more and his easy going side will rub off on me.

3) Read my scriptures daily. Seriously.

WHAT ARE YOUR NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS??

I'm Dreading...

2010-12-29T09:32:00.000-08:00

...taking Ben across the country. Next week we leave on a plane for North Carolina and Virginia to see family. I am frightened of that flight and I should probably start praying for sympathetic passengers now. And maybe invest in some ear plugs. We didn't buy him a seat (cuz we're cheap like that) so he'll be on our laps the entire time. That would be just fine if he actually stayed on our laps. However, if it is anything like church, he will definitely NOT stay there and what's worse, he will have no where to go. I can hear the kicking and screaming now. I'm really hoping that he loves looking out the window. I plan on bringing the biggest carry on bag that the airport will allow packed full of diapers, snacks, and toys. But I don't think it will be enough. Ben is more of a people watcher and he doesn't like to be confined. His favorite thing to do is to take something out and drop it on the floor--a no-no on a plane.
If by chance we do make it in one piece to the other side of the country, it will be freezing cold and he's not fond of hats, jackets, and I'm guessing mittens will come right off as well. Plus, we'll be entirely with family he's never seen before. And it's the in-laws. Besides my love for visiting the snow, I'm not exactly looking forward to this trip.

Belly Update

2010-12-29T09:23:00.000-08:00

Here is a belly picture at 25 weeks. I feel huge knowing that I still have 15 weeks to go. I might even have to buy new, larger clothes before it's over. How depressing is that?!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-29T09:20:00.000-08:00

This Christmas we stayed home. Thankfully, Ben doesn't yet understand Christmas and blissfully slept until almost 8am. He's starting to get the idea of how to unwrap gifts, but gets bored with it way before he's done. Plus, the wrapping paper is much more exciting than what is inside. Little kids really would be happy with just paper and boxes. I am so glad that we only got him one thing from us and one thing from santa. He still received plenty of toys that are now over taking our living room. I need to find a home for them in his room still. Here are some cute pictures of him and daddy opening gifts. I was the one behind the camera, so I don't have any of me. Aww, shucks. :) Alex did get me some cute nursing pjs for christmas though...

I think Alex is more excited about the toy than he is...

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!

I am blogger-challenged...

2010-12-23T21:51:00.001-08:00

How do I put more than 1 picture in my header? I have tried to google such a thing, but all of this talk about html codes really throws me for a loop. Can anyone explain it to me in simple terms???

Third Trimester Already??

2010-12-16T18:50:00.000-08:00

So I went for my monthly OB check-up today and the dr told me I was starting the 3rd trimester. And what to do if I start having contractions...WHOA, back up. Am I really that far along?? It seems a little early to be considered in the 3rd trimester. It makes it sound so much sooner than it is. Time seems to be flying by with a little one already in our family to occupy my time. I guess if she comes too soon, she'll still be surrounded by blue! I guess I should pre-register at the hospital here soon, just in case.

She is doing well in there though. Heartbeat is still around 150 and I'm measuring right on schedule. She kicks everyday, but I can't wait to see something protrude from my belly. I can't wait to meet her!

Freestone Park

2010-12-16T18:42:00.000-08:00

We went to this awesome park across town a few weeks back that I almost forgot to mention. It had some cute carnival rides and a little train. Ben LOVED the carousel and the train. He just didn't appreciate having to wait for everyone else to get on. It's amazing how simple some of life's joys are. It's fun to show him new things and to watch him learn. Here are a few pictures from our trip!

I know he doesn't look super excited, but trust me, he was all smiles once we started moving.

Oh the things I never thought I'd say...

2010-12-16T18:40:00.000-08:00

"Don't eat the dustpan!"
"Take that plunger out of your mouth"
"Please don't lick the garbage can"

Notice a pattern? He still puts everything in his mouth. When will he grow out of this?

Headbands, Ruffles, and Bows, Oh My!

2010-11-20T13:22:00.000-08:00

We found out yesterday that Ben is going to have a little SISTER!!!!!! I am so incredibly excited to buy dresses and to make all sorts of cute pink things! My mom is going to have a hay day at JoAnn's. She is doing well. The ultrasound looked great--I could watch those all day. Today we went out to buy the first outfit for her....ok, so we bought more than one. But everything was less than $2 so i feel pretty good about it. :)

Bloggers: 50 free photo cards!

2010-11-17T21:24:00.000-08:00

Is this perfect timing or what? Shutterfly is doing this promotion where you blog about their cards and then you get a promo code for 50 FREE cards! We don't send that many cards out anyways, so all of the ones we need for Christmas will be free! I am so thrilled. :) Good advertising for them, too. I ordered a photo book from Shutterfly last Christmas of Ben's first month or so and was so pleased with the way it turned out. I've also done that with Picaboo (also free!) and Walgreens. Shutterfly is definitely my favorite so I can't wait to see how their photo cards turn out.

