The Lineweaver Family

April Family Weekend: Cabin trip to Pine

2010-11-12T10:29:00.000-08:00

April was an especially fun month...not because we did our taxes, but because we celebrated our big tax refund by going to the mountains for the weekend! Our old neighbors/friends, Paul and Mindy Pickett let us use their cabin in Pine on the weekend he ran the Boston Marathon. I've always been to Woods Canyon Lake and Christopher Creek for my White Mountain camping experiences, but this was really great. It was much closer to Phoenix (saved about an hour) and was just as beautiful. They have a nice big cabin with lots of room and a great view!

This is the view from the deck of their cabin.

We had so much fun we didn't take too many pictures, but here's a pic of Bryce and Paige playing on their papasan chair.

Here's a pic of Paige waving to the camera in the chair.

And finally, a pic of Bryce with his cute morning look smile.

On the way home, we hiked at Tonto Bridges State Park. It was a beautiful excursion as we hiked through the park, saw the waterfalls, and enjoyed the sunny weather. The kids were a little tired, so the pics of them aren't totally stellar. But what do you expect after a long fun weekend in the mountains? I used to be so rigged about my kids getting naps and planning my whole trips around that, and now, I think, eh, we're on vacation, and I want to go to this state park, so we're going and they can deal. That's why every parent should have 2 kids or more so they can lower their expectations of life and their children. Anyway, I digress...

Here is a pic of us at the bridge.

This is one of us after we hiked down to the bottom near the waterfall. I could've sworn we had a waterfall pic, but maybe not...

Miscellaneously Cute April Photos

2010-11-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

I was looking through my pics to blog about, and I found some cute pics of Bryce and Paige that I had to post...

Bryce and Paige having fun on the couch (with a computer mouse, no less)

Bryce tickling/wrestling with Paige on the floor. Fortunately, she loves it! (He does this all the time, and has gotten better about being gentle with her)

...but he hadn't quite learned how to be gentle yet in this scene (don't worry - this only lasted 2 seconds before we broke it up)

Oh, and here's a pic of us with Scott's Grandma Brokaw on a visit to her house and our regular trip to Randy's Restaurant for brunch.

March Family Day: Cubs Spring Training Game

2010-11-07T09:41:00.000-08:00

For our March family day this year, it was kind of a no-brainer. Ever since I moved to AZ to go to ASU, I was converted to spring training - the annual March influx of MLB sports teams from other states to train here in AZ in March. There's at least 6 games a week, and while I'm not a baseball fan, I am a fan of having fun!

The Cubs have the best spring training stadium, with a large inclined lawn where spectators can sit on blankets, eat hot dogs and ice cream (or whatever), watch the game and have fun. The weather is usually beautiful, and the Cubs fans are really fun and friendly, and the lawn seats are super cheap. So it is now a Lineweaver tradition to go to a Cubs game every March.

This year, we were joined by Michayle and her kids and her mom and it was really fun. Bryce made friends with pretty much everyone in our section as he ran around with Ginny's blanket (Michayle's daughter) and laughed and entertained them for a couple hours. Most of the other spectators were drinking a little, so they thought he was especially funny. I even saw some of them taking pictures and posting it on their facebook pages! I can't find any pics, and I think Scott took video, but that is too time consuming to post on here. Come to my house and I'll show you the funny videos :)

But I do have some pics of the kids from March. That was the month we attempted (emphasis on attempted) to potty train Bryce. It was supposedly this magical 3-day method that is ideally for kids around 2 years old. You don't find out until after you've read the whole mini-book and ready to implement it that it's not really recommended for kids over 2.5 (because they are set in their ways). Bryce was almost 3, but I had invested so much time into it and it was spring break, and I was going to potty train him (or so I thought). These are some pics of our front room with rubber exercise squares covering our nice rug to help with accidents.

He's my stubborn little red-head, but he's so cute! Paige was crawling a little, and quite bald compared to now, but she's so sweet :)

It is like a joke to get our kids to sit with Daddy and pose. To them, sittin on Daddy usually involved climbing, wrestling, laughing, tickling, that it is hard to get them to be serious or still enough for a picture. But they love their daddy and so do I!

This is Paige in her I-only-play-with-Bryce's-toys faze. She is well past that now as she is into full girly mode, but it was a cute phase :)

February Family Day 2010

2010-10-17T20:21:00.000-07:00

Ok, here goes... I will do my best to catch up my family's happenings for 2010.

So in February for our family day, we took Bryce and Paige on the Light Rail (city train system set up recently in Phoenix). We took them down to the arts district and then went to the Japanese Friendship Garden. Then we went to get lunch at an artsy-fartsy cafe (why I love cities!)

...And NOW I remember why I got behind on blogging. We forgot our camera that day, so we took all the pics on Scott's phone, in which it is just shy of brain surgery to get these pics off. Well... not quite brain surgery, but it's a pain, no less. The stars have to align for it to work out - Scott has to be home (and in the mood to help me blog) and this little cord has to be around to help transfer the pics to the computer (and it never was around), AND the computer has to be in a good mood to transfer the files. I kept putting it off, and then I was so far behind, it overwhelmed me to catch up. Hence, two weeks after I committed to returning to the blogging world and 3+ hours of trying to sync it to the computer, I finally have my pictures. (and there weren't many anyway, I don't know what my hold-up was.

The Japanese Friendship Garden was this beautiful oasis set on top of the "stack" on I-10 and 7th street in Phoenix. Those of you Phoenicians know the "stack" and would be surprised to know that a Japanese garden is built on top! Anyway, they had this mosaic quilt-art exhibit going on and we loved it. The art went really well with the garden and the kids really loved the plants, waterfalls and creek, as well as the art. It was a little chilly, but a really nice day to be out.

Then we walked a bit until we found this cute cafe to have lunch. It reminded me a lot of Houston, where I used to drive my '73 VW orange bug downtown at least once a month to hang out at a cafe just like this one. An old brick building with pastries, drinks, and lunch. I could stay in a cafe like this all day and that's no joke. Something about the atmosphere speaks to me and makes me introspective and creative and really appreciate life. It's one of the reasons I always like to live in cities.

Here's a pic of riding the train - a light rail, but still Bryce's first train ride and he loved it! He's a little tired and serious as he's looking out the window, but he really did enjoy the ride. Honestly, if I realized I only had 2 blog-worthy pics on my phone, I would not have postponed all of my blogging just for this. I had this new years resolution to blog about every family day and every event this year. Well, it stressed me out so much that I did nothing. Note to self: drop that goal for 2011!

Long time no see...

2010-10-04T21:46:00.000-07:00

For the record, I know I am way behind in updating this blog... 8 months to be exact. I have so many family days, weekends, and vacations and family reunion to record and I've missed recording other cute and memorable occurences. But I did promise myself this year to be a better mother...to be more 'present' with my kids and not think about blogging all the time. (Not that I've ever been that stellar at this). Also, I have been reading a lot this year. That has taken me away from blogging.

Last weekend, I was determined to blog. It was general conference, and I promised I would sort through my pics and make some awesome posts. Then I got mastitis (Paige is weaning and my body is having a hard time with it) and that wiped me out! It was the second time in 2 weeks. Any worries I had about hurting Paige's feelings by weaning her are out the window now. I'm ready to be done. Paige, I've given you 15 months of good nutrition and lots of nurturing mommy time. It's time to move on, girl :) Besides, she actually initiated this last weaning this weekend, which is why I got an infection to begin with, so I know she's ready. I am so relieved!

