the darling Dennetts

Waterworks

2012-02-08T14:15:00.000-07:00

disclaimer: this is pregnancy related, and a bit gross. You were warned!

I would be happy if my water broke on its own, because my least favorite part about being induced is when they break it for you. I don't mind the IV, or the pitocin if it is low, or even the contractions. I don't mind the needle of an epidural that the nurse sticks in my back as I'm contracting. Nope, the worst part for me is the first thing they do- break my water!

They take this thing that looks like a really long crochet hook and *pop* (the pop part REALLY hurts, at least for me), then a very strange warm gush follows that doesn't stop for a few hours. Every time you move, squirm, cough- more gushing. I remember sitting on a gigantic pad and just feeling like I was peeing everywhere uncontrollably. Sorry to be graphic, lol...but it is the one thing I am NOT looking forward to.

With that said, let me share a funny little story. The other day I was walking my son to a friend's apartment. We had just gotten home from running a few errands and I realized that I forgot to pee while we were out. But since we were already walking, I figured I would wait. The more we walked, I thought "Ok...I may have to use my friend's potty" When we got there, the visit was very brief and I didn't think it was necessary- her building is just across the lot from mine after all. On the walk back, I thought "I am definitely going to pee when I get home!" As we walked into the door Talmage decided to bolt it outside through the snow, so I had to chase him like a sheepdog and herd him back into the apartment. By the time I had him inside, and was standing in the middle of the kitchen, I felt a warm wet feeling all down my legs. I saw it on the floor around me, and freaked out. "Did my water just break?" I thought. Well, of course upon further inspection I realized that NOPE, IT WAS PEE. This is not the first time I've peed myself in the last few weeks (due to Charly being SO very low and me having multiple coughing fits), but it was always just a trickle- nothing like this! I was SO glad that no one was around to see me, even Jonathan. I get embarrassed every time even when I'm alone. The weird part is that I could not control it at all. Charlotte is incredibly low in my pelvis and constantly putting pressure on my bladder.
ps- I never experienced this with Talmage, he preferred my ribcage :)

Jonathan, in his attempt to make me feel better, tells me that at least I won't have to push much- she will just pop right on out. He thinks that's funny. I think it's worrisome.

I guess it's a good thing that my water hasn't broken yet, because if it did I fear her dropping out with no effort on my part. It's pretty much the only thing between her and the outside of my womb : /

Since then I've had a few more "accidents" on the same kind of scale, and it freaks me out every time. It's really gross cleaning up the mess, and I just hope our apartment doesn't smell like pee. I'm afraid to go anywhere because I don't know if I'm gonna BURST... I'm sure I'll laugh about this later but for now it's just humiliating. I'm afraid to go to my appointment and get my cervix checked cause it may trigger something, and I'm afraid to go to church next Sunday and walk through the halls. I am so pathetic...lol...but I can't imagine ANYTHING more horrid than peeing myself in front of other people.

I will be VERY happy when Charlotte is snuggled in my arms and not using my bladder as a waterbed.

We picked a name!

2012-02-05T15:38:00.002-07:00

yep, that's right, I did change my blog design again. I change blog layouts like I change clothes, except maybe more on the changing clothes- but that's for a different reason because I can barely fit into any of my clothes right now. Even maternity stuff is uncomfortable, not because I'm huge but mainly because of the style, or the fact that I feel uncomfortable regardless of what I am wearing even if I am just in pjs.

Whew! Glad I got that off my chest!

Anyway, back to the main point of this post- We have finally decided on a name! There were a few floating around in our heads for quite a while, and one in particular that we really loved. I thought that we would just wait until she was born to decide, but the more time went on we realized that we would give her that one name we were so much in love with and pretty much nothing could change that. Plus I was getting tired of saying "baby girl", "no.2" and "little one".

So, it's official that our daughter's name will be Charlotte Mae Dennett. I was really giddy about the idea of nicknaming her Charly when we first thought of the name, and now it just seems to fit. We've already caught ourselves saying things like, "Charly, stop kicking your mama in the ribs!" and "This outfit is gonna be so cute on miss Charly Mae" and so forth. And I love how old-fashioned, southern, and feminine Charlotte sounds. Jonathan's mom is named Edmee- a Dutch name. We took the "mee" part and changed the spelling so that people would say it properly, hence her middle name. And there you have it! No longer nameless :]

I was thinking of posting another belly pic...but then I realized that there's really no point because I look exactly the same as I did 3 weeks ago. So maybe at 38 1/2 weeks, or 39 weeks, I will. But here is my lil update.

How far along? 38 wks on Tuesday

Total weight gain: I can't even keep track anymore, but gosh I haven't weighed this much EVER.
Maternity clothes? Mostly
Stretch marks? Oh yeah, they are getting even more prominent too. lovely.
Sleep: Oddly I only get up once or twice at night to pee because I am so tired....this is weird to me, since I would get up at least 5 times at this point the first time I was pregnant.
Best moment this week: This is non-pregnancy related, but taking Talmage to a "mommy and me" class. He loved it so much and got his wiggles out, and I got a pretty intense workout chasing after him.
Miss Anything? So many things, but I know I won't be preggo forever :)
Movement: YES
Food cravings: Chocolate, cold fruit, fruit juice...pretty much anything with sugar.
Anything making you queasy or sick: an empty stomach and the smell of red meat
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks every day, pretty irregularly. I never had these with Talmage and they are definitely not fun.
Belly Button in or out? Still out, the hernia makes it extra pokey-outey looking.
Wedding rings on or off? On only when we go somewhere.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Just overall emotional.
Looking forward to: The 17th! The 17th! The 17th! (only 12 more days!)
Bra Size: I don't even know, something D. Only one of my bras fits decently but its still too snug and its a 36 C.
Pregnancy acne or glow? Acne...I don't recall ever "glowing" throughout this entire pregnancy.

In other news, we are still waiting to hear back about where Jonathan will intern in the spring. It's nerve-wrecking and we just hope he gets accepted somewhere soon so that we can make moving preparations. He still loves his job at Journeys here in Rexburg and I love that I get him all to myself on the weekends :]

Talmage is awesome to say the least. He's in a really good place right now, and I am so grateful. He's healthy (ear infection is finally GONE- it took 2 months!), spunky, and sometimes a real big sweetheart. He communicates his wants and needs really well, thanks to his ever growing vocabulary. And though he still loves Pooh, the Baby Einstein movies are his new favorite. They kinda creep me out, but he likes them and learns a lot. He really likes to sing along to songs he knows, and usually he'll sing the last word of a line really loudly. His favorite food is apples, which he asks for about 6 times a day. His hair is a curly mess again and I need to cut it, but I keep procrastinating. He only has 3 more baby teeth that need to come in, and of course they are all COMING IN AT ONCE. Luckily he handles teething really well and hasn't had any grief about them. The other day he was acting really bored so we rearranged his room and he thought that was so exciting..haha..it was exciting for my 9 month pregnant belly, too :) haha but it was worth it to make him happy. Sometimes he gets so bored and I run out of ideas....we've tried forts, play buddies, stomping through the snow, and endless amounts of books . He likes to be actively doing things all the time, which kinda wears me out. Thank goodness for movies, because he completely tunes in and I get a bit of a break. Don't judge me : /

On a totally random note, seeing all of the freaking adorable baby girls at church today pretty much has me convinced that I am ready to meet my daughter now. There were cute baby girls everywhere I looked it seemed, and I just couldn't get enough! Not too much longer now :)

Only 17 days!

2012-01-31T09:45:00.000-07:00

That's right! If all goes according to plan we will be holding our baby girl by February 17th. Here's the story....sorry its a little long.

I've been having major anxiety about when #2 will make her appearance. There are a lot of factors involved...Jonathan works Monday-Friday all day, and is a new employee so he can't just up and leave if his wife goes into labor. They need advance notice if he is to take time off. I didn't want to be in the hospital alone. I had all these worries: "Who will drive me to the hospital?" "What will I do with Talmage?" "If I go into labor in the middle of the night, who would come over and be with our son?" I have friends in the area but asking someone to come stay at our apartment for 2 days and nights is a lot, and I wouldn't want to ask anyone to do that. The anxiety just kept building...my due date was smack dab in the middle of the week, not that I expected to have her THAT day but you just never know. And since I've never labored naturally, I very well could have a few "false alarms"- something that we just can NOT afford. I am not a calm and patient person, never have been. It's something I'm working on...but this stress was really getting the best of me! I have been losing sleep over it night after night.

So two nights ago Jonathan gave me a blessing to have a calm heart. (I've also been really sick, so that was the main reason for the blessing). When he finished, I knew I needed to consider an early induction. I REALLY didn't want to be induced again- but with everything else involved it sure would solve a lot of problems. The next morning I pulled out the calendar and we looked at days that would work. Since the weekend before is close to President's Day, it only seemed right that we do it then so Jonathan's mother and sister could come down and take care of Talmage while we had the baby, then be able to stay until Monday. They live 6 hours away, so giving them advance notice to come is the only way they could be here in time. Jonathan could take that Friday off (since they don't induce on Saturdays) and be with me the entire weekend. It seemed like the perfect plan!

