Hillary & Co.

My super 3-year-old

2012-01-26T14:20:00.012-05:00

There is always so much to say about Owen--maybe because he has a lot to say himself! So here is the latest on this fun boy:
1. He LOVES to talk. He pretty much talks non-stop, all day long. He asks tons of questions. Sometimes he talks in a baby voice to Elliot--I think that is because he hears Cameron and I talking in a baby voice to him. I don't mind it. It's adorable.

2. He has an adorable laugh! He loves to watch "Chip and Dale" on his dad's phone.

3. He loves Sunbeams! His teacher says that he does great and that he's very social.

4. He loves preschool! I have learned to start telling him in advance about things that are going to happen the next day. Doing so has helped a lot with his behavior. It really helps him to be able to prepare in his mind for events that will be happening in the future. For example, I will tell him that night before preschool that he has preschool tomorrow. Then the next day he is already thinking about it, rather than telling him that he has preschool the morning OF, and it's hard to get him dressed and he doesn't want to go.

5. He has been a little bully to Elliot lately. A few times now I have caught Owen pushing Elliot right over when he's sitting up. He has of course been in trouble for this behavior. Hopefully Owen has learned to stop.

6. His memory is amazing. He refers to events that happened several months ago. Every now and then he asks about when Elliot was born. So we were talking about it, and Owen asked, "Did Elliot have a band-aid on his foot?" Wow! That is a detail that we have never discussed and I haven't even given a second thought to. Yes, Elliot did have a band-aid on his foot at the hospital from when his foot was pricked.

7. He nibbles at breakfast, eats A LOT for lunch, and hardly touches his dinner.

8. He is saying the funniest things lately. My favorite was, "I just farted a little." He's very honest and open about all of his feelings. But he is also learning how to deceive.

9. He got some trucks and tractors for his birthday and Christmas and he wants to take them all a part--I am trying my best to keep his new toys intact!

10. He loves to sing. His favorite songs are "Jingle Bells," "Follow the Prophet," "Book of Mormon Stories," and "Baby in a Manger."

Funny story: One night during the holidays we received some Chex mix treats from a family in our ward. After we received the treat I couldn't find Owen anywhere and it got really quiet (this is never a good thing for a toddler boy). He had gone in his bedroom, closed the door, and was eating the whole bag of treats! Too funny!

Mommy & Me

2012-01-23T20:28:00.001-05:00

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So thankful

2012-01-21T10:01:00.002-05:00

I have recently contemplated writing a post about how I survived baby boot camp (age 0-6 months). I thought about telling of all its bad times-the up 3 times a night, dairy-free diet thing that was a total hoax, mastitis, husband working 12-14 hour days during the worst of it all, the 3 ear infections, and on and on. But I decided, instead, to count my blessings.

1. My Heavenly Father has blessed me with the privilege of raising these beautiful children-His children-and I better be thankful for each and every day that I have to raise them.

2. I am thankful for our fun and laid back mornings--the footy pajamas, Elliot's awesome exersaucer that he LOVES to bounce up and down in. I love our lazy mornings. I am thankful for the smell of clean Pampers diapers and for the fact that I will always HAVE clean diapers for my baby.

3. I am thankful for cartoons. Yes they are a lifesaver for me at times but honestly, there are some cute ones on TV. Owen's favorite is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. If Owen had a theme song, it would be the opening music to that cartoon.Other favorites include "Olivia" and "Curious George."

4. I am thankful for the warmth that blankets provide. My sweet neighbor from our old town made this blanket for Elliot. This was the same neighbor that helped clear our driveway of snow last winter when my husband was on a business trip. Owen still remembers her and brought her name up the other morning when we woke up to snow. "Did it snow at Nikki's house?" He asked me. "Did it snow on her trampoline?" and, "Snowblower?" I am constantly impressed by his memory.

5. I am thankful for the sweetness of a baby. Yes, you think, I say that now because I am not up 3 times a night. But I love the feel of his soft, warm, baby cheek on my neck the one time a day that he likes to cuddle (right before bed at night).

6. I am thankful for our precious moments. I have always wanted to write a book about my life but I have always felt like I haven't lived a long enough life to even write a book. I am not writing that book--my children are, everyday through their funny/hilarious moments. Yesterday I said to Owen, "You're special." With a complete serious look on his face he turned to me and said, "I'm not special. I'm different." Well of course! How can you be special AND different? We can only be one thing at a time! And where did he get the idea of being "different"? Children are so funny.

7. I am thankful for our Savior Jesus Christ who makes it possible for our family to be eternal. What would I do if something happened to any one of us and we were separated in this life? I would be grief stricken, surely, but at least I know that no matter what happens we are together forever. No separation between this life and the next. It is because of our temples that make this possible.

precious moment

2012-01-17T12:33:00.001-05:00

Every Tuesday and Friday for 1.5 hours Elliot gets mom to himself while brother is in preschool. Fun times!

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Elliot-6 months old

2012-01-15T00:02:00.000-05:00

The boys had a well-check yesterday; Elliot, 6 months, and Owen, 3 year. It was convenient to accomplish both appointments in one visit. But there is nothing I hate more than taking my healthy children into a doctor's office FULL of sick children in the middle of winter. I have never seen it so busy! When we walked into the exam room the smell of vomit was ever present. The nurse quickly explained that a child had vomited in this very room but that she had sanitized everything afterward, including the basket of toys that Owen had been looking forward to playing with. I thought to myself, "The minute we get home I am changing my kids' clothes and dunking them in the bath!" (Because there is nothing worse than a stomach bug!)

I am so grateful that I have healthy kids. And I am not just talking about cough-free, snot-free, vomit-free, ear infection-free (because they are all those things right now, yay!). I am thankful they don't have any serious medical problems.


He is always playing with his tongue!


I love the stringy drool... so funny!

Here are some fun facts about Elliot:
-He is 18 lb., 6 oz, and 27 1/2 inches long--he has more than doubled his birth weight (8 lb., 2.6 oz.)!
-He has 2 bottom teeth that finally cut through the gums on our flight home from Salt Lake a few weeks ago.
-After a very long 6 months of getting up every night, he is finally sleeping through the night! That right there deserves its own blog post!
Sleeping baby=happy mama! A beautiful equation!
-He eats baby food 2 to 3 times a day. He eats a lot at dinner time.
-He can sit up on his own without any assistance for about 3 minutes; that time is lengthening each day.
-He idolizes Owen! He watches him very closely. When he sits on my lap he kicks his legs and rocks himself back and forth--I can just tell he wants to take off and follow Owen!
-He is a little shy. He makes eye contact with me, smiles big, and looks away really fast. Then he looks back and smiles again.
-He smiles and laughs very easily. He is very ticklish, a trait I have noticed with him since last October.
-I thought I had him going on the binky last month but he really doesn't like it. He can put it in his mouth and I usually have one in the crib for him but he doesn't suck on it.
-He drinks one 8 oz. bottle of formula before bed each night and that is the only formula he gets. I am planning to wean him at 11 months.
-Nicknames: Goobers, Gooby, Bubby, Bubbies

The three amigos

2012-01-09T12:58:00.000-05:00

My sister in-law got these matching ties for the boys and I just love the look! I found matching white shirts for Owen and Elliot at Target. Elliot's tie looks a little crooked--couldn't get that top button snapped! This picture is definitely a classic.

Baby Food

2012-01-06T20:41:00.000-05:00

I have had a little more fun with baby food this time around. I have some store-bought food and some homemade baby food. I never thought I would make my own baby food but I will give you the whole story. A few days before Elliot turned 4 months I knew he was ready for solids. I tried to give him just plain old cereal but, just like Owen, he rejected. I had some baby food on hand but a lot of ripe bananas. Sometimes bananas just go ripe in our house and I end up using them for different things like pancakes or smoothies. But this time I decided to blend up a whole batch and add some baby oatmeal cereal to it. This was so easy to do. Peel bananas, throw in blender, press the "ON" button. I had tons of puree from that, but not any ice cube trays, so I got out a muffin tin and filled each muffin cup to capacity. Then I placed it in the freezer for several hours. I then removed the muffin tin from the freezer, let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes. I got a Freezer Ziploc Gallon-sized Baggy. Each little "muffin" popped out so easily. I now had 12 servings of baby bananas. The other thing I liked about this as opposed to the store bought is that it is so easy to just remove a serving from the ziploc, put it in a bowl, and pop it in the microwave for about 50 seconds. I hate the store bought stuff. It is so hard to peel the sealed wrapping back on those little baby food containers when I have a fussy, hungry baby in one arm. Then it always splatters everywhere... then I have to add the oatmeal and on and on. Sure, it is convenient to take to church, or for travelling with. But it is not convenient at home.
After the little bananas venture I decided to do this same thing with some sweet potatoes I had. This process was a little more time consuming, but again, so worth it. And I am willing to bet I have saved a lot of money. I just peeled and chopped up the sweet potato, threw it in a pot of boiling water, then pureed it in the blender with a little bit of the leftover pot water and a ton of oatmeal cereal to thicken it up.
I also did this with some frozen peas. But even easier...I just cooked them in a microwavable safe container with some water and then pureed them. These had a little bit more texture because of that outer shell but Elliot loves it, and it looks so much greener than those drab baby food peas at the store. I also think they taste better.
The other thing I have done this with is a bag of baby carrots. Just cooked them in the microwave until they were soft, then pureed them....he is eating more now so he can eat two whole muffin cups worth. Elliot has yet to reject anything I have given him. The one thing he HAS rejected is pureed broccoli. I think the taste was too strong for him, so I am going to wait a little bit longer before I offer him that again. Also, I am not fussy about that whole "organic food" thing so this has nothing to do with it.
There are several advantages to home-prepared baby food:
1) It tastes better.
2) It saves money.
3) It is easy to prepare when the baby is ready to eat (even though it does take more time initially when making the food).
4) I can control the texture of it.
5) I don't have to worry about plastic containers and those terrible seals.
6) It is part of our regular food menu in the home. It is just natural to be able to make baby food out of what we already have in the home.

Interesting article on Mitt Romney

2012-01-06T14:04:00.001-05:00

Journeys of a shared life - The Boston Globe

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Contentment

2012-01-06T09:21:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we had a rare bout of spring-like weather. The high temp was a record-breaking 63--very unusual for Iowa in the supposed dead of winter. It felt so good to step outside in just a light jacket and feel the warmth penetrate me instead of the bitter cold biting at my ears. It felt surreal to put Elliot in the jogging stroller and the 3 of us walk to the park on January 5. Owen was in awe of the outdoors. I guess we really haven't been outside much since the end of October. I would not mind a bit if we could fore go the awful Midwestern winter and never see a drop of snow...unrealistic I know but I can dream.

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Owen

2012-01-05T15:14:00.000-05:00

I know I have already written about Owen once but it is interesting to think about what I was doing 3 years ago. Owen had only been home from the hospital a week and Cameron had just gone back to school after winter break for Mod 3 of MBA school at Penn State. Owen arrived 3 weeks early without any complications but this worked out perfect--Cameron was on break and was able to spend all of his time with me and baby, helping us out immensely. "Baby." That is what we called him his first 2 days of life. Finally the nurse pressured us on the day we were going to leave Mt. Nittany Medical Center. "If you don't choose a name now, it's going to be a lot harder to submit one for a birth certificate after you go home." We were torn between 2 names--Owen and Colin. I wanted Owen and Cameron wanted Colin. Finally, right there in the hospital room, Cameron gave in. He said that I had done all the work to get the baby here so it should be my choice. I just thought he looked more like an Owen because his face was so round and resembled the letter "O." Owen it is.
We've called him a few different things since then.. Goo-Goo, Goose Boy, Goose, Goose-uh. But ultimately he is our sweet little Owen boy and we love him so much!

Mitt Romney and the Iowa Caucus

2012-01-04T14:17:00.001-05:00

I had no idea how exciting it would be to live in Iowa, not just Iowa but Des Moines, Iowa, during caucus time. Cameron and I kept hearing on the news about different locations that Mitt Romney had been at that were somewhat close to where we live. We started tracking him on Facebook and learned that, on Monday (1/2), he would be in Clive, Iowa, about 20 minutes away from where we live. Well he wasn't going to be in Clive until 8:30 at night and that was too late for our kids so Cameron and Owen drove 2 hours away to Marion, Iowa, in the afternoon. I personally didn't feel like being in the car for 4 hours with the baby so I opted to stay home and get started on a quilt while the baby took a nap. I also made some Cake Batter ice cream in our new ice cream maker. It was so frikkin good.

Cameron and Owen went to Marion to attend the rally. They arrived 30 minutes early and had a front row "seat." I say "seat" because it wasn't like they really got to sit down. But they had a front row spot nonetheless. Cameron said that after Romney's speech a guy told him that if they stayed and waited that they would get to shake Romney's hand. They did just that. Romney came around and Cameron lifted Owen up so Owen could shake his hand (always thinking of others before himself). Well Romney did not just shake Owen's hand, he took him straight out of Cameron's arms, lifted him up and gave him a hug. Unfortunately this all happened so fast that Cameron didn't get a picture of it (and his photographer wife wasn't with him). When Cameron told me this my heart melted! If he becomes President then we will be able to always tell Owen that he was hugged by the President!

Cameron and Owen finally got home and I rushed out the door to get to the event in Clive (while Cameron bathed both boys and put them to bed). I decided to go to the rally in Clive, even though I was by myself. I had called a friend from the ward earlier who has been very interested in the politics but she and her husband had recently been to an event in Ames so she opted not to go. This was fine.When I got to the event 30 minutes early I was about 4 rows back from the stage. This just would not suffice.After thinking about it for awhile and trying to work up the courage to move forward I finally did so. I politely excused myself until I was standing right behind the restricting bar, front row and center. I felt kind of bad because the people on the front row had been there for a lot longer than I had but in the end, I did not care, I would most likely never see those people again. And I would probably never have this opportunity again.

We all must have stood there for an hour waiting, sandwiched together shoulder to shoulder. It was uncomfortable and I was glad I didn't have any kids with me, they would have never lasted. Ann Romney, Mitt's wife, came out. She is beautiful and her wedding ring is not that big (I say that because Mitt is criticized for having a lot of money). Finally her sons and husband came out. His sons are very handsome. All in all the Romney family has some very good genes. She was the first to speak. She introduced her sons, three of which were present. She said that they all looked so handsome and were well behaved but not to let that fool you. She then asked for mothers in the audience of all boys to raise their hands. She said that growing up they were constantly wrestling. Mitt was travelling all the time (he was a consultant for a very large firm) and he would call home to an exasperated wife. He would tell her, "Hang in there, I'll be home soon." (We have all heard those words and they mean nothing when you are home alone with kids) But he would then tell her something very important that she would never forget. He would say to her, "Your job is more important than mine." And that is the first thing I love about Mitt Romney. He understands the importance of the family unit.

Mitt finally spoke. The crowd was very enthusiastic. Honestly I felt like I was at a Backstreet Boys concert. Wait, why am I abandoning my past loves? I meant to say NSync concert. There was so much cheering and clapping. The crowd would get pumped and start chanting, "Mitt-Mitt-Mitt-Mitt" over and over. It was so cool.

The crowd had a lot of spirit.

And so did Mitt. I will be honest, I hate hearing politicians bash on others to make themselves look good. How about we focus solely on what YOU can do, not what the past president HASN'T done.