I will update this as soon as I get back from my 2nd family reunion this weekend
p.s. for a little teaser, here's a cute, yet candid shot of us on vacation at a beachhouse in California. More to come at a later post!

Family Day January: Botanical Gardens

2010-03-21T14:05:00.000-07:00

As our family (and business) continues to grow, I am busier and busier than I used to be. Where is the time to blog? I love blogging (our own family and reading on our friends' too), and have no really good excuse not too, but at the end of the day, I often choose something easier and less time-consuming than blogging to wind down.

About 6 months ago, after Scott received a busier church calling on top of our already busy lives, we decided to make our family more of a priority. So, once a month, we have a family day. We do something fun just the four of us. January, we went to the Botanical Gardens and had a really great time. Bryce loved seeing all the desert plants and playing in the kid stations with crafts and games. Paige loved the views and being outside (really the only thing that calms her down when she's upset).

The weather was perfect (60's) and we went early enough to avoid most of the crowds. We had so much fun we almost forgot to take any pics! Then as we were leaving we took a few of our fam. I'm so happy we do this once a month. Now if I can only remember to take more pictures and post them on time :)

Bryce's First Joke

2010-02-09T17:46:00.000-08:00

We've always known Bryce to be a ham, and it was really cute when he started purposely making us laugh! These are the things I'll forget when he's older, and I want to document it.

One Saturday morning a few months ago, Scott was working in the yard early and was already pretty dirty and needing a shower by breakfast (sorry honey, but it's true). So I was teasing him at breakfast saying, you really need a shower, Daddy, in front of Bryce and Paige. So Bryce then says, with a huge grin on his face "Take a Shower Daddy!" and we all started to laugh. Bryce, of course, laughed the hardest :) So he kept repeating this that day and we laughed (after a while though, I laughed just to make him feel good). Now, anytime he wants to entertain us or feels like we need to liven up the dinner table, Bryce shouts at the top of his lungs "Take a shower Daddy!" and proceeds to giggle himself silly. I still think it's funny, and now Paige does too.

She, by the way, already idolizes her big brother and laughs at him every chance she gets. He likes the attention, and has become a really caring big brother, bringing her a sippy cup or toy or stroking her saying "it's ok Paige" when she's upset. I'm so happy they love each other :)

Positively Politics

2010-01-29T14:38:00.000-08:00

Here I am, back in the game of politics. I have a new blog because I realized that my old blog was too negative for me, and I don't want my life to focus on negativity. (A reminder thanks to the wonderful book, Left to Tell). You may ask, isn't politics pretty negative right now? Most people would say yes, and most things you read aren't both truthful and positive. So, I would like to have a place, when I find something positive, whether it suggests positive change or makes me smile because someone in Washington said something I liked, I will post it here. I may not have very many readers, but I don't care. If it makes me feel better to have it on paper/screen, I'll be happier...especially when our country's future is at stake. If you are interested, check it out at www.positivelypolitic.blogspot.com

Adoption Request from our best friends

2010-01-27T13:37:00.000-08:00

Our best "couple" friends, Mary and Merrill are trying to adopt. They are so awesome, that I want to help them spread the word. Here is their letter and link to their website:

After four difficult years of trying to conceive, Merrill and I have decided to adopt. We feel that this is the path God has intended for us and are very excited about the prospect of being parents.

We are currently working with the LDS Adoption Agency. This is not a typical adoption where we go to an agency and get a child. Instead, the birth parents actually choose us and for this reason, we have created an adoption website to provide more information to the birth parents.

Here is where you all come in. We are asking for your help. You can do this by spreading the word and sharing our website with all your contacts, especially schools (ie school counselors) and doctors. Feel free to facebook, blog, twitter, but especially email our information out to them, as you never know who might be able to help us find our child.

Thank you for your love and support,

Merrill and Mary Jordan

http://www.merrillandmary.com

Avatar

2010-01-09T15:50:00.000-08:00

Wow. I have never blogged about a movie, and I may never again. This movie is so amazing, I was speechless at the end. It has revolutionized movies the way Star Wars did in the 70's-80's, only this time I am old enough to really appreciate it! It has all the elements of a remarkable movie, in my mind - a social statement and showing our spiritual link to nature.

The first of which, in my opinion is much more a statement about humanity as a whole, than about a politics. It's not so much about the "white man vs. the American Indian" or the democrat vs. the republican, but about humanity in general - striving to destroy another group in one way or another for political or economic gain. I've read about it in England, Rwanda, South Africa, Israel-Palestine, Ancient Rome, and on and on. It's also about the corruption of money, and how greed can destroy civilization. I know that many of the left and the right have used corruption to gain money and power, even in times of supposed "peace." C.S. Lewis said it best when he said "Let's pray the human race never escapes Earth to spread its iniquity elsewhere."

Second, I LOVED the association with nature and their interconnectedness to each other and to all the living things in their world. I truly believe that all living things have a spirit, and relate back to God. I believe we could have such associations if we used our full God-given intelligences and spiritual capacities to do so. However, our world is so corrupted in so many aspects that it is inconceivable that it would happen in my lifetime, without a major global change.

Sure, it's predictable and simplified in it's plot, but I've never seen this kind of story told so very well. It makes it's beautiful statements as simply as possible, and leaves the viewer to ponder the rest. It is a truly beautiful movie and has quickly become my favorite science fiction movie of all time.

Christmas Vacation

2010-01-02T20:18:00.000-08:00

We had a great time in southern Utah for Christmas this year. Most of the time was spent at Scott's parents house, Gary and Fatha in Hurricane (yes that's a town, not a storm, and it is pronounced like you would talk about the storm if you lived in Kentucky)

Bryce and his cousin Garrison playing in fake snow in the kitchen. They are only 5 weeks apart in age and they both love the move Cars! (surprise, surprise) They had so much fun together!

Cousins Paige and Jonah, who are three weeks apart in age eating their fingers :)

Santa paying a visit to the grandparents' house on the 23rd.

Bryce kissing Paige on Santa's lap and a last ditch effort to show how good he is!

Taking a pose in the snow when we went sledding near Todd and Jenna's house in Cedar City! It was Bryce's first time really in snow. He looks grumpy, but he's quite pensive and observant about the whole snow experience.

A family shot from Fatha's photographer friend (don't worry Mary, she holds no candle to you :)

Our big family shot (ignore the homeless man sitting off to the right. He's not part of our immediate family!)

The funnest part of the trip was playing games with the brothers and sisters and going to see Avatar in 3D twice! All in all, it was a very fun trip!

Fabulous, Dahling

2009-12-20T23:00:00.000-08:00

One of my best friends, Mary, is a amazingly fabulous photographer. I can't believe she just barely started taking pictures a year and a half ago. If you want to see the first shoot she did of our fam, check it out here.

This is our fall-holiday shoot. I didn't feel good about the pics when we were there because something was always going on or someone wasn't happy (Bryce or Paige) or the sun was acting up, or the plants around us were stubborn or dying, but low and behold, Mary still made amazing pictures. I don't know how she does it, but she makes it look easy.

Gosh, there are so many great pics, but I had to narrow it down to a few. So here are the best of the best, in no particular order...

Thanksgiving 09

2009-12-16T22:54:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: I look up to the people who can blog about an experience within 24 hours of the event. I, unfortunately, am almost 3 weeks late. Better late than never...