I was nervous about asking the nurse midwives to induce me 5 days before my due date, since one of them told me at the beginning that they only induce two weeks post EDD. Well...the midwife I spoke to on the phone I had actually never met, her name is Rachel. I have heard that she is the most down-to-earth one there, and a little less "stingy". She seemed so cool about the whole thing and was like, "Since you've had a baby before, inductions usually go really smooth and fast the second time around. We would totally be happy to induce you at 39 weeks if you're at least 3 cm and 80% effaced." I told her I was already 80% and 1 cm since last week, so chances were I would be VERY ready :) She called the hospital and set the induction for 7:30 am on Friday, February 17th! I am soooo thrilled! It does make me a little sad that I couldn't go about this the way I originally planned but I know that this will work best for our family. I want Talmage to be looked after by family members that he is familiar with and loves being around, and I certainly want Jonathan there with me every step of the way :)

So now I am officially counting down the days. The positives about this situation are that I really didn't mind being induced with our son- it went so fast and it was fairly painless after the epidural. I loved checking into the hospital and knowing that it would be THE DAY. Having a plan is so comforting. I guess I am just one of those people... I envy those who can just lie back and say, "The baby will come when he/she decides to! C'est la vie!" I am way too paranoid, unfortunately :(

This will be the BEST Valentine's Day present ever. We can't wait to meet our little lovebug! It's surreal to think that our family of three is soon to be a family of FOUR. :D

Week 36, blah

2012-01-26T15:32:00.000-07:00

I stole this from Kelly's blog. It seemed like a fun way to update :]

How far along? 36 weeks 2 days

Total weight gain: 23 lbs.
Maternity clothes? Yes, almost everything. I have one pair of maternity jeans that I wear everywhere we go! They are soooo comfy.
Stretch marks? Yup, they finally started creeping their way onto my tummy.
Sleep: I cling to my body pillow, which helps a lot, but my hips get very sore. Its a constant battle every night switching from left side to right side and back again.
Best moment this week: When I tested positive for yeast. Let me explain :] Since 4 months, I have had extreme pain and discomfort in that area...and finally my midwife realized that it could be from a yeast infection. So I've had one for 5 months- not fun. But now we know to treat it and this makes me SO HAPPY! so happy.
Miss Anything? Lots...tummy sleeping, bending over, shaving my legs, and comfortable sleep to name just a few :]
Movement: Constantly, though now that she's head down the movements aren't as jerky.
Food cravings: Pickles, chocolate, yogurt, noodles...I don't crave a whole lot with this one.
Anything making you queasy or sick: I feel nauseous if I have an empty stomach.
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: No BH or contractions, but I am 1 cm and 80% effaced.
Symptoms: Hip and lower back pain- that's the bulk of it really. When I get up to pee at night I am so stiff that I have to hold onto the walls or I crumple to my knees.
Belly Button in or out? Out!
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: I would say happy, but my husband probably wouldn't...
Looking forward to: this week being over. I cannot wait until February is finally here! And of course I mostly look forward to holding my daughter, seeing how much she really weighs, and squeezing her cheeks :D

homemade mobile

2012-01-20T12:29:00.001-07:00

I saw a few homemade mobiles on Pinterest the other night, and I decided that I wanted to make one right that second. As most of you know I am not a patient person and when I get a project in my head I have a hard time pushing it out...it's kind of bad. Anyway, turns out I had most of the materials I needed on hand! (I had to buy ribbon later but that was it)

Since baby girl's corner has a sort of "things with wings" feel to it I decided to do a mobile of butterflies.

The online Silhouette shop had some super cute 3D butterfly cutouts for 99 cents each, so I bought all four :) I used scrap paper left over from the owl frames and it took me about 15 minutes to get the butterflies cut. I also happened to have an embroidery hoop, so I painted it pink and wallah!

I tried to make the light pink, blue, and brown show from the top and the brighter colors show from the bottom for baby. Of course it didn't really work out...haha...the butterflies did their own thing, but it still turned out.
The view from the bottom (baby's view)

I started this project at 10 pm and finished at midnight...needless to say Jonathan thought I was NUTS for jumping on it so quickly and he only slightly muttered under his breath as I made him tie the butterflies together with fishing line. What a great husband to put up with all my crafty habits! :D

I was pleasantly surprised at the sweet little butterfly shadows on the wall when we turned off the light. I hope our daughter likes them too!

and the countdown begins!

2012-01-17T10:00:00.003-07:00

35 weeks today :) Just for fun, here is a pic of when I was preggo with our son at about the same time. Can you tell a difference? It's not that obvious, but Talmage (left) stuck out more and was higher. Sorry the first pic is so pixelated, I had to zoom in :]

Pregnancy stats: baby girl is very low, lots of hip and lower back pain, weight gain is at 27 lbs. and carrying extra water weight in my legs and thighs, bladder feels like its gonna burst, craving pickles & cheesecake & oriental food , now taking sleep aid at night, hernia quite small still and shouldn't be a problem, diagnosed with "skin splits" (believe me, you don't want me to go into detail. let's just say they are very painful), seeing the midwives weekly, still no stretch marks, tummy is measuring on track but baby is supposedly smallish. That's it in a nutshell!

I told Jonathan about a month ago that I don't want to feel fat and gross after the baby is born, I just want to be me again. He has been such a sweetheart about this... so for Christmas he bought me WEN hair care and a haircut, and recently let me buy new Mary Kay makeup and soft nursing nighties! No other man knows how to make me feel as pretty as he does :) ...maybe after the baby is born I'll shave my legs to show my appreciation....haha....

And here's the update on the boys of the family :]

Jonathan: is loving his new job. He gets 40 hours a week and usually doesn't go in until 9:30 or 10, so we get to have breakfast together everyday. I love it! He also has turned in all his internship applications, plus a few job applications as well. Now we are just waiting to hear back from somewhere. Fingers crossed on that one...it really could be anywhere in the country, and I just pray that we will manage the move with a young baby, a toddler, and supporting a life for all of us with little to no income for 4 months (most internships in his field don't pay). It's truthfully very scary, but I have faith that it will work out.

Talmage: is so much fun these days :D He runs and talks and plays and hugs and learns and grows every day! He is getting so very smart, too. He likes to count and say his ABC's, and is obsessed with Elmo & Winnie the Pooh. He can brush his own teeth and loves helping me with chores. His hair is growing way too long for me to keep up with, and I guess we're due for another haircut. He is in size 5 diapers- the biggest size!- and went pee in the potty for the first time! He's getting attached to his cousins Ethan & Ryleigh via pictures on Facebook. He calls them "Ithan and Ry-ree".

The other night my friend brought her newborn baby over and put him in our swing, and Talmage got super excited to put all his favorite stuffed animals and blankets over him. It was cuteness beyond words...I just know he will be such a good big brother! When we ask him where the baby is, he sticks his tummy out and points to it. Haha! Sometimes he'll just be sweet and kiss my belly. I love him sooo much...he will always be my baby boy :)

(He has this plastic headband that he likes to wear on his forehead...our future trekkie!)

a series of Talmage events

2012-01-10T20:12:00.000-07:00

My sweet little boy can be really cranky when he wakes up from his nap. He just whines and squirms around on the floor, so we've taught him "smile therapy". You can pretty much guess what this means, and we never knew it would turn out to be so funny...

Something else that helps him "keep his cool" is counting. He is still learning the right order...he gets so excited to say NINE, TEN! that he skips everything after 3...

A few moments after that little video, Talmage pointed to the TV and said, "Pooh?" then grabbed the dvd out of the entertainment center and proceeded to say "POOH!" while handing me Winnie The Pooh in much anticipation...he really loves his movies.

What is a mother to do?

(and here goes my rant..)
Not trying to preach here- what a mother decides to do is totally HER CHOICE. Every parent has a different parenting style based on the personality and temperament of their child. The issue of television is one that Jonathan and I have analyzed & altered over and over again... We used to let him watch lots of cartoons in the morning, and then whatever he wanted after his nap. BAD HABIT. He soon became a zombie to the TV! It's so hard to pull him away when he's so mesmerized!

One morning, as soon as he got out of bed, he went right to the remote and turned on the TV, like it was routine. I guess that was my "Uh-oh" moment. I believe in moderation in all things....So now, I let him watch Super Why and Sesame Street in the morning, then a movie (if he asks for it) in the evening. It still might be too much but we've lessened it week by week. I read in Parenting magazine that 3-4 hours of tv a day is perfectly fine, as long as it is educational and not "white noise". Any normal program for adults is considered white noise. So when he's around I don't watch anything for myself, and Jonathan and I wait until he's in bed before popping in a movie. I try to incorporate more time with puzzles, blocks, and anything constructive with his hands. And we have tried to be more dilligent with books...letting him go through as many books as he wants until he is bored with them (which usually takes at least an hour). I don't know how other mommas do it, but this is what works for us and the tantrums have definitely lessened.

I would love to hear what other moms are doing about this! I think its different when they are little babies, cause they're not really watching the TV--just being stimulated by its colors and sounds. Plus, when you breastfeed 10 hours of the day on the couch, television becomes very entertaining and a great time filler :) I hope that when baby girl arrives I can find some other way to fill the time, though...I'm sure that having a toddler around will change things, too.

In other news, Talmage is a real DADDY'S BOY these days. He loves to snuggle with his dad, anytime anywhere. And he doesn't come crying to me anymore...when I discipline him, he goes right to his dad. When Jonathan disciplines him, he still goes to his dad! I guess its a good thing...since a lot of my attention will be on the new baby after she's born.

