melissaanne

New blog!

2009-01-21T21:09:00.002-07:00

We've moved!

Here's our new address:

http://lissieanne.wordpress.com

Come visit!

Please excuse...

2009-01-19T19:40:00.002-07:00

the blog. We're undergoing some changes. Just to shake it up a bit. Same ol' stuff here, just different background or layout perhaps. We'll see. :)

The Adventures of Olivia

2009-01-19T09:49:00.003-07:00

So, as usual, Olivia has been finding new ways to get herself into distress. What else is there for a damsel to do?

Here's her latest:

How, you ask? NO idea. She did this while I was on the phone with Cameron who was on his way home from work. I had to have him hold on while I crawled onto Duncan's bed and arched my back in attempts to allow her to use my back as a step to start shimmying herself up (you have to be creative when you can't just climb up top and lift her out, pregnancy has it's issues, lol). Well this proved to be useless, I apparently wasn't tall enough for her to have a real footing on my back and she was still stuck.

Laughing, I informed Cam and he told me I'd probably have to leave her for the next 5-7 minutes until he was able to finally get home and that he would come pull her out. That's when the shrieking started of, "MOOOOOOOOMMMMM! I have to go POTTY!"

I did the math in my head and realized the amount of exertion it would take me to scale the ladder-less bunk bed and pull her out myself was probably equal to the amount of unhealthy stress I would be fuming later as I was scrubbing the wall, Duncan's bed, the trim and carpet below... not to mention whatever else happened to have been shoved under the bed in the last week or so, LOL.

Needless to say, this thought process took a lot longer to type out then it did to act out. She ran to the bathroom afterwards and no one had any headache-inducing cleaning to do. Another day saved, lol. :)

"Can I tell you my dream?'

2009-01-18T11:02:00.000-07:00

So this morning, at 6am, my children gleefully skip into my bedroom and my son pounces his fists on my mattress to bounce my head awake. I send Olivia to the bathroom, find my robe, and take them downstairs for breakfast.

Meanwhile, Olivia has been begging me from before the second I opened my eyes, to please please please PLEASE let her tell me her dream.

Finally, we make it downstairs, they sit at the table, I serve breakfast and I let her tell me her dream:

Liv: "Well, Mom, did you know Papa was in my dream?" (Papa is my Dad.)

Me: "No, he was?"

Liv:"Yes, and he lived in Utah. What country do we live in?"

Me: "America."

Liv: "Noo... uhm... what state?"

Me: "Utah."

Liv: "Noo... uhm..."

Me: "Are you trying to ask what city?" Olivia LOVES to hear what city she lives in. She continues to ask despite the fact that her little brain is much too competent to not have it memorized by now.

Liv: "Yes!"

Me: "West Jordan."

Liv: "So Papa lived in West Jordan and Utah, and Sidney was in the bathroom, and she used WAAAAAAY too much toilet paper," Olivia has been known to have frequent and vivid bathroom dreams, i.e. The Black Toilet Dream.

Me: "So, Sidney lived here too?"

Liv: "Yes, and she went to the bathroom and used WAAAAAAY too much toilet paper. You went in there to help her flush the toilet and it was so unbelievable - the toilet FLUSHED YOU DOWN."

Me: "Flushed me down? Why was I flushing for Sidney?"

Liv: not pausing... "-- and it flushed you down, and the too much toilet paper, and it left puddles all over Papa's carpet. He was so angry because there were puddles all over his carpet and all over his house in Utah and he was not happy because of the mess."

Me: "Wow. That's an interesting dream." Papa had a carpeted bathroom? What kind of sick "dream" house in Utah was Papa living in?

Liv: "Yeah. I just wish I could have puddles in my house. I would like to jump in them. Can I have some milk?"

Ahh... the mind of a 4-year-old.

Snow Day!

2009-01-16T11:04:00.004-07:00

The day after Christmas we got some more snow.

Just a little.

So the boys went out to shovel in the cold, cold snow. But I had to share the cute photos. :) Even Woody joined in on the fun. :)

O55 & D35: Starting Anew

2009-01-15T11:18:00.002-07:00

So I've wavered, I've wobbled - all in all I've pretty much fallen flat on my face trying to get these newsletters started. But I know I need to do better. So I am going to do better.

I've never been one for outspoken and obvious New Year's Resolutions and really anytime I h ave been it's about being healthier in order to lose a little weight, or being more organized in order to to... be more organized - all of which sort of just HAPPEN in January because I'm a nutcase. But mostly, being pregnant this time around, I happened to stop and think about non-physical resolutions. I wasn't going to start jogging (well, and then subsequently go into labor, lol) or eat less - by gosh darn it, I AM going to do newsletters!

So I'm starting over strong in January of 2009 with a double whammy and a little dose left over from Christmas.

You both grew so much last year, both physically and mentally. It's hard for me to even look at photographs of you and realize that you weren't always the size you are now. Last night, during my mini nesting session, I organized photos from earlier in your childhood(s) and was just blown away by how your sweet little faces were just basically now glued onto bigger bodies! Duncan will always be one of those kids that loses the "Who Is This Baby?" contest because he will look EXACTLY the same for the rest of his life. Olivia has changed enough that she could pass for an older sister of the said baby in the photograph, possibly tricking some but not enough. The real giveaway would be a video of her incessant chattering, IDENTICAL to the incessant chattering that occurs every day.

Olivia and her new purse from Mimi & Papa
Taken 12/25/2008 at the Wagners' Home

You were both fascinated again by the snow this year, despite it's late arrival, and begged to go out in the snow and play. I, of course, caved and allowed you to do so - only to be thanked by the hysterical crying faces of "It's COLD out there!" Gee. Perhaps that's why it's SNOWING.

No matter how much I bundle you up, you both always manage to find a way to get cold or snow INTO your bundles and burst into hysterical crying spells beyond comforting. Duncan tends to be less emotional when he's interested in being outside. By the time he's bored or done, he figures, cry with Liv - we'll get a quicker response.

Duncan and his new football from Mimi & Papa
Taken 12/25/2008 at the Wagners' Home

You're still doing very well playing together, we get a little over the top at times, but you're at the age where you easily entertain each other. Putting the crib up in your room has been an interesting adventure. You both refer to it as "Baby Rachael's Bed" and know the rules about using it to climb or scale other objects and comply fairly easily. It will be interesting to see if the addition of an actual BABY inside the crib will change that.

Olivia, and her cousins Kyla (4 yrs) and Kortney (2 yrs)
(all eating Mimi's chocolate, lol)
Taken 12/25/2008 at the Wagners' Home

We went to IKEA over the weekend to pick out some things for your room and also to pick up the linens and things we wanted for the baby. Both of you were very excited to be able to see that Rachael was going to have matching linens and that we bought special curtains JUST for your ROOM! It's frustrating being in an apartment and not being able to paint. The whimsical animals that go along with the IKEA line we've picked for your room would be adorable on the wall. That's part of the reason that I love these curtains, they bring color AND fun little animals onto some very basic, boring, wall color.

Duncan, and his cousins Zachary (10 mths) and Jordan (4 yrs)
(They were playing "drums" on the popcorn tins from Grandma Martha Wagner)
Taken 12/25/2008 at the Wagners' Home

It's so cute to see you with your baby cousins (who are rapidly racing towards their one year mark, hardly babies anymore!) and to see you making comparisons to Baby Rachael. Of course, it will also be interesting to see how disappointed you are when Rachael's not able to walk or play with the toys you've reserved for her withing 2 days of being born. Some things just take time and I'm curious to see how else you'll strive to play and connect with her. Rachael will be lucky, much like my sister Maddie, to be born into a family that not only has a Mom and Dad but also a big sister AND big brother - best of both worlds.

Well that about wraps up this month's double newsletter. And you WILL be seeing more next month. Bet your bottom (Shrek: "Bet my bottom?!" Haha, inside 2-year-old joke...) dollar and more photos to accompany them.

Duncan (2) & Olivia (4)
Christmas Eve

Love you two. :)

35 weeks

2009-01-14T11:59:00.003-07:00

Here we are at 35 weeks. I remember thinking, it'll be so nice when I'm finally there.

Now I'm here.

35 weeks, wow.

And guess what! Now that I've reached the ripe old age of 35 weeks, apparently, I'm starting to "LOOK" pregnant.

Who'd'a thunk?

Christmas Morning [part 2]

2009-01-12T19:13:00.006-07:00

Ohhh... must get these done! I've been lagging. Here are more, enjoy!

Here they are opening their presents that we were the most excited for. :) Woody and Jessie dolls! They love them. I've got some photos I'll post soon of Duncan and his Woody doll outside in the snow "shoveling with Daddy" - such a helper. :)

Honestly. How does he do it? Every time.

Cameron apparently felt the need to take a photo of me directing wrapping paper disposal. Surprise surprise.

More scrappy stuff! Yay! :)

Cam and his new slingshot monkey. :) He has too much fun with this one. Literally. ;)

Boots from Tanya! Thanks Tanya! (My first pair! Well, okay, besides the ones I wore in 2nd grade, pink cowboy boots with pink tassles... how about my first SANE pair of boots?)

Goldfish Crackers from Gma Bonnie and Gpa Bill! Thanks!

More LOTR movies. :)

Olivia's "Sleeping Beauty" church dress from Gma Tanya! She LOVES it! Thanks!

Duncan announcing "BOOTS!" as he pulled the gift out of the box, lol. From Gma Tanya, thanks! :)

Daddy and his BIG present. :)

Craftsman Tool chest! :)

Wow, okay - Christmas morning is done. :-P Phew!

Back to more normal blogging tomorrow!

Christmas Morning [part 1]

2009-01-06T11:10:00.013-07:00

Here they are... there are a LOT. :)

Waking up to see Santa Presents and inspecting the leftover cookie crumbs and milk.

Duncan's present from Santa: Don't Wake Hulk
(same idea as Don't Wake Daddy)

Olivia's Santa present: Cinderella's Enchanted Slipper Game
(VERY princess...)

Wall stickers for the both of them, Liv's: Princess, Dunk's: Cars.

Daddy's first gift
(note the strategic box and then paper placement to avoid being photographed?)
JIGSAW, woo hoo. :)

Mommy opening "The Lord of the Rings". Yay!

Duncan's gift from Aunt Laura!
He LOVES this blanket, nice and soft
- it even matches their bed linens, way to go!
Thanks Aunt Laura. :)

Olivia's gift from Aunt Laura
- she calls it her "Mermaid Blanket" because
"it looks like flowers underwater".
Thanks Aunt Laura! :)

Cameron and his Woodcraft gift from Dad
Thanks Dad!

Olivia's present from Gma Cole, a matching puzzle!
She's getting very good at matching the words with the pictures.
Loves it, thanks Gma!

Duncan and his not-yet-unwrapped Lincoln Logs Set from Mommy and Daddy. :)

Daddy's new tool set... not sure what it's even called... but I did buy it and he liked it, LOL. :)
Works, right?

Duncan's Cars book from Gma Bonnie and Gpa Bill!
Thank you!

Another post-preggo shirt from Aero, yay!

CANDYLAND! I was so excited to get this, I could hardly stand it. This was a gift I definitely didn't see coming because Cam can't stand the game, LOL. I'm so glad we can add it to our collection though. :)

DVDs for the kids, Monsters Inc. for D, and The Little Mermaid for Liv.

Liv's gift from Papa - GYRO WHEEL!
She's a pro now, you should see her. That is when Daddy or Duncan haven't swiped it for themselves, lol. :)

Duncan got Gumby and Pokey from Papa! He loves them, Thanks Papa!

The Elf going under the tree for more presents.

Yay, Coluzzle Alphabet!

Gma made Patriotic gifts this year in honor of my cousin's husband, Sam.
Ours is great! Thanks Gma!

More presents for Mommy from Daddy.
(He kept having the kids bring them in groups, lol.)

Duncan opening his puzzle from Gma Cole, like Livy's but opposites to match instead! :)

Olivia's ribbiting frog from Gma Bonnie & Gpa Bill, thanks! :)

Another DVD for Duncan, Jungle Book!

Olivia's Princess Book from Gma Bonnie & Gpa Bill! Thanks! :)

More tomorrow!

David Bowman Contest, very neat idea!

2009-01-04T09:46:00.003-07:00

ETA: The contest has ended! Thanks David for such a fun idea and giveaway!

You can see this blog for more info! :) http://trying2staycalm.blogspot.com/

I wanted to share these beautiful pictures and what the artist has to say about each one of them! You can ALL win a FREE signed 8x10 print of your choice (out of the three prints), by copying and posting to your blog or website this whole post! After you post then send an e-mail to David (contact@bowman-art.com) with your website or blog address telling him you posted it and that you read about this offer on my blog. Also send him your name and mailing address and he will send your signed 8x10 print of your choice :)

David Bowman: has had a passion for art ever since he could pick up a pencil. He loves creating images of the Savior that inspire and uplift. Along with his Christian fine art, David has also written and illustrated a series of scripture storybooks for children titled "Who's Your Hero". Check out his website at www.bowman-art.com to see more of his precious art.

"Innocence"
The Savior tells us we need to become as little children to inherit the kingdom of God. I've often wondered what it is about little children Jesus loves most, and I think its their innocence. They are clean slates, seeing the world and others through untarnished eyes. Their hearts are pure, without the baggage of cynicism and self-doubt. In this piece, I've tried to imagine how a child would act upon meeting the Master for the first time. Without reservation or inhibition, I think he would simply want to play with Him. He would be at complete ease, allowing his pure little heart to soak in the love and laughter of His pure, infinite heart. Its no wonder Christ delights in these little ones and sets them up to be our examples.

"Security"
One of the greatest human needs is a sense of security. In all aspects of life, we naturally gravitate towards anything that makes us feel safe. In this piece, I wanted to convey a sense of complete peace and calm like only the Savior can provide. It's a security that allows us to rest assured, without fear or worry, when we put ourselves trustingly in His arms. Little children have that inherent kind of trust in their parents, so it's fitting that the man and girl who modeled for "Security" are actually father and daughter. They generated
the exact feel I was looking for.

"My Child"
This piece conveys an intimate, up-close-and-personal feeling of the Savior's love. Notice how all the lines draw your attention and point towards Jesus' face in the center. I chose the name "My Child" because the only thing that could compare (even remotely) to Christ's compassion for us is the love of a parent for his/her child. This image is also intended to put things in perspective. Above all, we are God's children first. He allows us the privilege of experiencing parenthood for ourselves and we are entrusted to be the mothers and fathers of His children here on earth.

Love them! Visit www.bowman-art.com to see more!

"33" weeks

2008-12-31T12:36:00.002-07:00

My photo will be taken either this afternoon or tonight, but this is just a short note.

Guess who's 33 weeks and 1 day and measuring in at at LEAST 34 weeks but closer to 35?

Ugh.

I don't want to guess.

Photo later.

Christmas EVE!

2008-12-30T08:02:00.006-07:00

Okay, well, as you can guess - we have a LOT of photos. I figured I'd start with Christmas Eve. :)

Enjoy!

Liv, after sampling the cookies Mommy deemed: Reindeer Chips.
(I was NOT happy with the outcome.
I used to be able to bake... then I moved to Utah. UGH.)

Merry Christmas!

Loving... and choking apparently, lol.

Our Christmas Tree

Anxiously awaiting Daddy to finish doing dishes so we can open a present. (Yes, I told him he didn't have to do them, it was Christmas Eve afterall but if you know him, you know how stubborn he is...)