But it was a pretty good speech. Here is what I like about Mitt Romney: He is a very good businessman. He understands what a big problem it is that we are in so much debt to China. My favorite quote from him is "We have a moral responsibility not to spend more than we take in." Why is this so hard for people to understand? If we don't have the money, we should not buy it. Why has Obama made all these promises of rebuilding America and improving the infrastructure? We don't have the money! We are in debt, Obama! Also Mitt Romney knows how to create jobs because he has so much experience working in the private sector. And of course I love the fact that Mitt Romney has strong core values. He has a strong belief in God. I believe that the leader of our country should have a belief in God if we want this country to be steered in the right direction. A good leader recognizes the most important things in life, God and his family. Mitt Romney is that good leader. It bugs me to death that some evangelicals do not support him because of his faith (I have seen clips on the news of these people saying they don't like Romney because he is a Mormon, and of course those clips come from the left-winged NBC news). Hello people, he is a Christian too.

After the speech I stayed in my spot because I figured I had a good chance at shaking his hand. The lady behind me was freaking out that he was not going to get to us but I told her he would come by if we just stayed put. He did get to our side and I got to shake his hand. He was autographing books and posters. I felt kind of silly asking for an autograph so I didn't, plus I didn't have anything for him to an autograph but a diaper and there was no way I was doing that. I shook his hand and told him that he had picked up my 3 year old son in Marion a few hours ago. He thought for a minute, looked puzzled, and asked why I was here. He must have thought I had been at the earlier rally as well. I told him, somewhat tongue tied because I didn't plan on saying this much, that my husband was babysitting and it was my turn to attend a rally. He thought that was great. He was so nice to everyone, don't worry I am sure it was because he wanted their Caucus vote the next day. But still he did seem genuine to me.

The Caucus Experience
Last night Cameron and I and the kids attended the Iowa Caucus. Here is how it works. Each county is broken down into precincts. The precinct is based on the neighborhood in which you live. We were told that our precinct would be meeting in the lunchroom at a nearby middle school (there were several precincts meeting in the school, some met in the auditorium). We signed in, were given a blank ballot that we would later write the name on of who we wanted to nominate. Then came the long process. First we all stood up to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. I would have enjoyed this would thing more without kids but oh well. I was sweating bullets (figuratively speaking) thinking that the behavior of my children could influence a voter trying to concentrate on the representatives' speeches. I was pleased to find out that our bishop and his wife were in our same precinct so we sat together along with a couple of other ward members. Then it was time for each representative to speak. At the last minute Cameron was given the assignment to speak on behalf of Mitt Romney. He proudly agreed to do so. Had he been given more time he could have memorized the typed out speech and really done a great job but I thought he did great under the circumstances. The person representing Michelle Bachmann really had no idea what to say. After each candidate was represented a few attendees took turns speaking. Some had questions about the candidates, actually I think it was just an opportunity to bash on who they didn't want to win the Caucus. There were some in the room who were undecided on who to vote for right up until the last second. After some citizens voluntarily spoke up for who they wanted to nominate it was time to vote. Each person wrote down on that small rectangular piece of paper who they wanted to nominate. There was no bubble form. It was so plain and simple, like high schoolers voting for class president. We then gave all of our forms to the people in charge. They all stood up around a round table and tallied the votes. In our precinct, Santorum placed first, Paul second, Romney third, then Gingrich, Perry, Bachmann and Jon Huntsman with 1 vote. There was also a vote for "other." What a waste of a vote.

We then headed home and Cameron and I put the kids to bed and watched the results come in for the next THREE AND A HALF HOURS. What happened was each precinct in the whole state of Iowa was to report their results. Santorum led for quite some time, but he and Romney were really neck and neck the whole night. Santorum would be up by 150 votes, then Romney would pass him with 13 votes! Then Santorum, then Romney, back and forth! Finally I learned that Mitt Romney had won by a mere EIGHT votes. I can think of 8 people off the top of my head who voted for Romney last night. Had they not voted he wouldn't have won! This was truly a circumstance where EVERY VOTE counted.

GO MITT ROMNEY!!

Owen: 3 years

2011-12-21T14:14:00.001-05:00

My baby is turning 3.

It has been fun to watch Owen's personality develop over the past year. It seems that certain characteristics don't fade over time, they just get stronger the older he gets. Owen is very persistent. He does not forget about anything. He still talks about Elliot being in the "hospi-bowl." He still refers to the time he broke his fire truck when he dropped it down the stairs in our old house 8 months ago. For a year now he has pretty much refused to nap unless he is sick. He also cannot stand to have his food messed with. Owen has some little rules in his mind about food. They are:

1) My food shall not be cut up. Ever.

2) My food shall be the exact same as everyone else's. Nothing shall be added to or taken away from to make it more child-friendly.

3) Not one person shall ever stick their fork in my food and offer me a bite. I can do that myself thank-you-very-much.

4) If my food breaks or crumbles or separates I will probably throw a fit. Food shall remain intact.

5) Do not ever offer me a bite of food from your plate. I will utterly refuse and cry a little.

6) Do not ever offer me cheese unless it is shredded or in cube form. I will not accept slices or chunks or anything of the sort.

He is an intense little being.

But such a joy!


Yes that is the fire truck I'm referring to. I found an exact replica at Walgreens this year. He will be getting it for Christmas.

He loves to give hugs and kisses. My favorite is when he comes up to me and says, "I love you" and gives me a hug. He insists that "Mama and Owen are friends; Dada and Owen are buddies." He loves to kiss his brother's fingers or toes. Up until now Elliot hasn't been much of a threat to Owen's environment! But it will be interesting to see how things start to play out in the next 6 months!

His favorite games to play with his dad are "Down, set, hike" (football); "catch and throw" (also football); wrestle, and hide-and-go seek. He missed his dad terribly while he was in China last week. Despite everything I told him I am pretty sure he thought grandma was dad's permanent replacement until we dropped her off at the airport.

He has recently learned how to pout even if nothing has made him sad. My favorite was at dinner the other night. He put his arm up on the table, buried his head in his arm, and said in the saddest tone ever, "Poooor Owen." I am not a fan of the pouty behavior but that was hilarious.

Owen is starting Sunbeams in a couple of weeks and he will be the youngest child in there. Thankfully he has an awesome teacher who I just love. She is GREAT. She has been taking the upcoming children into primary for about 10 minutes each week the last couple of Sundays to get them ready. Apparently, the first time doing this, Owen sat on her lap and said, "I am sick. I need to go home and get in my bed and take a nap." This, of course, was not true. I informed her that Owen has recently taken on this little attitude and to not take it too seriously.

His favorite things:

Muffins

Helping me cook

Watching Mickey Mouse Club-louse (Clubhouse)

Eating (I swear he would eat 10 times a day if I let him)

Playing with trucks, tractors, monster trucks (he has yet to show any interest in cowboys or super heroes)

Also...

He can recognize most of the alphabet

He loves books and going to the library

He loves to grocery shop with me, although we don't go together near as often as we used to

He has started loving puzzles

More about foods...

He loves/and or is willing to eat...

Broccoli

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Rolls

Tacos

Corn Dogs

Stouffer's Vegetable Lasagna

Chicken Parmesan

Waffles

Pancakes (Banana Chocolate Chip)

Chicken Nuggets

Smoothies

Sometimes, apples

Pizza Lunchables

Graham Crackers with Nutella

And of course all the junk.. pudding, popsicles, candy, cookies

Eating out he loves:

Chicken Nuggets

Roast Beef Sandwiches

French Fries

Papa John's Original Breadsticks

Our (versatile) schedule

2011-12-19T18:25:00.002-05:00

When Owen was a baby I wrote a letter to him every month detailing how much he weighed, what his eating and sleeping habits were, what new things he was doing... (Classic first-time mom)
I have only done that a couple of times with Elliot and he is already going to be 6 months in just a few days! Today I finally wrote it all down. We do have a basic schedule. After dealing with getting up every 3 hours in the night for a long time (due to ear infections I am guessing, he had 3!) Elliot has finally settled into some kind of a routine (which is bound to change during our trip, but hey it's something!) that only involves getting up twice during my night.

Sorry for the change in point of view, but the following was copied right out of the letter:

9 am: Wake up for the day. Nurse. Play.

Playtime includes: Bouncing around in the exersaucer, practicing sitting up with the Boppy pillow,

being laid down on a blanket with toys in front of you, or being laid down under your jungle gym that has lights and music and toys to grab onto, or being set down in front of Owen. You could watch him for several minutes without making a peep.

11:30-noon: Nurse again, take a nap.

2-2:30:Wake up, play, eat baby food, play.

4-4:30: Nurse, go down for a shorter nap.

5-5:30: Wake up from nap. Play.

6-6:30: Eat a large serving of baby food.

7-7:30: Start getting ready for bed. Some nights this will include a bath.

8PM: Nurse, get zipped up in the Woombie (the one with arm holes), go to sleep.

9:30: Cry and scream a little bit and go back to sleep on your own within minutes.

11:45PM-12:45AM: Wake up for a 6-7 oz. bottle of formula, go back to sleep.

4-5 AM: Nurse, go back to sleep.

As you can see Elliot is taking about 2 naps a day, 3 if you include that little morning jaunt. He is eating baby food basically twice a day. He is really not too interested in it in the mornings, which is fine. This has pretty much been it the past while. The 9 AM wake up time has been perfect, especially with Owen's preschool starting just after 10. No, I do not get to sleep in until 9. Owen is usually up at 7. Of course I am sure Elliot's schedule will change in the future but for now I am not complaining. You can bet I will be giving the formula-bottle assignment back to Cameron this Friday when we are on Christmas vacation (he was in China for several days and just got home yesterday).

P.S.: Sorry about all the parenthesis...(apparently I am really into them).

End of the day

2011-12-13T23:38:00.002-05:00

End of fall, beginning of winter (11-09-11)

What does your street look like at between 5 and 6pm when everybody is coming home from work? This is what our street looks like. It is pretty dead except for the occasional vehicle. This picture was taken on the day that it snowed for the first time. When I look at this picture I feel a little bit of dread. Another horrible Midwestern winter is coming(and if you don't believe me, read a blog post from last February that describes what it is like to be snowed in). I also think about the events of that day. I let Owen outside at 3 pm in his hat and gloves and coat, and he shouted to the children who were walking home from school. Something about starting primary. It was Wednesday, so I bribed Owen and told him that if he could clean up all his toys we would eat McDonald's for dinner (we do that on Wednesday's since Cameron has Young Men). We ended up going.The full moon that night was outstanding.

Owen and Elliot

2011-12-08T10:39:00.001-05:00

I signed Owen up for a preschool that has a 2 year old class. Actually, he was on the waiting list for only a few days before getting in. The class has 8 children and 2 teachers. It is twice a week for 1 1/2 hours. Owen being in preschool has made a big difference in the way he has acted at home. He is entertaining himself again and seems happier in general. Or maybe I am getting more sleep and everything feels better.

Matching Christmas outfits

We tried to take a family picture. It was a flop!

I love this little boy! As somebody at church put it, Elliot is very inquisitive. He is constantly looking around and looking at everything.

Trying on dad's work helmet (Cameron works in a factory but he is not a laborer; it is a requirement for all employees, if they ever even walk across the factory floor, to wear protective gear)

Elliot is 5 months old and is already 17 lbs. He LOVES TO EAT. The poor baby has had 3 ear infections in the past 6 weeks. Everytime Owen gets the slightest little cold, Elliot gets an ear infection. He is very squirmy!! When he sits on my lap he rocks back and forth. I can just tell that he wants to get down on the ground and crawl and play with his brother. His favorite position is on his tummy. He is still waking up 3 times a night to eat. I think this is because he has had ear infections and he just can't get in a good routine. Cameron got up for 4 nights in a row this past week to give him a formula bottle. I can't tell you how amazing those following days were. I have actually been getting stuff done. I never thought I would give my baby formula before the 11 month mark (because I didn't with Owen). But in this scenario I just felt the need to give myself a break, and my supportive husband was more than willing to comply (but not without a few grumbles when I would nudge him at 3 in the morning).

Elliot is wearing Owen's old 12M size pajamas that Owen wore when he was 1. The funny thing is is that the season matches up perfectly.

And last... my baby (Owen pictured here) is about to turn THREE!!!Wow! What a ride it has been!

Favorite 2 ingredient recipes

2011-11-07T12:31:00.000-05:00

I have found some wonderful 2 ingredient recipes lately. Less is more for me.

1 yellow cake mix + 1 can of pumpkin (optional, add chocolate chips) @350 for 20 minutes = pumpkin muffins (add chocolate chips)

Chicken breast + 1 jar of "Frank's RedHot Wings Sweet BBQ" Sauce in the crock pot for about 4 hours on low. Shred the chicken breast up, place back in the crock pot, mix with the sauce already in there. Serve on toasted buns.

Chicken breast + 1 jar of salsa in the crock pot (same directions as above). This makes wonderful chicken for burritos or chicken tortilla soup.

Nutella + graham crackers=best snack ever (no cooking required! Haha)

3 months old

2011-10-20T12:36:00.001-04:00

He will be 4 months old in 4 days, but these were taken a couple weeks ago. Elliot is a very sweet baby. He goes to sleep easily. All I have to do is wrap him up in the Miracle blanket and he goes to sleep without fighting it. He doesn't take a binky. He cries a lot right after he is done feeding until he is burped. He is waking up twice at night and it's killing me but I am hoping things will change when he starts cereal next week. He can roll from his back to his side very well. I think he is starting to grasp objects intentionally (not by chance).

Brothers

2011-10-20T12:28:00.000-04:00

All ready for church. I assumed that because Elliot was born in June and Owen was born in December that Owen's clothes wouldn't fit Elliot in the right seasons. I was wrong. As it turns out Elliot is so big that it works perfectly. Thus, Elliot will be wearing Owen's old halloween costume this year (from when he was 10 months).

Sometimes Owen asks if Elliot can lay next to him before we say goodnight. The pajamas Elliot is wearing are size 9M. I can't believe how long he is.

I am so glad to have two boys! How fun for Owen to have a brother! The other day Owen said to Elliot: "You're my best friend."

We Believe Wednesday's

2011-10-12T00:01:00.001-04:00

These articles of faith were written by the first prophet of our Church, Joseph Smith, Jr. These 13 articles of faith (I will post one each week) are a summary of what we believe.

We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.

I know that I am a child of God. I know that we are all children of God. I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that he atoned for our sins so that we could be made perfect one day to stand in the presence of our Heavenly Father (because no unclean thing can enter before Him) and have eternal life. We believe that Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are 3 separate and distinct beings.

Elliot

2011-09-15T18:25:00.001-04:00

We are so blessed to have this sweet little spirit in our family.

As Elliot's three-month date approaches I can't help but reminisce on the last few months. Elliot has honestly been a wonderful baby. He has a sweet little smile, but before he could use his mouth to smile he was smiling with his eyes. He is happy to be here and to be a part of our family, and we are so happy to have him in our lives. When Elliot was first born I was filled with joy (and a bit of pain) over this new little person, but I would think, especially during those days of constant nursing, "I can't wait until these first few months are over and things calm down a little bit and get back to normal." I even heard one mother dub the first 3 months after giving birth the "4th trimester."
Well, those first few months are quickly coming to a close, and I find that I miss it. Really, it makes no sense. Who misses getting up in the night, every 3 hours, and changing dozens of diapers a day? Well I told myself I wouldn't be one of those moms that misses it but I already do. As of only 2 weeks ago he slept in the pack n' play in our bedroom. After I would finish nursing him I would lay him down, then I would finally lay down, but was always on stand-by and ready to jump out of bed at the first little squawk! When he would wake up to nurse again I would be awakened by the pack and play mattress shifting with his little body moving about. But the noises stopped. He now sleeps in a crib in the nursery. Cameron and I have the bedroom to ourselves again. It is a wonderful feeling, but I find that I miss Elliot the Newborn. He is a baby, and he will continue to grow and meet new milestones quickly. I love him so much!