Our funny little guy also has a newfound interest in the potty. He likes to sit on it and just think. Nothing ever comes out, of course, but he must feel so grown up on that great white throne :D

Goodness, could we love him any more??!!

applique onesies

2012-01-09T11:04:00.001-07:00

For the past 4 or 5 days, Jonathan and I have been sick. I'm not sure with what exactly...we've both had sore throats for a few weeks, a sure sign of the evil to come! Finally we were hit with a horrible headcold and it has truly exhausted us...thankfully, Talmage is mostly better from his sickness so his uppity attitude and energy keeps us entertained :]

While being sick, I've had a lot of time to well...be completely unproductive. So yesterday I decided I needed SOME project to keep my hands busy. I was inspired by this applique onesie that my super talented sister-in-law made for the baby.

I thought it was so cute and wanted to learn how to do it, so I looked it up on Pinterest and found the tutorial. This was my first experience with Heat n Bond, and let me tell you- that stuff is amazing! It literally makes sewing on appliques a piece of cake. The project soon became addicting and I couldn't stop myself!

As you can see, my sewing is not perfect! I did a zig-zag stitch around each applique to prevent fraying, plus it looks really cute and hides sewing flaws.

The animals were free templates that I just printed, and they turned out great! the flower I cut by hand, so don't look too closely...these onesies all needed a little something extra, so Jonathan picked out buttons from my stash :] He likes to help with my little projects, hehe.

I couldn't resist making one with the initial of a name we currently like. I know it could still change, and if it does then she just won't wear it :] But this one is probably my favorite!

Most of the fabric was just scraps I had lying around, but I did buy a few fat quarters from Walmart for really cheap. And my only other purchases were the pack of white onesies (I would recommend Carter's brand, the Gerber ones were thinner material and harder to work with), some thread (I welcome any excuse to buy more thread... there are just so many colors..), and the sewable Heat n Bond ($3-4?)...so I guess it added up in the end but once you have the basics you can go hog wild!

I keep saying that I am DONE with baby projects, but we shall see...

Utah trip and baby stuff

2012-01-03T10:05:00.000-07:00

December was really crazy...I'm glad we're home for good now, at least until we move in April or May. I will be happy not to travel for a while! It really is stressful with a toddler who has a set schedule and doesn't enjoy being taken away from the familiar. Oh, and also who has double ear infections and a sinus infection. sheesh, I'm surprised we all still have our sanity!

I'm always so surprised, though, that our son remains such a happy little boy even when he is sick...

We just got back from Utah, where we attended Jonathan's oldest brother getting sealed to his bride! It was lovely. We got to see some family members that we haven't seen in years (Megan, why didn't we take a picture?). Talmage got to meet his cousin Ryleigh and they LOVED playing together even though she is about 18 months older than him :]

He also got to see his cousin Ethan again! (whom he lovingly calls "Ithan")

On another note, remember how I was stuck with naming our girl Emmalynne? Well, we keep going back and forth when we hear a new name we like, and one in particular we really love. So I'm not so sure what her name will be anymore. I kinda think we should just wait and see what name seems right for her after she's born, but we shall see! I just want it to be the right one because she'll live with it for the rest of her life. That's kind of a big deal, right?

Everything else is wrapping up for baby "no-name" nicely though! We've got lots of clothes now and accessories. I don't know how she'll have time to wear them all but I hear girls can't have enough outfits...and people have been really thoughtful with making her things that I can't wait to use! I couldn't resist another lil project- this fabric was perfect for a car seat cover!

I've also added a few things to her "corner" of the bedroom. An owl pillow that matches the crib perfectly and this fur rug from Ikea. It is sooo soft. (ps- I'm not doing an "owl theme"..but I think they are so cute and can't resist putting some owl touches here & there)

some white baskets from Ikea for her clothes

and we cleaned out one half of Talmage's closet just for her stuff. I am kind of obsessed with organizing, if you couldn't tell...

My last appointment with my midwife went great, too! I'm measuring slightly ahead and have gained 16 lbs. so far. I'm getting swollen all over, especially in my face, but haven't needed to take off my wedding ring yet. I also found out that the little bump behind my bellybutton is a HERNIA. Yes, a hernia! I kinda laughed at first...until she told me I might have to have it surgically removed after delivery. When I sneeze, cough, or laugh too hard it pushes out and hurts....I think its the weirdest thing ever.

And here's my 33 week bump in all its glory, hernia and all (though you won't be able to see it).

Only 7 weeks to go!

Old and New

2011-12-30T15:06:00.001-07:00

2011 was an amazing year for our family.

January- I learned how to sew. Big leap of faith for me... and the thought "Maybe I can be crafty..."
February- Our bedroom got a makeover. It is still being made over, though...
March- Jonathan and I both felt the urge to stop being fatties. He did P90x and I did Slim in 6, resulting in me weighing less than pre-pregnancy. It was glorious. yes...I have gained all and more of that back now...but I have an excuse...
April- Our baby turned one year old. He had a Curious George themed party :D also I turned 22, no big deal really.

May- Jonathan turned 24, Talmage experienced his first trip to the zoo, and we received the largest tax return of our marital history :)
June- I took this picture, which I still think is so dang funny.

Oh and we found out I was pregnant again- oh happy day!
July- went to home sweet Louisiana and also learned how to coupon semi-well...not yet an "extremist" and I don't think I ever will be...
August- Talmage's first camping trip, which ended briefly due to an awfully sick child with double ear infections. Thus began the dark ages!!!
September- All of us got to spend an awesome vacation in Grand Jean & Garden Valley, Idaho. Saw beautiful scenery and sat in hot springs, a geothermal pool, and a hot tub- very relaxing vacation!
October- We found out we are having a girl-yipee! And Talmage got tubes in his ears- double yipee! He was one happy and HEALTHY pirate for Halloween.

November- T-man got his first haircut (big difference there!). We spent Thanksgiving with both sides of the family and had such a wonderful time!
December- Jonathan graduated and we became a couple of BYU-I alumni folk.

We also celebrated our three year anniversary. woo :)

I've been thinking a lot about some things I want to do in the year 2012, not "resolutions" really but just some goals. Making resolutions personally makes me feel like I'm no good now, but I think I've done a pretty good job as a wife & mother so far. There are things though that I still haven't done and keep putting off. So here is my list of New Year Goals! ...hopefully they will become New Year Accomplishments.

Learn to crochet and cross-stitch. There are so many amazingly talented women in our ward right now that could help me with this.
Complete our "Family Survival" stash. We have so far a small food storage (would be bigger if we had room), 72 hour kit for two, and Emergency Car Kit. I really want to establish a First Aid in there among some other things.
Get back into baking cheesecake. Those were such good days!
After Emmalynne is born I plan on doing some intense working out. The very thought terrifies me but I saw the change it made in my husband and that has motivated me enough. And I'm gonna need to work off that cheesecake somehow...
Learn to utilize my Silhouette to a greater extent. I just learned that it can sketch, cut fabric, and make magnets too. Oh me oh my!
Breastfeed our baby girl for longer than 6 months. I think I can I think I can I think I can....
Become 100 % financially independent and pay OFF our debt. No student loans, thankfully, just the evil that is our credit card...
Get more involved with family history work. We just recently learned how to index and it is definitely something I am capable of doing, even if its just for five minutes every day.
Return to the world of couponing. Not in the extreme way but just to save money on some things I would normally buy.
Raise two happy and healthy children in the best way that I can. By no means am I a perfectly patient mommy, but this is something I'm really trying to work on. The thought of there being TWO of them still overwhelms me but I know that with the Lord's help all can be well. It can be better than well, actually :)

The list may change some, but for now these things are engrained on my soul! I know all things are possible with faith & determination.

So, fellow bloggers, what are your goals for the new year?

Christmas week

2011-12-27T12:46:00.012-07:00

We went back to Parma for Christmas this last week. Thankfully Talmage never gets tired of being there- he absolutely loves being on the farm and playing with his cousin Ethan!

He especially loves the new pigmy goats- Wilson, Lulu, and Frodo. The goats really like potato chips and Talmage gets a hoot from feeding them :]

He wasn't sure why the cat didn't want a chip...how rude! haha

He also really likes the "MOO", and shouts his name every time we pull up to the house. The cows aren't as friendly as the goats, and they don't eat out of his hand, but he finds them just as fascinating!

On Christmas Eve we went and looked at the village of lights in the next town. All the lights were LED and so they were VERY brilliant and amazing to see! I cannot even describe how many lights there were...Talmage couldn't stop saying "WOW. OH. wooow!" But it was freezing cold so we all kinda just wanted to make it brief. Luckily our little dude was bundled up in his p&t "snuggle n snooze"- only his nose was cold!

Christmas day was blissful. Talmage woke up saying "TANTA" (Santa?) and sat right by the tree first thing.

It's fun that he is at the age where he actually likes pulling stuff out of stockings and opening presents :] It sure makes Christmas morning a lot more entertaining for Jonathan and I! It was so much fun seeing the expressions on his face.

I'm always sad when Christmas is over but I am really looking forward to the new year. Jonathan's new job, new baby, new internship, and new home somewhere. And hopefully I can get back to some things that I enjoy and have been putting off- but that's for another post!

all of you should know

2011-12-25T20:24:00.000-07:00

that I stalk your blog. Seriously, I read all your posts.

For some reason though, when I'm on my computer, I can't comment on most of your blogs. Some I can, like for you that use Shabbyblog and Google layouts. But any others won't let me leave comments and its quite frustrating.