Duncan's Christmas Eve Present:
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Puzzle!

Olivia's Christmas Eve Present:
My Friends Tigger & Pooh Puzzle!

Opening my gift.

(Weird belly shot...?)
Melissa's Christmas Eve Present:
Purple Post-Pregnancy Polo
(Haha, look at that alliteration... I'm a on a roll!)

Duncan, already having opened his puzzle,
going to town and building a "looooooooong puzzle".
They had a lot of fun with those that night, lol. :)

Cam blocking the camera on his turn to open his gift.

Cameron's Christmas Eve Present:
An ORANGE-ISH (not red, not normal orange, HA!) Polo!

A POLO! Yeah, our Christmas Eve presents we deemed to be the same (and ones we already knew we were getting - we picked them out together while in Lincoln City) and not terribly exciting. I think we both wanted to save the fun presents for Christmas morning. :) And the kids' gifts we had to make sure it was something low-key but able to be played with a little before bed. Oh the choices... :)

Hope you enjoyed the photos... Christmas tomorrow!

32 weeks and 1 day!

2008-12-29T09:03:00.004-07:00

Yeah... so this is basically outdated, LOL, considering I'm 33 weeks tomorrow and hopefully will remember to take another photo. :)

Sorry for the late response. I actually uploaded these Christmas day, I think? But we were in and out of power for the night before Christmas, Christmas morning, I'm sure parts of the day, and a HUGE chunk of the day on the day after Christmas. Multiple reasons, all related to snow. The last related to someone slamming into a pole and turning out who-knows-how-many-people's lights and heat for half the day.

Anywho, here's the shot. :)

O53-54: Olivia - Christmas Photo Special

2008-12-24T09:39:00.008-07:00

Well, due to my lack of ability to keep up with Newsletters, I'm carrying on nonetheless. And with the Christmas spirit! This is your mini Christmas Photo Special, Liv. :)

Christmas 2004

Your very first Christmas was at your Gma Bonnie's house. We lived there at the time and you were SO cute. :) You still are cute, but MAN you were cute when you were a baby. And you didn't fuss when I did you hair (the little I could do to it) that helped with the cute factor seeing as now you act as if I'm sawing off a limb each time I reach for the brush...

Regardless, you were cute. This was in front of the tree wearing your Christmas dress, you had just gotten your photo taken with Santa at Clackamas Town Center for the first time. You did very well for a baby, I've seen (and I was) much much worse. :) They even gave you a tiny tree when you were done!

Here's the Santa shot. No, you weren't smiling. But, hey - you weren't screaming! And for a baby, that's an accomplishment. I was very proud of you and you were SO cute. It was a great First Christmas shot. :)

On Christmas Eve the tradition has always been that we open one of our gifts. This was started partially because your Pa's (My mother's father, your great-grandfather) birthday IS on December 25th! Growing up they used to open all their Christmas presents on Christmas Eve, they'd wait for it to get dark and go to town! Christmas morning, Santa would have filled their stockings, and it was Pa's birthday!

So when I was growing up, we began opening just one gift on Christmas Eve night and when I had you, I passed it along as well.

Here we are in front of the fireplace at Gma Bonnie's house. This was on Christmas Eve as well after you had gotten in your Christmas PJs from Mimi (my mom). You gave a good smile and it ended up being a favorite from that year. :)

This was one of the shots that was taken while opening gifts, you were so funny and excited to see all the boxes and paper and bows, probably more excited than you were for the gifts. :)

Christmas 2005

Your Grandma Cole (my father's mother, your great-grandma) sent you this beautiful dress for Christmas and you looked so darling in it I had you stand on the coffee table for photos, lol. I wasn't as able to follow you around that year as I was about 8 months pregnant with Duncan but I couldn't resist. :)

This is the closest I got to a Christmas "Santa" photo for this year. Grammy (my mother's mother - your other great-grandma) made this dress for you in a beautiful blue. You looked wonderful in it. While we didn't get a Santa picture, having you next to the tree was just as sweet. :)

Christmas Day we went to both Gma Bonnie & Gpa Bill's house and Papa and Gma Tanya's house to celebrate. You were still so little and you loved running around amongst all the noise and busy Aunts and Uncles.

Here you are with Papa and Gma Tanya (my parents) during our Christmas dinner? lunch? I can't remember... I think it was a lunch.

And, of course, your favorite activity for almost anywhere you went. A calculator.

Christmas 2006

We spent Christmas 2006 with Daddy in Utah! It was your first real trip anywhere that you would remember and you had a lot of fun.

But - first, we had a lot to do before we left. The above photo was from visiting Papa and Gma Tanya to open some presents at their house. Here you are with your first one, smiling away. It's so weird to me how old you look here compared to the previous year. You had grown up a lot. :) (I also love your little white and pink Nikes in this shot, you loved wearing them and they were so cute on you. Gma Bonnie bought them for you and you came home wearing them, they were SO cute!)

We also stopped off at Grammy & Pa's house in McMinnville. This was your Christmas Dress that Grammy made for you this year. The only good shot I got of you in it was this one in front of Grammy & Pa's tree. You would dart out of the way... made it a little difficult. :) I regret not taking off the pink socks...

Here's a video of one of the days we were there and waiting for Daddy to get off of work:

The Aunties Taught Me This! from Melissa Wagner on Vimeo.

While in Utah we stayed with Grandma Cole in her apartment by Capitol Hill in Salt Lake City. She left to spend Christmas with my Aunt Laurie and Uncle Wes in Neola, UT before Christmas day. So we had a little more early gift opening so Grandma Cole could be there when you opened your gifts from her. You were so excited to get this Dolly and quilt that she had made for you. Though you didn't quite understand who had given it to you... check out this video:

From SANTA! from Melissa Wagner on Vimeo.

We were able to get a family shot this year of the four of us at Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake. It was so beautiful and lit up everywhere. Unfortunately, the person who we asked to take the photo ended up taking one with the camera focused on all the lights! It still turned out okay and we were happy to have a family shot. :)

You and Duncan always had so much fun with Daddy, especially at this age. I love this shot that I took of the three of you the morning that we were to fly back home to Oregon.

Christmas 2007

That year we went to see the lights again and Daddy took this cute shot of the three of us. I wish we would have been able to go this year, but, being 8 months pregnant with Rachael this year it didn't end up working out, too much walking without bringing on contractions. We will definitely go next year though. :)

You and Daddy made Jello shapes on Christmas Eve and had a GREAT time eating them up. While I didn't participate in the eating I took photos and you and Duncan "taste tested" enough to feed an entire country.

This is the first Christmas AFTER the big hair cut. Can you tell? (I mean apart from the fact that you look like a muppet...) Nonetheless, you were cute as a button and VERY excited to open your Christmas Eve gift. :)

And, of course, Christmas morning! Duncan was still asleep. You were stoked beyond belief to have found that Santa left you and Duncan a Dora and Boots table and chairs! And look! The milk is gone and the cookies were eaten! Such excitement!

Later that day we went over to Mimi & Papa's (daddy's parents) house for a Christmas meal and more presents opening. Mimi took this photo of the four of us.

You saw both the Macey's Santa and the RC Willey Santa for Christmas of 2007, but I can't find either scanned version on the computer. I'll have to find the hard copies and scan them in when I get a chance. Regardless, there are a lot of good ones here. :)

Good memories, good Christmases, and - most of the time - a good girl! ;) We're looking forward to this Christmas and the many Christmases to come. :)

Our Trip // November 29: Our Last Day

2008-12-22T09:30:00.008-07:00

Saturday was our last day in Lincoln City with Dad and Tanya and the rest of the family. We had so much fun being in Oregon and adding the beach to it was even better. :) Not to mention the killer good turkey Tanya made for us for Thanksgiving on Thursday! Way to go Stom! ;)

That morning Dad made breakfast. I think he felt guilty for all the cereal eating going on. But we didn't mind, and breakfast was fantastic. :) Thanks, Dad!

The kids playing with the Aunties.

The normal gathering around the table for a Cole Card game.
(One of the two photos of me the whole trip.)

Grandma Cole brought a Gingerbread House Kit with her and we got to put it together. Here are some photos. :)

Yeah. So we're kind of anal when it comes to "fun holiday activities". We took over, lol.
(Oh WOW, the 2nd photo of me.)

All above photos and captions, directly on photos, done by Sherry! Thanks!
The kids "helping" with house decorating. (Note the full cheeks.)

Daddy's got the walls and roof up!

Look how far a little construction experience can get you! ;)

More icing.

The kids ready to help decorate with Gma Tanya. :)

Sweet boy doing some roof detail.

All the cups of candy! The kids were in heaven, lol.

Almost done!

We're done! Duncan offered Papa's plastic trains from
one of his dominoes games. How generous of him. :D

Then, of course, they begin the destroying process.

Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. :) And best of all - I didn't have to feel guilty about not buying and doing a house of our own! Wahoo! Thanks Gma Cole!

I would end by saying "More tomorrow!" but that's all my photos! I hope you've enjoyed trekking through our Portland visit in photos and that those of you who were in them enjoyed having us visit and share our Thanksgiving vacation with you. :)

More... next year? :)

Our first visit to Santa!

2008-12-19T10:09:00.005-07:00

This is from our Ward Christmas Party we had on the 10th of this month - the kids had a lot of fun, Duncan LOVED the food - of course. All in all we had a great time. Here are the photos.

Livy, Daddy, and Dunky (eating).

Duncan, eating still.

Uhm. Still eating.
(This was Duncan's basic activity level for the first hour or so of the Party.)

Sitting on Santa's lap!

Liv telling Santa what she wants for Christmas.

("I want a doll house with a Christmas tree, and little presents for my dolls, but I would just have to open them because the dolls are just pretend and they can't open them. And Princess stuff.")

Duncan was a little shy with Santa, I reminded him about Cars and Woody and he told Santa and hurriedly ran to Daddy on the other side. :) It was a fun party nonetheless and the kids got to see Santa after waiting for quite a while.

Christmas is coming... only 5 days until Christmas Eve!

Our Trip // November 28: Down At The Beach

2008-12-19T08:34:00.007-07:00

On the 28th, Liv woke up and hopped into bed with Gma Cole. :) Grandma Sherry caught it on her camera - along with, of course, Liv's retelling of her dream! Bahaha, ohhh Liv and her dreams...

Photos and captions by Grandma Sherry. (Thanks!)

This child has the most vivid dreams and nightmares, it absolutely cracks me up. Just like the black toilets... oh wow - imagine how excited she was to go potty at the stop in Idaho on the way home. The toilet seat was BLACK. I thought she was going to ask for a DIAPER by the look on her face.

As far as the "burned up train", ever since her preschool took her to the Sandy Fire Department and showed all the kids the items that had been burnt and caused fires, she's become very... NERVOUS about everything.

"Mom, don't leave that pan on the stove."
"Mom is our iron plugged out?"
"Mom did you put the toaster away?"
"Mom, I can't get my dishes, the fire station says I need to stay three feet away from the stove."

Yeah... my kitchen isn't even 3 feet WIDE.

It's been fun.

Later that day we headed down to the beach, again. :)

Liv & Maddie playing on the beach.

Finally getting her hands dirty.

Duncan and his (not seen) plastic spoon, taking samples of sand. :)

The tide was crazy and we were seated back by the rocks, but of course it ended up coming and washing over Liv's "castle" she made. She, Miss Drama Queen, was upset but we explained that just how it works when you're on the beach. "That's just life," as Olivia likes to say.

Duncan was very interested by the tide. He knew he didn't want to get wet, but when they were close to the water and the tide started zooming towards him, he'd just stand there. Maddie kept grabbing him and Liv and running from the tide.

Finally, he started to understand. I caught him standing behind us by the rocks saying, "Yes me safe by the rocks!"

Livy exploring.

Eventually the non-handicapped persons in our family, aka the one's that aren't pregnant and can walk more than five feet without bring on contractions, went on a walk. Click on this photo to see it full size and you'll have a wonderful shot of my son pulling up his pants. This is a common practice, not just daily, but basically every few minutes. ENJOY.

After the kiddos left. Enjoying the silence.

SEE THE HELICOPTER? Yeah, Cam was excited over the Helicopter. We definitely needed a telephoto lens for this shot, lol.

Mmm, yummy. Blech.

Duncan concentrating.

Such fun on the beach. :)

More Tomorrow!

Visit to Santa #2... #1 to come, lol.

2008-12-18T15:33:00.007-07:00

Here they are! I was okay with the RC Willey Santa, very disappointed with the angle they had him at (right near the traffic of the store, last year he was in the same corner but on the other side and there was no worry of getting people in the photo), and in order to make sure they didn't get people in the photo because of crappy placement - as stated above - the photo was WAY too cropped. Still cute, but I was disappointed none the less with their "photographer's" skills.

We've got another Santa shot to show you, the first one, plus some Ward Christmas Dinner Party shots. Stay tuned. :)

PS: Outfits courtesy Grammy Victor. :) Turned out wonderful!

Our Trip // November 27: Lincoln City

2008-12-17T11:59:00.006-07:00

Wednesday night, the 26th, I was able to attend a Baby "Sprinkle" thrown by Jaimie & Mandy for me! It was so much fun to see everyone again and to just sit and talk together. :) I had a fantastic time. Thanks again ladies! I wish I would have brought my camera... grr...

Thursday morning we headed out to Lincoln City and began our second leg of the trip. Dad rented a beach house for everyone again, the same one we had had two years previous at Thanksgiving, and we had a blast.

Grandma Sherry had Cameron help her, Tanya, and Tessa open a can of cheese. Can meaning BARREL of cheese, like Costco size, LOL. My pregnant self stood back, I've never been one for liquefied cheese and while pregnant I tend to take two steps further away. My son on the other hand (of course) fell in love with it. Here are some shots from Grandma Sherry of my children gobbling it up. :)

Photos by Grandma Sherry
And yes, surprise surprise, D loved the spicy cheese.

We then headed out to the beach on our own a little later. It was drizzling (Oregon Coast, mind you, not California) and we got half a million good shots of the ocean and surrounding beach.

It was absolutely beautiful. Being able to take a trip to Oregon and see both my trees and my ocean was wonderful. I'm so glad Dad was able to get the house for Thanksgiving and that we could all be there to spend time together.

Back at the beach house the children were being lovely. Cam took these shots of the fighting duo.

Ahh, peaceful.

More tomorrow!

Our Trip // November 26: Visit to Gpa Bill & Gma Bonnie

2008-12-16T11:28:00.003-07:00

On Wednesday we didn't have the kids, Bonnie and Bill picked them up from McMinnville to take them back to their home for the day in Milwaukie! It seemed like the kids had a good time, here are some photos taken by Bill and Cadi:

Photo taken by Gpa Bill Carnes.
Liv in her Belle dress, made by Gma Bonnie.

Photo taken by Gpa Bill Carnes.

Photo taken by Cadi Carnes.

Photo taken by Cadi Carnes.
Playing with playdoh.

Photo taken by Cadi Carnes.

Photo taken by Cadi Carnes.
Livy said these were their birthday cakes, quote
"NOT pretend, but REAL. They're REAL cakes, Mom."
(I didn't even realize this until uploading this photo,
but I guess Bonnie and I had the exact same idea for cakes!
For Liv's 4th birthday she had a Belle doll on top, here's a clip of it.)