My parents were in town for a week over Thanksgiving and we had such a great time! Nothing fancy, just hanging out and making fun memories with Papa Rice and Grandma Rice. FYI, she insists on going by Mama-roo, but it's too confusing for Bryce - I think it sounds too much like "Mommy" to him. He doesn't like it. We'll see what permanent grandma name she ends up with :)

Great-grandma Brokaw (Scott's grandma) joined us on Thanksgiving day, so it was a really fun time! For all of you with big families, this is actually a big celebration in ours!

Bryce, Paige and Kim

Kim and Paige (almost smiling - she was SO ready for bed)

Question: why must Bryce have that mischievous grin on his face in over half his pictures? I'd pay good money to know what he is thinking...

Left to Tell

2009-12-06T23:04:00.000-08:00

I am so inspired, I have to blog about this amazing book, Left To Tell by Immaculée Ilibagiza. It is an inspiring story of a woman who survives the Rwandan holocaust in the 1990's and finds God, faith, and forgiveness while hiding with 7 other women in a cramped bathroom for 3 months. It is a true story as a woman finds her spiritual purpose in life while at death's door. I was so amazed and truly uplifted by this story.

Without sounding overly prideful, I can strongly relate to her because I survived a near-fatal car accident/head injury in '98 and found my spiritual purpose as a result. I wish I had as memorable a story as she does, but just as she did, I prayed about why I was left when my friend died, and I knew that God had more for me to do in this life than what I had done to that point. I was also kinda lost spiritually, and it helped me get back on track...with God's help, of course. I still have more to do, and this book reminded me that life is really beautiful, that God does help us discover ourselves through difficult times, and he wants us to be the best we can be.

Here is my favorite quote from this book:

"I was living proof of the power of prayer and positive thinking, which really are almost the same thing. God is the source of all positive energy, and prayer is the best way to tap into His power."

For more info or to buy her book, visit: http://www.lefttotell.com/

Music of the Night

2009-11-29T19:51:00.000-08:00

The last month has been a great musical experience for us. Scott treated out me to the U2 concert, which is my ultimate favorite band of all time. They are truly amazing performers every time I see them, and they use their talents to lift people of darkness, including myself. I can personally attest that they inspired me throughout several difficult times in my life as well as energize me during the fun times. It was the best delayed mother's day gift I could ever imagine!

Second, Scott and I celebrated 5 years of marriage a couple weeks ago. I got him Phantom of the Opera tickets (his favorite play). I tried to surprise him, but I was just sooo excited that I got good tickets that I couldn't contain myself. It's really pathetic because I used to be SO good at surprises!

Mushy alert: I am so grateful for Scott. He is truly the best husband for me: inspiring me, motivating me, and encouraging me. I know that I am a better person as a result of him in my life, and I hope I can become a better person, because he deserves it!

My political blog

2009-11-19T07:40:00.000-08:00

Hey friends! I started a political blog this year, and I was on a hiatus for a while, but I'm back. I just wanted to let you know that I posted something, and plan on posting again later this week. I will totally respect it if you don't want to read it. However, while I still have the freedom to express my opinions, I will continue to exercize my right to do so...

http://mypoliticalangst.blogspot.com/

Gratitude in the present

2009-11-15T21:25:00.000-08:00

A wise person recently told me something I already knew, but in a different perspective. "Nothing stays the same. The grief will pass, the pain will pass, the trials will pass, and the bliss will pass!" I'm actually in a state of bliss right now. Everything seems to be in a harmony with one another. But it will eventually pass and the next trial will eventually come along.

Life is so dynamic. It is always changing, and nothing will ever stay the same. The hard trials we go through will eventually change, and the wonderful peaceful times will change too. Life is a journey, and we are here to learn from every station, and move on to the next stage without looking back on the easy times or looking back in regret on what we've done. We should also not look forward to the future and wonder what life will be like when ______ happens to us. The only place to be is the present, to be thankful for it, learn a lesson from it, and to have joy in it. That is a challenge, but I am grateful for it, and hope that someday I will master this challenge, and truly find joy in every moment, every day.

My one and only Halloween pic

2009-11-12T14:50:00.000-08:00

Yay! I have one Halloween pic to post. Scott and I went to our friend Heather's annual Halloween Party and had a blast. I usually dress as a rockstar/singer...Bono twice (with the band), Village People - I was the sailor, Cindy Lauper (I had backup singers too!), Baby Spice, and the bad-girl Sandra D from Grease. This year, I wanted to do something with a current event. I always thought those were the funniest costumes.

So on a whim, we decided to dress up as the balloon-boy's parents. You know, the lunatics who staged their son getting lost in a homemade flying saucer, and were on the news every single day for at least 2 weeks. I can't believe people like that can make the headlines every day, when real news that is important doesn't. Actually, I do know why, but don't get me started on my conspiracy theories :)

Anyway, we won "best couples costume" for this endeavor, which surprised me because there are always really great costumes at their party. It was a really, really fun party, with my favorite part - karaoke! You can look on my facebook page if you want to see my competition :)

More pics of my kiddos

2009-11-08T22:14:00.000-08:00

So you could also judge me because I have no Halloween pics. Why, you say, when you know it's one of my favorite days of the year? First of all, we went to the Prescott Pumpkin Patch Festival a couple weeks ago, and after weeks of searching for an Elmo costume, Bryce wore it for a total of 3 seconds and then threw an absolute fit until we let him take it off. Then it got stolen at the festival, so no more Elmo :( Here's a pic of him with Mr. Whataburger...

I don't have any pics of Paige, even though she was dressed cute that day,because Scott only took video, and that takes foreeeever to upload onto blogs. I don't have that kind of free time. Plus we have no pics of ourselves yet, even though we won a costume contest at our friend's Halloween party for dressing up as the balloon-boy's parents (the crazy people who were on the news for 2 straight weeks). I promise as soon as my friend posts her pics on her blog/Facebook, I will snag them and post them here!

So to compensate for the guilt I feel for being a Halloween-mom failure, I took some pics yesterday of my kids just being themselves outside. It was a cute moment in what seems to be the whirlwinds of life.

I know parents are biased, but my kids really are cute! FYI, I think yours are cute too!

Check out those rolls! She's a whopping 16 pounds at 4 months.

Bryce deep in thought with his trucks.

How can you resist a smile like this?

or a laugh/squeal like this?

Don't judge me, but...

2009-11-08T21:01:00.000-08:00

I am waaaaay behind on posting pictures of my kiddos! With my postpartum and Paige's colic/reflux, and Bryce's terrible twos, and the business...well it's not a great excuse, but it kept me away from pics. It is easier for me, I guess to write about my life than to dig out my camera, remember how to download pics, and post them!

Anyway, I'm going to play catch up here, mostly for the sake of the grandparents, and the thought that one day, I'll have this blog printed onto a book for our family. So here goes the last 4 months of our life in fast forward!

Bryce at his 2nd birthday with the ragtop hair do - I miss his cute long hair!

Paige at one-week-old with her great-grandmother, Mary Jarvis. And yes, she is smiling :)

Bryce's first day of montessori preschool, August 17, 2009

Paige's baby blessing day - September 6, 2009

Our little outing to the temple on general conference weekend. Yeah, I know it's crooked. We didn't take the picture, can't you tell? :)

I promise I will do better! Well, I can't guarantee it, but I know I'll try :)

Albert Eistein once said...

2009-10-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

“I know quite certainly that I myself have no special talent; curiosity, obsession and dogged endurance, combined with self-criticism, have brought me to my ideas.”