My 2-month-old and my 2 year, 8 month old

2011-09-13T00:00:00.001-04:00

Oh how I love this sweet little baby. He is an angel baby. Elliot is going to bed around 8:15-8:30, which means I finally have my nights back! YES! He sometimes wakes up at 4 or 5 a.m., then go back to sleep until 7 to 8. I am so happy for this new change in our lives. It really beats our old 12, 3, 6 middle of the night routine. Is it a coincidence that he started sleeping so wonderfully the night that I started swaddling him or does it really work?! The "miracle blanket" really must be miraculous. I LOVE his chubby wubby cheeks! ANNNNd he is soooo content! He loves his vibrating bouncy chair and he will sit in it for the longest time just watching everything take place around him. He loves Owen and the other night Elliot laughed for the first time, and it was at OWEN! Those two will have a great relationship one day. I think it will just get better with time.

The two big "P's" have happened over the past few days: potty training and preschool! Potty training started on Friday and I swear my eyes hardly left him for the first 12 hours. He is doing GREAT with it and today he had no accidents and dry pants all day! The other "P" is preschool! Okay, Owen is only 2 1/2. He technically won't start preschool until next year. But we need some structure to our loooooooong (non-napping) days so I decided to start holding my own "preschool" in the basement. I got Owen a backpack and notebook and sketch pad, and I have a lesson plan each day for the next 4 weeks. It is a short, 30 minute lesson but I am trying my best to come up with fun ideas that will keep his interest and teach him at the same time. Owen loves it. I just love him!

My "super" (little) men

2011-08-22T10:38:00.001-04:00

We are surviving!

2011-08-19T13:17:00.000-04:00

This picture tells of how our lives are right now. Owen is usually in his pajamas, and always has bruises on his legs; the bed is unmade at least half the time; Elliot is content and happy! We spend a lot of time at home, but try to go to the library and grocery store once a week (separate days; we try to spread out the fun). We also play at the parks around here that are within walking distance.

I caught Owen in the middle of a little (not to be confused with BIG) tantrum. He turned that frown upside down.

Presenting: the Joovy Ergo Caboose! I love this stroller. It is a Sit and Stand but a little different than the usual one. It is versatile; for now, Elliot rides in his car seat in the back of the stroller, facing us. When he gets a little older and can sit up, he will sit in the seat in the front where Owen is now. Owen will then sit in a little seat in the back, facing us, or he will be able to stand on a little step on the bottom of the stroller.

We took our first mini vacation as a family to Omaha, Nebraska. Cameron and I took turns attending the Winter Quarters Temple. We walked around a Farmers Market downtown, and we ate at an awesome restaurant that served root beer on tap.

Elliot is smiling on demand! Here he is hanging out in the crib at his grandparent's house in Utah. Yep, Elliot has already been on his first airplane ride at 6 weeks of age. I flew alone with both boys to get there. That was hard. I think it ranks right up there with giving birth as far as the difficulty of it goes. Cameron flew back

with us.

8 1/2 months pregnant and...

2011-06-07T22:44:00.000-04:00

feeling GREAT!

No, really... the baby has dropped (which is something I never actually feel take place, and I do not notice any difference until after the fact). Because of this I can breathe easier and my heartburn is not near as bad. I had minimal rib pain for a week (I had it for 2 months with Owen) and that is gone. The only discomfort now is RANDOM and IRREGULAR contractions. I have to admit I am feeling like I will never get to the "contractions every 5 minutes for an hour" phase (that is when to call the doctor). How about... 10 contractions in one day, evenly spaced about by an hour or two? Sometimes grouped together and sometimes not? I am guessing this baby just wants to hang out until its due date or a little bit after.

Maternity clothes are getting a little SNUG (as you may have noticed in the previous post) and shrinking by the week... or am I just getting bigger?

Instead of sulking over the fact that I am not on my way to the hospital right now or cuddling a newborn, I am going to enjoy my time during the day with my only child by going to the park, eating ice cream, having Lunchable picnics in the backyard, running errands together, and milling around in pajamas all morning with "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" on in the background.

Owen's speech

2011-04-14T13:38:00.001-04:00

(I don't know why they call these things blogs! Mine should just be called a "brag" because that is all I ever do!)
Owen is doing very well with communicating to us his needs and wants. He speaks clearly and is easy to understand, in my opinion. He is speaking in sentences! He is a little chatterbox. He talks all day without any prompting. I don't even need to ask him questions anymore it seems like. He knows EXACTLY what he wants and he will make sure that I know exactly what that is at all times.

Commonly used sentences:
"I want go library."
"I want go church."
"I want go Chelsea's house."
"I want ice cream."
"I like it smoothie."
"I like it TV."
"I like it tractors."
"Bye mom, I go library! Suh (see ya) later!" (He usually says this when he gets in and out of his toy car)
"Come on mom!!" (He says this in an angry tone to me every morning when I am laying in bed)
"Thanks dinner!" (after dinner is over, he means thanks for dinner)

Words he says that only I understand
Molly-cop: lollipop
Lie-gator: elevator
John-jeere: John Deere
Grills: girls

Songs he is singing
I Am a Child of God (he has been favoring the "rich blessings" verse, that is what he calls it!)
Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam
I Love to See the Temple
Popcorn Popping
Once There Was a Snowman
Let's Go Fly a Kite
Alphabet song, or ABCs, all by himself!

Other
-He can count to 13!
-He can recognize a triangle and square.

-When we go places he asks for "childrens" and "friends." Yesterday we went to a park and there were not any kids there. He was done playing after a couple of minutes and wanted to go find "childrens," so we went to a different park. I am glad this lonely boy is getting a sibling, and a brother on top of that!!
-In Sacrament he rambles on and on about the bread and water and boys who pass it, and thinks that any man in a suit and tie who goes up to the pulpit is a bishop.

Thanks for reading my brag!

Bibs, burp cloths, toddler tie, and a new quilt

2011-03-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

Last weekend Cameron watched Owen and I went to town in the craft room. I had so much fabric that I wanted to use up before we move in one month. I just know that once we move we will be very busy getting settled in our new home and then the baby will come and I'll never have time for this kind of stuff!
It felt good to be creative and to accomplish projects both big and small.

Using a tutorial and free pattern from Purl Bee I made several bibs. I used fabric I already had. The only thing I had to purchase additionally was snaps and terry cloth.I considered using old towels but then realized that I wanted these bibs to be durable and last several washes. An old towel that is already worn might not be the best for that.

The strawberry fabric is from Purl Soho in NYC. Purl Soho runs the website where I found the tutorial. There are several on there and a whole section on knitting/crocheting. I decided on sew-on snaps over Velcro because I remembered how velcro bibs would irritate the skin on the back of Owen's neck when he was a baby. Plus, Velcro sticks to clothes while being washed and dried.

I made several burp cloths using scraps, some of which came from Cameron's Penn State T-shirt quilt. When Owen was a baby I remember feeling like I never had enough bibs and burp cloths.

I attempted a toddler tie again. This one is one that you have to tie by yourself, no elastic on the back. Since Cameron can tie a tie this was no problem. It was very easy. The tutorial came from Lil Blue Boo. You have to become a fan of it on Facebook to get the tutorial and pattern pieces.

Over a year ago I got a gift certificate from my brother and sister in law for Christmas for Cabbage Rose Quilting Shop in Fort Worth, Texas. They have the most beautiful fabric. I finally had a chance to pick something out 2 months ago while we were in town for Christmas. I looked and looked and could not decide on fabric, so I bought a quilt kit. Inside the bag was coordinating fabric, ric rac, backing, and instructions for a "wrapping paper quilt" also known as a strip quilt.

This quilt was the easiest I have ever made because I actually used a pattern this time rather than coming up with one on my own. The instructions were very simple yet it was all I needed. I just cut strips across the width of fabric, arranged them and sewed it together. There was also the perfect amount for a pieced binding.

Again, I took it to a local quilt shop for the binding to be sewn on to the back. For such a small fee ($16!) they do an amazing job and it was done in less than 2 days. This quilt is 42 x 61. Another reason I am excited about this quilt is for Owen's future bedroom. Right now it is halfway a nursery with rocking chair and changing pad on top of the dresser. When we move Owen will get his own room and the things in it will coordinate the colors of this quilt. I am excited to decorate.

I Am a Child of God

2011-03-28T13:47:00.001-04:00

General Conference, April 2008, Temple Square

Since Owen was a baby I have sung the popular children's song, "I Am a Child of God," to him at night before bed. Recently he has started to sing along with me and sing on his own. It is important to me that my child understand that he is a child of God and that we are all His sons and daughters.

If you have ever wondered where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going, then read the lyrics to this song. It provides the most basic answers:

I am a child of God, And he has sent me here,

Has given me an earthly home With parents kind and dear.

Lead me, guide me, walk beside me, Help me find the way.

Teach me all that I must do To live with him someday.

I am a child of God, And so my needs are great;

Help me to understand his words Before it grows too late.

Lead me, guide me, walk beside me, Help me find the way.

Teach me all that I must do To live with him someday.

I am a child of God. Rich blessings are in store;

If I but learn to do his will, I'll live with him once more.

Lead me, guide me, walk beside me, Help me find the way.

Teach me all that I must do To live with someday.

Pregnancy--26 weeks

2011-03-15T07:00:00.001-04:00

I am 26 weeks and thought I would write about this pregnancy since I have done very little of that. Honestly it has not been very difficult.
1) Differences I haven't had any cravings or food aversions for awhile. I have also carried this baby differently. I think lower. I do not think I am as big as I was with Owen, or maybe I should say I am not growing as quickly as I did with him. With Owen I remember feeling like I was getting bigger and bigger every week! With this baby I feel like I grow and then stay the same for awhile, grow then stay the same.
2) Muscular pains With this pregnancy I have also had some very bad muscle pains that catch my breath and leave me still for a few minutes. I know it is muscular because they only last a few minutes and are very random and infrequent. At first I thought it was appendicitis but the doctor said it would hurt for much longer and all over if it were that. The pains that I have are concentrated to one spot....and I haven't had any for a few days.
3) Maternal jeans! The belly is getting big and bending over is quite the chore, if not impossible. I have not had to wear my maternity jeans yet but that is because I have 2 pairs that run a little big on me normally that fit great when I am pregnant. Sad thing is, I found a hole in one of those pairs yesterday. Might have to put those dang things on after all.
4) Energy level It was only a month ago (around the 5 month mark?) that I felt like I really got my energy back after what felt like months of laying around and being tired all the time. So nice to have that energy back and work on using up all my fabric (quilts, bibs, car seat cover, etc.) and still have enough energy to make dinner.
5) Lack of photos I took quite a few pictures of pregnant me with Owen but that is not the case this time around. I have no desire to document my largeness. Besides, everyone knows what a pregnant woman looks like.
6) Iron supplement The doctor checked my blood levels at my 24 week appointment and it was determined that I was running low on iron (maybe that is why I felt tired for so long?). He said I should start taking Slow FE. It is taken once a day and has timed release. Well I have hated taking it because it makes my stomach hurt, especially after eating meals. I decided to start taking it at night before bed and that seems to help. I have also increased the amount of iron that I eat. I now cook a couple of meals a week using red meat. I also learned that cereal is packed with iron and some bread products have a lot of iron in them, as well as dark, leafy greens. I cannot stand beans, even though I feed them to my family. My sister sent me a link that is very informational about different foods containing iron: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/iron/

New car seat cover

2011-03-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

Before Owen was born I made my first car seat cover using thread and a needle. Right after that I made another with a sewing machine, except I didn't know what "right sides together" meant. The second one worked fine but I had some fabric from NYC that I wanted to use up. I thought I would make a new one since I am better at sewing than I used to be (meaning, I actually know how to do it).

I got this jumbo ric rac from a quilt shop in Fort Worth over a year ago. I thought it was the perfect touch.

I love the fabric on the back. Light blue and green diamondy things.

The top is straps that tie. I made the straps using the leftovers I had from both fabrics. I cut out long and wide strips, sewed them right sides together, then turned it out and topstitched. I love them.

The best part about this, besides its original purpose of keeping baby covered, is the way it ties into a little bundle!

Owen

2011-03-09T15:13:00.004-05:00

Yesterday it was 44 degrees and we just had to get out (see caption after picture 3 for reason). We took a walk and came home and played in the backyard. I thought Owen was about over his runny nose but apparently taking him out in the cold got it running again.

~~As you can see Owen is ready to start his first day of college.~~ Owen got a new Sunday outfit (courtesy of Delta Airlines losing our luggage, and not returning it to us until after the funeral was over). A while later I made Owen a tie using one of his dad's old ties. This is one of those projects that looks easy and ends up being much more difficult and time-consuming. I should never have bothered with it. I mean, that looks awful.

This week we took the binkies away. He has only been using them for naps and bedtime for the past year so it hasn't been too bad of a change. As his dad says, "The transition from crib to bed was much harder." Owen fights bedtime for about 30 minutes before finally giving in and going to sleep. He does fine all night and sleeps about 11 hours. Of course binky weaning would just be too easy if that was all it consisted of. Owen will no longer get in his bed for an afternoon nap despite trying several different things. In the past we have always done our running around in the mornings. Now I think we will change things up a little bit to fill in the 1-3pm gap. Oh, well. Look at that face. Who wouldn't want to spend every waking minute (literally) of the day with him?

Bottom's up!

In Memory of Eddie Miller

2011-03-01T11:31:00.001-05:00

My grandmother, Eddie Miller (Edna Erle Miller Hood), passed away Sunday, February 27. She was 82. A couple of months before she died she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and bone cancer. We are glad that she can now be free of pain. She was the baby of her family and the last one living out of all her siblings. Even though I had lived close to my grandmother geographically most of my life, we became really good friends when I moved out of Texas to attend school. I took up swing dancing my freshman year and she gave me her old leather Justin boots and George Strait CDs. We talked on the phone often. When I brought Cameron home to meet the family in March of 2006 she was very impressed and let me know what she thought of him, all of which were good things. Had she thought anything different she would have told me as well. Grandy, as all of my siblings and cousins call her, was always first priority on my list of people to call when important things happened: getting engaged, marriage date, graduating from college, pregnant with Owen, finding out he was a boy, pregnant with #2, finding out that we think it is a girl. But not only did I call her to tell her important things but we called each other often just to talk about stuff. We were good friends that way. When I was pregnant with Owen she would call me to give me name ideas. She would also send name lists in the mail even though it was getting hard for her to see. Each year that I would go to Texas I would visit Grandy in her hometown of Justin (Justin boots anyone?) and take her to her favorite eatery, Mom's Cafe. During one visit Cameron and I took her into to town for groceries and a haircut. She sent Cameron and Owen and I birthday and Christmas cards every year. When Owen turned 1 she sent a birthday and Christmas gift for him. She also crocheted one last baby blanket (she made blankets for all of her grandchildren and great-grands) for our future little girl. She got started on it when I was pregnant with Owen but sent it when she found out I was pregnant with #2. When my siblings and I were young Grandy would bring Christmas presents over to the house on Christmas day, or we would go see her. I can't tell you that I remember the things that she gave me. What I can tell you is that those gifts were wrapped with so much care and precision. There were no jagged ends or tears. The paper was beautiful and always accompanied by a large, coordinating bow with sprouting ribbons. Grandy also made beautiful Christmas ornaments, 2 of which I was lucky enough to inherit over the years. These ornaments were spectacular, each one different, each one more beautiful than the last. Each was adorned with sequins, jewels, gold trim, special ribbon. Grandy took the time to hand make each one even when it got to the point that she could only see out of one eye. I think these ornaments are a lot like Grandy: beautiful, delicate, precise, unique, and fragile in her last days. I will miss Grandy. I will miss our chats and our visits. I will always remember the way she ended every conversation and signed every card: "Sure Love You."