Photo taken by Cadi Carnes.
With Gma Bonnie by their Dora and Cars Spaghettios for lunch. :)

Photo taken by Cadi Carnes.

Photo taken by Gpa Bill Carnes.

Photo taken by Gpa Bill Carnes.
Bathtime fun. :)

It looks (and sounds from Miss Blabbermouth, lol) like the kids had a great time. :)

More tomorrow!

A lame post indeed.

2008-12-15T14:11:00.003-07:00

It seems as though the closer the holidays get (have they arrived already?) the more hectic things become. Especially since regardless of the more and more things we have piled upon our minds to begin, finish, or do SOMETHING with - I'm still being told more and more, day by day, to "take it easy". Normally that'd be a dream. Except that the dream part of it includes a not pregnant clone of myself who proceeds to pick everything up where I've been forced to leave it and continue and finish all of it allowing me to both "take it easy" and keep my sanity. That hasn't happened yet... perhaps Santa will bring me a clone for Christmas?

We've been managing and just yesterday I realized, WOW, I haven't done newsletters. AGAIN. So I will add that to the invisible list that I really need to make visible so I can look forward to having SOMETHING to do during the day that I need to get done that is at least an "easier" item. Sitting on an office chair is actually much more beneficial to my contraction count and level than say... vacuuming with my vacuum that causes me to go into labor just by fighting with it's resistance on my carpet. I love vacuuming, in all honesty I REALLY DO, it's something I miss.

Regardless - between Olivia's computer being down, my laundry going up, and the HORRIBLE countdown of anxiety beginning (I'm 31 weeks tomorrow... people - we're out of the double digits - down to 9 weeks left! This is horrendously frightening and excruciatingly exciting, all at once!) I've had some kids who I think may be feeding off of my antsy-ness. Did I mention Liv's computer is down? Believe me, that little bite of paradise that I get when she plays next to me on hers on her days that include computer time... heaven.

I'll post more tomorrow and hopefully get my butt back in gear. Ahem -- bottom. Liv's standing here begging for food like she hasn't seen any in weeks (at 2:18pm, of course, AFTER she's finished lunch, lol) so I can't say butt. With her ever increasing brain capacity, I avoid typing it. I mean come on, the child might read it and scold me.

Oh wow. Kids.

Wish us luck. :) Happy Holidays!

oooh, mama.

2008-12-10T20:57:00.004-07:00

Here I am at 30 weeks and 1 day. Had an appointment yesterday, ultrasound and all, and everything seems to be going well. :) Baby is 3 lbs 7 oz and growing right up where she should be.

Here's our weekly shot:

While I realize I still look tiny, I'm definitely beginning to not FEEL so tiny. Tummy is tight and taught, cleaning a spill off the floor has me breathing like a marathon runner, and while the BH Contractions have definitely slowed - they still love to poke around. Not to mention the little Miss is getting bigger and stronger and her kicks will tell you if nothing else does. :)

Our Trip // November 24-25: Piano Keys and Curlers

2008-12-09T11:14:00.006-07:00

On Monday the 24th we did a lot of catching up, playing, the kids got to see new toys at Grammy's, new clothes Grammy had made, sneak more candy from Pa's stash, the list was endless. With lots of repeats of sneaking candy. :)

That morning the kids discovered the piano again and I took photos:

They had a lot of fun at Grammy's with that piano and Livy even learned to play "Thumbs On Vacation", tiny hands and all. :) Don't worry Liv, Mommy still has to jump her octaves, no stretching here. :)

The next day, Tuesday, we stayed home again and Grammy showed Olivia the idea she had for decorating cookies. I think that was a lounge day for Duncan, he was obsessed with the copy of Disney's Hercules that Pa had out by the VCR in their family room. The child was stuck to it and loved to try and say his name, it was very entertaining.

Duncan entranced.

"Oh, hi Mom. Me watch Erk-a-leez."

Snowman (and woman) COOKIES!

Olivia and Grandma had such a fun time making these. They got out just about anything they could think of to create the snow people. Even black licorice (yuck!) which Olivia and Duncan both seem to love. Gma is immensely happy that this (obviously defective, lol) trait has passed down to her great grandchildren.

Olivia, in her new Grammy-made apron, carefully constructing another one.

This one cracks me up, Unibrow Snowman, haha. :)

Like the annoyed smirk? I think I was bothering her with my
acute interest in her eye-popping, unibrow-ed snowman. :)

Olivia's other favorite hobby at Gma's house was hanging around the kitchen waiting for Grammy to finish cooking or baking something. Once she did, Olivia was deemed the person to run around with little bits for everyone to taste. It began with Grammy telling her to go ask people, "Are you a quality control person?" She'd ask, the person would say yes and eat thier little bite, and give feedback. Olivia always refused to announce the feedback to the chef, she was having too much fun asking!

By the second day of this game Olivia had developed it not only into the QC game, but the "Samples" game. Perhaps you would understand why if you went grocery shopping with us on Saturdays back home. First up is "The Sample Store" (Sam's Club), then "The Cookie Store" (Macey's), and then "The Market pause canwelookforsamplesandgetsuckers?" (Ream's Marketplace).

All in all, it was a great time and we all miss it already. :)

More tomorrow!

Our Trip // November 22-23: Elephant Ears & Car Cakes

2008-12-05T09:48:00.000-07:00

Saturday we decided what we wanted to do for the afternoon and landed on Dad's suggestion of Saturday's Market. My kids have never been, Cam's never been, and I have been in a LONG time. I curse myself now for not bringing my camera (no one else did either, I checked) and I would have had some wonderful shots! Duncan rode on Dad's shoulders for a while, Olivia was glued to Tanya and just about every jewelry or butterfly adorned booth - they had a great time. Dad (Papa) bought Elephant ears and later on Quinoa bagels from a VERY good bakery and we all had a good time.

Sunday we all got ready and headed to church. We arrived in McMinnville on the 23rd after Sacrament at Dad's ward. Grammy had a surprise for Duncan - a racecar cake! She was very excited to show him after our faux-Thanksgiving dinner (which was delish! yum!) and he of course then wanted to eat it. :)

Here are some shots, my camera wasn't enjoying the lighting we were in, excuse that, will ya?

He was so excited for that cake. Detour to some Mimi & Livy photos while Gma finds a knife to
cut the cake...

(Sidney helping Liv smile, lol.)

Got the knife. And our serious face on.

Kisses from Grammy. :)

Devouring the cake with Auntie Brinny - Gma made wheels out of little chocolate cookies and Duncan LOVED them, they were super soft and, of course, chocolate! He loves chocolate. :)

From the time we walked through the door my sisters and Mom had Liv making faces. I don't think I got any of the "surprised" or "scared" faces but plenty of the evil scary mad-Livy faces... of course. Like I needed more of THOSE.

Suddenly, so serious.

And, thanks to Didi, back to giggly. :)

More tomorrow!

29 weeks and 1 day yesterday.

2008-12-04T13:26:00.004-07:00

I missed 28 weeks, I missed 29 weeks but caught it last night at 29 weeks and 1 day. Of course, I also missed my brain and didn't take nearly as many photos on my vacation as I should have. So until I hear back from some family (respond to my email family!) I'm holding off on the Oregon post for today, possibly tonight I can post it if I don't find any good ones from before the date of the next batch I have. I really should have put my wonderful camera to more use but I was too busy being told to sit down and not move, lol.

Here's my preggo shot:

Definitely getting bigger. Is it just me or does my butt look flat in this photo? Not to mention my delightfully nerdy BRIGHT WHITE socks. Wow, lame, Melissa. I should paint my toenails (assuming I can hold my breath from shoving my body into that bent over position for that long) so that I'll be moved to take my socks off and look more like me instead of a weirdo in WHITE socks all the time.

Well hey, at least they weren't piggy or bright pink with peace signs.

Not that I have socks like that...

Noooo... of course not.

I'll fill in the three side categories today and wait until tonight to post my photos from Grammy's House and the Car Cake. :) More later.

Our Trip // November 21: The Drive

2008-12-03T09:39:00.006-07:00

The drive to Oregon actually wasn't too terrible. The closer our departure crept up the more anxious we got. So we decided to bite the bullet, I packed ALL day Thursday like a madwoman (verses splitting it over the two days) and we left Friday morning (rather than Saturday) at 5:07am MST, after waking at 4:30am, and we made great time until we hit Portland at LITERALLY 5:00pm rush hour traffic. That was interesting, took a LOT longer than we preferred but we eventually made it. All in time for pizza at Dad's and card games the next day. :) (How could we visit Dad, with Gma Cole there, and NOT play?)

On one of our many stops we hit Boise and dressed the kids, walked around for a few minutes and I took a couple of photos. Our stops were rushed but this one was probably the most fun. (Other than the very first stop before 7 in the morning where the Ladies' Room was being cleaned and 7-months-pregnant mommy was doing dances in the aisles... all while my children asked me about 14 different times if we could buy Crayola Art Packs from the convenient store. *rolls eyes*)

So on our stop in Boise we went and saw the Boise Idaho Temple and used the Visitor's Center's facilities. I wish we would have had more time as that's the only time I've seen the Boise Temple. Maybe again some day. :)

More tomorrow on our Oregon trip! :)

27 weeks and I've gained 0 lbs officially!

2008-11-18T21:43:00.003-07:00

So here I am at 27 weeks:

And a haircut!

And I had my appointment with the Midwife today. I'm officially back to 157, which... LOL, was my pre-pregnancy weight before I lost all of that weight... so I'm apparently at weight gain: 0 lbs!

More tomorrow... getting late and I'm beat.

The NEW set of happiness.

2008-11-18T09:03:00.005-07:00

After finding a deal in a VIP Family & Friends ad for a new Washer and Dryer set from Sears, Cam got hooked... we've been having problems with our washer for the past couple of months and it's simply a matter of old age. There's no way that we'd be able to fix or replace any parts without ending up paying more than it was worth and we both knew it was time for a new one. So, upon further issues with Sears (surprise, surprise!) we went to Lowe's for a Price Match. I'm not going to go into that story as it causes massive amounts of stresses and nightmares about the seemingly thousands of Lowe's stores in the Salt Lake area that I called Thursday night. (Okay, more like seven.)

Regardless, Cam stepped up to the plate, raised his bat, and magically Lowe's began to open up. I have to admit... sometimes he is JUST RIGHT. Being nice may not work, sometimes you have to call corporate. Which is exactly what he did, he spoke to the Executive Secretary of the CEO of Lowe's and she immediately told him he was correct - they DID need to Price Match, that they WOULD Price Match, and she would be calling the West Jordan Lowe's store and that he should expect a call in the next 24 hours.

He got one. They directed us to Murray as they didn't have a set in stock, on the floor. He went to Murray, and actually spoke FACE TO FACE with the person there who had heard the story from the West Jordan Lowe's guy, who had been told by the CEO's Executive Secretary.

This is where the differences between Cam and I really shine through. Cam's all about follow through and doing what your policy says, etc. I'm all about being overly nice, acting as a doormat, and crying. So basically, he went in and regardless of the crap they gave him or the uncomfortable joking banter back and forth from the manager, he did what he went there to do and brought that bacon home.

Me?

I would have cried into the bacon out of anxiety and not-being-nice-enough-ness and therefore ruined the bacon by raising its salt content.

I'm glad Cam was there and not me. Cause I would have come home to the pogo-stick-utilizing washer and cried. Into metaphorical bacon.

Wow. This went way off course.

Point being - Daddy brought home a new washer and dryer! Here are our new Samsung babies.

After taking the 205 lb washer upstairs with the help of our Home Teacher, Lance Butler, Cameron deemed the washer "The Behemoth". Olivia woke up and changed that to "Snow White".

The dryer was sort of no-name since after lifting the 205 lb dryer up the two half-flights of stairs, the 125 lb dryer felt like air. :) Olivia deemed this one (DUH) "Prince Charming".

I deem them DREAM MACHINES.

They make doing laundry seem like dancing the Tango. And oh do I ever love shoving my face into my newly cleaned warm smellygood laundry.

Did I mention they sing?

Oh YES. At the end of each cycle the dryer beeps out a little tune, at which point we all grow silent to hear it sing its little song. The children stop playing and come dancing out of their room.

Could I have asked for a better machine? I don't think it would even be possible.

Tagging from The Couch Diva

2008-11-14T08:25:00.005-07:00

Meridith, a woman on a scrapbooking forum that I frequent, tagged! Here are my responses... :)

Five Things That Make Me Happy:
1. My husband, Cameron.
2. My babies (we'll talk generally, skipping moments like yesterday LOL), Liv, Duncan, and Baby Rachael.
3. Photography, I love to to take pictures. Allows me to preserve some of the good and a little of the crazy in my daily life.
4. BLOGGING! It's officially become the most successful way for me to keep up on my journaling.
5. Soft fluffy cloth dipes... especially my lovely new prefolds from LittleLions... it's like a clean slate with room to work! (Which ties into another thing that makes me happy - successful sewing projects. Emphasis on the word "successful", lol.)

Seven Facts About Me:
1. I'm 22 years old, but I think a bit ahead of my age as far as lack-of-debt level, child count, and responsibilities go... all things I'm proud of. :)
2. I actually do want ANOTHER child. Yes, I'm one of those women, the one's born to stay barefoot in the winter, pregnant in the summer. (Okay, only for one more after this one, but still.)
3. I'm the oldest of 5. Which until I moved to Utah, used to beat out a lot of kids' families back in school in Oregon. Then I married my husband, who is the third youngest of *8*.
4. I love the Beatles. I was introduced to them in the 8th grade and haven't swayed since. I know probably ANY Beatles song ever sung, a load of trivial Beatlemania knowledge (though I am getting rusty) and used to write letters to my friends over the summer -signing them "Melissa McCartney". Ahh, the dreamer days, LOL.
5. I secretly help my son pick VeggieTales DVDs at the library in accordance to the one's I think might be funny and haven't seen yet. And then I watch them with him, lol.
6. I have serious hair issues. I have VERY thick, naturally curly hair. I can't get it cut by just anyone, I won't color it anymore because I now live 800 miles away from the person who used to do it, and the last time I set foot into a Supercuts was almost 8 years ago and she BUTCHERED my hair. I have not set foot in one since. (Please don't be offended if you work for one, like one, etc. I'm aware my bias is based off of one IDIOT who HONESTLY, HOW COULD YOU NOT KNOW WHAT YOU WERE DOING? Phew... pardon me, had to get that out.) I wasn't kidding. Huge hair issues.
7. I LOVE to sing, read, scrapbook, take photos, blog, fold laundry (not put it away), and vaccuum. Not your typical gal here. :)

Thanks Meridith! This was fun! :)

I tag... AMY! (If you're already doing it for Meridith, that's okay, lol.) Aaaand... Lindsay! And... hey, tag yourself! Have fun. ;)

Anatomy of a Tantrum

2008-11-13T13:18:00.012-07:00

This morning after doing our four-thousand-times-a-week cleaning of the children's room, they were delighted to see that I had pulled the Lego Table back out so that we can fit another dresser in the closet. So of course, even though we've had this table since Olivia was around 9 months old (Dad and Tanya passed it on to us) the kids were ECSTATIC that suddenly WE HAVE LEGOS!

It's been a Lego party ever since.

This brings good and bad moments. But honestly, I think the photos I just got were quite possibly the highlight of my day.