Sometimes I get on my husband's computer, and his Mac is a little more updated than mine. When I use his, I can comment on anyone's blog. It is wonderful :) But I usually don't use his laptop so....yeah. I just wanted everyone to know its nothing personal! haha. Keep writing in those blogs of yours because I love reading them, and I promise I'm not being a bad friend...

When we get home I will post about Christmas. It was wonderful! I hope everyone else had a great holiday too!

23

2011-12-19T20:09:00.001-07:00

Today is our three year anniversary. To celebrate, we
bought groceries (the essentials of course..milk, eggs, egg nog...chocolate..)
wrapped presents for Talmage
took a nap by the Christmas tree
picked up two cows' worth of packaged meat (not kidding)
ate some Dairy Queen
played cards
munched on jellybeans
and will soon drive an hour to Boise to drop off some of the forementioned beef...I know. romantic :)

For our first anniversary we went to Cheesecake Factory, and the second year we bought each other gifts (he got a leather coat, I got a sapphire set of jewelery). Those were wonderful and amazing anniversaries but since then we've come to realize that our relationship doesn't need to be defined by material things. I love Jonathan for just being there when I'm grouchy and looking like a swamp creature in the mornings and feeling like a hippo throughout the day. I love him for cooking dinner most nights and on the nights when I cook, telling me through a forced grin that it tastes good. I love him for working hard all day long, then coming home and playing with Talmage until he's completely worn out. And I love him for taking me to Dairy Queen to get blizzards whenever I please. He is such a great husband :D

In the car this morning, we listened to our song. It is called "23" by Jimmy Eat World. Before we met each other, J.E.W was both our favorite band in the world. We both knew every song by heart. We had listened to every song together on our dates and sung them out loud, somehow skipping one certain song. Two weeks after meeting in person (we had written as strangers during his mission), everything happened kinda fast and I blurted out that I was falling in love with him. He said nothing back. Completely embarrassed, I cried myself to sleep that night, thinking "There goes the one person I thought I could be happy with." As he drove home that night to Rexburg, he listened to the song "23", the one we had never really played before. The Spirit had always spoken to him through the power of music and on this night it was with that song. He knew that he loved me and could never love anyone else. The next day he told me that he wanted to marry me. I was completely shocked. Ever since then our love story has unfolded into what it is today- pure happiness! We listen to the song to remind ourselves that how we felt then is even greater now. Happy three years, indeed. :]

"23"

I felt for sure last night
That once we said goodbye
No one else will know these lonely dreams
No one else will know that part of me
I'm still driving away
And I'm sorry every day
I won't always love these selfish things
I won't always live...
Not stopping...

It was my turn to decide
I knew this was our time
No one else will have me like you do
No one else will have me, only you

You'll sit alone forever
If you wait for the right time
What are you hoping for?
I'm here I'm now I'm ready
Holding on tight
Don't give away the end
The one thing that stays mine

Amazing still it seems
I'll be 23
I won't always love what I'll never have
I won't always live in my regrets

You'll sit alone forever
If you wait for the right time
What are you hoping for?
I'm here I'm now I'm ready
Holding on tight
Don't give away the end
The one thing that stays mine

You'll sit alone forever
If you wait for the right time
What are you hoping for?
I'm here I'm now I'm ready
Holding on tight
Don't give away the end
The one thing that stays mine...

my husband the college graduate

2011-12-18T14:48:00.001-07:00

I am so proud of Jonathan :] On Saturday he walked "the walk" and officially graduated from BYU-Idaho with his B.S. in Rec Management. He has worked so hard these last 4 1/2 years and gotten mostly A's and a few B's. He's been so involved with the school and put forth 100% the whole way. And now he's done! I can hardly believe it!

Tomorrow is our three year anniversary. I just cannot say how wonderful these last three years have been. Jonathan is a very loving husband and father to our little family. I love you, honey bunches!

I hope everyone has a very merry Christmas! squeeze your loved ones. give them a kiss. count your blessings. :]

second time around

2011-12-13T13:58:00.001-07:00

Today I am 30 weeks, and after the holiday rush is over we are gonna be so close to meeting our daughter! She is getting big..I can feel it! I am feeling more like a preggo now...almost anything makes me out of breath and if I sit in one place for too long my body gets really stiff. Still no heartburn (woo!) and no pushing on my ribs yet- maybe she'll stay this low for the rest of the pregnancy..(fingers crossed)

I was talking to a friend on the phone the other day, and she was telling me how raising her daughter has been completely different then her son. What worked for baby boy doesn't work for baby girl, and its made her change her whole view of parenting. It gave me a bit of a reality check. Every child is an individual and should be treated as such, so even though this is our second child its like being a new mom all over again. I hardly remember the "baby stuff" anyway...nursing, bottles, first foods, sitting up and rolling...I don't know when they take place or how anymore. Those things seems SO far away from having a toddler and I will need to learn them all again. I do remember the difficult parts- getting little to no sleep, recovering from giving birth mixed with the nostalgia of having a child insides of you that is no longer there, the aches of breastfeeding that never went away, feeling "less than" because I didn't know what the heck to do in certain situations, etc...there were a lot of little bumps on the road to being a new parent and I bet they will come back. That being said, I know that I am fully capable of being a mother for the second time to this new baby. It won't be easy, but it will be wonderful to hold that baby girl and know that she is mine forever. I wouldn't trade being a mom for anything :]

And Talmage, whether aware of it or not, will soon be a big brother. I hope he's going to like sharing his home, toys, and parents!

here he is sitting in a gigantic box..he really loved it. I didn't complain :]

In other matters, our little household is pretty busy this week. Jonathan is wrapping up his last days of school with finals, so I hardly see him at all. But when he is home is completely devoted to spending time with Talmage & I :] On Thursday his family and my grandparents will be coming for his graduation on Friday. Then on Saturday we head back to Parma for Christmas! It's going to be a whirlwind of craziness!

When we return home after Christmas break Jonathan will be working at a place called Journeys. It's a place where children, teens, and adult with mental disabilities go to learn basic life/social skills. I am excited for him because I know just how rewarding that job can be, and I sort of miss the days when I did it in Idaho Falls. The job for him is temporary until we hightail it outta Rexburg next Spring :) I am just thankful that Jonathan gets jobs so easily and that he gives 100% with each one. If it weren't for him I wouldn't be able to enjoy being at home with Talmage every day, and that is a huge blessing.

baby shower

2011-12-05T09:47:00.000-07:00

I am probably the worst picture-taker-er on the planet. I arrived at my baby shower early, saw all the cute decorations and rushed back home real quick to get my camera, returned and took some pics of the said decorations, then tucked my camera away as soon as the first guest got there. Did I get pictures of all the wonderful girls who came to support me? No. Did I get a picture of my amazing hostess and her sweet little boy whom I love so much? No. I am so mad at myself! Arrggg....

Anyways, that aside, thanks a million to the best baby shower thrower ever :) She did such a cute job with everything! Here are some pics (the few that I remembered to get) of the shower.

It was a really fun time, just hanging out with girls that I never get a minute to talk to otherwise. I am so thankful for the friends I've made in Rexburg, and when we move I'm sure that will be the hardest part to leave behind. Some of these girls have been through thick & thin with me, and I really can't imagine them not being around.

Now that we've got a few more things stashed away for Emmalynne I feel even more prepared for her arrival! This week is Jonathan's last week of school basically (finals are the week after). It's pretty much HELL for him but I know it will be over soon and then we can have a nice relaxing Christmas break! haha :)

Pregnancy wise, I feel OK. Not great. I've been having some serious joint pain, especially in my hips, and sometimes its really painful to walk around or sit down even. I know I'm not huge or anything but there is still a baby in there pushing on my insides! So yes, I am starting to count down the weeks...only 11 left! (still seems like a super long time...)

Emma's "corner"

2011-12-01T20:32:00.000-07:00

I realized that I haven't shown any pictures of our baby girl's "corner" yet. It's not that exciting, though. Our apartment isn't very big, just 2 bedrooms. Our bedroom is pretty spacious so we just shoved our bed up against the wall and the other third of the room will be little Emma's territory. We will living here after she is born for about 2-3 months depending, so I didn't go nuts like I did with Talmage's nursery. Still, its really hard not to get cutesy with girls...I even told myself at the beginning that I was NOT doing pink because I don't care for pink- at all. Never have. Well...throw that out the window. Everything seemed so charmingly lovely in various shades of pink :) I could not stop myself. Jonathan thinks I'm completely nutso.

For starters, this is our new infant car seat. This model fits on our stroller and I can't wait to use it :) We were about to order one when I found one at Burlington- in the exact color we wanted! So yay- no shipping cost!

And the bouncer just arrived yesterday. I got it 30% off- thank you Cyber Monday!

Her little portion of the bedroom

All the wall decorations were super cheap. And easy, thanks to my Silhouette!

I know...owls and doves don't really go together but I loved them both so much I couldn't choose...

This hung in my nursery when I was a baby. My grandma Judkins made it, and the back winds up to play "I am a Child of God"

The bow holder I made, holding all the little hair clips that I mostly made (all of them but the crocheted ones- someday I will learn!)

more hair stuff, couldn't fit it all in the holder.

Some homemade burp cloths. These were the first thing I made when we found out we were having a girl...I guess I'm weird like that? But hey, all babies burp (among other things).

Wipes case that I covered with flannel and ribbon. I sort of have an obsession with covering wipes cases. If you want your case covered, let me know :)

Ribbon binkie clips. This was my favorite project of all because Jonathan helped me. We were a true team! I sewed, he snapped. Wallah!

