Getting Out

We have been fighting colds and I am glad to say we are finally done with drippy noses...at least for now! We were getting cabin fever to say the least and had to get out. I figured going for a walk would not infect any other children as long as we didn't get too close to anyone. Even being sick these boys are still the cutest ever!!!!

Poor baby...he still has a clogged tear duct so when he gets a cold it gets all goupy. Sweet baby - he is just too cute!!!
And my Drewbie...such a happy boy. He is so funny with those glasses. He always wants them on, then takes them off and then wants help putting them on again. Silly kiddo!

Pickin' a Pumpkin

Amazed by the simple things in life! A whole bunch of little sticks (hay) - he is such a boy!!!!Andrew LOVED seeing all the pumpkins! We didn't make it to an actual farm pumpkin patch for family night since Bry works so late, but at least we were able to go as a family to pick one out!Running - running - running! He loves to say "ready - go" and then runs and says "fast". Too cute! Andrew helping Daddy pick up the pumpkin to put it in the wagon. My boys are SO strong!Time to go pay for the pumpkin. Andrew is such a good helper!Andrew was pretty excited about our pumpkin! Every morning he sees it sitting on the kitchen floor and he says "pumpkin!!!" as if it is the first time he has seen it. Adorable! And yes, Carter and I were there, but I am the one taking the pictures and holding the baby usually. Oh well - I did have Bry snap some shots of me with the boys, but they turned out quite fuzzy - ah well - what do you do!

Fun at Poppy and Grammy's House

Oh how I love my mother!!!! She had the socks on Andrew's ears, but I wasn't fast enough in getting a picture of him....but I got one of mom!!!

These two are slowly but surely getting to be fast friends. Jared and Andrew are still a bit competetive to say the least, but I love to capture and appreciate the moments when they are sharing and getting along. Who wouldn't be happy with cups full of mini M&Ms!!!!!

Horseback rides from Poppy. You know he loves his grandkids when he has a bad back, but still gets down on the ground like this. Thanks dad - I know the kiddos LOVE to play!!

And my sweet baby taking a nap. I didn't think ahead when I went to get him to sleep and forgot to get the pack n' play set up. He is quite the mover these days so I just decided to surround him in pillows from my parent's bed. He is so sweet!!!! (and he didn't even come close to falling off. I went to check on him and he was just awake and looking around.)

And the legacy lives on

Cinammon roll time again. It was my first attempt to make these scrumptious rolls of softness and cinnamon goodness in the Arizona weather and elevation (or lack thereof) and I am pleased to announce - SUCCESS!!!! Bryan had a long week of work and grades were due on Monday - I asked if there was anything I could do and he requested Granda Melba's Cinnamon Rolls!

Sunday came and it was the day to make the attempt. We had a rocky start since my big mixer was broken in the move. I don't use it often since I have a breadmaker and prefer the hand mixer, but I do use it for cinnamon rolls. I could tell Bry was sad so I said I would attempt to do it with the hand mixer and do a lot more kneading by hand on the counter. It took a little finagling, but it worked. I am sad to say I don't have a picture of the final product, but they were thoroughly enjoyed at my mom's house and for the next couple of days at home. There is nothing like a warm cinnamon roll and a glass of cold milk. Yummo!!!

Spoiled Rotten

I am easily spoiled and this morning was one to mention...

Bryan came in to say good-bye to leave for work at 6:30 and I just couldn't drag myself out of bed to assemble his lunch (I make it the night before) so I kissed him goodbye and rolled over. And then I didn't wake up until 8:30. That's right - I have an almost 3 year old and a 5 month old and I slept in until 8:30!!!!! Carter was sleeping right next to me since he has a cold and has been rather restless and Andrew doesn't cry when he gets up in the morning; he just stays in his crib and plays. Sweet bliss. I have to say that started my day off wonderfully. I usually am frustrated when I sleep in because I feel like I wasted my day, but not this morning. I was so excited and have been in the best and rather productive mood all day. Thank you to my three wonderful boys for letting me sleep - I sure do miss sleep - sleep makes me so happy!

Happy Visit

Andrew had his first happy visit yesterday at the dentist!! I had to get my cavities filled so we scheduled Andrew for a visit after me. I am sad to say they did it while I was getting worked on so I missed it and I missed taking pictures of him sitting in the chair. **sniff sniff** They said he did great and he even opened his mouth so they could look in, but he wouldn't let them touch. No surprise there! I am sure we will have a couple more happy visits before he allows them to really look at his pearly whites! He does have great teeth though.