I heard happiness and laughter singing sweetly through the hallway, had many visits from pleasant faced little humans telling me "Mommy! Mommy! Look at my hammer I built!", "Mommy, mommy, look how tall!", "Mommy! SO BIG!". I thought, I'll take my camera in and get some photos for the folks back home...

Uhhm, yes. Thus begins our course on Moods and their constant level of change in our home.

Dunk: "Wivy... have allll the welllowwwss..." stated mid-sobbing.
Me: Snaps photo. "Olivia you need to share the yellows. Are there some he can have?"
Liv: "No! These are ALL mine!"

Dunk: Continues to sob, pauses to yell, "YOU NO TAKE PICTURE OF ME! Wivy have ALL WELLOWS!"
Me: "Liv, you need to share some of those yellows with Duncan, please." (It's so easy to remain calm realizing that they're not EVEN listening to what I'm saying anyway.)

Dunk: Proving my theory in the above parentheses, he decides to act upon what I said, of course - this has been translated into Duncan, please rush at your sister and grab whatever yellows she has near her body. He walks over and picks up a few yellow Legos stuck together on the ground. ON THE GROUND, mind you.

Stage 1:
Liv: "Those are MY YELLOWS!"

Stage 2:
Liv: "MOMMMMMMMMMM! HE TOOK MY LEGOS!"
Me: "Olivia, I was watching him, he picked them up off of the ground. Now you won't have to take any off of your hammer (the thing she's building), okay? Just calm down. They were on THE FLOOR."

Stage 3:
Liv: "Noooooooooooo! NOOOOOOOOOOO! DUNNNNNKKKYYYYY!! NOOOOOOO!"

The above sentence is paired with a face equal to one in a horror movie where one toddler is ripped limb from limb by a blood-mixed saliva drooling hairy demon, in FRONT of the other toddler. In our house, this face is saved for special occasions. Such as, "THERE'S NO MORE SQUARE CEREAL?", "BUT IT'S MY TURN!", "BUT I WANTED TO SET MY PLACE!", "MMMMOOOOMMMM! I WANTED TO OPEN THE FRIDGE!", among many other pleasant, normally consecutive, situations.

Me: "Here, Liv, here's three yellow ones for you, okay? Calm down."

Stage 4: Maybe REACHING will make him give it back.
Liv: Through sobs of desperation equal to that of a locked-away-in-a-tower-Princess "Plllleaaase, those are my LEGOS. Duncan, NOOOOOO..." Meanwhile, refusing to take the Lego's I've offered back to her, lol.

Not shown: Stage 5, complete desperation. Resorts to crying hysterically and claiming that I'm ruining her life.

Dunk: Happier with his taller tower, hammer, whatever of YELLOW Legos, walks back to his side of the Lego table and begins to POSE with his prize. Yes, she is STILL screaming in the background...

Dunk: "See Mom, wellow..."

Dunk: "Eeeeee!" said while grinning, of course.

Now, in order to make this as accurate as possible - I check the time on the actual photo so you can see when I say Mood Swing, I'm more referring to swing as the swing of a battle ax rather than persae, a lovely child's swing. The photo of Duncan above was taken EXACTLY 6 minutes before this next one.

That being said... after leaving the room having given up on happy, cute children photos, 6 minutes later I walk in to find this:

Me: HARK! HAPPY CHLDREN? Could it be? "Ohh, nice tower Liv!"
Liv: "Yeah, mom, look!"

Liv: "Which one next...?" Happy, happy and fine...

Liv: La la... building... so happy... "Look Mom, it's so tall."

Dunk: "No no, goway Mom, goway, not done yet."

Playing nicely.

Oh my gosh, good thing I had the camera. That's officially two child smiles in the same time frame... from EACH child! Amazing.

There you have it folks. Turns out the Anatomy of a Tantrum is more of an... Anatomy of a Freak Show - but just feel lucky to have witnessed the photo I plan to show to all of Liv's future boyfriends, and of course, one day to her children.

Only to show them...
hey, your Mommy acted this way.

GO FOR IT.

26 weeks and counting...

2008-11-11T19:49:00.002-07:00

Sheesh, while banana popsicles make me happy, my smooshed hair in this 26 weeks pregnant photo most certainly does not.

So excuse it.

Next week on the 18th I have my Glucola test, not looking forward to it. And I'm sure that Cam probably isn't either as at my Midwife's office they do it IN OFFICE. So I get to go, drink the yucky-ness, sit for an hour, then get tested, and THEN go home. It will be a long day, that's all I can say. On the bright side, I won't have the kids with me. So really I don't think I'll mind as much. I'll probably bring a book and read during the time. Cam, hopefully, will find something to bring or do because, frankly, the Yoga for Preganancy and Parents magazines can only hold a man's attention for so long... they need to start bring in Auto Trader or something when they stop to get their morning coffee. That would give at least a portion of the men SOMETHING to read.

The kids are soundly asleep, I'm getting ready to continue on my online class, and my toes are SO COLD. I wasn't kidding about that perpetual coldness thing. It's all for real. That's just how I get in the winter, whether the building I'm in is 85 degrees or 65 degrees - parts of me are STILL cold. :-P

Off to do more that a Mom can only do with sleeping children...

All I want right now...

2008-11-11T10:36:00.002-07:00

... is green bean casserole with the crunchy onions on top and leftover turkey. Of course... how do I manage that when Thanksgiving hasn't arrived yet?

Ahh, the woes of being 26 weeks pregnant. Photos tonight. :)

D33: Another double digit.

2008-11-10T08:27:00.006-07:00

Finally getting myself to sit down and do this wasn't too terribly difficult as I've really been pushing myself to remember. I think my goal eventually will be to do all of you kids on the actual "day" you turn that many months. It doesn't spread you and Livy out hardly at all, but Rachael won't be until the 17th, a little break there, right? :) Knowing myself, a strict schedule with it will make me a creature of habit and I'll have it down before you know it... right? :)

It's officially November and I've officially moved to the point of perpetual coldness. December is going to be here before we know it, but not before we get to Papa's in Oregon at least. We'll be spending a whole week there and it'll be interesting to see if we actually feel a little more relaxed this time around. I suppose anytime you visit family and have various places to go in a specific time period, it will always feel a bit rushed.

"Me, Baby Rawrar."

You and Livy are downstairs playing "Baby Rawrar" and "Alicia"... unless she's being Dora... or some other dramatic character such as a Princess or Barbie or whatever the new pick of the day is. You two always manage to come up with some game that involves someone's leg breaking, one of your "friends" dying, or of course - my personal favorite - something that demands horrible long dread-cries of "Nooooo, waaaaaaait! You forgot your rescue pack! Baby Rawrar! Come baaaaaaack!" It's just fun after fun after MORE fun.

Your cousin Brighton, from Nevada, passed along some hand-me-downs that you've started wearing this month, including your new coveted pairs of pajamas. It was good timing too! You've just now decided to grow out of pretty much ALL of your pajamas save a couple pairs that were bought large on purpose. Plus a few summer style short pairs, but you're VERY adamant about making it clear it is time for JAMA PANTS, NO SHORTS. Picky picky. Every time we ask you where you got your pajamas you tell us, "Brighton sent jamas, in the mail."

While out running our errands on Saturday, we decided to stop by the $1 sale Old Navy was having and Livy immediately decided she needed a scarf. And a hat. I found one of each, cute and matching, she changed her mind and we had a new scarf and hat chosen and ready to go. All of the scarves were rather "girl" themed but they did have plain camo fleece hats and you fell in LOVE with them. And of course, after plopping one onto your cute little head it was a perfect fit and I couldn't resist. :)

We convinced you a "carf" did exist at home for you (we would have gladly bought one if they had made any that Daddy approved of, like I said they were all a bit too far on the girly side...) and once we got to the car you looked as if you had lost faith in the world because Liv had a "carf" and you did not. The only thing that made you feel better until we got home and I proved to you that I really DID have a boy scarf waiting? The tiny plastic hook that had been attached to your new fleece hat so that it could hang on display on the racks at Old Navy. You STILL, both of you, play with these dumb little display hooks and probably like them more than anything else we bought yesterday. Running around the house (and in the shopping cart at Ream's Market, our last stop on Saturday) you'd exclaim "Rrrr!" and tell us you were a pirate. This game was very cute, until you began to "accidentally" drop your hook about every two feet throughout the produce section. Bending over my new belly wasn't exactly a fun game I was enjoying and I was amazed at how easily I hid it from you by zipping it in your OWN coat pocket.

Action shot from Halloween Day
from LG choc3

When asked if you're having a little brother or a little sister, you continue to tell us "little brudder". But when asked which baby Mommy has in her tummy, you immediately answer "baby Rachael"... it seems we might be beginning to understand? Obviously, the fact will sink in in less than 4 months when she arrives. But until then, we'll keep working at it.

Your obsession with Buzz Lightyear has definitely kicked up another notch as of lately and you commonly respond to Daddy's saying of "Hey Wunky" (derived from your name of "Wivy" for Liv) by saying, "NO WUNKY. ME BUZZ!" You also love to go shove the too-small green Oregon Zoo hat on your head and run around telling everyone you're Woody, and this is your CO-boy hat. Something tells me we're only going to get MORE creative as each day passes.

You're such a big boy Duncan, and I'm so excited to see how you will be with your new baby sister, if you and Liv will ever stop pummelling each other, and of course, if one day you'll sleep in past 6:30am. But until then... I'll just be happy here with you and your 2-year-old self, pretending that we're not less than four months away from turning 3.

Good Morning SNOWshine. :)

2008-11-05T08:51:00.004-07:00

Well, we were warned, and it certainly happened...

Snow!

Snow covered car!

We woke up to it this morning and surprisingly enough it wasn't too bad. House had stayed fairly nice over night, kids woke up warm - we purposefully dressed in warm pjs and checked on their covers. Overall it was a "good" snow experience. Second of the season as it already snowed in October... we're just hoping that as it gets closer to the time for our trip that it will hopefully be not so terrible for us to travel in.

Cameron left for work this morning around 6:40am, cleared the cars off before he even ate breakfast, and I took this photo around 7:00am - as you can see it was still coming down. It continued to get worse and worse and right before the sun finally peeled through the sky to reach us I took more photos at 8:43am.

Definitely thicker. Could have been worse, that's for sure. Duncan of course has been bouncing off the walls with excitement. Kind of like the little Hiawatha boy dancing on the front of my truck-- oh, that just a window sticker. (Did you ever read that book as a child? Hiawatha the Brave or something like that? Good stuff... little violent when you get that realization and read it again as an adult... but as a kid, I was way into it.)

And of course, we turned on the TV, making our way to KBYU the kids saw that Curious George (Duncan's favorite) ALSO woke up to snow and we of course had to watch it.

I swear; my child was a monkey in a prior life.

Ooh... that's cute. And would make some REALLY cute pjs...

Oh my holy bananas, how COOL is that cake? I think I just found Duncan's theme for his birthday next year... that is so stinkin' cool.

This is why Mom's shouldn't be allowed to use google image search. Plain and simple.

Now that I'm completely off topic, I will end this post. More to come (with photos!).

25 weeks and counting...

2008-11-04T21:03:00.004-07:00

Here's the shot.

Normally, because I have a little bit of time right now I would blog some more regarding the kids and Halloween, etc. But I'm on the smaller computer and I really do not want to have to transfer resized files, etc. to the other computer... so I'll wait. But I do have a couple photos I can do now. Not too many unfortunately since it did get dark very quickly and I'll pass on being the crazy mom with the BRIGHT flash. I do enough of that...

The first is of all the cousins that went together to the Trunk-or-Treat at Daniel and Klare's ward. They had a good time and from what I could see, ALL got a lot of candy. So it was a success. On the way to the church, we walked, we hit a few houses. It was already getting very dark, as you can see, when I snapped this. Plus it began to sprinkle and I voted for putting the camera away.

I'll post some shot of the kids in costume, close up, tomorrow.

Have a good night.

Sewing up a storm. Well... a small one. Just some fleece soaker wind gusts, really.

2008-10-30T21:30:00.006-06:00

We ordered the diapers for the baby at a great price online at LittleLions Clearance section. They came, I washed them, they fluffed and they are LOVELY. Plus, an added point, the premium sized prefolds (which we got for her to use later on) will fit Duncan! So he will be back in cloth (horray!) for his nighttime diapers and knowing Duncan this will also help to push him into panties at night. He still gets upset when we put diapers on him and now refuses to wear panties with pajamas like it's against the rules, LOL. But in the meantime while we're working with him, he'll be contributing less to landfills, wearing something that's much better for him, and looking cute - all at once! :) He is only 2-1/2 so we are giving him plenty of space to decide when he's ready to do the big boy thing all through the night. He does fantastic during the day, and it requires nothing of me aside from helping him on when he tells me he needs to go. (Disadvantage of learning early... the whole height issue!)

Anyway, I finished two soakers in a Medium size, SURE that they would fit my boy. I quickly discovered that I had forgotten about the DIAPER. I'm so used to sizing everything to him for panties that I completely forgot about the added bulk of the prefold. Needless to say... the baby will now have some teal//multicolored diaper covers for when she hits size Medium, lol.

Sorry for the awful photo, but I was being quick and well... okay - LAZY. :-P

These were awfully girly anyway... that's what you get with handmedown fleece, lol.

So I realized - as I was diapering him up into his LAST disposable diaper tonight - that since the Mediums hadn't worked but were on time, I was officially behind schedule. So tonight, I whipped this one up:

Definitely more boyish, a nice plush army green compared to sea foam teal, LOL. I also did a double layer doubler to slip into his prefold for extra absorbency. I'm happy with how the second one came out. Scared to death as I have NO time to make another tomorrow and if this doesn't fit, I'll cry, LOL. But I keep reminding myself that the DIAPER will have to fit inside too. It's weird going from diaper to panties and then back again. Granted, he's never been in panties over night, just through naps, but PJs stretch more than clothes so it's harder to notice. Plus disposables are trimmer.

We'll see... hopefully I'll get some photos and an update tomorrow before Preschool and the COSTUME PARADE. (Yes, in our house, those words are only said together and only if you can yell them at the top of your lungs as if you're the mambo king and ready to roll. It has to be COSTUME PARADE. Otherwise, it's just not right. Thank you, Olivia.)

More tomorrow. :)

24 weeks.

2008-10-29T20:08:00.002-06:00

Here I am at 24 weeks.

Desperately need to be scrapping so no time for a monologue tonight.

Tomorrow perhaps? :)

Another Monday - but with fluffy mail!

2008-10-28T10:56:00.007-06:00

Monday we arrived home from Preschool to check our mail and find 2 packages! The kids could hardly believe their eyes when not only did I pull two packages in through the driver side window but one that was the size of a moving box! Theirs was from Bonnie in Milwaukie, OR, and mine was from Becky (a fellow poster @ DiaperSwappers) in PA.

We got home, carried all of our things inside and of course the kids began bouncing off the walls begging me to open the package. So I opened it and here's what we found. :)

Plus some Halloween pencils and pens. And yes, the Ken doll was immediately stripped naked as all Barbies end up. But he was a Barbie Mariposa Prince doll before that. (Thanks Bonnie!)

My package from Becky was filled with goodies - especially the two WOOL diaper covers.
And yeah, LOL, they're the exact color of my Oyster-colored couch, haha. We'll have a coordinating baby! :)

Cam's pick is on the left, mine is on the right. Detail is below. :)

I was excited to get these dresses as well because believe it or not, I don't have too many little dresses. :) Of course they'll be hidden by a sweater and a billion blankets in the frigid cold of a Utah February but cute nonetheless!