The crib isn't finished yet. We have yet to buy a mattress, mostly cause I'm too lazy and I hate spending money on mattresses (they just get covered anyway!). But we did buy a darling little crib sheet and some minky soft bumper pads. I realized what a waste of money it was to buy crib bedding as a set. I may or may not sew a skirt for the bottom...right now I have my old quilt from when I was younger on top but its just temporary.

A tiny fuzzy little cap that Jonathan made! I love my husband :)

We still don't have everything, like enough clothes & diapers, but there's still a baby shower and Christmas coming up. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed! Clothes are very expensive, by the way...good thing we had a boy first because I probably would have broken the bank! With him being our first, I didn't know what I needed so I got a little of everything. But now with this baby, I'm just sticking to the basics. I still have no idea how to shop for tights.

So that about covers it! Things are fianlly falling into place and seeming a bit more REAL. Thank goodness, cause this is happening. Not nobody and no thang gonna stop her from making a debut in a few months :D

on the farm

2011-11-29T10:11:00.000-07:00

(pic taken last week, I am now 28 weeks along)

Hello THIRD TRIMESTER! Holy cow...(literally, cause I pretty much feel like one). At my appointment last month I found out that my belly was measuring 2 weeks behind while Emmalynne was growing on track, so she was packed in there pretty tight causing lots of discomfort. I had an appointment with my midwife yesterday, and I am happy to say that my belly caught up! Woo! Everything else is normal but I am still so bewildered as to how very different this pregnancy has been from my first. Instead of heartburn and carrying high, I feel like I'm lugging around a bowling ball on my hips and its causing so much joint pain. Emmalynne is even more active than Talmage was...she never stops moving! This girl has a LOT of energy. I am still really tired ALL the time, and I can't stop eating. Every night after dinner I have second dinner and sometimes third. And sometimes I just want sugar for dinner (I know, it's bad...) Like last night Jonathan & I made chicken enchiladas and I didn't touch them. Instead I ate 3 bowls of Mini Spooners. I know there are a lot of wives' tales out there about wanting sugar with girls, carrying girls lower, etc. but maybe there is some truth to them because so far they have all come true!

This year for Thanksgiving we were spoiled and got to see Jonathan's family AND mine! It was sooo wonderful! I forgot to bring my camera on the trip (which I kicked myself in the butt for) but thankfully my pro photographer dad brought his and got some shots of my mom, sister, and I :)

The last one is really not that flattering of me..haha..but I still like it because that's what I genuinely look like when I laugh :D

And here is my dad, or "papa" as Talmage likes to call him!

The highlights of the week were:
1.Seeing my family. I maybe get to see them twice a year and it never seems long enough! I am so blessed to have such wonderful parents and an awesome little sis!
2. Goofing off with Cressa (Jonathan's sister) and Dana out in the corn fields :)
3. Watching and assisting in photo shoots for Cressa's senior pics and Christopher's engagement pics. Oh, remember that secret about Dec. 31st? Well the big news is that Jonathan's oldest brother Christopher is GETTING MARRIED! :)
4. Eating all the very yummy food on Thanksgiving day.
5. Seeing Breaking Dawn (oh my gosh SO good) and then rushing out of the theater to go Black Friday shopping. It was madness!
6. Baby shopping. I really wish we had Burlington around here. Their baby dept. is massive! We got some stuff checked off our list including clothes, bumpers, crib sheets/mattress pad, and a car seat. It's so much fun to shop for baby girl...also very dangerous because I could easily blow all our money.
7. Taking family pictures. We had about a 15 minute window to get these done because Talmage was being a grump, but luckily my daddy is very talented and was able to get a lot of really good shots! Here are a few of my faves.

Okay maybe a little more than a few. I just really love how they turned out!

In a few weeks after Jonathan's graduation we will return to Parma for a winter wonderland Christmas. That visit will be about 2 weeks long and I just know we'll have so much fun! Don't get me wrong, I like being home in Rexburg, too (especially in my super comfy bed). But it's nice to leave every once in a while, and little man loves the attention of the in-laws :)

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday!

It's the Most HECTIC Time of the Year

2011-11-18T10:44:00.000-07:00

BIG THINGS are happening. Lots of things. And with everything coming up in the next week/month, it really feels like this baby girl will be here in no time! Here is our calendar for the rest of the year :)

November 22-27: THANKSGIVING BREAK. Going to Parma with BOTH sides of the family! That's right, my parents and little sis are coming all the way up from Louisiana to spend this special holiday with my in-laws! It will be so wonderful having so many people that I care about in one house for a few days! And magical, and delicious, and crazy busy.

December 3: BABY SHOWER for Emmalynne. I am really excited for this. I wasn't planning on having another shower unless someone offered and REALLY wanted to do it. Lo and behold, one of my favorite girl friends Ashleigh asked me if I could please let her throw one for me :) It will be so much fun having some girl time...I feel like all I ever to is sit around the apartment with my toddler every day. Oh wait, that IS what I do.

December 15 or 16: JONATHAN'S GRADUATION! He is finally getting out! Haha. I am so proud of him- he works super hard to get A's and B's in all of his classes and still find time to be with Talmage and I. I'm also proud that he is getting a degree that he truly wants and loves and will put to good use.

December 19: 3 YEAR ANNIVERSARY. Wahoo!

December, the end of it?: CHRISTMAS. In Parma, of course :) As sad as I am that I can't go home this year, I also REALLY love Christmas with Jonathan's family. There are some fun and different traditions, and the snow is truly beautiful out there in the fields. And of course I love his family, too :D

December 31: I am not yet allowed to say what happens this day, but it will be BIG. hehe.

Jonathan will also be starting a new temporary job in Rexburg hopefully after Christmas break. It will only be until we move sometime in April or May. We still don't know know where his internship will be, but some options are getting more promising. I am very grateful that we can stay in Rexburg for a few months after Emmalynne is born so that we can settle to having her around before things get busy again.

So there you have it- our crazy end of the year! And once January hits we only have about 2 months until baby comes, which will most likely be spent preparing for her and getting as much sleep as I can :)

Christmas crafts

2011-11-15T10:58:00.006-07:00

I've been very bored lately. Jonathan told me that one of the things he loves about me is my creativity. I told him, "Oh hun...I am not creative. I just copy other people's ideas and add a twist." He got me talking about some of those ideas, and encouraged me to craft more with all the time I have at home. So I started with one...and couldn't stop. It didn't get *too* out of hand, but I did spend a lot of nights staying awake thinking of cardstock, wood, and paint. One of those nights I even dreamed of vinyl. It's true...I am an official Silhouette nutcase.

So here are a few of my projects for Christmas. Thanksgiving will always be my favorite holiday, but it's not as fun to craft for. And those decorations would only be enjoyed for about 2 weeks, since we always leave town. But Christmas stuff can be enjoyed from Halloween to New Year's (so much more worth my energy!). I was going to wait until after Thanksgiving to put it all up, but I sort of broke down after it snowed- it just didn't feel like Autumn whatsoever. I've even started busting out my holiday tunes. You can judge me if you want :)
ps- If you haven't bought Michael Buble's new cd "Christmas", you are truly missing out!!

Holiday wreathe
On Pinterest I found the idea to buy foam tubing and cut it into a wreathe shape instead of buying those pricey foam ones. (Yes, $5 is pricey for me) The only issue is that it is flimsier and may not retain a round shape especially with weight on the bottom, but it cost me $1 and I had enough extra to make a mini-wreathe. Ingenious!
And the flowers are all felt. Very easy, anyone can do it! Go on, you know you want to buy some felt now :)

Stand-Alone Signs
(I found these boards for a buck each at D.I. and mod-podged cardstock on them.)

Lettered Blocks
These wooden blocks were 79 cents ea at JoAnns. I didn't care for the chunkier blocks that go for $5 a piece. You can lean these against something or if you're lucky they will still stand after being painted.

Paper Trees
These 3D Christmas trees were downloaded from my Silhouette online store. The machine actually perforates the paper so you can fold the trees all nice and neat! It was so simple and so satisfying. I used some spare ribbon to tie off the tops.

Nativity Frames
This was my favorite project. The picture frames were free from a yard sale a few months back, and I just stuck vinyl to the glass. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE my Silhouette? (by the way, there's promotional codes everywhere around this time of year for one if anyone is interested. If I find one I will surely post it.)

And then of course I had to put our little tree up. We love our little tree :)

Christmas is DEFINITELY in the air. And so is the scent of some Cajun-fried turkey and sweet potato casserole. YUM.

the plan

2011-11-11T10:16:00.000-07:00

So this post will be long and probably not all that exciting...haha...but so many people have been asking me about my birth plan already that I thought it would be easiest to just post about it.

If I've learned anything from watching my friends go into labor and give birth (and from my own experience), it's that you can't always plan out everything and have it go just that way. I didn't really have a plan with Talmage except that I wanted an epidural, did not want an episiotomy, and did not want my baby offered a bottle. I trusted my doctor enough to let the rest fall as it may (bad mistake). That being said, I've been thinking a lot lately about how I "envision" things going for me next February. I understand that it may not work out the way I want, but here is my "plan"...(for now)

One of the major reasons we wanted to have our second baby in Rexburg was because of the hospital here. I am one of those women who needs the added security of giving birth in a hospital. I just feel a lot safer if anything were to go wrong. I've considered natural birth, and I really love the idea of it- I just don't feel completely comfortable doing it YET. I admire those women, including my mother, who have given birth naturally, and maybe someday I will feel more relaxed about it. I think its better to ease myself into something like that, though, since my only delivery so far was induced and I don't even know what going into labor feels like.