So most of you who know me well know that I am an all-or-nothing person. I am always 100-110% about anything I do...nutrition/health, joining the LDS church, running (when I wasn't injured), yoga, babies (the science of breastfeeding specifically), and U2 (mostly a teen/early adulthood obsession, but I am going to their concert!), and other naturalistic granola-child things. Whatever it is that I'm obsessed about, I learn everything I can about it and make it a big part of my life!

My newest obsession: reading fiction. I've always been a reader, but I have been on a break from it. I've always enjoyed it, but with my head injury from my car accident in college, I had a really hard time reading and learning, so it was everything I could do to simply get by in college. Incidentally, recovering from my head injury/accident in itself was an obsession to prove to people and myself that I could do it. I was also looking for my religion, so all of my free reading time went to spiritual non-fiction, which ultimately and gratefully led me to the LDS church. Soon after joining the church, I met and married my awesome husband, Scott, started a business (another successful obsession) and now have 2 beautiful children.

So, I'm nursing again, and I thought it would be a great time to pick up reading fiction again. Boy, I should've seen this coming, but I have really enjoyed this journey. I've joined a book club and have read some amazing books. I am officially addicted. I have read a lot of great books (see my book area on the right) BUT the best book I have read in a REALLY long time is (drum roll, please) The Hunger Games and it's sequel, Catching Fire. I couldn't put it down, nor could I stop thinking about it when I wasn't reading. I had to force myself to go to bed, and sometimes couldn't even sleep because I had to know what happened next. Now I'm dying because the 3rd book isn't out yet, and won't be for about a year. (If you haven't gotten the hint already, READ IT...I promise you will love it). Fortunately I am reading another good book now, and I know that there are many other great books out there waiting to be read.

I used to be embarrased/apologetic for being this intense, because I have been told that some people are/were a little intimidated by me and my intense-ness (is that a word?) but I have since accepted that this is who I am. Afterall, life is short. I was born this way, and all my obsessions have led to new knowledge or understandings about myself and life. It has truly made my life and my family's life a fun adventure!

p.s. read the books and tell me what you think! :)

If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!

2009-09-20T16:39:00.000-07:00

I never knew this phrase to be true until I became a mother. As much as I wish it weren't true, I know that if I keep myself in order and happy, the rest of my family is happy too. I also know that if I'm in a bad mood, so is everyone in my house. So fortunately and unfortunately, (depending on how you look at it) I have a large affect on my family.

I have gained a deeper understanding of this truth over the past few months. I haven't blogged about it, because I felt like if you don't have anything good to write, don't write anything at all. But the truth is, we all have trials. I want my kids to know that they happen to all of us, we can learn a lot from them, and they can make us stronger, better people if we let them. Also, if I can help another woman who is struggling too, all the better.

Some women have a hard time with pregnancy, others have a hard time getting pregnant, and others have a hard time with newborns. I am in the last group. I don't know if it's genetics, or bad luck, or if I'm supposed to learn a lesson, but both of my children have had moderate-severe acid reflux. The first few months are the worst, and fortunately, this time, I knew what the problem was and sought medical treatment instead of letting it go and thinking "it will get better on its own." Anyway, this time, I also came down with postpartum depression and I have never dealt with this before. I was afraid to share this because it is such a private thing for many women, but I felt I should share it. I have always been a happy person, upbeat, and optimistic, sometimes to a fault :) I very rarely cry (only 2-3 times in each pregnancy) and I consider myself pretty stable emotionally. Lately, I have been crying almost every day, feeling hopeless, and quite grumpy to be around. Needless to say my house was not a happy house for a couple months. The worst part is that I felt out of control, and I couldn't think postive thoughts and snap out of it. No gratitude lists or happy songs or massages could break this pattern. So, I came to the unpleasant reality that I had postpartum depression.

The truth is it's very common for women because birth hormones, breastfeeding hormones, the lack of sleep, caring for a newborn, and no alone time with your spouse is very taxing on a woman...not to mention the guilt associated with not spending much time with your older kid(s). It's a real problem that affects women, no matter what their background.

All of my friends know I am a gung-ho naturalistic kind of person (some would say "part-granola" :) and always look for the natural solution to problems. I started with taking herbs, but that didn't seem to be enough. So I went to my naturopath and chiropractor about it, and they both said I might have some mineral deficiencies after the birth and possibly due to nursing. The minerals mentioned were iron and vitamin D as the main ones, and others too. I was taking a good mineral supplement before, but I switched to a new mineral supplement specifically for moods from my chiropractor, and voilà! I was back to myself in less than 8 hours! I am so glad I didn't go to a "regular" dr. who would put me on anti-depressants. Who knows what future problems that would bring...

So now I am officially back to myself! And wouldn't you know it, but everyone in my family became simultaneously happy again too...

Bryce's First Prayer!

2009-08-30T21:40:00.000-07:00

Today was so cute at our house! We were sitting down for Sunday breakfast this morning, and Bryce wanted to say the prayer. Usually, one of us says a simple prayer and he repeats us. We start out saying what we're grateful for, and then ask for blessing on the food/day/etc. Today, Scott started it by saying "Heavenly Father" and then Bryce said, "Father...Mommy, Daddy, Grandmas, Grandpas (yes, he used plural), Hannah (his cousin)...Amen." It was so cute and it made my day!

Can someone please explain...

2009-08-23T07:50:00.000-07:00

...WHY men don't listen to women?! Don't get me wrong, I have a wonderful husband, but after almost 5 years, I feel like he rarely listens to me.

Example: Yesterday he was making me a sandwich because I was nursing and hungry (surprise, surprise), which was very nice of him to do. I asked him to put mustard on the sandwich and then I said, looking him in the eye, "Oh, I need to get more mustard at the store today - we are almost out." Then I wrote it on my list. Almost exactly 10 minutes later, in a completely oblivious tone of voice, Scott says, "Honey, can you get mustard at the store today, we are almost out." I told him I wouldn't even justify that with a response because I had just said it, which of course, he didn't remember. I asked him the question above, and he said that women talk at least twice as much as men, and men just can't handle all the information. Hmm...

We laughed, but I still need to know...why is this the norm? Why do ALL men ignore what their wives say after being married a while? This is probably one of those Mars - Venus questions, but I didn't read that book so I am asking you. Any insight into this phenomenon would be greatly appreciated :)

The Newborn Experience

2009-08-06T20:28:00.000-07:00

My fabulously talented friend, Mary, took some amazing pictures when Paige was 3 weeks old. She's 6 weeks old now and quite a bit bigger, but this has been my first opportunity to blog in a while.

Let me just say that I'm glad the first month is over! It is probably the hardest month for any mother-child, and Paige and I were no exception. We had some issues to work out and she was quite fussy for a while. I then got the baby blues but I got through it! Fortunately, I had a lot of family around to help me and support me. We are all happy and Paige is doing great now!

Poll: Which of the above pics should I include in her newborn announcements?

Also, here's Bryce at 2 and just before a haircut...

Gas Shmas

2009-06-25T14:22:00.000-07:00

Anybody who says that "newborns don't smile, they just have gas" is full of it. Last night, Scott was playing with Paige, who was only 4 days old. He was putting his mouth up to her hand and teasing her. Since she's legally blind like all newborns, she enjoyed feeling his mouth and playing with it, and a big smile came across her face. She was having fun, not having gas. So there!

She's Here!