New baby quilt

2011-02-25T22:59:00.002-05:00

When Owen was a baby I made him a baby quilt. Thinking in terms of tradition, I decided to make one for our future child with the hopes that it really is a girl. There is a story behind every quilt! When I originally started cutting out the squares for this quilt last September it was meant to be a large, scrappy picnic blanket. Then I got really busy with Young Women and then the tiredness from pregnancy set in so I put it all away. I had sewn 9 rows together with 18 blocks on each row. I put it away knowing I still had 11 more rows to sew. Kind of unmanageable. I finally decided to do something with what I had and forget about all of the other patches at least for now. I would make what I had already sewn into a baby quilt! I simply cut those 9 finished rows in half, taking away the width and adding to the length at the same time.

The fabric selections for this quilt are varied. The inspiration behind this quilt came from a stack of old, flowery pillowcases that we had inherited with our first home. A couple of them even had lace. That is one of my favorite details about this quilt. Almost all of the blues are from the pillowcases. The pink and reds are from a quilt shop down the street. The dark greens, coordinating teals and white is from the fabric I picked up in NYC last year.

The back is called Super Soft flannel. When I make a quilt I do everything myself except for the binding. I make the double-fold binding, sew it on the front, and then send it off to be hand sewn on the back. Totally worth the $10 charged by local quilt shop. It makes me so happy to have handmade crafts in my home that will be around for years to come that my family will enjoy.

In Memory of June Holbrook

2011-02-23T15:32:00.001-05:00

This weekend we attended the funeral for this beautiful woman, June Holbrook, 93 (Cameron's grandma). She died on Saturday, February 12, after living a very long and healthy life devoted to her five children, 30 grandchildren, and 63 great grandchildren. When Cameron and I were newlyweds we lived next door to her so sometimes we would chat across the fence. She loved Owen and was always so happy to see him when we could come into town. The thing that we had in common was that we were both graduates of the University of Utah and we had both, at one point in our lives, moved to Lehi to support our husbands' farming. Read more about her here. We will miss Grandma June!

Newborns

2011-02-12T13:58:00.002-05:00

Today I was looking through some old pictures and found this one of me and Owen when he was one week old. Owen has been the joy of my life! The Lord has blessed our lives so much with the presence of this sweet little boy in our family. I am looking forward to welcoming another little one (most likely girl) in about four months.

Single Mom all the other days

2011-02-11T23:19:00.000-05:00

After being snowed in for 2 days we finally emerged. We tried to have an activity every day.

Owen did not take a nap most of the time that Cameron was gone. He would also wake up at 3 or 4 or 5 in the morning and I would put him back to bed. He also cried in the middle of the night a few times without waking up. Anyway, Owen fell asleep on my shoulder one night while I was cleaning up dinner. It was nice to lay him down without doing the whole bedtime routine, especially since I was on my own all week. I am thrilled to report that he has been taking a nap every day this week, which means I have been as well. I will enjoy it while it lasts.

We had our moments, that is for sure! Saturday evening I was a little sad and missing Cameron. Owen came up to me, patted my leg and said "Sugar?" over and over again with a little smile. I just had to laugh.

We went to a children's museum that was attached to a mall on Saturday. This ended up being an all day activity because we had to drive over an hour to get there. I am glad we did this, it took up the whole day.

They had a little grocery store. Owen looks so grown up to me pushing the cart.

They had an "ambulance." Owen loved driving it. He is all about emergency vehicles these days--police, firetruck, ambulance. It's pretty cute.

We rode the carousel at the mall.

We ate at Village Inn for dinner on Friday night. Owen did not need help with his pancake--can you tell?

We went to see "Tangled" one afternoon. Owen is running ahead of me! Owen was a little scared when we first got into the theater and he ended up sitting on my lap the whole time (a little uncomfortable for prego lady). I tried to have him sit in his own seat but he wouldn't do it. The movie was great!

We went to get an ice cream cone one afternoon. Did it matter that it was 7 degrees outside? Not really. When it is winter you start running out of ideas.

Single Mom for 7 days: Day 1

2011-02-08T15:55:00.011-05:00

For one week Owen and I were Cameron-less! We definitely had our share of ups and downs. Here is the first in a series of stories and/or pics about our week-long adventure.

Tuesday, February 2, Cameron left town for a business trip overseas. He boarded his plane and departed safely about one hour before the area's worst blizzard in 32 years hit. With it came fierce winds, snow drifts (which I had never witnessed before.. but it looks something like previously fallen snow being picked up from the ground and recirculated in the air), and additional snowfall. In the days leading up to this storm, I was skeptical. Newscasters and meteorologists, and media in general, really enjoy pumping everybody up for these storms. "Twelve to eighteen inches of snow" they predict, and we get six. Everyone was excited, as witnessed at the grocery store one day before the event: long lines on a Monday morning. Totally unusual.

The next morning, Wednesday, I looked out my bedroom window, which faces our backyard, and was surprised. The storm had been severe. Beautiful, pristine, white snow covered the old, icy stuff. It crept along the sides of our fence in soft waves ranging in height from two to three feet.

I hurried downstairs to look out our front window to see how bad the road and driveway were. Everything was covered in at least two feet. I knew I could call a hometeacher to shovel me out but I wanted to analyze how bad the situation really was (still skeptical at this point?). I opened my garage door and stared in awe as snow began to fall into the garage, lacking support from the door. I placed Owen, bundled up, in the back of our Equinox and opened the liftgate. I looked a little silly in kitty cat pajama pants and snow boots with snow up to my knees.

After a few digs with the shovel I knew shoveling the 2-car driveway myself would take hours. I also knew that with negative temps ahead the light and powdery snow would turn heavy after too long, making the job even harder. Then we would be snowed in for more than just a day. I would call a hometeacher, I decided. But how was he going to make it here from the other side of town? I had no idea if the main roads had been cleared or not.

My friend and neighbor Nikki was outside with her next door neighbor, George. I noticed that both of their driveways had been cleared using a snow blower and that they were now working on a neighbor's across the street from them.. Nikki saw me and walked over. I told her that Cameron was out of town.

"I'll have George down here with his snow blower," she said. I didn't expect this to happen, and I wasn't sure if this was really going to happen because I was quite a few houses down from George and some clearing would have to be done just to get to my house.

"Thanks, I appreciate it," I said, still thinking that a call to a hometeacher would be necessary. I closed the garage door to keep the cold out and went inside.

An hour later Nikki was knocking on my door. George was already in the driveway pushing his snowblower.

My heart, heavy upon Cameron's absence in this needful time, was lifted instantly. It felt as if two angels had shown up at my door. As I write this one week later I still get a little lump in my throat.

"Could you open your garage door?" she asked. "We need your shovel, and we need to be able to clear all of the snow."

George shoveled our front patio--two inches of snow came right up to the door-- and walkway while Nikki pushed the snowblower on the driveway.

I expressed my thankfulness to Nikki and George for their kind and selfless act. It was a snow day for the world outside of stay-at-home moms. I am sure George would rather have been lounging or relaxing on this unexpected day off. Instead, here he was, his cheeks red and weathered from the brisk, cold air, working diligently to help a neighbor who he had talked to a total of two times in the past.

I also expressed gratitude to the Lord for watching over me and Owen in our time of need, for He truly does know each of us as His own children and He is aware of our every need.

Pregnancy Survival Kit

2011-02-01T17:11:00.000-05:00

to cure all the headaches.

I have never liked green apples until now, but I crave the tart and crisp taste.


I have craved Italian food.


Keeps my emotions in check--hard to be crabby around him!


Daily naps are necessary.

Toddlerdom

2011-01-23T21:48:00.001-05:00

Motherhood is a funny thing.

You bring your child home from the hospital and they're little people, completely dependent on you for their survival. You diaper, nurse, clothe, bathe, burp, and rock them all day and through the night. The days run together and you forget about what life was like as a large, pregnant lady. Actually, you just forget about life altogether.

But quickly they change. Chubby baby giggles and smiles, pulls your hair, eventually pulls on your pant legs to pick them up in the kitchen while you make dinner. You adjust to each new phase quite easily, and continue recording about, blogging about, scrapbooking about the momentous events as they occur, each one more exciting then the last.

Well, I have a new phase to blog about today. Toddlerdom. And I do it with a little less enthusiasm then say, the time he started walking. Owen is sweet and charming. He wins people over everywhere we go with his cheerful smile and curious, blue eyes. And the places we would go! He didn't mind sitting in the red Super Target shopping cart and browsing aisles for an hour. He loved sitting in his umbrella stroller and taking a walk through the mall. He enjoyed hanging out in his jogging stroller while we took long walks.

But something changed. Owen turned 2. No longer is he the submissive, easygoing one-year-old I used to know. Sweet and charming yes, still. But I think I should add a few new words to this description. Obstinate. Defiant. Opinionated.

It looks something like this.

A usual routine trying to leave the house goes like this:
(after telling Owen way in advance what our plans are and trying to get him excited)
"No jacket," he says, his face hardened and his brows furrowed in defiance.
"NO JACKET."
(throw himself on floor and scream. At this point: "Is it worth it to leave?" enters my mind, because I know how exhausting it is to force a kicking, screaming, hitting, and back-arching 30 lb. child into a car seat)
If it were at least 20 degrees outside, I might give in. But when temperatures are below zero, wearing a jacket is not a choice. Getting in a car seat is never a choice. Whether or not we ever leave the house is sometimes a choice.

"Is it worth it to leave?" and, "What can I do to stop an eruption before it ever begins?" and, "What kinds of choices can I give Owen right now in this moment to empower him?" are thoughts that run through my mind daily. "Encourage him when he behaves well!" It is all there, cycling through constantly. By the end of the day, my brain hurts!

But feelings of absolute pride and adornment are present when Owen repeatedly calls his taco a "Chicago" because we're eating tacos for dinner and have talked about going to Chicago for a family trip this spring. Or the other night, when, after my pointing out red objects to him throughout the day, he points to his tomato soup and proudly declares, "Red soup!"

While taking Owen out to do mommy things (or sometimes, anything at all) isn't in either of our best interests right now, I have to look at the bright side of things. Owen's ability to speak, form 2 to 3 word sentences, repeat words with 2 to 3 syllables, and sing along to primary songs like "Popcorn Popping" is impressive. Somehow these moments erase the mental tiredness and defeat that I feel in spurts throughout the day when something doesn't go as planned. He asks for "hugs" frequently and loves to cuddle on my shoulder. These are the moments that I relish, because he will change again, and there will come a day when he won't give out constant hugs and kisses!

Broccoli Cheese Soup (newer version)

2011-01-13T22:05:00.007-05:00

Well I thought I had a good Broccoli cheese soup recipe for the past 2 years but as it turns out I have found a way to improve it.
My husband had his birthday last month and asked for his mother's crab bisque soup. I called and got the recipe. As I was scribbling it down I realized that the directions she was giving me for crab bisque soup could be applicable to broccoli cheese soup as well.
After trying the soup out with my new directions, it much creamier than before! Also, one less pot is dirtied because the broccoli is not cooked in a separate pot.

Ingredients:
2 to 3 Crowns of fresh Broccoli (or however much you want to use)
1 stick of butter
32 oz. Chicken Broth, or a box
Handful of Chopped Onion seasoning
Salt
Pepper
1/2 C. Flour
1 1/2 C. Half & Half
3 C. SHARP shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and Pepper as desired

1. In a large stock pot saute the chopped broccoli and chopped onion in one stick of butter.
2. When that is finished, add flour and mix around. It will get clumpy, but that's OK.
3. Add chicken broth and mix. Let this simmer on LOW for 20+ minutes.
(according to MIL something wonderful is supposed to happen in these 20 minutes of letting the broth and flour come together).
4. Add Half & Half and mix. Let simmer for a few minutes on LOW.
5. Pipe up the heat to Medium-Low and add the SHARP cheddar.
6. Once the cheddar is melted your soup is done and it should be very creamy!

Christmas 2010 in Texas

2011-01-08T21:28:00.024-05:00

Included: Texas, Utah, and an overnight stay in Denver courtesy of United Airlines (can you hear the sarcasm).

Family Christmas

Every year we, the three of us, have a family Christmas before we go out of town. We exchange presents between our little family so we don't have to pack them to and from wherever we are going. Cameron and Owen trying out his new John Deere cell phone (Owen's, not Cameron's! haha).
Among some of the gifts exchanged, Cameron got me the movie Mary Poppins (this all stemmed from seeing the Broadway play last March)! Owen and I have been listening to the soundtrack in the car for... umm.. several months now and let's just say Owen is thrilled to finally understand the meaning behind the song "Let's Go Fly a Kite" (his favorite).

A new train table!

Christmas in Texas

After family Christmas we cleaned everything up, put our presents away, took the Christmas tree down, and then caught a late afternoon flight down to DFW. It was so warm in DFW. Just look at the following pictures and feel the warmth!!!

Owen holding his new baby cousin, Tyler.

Playing in the sandbox in my parents' backyard! He loved every minute!

Playing in my sister's backyard with his three cousins!
(That was the day that he ate dirt! Literally!)

24 hour date in Dallas

While we were in Texas, Cameron and I went to downtown Dallas and had a night to ourselves! First night ever for me to be away from Owen! Thanks to my mom and dad for making that possible! Owen balled tears of happiness when we got home even though he had a wonderful time with my parents!
We....
Went to the Dallas Temple (where we were sealed!).
Went to Reunion Tower (you know the ball that spins around the top of the building..amazing!!!)
Spent the night at the Hyatt Regency (thank you Priceline for the GREAT deal!)
Went to a really great mall, was going to see a movie but forgot our dumb giftcard.
Went to Target (late at night! Hehe!) to buy some DVD-R's so I could record a movie of home videos..that attempt failed but I will try again later.
Were awaken early in the morning by the train!
Ate waxy chocolate Hostess donuts for breakfast!! That was all I wanted!
Went to the Galleria.... many levels of shopping bliss!
Went to the Dallas Cowboys stadium for a self-guided tour.
Finally got back to my parents' house in time to throw Owen a birthday party!
Here are the photos..

non stop smiles!
Reunion Tower
The Galleria in Dallas
Our hotel.. thank you Priceline!
Reunion Tower...there is a restaurant inside that ball!
The view from our hotel room.
Self guided tour of the new Dallas Cowboys stadium.
The press room. I love the lighting!