My experience at the hospital with Talmage was wonderful. The staff made me feel comfortable and totally pampered. They would bring me food in the middle of the night, take our baby boy for a few hours so I could sleep, help me into the jacuzzi tub, and bring me countless cups of raspberry flavored ice with no complaint. I would talk to the nurses as if they were my friends that I'd known forever, and it was so nice having their support when none of my family could be present. The labor & delivery unit itself was very accommodating, very home-like (it had been recently refurbished). I know some of my friends would say otherwise, but I have to say that I LOVED my time at the Madison Hospital.

I did NOT, however, like that my doctor decided he could leave town all day and go shopping when I was started on pitocin. He figured he'd have all day before I needed to push. He thought that because my pitocin was set to a 1- the very lowest setting- that I wouldn't be ready to push until late that night. He thought he knew how my body, completely individual from everyone else, would work. Turns out 6 hours later I was at a 10 and my doctor was not there. In fact NO ONE was there, and I had to beg Jonathan through tears to call someone in numerous times. I had to wait for doc to come back from Idaho Falls before they let me push, which was pure torture. Even before he left he was never in the room with me at all, just the nurses. I kept thinking, "Why is he even here?" It seems like all the doctors at the clinic I went to worked me around their schedules. Whenever I went in for an appointment, I felt like they rushed it and I had no time to ask questions. While I recovered from delivery, my doctor came in ONCE to check on me and it was a very brief visit. Needless to say, he got the job done and was paid but he did it in a very poor manner.

So, this time I am seeing the midwives and it has made ALL the difference! They are so kind, loving, and want to give you their full attention at appointments. Being women, they understand what you're going through and are gentler with your feelings. They aren't stingy about giving ultrasounds, or letting you come in anytime to listen to the baby's heartbeat, or sitting down and talking to you for an hour straight about whatever. Every midwife here is certified to deliver, so depending on who is there when I go in, I can be certain that it WON'T be one of the doctors. And one of them will sit with you through the entire labor process unless you ask her to leave.

I've told my midwife that if at all possible I do not want to be induced, I would rather go into labor on my own this time and labor at home as long as possible. I understand that this poses the possibility of not getting an epidural, but if things went my way I would like to have one still. (If not, so be it. Natural it is! haha) With Talmage, the doctor scheduled an induction the day after my due date because I wasn't having any contractions, and that worked out fine...I actually loved being induced because it got things going and it's nice having a plan. Still, I would like to know what it feels like for my body to labor naturally. The midwives here generally wait 2 weeks post due date to induce.

So, that is the plan for now. I guess I could better prepare myself for the possibility of laboring naturally but I don't really care to. I understand that our bodies are meant for labor with no drugs etc., and that's all really wonderful. I also know that labor is a beautiful, intimate experience, especially when shared with your spouse by your side- drugs or no drugs. So either way, as long as our daughter is happy and healthy, I will be satisfied. I know I can't force one set of ideas on myself because things can always change. I am not against a C-Section if that is what is necessary. I'm actually REALLY excited to have this baby, regardless of how she gets here. I'm not scared at all this time around, just anxious :)

first haircut!

2011-11-04T14:05:00.000-06:00

Yesterday Talmage had his very first haircut EVER!

Goodbye, beautiful golden curly locks...

When Talmage was a baby, his hair was thick and perfect. There was no reason to cut it. He never molted any of his baby hair, and as time went on it got blonder and curlier. I have always loved his curls :) In the last few months, he was starting to look like a girl because it was growing so long, plus it was a pain to wash and dry and detangle every day (even with detangling shampoo!) People mistook him for a girl EVERYwhere we went, which didn't really bug me until just recently. And then I discovered that I could actually give him pigtails. Then, to top it off, Jonathan made the comment that it looked "mullet-ish". I hate mullets on little kids so that was the last straw. I called the hair salon and made an appointment PRONTO :)

While our little guy was getting trimmed, I was across the room getting my own haircut. I'm glad that I was distracted while they cut his hair, because honestly I don't think I would have been able to watch...but the hairdresser did great with him and she even gave him a little mohawk on the top! (I meant to get a picture. oops.) He looked so grown up and boyish! Just when I didn't think he could get any cuter! I loved it :)

It still curls, but the ringlets are gone...this will take a while to get used to but I'm just glad we finally did it.

And here is my new hair. I got bangs :)

(sorry its not a very good pic. That's mac photobooth for you)

I am just SO glad this week is over. October was a crazy busy month and this last week was just as crazy. I am ready to visit with friends, redecorate the apartment and nursery and just take it easy :)

By the way, Talmage got a big boy bed this week! He really likes jumping on it and being silly. And I love how much bigger it makes his room look :)

Note that his hair was still long when we took those pictures...*sigh, sniff sniff*

Have a great weekend everyone!

Halloween!

2011-11-01T13:44:00.003-06:00

Last night was Halloween- oh boy! We wanted to do something with Talmage but I knew trick-or-treating would be a bit absurd. People don't expect trick-or-treaters to come before dark (most people) and our little guy had a bedtime schedule to keep. Plus, he doesn't really eat candy and he's still kind of young to appreciate trick-or-treating, so we decided to keep it simple.

I dressed him up differently, mainly just for fun, but also because he's always miserable in his pirate getup- haha! So that morning I threw together a backup costume with felt scraps I had. He seemed MUCH more comfortable and happy in his second costume :)

We first took him to Mommy n Me, a local store that I LOVE. They had a tiny straw maze in the front along with some vendors and games in the back lot. It was okay, nothing great, and Talmage certainly didn't get why the heck we were there...

^T knocking over giant crayons with his buddy, David! (who was a total cutie in his monkey suit)^

Earlier that day at my appointment with the midwife, she had told us that the pediatrician's office was doing a trick or treat from 3-5 pm, so we dropped by there afterwards. I was SO impressed! Every single office in the building was all decorated and there was trick-or-treating at every door. It kind of reminded me of ward Halloween parties when I was little, and you would walk around the church building gathering candy from every classroom. I loved that it was inside and warm, and that there were tons of other little toddlers dressed up doing the same thing. It was the perfect first time trick-or-treating experience for our apprehensive boy :)

This is our son being humble, but he learned pretty quick that reaching in the bucket with both hands produced a much better result.

^popping smoke-filled bubbles! This was by far the coolest thing all night.^

it turns out that the entire professional medical plaza was in on the trick-or-treat, so we walked around from building to building. One even had a yellow brick road- how cute is that?

One of the buildings was a dental office, so they gave Talmage a goodie bag filled with things for his teeth (including a Toy Story toothbrush!) He didn't really get it at first...

But when I told him it was for his teethies he understood :)

It was such a fun time and we were pretty trick-or-treated out by the end. And Talmage had a bucket full of yummies!

For dinner we had jack-o-lantern pizza!

It was a fantastic night, though I'm a little sad we didn't get more trick-or-treaters come by. Oh well, more candy for me (because that's ALL I need right now).

our CRAZY weekend

2011-10-31T20:16:00.000-06:00

This last weekend was VERY eventful, to say the least.

On Thursday after J was done with class we headed to Utah. We slept at my grandparent's house in Sandy (they were out of town but their home is always welcome to us!). We got into town just around dinner, and met up my best friend Sarah and her hubby for dinner. I am now really bummed that I didn't get a picture with her! Why do I always forget to take pictures of important things besides my child? grrrr....anyway we had a lovely time with them! I always love seeing my Sarah Lou :)

The next day Jonathan attended an internship fair specific for students majoring in Therapeutic Recreation. This was the whole reason for our visit to Utah. We are hoping to find out SOON where J will be interning so that we can arrange our living situation. I am so ready to get out of Rexburg!

While he was gone Sarah came over and we got to visit some more- which was soooo wonderful! We sat on the bed and talked, just like the old days :) I was sad to see her go but hopefully we can see a lot more of each other if we do end up in Utah.

That night the g-parents came home and we went out for sushi. I decided I would eat everything I wanted even if I wasn't supposed to, and it was VERY delicious. I could sushi every day for every meal.

EARLY the next morning we headed out to Twin Falls for Jonathan's brother's sealing. It was a long drive and we were all grumpy. It was good however to meet up with all of J's family for a bit. Talmage got to see his cousin Ethan- they are so funny together!

Right after the sealing and some pictures, we bolted back home to Rexburg for the ward Halloween party (I needed to be there because the RS presidency put it on). Talmge threw up all over himself multiple times as we were loading him into the carseat, so that was in one word a disaster. We think he was just carsick and tired, plus he had fried foods for lunch (not by my choice). The boys both slept in the car while I drove, in the meantime Talmage pooped a good one so the car had a plethora of lovely smells. I was nauseous and had to pee, but couldn't stop on account of waking them up. So on I drove until we were home. We had about 5 minutes to get changed for the party. Of course, we all dressed up as pirates :)

I was in charge of the fishing booth for the kids, and though not a lot of little ones knew what to do with the fishing poles it was still fun to see them pull the fish off :)

Talmage was exhausted from all the traveling, so he didn't really want to be there :(

However, we made the best out of it and had a smashing good time! (that may be a teensy bit over-exaggerated)

That night, after unpacking and showering and putting T to bed, all I wanted to do was sleep. I'm glad that we accomplished all that we set out to do but at the same time it was a little stressful. For once I was glad that our church started so late, because I wanted to take my time the next day.