2009-06-23T20:52:00.000-07:00

We are so excited that Paige joined our family this past Saturday! As most of you know, I wanted a waterbirth/homebirth, and I had the MOST wonderful relaxing experience possible. I was more comfortable and relaxed in my home, so I dilated super fast! I watched some of my favorite movies, in this order: Nacho Libre, Dan in Real Life, and the beginning of The Holiday. I enjoyed the difficult parts of labor in a birthing tub, which they call the "midwives' epidural" and now I know why. I felt instantaneous pain relief when I got in, and it did slow my labor down a little bit (just like an epidural would). It was fine, because I was so close to the end, so it was still pretty quick. I started labor around 8am, and had her at 2:04 p.m. I was talking and laughing in between contractions until the last 20 minutes. I actually was able to enjoy watching my movies too! :) It was so awesome. I will never birth another way again!

Paige was 21" long and weighed in at 7 lbs, 9 oz, almost a pound smaller than Bryce was when he was born. She's my petite little lady! She is doing great, is very alert, and likes to wiggle. She kinda looks like me when I was born - full head of dark brown hair (that fell out for me and came back in sandy brown). We'll see how she looks when she develops.

The above pic is of Scott and Paige at the delivery. Here are some pics of her today. I know I'm biased, but I think she's beautiful!

Paige enjoying some fresh air this afternoon!

Bryce & Paige

Bryce kissing Paige!

Scott, Bryce & Paige reading

Bryce is handling being a big brother very well. He is excited to be a big brother!

I just have to laugh...

2009-06-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

So I'm 38 weeks pregnant, and I have just done the most embarrassing thing in years. I can't believe it, but I was walking in my sleep (somehow) and I fell and sprained my ankle. I haven't walked in my sleep in almost 20 years, so it is quite the shocker to me. All I remember is being on the floor in the dark in a lot of pain. Scott said I must have been dreaming because I said "No, no, no!" and then he heard a thud. As usual, he was wonderful and came to my rescue (but, poor guy, seeing his very pregnant wife on the floor screaming in the middle of the night must have been scary) Scott thinks I tripped on one of the umpteenth pillows I use to sleep with that I must have kicked off onto the floor when I got up. Gotta love pregnancy!

Bryce is being very cute about it though. He keeps pointing at my foot and saying, "Momma's foot hurts...owie" and he's giving me extra kisses. At least I am getting special treatment :) But it sure blows my plans to go on lots of walks this week to bring on my labor early. Deep breath...sigh...laugh...I must have much more character to build :)

Thanks!

2009-06-14T11:40:00.001-07:00

Thank you to all those who participated in my baby showers. One of my best friends, Mary, threw one for me last weekend and it was great fun! Unfortunately, she's also my photographer friend, and since she was hosting the party, there weren't many pics. But some relatives and friends got a little marker-happy with my belly, and drew some notes on there. So at least I have a couple belly shots! And, yes, I do have an outie!

My ward friends also threw me a shower this past Tuesday, but I don't have pics from that yet, so I'll post those when I get them. I am just so excited to have so many oh-so-cute baby girl clothes! This is going to be so much fun! Thank you!

An ode to estrogen

2009-05-30T13:47:00.000-07:00

So most of you know that we're having a girl. Some of you have asked if the pregnancies are any different. The best things about this pregnancy is I am much more mellow and kicked-back than last time, which I attribute to their personalities - Bryce is very strong-minded and stubborn, and I think Paige is much more peaceful and laid-back. Also, I haven't had the swollen feet or aching back, which I attribute to my fantastic chiropractor. Otherwise, pregnancy still agrees with me and I enjoy it just like with Bryce.

Well, I am so excited to have a girl! I've never been that girly - never into bows and frills and dresses, but now I am SO into it. I can't wait for the cute outfits with hats and shoes. Who would've ever guessed that about me, but I am so excited about it!

Well now that I am 36 weeks, I have shifted into GIRLY mode - on overdrive! I have been sooo obsessed, for a few weeks now, with chick flicks. My husband was a little annoyed at first, until he realized it made me sweeter and more romantic and cuddly. Now he's ok with it and says I can watch these movies whenever I want! I've even decided to watch the movies during my labor. Why not be a little distracted by beautiful people, romantic (and funny) scenes, and falling in love during a less-than-comfortable day of my life (to say the least). Here are some of the movies I have been frequently watching, that will probably make it to my labor playlist ...

I've also decided to watch another fave - Nacho Libre (hilariously funny, but not at all a chick flick).

Here's hoping my labor isn't so long that I actually finish all 4 movies! :)

p.s. since I am watching all of these movies way to much, if any of you has a suggestion of another great chick-flick, let me know!

I'm baaaack!

2009-05-16T06:48:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry, folks, that it's been a while since I blogged about the happenings in my life and my family. I have a couple excuses ... and you know what they say about excuses! We've been really, really busy with business (can't complain), my camera-to-computer connection was off that I wasn't patient enough to fix, I've been taking care of a sick husband and toddler, and I got a little addicted to Facebook. I'm still busy, but my family's recovering, I fixed the computer, and I'm taking a break from Facebook. I've decided that blogging is way more important than Facebook, so I promise to be better!

Onto our news...I had a wonderful May 3 this year! For those of you who don't know, it is the 11-year anniversary that I survived a near fatal-car accident that changed my life FOREVER. It is also the 6-year anniversary that I got baptised into the LDS church, which also changed my life FOREVER. Both anniversaries mark the most positively-significant occurences in my life that allowed me the opportunity to seriously change the direction my life was headed. Both have resulted in a better outlook on life, happiness that I never knew before, and an ability to appreciate the present and accept the past and future better than I ever did before.

Every year on May 3, I go to the mountains because that is where I have always gotten my answers to life's big questions, which is something I really needed, especially after the accident. This year was no different. Even though Scott was a l ittle sick, we all went out to Saguaro lake and had a picnic and enjoyed the fresh air. It is wonderful that I can share this special day with my family, and I look forward to telling my kids all about these experiences someday. I want them to know that:

I am truly grateful for life, as I know it is truly a gift that I am still alive, and that we all have the gift of life,

I am grateful for ALL the experiences in my life, good and bad, that have shaped me to the person I am,

I am grateful that I was preserved so that I could find out and join about the LDS church, which answered my biggest questions and has brought the most joy into my life.

Here are some pics from our special day (they aren't very good, but we were lucky to find anybody to take our pic - even if he was a kid and didn't really know our camera :)

Too much to say...

2009-05-01T21:13:00.000-07:00

I have bit my tongue for years. Every once in a while, I blog about something I'm passionate about that has nothing to do with my family. It is politics. So often, I end up wanting to blog about those feelings or news I have heard, or other thoughts I have. But I don't because I think to myself, no this is a family blog and it's not appropriate. Well, I just can't keep it inside any longer. I am far too opinionated and far to passionate about the freedoms of this country that we are currently LOSING in the name of "change" that I have decided to create another blog dedicated to that end. To educate and discuss on one of the most passionate subjects in my life right now. If you want to read it, enjoy. If you don't, it won't hurt my feelings. At least I will have an outlet to express my angst, so to speak...

http://mypoliticalangst.blogspot.com/

Love, Kim

Long overdue...

2009-04-05T21:33:00.000-07:00

I strongly feel the need to publically express some personal and spiritual feelings that I have about my religious faith. Many of the people who read this blog are LDS; however, there are many who aren't, and I feel like I should publically express my testimony and how strongly I feel about my membership in the LDS church.