Thanks again, Becky!

And the Creative Carver award goes to:

2008-10-28T10:04:00.007-06:00

Cameron!

By far, Cameron won the award this year in our family for most creative pumpkin carving. Liv, I would have to say, would be our runner up with her look-alike rabid bunny pumpkin...

We carved on Sunday and our pumpkins are not enjoying the alternating heat and cold. Next year I think we'll probably wait until the week before to buy (we bought the weekend before last) so that they only have to last that last week. Last year we didn't have as many problems, but we also didn't get direct sunlight too badly on the back porch of our old apartment, where they stayed throughout their brief visit. :)

Here we are carving our 'punkins'.

Ghosts say "mooooooooo!"

2008-10-28T09:53:00.004-06:00

Duncan has a new fascination with drawing ghosts on his drawing board. They range from little ghost, baby ghost, mommy ghost, daddy ghost, as well as all of the above but with the tack-on of "paw bob"... also known as two front buck teeth to look like Sponge Bob...

Oliva caught the fever as well and they've both been going nuts with drawing ghosts, talking about ghosts (especially our ghost light from Walmart), and Duncan recently discovered how to make sounds like a ghost... "mooooooooo! mmmooooo!!"

Needless to say, this Halloween has proved to be a very interesting one. :)

FINALLY! 23 weeks and 2 days!

2008-10-23T21:31:00.001-06:00

I'm beat.

Here it is:
Aww. Da belly. ;)

Pumpkin Picking!

2008-10-22T19:53:00.005-06:00

We headed over to Macey's last Saturday for our grocery shopping telling the kids to get ready for a surprise and they were SO excited when they finally realized what it was!

PUMPKINS!

They were in heaven! We went through and picked out our pumpkins, which really proved to be a little difficult since they were either huge, normal or large, most of which were the latter. Regardless we found 4 appropriate sized ones and they now have a new home on our cold, cold front porch. :)

Here are some photos from the event!

Here's Duncan and his pumpkin. Yes, he looks a little like a light and dark blue pumpkin himself. He's a little obsessed with jackets and hats right now, nice little phase he's going through. :) And the black trash-bag-looking things on the right hand side are actually "scary" walls for the walk through "Haunted... uhh WALK THROUGH". Yeeah.

Liv and her pumpkin. :)

We may have been shivering but we were still smiling! :D

By FAR one of my favorite photos of the two of us. :)
My husband is so handsome in this, I can hardly STAND it.
I'm one lucky momma.

The next two photos are actually from the day before, Friday, when we walked over to Ream's Market to pick up our produce and any sales and etc. that we normally get. I hadn't noticed that Macey's had a setup like they did so I was worried about not getting any photos. So we made the kids sit there on the hay for fake out photos, haha! :) But hey, they turned out cute and now we have more Halloween photos!

This is us not caring where we're looking for the photo...

Daddy gives the camera to Mommy for her to try, she says "cheese!" and we turn to smile at DAD, yes, the one WITHOUT the camera.

D31-32: "Me watch Suda Cuke show."

2008-10-22T08:03:00.010-06:00

So, just like your sister's, this is going to be a little bit of a walk down memory lane. I'm still a dodo head for the ones that are date, re-dated, and now finally refiled in some sort of organization, but I find out the more and more I search for your photos, how many of them are in print and not in digital. I guess that's what you get for being around during the no-digital-camera-and-no-money-to-develop-photos time. Fun stuff. But I do have quite a few cute ones that are on here. :)

03.31.06
almost 2 months old

When you first started smiling, you were a pro. That's my pink daisy Boppy in the background (don't be too humiliated that we used that to breastfeed, after all - it's not like you WORE it.) and of course, as most of your smiley photos were at this beginning stage, this was right after you'd finished eating. Note the bubbles of happiness in the right corner of your mouth, you were a bubble blowing maniac, lol.

Going through these photos, it's funny to see the similarities and differences between you and your sister and makes me wonder about the new one on the way. How will she be different? How will she be the same?

Your interests have changed over time of course, evolving from only booby, to booby and sister, and then forget-the-booby I want to play with that CAR! I don't know that you'll EVER lose interest in cars... ever. And with Daddy around... yikes, I can only see it getting worse. ;)

(Have I mentioned that before you could say half of your current vocabulary Daddy had you reciting "Chevy" and "Truck"... the list goes on...)

Easter 2006 - 04.16.06
(Sister's come a ways in the art of baby holding...)

You two were so cute together I could hardly stand it. Most of the time it involved Olivia trying to put things like shiny pink slippers with big white goofy tassels on you. But on the occasion that she wasn't holding you horizontally or trying to shove pink things in your face, you loved her. And she certainly loved you with every ounce of her incredibly ting being.

06.19.06

I don't know that I'll ever move past my view of you as such a little baby. You were so sweet and this is by far one of my favorite outfits on you. You've been my baby for so long it's hard to realize you're not only walking and talking but OPINIONATED. And STUBBORN.

11.08.2007
How dare I suggest those bow ties are for Sunday, not with Dinosaur sleep suits...

You STILL wear bow ties with everything.

Only now I can bribe you with panties, and you figure it's not worth it and take the panties.

You still refuse to believe that we're having a baby girl. This past couple of months, we've been getting you excited, telling you how much fun bath time will be, how you can help mommy with baby, how you can show her cars and dinosaurs and teach her how to punch people when they try to take your food awa-- okay, maybe not that one...

But regardless of what we tell you it still won't sink in on the gender. Yesterday you and sister came to my 23 week Midwife appointment with me and Daddy. Paula, my Midwife, asked Olivia if she was having a baby girl or a baby boy. And Liv answered "A baby sister!" We all smiled and I told her to ask you.

"Duncan," she asked. "Are you having a baby brother or a baby sister?"

"Me have baby bruu-der."

EVERY TIME.

I guess only the big event will finally change your mind. :)

Our days lately are filled with "Where... is... mine CROCODIIILE!" and "Me watch Suda Cuke show (Minnesota Cuke, Veggie Tales movie)," and I'm constantly shown how big and independent you like to be. You love going to Liv's Preschool and watching her through the window. You beg to stay and be apart of the fun but you're still too little, almost there. We're definitely going to be putting you through Preschool though, that's for sure!

One of your favorite outings is the library and you LOVE getting Leslie Patricelli books. One of our favorites is "Yummy, Yucky!" and it's quite entertaining to here you read "Burger" thinking it's Booger, and say yucky. While it's actual "opposite", on the next page, for yucky IS Booger. A confusing page for little boys who can't get either word right. ;)

But you definitely love the baby... whether or not he thinks Burgers and Boogers are yucky or yummy. :)

Regardless of it all... you still smile just like you used to.

10.07.08

Give or take a few teeth and, given the fact that since you dress yourself on more days than not, we'll have to add some backward tee shirts and/or jeans.

But you'll still always be my baby boy. :)

06.2006

I can just hear the protests now... :)

O51-52: Okay. Yeah. I need to get on it.

2008-10-15T10:02:00.011-06:00

My sweet girl, one day you'll grow up and smack me in the shoulder and beg the question: "ONCE A MONTH MOM! You couldn't handle once a MONTH?"

I'll get better.

I hope.

Taken 11.25.04

This little face. I've been seeing a lot of this little face lately because I've been hurriedly transferring the photos documenting your ENTIRE life onto my "I" drive (my external hard drive) so that you and your brother will have photos if for some reason our computer is wiped out. So over and over I've cursed myself for dating things like "060604" Well, to me, I see that's the day you were born. Except that, sitting right next to it is: "060605" Your first birthday. Suddenly 12 months is gone and I'm lost. I didn't discover the wonders of "2004_0606" until sometime later. That way, I can go month by month, small description by description and actually FIND what I'm looking for.

Then of course, we have the ones where I felt the need to label the folder of photos with the date they were DEVELOPED. Why, you ask, are we opening Christmas presents on January 13th? BECAUSE MOMMY IS A DO-DO HEAD.

I got the mess sorted out, and SO FAR, I've got from your Aunt Brinsley's soccer game on November 1st, 2003 to Christmas 2005 (you were 1-1/2 then) at Papa's house. Not too shabby. But organized none the less.

Wonderful example of the new found organization. Taken 12.25.05

I'm continuing to work on this day by day. Duncan's semi involved as I'm pregnant in these Christmas photos and beginning to show. (Don't worry D, I've got plenty of embarrassing photos coming for you.)

You quickly grew from that teeny tiny girl in embroidered, semi cotton, wannabe-linen shirts to where you are now. For some reason, much like my photo organization, your little face remained little until you suddenly grew up and hit Preschool. Yet... you still manage to look the same in so many ways.

Taken 09.03.08

Okay more teeth, more hair, bigger bows... all that good "grown up" stuff.

Down to business.

This month, and last month, I've been mentally preparing for baby. It's been an interesting task but it has definitely come to a HUGE visual point as we have the crib up again. Soon we'll be to IKEA for bedding, curtains, wall decor, etc. I'm excited, and I know that you are as well, to get all this fun stuff for your room.

During preparation we pulled out some baby clothes and you immediately saw all of the outfits you wore for the first few weeks of life. Oh wait. Only ONE fit. :) You put them on Baby Chou Chou and took her to Preschool for show and tell. I realize now I should have sent you with this photo as well, if only for the amusement on Miss Denise and Miss Debby.

Taken 06.13.04

Yes. You were VERY tiny.

Preschool has definitely opened you up though. You're excited every day to go, you always participate, complete all of your artwork, sing the songs, sit on the rug, etc. You're a good girl and you listen (minus the times where you feel like continuing to color and most likely just to poke at your teachers), we're very proud of you.

Every night when your Daddy gets home, the two of you go over what you learned that day. I'm so glad he wants to be involved and enjoys helping you remember all of your material. He's been incredibly busy with work and school and all that he does for us and it means a lot to me (and to you, I'm sure) that he takes the time to do this with you.

You had your first field trip last week on Monday, we went to the Sandy Fire Station and after a few bumps of shyness you had a fantastic time.

Taken 10.06.08

You still own a suffocating amount of dresses, but have grown mature enough - most likely from experience - to know that here in Utah, it's not as much fun to PRETEND it's warm outside. When momma says it's 34 degrees, she's NOT KIDDING and you put pants on without a fuss. It, of course, helps when they involve flowers, princesses, or other pink accessories. Along with your new staple: the pink Nikes from Mimi in Oregon.

It's hard to find new things other than the basics to write about each month. You get older as time moves on but you definitely haven't changed that much... you're still the same sweet little girl, plus a few hormones here and there, as you always were.

And one days you'll read this and be horribly embarrassed by the fact that I publicly leaked the fact that you snorted right after your first cry when you were born and I knew, without a doubt, that you were our Olivia. :)

And you wouldn't be, if I managed not to hear about this.

So, please, don't let me down. ;)

fhe monday

2008-10-14T11:14:00.004-06:00

Last night we did a late activity for FHE, once Daddy got home. Here are some shots. :)

Excuse any sight of rosey mustaches - the kids and I are suffering from sinus infections. Liv got it first, then Duncan, and of course - ME. Fun stuff. :)

22 weeks tomorrow, folks!

2008-10-13T12:06:00.004-06:00

Well beyond the red-ish nose and candy-cane colored socks (*smack*) this is a good shot of the bean and some growth. :) I'm 21 weeks and 5 day in this photo and DEAD tired. I got sick and it's been a disaster from there. My guess is a sinus infection from allergies due to the change of weather - also known as SNOW in OCTOBER. Yeah... REALLY.

It was so cold this weekend - highs of 40 which I honestly don't think we ever hit over 38 in West Jordan - we caved and ran the heater from Friday Saturday night through this morning, set to probably around 70 degrees. Surprisngly enough it really hardly ever clicked on but the little bit of heat definitely took the edge off - especially when we're all feeling like crap. UGH, one of those busy crazy weekends.

I ended up going to church alone just to sit with my class through Sharing Time in Primary and then teaching my class during the second hour. It went well but literally, EVERY kid had something wrong. Coughs, sneezes, etc. But, with the weather it doesn't surprise me.

We're definitely skipping Fall this year unfortunately. I miss it already. What happened to my jacket weather? My non-PARKA weather?

20 weeks and 6 days.

2008-10-06T21:16:00.003-06:00

Thar we be... also shows how happy I am now that I have new maternity pants to wear rather than regular size jeans that "fit" so well! So well, in fact, that Baby G loved to find them and kick at them shortly after they were buttoned across the middle of my belly, LOL.

Oh so THAT'S why we wear maternity... so our babybeans don't kick at our pants all day. Who'd have thought! :D

New ideas.

2008-10-06T11:09:00.005-06:00

The baby will be here in February and I'm feeling the itch of nesting like you wouldn't believe. (Although it can't be THAT hard to believe, just read the blog below from earlier this morning...)

The kids' bedding is from IKEA in "BARNSLIG" textile. This is the baby's bedding:

And these are some things I'm hoping to get:

The Picture Pockets

The Wall Pockets

The BARNSLIG Mobile for over Baby's bed

The BARNSLIG Mirror

The Picture Set in BARNSLIG

These CUTE curtains :)

And of course, the Rug for the middle of the room...

I can't wait for their room to be finished. I like how much space we have in their now, but I really like the idea of pulling down and saving some of the sentimental stuff that we have up because it was given to us, i.e. the Mary Engelbreit "Spot" picture and the Anne Geddes Alphabet print, and making it a little more ours. Obviously we'll keep our "name" hangings from the kids' Aunt and things like that in their room, but overall I'd like for the room to get a little bit of a face lift in preparation for the baby's arrival.

I know... nesting dreams. Still fun though. ;)

Speaking of "all I had accomplished that day"...

2008-10-06T10:03:00.005-06:00

Yesterday during our break from Conference, this is what we did. I ALMOST took a before photo yesterday, but didn't because I honestly didn't think I would last the whole time it would take to completely rearrange, re-bunk the bunk beds, put the crib up (of course Cam took that over faster than I could count the pieces out), plus all the de-junkifying (yes, I just made up that word) that I did in their closet as well.

Anywho - before, each of their beds were up against the wall with the window and it left very little space for... well, ANYTHING. We're hoping to get a dresser in their room at some point but after seeing how it looks now I don't see how on earth we'd fit one in there. The changing table is currently in the garage and against every pack-ratty-bone in my body, we will be passing it on to someone else soon. I love that changing table and wanted to repaint it, make it ours again, etc. But with Cameron in school and of course ALL of my free-to-do-what-I-want time... it just wasn't going to happen. That and the fact that it's been steadily falling apart. :( My parents bought it at a garage sale back in the day while baby shopping for ME. That thing is over 22 years old at least, and has lasted as long. But the time has come to pass it on. :(

If only I had a new AC pluggable papasan baby swing (in New Nature's Touch colors) to mend my heart's sadness. (HINT, hubbs... just kidding. :))

Beyond the giving away and moving on of many items that have remained up in a closet and unloved for quite some time we were very happy with the outcome of the room. It honestly makes the WHOLE upstairs feel so much nicer. There's room to play, room for THIS (click me!) and definitely I'm feeling that it's time for some more decor... perhaps another blog to come?

Without further adieu... the photos:

The room was so crowded before that despite the fact that we ADDED a bed in here, the appearance of it now is MUCH better with much more room.