Walking around the field.
The locker room.
Owen's Texas birthday party

No time to rest! Once we got home it was time to get ready for the party!

We watched home videos of Owen. This is fun for family that lives far away and doesn't get to witness the milestones that occur year round.
Ice cream cups and cupcake galore= wound up kids!

Funny story: Owen had a very difficult time going to bed the night of his birthday party. He did not go to sleep until 10:30 pm. At 1:45 a.m. he woke up, stood up in his pack and play and said, or rather inquired, "Presents?" "Tractors?" Then he went back to bed! I am sure he had sweet dreams that night!

Christmas day
What a CUTE little boy!
Cute husband and sweet little toddler.
(These pics weren't taken Christmas morning, I just wasn't sure where else to place them)
My brother loved his new JD hoody. He was excited to get it!
Owen received wonderful presents for Christmas and birthday from family members that will help him grow and learn a lot. Mega blocks, tractors, cars, construction set, animals and wooden gate, tent and tunnel, new books, activities. I realize that with all of these new toys comes quite a learning curve. We are grateful to our family members for being so giving. We were ready to put his baby toys away!! (even though we will be getting them out again shortly! Ha!)
Even though Owen loved playing with all of his cousins, he tended to gravitate toward the older ones. Hanging out with his 10-year-old cousin at the Christmas party!

(The pics from our time in Utah will be posted on a private family blog..sorry folks).

Happy Birthday

2010-12-16T15:46:00.002-05:00

Happy birthday to the greatest husband and father!

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Owen is turning 2

2010-12-10T12:36:00.003-05:00

This month Owen is turning 2. I wanted to highlight some facts about him, because I know I will be too busy to do so later on this month when the actual birthday occurs.

Owen's favorite...
food: Macaroni and cheese (or "cheese" as he calls it).
drink: Right now it is milk, but in the past it has been orange juice.
toy: His cozy coupe! We cleaned it up and brought it in for the winter and he has loved driving it around the house and climbing all over it.
movie: Baby Signing Time (even though he is mostly using words now instead of signs)
show: Any cartoon I can find at 6:15 am? Curious George, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, the "Elmo" portion of Sesame Street

Most commonly used...
word/phrase: Lately Owen has been putting words together! He will say "Dada wait" when it's time for dinner and we're waiting for Cameron to get home. He has also learned how to ask where things or people are. During bedtime he requires TWO binkies. If I can only find one, he will say, "a binky is?" over and over until I find the second one. I have also heard him ask "a mommy is?" when I had left the room.

Funny story...
Now that I can't confine Owen to a crib in the morning while I get ready for the day he is a little more prone to making BIG messes. This morning I found that Owen had pulled the kitchen chair up to the counter (a maneuver I have seen him do many times), pulled the plastic bag of Cheerios out of the box and dumped the half of it that was left all over the floor. I couldn't be mad because for one, I had left the Cheerios out (he had already eaten breakfast), and two, I put self-entertainment in his own hands by leaving him alone for a short time. Three, he was happily crawling around on his hands and knees and eating cheerios off the floor! Big deal!

Milestones reached in the past month:
After Owen discovered how to climb out of his crib, we immediately took it down and set up Cameron's twin sized bed that we have been storing from his childhood. I am so glad we can finally put that big piece of furniture to use! We took the crib a part. It is tricky getting Owen to bed. When he was in his crib bedtime was very easy: change diaper, put PJs on, read book, say prayer, put him in his crib with his binkies and goodnight! See you in 11 or 12 hours!
NOW bedtime goes something like this:
Change diaper, put PJs on, read book, say prayer, put him in his bed with his binkies and... turn on the nightlight. Then close the door. Cameron has been so patient to wait upstairs. Owen will lay down for 10 minutes and just when you think you're lucky, out comes Owen with 2 or 3 blankets in his arms, a binky in his free hand, and a binky in his mouth! Put him back in bed, close door. This scenario usually repeats 3 or 4 times and can last anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. Wow that's exhausting! Then he is up at SIX AM at the earliest! And there is no putting him back to bed that early in the morning and if you try to put him in bed with you or climb in bed with him it is over! He wants to eat and watch cartoons and get on with the day.
For naptimes I have cut myself a break by putting him in his pack and play (for now it's too deep for him to climb out of). I think eventually, maybe after Christmas, we're going to have to give naps up and that will make bedtime easier. But for now I need Owen to keep taking a nap.

Cute stories:
Owen has become very good at remembering people's names and song names and movie names. When his grandparents and uncle came to visit he started calling his grandpa, "papa." And his uncle, "Ter-ter" (for Curtis).
We have been listening to the Mary Poppins soundtrack in the car lately. Owen loves the song "Let's Go Fly a Kite." He knows right when to sing the word: "UP!" and does it loudly! He also knows when to sing "kite." The funny thing is is that we have yet to watch that movie with Owen but he loves that song so much. After the song ends and the next song starts I hear a very innocent voice in the back say, "Kite?"
And of course he has been asking for "baby" for months (Baby Signing Time). However, sometimes he just wants to watch a cartoon and him saying "baby" means to watch a cartoon.
He also asks for his 5-year-old friend Zac and he also loves to play with Zac's little sister Chelsea.
When looking at a family photo he can identify some of his cousins.
We have some books that we got from Deseret Book that come in 3 volumes. They are all about the life of the Savior, and the artwork is by Liz Lemon Swindle, my favorite Church artist. Since these are nice books Owen does not have free reign over them. When he wants to look at these books, he goes to the bookshelf, points to the shelf where these books are at and asks for "Jesus."

Sorry I don't have any current photos. I am still having this computer and Internet dilemma.

Pregnancy, again!

2010-12-02T13:40:00.005-05:00

Yep it is that time again for another baby. Here is some info for you:

Symptoms: Always tired and hungry. But an easier pregnancy this second time around (no problems with smell), and no unusual cravings (with Owen it was nachos, Sprite, and yogurt parfaits from McDonald's).
Showing: YES. I started showing at 9 weeks, and I am already putting clothes away that do not fit. Here is a link to a photo of me when I was 16 weeks with Owen. I look about like that, and I am 11 weeks.
Due date: June 19, 2011 (which really means anytime between May 30 and June 30)
Boy or girl: I would be happy with either but really excited if we have another boy. I think that would be a blast for Owen.
Questions: What is it like to have a baby in the summer (Owen was a winter baby)? Will the labor and recovery be faster the second time around?

Food, reading, Texas, and Halloween

2010-11-06T21:21:00.012-04:00

A few weeks ago we went to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. I thought Owen and Cameron's faces were hilarious.

The noodles were almost impossible to eat.

Owen has been my little helper lately. He pulls up a chair, climbs on it, and insists on helping. Sometimes I pull the chair up and put him on. I love it. He helps me unload and load the dishwasher and he likes to help with baking.

Owen still loves to read books. Every day we have a book time, sometimes before his nap. I will sit on the couch and Owen will bring me books to read to him. We also read a book or 2 before bed every night, and intermittently throughout the day.

TEXAS trip

Here is grandma (my mom) with Tyler, my new nephew. He is 2 months old. Isn't he cuuuuute? Owen had a great time playing with my mom and dad. They would take him out in the back to play with Benny, the dog. Owen learned to exclaim "SIT!" while pointing at the yellow lab about 10 times his size.

Owen loved playing with his cousins! This is Jasmine. On our first full day in Texas, a Wednesday, my whole family went to the park. I think that is the first time we have ever done that.

This is Abby (Owen calls her "Babby"). She wasn't sure at first about this little toddler boy playing with all her toys and tackling her to the ground. But she warmed up and even shared her crackers.

Hello Abby! Everyone says she looks like me. I don't see it as much.

Kassidy, the oldest niece! Isn't she a doll?

When Owen was tired he climbed into my lap. Made for a cute photo with his new cousin.

Owen playing with his great-grandma. Owen got to play with all 5 of his great-grandparents on this trip. Owen let them know how interested he was by taking their hand, making them stand up, and walking them to an area in the house that he was interested in. They were touched by the gesture.

One day my parents and Owen and I met up with my brother and his family at the mall. We let Owen play in the indoor playground, then grandma bought both grandsons a cute clothing item at Macy's (for Owen, a red sweater with a little half zipper near the collar). After walking past Children's Place and seeing this sweet beret on display I couldn't help get one for Owen. Afterward, we ate at Chili's for lunch. Everyday was packed full of activities.

On Friday night I got to meet up with my best friend from 6th thru 8th grade, Christianne. She is getting married in 2 weeks! I have not seen her since my wedding so it was great to finally get caught up outside of FB! My battery was running low on my phone so I couldn't get a picture of her so I snatched one off FB. She is a smart and motivated young woman who has achieved so much in her life! Now she is joining the married folk! Hooray!!

Cameron joined us for Saturday-Tuesday and flew home with me and Owen on Tuesday night. It was great to have him with us! Here he is meeting Tyler. It is a little awkward for me to hold a small and fragile newborn after carrying around a sturdy, 30 pound toddler.

This is my older brother, Donald, feeding his new child.

THE LAKE
My mom's parents live in a mobile home on a lake. I remember going there as a child, running off the dock, and jumping into the lake. My cousin and I used to collect clams buried in the sand on the bottom! While Owen did not swim in the lake it was fun for me, as a parent, to watch Owen have fun at the place I loved as a child.

The weather was warm while we were in Texas so I got a bit more use out of summer clothes.

Owen exploring the property. In the background, in between Cameron and Owen, behind the trees, is a storm shelter. That evening, Cameron, my grandma, my dad and I were amidst a fierce game of UPWORDS. We started getting phone calls from a concerned sister about the weather. We turned on the TV and sure enough, we were in the middle of a Tornado Warning and advised to seek shelter immediately. While we were watching the doppler radar on TV, Cameron asked my grandma, "Is that hail?" But with his Utah accent, she thought he said "hell." Her response: "No, it's purgatory!" (a place that is worse than Hell). I caught on right away because I have always known about this mistaken "ell" and "ail." I let her know what he was referring to and everyone got a good laugh. I woke Owen up from his nap and we all waited the storm out inside of the storm shelter. Nothing more than marble sized hail, but 20 miles away there was a tornado.

I have noticed that Owen puts his hands behind his back like this sometimes. It's kind of funny.

Owen and my dad on the computer.

My grandpa entertaining Owen with the electronic footrest.

Owen with his great grandpa and great grandma.

Last full day in TEXAS

I have another grandma who we had yet to visit. She was excited to meet Owen for the first time. Bless her heart. She had a box full of toys to play with and snacks to eat for Owen, plus a pot of soup on the stove.

No trip to Texas is EVER complete with eating out at Saltgrass Steak House. I worked there as a teenager and when I would come home from college at Christmas break. You have never tasted a steak until you have been here. I do not care if you have been to Outback or Texas Roadhouse. Saltgrass beats them all. The serving sizes here are humongous. When I asked the waiter for a ribeye, he asked if I wanted a 16 or 20 ounce steak! The funniest part of our whole meal was toward the end when Owen insisted on feeding me and Cameron his sweet potato!! It was hilarious to look down and see a wobbly fork aimed for your mouth.

Owen had a sweet potato for dinner... not only was it as big as a whole pumpkin pie but it tasted like one, too, bathed in cinnamon butter! And of course we had cheesecake for dessert.... this is no "New York" slim and wimpy piece of cheesecake, no... Saltgrass cheesecake is about 6 inches tall and as wide as a large slice of pizza. It comes smothered in strawberry and white chocolate sauce and each bite of creamy fattiness is as good as the last.

We had a great time in Texas!! And it was not too hard to say goodbye since we will be back for Christmas!

BACK HOME
Well it is ALWAYS fun to go visit family but nothing beats coming back to your own house and sleeping in your own bed and getting back into routine!

One night after eating Tomato Soup and grilled cheese soup for dinner, Cameron took Owen's shirt off underneath his overalls because it had soup on the elbows.

For Halloween this year we had a carnival inside and a trunk or treat afterward. Here is Owen and his dad doing the cupcake walk. Since Cameron came straight from work he didn't get a chance to dress up. I was a cowgirl. Owen was a monkey.

Carving a pumpkin last Saturday night.

We had sooooo many trick or treaters on Sunday night! Everytime the doorbell would ring Owen would gasp and his eyes would get big and he would run to the door! We ran out of candy and started giving out granola bars and Nutrigrain bars (one kid even thought at first that it was a full sized candy bar! HAHAHA). Oh yeah and only ONE of the dozens of children who came was from our neighborhood. The rest were driven in.

FUN FRIDAY!!
Owen and I have done a lot of fun things lately but it has been awhile since the two of us have had a Fun Friday activity.

Yesterday morning we went to a children's museum. This is Owen by the train table. I asked him to say "cheese!" and this is what I got!

He also loves the John Deere tractor table.

We even went to Chik-Fil-A for lunch. Owen's FAVORITE DRINK lately has been orange juice!! Or, as he pronounces it, "Oooo-jeewww."In the past chik-fil-a nuggets have been too chewy for Owen but now he does fine with them. After eating at Chik-Fil-A we went to Super Target and got a few things. We had a wonderful time together! I love spending time with Owen!!

October date night

2010-10-18T12:52:00.004-04:00

Perfect fall afternoon

2010-10-11T16:21:00.006-04:00

click on the collage to make it bigger.
Owen and I had the perfect fall afternoon together on Friday, October 1. Well everyday with Owen is truly wonderful (we have our down moments, yes) but I captured this one afternoon on my camera. We played together outside for what felt like hours. I helped him do somersaults in the grass, and we played on the swingset. Then he played with his car for a long time. After awhile I went inside and when I checked on him a minute later he was actually RESTING! (That is the bottom right picture)

Birthday weekend and more

2010-09-20T14:28:00.020-04:00

What is it like being 25?

Really no different from being 24, 23, 22, and 21.

Except this year, for the first time ever, we got a baby-sitter that wasn't a grandparent (since we don't live close to, or even in the same state as, both sets). We have made good friends with a family in our ward, and we are going to trade baby-sitting. It's a wonderful plan. Owen did great! He was all giggles the whole way home! And Cameron and I enjoyed a wonderful (first) date. At least that is what it felt like! Now we are going to babysit their kids this Friday.
We went to an Italian restaurant and, beforehand, I even took the time to do my hair and get dressed up (while Owen watched Curious George and ate goldfish, ya know).

Cute husband.

We had a wonderful meal--free of a bib, sippy cup, diaper bag, booster chair, and wiggly toddler.
Afterward we took a little walk and had a conversation!

Our lame attempt at a photo.

Earlier in the day, I met up with a friend, Peggy, and her teenage kids, who are homeschooled, at the zoo--it is free on Friday's (take the commas out of that sentence and it sounds totally different)! We rode the train and then walked the zoo "loop" as I like to call it. Owen immediately recognized the elephants and can even say it (only I can recognize the word).

After the zoo, Peggy dropped her kids off and took me and Owen to lunch at Village Inn, where she is a mystery shopper. After our meal she treated the both of us to a piece of pie. It did remind me of the time on my 20th birthday when my friends and I went to Jackson Hole and shared a WHOLE peanut butter pie from Village Inn.

Riding the "choo-choo" at the zoo.

But on Friday Peggy got a piece of pecan pie (because it is both our favorite) and I ordered a piece of peanut butter pie. We cut each piece in half and shared it so we could taste 2 different kinds. Owen needed to indulge, too, but surprisingly he didn't like either one. Then, right before we left he threw up. He really has a thing against peanut butter, and I wonder if that had something to do with it because he was not sick with flu or anything. The man behind us (who Owen had been "playing" with the whole time) said, "He was jumping around so much, maybe that's why he threw up!" and I said, "He's like this ALL the time."