I was just watching General Conference, where our Prophet and Apostles spoke to us for a couple days (live in Salt Lake and on TV elsewhere). It was wonderful, peaceful, inspiring, and insightful. It made me again disappointed with myself in that I have no problem telling a perfect stranger why I joined the church and what it means to me, but that I have a hard time telling old friends, family and loved ones about it. So it is time to publically say...

I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior, that he lived a perfect life as an example to us and that he suffered and died for us voluntarily so that we may live eternally with him.

I know that he organized the church on the earth, but that over time, the church changed (partly due to other people killing his apostles, etc) and the true church was no longer on the Earth.

I know that Joseph Smith received a vision from Heavenly Father (God) and Jesus Christ, when he was looking for the right church to attend. They told him to attend none of them, and in time, revealed the true gospel, which is now known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

I know that the priesthood was restored to Joseph Smith through John the Baptist, and Peter, James and John from the New Testament times. Through that we now have present-day prophets, apostles and modern revelation, as occured through these apostles and Jesus Christ when they were on the earth.

I married my sweet husband, Scott, in the Mesa LDS Temple (much to the disappointment of many of my non-LDS friends and relatives) because in temple weddings, we can be married for time and eternity by living virtuous principles and obeying the commandments.

I know that I will live with Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father, my family, and many, many more wonderful people for eternity as I continue to strive to live the gospel more fully in my life.

I have been a member of the church for almost 6 years (May 3, 2003), and it has been the most joyful, peaceful time of my life. I am so happy to be a member of the church, because I receive GREAT blessings through my obedience to the commandments. And yes, I am including the blessings I received when I gave up coffee, tea, and alcohol. I can't imagine my life without the gospel. It would be dark and confusing. I would be happy to go into further detail with any of you, and if you would like to research this independently, I highly recommend http://www.mormon.org/ for more information. Thank you.

Music and the Stories of Life

2009-03-27T21:44:00.000-07:00

I have recently watched two of my favorite movies back-to-back, Dan in Real Life and Nacho Libre. They are quite different from each other, but there is one thing they have in common...their soundtracks are perfect. Nacho Libre's music is goofy, random and totally makes me laugh. Dan in Real Life's music is sincere, funny at times, and totally makes me get all warm and fuzzy inside. Those would also be my description of the movies themselves. I have seen each of these films 10-15 times each and I can't get enough of them. Now I know why... the music brings the stories to life. I can think of several other classic movies with great soundtracks...Forrest Gump, The Breakfast Club, The Notebook, and Shawshank Redemption. Those are just a few, as I know there are many other movies with superb soundtracks...music that ingrains the story into your soul and doesn't let you forget about it. That, my friend, makes a great movie.
And if you've ever wondered what my life's soundtrack would be, just ask me. I already have it on cd...for at least the first 30 years of my life :)

Heaven on Earth

2009-03-16T19:33:00.000-07:00

I have recently read of HBO's plans to portray the LDS temple in a casual light. This is the church's response, a simple message about the true purpose of temples. Enjoy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x_-TQivCx8

What was I thinking?

2009-03-14T22:07:00.000-07:00

My friend Mary took the cutest picture of our fam last fall for our Christmas photo and I didn't even post it! For crying out loud!(scottish accent used here)

Anyway, here's our photo from our Christmas card. It's about the only thing Christmasy that made it to the blog this year, and it's 3 months late. Oh well, we can't all be perfect like those once-or-twice-a-week bloggers. You know who you are :)

But there is one thing I can be very proud of...I have my taxes done and submitted early!! This is a first since our business opened 4 years ago. Yay for refunds!

Bryce loves Wawa!

2009-03-08T20:31:00.000-07:00

We have been terrible at taking family videos, even with our new camera. We either forget when the time is right because we're enjoying the moment, or we record it and the lighting/angles/something looks terrible. Maybe my expectations are too high, but that's me.
This is a pretty monumental event for Bryce. Up until very recently, he HATED taking a bath or doing anything that got him even a little wet. We have spent so much time and money on bath toys to help him enjoy it, and he's finally decided water time is fun. So we let the good hygeine rules on drinking from a hose go out the window and enjoyed Bryce having fun with water. Afterall, you're only a kid once. Bring on the germs!

p.s. I love his muscle shirt!

Little laugh for your Wednesday

2009-03-04T05:30:00.000-08:00

The following is the winning entry in an annual contest at Texas A&M University calling for the most appropriate definition of a contemporary term. This year's term was Political Correctness.

The winner wrote: "Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."
R. J. Wiedemann LtCol. USMC Ret.

Where have I been?

2009-02-27T21:04:00.000-08:00

Some of you may be asking yourself that question, when I've been a relatively faithful blogger. Well if you want to know, our computer with all our pics crashed right after our vacation (hence no holiday pics), then I got a horrid sinus infection (no more pics) and now we are slammed with our busy season (ie all the snow birds just realized they only have 2-3 more months to get hearing aids and get them adjusted/programmed and such before they leave for the summer...yikes for them...Great for us!).

I am truly grateful the Lord continues to bless us, even though the news spells horrors of the economy. I am also grateful my uber smart husband picked the PERFECT industry to start a business. Things haven't been so busy for us in TWO years! We prayed for it, but I am still grateful. Plus I have had the best closing ratio (selling ratio) in the history of our business. I am for once doing better than my husband (but don't tell him I said that : ) The last time I was close to this good was the last time I was pregnant... maybe the hormones are good for my selling strategy...or maybe my "glow" makes me cuter so all the old people have no choice but to say "Here's my credit card!" :) Either way, I'll take it!

Anyway, last Sunday I was determined to download videos and post something cute from the farm in Texas we visited over Christmas and the ultrasound we just had on DVD, but NOTHING worked!

I was hoping for a really cute way to tell you all that we are having a GIRL!! But this boring way will have to do. I just want you all to know that I will someday have pics up here again, but for now, know that I love you all and hope that life brings you blessings as it brings me mine :)

Meet Logan

2009-02-05T15:21:00.000-08:00

I know I am TOTALLY overdue to post some pics of our family, and mostly Bryce. But this is our busy season, and well, I haven't had any free time.

I also know that I NEVER post these kinds of things or even send these kinds of emails, but it got me a little choked up. Maybe it's because I'm pregnant, but I'd like to know if I'm silly in tearing up over this little video clip. It is so true.

This is actually about the radio station I listened to as a child.

Earplugs...the perfect treatment for the Terrible Two's

2009-01-25T06:06:00.000-08:00

So Bryce is going through his Terrible Two's six months early. He's always gone through the difficult things early or for a long time (or shall I say, I've gone through the difficult things early). He was teething at 10 weeks old, reflux-y for a long 15 months, and now he's a terrible two-er at 18 months old. Is this the red-hair in him or is he just so excited to grow up he wants to skip ahead to the next stage? The funny thing is, he isn't that early on the good things...he's a early on talking, but he's been right on schedule for everything else that's good and exciting.

So, this week has been especially Two-ey. He's thrown absolute fits EVERY night this week. I mean, screaming, throwing himself on the floor, out-of-control fits. To use my favorite college Kim-ism, he was SWOOC - So WAY out of control! We tried time-out, but it didn't always work. He wouldn't eat, play, nothing. They really come out of nowhere - he has quite the red-headed temper! (All I ask, God, is please give me a break from redheads...let my next child be a calm brunette or blonde PLEASE)

I've read to not get emotionally involved at all. Well that's hard to do when he's trying to rip my beautiful Korean artwork off the wall or I can't even enjoy a nice dinner with my husband. So our solution Thursday night...EARPLUGS! We put our trusty earplugs in and just ignored him in the other room (of course he's far away from any of my artwork). We actually enjoyed a nice, pleasant conversation!