Side note - I finally realize why people despise the dentist. This was my first filling in YEARS and it was not the most pleasurable experience...hearing the drill, seeing pieces of my tooth flying and having a gazillion tools in my mouth - not to mention I woke up with a nice zit on the corner of my mouth...the same side they were working on. Not the most fun experience. But I am grateful for dentists and all they do. Brigham is fabulous at what he does and I am grateful to have him here to take care of our teeth!!!!

Little Piggy Toes

Look what I found Mom!
The cutest little hands and feet.
Although he is in the midst of another cold Carter managed to find his toes while sitting in his Bumbo while I was making dinner. I don't know if he realizes how he got ahold of them, but I am sure he will be finding them more often. Cute little baby!!!

Splash Pad

We took Andrew to the splash pad near my mom's house and he had a BLAST to say the least. I am all about fun for free. We were supposed to go to the zoo, but had a late start. I still wanted Andrew to get to do something fun yesterday so we ventured here. Carter slept and Andrew played. He had SO much fun!!! I think he could have played for 5 hours and still cried when we left. We will be making trips here more often to expend some energy and it is not convenient to have it so close to Grammy's house!


Andrew was so cute and played with the other little kids there. He really has no stranger danger. He was going up to all the other parents and saying hi and telling them about the water. He is such a cute kid!!!

Rest and Relaxation

Bryan got me another gift certificate for a massage for our anniversary. We all know what happened with the last gift card I got. (see here) This time he made sure it was at a chain and I reaped the benefits of this gift card sooner than later. Bry had this week off from work since it is fall break so he watched the boys during naptime and I went and got my HOUR AND A HALF massage. I must admit I was a bit leary about such a long massage and I am not away from the kids very often. In the beginning I kept thinking to myself "goodness, I hope it has already been a half hour...this is going to take forever...she is going to run out of things to massage..." I even started planning what I was going to think about while laying there so to maximize my sitting time..."how can I help Andrew improve with eating...what things can I be working on at home...what do I need from the grocery store..." Needless to say, I have a hard time just relaxing, but I am proud to say that by the last little bit I was falling asleep! It was wonderful!!! Thanks Bry for a great gift and taking care of the kiddos so I could go!!!

And the Little One Said... (part II)

Roll over, Roll over....the other way!
Ready.....

Set.....

Roll!!!!






I finally saw Carter roll from his back to his tummy yesterday! I am not sure how long he has been doing this. I find him far from where I initially lay him, but have never seen how he gets there. Bryan watched the boys yesterday and put Carter on his back and came in the room and he was on his tummy! I finally got to watch him do it last night and caught it on camera today! Our little man is on the move!!!

A Whoppin' 5 Months Old!!!

Little Carter is now five months old as of the 8th of October. Where has the time gone?! He is becoming quite active and a little social bug! We spend some time looking back at videos from the first couple days of his life and he was SO little and had SO much dark hair. I couldn’t ask for a sweeter, more perfect child. We love him dearly.

**Carter can now offically roll from his belly to his back and his back to his belly. He is better at his back to his belly though.

**He does this adorable belly laugh when you nibble his arms - adorable!

**He is only waking up once at night now and sleeping in until 8:00 or so.

**He is so interested in everything around him now. He reaches for my water cup, pen, or whatever I am holding.

**He gets his feelings hurt if he is sitting somewhere or in his swing and I walk by without picking him up.

**He thinks Andrew is SO funny! I can't wait until they can play together more.

**He FINALLY tolerates his carseat a bit better. He used to have meltdowns all the time in the car, but he usually falls asleep now and if he does cry it is more of an irritated cry than a really sad cry.

**He loves his silky and his bug.

**He now sleeps in a big baby boy crib. (We found out our bassinett has a recall on it - I need to find out what that is all about...hmmm...not good to be not safe!)

**Still no pacifier and no bottle.

I found a new doctor thanks to a friend from church and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the office!!! Carter got two more shots. (I am spacing his shots out so he gets less at a time - I am a paranoid mommy) I convinced Bry to come with me since he had this week off from work and of course Carter did not cry at all with the shots!!! Just one little square mouth - one shot in the arm and another in the leg. What a brave little baby. I told the doc I was concerned about him being too chubby, but apparently the doc says he is petite which makes him look so chunky. Riiiight - he is still and chunk-a-lunk! Either way - his stats for 5 months are

Length: 25.25 inches (25-50%)

Weight: 15 lbs 9 oz (25-50%)

Head Circumference: 42.4 cm (25-50%)

Carter was a little grumpy the rest of the day following his shots so the only picture I got of him on his month-birthday was this one. Next time I won't be so mean and take him to the doc to get shots on his month-birthday!!