In the spirit of Halloween, Talmage wore a bright orange bow tie to church :)

It's so good to be home! Even if it is in cold, windy Rexburg...

ahoy! (not the chocolate chip kind but the ol pirate saying)

2011-10-25T19:11:00.000-06:00

I guess now is as good a time as ever to update everyone on our little family. We aren't the most exciting couple but I've come to terms with it :) In this stage of our life our main focuses are getting J through school, keeping our tot happy & healthy, and managing our stress level (that last one is the hardest).

Jonathan:
Is attending his LAST semester at BYU-I, and its already half way over! His major is Recreation Management with an emphasis in Therapeutic Recreation and Natural Resource. A lot of people ask me what this is exactly. To be honest it has taken me a while to understand it myself, but basically its a broad career field that allows him to be in various settings helping the disabled, elderly, or troubled youth either in a community or clinical setting. Right now he's looking for an internship that is clinical because it is more reputable. This weekend we are going to Utah for an internship fair specific for TR's, so hopefully we can have a better idea of where we'll be living next summer! Utah would be nice because its not a far move and we'd be close to some family.
When he graduates in December, he will take an exam that qualifies him for the job title of CTRS (Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist), and its kind of a big deal. It's a very expensive and long exam...so our fingers are crossed that he only needs to take it once! If he passes, then after his internship he will have a much easier time finding a job. CTRS's are high in demand because it is such a narrow field. I know that in this economy any job can be a difficult to get, but I have faith that it will all work out. Heavenly Father has blessed us so much already!
(sorry for the overly long explanation- I just get tired of people asking me what the heck he'll be doing exactly!)

Lindsey:
Is 23 weeks pregnant today! Where did the time go? I feel like we JUST found out we are having a girl, but already a month has passed. Baby girl is getting pretty big in my tummy, I can feel her up in my ribs now and she kicks a LOT. I've been going a little nuts making baby hair bows and flower clips, and I've sewn a few things too. It keeps me occupied on something other than how tired I feel. I try to take a nap every day, but this doesn't always happen. It would be so much easier if I didn't have a toddler...but he is my whole world and I wouldn't want to go a day without him! He makes me laugh when I think I'm too tired to smile at anything. Gosh I just love him so much :)

Despite how incredibly BLAH I feel, I've been nesting like crazy. We moved the changing table (and soon crib) into our bedroom so that Emmalynne will be near to us in the 2 months that she's here, and now we're on the lookout for a toddler bed (so that baby can have the crib). This isn't how we originally planned on doing it but it seems more practical.

Talmage:
Despite some recent sickness, our son is wonderfully good! He has a whole range of vocabulary now (thank you tubes!) and is super hyper all the time. He turned 18 months not long ago, and we celebrated by taking him to Chilli's (they have the BEST kids meals) and shopping at Target.
Talmage currently loves: balls, anything with wheels, being outside in the leaves, taking off his clothes, helping mom with chores, playing in the leaves, learning animal noises, Elmo, giving kisses, talking on the "phone", climbing everything, and putting on his shoes. I have to say that I definitely love this age...he is just so active and entertaining ALL THE TIME, haha...

I finally finished his Halloween costume. If you couldn't guess he is a pirate :) and yes, I did add a few edits of my own.

haha, he is so fun to photoshoot!
Happy Halloween weekend everyone!

the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day

2011-10-22T08:17:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was quite a day. I just have to blog about it because it was so bizarre. This post may not be for the weak stomach...

All during the night I couldn't sleep. Something didn't feel right- no position was comfortable and my belly just HURT. I tossed and turned all night. Around 5:30 am, I had that awful but all too familiar sensation to throw up. Thinking it would make myself feel better, that's exactly what I did. (Meanwhile, Jonathan in the shower heard me hacking it up and said, "Lindsey?! You okay?" Yeah, dandy.) well, I crawled back into bed hoping to get some sleep and J came in to kiss me goodbye. Normally he was home on Fridays but on this day he was going to Pocatello for a TR Conference. It was an all day event and I wouldn't see him home till about 7.

As soon as he walked out the door I threw up again. And again. And again every 10 minutes until about 8 am. Talmage woke up, and I felt so completely weak I could barely change his diaper. I threw some Cheerios in a bowl for him and set it on the couch because I didn't have the strength to put him in his highchair. He dumped them all out and I didn't even care. I called my midwife who wasn't available so I was told that she would call me back.

Three hours pass and no one has called. I am still violently vomitting left and right and I start to wonder if maybe I'm losing the baby. My throat hurt from all the acid, so I sucked on a cough drop which made me throw up immediately. My stomach ached from contracting, and I took a warm bath in hopes of relaxing my muscles. My bath lasted about 2 minutes before I was sitting in vomit water. The scary part was that I couldn't tell if I was going into early labor or just having bad muscle cramps. I tried nibbling on a piece of bread. Nope, rejected. So then I sipped some water. Rejected!! (don't you just love how dramatic I am being?) I could not stand without throwing up again or blacking out. I knew I needed to eat something...this whole pregnancy has demanded that I have something in my stomach 24/7 or I pass out. So I tried to eat an apple slice and after 3 small bites was back to hurling my guts out. Well finally I decide to call the midwife again and after being put on hold 4 times I have Karen on the phone. I told her my symptoms and she said "It sounds like you have the 24 hour bug." I thought, 'More like 24 hours of HELL.' She told me to get some sleep and drink water even if I did throw it up. I followed her advice and continued this awful pattern until around 1 pm. I thought I was going to die, or worse- that something was wrong with Emma.

Not long after our phone call, I begin to notice that I'm throwing up blood. In a panic I call her back and she assures me this is normal when someone is recurrently throwing up. Still, it freaked me out and I decided I would not let myself get sick one more time. I couldn't look at more blood, I just couldn't.

I counted down the minutes to T's naptime, so that I could sleep also. At exactly 11 pm, I shut him in his room and never looked back. He fell asleep by the door and napped there for about 2 hours. Since I wasn't able to sleep (kept throwing up), I decided to go in there and move him to his bed. As soon as I picked him up I passed out, and sort of clumsily dropped him onto his bed. This woke him up, and he was crying for me to hold him. I broke down into tears feeling completely helpless, realizing that I couldn't do this alone.

Basically, it was impossible for me to do anything for myself because I had a toddler on my hands. He was being so sweet natured through all of this, trying to give me hugs and mostly keeping to himself on the couch. I didn't want to bother anyone to watch him...honestly there are very few people I feel comfortable enough with to ask them for favors like that. But thank goodness for my friend Rachel... she came over without hesitation, gave me hug while I bawled my eyes out, and took Talmage away to her place. I only expected her to have him for maybe 1 or 2 hours. As I climbed into bed I prayed for uninterrupted sleep. I was out like a light for 4 hours. When I woke up I had a fever of 101 and was not able to stand. (by the way, I had kept in touch with Jonathan throughout the day about it and he was so so worried...how ironic to be gone at a time like this!)

Rachel came back with my sweet happy boy around 6:30 (bless her heart!!), and Jonathan came home soon after. Once he was here, I felt a huge burden lifted. He came home with a bunch of stuff from Walgreens (a prescription, heartburn medicine, ginger ale, some popsicles..) and kissed me even though I told him not to because I felt completely gross. He took care of everything, cleaning up the chaos that was our apartment, making dinner for our son and putting him to bed. I laid in bed while he continually checked in on me, bringing me this and that. I felt so selfish, being waited on like I was on my deathbed...but that's really what it felt like. I am so grateful for a husband that pampers me when I'm sick :)

Sure enough, this morning I feel completely back to normal. How is this even possible? What kind of sick virus inhabits your system for only 24 TERRIBLE hours and then just up and leaves? I tell you it is so weird to me! My fingers are crossed that it's really over... as a side note, if anyone EVER feels this way and needs my help in any way at all do not hesitate to call me! No one should ever go through that alone.

I hope everyone has a good, HEALTHY weekend :)

Video time!

2011-10-18T10:50:00.001-06:00

I really should be better about posting more videos on here...we have SO many but I always think, "This will only be funny to me...I'm pretty sure no one else cares." haha! Which is dumb, because I LOVE when my friends post videos of their kiddos on their blogs. So now I'm catching up...these are all from the last few weeks.

This first one is just a glimpse into the broad vocabulary he now has :) He says juice, cheese, shoes, baby, hi, bye, ball, please, various animal noises, uh-ohs, thankyou (deedoo), OH YES, yay, poo...

Sorry this one is sideways. Our silly boy LOVES to dance, especially when he does his "happy dance." He's been doing this ever since he could stand, and I'm not sure where he got it from...haha.

Here's T playing wii with his dad. He gets really hyper sometimes when he's holding the wii remote and swordfighting...and yes, that IS is his name is the top right corner there because YES- he has his own mii character :D (since before he was born, actually! We've had to alter his looks some since then)

Now before you watch this one let me just admit that I do NOT let him watch tv all the time. But usually in the mornings he watches PBS, which is somewhat educational :) (his favorites are Curious George and Sesame Street)...and every morning he looks like this- a total zombie! He definitely has the "Dennett gene" that makes him go into trance mode anytime the tv is on...

This last one is my favorite :) Talmage has found that landing on his rump is pretty hilarious. He starts out on his stomach usually and then ends the routine with his bum. He will do this for a very long time, and just the other day it occurred to me to videotape it! I got the end of it so his energy is pretty worn out by this point, but you still get the idea :)

btw, when you hear Jonathan say "ouch" it's because T stopped to bite his toe. ha ha...