My favorite cards so far are these:

Choose your favorite one at...
· Christmas cards to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards

· holiday cards to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards

· Christmas photo cards to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery

· wall calendars to http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars/wall-calendars

· photo mugs to http://www.shutterfly.com/photo-gifts/photo-mugs

· birthday cards to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/birthday-cards-stationery

If you want free cards like me, go HERE!

A Year Ago Today....

2010-11-17T09:52:00.000-08:00

--I woke up dreadfully early to drive to the hospital to be induced at 5am
--we were late because we stopped along the way to make sure our tire wasn't flat
--I had pretty easy labor for about 3 hours, a couple more of not so comfortable labor and transition, and 45 minutes of pushing until...
--OUR BABY BOY WAS BORN!

I became a mother for the first time a year ago today. Time truly does fly. He's going to be in kindergarden the next time I blink.

Today he:
--walks well
--is sick with a cold
--gets to have cake and ice cream for the first time
--waves bye bye to random cars passing on the street
--loves to be outside
--doesn't like the bathtub anymore
--loves dogs and cats his size
--likes to spit
--says "mama" :)
--signs "all done"

We absolutely adore our little boy!

Advice

2010-11-11T11:20:00.000-08:00

So with baby #2 coming so quickly behind Ben, I've been considering several things. With Ben, we did without a swing and a high chair. We were given one of those infant to toddler rockers and I became very adept at rocking him with my foot while I pumped or whatever. For a high chair, we use the booster seat that came with the bumbo wannabe from babies r us. The lack of a tray is a bit of a bummer, but we make do and we now just scoot him up to the table. A swing sounds almost invaluable with 2 little munchkins. That way, I can put the baby in the swing and take care of Ben, without having to lay the baby on the floor. A highchair also sounds nice this time around and Ben can still eat from the booster. Either way, I'll have to buy some sort of feeding chair so that they can eat at the same time. I have a swing and a high chair that I like, but I want to know...what are your favorites? Are they really worth it or can I save some cash and not buy one or both? Have you heard anything about the fisher price one that turns from swing to high chair? If I buy something, I would like to buy something that's going to last through all of my kids.

Another issue is the stroller. Do I really need a double? They are going to be 17 months apart. I have an infant carrier. Could I get by with that for the baby and then when he/she gets too heavy, make Ben walk? I found a stroller that I love because it fits my eddie bauer car seat and allows them to face either direction. But it's heavy. like REALLY heavy. and it's 200 dollars. (Although that's signifantly cheaper than the Peg Perego that I fell in love with earlier...) Pretty much all other tandem strollers that take a car seat have to be the same brand. Eddie Bauer doesn't make tandem strollers and I don't want to have to buy a new car seat, too.

The last issue is the crib. Do I buy a second cheap crib for the baby until Ben is ready for a toddler bed? Or do I introduce him to the toddler bed and hope for the best? Or should the baby go in a bassinet until Ben is ready for a bed? How long did a bassinet last for you? Which one did you buy? What did you like about it? What would you differently if given the chance? They are going to be in the same room...any tips? I don't want to wake Ben up everytime I need to feed the baby and I don't want him to keep the baby up. I see some very long nights in my future. haha.

I could really use the suggestions!

A New Kitchen

2010-11-09T11:45:00.000-08:00

Remember awhile back I posted about us remodeling the kitchen?? well, here it is! it looks SO much better!

Here are some before pics that my mom took of the kitchen, after the cabinet doors had been removed.

This is what it looks like now!

Halloween

2010-11-09T11:39:00.000-08:00

We took Ben to his first trunk or treat, all decked out in new shoes and a cute cow costume. Note to self, husband was right, and the cow is girly. Nearly everyone called him a girl, even some who should know who I am (and thus that I have a SON not a daughter). They invited the neighborhood and a ward not in our building so there were quite a few unfamiliar faces. I thought he'd be super excited to walk around outside, but that was short-lived. Maybe next year will be more exciting.

Ben with Grandma

Our pumpkin

Our "trunk"

Family Pictures!!!