On a positive note, we did have a breakthrough on Friday night. Instead of getting Bryce out of time-out after 5-10 minutes, in which he was still upset, I waited until he had really calmed himself down. In Friday's case, it took him 20-25 minutes of SCREAMING to calm down. But he did, and then he wanted to be held. The funny math equation there is, when he was in timeout for 5 minutes, he'd want to be held for 10 minutes, when it was 20 minutes, I had to hold him for 40 minutes! Funny I know, but I guess it helped remind him that he's still loved. But he was darling after that. He ate great, was so sweet, and has been sweet and fun ever since.

So I'm hoping that the blessing here is, that he's done being a terrible two-er in 6 months when I have another baby. Until then, we'll keep an extra set of earplugs downstairs, just for sanity insurance :)

Will I ever have my body back?

2009-01-07T20:04:00.000-08:00

So I've been a mother for 18 months now (over 2 years if you include the pregnancy), and for the most part, it is one of the best things I have ever done. But one thing that seems to never go away, is the fact that my body is not my own anymore. If you're a man, you probably don't want to read this:

1) As a pregnant woman, I feel I have little control over my body. I've never been a "puker" (and God bless you souls who are), but I've had the nasty sinus infection for about a week (hence no blogging), and I throw up at least once a day due to all the mucus I have in my throat. I feel like each time I throw up, I'm losing more control. Like today, I puked on myself in the car driving 70 mph with NO warning. (TMI...stop reading!)
2) When I was nursing, I was a slave to my reflux child. There were so many things I couldn't eat that bothered him (the worst thing to give up...chocolate!) Plus there was that nasty diet for a year from the infection I contracted at the hospital (which is why I will never willfully have another baby in the hospital again : )
3) Finally, my pre-potty training toddler (we're reading and talking about it now) wants to poke his finger in the toilet (and other places) every time I pee or poop. TMI, well you should've stopped reading earlier if that's the case!
4) My boobs used to be so perky and the perfect size, and now they shrunk to almost-too-small-to-measure and lifeless. My only source of hope and comfort is to get pregnant again so the hormones give me a temporary boob job!
5) In the old days, I was a smart, creative, and spiritual business woman. That doesn't exist when I'm pregnant or nursing. I'm dummy-headed...absentminded, not able to intelligently finish a sentence, etc. My only reprieve this time was 5 months of sobriety (the 5 months between nursing Bryce and getting pregnant again). And I heard it gets worse with every child. Is this true?

So my question is...will I ever get my body back? Is this the true sacrifice of motherhood? Is this why older wealthy women spend inordinate amounts of money to fix what childbearing caused? I guess my husband should start saving now...it's going to be expensive.

5 Fantastic Things about Today

2008-12-09T13:47:00.000-08:00

1. My baby is the size of a fig and is almost fully formed!
2. I got my Christmas photo cards printed!
3. I am far less nauseous than I was a week ago!
4. Bryce still sleeps at least 16 hours a day! (I am so spoiled)
5. I just paid $14 to refill my gas tank! (1.51/gallon) I remember paying over $40 this year

Today is a great day...partially because I decided to notice the good things in the day. I was feeling so sorry for myself about my sickness, etc. I just decided this week to be happier because, as Abraham Lincoln said, "Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be."

Santa came early!

2008-12-06T18:47:00.000-08:00

So Santa came early...or shall I say, one of our family Christmas gifts came and Scott could not contain himself until Christmas and we enjoyed it early! It is the coolest contraption, a bike trailer. But not your usual bike trailer...

It's a tandem bike that attaches to a regular adult bike. A child can sit in the back seat and peddle and learn to ride. It's designed for kids ages 5-10, but the weight limit is 200, so I rode it! Then we put Bryce in a carseat and attached the carseat to the tray in the back. Doesn't sound secure? I thought so too when looking at the picture online, but Scott insisted it would be perfect. As usual, all of his "crazy" ideas are always perfect! I have learned after 4 years to just trust his notions, even if they sound crazy to me, because they always work out (except once, but one in over a hundred ideas is still great odds). Afterall, he is an Aquarius...he always thinks outside the box! So I let him order it, and it came yesterday. After I went to bed, he spent all night last night putting it together and surprised us this morning with a bike ride to Denny's (a mile away) for breakfast. We all loved it, especially Bryce. After breakfast we walked down to the pond across the street and fed the ducks (Bryce's new favorite animal). Bryce had a great nap after all this excitement and then we took the bike out again to go ride and rent a movie. Both experiences were fun, exciting and great. Bryce kept talking the whole time, although I'm not exactly sure what he was talking about, except when he said "ho, ho, ho" when we'd pass a house with a santa in the front yard. I don't have pictures because we were all riding and, honestly, I didn't think about blogging about it until now. I was just reflecting on how perfect of a day it was with my family.

This website would sell a lot more of this product if people knew it was adaptable for babies. It's only a little more than other baby bike trailers, but so much more versatile and safer! Bryce was safely secure in his car seat. I'm not soliciting for them, but if anyone is interested in bike trailers, I would check out the Morgan Cycle caboose bike trailer!

Oh, and I promise, no more Christmas presents early!

It's a grape!

2008-11-25T19:53:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited! I can't contain it anymore. I know it's taboo to kiss-and-tell too soon, but I am pregnant! Nine-and-a-half weeks to be exact and I am so excited! The cool thing was this time, I knew I was pregnant a week after I conceived even though I got negative pregnancy tests - it's weird how a woman knows her body.

I went to my midwife today and heard the baby's heartbeat and I just melted (and teared up a bit)! It's funny how I have heard it before with Bryce but it is so special with every pregnancy. I have been so sick this pregnancy, which was a surprise because I wasn't sick at all with Bryce. Some are saying that means I'm having a girl. When we were trying, I felt like it would be another boy, and then as soon as I was pregnant, I felt like it was a girl. Does that make it a double-negative and they cancel each other out...or am I having a girl because I think so now that I'm pregnant AND I'm sick? Who knows for another 10 weeks.

Well, according to http://www.babycenter.com/ (my favorite pregnancy website), my little one is the size of a grape this week. It's got all it's major body parts but still has a lot of developing and growing to do. Oh, and my due date is June 28. So both my children will be Cancers (as long as I go at least 39 weeks, but if I'm earlier she/he's a Gemini which is cool too!) I get along very well with Cancers. Let's just hope I don't have another red-head. I love Bryce's hair, but he's got quite the temper : )

So this is the longest blog-post yet. But I have to show a pic of my barely-showing belly. I can tell, a few others can tell, but the question is...can YOU tell? Not to give myself airs, but I normally have a flat tummy (and a smaller butt, too). It's a little bump for now, but I promise it will be bigger than last time!

Editorial on the pic: it was late and I didn't pay attention to the fact that I was wearing a green shirt against a green backdrop...maybe not the best idea for dramatic effect : )

The Twilight Phenomenon

2008-11-23T12:13:00.000-08:00

Let me just say that I think it is absolutely amazing that one author, unknown before this book, can create a phenomenon about a love story about vampires. I have not read the books, but I have followed as almost all of my friends have read it and are most likely obsessed with it over the past 2 years. Now that the movie is finally out and everyone thinks it's lame, I am glad I haven't read it.