The kids beds', obviously, are back in bunks with Duncan on the bottom still. He unfortunately still has the fascination with the "top bed" but we're getting a much better message driven into him now that he can respond a little more. Cam's favorite message of this is: "Duncan, don't you remember when you fell and put a hole in your head?" Ahh, the subtly.

Seeing this I just realized I didn't hang the last picture, but meh, oh well. The bookshelf was originally where the Dora Kitchen was and vice versa but as he was more likely to fall off the bed by doing acrobatics over the side, we decided plastic rather than Y-puncture-making, sharp cornered bookshelves made of wood would be the good choice.

The kids' both have their cute little name things made by their Aunt Jennifer Tanner, Cam's oldest sister, and they're both framed where their beds were. I figure since we'll have another soon, and I'm going to be getting different decor wall-wise in general even sooner... for the most part I left things as they were for now - even though Duncan's (sans glass now thanks to his annoying habit of messing with things around his bed) is above where the baby will sleep.

Here is the kids' Dora Kitchen as well as the poor deflated elephant who sleeps on Dunc's bunk. This thing is in some serious need of extra filler, lol.

And what room tour would be complete without the wonderful shot of Liv's superhero - delightfully named, ZZZYYPOFNJ. Also pictured, her example of table manners along with one chair. :)

Okay now I'm really wanting to post the new ideas I have for all of this, LOL.

We'll see...

Okay yeah, so I forgot.

2008-10-06T09:12:00.005-06:00

Last night it went right by us again. I was so exhausted from all we had accomplished that day I wanted to die. Instead, I just passed out on my husband while watching the news. (I can't stand the news.) I was so out of it, I was dreaming, and finally Cam woke me up to take me up to bed and still I could hardly see straight. But when does a mom of two ever get a good amount of sleep? Let alone one that's pregnant, bleh...

But on the bright side - we are minus one belly shot, but up two family-ish shots. Here's our first family photo.
While I'm sorely disappointed with my "expression" I think the family looks good and all in all it turned out very well. Including Cameron, whom I think is very handsome in this shot. ;)

We also got a shot of just Olivia and I as this will be the last professional shot of the two of us as the only girls.
I like this one much better of the two of us. I wish I could have gotten one of the boys, but I doubt Cameron and/or Duncan would have sat still through more photos. Oh well - I got my family photo! That's what counts! :D

Later on tonight I'll try to get Cam to take a belly shot and I'll post here soon after. Enjoy your days.

Wednesday Meltdown

2008-10-02T08:16:00.003-06:00

So yesterday Olivia had her first meltdown.

We got to preschool, she was fine, did her normal "shy" thing with her two teachers, I chatted for a few minutes with them while Duncan went crazy and dove right in to playing with the other p-schoolers - all was fine. Right before I left I noticed she was playing and said, "Bye Liv!" and waved. Well, normally she just ignores me, sometimes waves, sometimes comes over for a hug. Nothing this time so I scooped up Duncan and headed out the door. Suddenly she was bawling and wrapped around my leg.

I tried to help her back to the classroom and went over and played with her, etc. Nothing was seeming to work. Her friend, Erie, came into class and her teacher said she wanted to play with her. Even Erie couldn't distract her. Finally I made her a deal and I went and sat on the other side of the one way mirror, she went and sat with Erie and played puzzles.

Well after a while, it was close to clean up time, Duncan was having fits because he couldn't go play with the "four-year-olds" as he calls them. So I decided, now would be a good time to go, before she gets undistracted, etc. - the kid LOVES preschool. Apparently, every day but yesterday.

So I left.

Got home about 20 minutes later.

Finally dragged my cranky boy in the house...

... and my phone rings.

It's the school! You can hear Olivia having an absolute FIT in the background. The likes of which she does NOT do in public. She surely has these at least 1-2 times a day at home but for some reason she doesn't do them in public, EVER. (Thank goodness, lol.)

So I go back out to the car, drive back over to the school, go in and you can tell she's been bawling. But the only thing I can get out of her is "I thought you were leaving and not coming back." Which is ridiculous in ANY sense at all considering I'm one of the first parents there every day she has school and I have not ONCE made her wait to be picked up. We come in every afternoon to drop her off, and we go in AGAIN every day after school to pick her up! UGH. Not an easy task mind you with our little future-preschooler who kicks and whines just about every time we have to leave Liv at school. Thank heavens he'll be an easy adjuster, lol.

Anyway, we get her home, she finishes her projects for the day, has a little 5-minute-Princess-petite-sized cry because she didn't get to have the snack that day because she left so early and we had another talk. We decided that on Friday we're going to try and stay out in the lobby, to give her a little more comfort, where she can stare at the glass for 5 minutes and eventually see the outline of an adult standing there, and know I'm still there. I guarentee before the end of the next week she'll want me to leave but for now this little issue at least has a solution.

Grandparents - be looking in your mailboxes soon for a little "preschool" art headed your way soon. She comes home with at least 2 things a day and I've been doing the garage door (from the house to the garage) with magnets and cycling them each day. We have a LOT. Next shipment is soon. :)

Finally posting again. :-P

2008-09-30T11:03:00.003-06:00

Here I am at 20 weeks! Baby surely has taken notice, she's kicking probably twice the amount that she was before and is very active through the day AND night. Good and bad, lol. :)

Here I am, two days ago (@ 19wks 5days):Excuse the subdued smile. My mom always told me that I was photogenic but taking a photo every Sunday evening and being worried about how all of me looks leads to a distracted smile, lol.

The kids are, well... the kids. As usual. They've been very excited talking about baby sister and Olivia keeps asking if she can put on all of the new diaper covers we've been receiving... nonetheless they've been having fun with the idea. :)

If Olivia comes out of her hormonal rampage this afternoon I'd like to get some photos of them. In the meantime... check the funnies and day in the life for some flashback photos. :)

FINALLY, my 18wks 6day shot (I was late this time!)

2008-09-24T08:38:00.005-06:00

This shot wasn't as good as the others as it was a last minute oh-shoot-we-never-took-a-photo-last-night... and it was downstairs at nearly 9:30pm. The only light in our Family Room is a lovely Tiffany-style floor lamp and it doesn't light the room nearly as well as the Office ceiling light, where we normally take the photo. Needless to say... I'll be continuing to take mine in the office to get the best look for each one. It just looks different this time and I want them to look fairly similar for comparison each time.

Gosh, gab gab gab - I'm sure no one's concerned with my lighting. Okay, me, but yeah. What's new there? :-P

On other news, on Monday night the kids had a fun Family Home Evening where we talked about being children of God and they got to GUESS whose baby photo each photo was. We also had some pretty interesting responses as to "things we like about the New Baby".

Here's a photo:
Because, what list coming mostly from a pink-obsessed 4-year-old and only slightly from an all boy 2-1/2-year-old would be complete without: "we can hold her and wash her in the tub", "we can play with her *in* Family Home Evening", and "we can help her to draw a Princess".

Ahh... someone's a LITTLE excited that it's a sister that Momma's cookin'.

No belly shot. :(

2008-09-22T09:41:00.004-06:00

In all the commotion of yesterday I forgot to have Cameron take a photo, I'll try to get him to do one tonight, must remember!

Livy unfortunately threw up, one yesterday morning, and once after Cameron and I got to bed last night - all over her bed of course. Luckily I'm positive it's due to the strawberries we got on Saturday. She has a slight allergy to strawberries that builds up and eventually makes her sick. Last time it took quite a lot to get her to that point, this time it was only 2-3 berries on Saturday, and 2-3 berries on Sunday night with her shortcake and 3 hours later it was all over her bed.

She's fine now but I think I'm going to try and find a way to finish off the berries we have left because obviously she's not getting any better regarding them. She's fine with 1-2 times a summer but definitely in small amounts and not in consecutive days. Luckily, she's happy and playing her Dora Saves The Mermaids, on www.nickjr.com, game as we speak.

Me? I'm just glad it's not some type of stomach bug and that it isn't contagious. That is the LAST thing we all need right now! And of course, since it's just the strawberries, it's nice because I can keep them out of site and therefore she gets to feel better. It's nice having something sickness-wise that I can control for my child. Colds, flu, fevers, etc. are awful, other than acetaminophen, there's not much you can do. Thank heavens it's none of those!

In other news, I won a lottery from Necessitae on HyenaCart myself, 2 days after someone won one on mine! :) Here's the link to the gorgeous cards I got for free! I can't wait to get these, thanks again Becky!

In other news, Duncan is still doing terrific with his potty training and I think his new favorite panties are his Rocketship Panties from Walmart, haha, because of course - they GLOW in the dark, lol.

And his new favorite response, to a number of questions, is:
"Duncan, those pants are dirty, let's find some clean ones."
"NO, NOT!"

Ahh... a 2-year-old. :D

frecklefeet & backpacks

2008-09-18T10:52:00.003-06:00

My store, frecklefeet, opened it's doors this morning @ 11:30am (EDT) at it's new site: http://www.hyenacart.com/frecklefeet

I'm very excited to be in a new spot, more editing capabilities, new audience (much more suited to what I'm selling), as well as my upcoming collaboration with Lindsay of Rainbow Waters! Lots of exciting things going on.

Arriving home from Preschool, and a million errands while she was IN school, we found a boxed up Air Filter for the new Trail Blazer that Cameron had ordered and a package from Bonnie in Oregon! The kids were very excited to see the box and we came inside and opened it up to find a Dora backpack and lunchbag for Liv, and a Cars backpack and lunchbag for Duncan! Treats inside, including new Princess shoes, and the kids were thrilled. I'll try to get photos of them and their new bags but I wasn't able to yesterday.

I haven't been able to get photos of a lot lately, except for the weekly belly shots that Cam takes for me, with how busy life has been. Liv's in preschool, Cam's in school full time as well as still working full time so it's been a little chaotic! I'll try harder, I promise!

More later as I need to check back on the store and possibly do one of the kids' newsletters. Not to mention the toilets, stairs that need vacuuming, and the dishes to be handwashed on my counter... ahhh, motherhood. :)

Ch-ch-ch-changes...

2008-09-16T10:38:00.004-06:00

We are undergoing some big changes at frecklefeet right now. We've officially swapped from http://frecklefeet.etsy.com to http://www.hyenacart.com/frecklefeet and listing will begin today and tomorrow but I'm not sure when things will be available to purchase. I'm sort of learning the ropes, appreciating the new crowds and audience I'll recieve from HyenaCart, as well as looking forward to my collaboration with Lindsay from Rainbow Waters that's coming up!

Exciting exciting!

I will keep you posted as to when we'll be ready to roll on the new site and may even open up a seperate blog that pertains only to the store and custom items, purchases, etc. Great for custom work as well. But I'm not that big and popular yet, we'll see!

Wish me luck!

gaining weight? hopefully?

2008-09-14T20:11:00.004-06:00

We've arrived at 17 weeks and 5 days... here's the shot. Let's hope I packed on at least a couple of pounds this month. Gosh, or at least before the 23rd so I don't get in trouble at my appointment with the midwife, lol.

And to answer your questions...

Yes, that's a flip flop tan line on my feet.

No, Cameron has not nicknamed me Shamu yet.

Yes, that's my Tualatin Valley Youth Cheerleading shirt from 1999.

No, I do not wear this outfit in public or on a regular basis. (Okay, maybe at home.)

...

I'm pregnant. What's your excuse?

:)

Starburst Shots @ the Hogle Zoo

2008-09-14T14:08:00.003-06:00

It's been a very hectic week this week - some of which I have no desire to go into. But the end wasn't as bad, in my opinion. Friday we ended up rushing in for an unplanned Ultrasound and we found out we're having a girl! We're very excited for the news and excited to get going on all the clothes and baby prep to be done. (Okay, so I'm a little bit of an early nester this time around and I'm excited to begin this... lol.)

Friday night we stayed home and Cameron met with a man who wanted to buy our Blazer. We sold the Blazer to him, he drove it home and for less than 24 hours we had one vehicle. It was sort of tricky as we hadn't yet seen the Trail Blazer we wanted to purchase in person, only online, as well as also speaking to the owner a couple of times. So basically, because of preschool for Olivia, we HAD to find a car the next day!

The Trail Blazer was out in Kaysville and we drove the Malibu out there and to our happy surprise, we loved the Trail Blazer and purchased it right then. So now, as the kids repeat every time we walk outside to get in the car, we now have "the NEW car" - which is actually 4 years old. :-P Kids!

That afternoon we ran home, went grocery shopping, a couple of other errands on the way, and then after dropping off the groceries we went to the Hogle Zoo. It was a pay-no-attention-to-mom day, the kids were a little over energized thanks to our candy idea while in Macey's and so I didn't get very many photos. Those that I did get turned out like the first photo and the one following:

Yeeah... that's some Starburst and WONDERFUL face making action going on there, folks. Pleasant isn't it? Regardless - they were HAPPY to have Starburst and happy to see that while there was one less elephant now, the ones that were still at the Zoo were out and eating and entertaining all who cared to watch.

We had a good time, took the trip slower as my pregnant feet were beginning to bother me (that's what I get for wearing thongs rather than shoes all day). The kids had fun and we finally went back to the car after a long day of MANY activities to head over to dinner.

We went to Denny's for dinner (free kids' meals with adults!) and the kids got to bring their Rocketship Cups to dinner. They ordered Lemonade which they immediately colored with the "magic" coloring packets and we were ready to eat! (I have no idea who this child is, but here is what their rocketship cups look like...)

All in all it was a very tired, but very fun, morning, day, AND night. Liv's back to preschool tomorrow and of course I have about 50 different things to do before that to get the new car liscensed and registered and ALL that fun stuff. :)

Wish me luck. :)

It's a...

2008-09-12T14:35:00.004-06:00

GIRL!

We're so happy to find out that the wee one squiggling around in there is a GIRL!

Here are our Ultrasound photos from 17 weeks and 3 days along:

Baby's face

Two little baby feet. :)

Her profile

The "it's a girl!" photo

Baby and little arms!

Stay tuned for more belly photos from this coming weekend!

Not quite Buddha.

2008-09-11T14:59:00.003-06:00

Here we are at 16 weeks and 6 days. I'll try to go weekly, but we'll see... ;)

The lovely Snow White and her ever so charming... well, Prince Charming!

2008-09-11T14:52:00.002-06:00

Here are the costumes that Grammy & Pa sent. Grammy was excited to get them here and see that they fit well and they do, perfectly! Way to go Grammy, we LOVE them!

SO adorable! THANK you Grammy & Pa!

WOW!

2008-09-11T10:46:00.006-06:00

Life just comes all at once, doesn't it? Haha - but we're surviving and doing just fine. :) I'm actually no longer watching my nephew so that has freed up a little time at the end of the week in the afternoons while Duncan naps, Liv's at preschool - I definitely have my bit-more-relaxing Fridays back. Although - anytime Olivia's out of the house it surely gives me a break and allows Duncan to revert back to his napping.

Anyway - I HAVE still been taking photos, lots of them, just haven't found the breath to sit down, load them all, and explain what's going on! So basically, I'm going to share some preschool ones now and I'll probably end up doing the kids' entries and picking favorites from the unshared photos for that. Enjoy. :)

So, Wednesday, September 3rd was Olivia's first day of Preschool. And WOW - let me tell you, I NEVER would have guess how that afternoon was going to take place! Here are some photos.