2010-11-08T11:13:00.000-08:00

I have several things that I want to blog about, but whenever I have free time, I feel like I should clean or organize something instead. BUT, this is way too awesome to wait, plus I'm not at home right now. We had family pictures/Ben's 12 month pics taken on saturday in gilbert. I was reading an old friend's blog about her sister in law's engagement pics who I happen to know as well. She was on the east side and reasonably priced and I loved her pictures so I emailed her and here we are! Don't these just beat the socks off studio pictures??
check them out at http://www.jessicadrewphotoblog.com/?p=2989

Living on Less

2010-10-04T16:18:00.000-07:00

My new motto in life, if you will, is learning to live on less and love it. I know we've been told countless times to avoid debt and to get out of it ASAP. We have been doing an AWESOME job in the past year of not using our credit cards and it feels great! The biggest thing that went on them were vacations and unexpected expenses just made it worse. Our move-in-with-parents-and-pay-off-debt plan isn't going quite how we planned. Sometimes this frustrates me, but then I am reminded that the Lord really does know my situation and has a plan for me. It just isn't on my timescale. We recently found out that we are responsible for a couple thousand dollars worth of HOA fees plus some until the bank forecloses on our condo. Just what you want to hear with a baby on the way, right? It turns out that a lot of times, HOAs will simply put leins on your home, but not ours. Ours only cares about money. The same day our lawyer told us this, Alex got a call from one of his teachers at the UA who said he had a check for him for 300 to reimburse him for catering his class project on the last day of school. AMAZING! $300 definitely won't solve our problems, but it is an answer to prayer.

Before we moved, we really tried to get rid of stuff we don't need and we plan on purging even more stuff if (ahem, when...) we move out of my parents' place. We won't be able to afford a large place (nor do I want to clean one) and frankly we don't need everything we have. I am trying to live on less and actually enjoy it. I don't want to spend my life wishing we had more money than we do so that I could buy stuff. I'm a real sucker for kitchen gadgets. Anything that makes food preparation easier on me is right up my alley. I also want things to match. Alex is much more into matching than I am, but I am quickly catching on. However, buying a couch and matching recliners...not exactly cheap. I am going to have to become one of those garage sale people and find things cheap!

Any ideas about how to be frugal and enjoy it? What do you do to stretch a dollar?

First OB Visit

2010-09-21T10:34:00.000-07:00

I went to a new OB for the first time last month. Her office is nice, but I miss my doctor in Tucson. This one isn't quite as personable and there is a technician who does the ultrasounds instead of the doctor. The nice thing is that they do the lab work in the office and they had a great finance lady who explained what our insurance covers in detail.

Here is our little peanut:

I can't wait to hear the heartbeat on Friday! I think it is at that point that I will really feel pregnant. I've actually lost some weight these past few weeks from not eating as much when certain smells make me want to puke. Unfortunately, one of those is baby food, so I dread feeding poor Ben. Hopefully that goes away soon!

What Ben is Up To Now

2010-09-21T10:25:00.000-07:00

He gets into EVERYTHING all day long. If it is in a basket, on a shelf, or in a bag, it definitely must be removed. This makes for an even messier house.
He has also decided that he only wants to sleep for about 30 minutes at a time in his crib during the day, which means I barely have time to clean up his mess before he makes another one. I have no chance at all to clean up Alex's mess. I feel like I try all day just to keep up with absolutely must be done (shower, eat, go to work) and nothing gets clean until something starts growing in places it shouldn't.
He has to eat when you eat. It doesn't matter if he ate 2 minutes before, he must chew while you chew. No exceptions.
He loves popsicles.
He"s teething like crazy. He has 4 teeth coming in on the bottom and 1 on the top. This makes for a very unhappy baby sometimes.
He hates having his diaper changed. It's like a personal offense to lay him on his back.

Camping in Oak Creek Canyon

2010-09-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

First off, if you decide to take your baby camping, it would be SO much easier if they could walk. Either that or if they could sit up, but weren't mobile yet. A crawling 10 month old is not my first choice to take camping. But it worked out and we had fun.

We always seem to forget something when we camp. Usually it's something like toothpaste--nice to have, but not super necessary (maybe to your spouse it is :) ) This time we really outdid ourselves and forgot water AND propane. Pretty much the 2 most important, life-sustaining things. Left at home. It's a good thing we weren't camping Alex-style where you hike in 5 miles and set up camp in an unknown part of the forest. We were just about 20 minutes outside Sedona, so we headed to Bashas and all was well.

Alex started to set up our tent while I fed Ben. We have only used our tent one other time, but the rope that connects the poles that support the tent was broken. So he had to hold each pole together until there was enough tension that it did the job on his own. We almost had to crash my parent's tent instead.

We were right next to Oak Creek and Alex tried to fish. The fish were sparse and not interested in what he had to offer, but it was cool to see him finally use the wedding gift I got him over 4 years ago.

Baby # 2

2010-09-14T10:30:00.000-07:00

The new baby is fine. My due date is April 7, 2011. The ultrasound showed a few days later, so it already looks like there's a slim chance for an early delivery. I've been a little more nauseated this time around, but I can't complain. I'll post the little peanut when we get back from camping. We are very excited for this new baby to come to our little family!