I was going to make a birthday cake when I got home (because that's what ya do when you're the mom and you live out of state) but, after eating those 2 pieces of pie I felt like I had had my sweet fix for the day. The rest of birthday weekend was swell. Owen was GREAT in Sacrament meeting on Sunday, his best ever. I actually got to listen to the talks that were given and enjoy the musical number all in the same meeting. I am loving my Beehives class (12 & 13 year olds) and I teach a few Sunday's a month.

Some friends from the ward invited us over for dinner, and Emily is an amazing cook. We had salmon wrapped in phyllo dough topped with a wonderful white sauce. For dessert we had chocolate-nutmeg cake (a recipe that apparently is Ben Affleck's favorite) and vanilla ice cream.

If you know me, you realize I draw my birthday out for as long as possible. Which is why, right now, I have a warm Rainbow Chip cake sitting in the kitchen waiting to be cooled so I can ice it.

Summer pictures from the good camera

2010-09-09T16:16:00.008-04:00

For the time being I don't have the Internet on my desktop anymore, which slows down the blogging process.
A couple weeks ago I rented a wide-angle lens (10-24mm) from a camera shop (that place is like a candy store to me). The clerk had me test the lens out before leaving the store. There goes Owen ready to discover and destroy!!
I also tested the lens out around the house before using it for its actual purpose. I was amazed at the amount of natural light in the photos, even in a dark hallway. (Here is Owen being still-rare!)
We've had so much fun playing in the backyard, especially since the weather has been a little cooler.
Owen loves the slide!
And, of course, his car.
What does a warm summer evening and some Osh Kosh B' Gosh equal? Some super cute photos.
We went to the Nauvoo Pageant at the end of July. Owen had a great time running around in the sun! This photo makes him look so big.

Owen's vocabulary--20 months

2010-09-01T13:11:00.001-04:00

Drink
Juice
Water
Cracker
Grass
Tree
Jesus (Chaw-sis)
Curtis (Daw-tis) (his uncle)
Cassie (Dah-sees) (8 year old girl across the street who loves Owen)
Boat
Ball
Bathtub
Binky
Diaper
Sleep
Outside (Bah-bus)
Inside (Bah-bus)
Eat
More
All done
Tractor
Bus
Airplane (Daaaaa with a sign)
Train (choo-choo)
Car
Stop (DAWT)
Up
Down
Fish
Frog
Horse
Cat
Ducky
Hat
Hot
Cold
Dog
Yogurt (Go-chee)
Bye! (he says it everywhere we go and to everybody!)
Dada
Bee
Moo (Sound for cow)
Bike (tricycle)

Many of these words he speaks and signs. Some words he only speaks. Some words he only signs (many of the animal words). He is also starting to combine words-- he will says "socks shoes" and today he said "drink juice." I'm very proud of our little toddler.

black, white, yellow bedroom

2010-07-28T14:03:00.018-04:00

Owen is 19 months old. .

Owen loves trucks and "bushes" (bus or 18-wheeler) more than anything. He wakes up saying "bush" and all day long if he hears a bush outside we go straight to the window (today a delivery truck came to unload a new couch across the street and that was exciting). Also, every Friday morning the garbage man comes. He picks up one side and then a few minutes later comes down the other side. It is our tradition to go out and watch. Sometimes the garbage man even honks for Owen! He can, however, decipher between tractor, trucks, airplanes and trains so not EVERYTHING is a bush.

Owen lasts about 3 seconds per piece of equipment.

Tara Butler took our family photos while we visited Utah:

And we are loving the house. I complained in an earlier post about the yellow walls in our master bedroom. I found some bedding, curtains, wall decor, and lamps to coordinate and I LOVE IT now.

I purchased the bedding set from overstock.com and ordered a matching shower curtain. I knew I wouldn't use the shower curtain for the shower since it's one of those walk-in showers and the showering room is completely separate from the bathroom.. yadi-yadi. Anyway I used it to make slip covers for our ugly green, brown, and white bed pillows from our previous bedspread! And I still have half of a shower curtain left... maybe I will make something for the nightstands?? Frame the letter "H"? Make a lap quilt? I don't know. Used the tutorial on Make-it-Love-it. And discovered that the second piece for the back needs to be quite a few inches bigger than the first one if you want them to overlap and not have any part of the pillow showing (she instructs you to make both back pieces the same size).

I made the slip covers for left and right pillows. I got the middle pillow from Target!
We have been doing playgroups this summer on a weekly basis. Owen has a best friend, Bradley. He is a year older than Owen but that does not phase him. Owen loves big kids. We see him about three times a week: once for the playgroup, second time for a young women meeting (his mom and I are in a newly-formed presidency), and third time in nursery. They may as well be brothers. His dad works for John Deere, too.

Eating lunch together at the beginning of June. I love that they both have Lightning McQueen cups.

A couple of weeks ago while my mom was in town we found a cozy coupe for Owen at a resale shop. This car is Owen's first love. He loves to get in and out of it all day (it is now in the house because it's been too hot to go outside). He likes trying to drive it (can't go forward yet, only backward) and hold his toy trucks at the same time. Everytime he gets in he tells me, "Bye!"

I guess that is a good note to end on.

Pittsburgh

2010-06-11T15:58:00.005-04:00

While we were moving we stopped in Pittsburgh.
We stopped and ate at a restaurant in this place similar to the Gateway...but I can't remember the name of it. The water shoots up and music plays. It was so fun for Owen.
Owen got a new brother! I was taking pictures of Owen and Cameron and this funny little kid jumped right in. It was hilarious.
We rode on the Duquesne Incline. It is like riding a rollercoaster in a trolley, but much slower.
We loved it.

What we have been up to

2010-06-09T14:24:00.009-04:00

Cameron graduated with his MBA from Penn State!! His parents and brother and my dad came up for the event. I made him a T-shirt quilt with shirts purchased from Goodwill. It was a lot of work. Cameron deserved it, he worked hard to get his MBA!
Then we moved. (Here is Owen making the sign for "bus" which includes all forms of trucks, tractors, trains, and 18-wheelers). When he makes the sign he also says "Bush." It is his favorite word.
We stopped in Pittsburgh on the way over. It is a beautiful city. We ate at Primanti Bros.! Greasy sandwiches stuffed with meat, cheese, coleslaw and french fries! About a week later we moved into our HOUSE.
Owen enjoying his new backyard!Trying out the new trike. His legs aren't long enough to touch the ground to scoot or to reach the pedals. He will grow into it. And we love our deck!!
Eating Cheerios on the floor in his pajama shirt!Slurping the milk out of the cereal bowl! (That picture was taken in PA)

Baby-ness

2010-06-07T23:17:00.004-04:00

Owen is turning 18 months in a few weeks. I cannot believe it. What happened to this?
And this?? Where has this little boy gone?

Owen walks!

2010-03-30T16:26:00.003-04:00

Owen started walking last night. We are so excited! The video is also posted on FB because I didn't think I would be able to put it on the blog because of previous problems but I guess it works after all.

New York City

2010-03-15T09:40:00.017-04:00

One great thing about Cameron being in school is spring break. Last year he went to China with his class, a mandatory trip. This year he got to be with us!
Although we visited New York City last year, we felt like we needed to get one more trip in while we are still within driving distance (4 hours). There were also a lot of things that we didn't do last year. We wanted to focus more on having an authentic experience (mostly).

Tuesday

We arrived mid-day and, after checking into the hotel, Cameron had an immediate appointment at the David Letterman show (he won a ticket). He enjoyed it and got to know what the show was like behind the TV set.

Meanwhile, Owen and I scoped out our room on the 17th floor of Hudson Hotel near Columbus Circle, home of the Time Warner/CNN building/mall and close to Central Park. Cameron got a good deal on priceline.com. It was small, only enough room for our queen bed and Owen's crib and a small bathroom. Cozy as it was I would say it was more fun than our larger room in Times Square last year.

We didn't have a fridge so we used the sink and filled it with ice to keep Owen's milk cold so he could have some in the morning and at night before bed (yes, that is a sink).

Tuesday night we ate at Sushi a Go-Go. Cameron tried sushi and did not like while I tried my best to gulp down a burger smothered in salty teriyaki sauce. Owen tried to eat ramen but somehow most of the noodles ended up all over the table and floor. Yes, it was great being the only couple in the restaurant with a baby! Oh, the looks!

Wednesday
Owen was no exception to New York being the city that never sleeps. The kid was up anywhere from 6-6:30 every morning. First thing, we ate at Cafe Sabbe: muffins and croissants. One interesting observation is all the drivers lined up on the road in fancy vehicles waiting to drive people to work (our hotel was across the street from an apartment building which is considered fine living in NYC).
Afterward we got a cab and went to Times Square to purchase a Broadway ticket. I just had to capture a picture of Owen being in the car without a carseat. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity for the boy.
We also hit up Macy's with 7+ stories of merchandise: a floor of women's shoes, a floor of makeup and perfume, a floor of women's clothing, a floor of men's clothing. It was incredible. Such fine shopping, although we did none of that.
After picking up streetside gyros for lunch (we did so daily and I Never Want to Eat Another Gyro for as long as I shall live), Cameron and Owen dropped me off.
I chose to see Mary Poppins on Broadway! I could have seen The Lion King, Wicked, or any other classical plays but Mary Poppins sounded the most fun to me. It was fantastic. The choreography and the singing and acting was remarkable. I nearly came to tears at the end when Mary Poppins flew over the audience with her umbrella. I had never been to a Broadway play and hopefully M.P. was not my last.

Thursday
After breakfast at Europan Bakery we walked over to FAO Schwarz, a toy store. Since it was closed (before 10 a.m.) we went into the Apple store. It was so fun!
The kid loves technology!
Owen got acquainted with the Cookie Monster at the toy store. We loved FAO Schwarz. There were lifesized stuffed animals everywhere. Who needs the zoo?
A toy soldier made of Jelly Bellys! Now we are talking.
The larger-than-life piano. Anybody remember the movie "Big" with Tom Hanks?
After the toy store we walked home and took a nap. These little breaks were just what Owen needed to have a good time. (The classic "stinker" face)

The next half of the day was dedicated to myself. For the past year I have frequented a blog called The Purl Bee. It turns out they have a store in NYC (who doesn't?) that sells the cutest fabric.
We got on the Subway to go to Soho, which is where Purl Patchwork was located.
It was difficult but I picked out these selections. I will make a baby quilt to match Owen's nursery, a queen-sized quilt using the retro-floral fabric, the strawberries to make cute kitchen stuff, and the other design to make a drawstring bag. I am so excited but I've promised myself that I will not start on any projects until we are moved and settled (mid-summer, most likely, and No, we don't know where we are moving, yet).
After the fabric store we ate at the cutest hole in the wall pizza place and it was good.. pepperoni turnovers, ham and cheese wheels, garlic knots. So authentic.
Then we played in a gated park. Yes, that is a DKNY shop in the background. And I love how Owen and Cameron are looking in opposite directions.
Owen loved the park. Last summer he was too small for the swing. I can't wait for this summer.
It was starting to get a bit cooler on Thursday so we had to bundle up Owen. Here we are headed back to Columbus Circle on the Subway.

Thursday night/Friday morning
One disadvantage to being away from family and not having a baby-sitter is that we do separate temple sessions. Cameron went on Thursday night after Owen went to bed and I went on Friday morning. The temple was beautiful inside and about 5 or more stories high.
While Cameron was gone Owen zonked out fast. I hadn't even put him in his crib and he was out cold. I just had to get a picture. Remember last year's picture of Owen sleeping in NYC? So cute.

We left NYC on Friday afternoon and it was raining that day. We planned it that way. We had pretty nice weather all week long until right before we left.

Wegman's

2010-02-27T21:45:00.006-05:00

Shopping at Wegman's is an Experience.
The second I walk in the aroma of freshly-baked breads, cookies, muffins, cupcakes and donuts tempts my sweet tooth, drawing me to the bakery to glaze over the goodies like a little girl in a store window on Christmas Eve. But I must resist...
Next, to the fresh chickens. Rotisserie chickens for $5 in lemon pepper, barbecue, garlic, and plain. I'll take one of those, please. I have already planned my menu around Wegman's specialies.
It was Wegman's that introduced me to fresh meat. The salmon is pink and the beef, red and bloody and ready to be stewed up into some fabulous tasting concoction. Stir-fry on Tuesday? Sure.
I round the corner to produce. Vegetables used to be my nemesis. Before I fell in love with Wegman's I envied those moms unloading vegetables and fruits onto the conveyor belt at check-out... as I shamefully unveiled my Oreo's and Bagel Bites. Wegman's inspires me to be healthy! How can I resist the greens when I witness grocers unloading boxes of fresh broccoli and peas and celery and carrots and rutabagas and vegetables I've never heard of? I can also find fresh herbs--rosemary, cilantro, and what are the others?
Under each type of fruit is a description. Fuji apple.. sweet with a mild, er, something. Okay, I'll take 2.
For the young at heart, such as myself, a whole corner of the store devoted to candy (forget the previous paragraph)! Dispensers filled with red, green, yellow, and pink jelly-bellys, penny candies, chocolate covered anything, and bins full of Hershey's chocolates leave me nearly licking my lips. For the health crazies, dispensers of nuts and dried fruit (yuck!).
Inside the store there is also a submarine shop, an Asian food bar, a fruit bar, pizza take-out, fresh prime rib, burritos; ventures that I might save for another time.
Best of all, second to the $5 chickens is the Wegman's brand diapers that I can buy in bulk that work great for Owen (so long, Pamper's. So long).
When the time comes in a few short months I will be sad to leave this town for many reasons. I will miss the friendship, the memories, the place that Owen came home to... but I will really miss Wegman's.

So cute!!

2010-02-10T16:06:00.003-05:00

Owen has been making this funny face lately. Sometimes he does it when he is "upset" (not getting his way) and breathes through his nose really fast. It is so hilarious. Our little Owen is getting quite the personality. Today I made the face in front of him so that he would make it and he did!

adorable

2010-01-25T09:48:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday Cameron

2009-12-16T08:30:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday!

Quilts

2009-12-14T10:30:00.012-05:00

I've had my sewing machine for a year and have learned a lot. Can you tell how much I love to sew? I started out small: a pillowcase, patchwork kitchen towels (my favorite to make), and a book bag, and a car seat cover, and a quillow for my niece.

*click on all the pictures to make them bigger*Then I saw this website with beautiful quilts and decided to be a little adventurous and try to make a couple of my own. Elizabeth from this website is incredibly talented (check out her photo gallery!).

The "Summer Quilt," as pictured below, was supposed to be done last August. Or... I've completed it 6 months early, right?!