Some of these are cropped a little differently because Olivia's school bag is from her school and I figured since I'm normally very open sharing photos and names of my children that I would hold off on the name of her Preschool. BUT - I'm 100% open to showing the originals to the family and friends I personally know that visit here. Some I can't even post because stinker Olivia swung her back in front of them during a few shots - such a goober. But cute nonetheless!

(If you're interested in seeing those photos let me know and I can email them to you.) :)

These were all taken outside in front of our house - it was excruciatingly bright outside and even in the shadows I could hardly get a normal looking smile out of them, they couldn't see - the whole sun in the eyes and kids don't mix well for photos.

Duncan's new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse shirt - we got it for a steal
on clearanceat Walmart and he loves it.
And of course... his cars. :)

Livy also has a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse tee shirt that we got for her with Minnie and Daisy on it but we got it in a 5T and it just didn't look right without a wash, so we switched and wore out Cinderella and Princess outfit and I washed the shirt for her while she was gone. We've yet to try it on but hopefully it helped the fit. :)

So we get to her school and she walks in... scratch that - SPRINTS through her classroom door and immediately goes to play. I have the camera so I'm trying to get photos... which yeah DID NOT WORK AT ALL. She was way too excited and focused on toys and preschool, but that was a good thing as I was expecting her to be too focused on clutching to my thigh and begging me not to leave her alone with these crazy alien people.

Miss Denise, her teacher, called her name as I was trying to get her to stand next to her cubby with her bag for a shot to show Daddy, and of course she listens to anyone but mom, haha. :) Miss Denise took her photo for the wall and Livy hung up her bag and darted across the room to the make-believe cash register to play with another girl.

I actually had to CALL her name to get her to even notice us
and she of course gave us a whatever face.

She was officially busy with her kids.

We went over gave her kisses and hugs (which involved her kissing the air next to my thigh and hugging me quickly, no regards to Duncan, she was MUCH too busy) and that was it! She did fantastic though and has continued to love it and is excited to go the next time everytime she comes home.

Let's hope it stays that way.

Spaghetti a la Preschool

2008-09-06T16:23:00.003-06:00

Tell me this boy doesn't belong in a Spaghetti Sauce commercial... ahh how I love my new D60. Makes dinnertime very entertaining. ;)

Interesting how the one horizontal shot changed so much just by the turn of the camera, these were all taken on the same "Child" setting, which I LOVE, and this one allowed more light. As you can see, because we continued on in vertical shots, I love the darker contrast that the verticals created. Nonetheless - this boy could not get ANY cuter. :)

"RAWR!"

The same night we had the crazy spaghetti dinner was also the night for Olivia's preschool Orientation. Unfortunately, Daddy had to miss it, as Wednesdays are our we-miss-daddy-days, he has a math and business class that brings him home a little before 10pm. So we decided to call Daddy before we left for Orientation. :)

Here's Livy chatting with Daddy in her new special skirt made just for tonight at her new BIG GIRL school. :) It's a circle skirt so twirling becomes a new hobby instantly. :)

Duncan joining in the fun... neither of them were particularly photogenic, of course. And Liv's in that stage where you can't get a REAL smile out of her to save your life... at least she's cute. :)

More later, I promise! :)

(Including BELLY shots!)

(No, not the alcoholic kind. This is a family [and pregnancy] friendly blog!)

spag... oops, out of time.

2008-08-29T08:48:00.002-06:00

I was going to post some lovely shots of my son at dinner on Wednesday night but unfortunately I think I may be out of luck until next week which will lead us into September! I did get his newsletter posted but today is going to be so busy. I might be able to do some work on here this evening, we'll have to see.

Plan for this weekend is camping, horray! (And Dad Wagner's birthday, horray horray!)

Plan for today is grocery, errand running, bike dropping off-ing, insanity.

More later.

D29-30: Curious Boy gets curious...

2008-08-27T13:15:00.007-06:00

My beautiful -ahem- handsome baby boy.You have grown so much in the past few months, especially these last two. Suddenly you began speaking more, new words every day. Your love of Larryboy or Larry or anything to do with Veggie Tales, has only further convinced me that we're going to have many favorite "boy things" as the years go by.

But the one thing that's always been a favorite of yours and will always be... is the bath. You love bubble baths. :) Of course ever since Ang & Curtis bought you the bathtub basketball hoop set I think the love has only increased.

Beyond your bath, one thing that's lasted into your quickly maturing years is your Chester Cheeto grin that reminds me SO much of your Uncle Daniel. He's still on his mission for a little less than a year and while you loved him when he was home before his mission, I can't wait to see the two of you in action again and hearing the two of you play and you TALKING back to him!

You're also potty training and doing a fantastic job. Most kids take a while to adjust, you on the other hand have been around the bend a few times before. When you were just barely two years old we bought you panties and you loved to wear them and go potty in the toilet. It lasted a week. The next time Daddy was so proud and encouraging and even bought you your beloved Thomas the Train panties - again, lasted about a week. But this time you've apparently decided there's no going back and you've been marching on like a trooper and determined. (Of course, Daddy's new promise of shheeee-reck or Cars panties always helps, haha.)

We wear panties to the store, to the library, while camping, and you cry each night when I tell you it's time to wear your diaper for nighttime. Daddy always compromises and lets you wear your panties OVER your diaper, somehow that makes it better with you though. Daddy always has the best ideas. :)

Taken by Cam

When we all originally moved to Utah a little over a year ago, you and Liv were obsessed with the movie Shrek. We watched it at least once a day and almost always more than that on a normal day. Just recently we've brought it back out and you're always so excited to watch "Shheeeee-reck!" You love to make noises to match the noises on the movie. Thus the adorable pursed lips above. :D

Taken by Cam

Your typical Cheeto grin disappears when Daddy gets out the camera and I'm always happy to find shots he's taken because you can just see the absolute pure happiness in your eyes as your Daddy plays and tickles you to get you to smile for him.

I'm so happy that we're blessed enough to have such a wonderful man in our lives and I hope that you'll follow him as an example in your life so that you too can turn out to be such a wonderful man and father to your very own children one day.

We love you, Monkeyboy, and we're so proud of you. I say "we" because as Momma I get to talk for Daddy too, it's a wonderful part of motherhood. ;) Besides - anyone who looks at the two of you together would be crazy to not think Daddy felt the same way, and he does. We both love you very much and look forward to being with you each day as you continue to grow up. :)

family yoga, almost.

2008-08-26T09:18:00.004-06:00

This morning as I was doing my yoga for pregnancy (so chic, lol) my kids woke up and came down to join me. Livy would ask funny questions but loved playing and lifting her arms during the positions.

I think my favorite part though, in the beginning, was when Olivia decided to voice her opinion on one of the video hosts' appearance. The woman has very interesting teeth, gray super short hair and an older bone structure, making her look: "Mom... that lady is like a super old Grandma lady."

Shortly thereafter we were sitting and centering and the younger host says we're going to sit with legs crossed and "place you hands on your lower abdomen, breathing in and up through your chest feeling it expand. When you exhale, send that energy back down through your body and to your baby." Well, when she's sitting next to me I try to focus on only me and yoga, etc. I know she's safe and probably looking silly next to me, so I don't look cause I know my concentration will go out the window - I've already got Duncan laying all over me during the whole thing, lol. So I hear this sort of "uuughhhh" noise from Liv and she says:

"Mom, uhhm... I just don't have a baby in my tummy. Do I need to put my hands on my tummy?"

"Well maybe you can just pretend. Or you can just put your hands there. Either way."

"... but there's no baby."

"I know."

"Well what about the super old Grandma lady, does SHE have a baby?"

Ohh... my. The things these kids come up with. Hilarious.

Duncan liked to bug us at the very end during "Relaxation" by squealing "wwwwaaaaaake upppp!" and "nnooooo sleeeeeeping!" Very entertaining. Liv would whine and say "Duncan SHHHTOP! I'm trying to relax-a-shin."

Livyboo - getting older.

2008-08-25T14:19:00.002-06:00

Liv's starting school on the 3rd of September - ACK! When did she get so old? It's just crazy. But she will be in Orientation for Preschool on Wednesday, and then the following Wednesday (the 3rd) is her first day! Such a sweetie poo.

Gag me, geez, I need to stop with the poos and boos.

Anywho - I'm here with my lap covered in a soft green knit littered with white daises and preparing to make her a cute little circle skirt for her first day! I need to look for some knit with blue butterflies as that is her class' little symbol.

Wish us luck for Wednesday and I'll be adding more later tonight on preschool and Duncan as well. :)

lazy daisy.

2008-08-22T08:29:00.002-06:00

It seems as the days drag on I feel like I'm counting the days of each week of pregnancy less and less... of course, I'm still not quite to 15 weeks yet and still jumpy as a jitterbug - regardless of it all - I have been SLACKING MAJORLY. And not even on the important stuff... how weird is that?

I've cleaned toilets, swept floors, vacuumed more times than I have fingers to count, wiped mirrors, scrubbed counters, swept porches, watered flowers - I've DUSTED this week for heaven's sake! It's all apart of my new little routine I have going to take over the housework with Cam being gone and when home, incredibly busy with homework from school and online meetings for his DL classes online. Been a busy week and there was only *1* day of in-school class, haha. But we're making it. :)

The point of this banter is simply that I've been so engrossed on what my toilets are looking like, and whether or not I can force myself to mop before passing out in bed each night, I've been completely ignoring my poor little blog. I promise once I get into this routine a little easier (much like Monday when I completed my morning tasks plus half of my afternoon tasks all before the morning ones were scheduled to be done) I'll be able to slip in a few things that I couldn't before.

I also pledge to keep the dadgum camera DOWNSTAIRS. You know, so I'll USE it. Dumb Kodak sneaking around on me. That way I'll have fun things to post and hopefully some interesting side photos for you all to click.

Well... off to the grind again I suppose, I'll update the "funnies" and "day in the life" before I go but please - be patient with me! And YES, I know poor little D-man hasn't had his monthly newsletter yet. :( Poor man, I'll probably try to get shots of him today and post them and his newsletter next Monday? We'll have to see!

Wish me luck and grant me PATIENCE! (Both for you to wait for posts, and for me to stay sane.) ;D

Couldn't resist...

2008-08-14T13:03:00.003-06:00

My sister just left this in a comment on my MySpace!

He's driving. How funny is THAT?

Nawwwwty procrastinating momma.

2008-08-14T08:59:00.005-06:00

I've been so busy with myself lately, and trying to kick myself to get a bunch of bows done for the etsy site, that I haven't been blogging events as they've happened.

If you've noticed the song that plays, Oh My Love by John Lennon, when you scroll down onto the blog it's in honor of my 1-year Anniversary with my handsome husband, Cameron. We had a fun time a little early and took an over-nighter trip to Park City. We snagged an AWESOME little hotel room and got a great deal since technically, no snow means off season. :)

Here are some shots:

(Just kidding, I'll edit this later and add them... Cameron hasn't uploaded them yet from his phone.)

But at the top was right before we went to dinner the Saturday before the 10th, the 10th was a Sunday and we don't go out to dinner on Sundays. We had a fun time and we exchanged gifts as well. I got a watch from Cam, and some stationary, from Target. Cameron also got a watch, lol, from me!I orginally had a really nice Coleman watch picked out and purchased for him but when we took it home and he tried it on, it was too small. :( We went back to Target, exchanged it, and he chose this Mossimo one instead, still very nice and he says the fit is perfect.

The kids had fun with Brin while we were gone...

Hopefully, this will be one of the last diaper shots you'll see of Duncan... cross your fingers! It's sad because he is OH so cute... but the time has come. He's been diaper free (well except nighttime) for 4 days now! Doing fantastic and I'm so proud of him. :)

PS: Liv's haircut - pretty cute, huh? :)

BBQ @ the Park

2008-08-14T08:45:00.005-06:00

We went to the park by our house with the play structure and enclosure with a picnic table on Tuesday to have a fun little BBQ with just us and Brin. It was fun until the bees started popping in on the party but I did get some fun pictures and yummy food. We baked up some curly fries, my famous baked beans, and polish sausages for us, hot dogs for the kids. The bees were particularly fond of the hot dogs, lol.

Unfortunately, my camera was dying and did die after a few shots. But here are the cute ones I was actually able to get. :)

Here's Olivia and her new bike, which is apparently almost
as tall as she is! Brinsley and I took the kids on their bikes and
Cam drove the truck over with the portable grill and
food I had made ahead of time.

Here are the kids playing with a chain that used to be chained
to a second picnic table... where is that table? No idea...

Livy on the playground.
(Mimi sent us this cute pink tunic top, Liv likes it.) :)

Kids running to Brinny.
(My mind is screaming: "The HIIIIIILLLLLS are ALIIIIIIIVE!")

Say it with me: "Awwwww..."

We had a good time and I wish I would have thought to check the batteries on the camera, darn it. But I did get some cute shots and there's always next time. But I think we'll head to a less-tagged, less-beehived park. :)

O49-50: The continuing birthday and plans

2008-08-11T09:42:00.005-06:00

Even after your birthday, you continued to go on and on about what you WANTED for your birthday. I tried to explain to you that your next birthday wasn't for another year but you refused to listen. And so the planning began for your next birthday.

But not really.

You've been doing a great job with your bike. Suddenly being just a little further off of the ground on this new bike you have a new fear of going "too" fast. Too fast meaning anything faster than having to pump as hard as you can on your pedals while going merely an inch. Daddy lowered your seat to help as much as we could but you'll get used to it eventually.

Being 4 has hardly changed you a bit, imagine that. The bedtime crisis has begin since June but suddenly you've decided you enjoy food and you like EATING it with the family! It certainly makes meals easier. To my disbelief you ate Sloppy Joes last night. I nearly died. Of course you decided that cooked tomatoes are not as good as fresh tomatoes and you picked them out but you ATE Sloppy Joes.

Brinsley is here for 3 weeks this month and before she got here you would not shut up about her coming. Every day we had to save the last fruit snack, save the last drink of juice, save a stuffed animal for when she sleeps here, etc. It was very sweet how much you anticipated your Auntie's arrival and even got Duncan to practice saying her name.

You're gaining more and more opinions about what we do during the day and your routine for bedtime is beginning to help. I have no doubt you're half to maybe a little more of the motivation for Duncan to continue coming out of his room every 10 minutes but you do at least stay in your bed. :)

You love to read books, going to the library is the highlight of our week. Not to mention the cycle of Barbie Mariposa, Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus, and of course the available Princess movies, Dora movies, etc. That's by far your favorite thing to watch though - Barbie! She's become a new interest for sure.

You've worked very hard with your piano book that Great Gma Cole has sent you and you can play many of the songs all by yourself matching the numbers and colors to the various keys. You know the black notes are for the black keys and while you use everything from your right hand to your left foot, you recognize the Treble Clef and know that you should be using your right hand to play - but you're definitely not one to conform. :)

Daddy and I are so proud of you and can't believe how far we've come. You may still have a lot of attitude in you (surprise surprise, I can just HEAR Mimi thinking that...) but we're very proud of all that you do. You're very excited for a new baby brother or sister and ask about how big the baby is and what it's eating, if it can hear you, all the typical questions. You're favorite thing to inform me of is simply that we ARE having twins and that one will be a girl named Dora, and the other will be a boy named Diego. Cameron thanks his lucky stars every day that your prediction has not proved to be accurate thus far.

Such a silly girl. :)

The B has arrived.