A Little Hiatus

2010-09-14T10:23:00.000-07:00

I'm not very good at blogging on a regular basis so extra activities make it that much less likely that I'll do it. We have been remodeling our kitchen. I regret that i did not take any before pictures but after pictures will come next week. It looks 100% better. We painted the walls and cabinets, played with electricity, installed a ceiling fan and will be laying down laminate flooring!

Today we leave for oak creek canyon to go camping. Ben often cries when we come inside so i think he is going to have a blast.

9 Months!

2010-08-18T11:25:00.000-07:00

Can that really be true? Is my baby really 9 months old?! Where has the time gone. His well check went well today. He is 17 lbs 7.75 oz and 29 inches long. He is finally growing into his big head. HAHA! It's only in the 60th percentile now. :) He has mastered crawling and loves to cruise. This, of course, doesn't help us at bedtime when all he wants to do is stand. I am also trying to get him to consistently fall asleep on his own. Yesterday it took 40 minutes! I am so proud that he did it on his own though. He's also starting to feed himself with the little gerber graduates puffs. He is such a joy!

Our New Truck

2010-08-18T11:10:00.000-07:00

Last week we decided it was time for a new car. Our little Hyundai accent had a lot of repairs in its future and was becoming too small for our growing family. We picked out a Chevy Silverado that we love because we thought it would be nice to have a truck and it is wide enough for 3 car/booster seats in the back and seats 3 in the front! The whole car buying process is a pain and didn't go as planned, but with each new experience we learn some lessons. That's what life is all about, right?

We do miss not having a car paymnt though!

He's gone mobile!

2010-08-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

That's right, folks, Ben has finally learned how to get around on his own. He started crawling at the very end of July and is now doing it with his tummy off the floor. He pulls himself up on everything and is no longer super interested in his toys. He prefers anything that is on the coffee table with a special emphasis on paper, cell phones, and electrical cords.

This is Ben kissing my freshly cleaned window as he watches the rain.

When he was supposed to be sleeping...

In with the pots and pans.

Singing Bee

2010-08-09T14:19:00.000-07:00

Anybody else like country music and watch the Singing Bee on CMT on Friday nights?? I absolutely love that show and it almost inspires me to go sing karaoke. in public. Can you imagine such a thing? haha. Alex doesn't think I'd do it. I am slightly addicted to the show and I love Melissa Peterman as a host. She cracks me up. What is your favorite thing on TV right now?

When Baby Makes Four

2010-08-09T14:16:00.000-07:00

Yes, we are pregnant again! Baby #2 will join our family early April. I see my doctor later this month for the first ultrasound. We are so excited!!!! Ben and the baby will be about 17 months apart. Crazy! I'll definitely have my hands full.

8 months...almost

2010-07-12T14:42:00.000-07:00

My baby is 8 months old! He's looking more and more like a toddler. :( Where did my baby go?

Check out these cute shoes that he can finally fit in:

They are little Van's skater shoes!! Just like his daddy. I love those shoes, but they feel like dead weights on his feet so I rarely put them on.

This is how he feels about crawling:

LOL. I love that face. He rolls all over and will scoot on his back, but he doesn't crawl. He even pulls himself up to stand, but only if he is sitting on your legs. He can't quite figure it out when he's on his bum.

He eats pretty much everything we give him. His least favorite is peas, but if you keep giving it to him, he eventually opens his mouth for more.

We sure love him!

Anniversary

2010-07-12T14:32:00.000-07:00

When Alex came home from work the day we were going to celebrate, he brought home these...

The picture really doesn't do them justice. I am far from a photographer, but I would LOVE to learn. I think taking decent pictures of flowers is beyond my point and shoot camera's capabilities. He said he had to get me yellow and pink roses because he had red roses waiting for me at the restaurant!

He took me to The Melting Pot. One word: amazing! The dessert was the best part. So many delectable things to dip in chocolate. yum. If you ever go, definitely get dessert. And save up for the occasion because it is quite pricey but oh so worth it.

Can you believe four years have passed already? I'm going to be old and gray before I know it!

My Little Water Baby

2010-06-30T15:50:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we were house sitting for friends who happened to have a pool. Naturally, I took the opportunity to introduce Ben to the water and bought a floatie, sunscreen, and little swimmers diapers. Here he is in his cute get-up:

His first reaction to the water was neutral. He didn't cry, but he also wasn't quite sure what I was dragging him into.

Ignore my outfit...swim suit shopping has never been something I look forward to and after having a baby it definitely is NOT on my to do list.

Near the end he started to get into it and splash!