The Summer Quilt
This quilt has a good story behind it. This past summer we were living in Davenport, Iowa, (I now feel okay about revealing that since we don't live there anymore) for Cameron's internship at John Deere. Since Cameron was taking the car to work every day all I had was the stroller. There was a Hobby Lobby store about a mile away with a fabric section, which is where I purchased all of the fabric to make the quilt. Cameron came up with a wonderful pattern for this quilt on Excel!
Owen and I walked to Hobby Lobby once or twice a week to get supplies for my quilt, like batting or quilting pins, etc. Every day while Owen would take naps I would work on cutting all the fabric, then sewing the patches together, then assembling the columns and rows. This quilt took the entire summer just to assemble. The wonderful thing about this 9-patch quilt was that it kept me busy in a very boring apartment without a car.
Finally, at the end of summer I was ready to quilt it. I used a quilting foot on my sewing machine and went to town. After I had quilted an entire column of patches in brown thread I decided it was the wrong color; the thread color was too dark that it took away from the significance of the patches. The quilting that I had spent an evening doing would take me weeks to undo--and that is no exaggeration.
I decided to start quilting the other side of it in the right color thread, wheat. It was all going along fine until my sewing machine BROKE. Another setback.
So last September I put my quilt away for a couple of months- I was sick of this quilt and wanted to throw it away.
But....
I'm glad I didn't! Because now it is finished!! I thought that draping it over our loveseat would give you a good idea of just how big this monster really is (and it really has been a monster).

The Cowboy Quilt
During my two month break from the Summer Quilt, I decided to make a baby quilt for Owen. This past summer at Hobby Lobby I found this cute vintage cowboy fabric and could not resist. When we got back to Pennsylvania I cut up a couple of pairs of old jeans, found some red scrap fabric, and put the quilt together.

The back of it is that really soft minky fabric. I love it.

The Birthday Banner
I have been wanting to make a Happy Birthday banner before the boys' birthdays this month. I finished it last night. It is so freakin' cute (I'm not very humble).

I think it is time to put the sewing machine away for awhile.

A year ago

2009-12-05T09:33:00.004-05:00

I was just thinking back to a year ago.... I was so big!! I am so happy to be my normal size this year!!
Still carrying Owen... but this time on the outside, not the inside!!!!

Hershey

2009-12-02T07:42:00.004-05:00

During Thanksgiving break, Cameron's parents took us to Hershey, Pennsylvania. I would describe that place as a dreamland for any Chocolate lover. Like myself.
We took a tour of a chocolate factory (although it was not a real factory). I love candy. I just love it.

Why was the Hershey store so incredible? Because they sell BOXES of White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups!! BOXES!! (That is my favorite candy) I did not buy a box but I did buy some in individual packets, which you can only find at gas stations.
Hershey has an amusement park. It was cold and windy but we bundled up and had a wonderful time. The above picture is a merry-go-round that we all rode.
We also took a trolley tour of Hershey. Owen was as happy as could be until the following:
The boy and girl shown above were the tour guides. The boy would get on and off the trolley at different stops dressed in different costumes. He spoke in a Pennsylvania Dutch accent (he was an actor) and was very loud! Everytime he would speak Owen would scream and bawl! It was very sad in the moment but I am sure one day we will look back and get a good laugh.

KitKat CAFE!!! We did not eat there but I love the idea. Other eateries in town included "The Chocolate Grill" and more.

Thanksgiving 2009 (in pictures)

2009-11-26T22:12:00.004-05:00

Owen loved the cherry pie. (Can you tell that I fed it to him?)
He met Santa Clause (his face is funny here but he was not sad).

We ate pie. And it was so good. Cherry and pecan.

Owen played with his uncle! (Cameron's parents and brother came)

The boys!

Owen loved the turkey, stuffing, and rolls.

I'm just a watch and ring kind of girl

2009-11-17T14:10:00.012-05:00

(click on picture to make it bigger)

When I was young I got my ears pierced. On my 10th birthday my mom took me to Claire's and the Piercing Specialist, as her name tag declared, swabbed at my ear with alcohol, marked it with a slight purple dot, placed the earring in the gun and shot twice--one in each ear. The instruction was to wear the first pair of earrings for six weeks and cleanse, at the time, my tender earlobes with a Claire's solution day and night and to twist the earrings. I did as she said. But when it came time to start wearing other kinds of earrings, something always went awry and eventually I gave up. At least one earlobe would get sore and infected. I would allow my ear lobes to heal and close-up.
Imagine the scene above repeated 3 times.
Pierced ears never worked for me.
Fast forward 10 years.
On my wedding day I wore a pair of clip-on earrings. I just couldn't fathom having an up-do with my ears showing and no earrings.
By the time we were done at the temple with the sealing and the pictures afterward, I was done with the clip-ons! My ears burned in pain and they were beat red.
And I will never wear clip-ons again.
What made me think of this?
Today as I was cleaning Spaghetti-O spit-up out of my carpet (yes, Owen's reflux has returned in full force and we have seen the doctor again), I noticed something about the cleaning solution I was using, HomePro Spotter, passed down from Cameron's wonderful Grandma Smith, inherited by living in her old home. The carpet cleaner was in the exact same kind of bottle and lid and spout that my earring-cleanser had been in so many years before. As I blotched at the carpet with a white towel, I thought about how I used to pour my earring cleanser on a cotton swab, and I could remember the coldness on my ear, and the way it smelled.
Then I thought about how I don't need a date at Claire's with the earring specialist and a purple marker to make me feel accesorized. All I need is my wedding ring and my watch.

Good Reading & Writing

2009-11-16T09:44:00.010-05:00

Nothing fills my heart with pride more than watching my son love books. I can only hope that such a fascination will filter through to the elementary years.

When I was a child I read like crazy. I would spend a whole Saturday with my nose in Baby Sitter Club Little Sister books (as I got older I matured to "Baby Sitter Club") . Matilda. American Girl series. Tallahassee Higgins. The Girl with the Silver Eyes. The "Alice" books. The "Fearless" series. Sweet Valley High. The Diary of Anne Frank, which would lead to reading many books about the Holocaust. The Lost Boy books by Dave Pelzer. I loved Scholastic Book Fairs when they came to my school and would hurry home with the book order form tucked neatly away in a folder, as to not get wrinkled. As I advanced into the teen years, I continued to read. All of the Chicken Soup books. All Amy Tan books, but my favorite was "The Joy Luck Club." The book was assigned to the students in my high school english class to read within a few weeks. On the very day it was assigned I went to the bookstore, purchased it, and read it within 48 hours. Why? Because I love books. Especially the ones you can't put down. Those books, and so many more, were the books that defined my childhood ages 6-18.

My grandmother is always reminding me of the time when I was a small child that I took her by the hand and led her down the hallway in my childhood home to a linens closet. At the bottom of the closet was a space just big enough for me, a book, and a flashlight. Although I don't read in closets anymore (and to be honest, I can't ever remember doing so), I do still love to read when I can find a book not littered with distasteful language.

More recently it has been The Book of Mormon (although I have been reading that book for a long time) and The Infinite Atonement. On the non-religious spectrum, some of my favorite books include Memory Keeper's Daughter, The Glass Castle (my favorite), The Book Thief, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and right now I am reading "The Boy on the Bus." It is not my favorite, but it will do for a little bit of bedtime reading pleasure each night. I'm also trying to read a book about something having to do with Potato Peel Pie Society but I can't seem to make it past the second page. I also enjoy reading cookbooks and sewing books.

Here's a bit of wonderful advice passed down from some incredible professors in the communications department at the U of U:
To be a good writer, one must read good writing.
You can take out the words "writer" and "writing" and replace that with anything... photography, any kind of sports or musical skills. So this weekend I got hooked reading this blog, which I knew about but had never read before:
C Jane Run and my other favorite is: Nie Nie I do wish I could curl up on the couch with a blanket and read these blogs in book form but I suppose that sitting at the computer will have to do for now.

The days of our lives

2009-11-11T18:36:00.005-05:00

It is fun being a stay at home mom. This is what we do everyday:
Eat.
Play.
Clean.
Nap.
Eat.
Play.
Clean.
Snack.
(sometimes we go to the library, mall, or store mid-day)
Nap.
Bottle. (I strategically give him a bottle at 4 so I can watch Oprah)
Eat.
Play.
Clean.
Snack.
Bath.
Story.
Bed.
As you can see the things we do on a daily basis are very repetitive. By "clean" I mean clean-up after each mealtime. By "play" I mean dump all the toys out of the bucket and then cry because there are no more left. It really is fun...
I would rather be doing this than anything else in the world!

Why I love Saturday's. A photo essay by Hillary.

2009-11-07T16:45:00.006-05:00

This morning Cameron babysat Owen for 5 hours so I could go to craft day at church! Thanks!
Now I get to baby sit Owen for the next 3 hours so Cameron can go to his football game! No problem!!Then when he gets home we shall all do some fun things together! Great!

Halloween

2009-11-02T21:09:00.005-05:00

Does this look like something out of a fairy tale?

Soon Owen will be getting a new car seat. This one has been nice because it is bigger and fits a baby up to 30 lbs (Owen is currently 20). But we only use it in the car. Owen rarely sleeps in it anymore and it's way to heavy to carry him in it.Halloween was fun. We ate pumpkin pancakes for breakfast and Cameron and I got to eat the classic caramel corn for a late night treat. We also took a drive out to the country and took a family picture for Christmas. Then we drove around to a few ward members' homes to trick or treat. Owen got sick of getting in and out of his car seat so many times!
When we got home Owen enjoyed looking through his Halloween bag and finding his new "toys." I threw the Play-Doh away because as soon as I gave it to him he nearly tried to eat it.

Looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Hemming Jeans

2009-10-20T08:14:00.004-04:00

If you are short like me you are probably frustrated that you can never find jeans or pants that are the right length. "Regular" size is about 2-4 inches too long and "Short" size is like wearing long capris. So I found this tutorial on hemming jeans that is wonderful. I hemmed 3 pairs of jeans yesterday and it only takes about 15-20 minutes/pair. The great thing is you can keep the original hem so that your hemming does not look homemade. Here is the link:
http://www.cardiganempire.com/2009/08/how-to-hem-jeans-in-3-easy-steps.html

Fall football

2009-09-21T09:33:00.003-04:00

Top 5 Reasons why I had a good birthday

2009-09-18T09:34:00.011-04:00

A picture from my 9th birthday... I have the crown on, and that is Lindsey Wangler on the left and Hillary Gale on the far right (and my brother and sister in the background).

1) Owen slept in until past 9:30 a.m., giving me all the time in the world to actually get ready for the day and fix breakfast... Pillsbury cinnamon rolls (with Cream Cheese icing).

2) Cameron, Owen, and I went to Olive Garden and stuffed ourselves full of breadsticks, salad, and then ate 3 bites of our entrees when they finally arrived.

3) 24 is a nice even number and divisible by many numbers... unlike my previous ages.

4) I received a sewing book from Cameron, some really fun gift cards and other birthday presents.

5) I laid on the couch and Cameron served me Rainbow Chip cake and Breyer's Vanilla ice cream.

The new face of Kitchenaid

2009-09-07T22:40:00.003-04:00

2 new favorite pictures

2009-09-06T22:01:00.004-04:00

Owen is growing up. He is taking a bottle (rejoice) and eating Puffs cereal. And, now that we've been giving him medicine for his reflux (poor baby!), he is a lot less fussy and has an easier time eating (before, he would cry a lot and arch his back during feeding time).

Oh what a joy, our baby boy

2009-08-11T15:35:00.005-04:00

Pampers vs. Parents' Choice

2009-07-31T12:25:00.009-04:00

Ever since Owen was born I have used Pampers Diapers. At first, we tried Huggies and Parents' Choice (Wal Mart Brand), but I decided to use the Swaddlers because they worked best and had the least amount of wet occurences on clothes (Owen's legs were too skinny at the time for his diapers so all his clothes were always wet). Owen grew out of Swaddlers and now he wears Cruisers. We go through about a box of diapers a week, which is 76 diapers. A box of 76 Pampers Cruisers costs about $19, which is roughly $.25 a diaper. That is expensive. I didn't think it was too expensive until I was at Wal Mart last week and noticed that the Parents' Choice brand is 6 dollars less with 20 more diapers a box. What kind of savings does that mean?
Let's do the math... Since we have to compare apples to apples here, let's look at the total cost per diaper with Cruisers and Parents' Choice:
Cruisers: $19.00/76= $.25
Parents' Choice: $14/96= $.14

If Owen continues to need 76 diapers a week for one full year, that would be 3,952 diapers. If I continue to buy Cruisers, we will spend $988 on diapers in one year. If I go with Wal Mart brand, we will spend $553. That is over$400 in savings. And that is considering that Owen will continue to need so many diapers a week. And what's the point in spending so much money on something that just gets thrown away? Anybody care for 2 plane tickets home for Christmas? Or a new wardrobe?

Now, with most everything in life, there are some things to consider here. Can Parents' Choice diapers keep my baby's clothes and bedding dry all through the night like Cruisers can? Can Parents' Choice diapers keep everything in like the Cruisers can?

If you aren't bored, yet, continue reading: So last Saturday I purchased a box of Cruisers diapers, which I didn't open up until yesterday. When I did open them and start using them, I noticed some differences in the quality of the diapers:

1) The netted material on the inside of the diaper that helps to keep moisture away from my baby's skin is gone.

2) The diapers are a little more flimsy and not as thick, especially on the backside. What? Really? You mean to tell me I spent all this money on diapers that are going down hill?

So this morning I called Pampers Customer Service. The rep told me that this change might not be permanent and that only some boxes of diapers have these new diapers in them. She said that she appreciated my feedback and she'll pass my comments on to Quality Control. She also said she would send me a $10 off coupon for Pampers. Okay, so with the $10 off coupon I shall try Pampers one more time. But if they are still of the flimsy non-netted sort, I will probably stop buying them. As soon as we are through with this box of diapers, I am going to try Parents' Choice. If the PC diapers can keep everything in and, most importantly, keep Owen dry and our laundry bill down, I am going to stick with those and enjoy great savings. What do you think? What diapers work for you?

One month older and wiser, too

2009-07-27T10:59:00.006-04:00

My big boy is already 7 months old! In the past month, he's started to laugh a lot more. Especially when I sing, "I'm a genie in a bottle bay-bay."
Owen loves his mom and dad. And frowns at people he doesn't recognize.
Owen can't wait to see his grandpa's farm in a few weeks. But for now, the cardboard renditions of tractors will have to suffice.
The Fussy Face

"S" is for... (what we have done, are doing, or will do this summer)

2009-07-21T09:38:00.010-04:00

(Some of these apply to all 3 of us, some apply to individuals)
S
Starting solids--Squash, peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, apples, prunes, peaches and bananas
Stroller rides to Hobby Lobby, Subway, and Schnucks
Starting to exercise again
Smelly diapers... really smelly
Swimming in the indoor pool from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Strawberry salad with strawberries, spinach leaves, grapes, feta cheese, walnuts, and poppyseed dressing
Swatting arms at every bottle and sippy cup
Shells n' cheese with broccoli
Spending time with Aunt Jennifer and Uncle Donald (or "Donnifer") from Texas
Six and seven months old
Super Target grocery shopping
Seeing New York City, Nauvoo, and Chicago
Studying Chinese characters on flash cards
Sitting up unsupported
Sweet onion chicken teriyaki sandwich at Subway
Spitting up on everyone and every thing
Swingin' it with the nursery kids every Sunday
Storms rolling through at least once a week
Sewing first quilt
Sporting a ponytail every day
Sitting in the Bumbo chair to eat or watch parents eat at the table
Scooting around the jungle toy when mom's not looking
Seeing the Mississippi River on the Celebration Belle
Size 3 diapers
Spraying all clothes, bibs, and linens with OxiClean
Sunday afternoon church
Strolling through parks and neighborhoods in the evening time
Starting to smile all the time
Skype and web cam
Staying up late to browse Etsy shops and quilting blogs
Salt Lake Temple on Aug. 15 to see John and Allison get married

Six months and stubborn

2009-07-14T23:28:00.004-04:00

So, up until about a month ago Owen was fine to take a bottle of Momma's milk. We started him on the bottle when he was about 4 weeks old and he has taken it fine ever since.
UNTIL.
We started diluted juice.
And he took a few bottles of that over the period of a few weeks and then, recently, started to refuse.
Yesterday, and a few previous times, I've tried to give him diluted juice in different flavors and he won't drink it. Which is fine. Because I really only give it to him to help move those solids along if you know what I mean. Oh, and we have tried the sippy cup and he won't take it. I've also been trying a cup, which I've had a little bit of success with.
He will happily take juice on a SPOON but there is no way we're getting into THAT habit.
So today I tried to give him a bottle of Momma's milk and he would not take it for the life. of. him.
I tried using a different nipple (rapido, fast) as opposed to what he's used to (lento, slow), but to no avail. I tried giving it to him a few hours later, but he responded with the typical batting of the arms and moving of the head back and forth.Which means that all my day dreaming about him having formula is out the window...