Tarnished Teeth

So, honestly - I had a really easy prengnacy with not many complaints. All in all I thoroughly enjoyed the rounding belly and baby growing....but Carter did take quite a toll on my teeth! I go to the dentist regularly (thanks to brother-in-law Brigham) and always come out with a clean bill of health, that is until today. I went in for my cleaning and first x-rays in a while since being prengnant. Much to my dismay I have Two CAVITIES!!! Brig says I have Carter to thank for that - he sucks me dry of my calcium. It comes from being pregnant and even nursing. So back to the dentist I go in another week to get those two filled and another two spots checked on. I am SO not looking forward to it, but if that is the worst of being preggo I'll take it! Besides, Carter is so worth it!

On a side note - Andrew has a denist appointment scheduled for the same day - they call it a "Happy Visit" to start getting him used to going! That should be quite an event - we will see how it goes!

General Conference Weekend

Watching conference sure has changed for me - this year was a whole new experience. I think I caught a total of 30 minutes that I actually got to watch and listen to. Thank heaven for Tivo!!! We watching Sunday morning sessions at my parents with Shell, Rich, Julia and her family. It was quite an event, but made good memories. I just tell myself I am teaching my children the right and being an example. One thing I did catch was that I need to cherish my children while they are little - Bry and I are getting pretty good at it!!!

I am greatful for Conference weekend that comes twice a year. I am really looking forward to the Ensign next month so I can really study and take in all that was taught. I am so grateful for our faithful leaders, especially our wonderful Prophet, President Monson.

Poppy entertaining the grandkids -

Grammy diligently taking notes (and later used them to quiz Shannon's kids!)

Julia paying attention while Lainy was coloring

I wonder who Rich was more interested in??

Sweet Kisses

Oh how I adore these boys. A picture is worth a million words.

I occasionally will set Carter on Andrew's lap. Andrew sometimes plays with him or names body parts, but this time Andrew was watching TV and I just set Carter down for a minute. Well...Andrew is learning how to lovingly adore his little brother. Carter was reaching up towards Andrew's face trying to touch him. Andrew used to not like when Carter touched him at all...but as natural as ever Andrew just reached down, took Carter's hand and gave it a big kiss!!! He didn't miss a beat - he kept watching his show, Carter kept reaching up, and he kept kissing his hand. I just love these little hands. I hope and pray these two become the best of friends.

Bigger and Better

Not only is my baby getting bigger and better by the day....but he has moved on to a bigger and better bed! Carter had officially outgrown his bassinet for a while now and ended up in bed with me most nights after his nighttime feeding. He would try and move in there, but ended up smooshed against the side. Not good. So, thanks to Lu, he is now in a crib. Andrew is still in his crib (hey - I am not going to move him to a bed until he trys to climb out of the crib!) and instead of having to buy another Julia is letting us use hers until we can use Andrew's...or she needs it!! The first night was rough - Carter woke up at 5:00 am WIDE AWAKE and fully intrigued by the colorful animals on the bumper pad. It was pretty cute, but still too early. He now loves his spacious bed and is only waking up once around 5 or so to eat. Yay!!! What a good little baby boy!

Ode to Gymboree

RETAIL: $647.00

SALE: $180.58

ADORABLE CHILDREN IN CLOTHES: priceless

So I have a MAJOR weakness with Gymboree. I hadn't been in a long time so I thought I would check out what they have online..and of course it was time to go get Gym Bucks so I had to make a trip. When we got there they had a ton of stuff 60% off. The girl working there was SUPER nice and even went in the back and got a ton of sale stuff for me in Andrew and Carter's sizes. I got quite a few of matching outfits. Now - I really spent a hunk of money, but with Gymboree in my mind I justify with saying the clothes last a long time and I never dry them so they stay nicer longer.

Yay for adorable boys in cute matching clothes!!!!

Giggles of Fun

1:12 minutes of giggling fun! Andrew and Carter had just gotten up from their naps and Carter was in the giggliest mood!!! When Andrew plays with his brother he can really get him laughing. These boys are just so adorable - makes me smile every time I watch it!!!!!!

Owie!

Andrew was down on the floor talking to himself...I looked down to find him wiping at his leg frantically trying to get something off of it. Come to find out it was just an owie - he definitely has little boy legs these days with sratches and bruises. Apparently I have never taught him about owies! That is now his favorite word. All day he would check on his owies...hi owies, bye owies, owie, owie, owie. Last night he made sure he had his jammie pants pulled up so he could see them. He even kissed them today. Silly kid!!!!