1st Baseball Game

2010-06-02T14:24:00.000-07:00

Here is Ben at his first baseball game:

We learned very quickly that the crowd was too loud since the Dbacks wasted no time scoring. We then spent the remainder of the game on the couches in the lobby area. It was an expensive ticket to watch the game on TV! I think we'll wait another year before we try that again...

Everything Goes...

2010-06-02T14:19:00.000-07:00

in the MOUTH! (including toes)

6 months

2010-06-01T15:53:00.000-07:00

His 6 month stats...

14 lbs 11 oz (10%)
27.25 inches (90%)

Since he did not grow much during the last 2 months, our doctor was a little concerned about his weight. We switched formulas, changed my diet, and fed him more cereal. We'll see how he does on thursday! I was a little worried that he didn't gain enough weight, but I wasn't sure about the cause. The doctor thinks he may spit up too much (hence the changes). Alex thinks we just weren't feeding him enough. I just hope he's ok and I can eat dairy again! I absolutely LOVE dairy. And I miss it. I may or may not have followed that order exactly...

My Two Favorite Boys...

2010-06-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

How cute are they?!

Gila Valley Temple

2010-05-14T15:41:00.000-07:00

My mom and I went to the open house for the Gila Valley temple. It was a long trip just to walk through the temple, but we thought it was worth it. It is so beautiful! I walked around with Ben in my arms, since he needed time out of the car seat. He couldn't get enough of the chandelier in the celestial room! I wonder how thin the veil really is...

Yes, I did feed him right before the temple tour and no, he did not spit up onto the spotless temple carpet. THANK GOODNESS.

He Sits!

2010-05-14T15:34:00.000-07:00

My baby is growing way too fast. He had his first taste of rice cereal on mother's day. I think more cereal came right back out of his mouth than was ingested, but was so excited for something new.

I can't wait to give him new flavors and to see his reaction. He's getting the hang of it now and just gobbles up the cereal. Next week he has his 6 month dr appt and we'll see how big he officially is.

He is sitting on his own now, too. He still falls over after about a minute, but he's sitting up straighter than he used to. It's hard to get a picture because he usually falls by the time I get the camera out, but it's been fun trying.

Mother's Day

2010-05-14T15:24:00.000-07:00

This year was my first official Mother's Day! It was wonderful. Alex bought me a bouquet of tulips and some chocolate. Mmmm...how I love chocolate. At church we got more chocolate. What more could a girl ask for?
Everyday I appreciate my mom more and more. She does so much and never complains. She's amazing! I love you, mom!

4 months old

2010-03-25T14:09:00.000-07:00

This cute little guy...

is now 13 lbs 15 oz and 27 inches long!

He can do this....

and this...

all on his own!

Eclectic

2010-03-25T13:57:00.000-07:00

I just have to say that I absolutely love being a mother. I wake up everyday excited to see that little boy smiling back at me. My favorite part is getting him out of his crib because he's always so happy in the morning!

Ben is reaching for and grabbing toys now! It is so much fun to play with him. He tried to roll over last weekend, but got stuck on his side and hasn't given it much of a thought since. We see the doctor on wednesday for his 4 month checkup and I am excited to see how much he weighs! I think he's ready to start some rice cereal soon, too. I want to primarily make my own baby food. Anyone have any thoughts or tried and true recipes? I'd much rather have him eat the fresh stuff than something off the shelf that lasts for 2 years.

Our garden is thriving! Everything we planted is coming up! I can't wait to taste them. I have to be much more patient for that though.

I'm trying to put more of an emphasis on exercise. I was really motivated once January came around and I got the go ahead from my doc, but I haven't had the time to do it as intensely as I would like. I was pretty good about walking with Ben in the stroller everyday for awhile and then we got a lot of rain and I was thrown out of my routine. Now I am trying the wii fit and I walk/jog on the treadmill when I can. Hopefully I can lose some weight!

Ben just woke up from his nap...

Oh How Our Garden Grows!

2010-03-05T13:27:00.000-08:00

Last week we planted a garden. Oh the joys of living in a house! In a few weeks/months we'll have onions, carrots, corn, potatoes, tomatoes, strawberries, and a bell pepper! I am SO excited. I have always wanted a garden but I have yet to see anything grow under my care, so luckily I am not the one watering them and they seem to be doing just fine.

Here are some strawberries!

A future tomato...

A bell pepper for Alex

Corn and Potatoes

Onions, Strawberries, Garlic, and Beets

We go outside every morning to see what new little green stem might be growing!

On another note, I think my son likes the sights and sounds of the TV...