2008-08-08T11:08:00.006-06:00

Safe and sound, all is well. :) We've been having fun even though my life isn't terribly interesting and active, I know she likes being with the kids. Even Andrew's warmed up to "Binny".

I flaked out last month with severe writerblogger's block and didn't do the kids newsletters last month, so this month I will do both July and August for both of the kids. MONDAY, hold me to it!

In other news, I'm gearing up to do a collaboration with one of my friends I've known for quite a while from the San Diego area. Her store, www.rainbowwaters.com has HUGE success and I LOVE the things she sells - and it's her 3rd Anniversary with her store! :)

I know that if I were to put some initial cost of starting, fabric, supplies, nanny for the children (haha) - I too could do such wonderful things with my little WAHM business but I just don't have it in me at this time. Especially with watching Andrew Thursdays and Fridays and also with (insert another invalid excuse for continued non-effort.) Naw... it's not that bad. ;) But I am really amazed at the beautiful things she creates and sells and I am so excited to be working along side, in a sense, for this little bit of time. :) Check her out! Here's her blog. :)

Anywho, it's getting me to make some moves myself and I'll be doing some bow, and possibly other things, creations today and list them on the site since it has been ages since I stocked last. Phew.

More later perhaps. Tomorrow will be a BUSY day. Beyond the regular shopping and store hopping, we've got the Zoo, dinner for the kids & Brin, and then we're off to our Anniversary Dinner. :) Busy busy day!

The time has come!

2008-08-04T11:28:00.005-06:00

Well, friends and family (and random web visitors) - Cameron and I have an announcement to make...

We're pregnant!

Yeah, orange. Weird color pick, haha. Yellow wouldn't show very well and pink or blue would reference to the sex of the baby but we don't know that much yet. :) Baby is healthy, mom is doing well and getting over (FINALLY) the long mornings of nausea, lasting all day, and sometimes into the evenings. I still get a little bit in the mornings but we're surviving.

Today, Monday, we are 3 months! The due date is February 16th, 2009 - yes, interesting timing, adding to all the February birthdays we already have! Duncan's birthday is the 7th, mine is the 24th, and I believe we have 4 OTHER birthdays in February on the Wagner side as well! So it'll be a busy month but we can't wait to meet our little one. :)

So here's the poll for this post...

Baby's first heartbeat (11 weeks and 2 day) was 168 - girl or boy? :)

k...

2008-07-29T10:26:00.001-06:00

I call DO OVER.

Ahh.

PS: Today's side blurbs will all be older photographs... just as a little blast from the past. Keep tuned in for tomorrow...

Today's plan...

2008-07-28T09:35:00.004-06:00

get out the Dora table for the kids
take over the dining room table for me and scrap stuff
get some wedding photos done!
cover the spaghetti jars for chipboard?
sweep and mop kitchen and dining room (k, that's first)
after lunch, try a movie with kids
puzzles and a project at some point
clean up kids room
clean upstairs bathroom
at least 1 load of laundry

How's that for a boring blog? :)

Commercials.

2008-07-25T09:04:00.006-06:00

I never really noticed until after we got cable, how suddenly commercials become a way of life, lol. I've always had no cable, just nice public access PBS type stations and the networks of course. So my kids were always watching PBS, Sesame Street, Caillou, etc.

Then we got cable.

Olivia can RECITE commercials.

She's constantly telling me, "Mom we can't take a bath in the tub because if there's scoap scum then there's germs and we need to clean it." CONSTANTLY.

One of our excuses at the grocery store is, "it's not on sale." For us, that's the best answer we have because it's rare that we do buy something that's not on sale. So even silly things, like Clorox cleaner or name brand poptarts - you name it... we don't even buy poptarts! But Liv sees it on the shelf and suddenly blurts out in the store "Mommy, are we just not buying it 'cause it's not on sale?" I'll try to explain that we like other brands or generics, etc. better or that we don't need 14 different kinds of poptarts when we just ran out to pick up some onions and still... she'll shrug her shoulders and say "Yeah, Dunky. It's just not on sale. We only need the onions."

Way to make mom feel like a HOMELESS person, lol.

But lately, the newest "I want..." "I want..." are these:

They are very cute - Liv likes the Elmo ones and Duncan likes the Cookie Monster ones. Honestly I can't blame them! They're on the spendy side though, being NewBalance and all, but OH so cute. Even the insoles, lol.

Just cracks me up... I never realized how much commercials do suck you in to things like that. When I was a kid, no way they sucked me in, right? But now - WOW, having my own kids definitely shows me the power commercials have over them, lol. And we don't even watch very much TV! Afterall, they have to cram as many commercials in during each television show just in case you really are only going to watch THAT show.

Ahh... modern living.

In an effort...

2008-07-23T14:04:00.006-06:00

...to drag myself away from this beautiful series and deem myself a Lallybroch Lady before I reach the end, I ventured into some more creative endeavors (as if imagining the ruggedly handsome Jamie Fraser wasn't creative enough!) and have had a lot of fun making these two little critters for the kids.

Liv's is going to be finished any minute after I stop typing, only needing a nose and maybe some detail on the ears... perhaps a bow. I found the pattern through "Motherhood for Dummies", a fellow mom-blogger's blog and she linked us all to Martha Stewart and this pattern. You can see Duncan and his new black puppy in the Etsy Newbies section to the right side of this post, and once Olivia has been allowed to leave her room (don't ask) I'll hopefully get a semi decent, non-Chester-Cheeto photo out of her before too long.

I put a book on hold at the Kearns Library, In Stitches by Amy Butler, that a book group I've recently joined it reading. I had no idea Amy Butler had books out but I suppose that just about everyone does now a days. Anywho, I'm excited... even though it's the JULY book and I'm STILL waiting for it to arrive... today being the 23. I guess I'll just have to balance a few books at a time, oh darn. ;)

I also need to get movin' on my wedding album again since it's going to be November before I know it! It hailed and rained a LOT yesterday and really sort of gave me an earning for November. It wasn't until I LFET Oregon that I realized how much I miss that rain. And at the same time, not even the rain, but the jacket weather. I'm definitely going to find myself a lovely jacket for jacket weather. Hopefully we'll get some this year. :)

Well... must be off. I've got appointments next week and then our Anniversary trip on the 1st weekend in August, plus we've got to find out if we'll need to leave way earlier from Park City then planned, or who knows, lol. Isn't it always the best laid (and early made) plans that seem to go haywire? Ahh... such is life. :)

AND THEN BRIN!

That's right Scooter, didn't forget you! It's coming quick!

I think that my favorite thing beyond Brinsley's wide eyed Tweety-bird look (on the left), is my mom's wonderful Nordstrom nightgown, adorned with Nordstrom charge cards of course!
Ahh, the good ol' days. :)

fun new things.

2008-07-21T10:46:00.004-06:00

Surfing the web this morning while the kids finish their snack of "fruit bars" I happened upon a shop called boygirlparty. SO fun. SO much cute stuff! I ordered a letter pad adorned with the sweetest little birds and polka dots, and was oh so tempted by these recipe cards - look at the Cat ones too! Holding the knife with her tail! Haha.

I've been racking my brain trying to decide what to get people this year for gifts. Our families are very different in ages especially. Cameron's family draws names, both the adults, and the kids - depending on who wants to be involved. My family, we're really in a weird spot because Dan's on his mission, Dillon's at school and probably will be on his mission before I know it, and the rest of the girls are really all too young to be "adults" and on their own spending their own money on each other. I figure, at this point we'll draw names with Cam's family and I'll do mine. My sisters, all 4 of them, still enjoy fun little gifts and now that I'm in a normal, non-suffocating relationship, with a little dough of my own too - haha, it's fun to actually be able to shop for my family! I haven't been doing birthdays this year, and I don't think I will past cards, but hey - maybe next year. But Christmas for sure.

Anywho, I've been looking. PS: Girls... up for suggestions as well! ;)

I already have an idea for Mom's Christmas gift, just not sure if it's the right one. I'm obviously ordering everything super early since we'll be there, this year, at Thanksgiving time. With higher prices and COMPLETE loss of trust with the post office, I'd much rather get my gifts and then take them, with my person, in my vehicle, to Oregon myself.

It'll be an early Christmas, I think they'll get over it. :D

Meanwhile, I do need to get into gear with some more ideas for my shop. I feel like I've been lazy with it, but I think it's more of a lack of inspiration. I have some ribbon I've hardly touched and have been considering some new looks and types of bows... keep updated, if you wish, with the Etsy Newbies section and let me know what you think.

Possibly more later... I have yet to do the kids' newsletters for this month - laaazzzzy! But I will, I'll get to it!

Just 11 days until anniversary trip to Park City with Hubbs! Horray! And then it'll seem like SECONDS until Brin arrives! ;)

Loves.

ETA: And if it wasn't enough... the artist, Susie Ghahremani, of all the above... also has a band. Snoozer. Here's the myspace page to hear her music. I like "Winterclothes". :)

ohh, Charlie.

2008-07-18T08:52:00.002-06:00

I needed a good laugh. Maybe you did too?

Enjoy.

Duncan's first stitches.

2008-07-16T10:21:00.004-06:00

They're not as bad as it would seem I suppose, for a long fall and landing right on the sharp corner of a small dresser at the bottom... well, it could have been worse. Like in his eye. Oh my.

Here are some shots I took yesterday before we headed to the Doctor's office to get them taken out.

Such a sweetie. He's doing well though, all adjusted. :) And...

no more bunk beds. ;)

Ahh... life.

2008-07-09T11:24:00.009-06:00

So yeah.

I never updated. Shame on me. BUT - now I actually have some things worth saying, lol.

First - Curtis & Angela (Cam's sister) have entered a "Why I Should Get This Scholarship" video for Curtis going back to school and who does it star? None other but the most adorable and charming Zachary. :) SO sweet! Here's the link, it's free and quick to sign up and vote for him, so DO it! You know you want to. Who could resist the baby reasoning?

Zachary's Film Debut ;)

So click it! NOW! Seriously the baby lust is just lingering in the air. I can feel it...

Secondly... some more cute photos:

Just in case you haven't gathered it yet... this was the Thursday before the 4th of July and the kids were SO happy that they were testing the sprinklers during the day again. They hadn't been on in ages, as you can see by the beautiful shade of grass we now have covering our front and back yard. Pleasant. But they had fun. :)

These photos are from our most recent Zoo trip, we got to ride the CHOO CHOO! Duncan was very excited and he was happy to be anywhere near the REAL train, let alone ride on it.

Grammy Victor sent him his outfit, she made it for him special - he calls it his "crackor shirt and crackor PANTS" outfit. Yes, just like that.

Playing at the playground... (Still @ Hogle Zoo)

Duncan has a very strong grip. Cameron enjoyed getting him to hold on to the rings and then quickly stepping away for me to take the photo. Ahh... men.

He later informed me, unfortunately, that while I had taken Liv to the Ladies' Room he had done the same thing but, put him on the rings, left him there, walked around the front to take a picture HIMSELF with his camera phone. Luckily the anxiety wasn't as real as if I had been standing there counting the inevitable bodily injuries myself.

And of course, Cameron's favorite Zoo photo.
The one without him in it.

(Why do I wear the same thing almost everytime we go to the Zoo?
No idea. I'll have to make a mental note of that.)

Speaking of injuries - my boy had his first 3 stitches last night. He climbed up into his sister's bed (they have bunks and he's finally learned to climb up) and somehow managed to fall off and smack his head on the corner of the small chest of drawers by their bed. Needless to say the bleeding stopped but the massive hole (okay, it was a nice puncture wound from a sharp corner, Y-shaped, about a half of an inch HOLE) was gaping and I knew we'd need to go in.

Danine came over to watch Liv (THANK YOU! :)) and we headed out to an after hours-insta care place in West Valley and they stitched him up with three stitches. Pictures later as he's napping right now but he's doing just fine and hasn't even tried to mess with the stitches. Tough kid.

Well, that's all for now. Perhaps more photos later including the 3-stitch-wonder. :)

apologies.

2008-07-01T19:36:00.003-06:00

I'm terribly sorry. It's been over a week and I am thoroughly guilty of not updating. I've been through a spin of things at home including a wave of exhaustion that I swear is from so much sun. My wee Oregonian spirit is enjoying it but, it does suck the energy out of me quickly.

I'm also horribly lost in the writings of yet another author. Diana Gabaldon - Outlander. Lovely book. This is day three and while I can't remember what exact page I'm on, I know I passed quickly by page 444 this late afternoon. Oh my... lost in a book.

Updates tomorrow during quiet time perhaps... no promises. I'll try. :)

Columbine.

2008-06-18T16:23:00.002-06:00

We recently planted flowers in our little area next to the house and Cam's grill. We have one Columbine in the back. I had planned to take photos of all of them to show, including of Liv's 15-seeds-per-hole lettuce planting job which has now happily sprouted late, but the camera died after this one. Honestly, I am so ready for the new camera to arrive.

melissaanne

New blog!

Please excuse...

The Adventures of Olivia

"Can I tell you my dream?'

Snow Day!

O55 & D35: Starting Anew

35 weeks

Christmas Morning [part 2]

Christmas Morning [part 1]

David Bowman Contest, very neat idea!

"33" weeks

Christmas EVE!

32 weeks and 1 day!

O53-54: Olivia - Christmas Photo Special

Our Trip // November 29: Our Last Day

Our first visit to Santa!

Our Trip // November 28: Down At The Beach

Visit to Santa #2... #1 to come, lol.

Our Trip // November 27: Lincoln City

Our Trip // November 26: Visit to Gpa Bill & Gma Bonnie

A lame post indeed.

oooh, mama.

Our Trip // November 24-25: Piano Keys and Curlers

Our Trip // November 22-23: Elephant Ears & Car Cakes

29 weeks and 1 day yesterday.

Our Trip // November 21: The Drive

27 weeks and I've gained *0* lbs officially!

The NEW set of happiness.

Tagging from The Couch Diva

Anatomy of a Tantrum

26 weeks and counting...

All I want right now...

D33: Another double digit.

Good Morning SNOWshine. :)

25 weeks and counting...

Sewing up a storm. Well... a small one. Just some fleece soaker wind gusts, really.

24 weeks.

Another Monday - but with fluffy mail!

And the Creative Carver award goes to:

Ghosts say "mooooooooo!"

FINALLY! 23 weeks and 2 days!

Pumpkin Picking!

D31-32: "Me watch Suda Cuke show."

O51-52: Okay. Yeah. I need to get on it.

fhe monday

22 weeks tomorrow, folks!

20 weeks and 6 days.

New ideas.

Speaking of "all I had accomplished that day"...

Okay yeah, so I forgot.

Wednesday Meltdown

Finally posting again. :-P

FINALLY, my 18wks 6day shot (I was late this time!)

No belly shot. :(

frecklefeet & backpacks

Ch-ch-ch-changes...

gaining weight? hopefully?

Starburst Shots @ the Hogle Zoo

It's a...

Not quite Buddha.

The lovely Snow White and her ever so charming... well, Prince Charming!

WOW!

Spaghetti a la Preschool

spag... oops, out of time.

D29-30: Curious Boy gets curious...

family yoga, almost.

Livyboo - getting older.

lazy daisy.

Couldn't resist...

Nawwwwty procrastinating momma.

BBQ @ the Park

O49-50: The continuing birthday and plans

The B has arrived.

The time has come!

k...

Today's plan...

Commercials.

In an effort...

fun new things.

27 weeks and I've gained 0 lbs officially!