Family Celebration

Our five year anniversary rolled around...and as life goes sometimes a nice peaceful date night out and alone was just not on the agenda. A nursing baby and short on babysitters led to a family day and night of fun! We went to the mall and visited the pet shop for Andrew and looked at some wedding bands at the jewelry store. After naps and I don't know what else (sometimes I have no idea what goes on in my life in one day, but somehow it is always busy and times goes by too fast).....anyhow - we went to B.J's Restaurant for late dinner. It was a little crowded and there was a bit of a wait time, but after I got over being grumpy (I really was not in a happy mood) we had a lot of fun. It was a semi loud place so it was not bad to have the kids there.

Andrew was happy to be out of the house and had fun making everyone around us smile. I may be the only girl in this family as of yet, but I love these boys!!!!!!!

Carter fell asleep during dinner so I ate one handed, one of the many talents of a mother. I got a salad which was okay...but I should have gone the route of Bry. He got a burger and gave me a bite and it was SOOO good!!! Next time I will order something a little more tastey and save room for a Pazookie!!!

The fifth anniversary gift apparently is supposed to be something of wood. Bry got me a new basket to keep all the diapering needs in for the front room (very thoughtful - I was impressed) and I got him some pictures (in a wood frame) for him to take to work to put on his desk. He brought me some beautiful flowers and a gift card for a 1 1/2 hour massage!!! He made sure this one was not going to go out of business. All in all - we had a wonderful day. I realized I don't need a fancy dinner and expensive gifts to be happy...I just love having my husband home and spending time with my family.

Happy 5th Anniversary

Wow has the time flown by. Bryan and I were married five years ago September 27th. We have had our ups and downs, but I would not trade my man for the world. Yes, we took things a little quickly in the beginning....we were crazy kids, but I am so glad now. I love Bryan so much and he is the most wonderful husband, best friend, and father. Here is a quick trip down memory lane...


We met May 31st at a single's ward activity. (I found the actual flyer in my scriptures a couple weeks ago!!) We both grew up in Simi, but went to different high schools and didn't meet until I came home for the summer after a year at BYU. Thank you Liz and friends for making me go to the activity and waiting in my driveway as my mom dragged me out of bed! This very long day started at the beach for a service project, of which I did not participate - I know, very naughty. At the beach I stole Bryan's heart when I offered him the last circus cookie in the cookie bag. Easy man to please! Cookies!!! We then headed to Bryan's house to go swimming. Everyone went home and showered and we were off to TGI Fridays for dinner. Following that we went to the mall to get Bryan some new glasses since he lost his in the ocean. Then....we all went to Vance's house to go in the spa and watch a movie. By the end of the night Bry and I were holding hands (thanks to his forwardness) and the rest is history. We were inseperable.

This is a shot of the day we got engaged. We hardly knew eachother, but were beginning the start of something really great! Bryan planned a scavenger hunt where I went to the single's ward church building...the duck pond where he told me he loved me...and eventually I ended up at his house where he had decorated like the beach. He dropped to one knee and popped the question. (Sad to say...I knew it was coming. I even designed my own ring...but hey - it was still romantic!)

We met May31st and were married September 27th so that did not leave very much time to prepare for a wedding...and of course I had to make my own invitations. Thanks to all who helped in this painsaking event. We had to print and cut each invitation, hole punch each invitation, cut and tie the ribbon, fold and glue the velum envelopes, punch the tages, punch the little definitions of love, glue the definitions and a pebble to each tag and tie it onto the envelope, stuff each velum envelope with an invitation and picture, making sure the ribbon was straight and the pebble was showing...then put all that in a clear envelope, seal, address, and stamp (which was not the standard stamp rate because of the pebble...thanks mom and dad for still paying to send them out!). Wow I was high maintenance!!!! Oh, but they were worth it - they were so cute and one of a kind!!!

The big day was a bit hectic, but I won't dwell on those details right now. We were married in the morning at the Los Angeles Temple, had a luncheon at Marie Calendars and then the reception that night at the Cochran building. What a wonderfully long, amazing, fabulous start of a happy ever after!

I love you Bryan with all of my heart. I don't think I really knew what I was getting into five years ago...and maybe had some second thoughts when it came to my first exposure to "USC Football Season" but I am so glad I found you. You are one in a million and mean the world to me. You have helped me grow into a happier me. You are my other half and my dream come true. I can't imagine what life holds for us in the future, but I am so glad I get to go through this life and all eternity with you.