Glendale Chocolate Affair

2010-02-08T08:43:00.000-08:00

I have two loves of my life. One of them is chocolate. So naturally when I heard of the Glendale Chocolate Affair, I had to go. It would be a sin not to, right? We did go on Saturday and it was amazing. People from all over the country come to Glendale and sell chocolate from booths set up in a park. I must admit that they were a little stingy on the samples though. We toured Cerretas, which if you live in Phoenix, is a definite must see. It's the only one in the country and they have chocolate that is divine!

On our way back to the park, we saw this...

It's a decked out fire truck that has TVs and grills and a soda machine on the side!

A Long Time in Coming

2010-02-01T21:43:00.000-08:00

I really have let this go by the wayside. I keep debating with myself whether or not I want to keep a blog. Hardly anyone looks at it and I am kind of creeped out by the random people who may be looking at pictures of my family. So, if you want me to stick around, leave me a comment!
So much has happened in the past, oh, 7 months! We had a beautiful baby boy in November. I chose to be induced, which was not my first choice, but it worked out great. He came into the world about 8 hours after first arriving at the hospital with no pitocin and no epidural!!! I couldn't have asked for a better delivery. He was 8 lbs 2.5 oz and 20.5 inches long. We call him Ben and he has blonde hair and blue eyes. So far, he takes after the best of both of us. We can only pray that tradition continues...
Here are a few pictures of our baby boy!

I LOVE every moment of every day that I get to spend with him!

North Carolina

2009-07-07T01:04:00.000-07:00

We flew/drove to North Carolina last month to visit Alex's family. We were flying standby with his parents, which I would not recommend. With fewer flights, standby is a pain. It took us a full 24 hours for us to get from Raleigh, NC to Tucson, AZ. We took quite a few detours along the way. It was a worthwhile trip, nonetheless. I can now say that I've been to Illinois, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

I also dipped my feet in the Atlantic Ocean! I would have loved to stay longer...

We did a lot of stuff with family, toured UNC and NC state for possible grad school options, and
took pictures of the Raleigh temple.

Last but not least, here is one of my 20 weeks pregnant pictures! Random strangers are starting to comment on my belly. :)

Now that it's almost 2:30 am, I think I'll go home and go to sleep...

My Computer

2009-07-05T23:10:00.000-07:00

I would have pictures posted by now, but my computer kinda decided to crash. It is almost done with its week long vacation at Best Buy and I will hopefully have everything loaded back onto it tomorrow night. no promises though.

Happenings

2009-05-25T23:21:00.000-07:00

Now that school is officially done, I can catch up on this! Here are the belated ultrasound pictures that I promised...Well, it looks like Alex removed the jump drive from the computer bag that held the pictures. Maybe some other time.
My second doctor's appointment went well, although it was not as exciting as the first. We got to hear the heartbeat though! It was about 164 beats a minute, which is apparently normal for someone so young.
I turned 22 this past month! Craziness! I feel like it's all down hill from here. haha. I don't have any more milestones to look forward to, except for the hills. Alex gave me earrings two nights beforehand and pretended that was my only gift. Since, he usually does more than that, I was a little disappointed, but glad to save the money. The next day, I came home to a Wii system set up in my living room! I wasn't completely in love with it before, but I am now! We bowl on Thursday nights and he had a friend bring me one of those cookie cakes from Mrs. Fields and another friend bought me balloons! It was fabulous.
This past weekend, I graduated from the University of Arizona! For the first time in 17 years, I am not a student. I am now the proud recipient of a bachelor's degree!!! It will be so refreshing to only work full-time. Here are some pictures from the big day...
This is me with my parents and grandma. Alex was there, but looking back, we didn't take many pictures. I had more family and friends there, but different cameras captured different things and apparently the person who had ours was not very snap happy.

This is Shelly! We sat together during the university wide commencement and endured the loud and obnoxious intoxicated people behind us (one of whom used my shoulder as a footrest twice, but I guess I can't blame her because after all, she was unconscious). Who comes to their own graduation completely drunk?! Do you not want to remember it in the morning? Some things I will never understand.

On another happy note, I thought I'd leave you with some pictures of my little belly! They are practically all in walgreens attire because I am constantly remembering to take a picture right before I run out the door to work.

This is the very first picture I took.

Here I am at 14 weeks. My belly is more prominent in maternity dresses, one of which I look about 6 months pregnant in! ah!

Ultrasound

2009-04-15T16:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to the doctor for the first time and she did a vaginal ultrasound to make sure things were ok and that my due date was correct. Everything is perfect! Ultrasounds are so amazing. I was holding my breath at first for fear that she wouldn't find anything in there, but I was so relieved when she picked it up! It's the cutest little peanut I've ever seen! I cannot WAIT for May 12...my next appt. I'm just glad that everything's ok and that I finally have 7 cute pictures of the little guy. Once I figure out how to connect my printer to my new laptop, I'll post them!