But this is typical of me, I never got into Seinfeld or Friends or The Office until years after it was popular. A good TV show had to prove that it was good enough to stick around before I started spending my 30 minutes to see if I'd like it. I now love all of those shows. I've also still not seen/read Harry Potter yet. So when everyone has moved on to the next big fad, and when the crazy hype has cooled off and everyone has forgotten about it, you'll find me reading Twilight.

I've been tagged...

2008-11-13T10:30:00.000-08:00

I groaned when I saw myself tagged, but it was actually fun/interesting to do. Here are my answers, with some editorials too!

5 Things I was doing 10 years ago:
1. I was a sophomore at ASU...eegads I feel old (so far I've been reading friends who were in junior high or high school 10 years ago)
2. Recovering from my traumatic brain injury - sounds depressing, but it really took all my energy to recover as quickly as I did. (it took 5 years)
3. Working as a college tutor for a freshman dorm (Sonora). Got a free dorm and got paid to do it (that was such an easy job, I miss it. Life was really much simpler)
4. Getting over my first love - the firefighter that broke my heart (I was so stupid)
5. Spending a lot of time with my best friend Jessica at Starbucks! (the funnest part : )

5 Things on my to-do list today: (quite boring)
1. Go through my inbox (go through mail, sort bills, send to bookkeeper, review financial reports)
2. Finish payroll for our 6 employees
3. Order supplies for offices
4. Take Bryce for a walk to the park
5. Go to enrichment

5 Snacks I enjoy (I'm still on a modified Candida cleanse diet):
1. Potato chips with onion dip (yummmmm)
2. Half a banana
3. Protein shake with berries
4. Triscuits with goat cheese spread
5. Plain cheerios

5 Places I've lived:
1. Houston, TX (Spring, Kingwood, Atascocita)
2. Austin, TX (Round Rock)
3. Tempe, AZ
4. Mesa, AZ
5. Chandler, AZ (my current and my fave!)

5 Jobs I've had: (I've had many so I'll just name the highlights)
1. First job ever: Admin Assistant for my mom & her boss when I was 15-17
2. Residential Tutor at ASU
3. Recreational Therapist at Art Awakenings (Art Studio for people with mental illnesses)
4. Special Olympics Coach/Coordinator (for City of Chandler then City of Mesa, then Arizona Special Olympics)
5. Owner/Manager/Hearing Specialist - 2 hearing aid centers

5 People I tag:
1. Mary
2. Cassie
3. Sharon
4. Heather Harris-Torriente
5. Bethany

More modeling madness

2008-11-09T19:06:00.001-08:00

So I told you that our friend Mary is using us to learn how to take family pictures (a.k.a. baby pictures). I totally love it because it gives us good family pics without all the effort of doing it ourselves. I really like the pics...I only wish Mary wouldn't be so hard on herself and just admit that they're good. I'm starting to believe the saying is true that baby will only smile for mom or dad. You can see that in these shots...
Scott holding Bryce in the air.
Bryce laughing as Dad throws him up again.
Mary trying to get a smile out of him. See what I mean? Of course this was near the end of the shoot and he was tired. I bet he was thinking "Aren't we done already?"

My husband is so cute! Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Post-Halloween/Post-election Lamentations

2008-11-09T18:47:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I'm a slacker. When I started this blog, I tried to post once or twice a week. Well it's been 2 weeks. I missed Halloween (although you got many cute shots of the pre-Halloween costume parties). I felt it was redundant to do it again on Halloween. Now I feel gipped because the only pic of me on Halloween is on Michayle's blog and I'm talking while she's taking the pic so I look like a dork! But I'm happy to finally make it onto her blog.

On another note, I am so glad the elections are over. Some turned out how I voted, others didn't. But I am grateful that I have the opportunity to vote and that we live in a democracy. I read something recently that said, "I'm grateful that I hear so many people complain about the government because it means we have freedom of speech." It's nice to be reminded of our basic freedoms that we overlook or take for granted many times.

Mr. Photo Opp

2008-10-26T13:08:00.000-07:00

One of Scott's patients knitted this sweater for Bryce. This picture was taken a couple months ago, and I can already see that he is more of a boy now and less of a baby... :(

You wouldn't know it by looking at these shots, but he was really cranky that day, (teething...say no more). But as soon as I pulled out the camera, he was all smiles!

And on that farm he had a chicken...

2008-10-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

This weekend was so fun! We went to the Annual East Valley Special Olympics Halloween Dance on Friday. For the record, it is the best halloween party/dance ever! (Sorry Heather, I promise yours is second) I used to work with Special Olympics and some of my best and funnest (I know it's not a word, but it fits) memories are with Special Olympics. I hope I can get our kids involved when they're older.

Here are some cute shots of Bryce as a chicken with mom and dad as farmers. (We love group costumes and can't wait to have enough kids to be the Village People!)
Lastly, here is a pic of getting ready earlier. I couldn't resist Bryce's signature smile!

Halloween Sneak Preview

2008-10-08T21:49:00.000-07:00

Ah, the month of October...the time for one of my favorite fun-holidays - Halloween! If you don't know already, I was sheltered during my childhood and was not allowed to dress up for halloween after age 5 (tragic, I know). So I have done my best to make up for all those lost years by making a huge deal of halloween. Now that I'm a mother, it's even more fun.

This year, Bryce is 15 months old, and I thought it would be fun to dress him up as a superhero, but Scott said no-way. He said that Bryce will have many superhero years ahead of him, but this year, he wanted to dress him up in a costume that will embarass him later in life when he's dating girls, like a farm animal. Fortunately our cool cousins, Spencer and Sharon had this cute chicken costume that is a little big for Bryce, but it is so cute. So we're borrowing it and Bryce loves it. It is so perfect. Maybe Scott and I will be farmers to go with the package...

Bryce flapping his wings!

I miss Bryce's rolls

2008-10-04T12:55:00.000-07:00

This is a pic of Bryce at 7 months, right when he started crawling. He was always a chubby baby with lots of rolls, and we took these pics to remember them as he was embarking on this new stage. He has since gotten taller and is slowly losing those rolls and baby boobies as he walks and emplores, which is a little sad for us : (
A friend said it looked like rubber bands around his arms and legs!

Editorial #1: my beef with blogs

2008-10-01T21:55:00.000-07:00

So if you are reading this, you know me well enough to know that I have an opinion about everything... Anyway, I have learned that some people only post pics of their kids, which puzzles me.
#1. Family blogs should be about the family, even if the kids are so darn cute. They got their good looks from you, so include yourself in those pics!
# 2. We were looking at friends-of-old-friends blogs to see if we knew people. We couldn't even tell if we knew them because it was just pics of their kids. Help us out, because it may be our only way to reconnect with you!

Our very first photo posting

2008-10-01T21:53:00.000-07:00

So I'm learning as I go with blogging, and here's a recent family photo that our friend Mary took. It looks like I'm trying to kiss Bryce, but really I'm blowing on his face to get him to smile (he was hot and cranky). You may see more pics like this as our friend Mary exploits us for her new photo hobby. Mary, we're just kidding. We love to be the guinea pigs!

So I'm finally a blogger

2008-09-29T22:34:00.000-07:00

I've always been the last to get into technology...my family was the last to get a microwave in the 80's, I didn't get a cell phone until I was 22 and we JUST got high-speed internet this year (and we have a business!). So needless to say, I feel like I'm the last to "blog." The only reasons I'm embracing it is because it will make sharing our lives with our friends & family easier, and well, if Google endorses it, it must be good!