Summer love is...

2009-07-08T14:56:00.008-04:00

Here are a few things that are getting us by this summer:

My sewing machine. (That is my actual machine)

Our indoor swimming pool. (Not our actual pool)
Weekly trips to Hobby Lobby...in the stroller. This thing has logged some miles.
Love these. Can't beat them at only 55 calories per pop.

Thanks for the free cable, John Deere.

Fun weekend

2009-07-06T16:06:00.012-04:00

This weekend was great!

To start the weekend off right, I thought I would show off this cute present that Cameron got me for our anniversary: a new dress. Thanks, hun!
On Friday Cameron had the day off so we drove to Aurora, Ill., to a huge outlet mall. Then we spent the night near Chicago. Here is Owen on the hotel bed. He is ready to start crawling!
The next morning, the 4th, we drove into downtown Chicago. There was a beautiful gated park that we spent a little bit of time in.

He is really starting to get a cute little personality!
This is my favorite picture of ALL time!Cameron dropped us off at the Hancock building. Owen and I went to the restaurant on the 96th floor to see Chicago. The view was incredible.
Ever wonder what a $6 Sprite looks like? You're looking at it.
Overlooking Lake Michigan!
Have a drink and look at Chicago.
Did I mention that Owen learned how to drive?

After our little trip to Chicago we went to visit Cameron's cousin who just had a new baby. (Pictured above is Aunt Sherrie & Uncle Bryce, their two grandchildren, and Owen in the middle)
Owen and his new second cousin, Karlin! Can you believe Owen used to be this small?!
And today... Owen is starting to sit up on his own!

Owen and his toy

2009-07-02T14:52:00.003-04:00

Owen was definitely ready for a nap after we were through shooting this video.

3 years!

2009-07-01T09:12:00.004-04:00

Three years ago Cameron and I were sealed for time and all eternity in the Dallas Temple! It has been a wonderful 3 years and I am looking forward to many, many more wonderful years with the greatest husband in the world!

Half a year has gone by? Already?

2009-06-25T16:17:00.008-04:00

Owen will be six months old in a couple of days! Here are some pictures to celebrate:Right now Owen is sleeping from 9:30 p.m. to 5 a.m., nurse, and sleep until 8 a.m. First nap is from about 10:45 to 11:45 a.m., and second nap goes from about 3 until 5 p.m.
We play under this toy several times a day. He really likes the elephant rattle on the top left.

I can hardly get the kid to stay on his back! Doesn't he have the most gorgeous eyes? The socks came from a lady at Cameron's work.
The boy wants to crawl, but as you can tell from the picture above he hasn't quite mastered the skill. Yet.
Mealtime is messy. No need for clothes. Right now Owen is eating solids once a day. Today's entree was squash, followed by oatmeal and peaches for dessert.
Owen is an intense eater. If I'm not constantly spooning food into his mouth, he bawls!
After lunch, I transfer Owen's entire Bumbo-ness-mess to the bathroom sink and wash him off.

The kid's first non-food mess. He loves dad's (empty) bag of cough drops!! It makes a really fun noise!It's fun to sit on Dad's head.

Dear Binky

2009-06-24T09:18:00.005-04:00

I was going through and deleting some old posts when I found this blog post that I never published. I am glad we are not in this phase anymore. Owen still uses a binky for nap and nighttime.

Dear Mr. Soothie,

I never thought I would write you a letter, but I formulated this in my mind at 2 a.m. as I battled with my 6 month old child to keep the binky in his mouth so he would go back to sleep. And it worked.

My relationship with you can best be described as love-hate. There are moments when I love you, and moments when I wish you would just go to binky heaven and never be seen again.

I believe that the package you come in should be donned with warning labels, similar to that of a package of cigarettes. It might read: Warning: Can become very addictive to parents and babies alike. Or, warning: Easy to lose! May need to buy several packages.

We love you so much that we often wear you on a clip. It only took weeks of picking it up off every surface imaginable before we learned our lesson: the gym floor at church...on Scout night, the kitchen floor 20 times over, the bathroom, the sidewalk in New York City of all places. But needless to say, we wear you as often as we can.

Sincerely,
Tired Mom

In the Midwest

2009-06-18T11:44:00.008-04:00

Daddy reads to Owen.

It rains hard at least once or twice a week. Thunder and lightning, too. The kind that wakes you up at 2 in the morning.

Owen is growing.

Uncle Curtis and Grammy came for a visit.
And Owen fusses a lot every night.

Owen got a new toy that he loves. Thank goodness, because all he had before was...this boring ol' red block...

that he still plays with.

While Curtis and Grammy were here, we went to the Nauvoo Temple.The chipmunk and I, and Uncle on the far right.

During Owen's naps, I work on this 9-patch quilt. This is a pretty old picture, but I only have 3 more patches to sew. Then there is a lot more work to do after that, too.

Owen is sporting John Deere attire.

So cute.

bon appétit

2009-06-16T13:31:00.003-04:00

Peaches, anyone?

Father's Day idea

2009-06-15T11:36:00.003-04:00

Does your husband have a sweet tooth? If so, this isn't a bad idea:This is from http://bakerella.blogspot.com
It seems a little bit lengthy, but I'm sure there are ways to simplify it if you get creative!

3 new firsts!

2009-06-12T09:30:00.005-04:00

Yesterday Owen did one complete roll-- from his back to his stomach and to his back. I shouted, "Yay!" and he frowned really big and about cried. Owen has only been rolling over from his back to his stomach. Then he gets frustrated because he can't go anywhere. I think he really wants to crawl.

Last night Owen made it the WHOLE night without his binky! That is a major first for us! Usually he will wake up a couple of times a night and I will just put the binky in and he will go back to sleep. But last night he stayed asleep and did not need it!

Oh, and this morning we tried rice cereal mixed with bananas and I think he really liked it! He kept opening his mouth for more!

I'll have a post with pictures coming soon.

New video of Owen

2009-06-07T21:21:00.004-04:00

I found a new way to record videos-- with the webcam. Here is Owen saying, "I'm hungry, I'm tired, please put me to bed."

5 months old

2009-05-27T10:40:00.008-04:00

Our little Owen is already 5 months old. It seems like every day Owen wakes up ready to show us new tricks. Just today he's figured out how to roll over from his back to his stomach all by himself. Here are 5 fun facts about Owen:
1) Owen is a lot better at rolling over from his back to his stomach than he is at rolling over from his stomach to back. It seems like it should be the other way around!
2) While Owen can still sleep through the night, he's not as good of a sleeper as he used to be. He wakes up a few times in the night (12:30, 3:30, 4:30, etc...) and can only fall back to sleep with his binky.
3) Owen is smiling more than ever before! The other day we were at a restaurant in a booth and he smiled at a stranger sitting across from us!4) Owen is starting to eat rice cereal. The first time we fed it to him he got this gaggy look on his face but now he's doing better. He's also been swimming in the pool a few times.
5) Owen is getting to be a lot more fun! He is so fun to play with and brings such a loving spirit into our home.

New York City

2009-05-20T10:06:00.030-04:00

Cameron had a week to spend with us (Owen and I) work-free and school-free before his internship started so we decided to spend a few days in New York City. We both had never been there so this was quite the adventure for us! It seems a little crazy to drag a 4-month-old baby around The City That Never Sleeps but we wondered if we'd ever have the opportunity again while we live only 4 hours away.

Here we are about to go through the Lincoln Tunnel, which was the entrance into the city from Jersey. NYC can be very expensive. It cost $6 just to enter.

We spent 2 nights in Times Square at the Novotel on the 10th floor. Somehow we lucked out again with 2 queen-sized beds so we didn't have to set up the pack n' play.

Here is Times Square! While this picture was not taken from our hotel room, this was the view we had except a little higher up.

We loved being right in the middle of all the action. We visited the M&M store and Hershey store when we first got there. Then we hopped on a bus. NYC is huge. We purchased 2 bus tickets that were good for 48 hours. There was no way we could have seen everything that we did (and we certainly didn't see everything) on foot or by taxi. The bus tour was hop-on, hop-off, so we could pretty much get on and off wherever we wanted to.

Our second destination after Times Square was Central Park

Central Park was beautiful and huge. We never even saw the zoo! Cameron was such a great husband to tote Owen around like this for 2 1/2 days. I know it's not easy. I carried him around for 9 months!Steak on a stick. We thought the street food was great! We actually didn't spend that much on food at all because the street food was so cheap. Maybe this was the reason why I was hunched over the toilet for 2 hours on Tuesday night.

Owen slept like a rock. We really wore him out during the day. He only managed to take cat naps in the carrier.

This is NYC traffic on Tuesday morning. Gridlock. And everyone is honking!

A fresh seafood market in Chinatown.

Could I ever live in China? I don't think so. If I did, I would probably starve.

We stopped at a park in Chinatown. There were all these tables set up throughout the park with a chess board/checkerboard painted on them. Cameron says it is Chinese culture for older people to play games in the park!

One of Cameron's favorite parts of the trip was visiting the Financial District in Manhattan. Here we are on Wall Street. Is that Donald Trump in the green jacket? Just kidding. That is a stock broker, and Cameron says he is probably a multi-millionaire.

My favorite part of the trip was the 3-hour boat ride that we went on on Tuesday afternoon. We rolled Owen's stroller right onto this huge ferry boat that had downstairs and upstairs seating. Then, on water, we saw the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Manhattan, Yankee Stadium, and the Brooklyn Bridge (pictured above, in the background). Our tour guide was amazing. He knew facts about everything and had nothing but stories and facts to share the whole time. It was fun to listen to. Plus, Owen was an angel the entire boat ride. We loved it.

Owen's new favorite toy: his hands!

Of course a trip to NYC wouldn't be complete without a visit to the Today show. So on Wednesday morning I nursed Owen, put him back to bed, then Cameron stayed with Owen while I went to the set of the Today show. I shook hands with the lovely Meredith Vieira.

And shared a smile and a handshake with Al Roker, the weatherman.

There was so much more we wanted to do but ran out of time: Go to some authentic fabric shops (me), visit the Manhattan Temple, visit the World Trade Center site, walk through museums, go to a Late Show, go to a Broadway show. NYC is really a bustling city but 2 1/2 days is more than enough time to be there with a little baby!

One proud moment

2009-05-09T08:53:00.004-04:00

Jamie's post got me thinking...I would have to say that graduating from college was one of the proudest moments of my life, second only to giving birth. I graduated from the University of Utah in December 07 with my Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication. The commencement ceremony was not until May, however, which somewhat makes Owen a college graduate, too, since I was a couple of weeks pregnant with him when this picture was taken.

Here are 3 thing I loved about the Univ. of Utah (more specifically, the journalism program I was in):
#1) My professors were amazing. They all knew me by name and were friendly and were always there to help me with my projects.
#2) I loved my assignments! The projects I completed ranged from doing a photo-documentary on a Special Olympics volleyball team to designing a brochure about domestic violence awareness in InDesign. Some of my other favorite classes were Magazine Writing and Black & White Photography.
#3) The challenge. There were some pretty tough courses, like Media Law, but as a person who loves school I appreciated the challenge. School was definitely a confidence-builder in my ability to withstand difficult circumstances and challenges.

Owen "talking"

2009-05-01T16:53:00.003-04:00

Three years ago today!

2009-04-28T22:12:00.005-04:00

Three years ago today we got engaged!

And since then, we have:
Graduated from college
Worked
Moved to Pennsylvania
Started the MBA program
Started a family
And done many fun things in between.
What's next?
(Oops... Did I mention that we married in the temple?)

(There are new pictures of Owen below if you haven't seen the latest post).

I'm so excited!!

2009-04-21T22:52:00.004-04:00

I am soooo excited for my best friend Allison! She is engaged to this guy and they met at BYU. They're getting married August 15 in the Salt Lake Temple. Aren't they so cute and perfect for each other?
Sigh.
(to see more pictures visit http://tarabutlerphotography.blogspot.com/)

Goodbye, Pennsylvania... well, almost

2009-04-15T09:22:00.004-04:00

We are getting really excited for our move to Illinois this summer. We will say "goodbye" to Pennsylvania for just three months while Cameron does his John Deere internship. Then we will be back for another school year.

He is Risen!

2009-04-12T00:29:00.001-04:00

A non-Owen post

2009-04-07T10:26:00.006-04:00

Last night Cameron watched the baby while I went to a fitness class! It was so fun! I haven't really had a good, hard workout like that for at least a year (actually I'm not sore today so it must not have been that great of a class)! FUN! Not to mention it was free since I had a coupon for one free workout. That makes it even more fun.

Time to get THIS back!!

Three months old

2009-04-02T07:48:00.009-04:00

I cannot believe Owen is already 3 months old. Last night I was going through a drawer of old baby clothes and storing them in a Huggies Wipes box and I actually started to feel a little nostalgic and emotional about those early newborn days. The clothes were sooooo small! I cannot believe Owen was sooo tiny at one time! Who needs tummy time...

When you can take a nap?

The only time I'll ever spend $20 on a baby outfit..well except for his blessing outfit (we had to for pictures).

Our newest contraption. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa George for the gift card money that purchased this swing.

"I'll give you a smile. Just one and only one."

"ANOTHER picture? C'mon, mom."
"I'm ready for my nap."

Cutest shirt ever.

All clean after bathtime.

This is just Owen. This is just him.

When Owen was first born it seemed like he could fall asleep anywhere or on anybody. It's more rare these days. One night Owen fell asleep in my arms, so I laid him on the couch (I know it's unsafe, but I was right there to monitor him the whole time and he only lasted in this position for a few minutes. Still. It was so cute).

This is the face Owen usually gives me when he wakes up and is ready to eat.

In the past month, Owen has started to:

Consistently sleep through the night (from 11 until about 6:30, or, if I'm lucky, 7).

Laugh and make the cutest little baby sounds.

Suck his fist or thumb.

Exhibit better neck and head control, though he isn't fully in control, yet.

Go longer periods of time in between feedings (it used to be every 2 hours, now it's about every 3 plus during the day).

Get cuter and cuter every day!

Have a good conference weekend! My mom is coming and we're going to try to make these edible Easter Egg Cake Pops from http://bakerella.blogspot.com/

Can't wait to try it!