BBQ

2009-03-10T00:02:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I really hate blogger. I have a hard enough time figuring this thing out and then I finally get pictures going in the right direction in all the right places and what happens? It has an error when I try to post it. ugh. I was saying that last night Alex and I decided to put the BBQ pit in our complex to good use. We marinated steaks all day and they were delicious on the grill. Take a look at these:

Here's a slanted picture of us as I try to take it with one hand...

We also recently got a digital camcorder on a great deal at Sears! The other exciting thing that is going on is that today we found out that we're pregnant!! I couldn't be more thrilled.

A long drought...

2009-02-01T22:18:00.000-08:00

I haven't blogged in awhile, mainly because I don't have any cute pictures of kids to post! Life seems to go on about the same for me. I had jury duty for the first time last week and really enjoyed it. I liked the judicial system so much, that I'm considering going to law school! I graduate from UA in May and I couldn't be more excited. Alex and I started looking into different grad schools. When he finishes in 2010, we'll most likely move, establish residency, and pray that we both get into the same school for in-state tuition! But, we'll see what the Lord has planned for us.
We got another cat! I haven't taken any good pictures of her yet because she's extremely shy, but when I do, I'll put them up. Her name is Sammie and we got her from the Humane Society! We are starting to work on our condo again and have bought the electrical supplies we'll need for the master bedroom/bath and some for the rest of the house. I can't wait to have something done! Remodeling is only exciting when you have the money to do it.
Well, that's about it! I'll try to do a better job of updating you on my not-so-interesting life!

A Long Time In Coming

2008-10-05T22:17:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of our new condo from about 2 months ago, so believe me it looks better than this, but not as much as you'd think. I am so overwhelmed by everything that I have to do that I end up doing nothing. It's a horrible cycle. Here's our living room, but it's not our TV. :( We do however, have 4 TVs now, so if anyone would like one, you have a decent selection here with us.

Underneath all of the boxes is our dining room floor. The height of the boxes has gone down, but not away. One day it will all be done.

Sorry, I forgot to flip this picture...this is obviously our kitchen and no, we have not started drinking. We still had a roommate at this time and this was his form of decoration. Look at my beautiful, new stove!

This is our functional bathroom. Notice the bucket on the toilet. We were having a wonderful water leak from upstairs...boy do I love this place!

Our other bathroom is gutted and needs some serious attention. We plan on knocking some walls out, putting in a new shower, tile, toilet, and vanity. I've decided that remodeling is only fun when you have the money to do it.

As a whole, we are going great! Alex got a 2nd job at Holiday Inn Express and I am interviewing at Bank of America, which could either become a second job or we take a drastic cut in hours for me...I can't wait for school to be behind us! Life has to get easier after that...I'm hoping...

No Internet

2008-09-09T20:23:00.001-07:00

So, in order to save some cash, we opted not to have internet at home. We either use it at school or go to Border's and thus I have been slacking on updating this thing. I found my camera and I took pics, but I don't have them with me. :( I'll have to put them on my jump drive. That thing is my new best friend! haha. Life is going well down here. We've had some rough weeks, but I know that my challenges are small in comparison to others and I'm grateful for that. Alex got a 2nd job working at Holiday Inn Express 2 nights a week. It's bittersweet because I miss him, but it will definitely help pay the bills. I am so excited to graduate in...8 months!! The countdown begins...

Return to Childhood?

2008-08-20T11:44:00.000-07:00

I wish it was possible to return to a time when I didn't have to worry how bills were going to be paid, stupid HOAs, and neighbors who can't mind their own business. Life was so much easier then and I definitely took it for granted. I don't want to be an adult anymore...

The Big Move

2008-07-26T23:57:00.001-07:00

We are finally in our condo!! What a happy day. we have a few things left in the apartment, mainly in storage outside. We have one of our renters who has not moved out yet--his apartment in phx got delayed, so he'll be here for a few weeks. unfortunately, he has a lot of furniture and isn't very good at packing stuff. it's messy, dirty, and needs some serious remodelling. i'm already tired of seeing boxes! and then i also have to finish cleaning the apartment. ugh. It's wonderful to have so much ROOM though!! I can't wait to be able to put stuff where I want it. as soon as I find the box that holds my camera captive, I will start snapping away so you can see it, too. and I'll be sure to flip them around when necessary. ;)

Keith Family Reunion

2008-07-22T22:03:00.000-07:00

We recently drove up to Rigby, ID with Alex's parents. It was actually a lot of fun, but we were glad to get home after a week. We spent a ridiculous amount of time in the car. We stopped in Salt Lake and we got to see Nicole and Brady! We didn't have much time though. I finally got to eat at the Mayan restaurant, which is famous for its divers. They have this show going on as you eat. It's pretty cool, but kind of disappointing after all the hype people gave it. Here are some pictures...Ok, so it looks pretty funny because I haven't mastered how to upload images yet. haha. hopefully you can follow the pics.

After spending the night in Utah, we drove out to Antelope Island on the Great Salt Lake and saw lots of bison! Look at the baby bison! isn't he cute?! :)

We finally made it to Idaho that night. Oh man, do I LOVE it there! It's green everywhere and there's lots of land and crops and horses! it's practically heaven on earth. I want to move immediately! I love how you don't need fences around your property and you can leave your doors unlocked.

One of my goals is to see as many temples as possible in my lifetime! I got to knock two more off my list...Idaho Falls and Rexburg. We actually stopped on the grounds in rexburg but my pic for idaho falls is from the freeway.

We spent Friday at Yellowstone National park. it's awesome! I unfortunately deleted my pictures accidentally while at the park and totally broke down. Luckily, there is this amazing recovery software online that recovered it for me for a mere 40 dollars! totally worth it to me. Here are some pics of the awesome animals we saw on our trip!

of course, we couldn't leave without seeing Old Faithful!

I'm pretty proud of this last picture--Upper Mesa Falls. I hope it blows up nicely!

Wow, what a long post! Thanks for hangin' in there!

(As you probably noticed, the pictures are in the opposite order in which i talk about them. how do I fix that?!)

Summer Vacation

2008-07-15T23:14:00.000-07:00

The one thing I love about summer is the chance to go on vacation! It only sucks when you come back. haha. We just got back on sunday from a family reunion on Alex's side. 16+ hours of driving with the in-laws. It went better than I thought. I'll post lots of pics and give you more details when I am not so tired and I can find my camera cord (the joys of moving). :)

Feeling The Crunch

2008-07-05T00:19:00.000-07:00

We are starting to feel the crunch financially. Not as bad as some, but we are definitely not where I would like to be. Everytime we almost get everything paid off, something else happens. ugh. I guess that's life. On a different note, Alex has lost about 20 pounds in one month! yay for him. I, on the other hand, have only lost one or two. He eats better than I do and takes omega-3s, so he deserves it. I'm trying to eat less, eat more fruits and drink more water and less juice. We had a bump in the road with the exercise and we go on vacation next week, so we'll see how we do when we get back. Overall, I think I'm making progress. I need to actually take my measurements--maybe I'm getting thinner and I don't even know it! haha. Nothing else going on here. We're just waiting for school to start so we can finish!

A bit of a break

2008-06-25T23:38:00.000-07:00

My dear puppy decided that our power cord that was more fun to chew on than any of the many chew toys that are at his disposal. So, we've been without a computer for 2 or 3 weeks. You'd think that I would replace the time that I used to spend surfing then net with something more productive, but i think I just managed to watch more TV.

I did, however, volunteer yesterday at a Spina Bifida conference here in Tucson. Think nursery for 8 hours with twelve 4 year olds. it got pretty tiring.

You might be wondering why i titled the blog one hit wonder. well, we bowl in a league every tuesday night. we're pretty much the worst team there, but occasionally we'll have a great game which kills the other team because our handicap is enormous and then we win! it doesn't happen very often, so we've decided that this will be our team name for the fall. yesterday I had the best 3 games of bowling EVER! I finally hit 200!! woowoo. that's 60 pins over my average. I was so excited, people started staring! lol. i don't care; I was proud of myself!!

2008-06-12T11:34:00.000-07:00

Looks like the third time
is the charm for me! Here are the pictures I

mentioned before. Enjoy!

2008-06-12T11:27:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to learn exactly how this thing works, so hopefully this post turns out! Right now my pets are sleeping and it really is a wonderful break. Kind of like kids...they get into everything, do what they're not supposed to, and won't quit bugging each other. I guess it's good preparation for motherhood. hopefully one day soon! I love this picture of Casey since it is so him--right next to a sign where he's not supposed to be. Gabi was just a sweet little thing posing for the camera!

A new first!

2008-06-11T11:11:00.000-07:00

So, I've decided to start a blog. We'll see how it goes! Life goes on about the same for us. We both work and go to school and we have 2 pets that keep us busy. We also move into our condo in a month so I've started the dreaded packing process. On Tuesday nights we bowl in a league, even though we're pretty bad. In fact, we are close to being the worst in the league. But we have fun! We started exercising and lifting weights on monday so hopefully in a few weeks we will be lean, mean, fat burning machines! haha. My arms really hurt though. Needless to say, yesterday was not the best day to decide to try rock climbing for the first time ever either!