I wish I could record all of the funny little things this boy does...he truly brings so much joy and laughter into our home. I am so blessed to be his mommy!

tubes and tiny things

2011-10-08T13:30:00.004-06:00

Talmage had tubes on Thursday, and everything went great!

Sadly I forgot to bring my camera to the hospital as we rushed out the door at 6:30 am, but if I did bring it I would have taken pictures of him sitting in his little gown with rocket ships on it, coming out of surgery all doped up, and eating breakfast at Jack-in-the-Box afterwards. I was so surprised that he didn't cry at all- the anesthetic gas they made him breathe to go to sleep really knocked him out, so honestly I think he was just too tired to cry. He was plenty ornery though, and he would throw his binkie and his juice on the ground (he even threw his beloved Spot), and a few times he hit me then returned those hits with hugs. It was so bizarre. But we were just glad the surgery went well :) They almost sent us home without tubes in his ears because he had a wheezy cough, and this can put him at great risk during the surgery, but thankfully after I explained that this was the best he's felt in months, they went ahead with it. The doctor came in after they were done and told us that they took a lot of gunk out of his ears and we should begin to see improvements right away.

Since then our son has been a COMPLETELY different child. He sleeps through the night and takes his naps with ease, he eats his food (and more of it), and he is generally a LOT happier. It has made life so much easier :) he also responds to sound better and talks louder with more precision. Like instead of mouthing "hi" he shouts "HEY!" haha.

In other news, I have really tried shopping for baby Emmalynne but every time I go to a store I feel completely lost. I'm sure this phase will pass, but for now I am just overwhelmed. There are SO many girls things out there to accessorize with- little tiny leggings and tiny tights and tiny bows and flowers... and in the past I've loved buying things for friends expecting girls but I guess now it's different since it's my own. I finally cracked and got a few hair things. This is going to be an interesting 4 1/2 months...

(ps- please ignore my really cheesy expression. The sun was super bright and I had to squint to see...)

I cannot believe we are halfway there already. And winter is fast approaching. I think once the hoidays hit time will go by even faster...February will be here before we know it! :)

our week thus far

2011-10-05T09:27:00.001-06:00

This week so far has been both eventful and wonderful!

Over the weekend Jonathan and I stayed home and watched General Conference together, and I have to say that I haven't felt so much peace in such a long time. There is something so comfortable and familiar about sitting down to listen to the Conference talks. During this time my mind wandered a bit to the upcoming ultrasound. We were finally going to know what our second baby would be! One of the speakers (I can't remember who..) spoke of the love that fathers have for their daughters. I looked over at Jonathan and he returned the look, and I think we both knew at that point what was to come :) Up to that point we were both fully convinced that we were having a boy. It just seemed practical :)

Saturday night Talmage started a fever of 102.2 and it was pretty scary. I have never seen him so warm and miserable. The fever continued throughout the weekend, fluctuating every few hours but peaking still at 102. Since we couldn't call the doctor's office, I anxiously awaited Monday morning to schedule an appointment with the ENT. At the doctor's, I found out that he has yet another ear infection and fluid in both ears still. He was officially diagnosed with chronic fluid and surgery was scheduled for tubes on Thursday. I cannot say how grateful I am for the knowledge of all his doctors that have helped us through this process, for the caring staff at the hospital, and for our insurance that has covered every bit. We are truly blessed, and in a short while my baby's misery will be over.

So the next day was our ultrasound, and sure enough we are having a little girl! I burst into happy tears the moment my midwife typed "GIRL PARTS" on the screen while Jonathan sat in complete shock. Though we had a feeling, we really didn't expect it to be true. I continued to cry, looking pretty much ridiculous, while Karen (my midwife) showed us all her little body parts. It was a happy day!

And now we are just looking forward to Talmage's surgery on Thursday morning. I know it will be hard to see him get an IV and hooked up to a heart monitor, but it really is for the best. They said that he would feel better instantly, and that his hearing and speech will greatly improve. I love him so much and just want him back to his normal goofy self again :)

On Friday Jonathan will be leading an overnight fly fishing expedition for Outdoor Activities, and he is really excited about that! The temperatures are dropping, so everyone will be freezing but I don't think that deters his enthusiasm. I don't know how he manages to be involved with all these clubs AND be in school full-time, taking the last core classes for his major. He sure stays busy!

Here's to the rest of a good week!

feeling Halloween-y

2011-09-28T14:10:00.000-06:00

It's not even October yet and already I am so excited for Halloween! I used to not like this holiday very much, in fact as a child it terrified me. But over the years I've come to appreciate the concept of it- good rotten fun :) Who doesn't like candy, jack-o-lanterns, and all things spooky? (not to be confused with "creepy". anything that is "creepy" I still don't like). Plus orange is one of my favorite colors :)

Aside form making delicious chocolate-chip zucchini bread, I've gotten a head start on some Halloween crafts. They aren't fancy, and very low budget. Honestly I probably wouldn't have done any of these if it weren't for my Silhouette! love that beastly machine :)

Halloween Board:

Vinyl Pumpkins:

Just ask my husband, I pretty much spend all my free "crafty time" playing with the many functions and online images that the Silhouette SD has to offer. Sometimes I want to throw it against the wall (not really) because I am so fed up with the program and other times I want to kiss it and pat its top :) I really love that I can help my friends with projects and think of new ones constantly. Before this new baby comes I'm trying to get as many projects done as I can...but I still have a toddler to take care of now so that may or may not happen.

Speaking of our little tot, I've been trying to get him just as excited for Halloween. I can just see him giving me a look of confusion and disgust when I put his costume on him later, so to get him used to the idea we played a little dress-up :)

(This isn't THE costume. It's just for fun!)

Come on, October- get here already!

baby, crafts...the usual :)

2011-09-20T17:19:00.000-06:00

In just a few weeks we'll find out what we're having, and I am seriously very excited! Jonathan hopes boy, so that Talmage can have a little brother close in age and they can do boy stuff together :) It would be ideal, because I've always wanted at least two boys. A little girl would be wonderful too, and completely new to me. I would have no idea what to do with a girl, but I'm sure it would be a learning process!

I'm feeling pretty good these days, but still nauseous if I don't eat (which isn't usually a problem...) For some reason I get the most dizzy when I'm grocery shopping, and a few times I've had to find somewhere to sit and put my head down. I don't know why this happens, but it usually passes with a snack. You can bet I always have food in my bag :)

Probably the most exciting news is that I have been feeling little jolts and kicks from peanut for the last few weeks. They get stronger every few days, and now even Jonathan can feel them. I forgot how neat it was to feel those first kicks...unfortunately I do remember how painful they become further on in the pregnancy...

The worst symptoms are by far BACK PAIN like none other and being so tired all the time. I didn't have this kind of back pain with Talmage until the very end...so little peanut must be putting lots of pressure in just the right spot. Thankfully, my sweet husband has been very generous with massages! I love him :)

To pass the time I've been working on a few fall projects. Autumn always inspires me to be crafty because I am in love with the colors, smells, food, and just everything that comes with the season.

"I'm a big boy now"

2011-09-18T19:27:00.004-06:00

Even though I had hoped Talmage would stay my baby forever, watching him grow up sure is a hoot. Here are just a few of the things he has been up to lately...

A few days ago Jonathan was watching T while I was at a meeting, and when I came back he said, "Something AMAZING happened." I was like, "OH! What?!" He then told me that while he thought our son was sleeping soundly in his crib, he heard a crashing of toys on the floor in Talmage's bedroom. Sure enough, our little monkey had climbed OUT of his crib unharmed and had begun to wreck havoc with his toys. Once Talmage understood that he could do this, it didn't stop. All night long he was getting out and banging on the door or playing with toys. We weren't sure how he was doing it because the crib mattress was already set at the lowest position...so I went in there while he was awake in the crib, took his favorite giraffe (Spot), put it on the floor and said, "Okay, Talmage, come get Spot." That didn't work, so then I pulled out the blocks and said, "Play with these blocks!" and that did the trick...He pulled himself up using the corner of his crib, suspended his entire body on the top bar, then slid his legs down slowly and gently on the floor. He clapped for himself, then waddled over to the blocks. Ah ha.

So, we knew that the safest option was to convert his crib to a toddler bed. This was not something I anticipated doing at 17 months, but what other choice did we have? One of those times he could very easily "land" wrong and really hurt himself. That night I put pillows all around his crib- just in case.

The next day we took the side down, baby-proofed his room from top to bottom (not an easy task), and prepared ourselves for a long, hard journey. The first time in his big boy bed was a mid-day nap, and after 2 1/2 hours, I walked in to find him standing in front of his bed with his head on the mattress, crying in exhaustion and frustration. He was actually tired enough to let me rock him to sleep. Not what I had imagined, but at least he was in there!

As the days passed each naptime got a little easier, but not by much. It is a really tiring process but well worth it once he finally conks out :) A lot of times we will find him asleep in front of the door (trying to look out through the crack) or in some other strange position...

I also learned that this age is a common time to switch to a toddler bed. Lots of people are doing it! Who knew? I would have kept him in the crib forever :D

He is learning to say more words, too: hi, shoes, juice, ee-ee (monkey), and uh-oh. For the longest time he wasn't verbal at all, just signing everything. So its pretty fun to teach him how to sound out real words! He also has some new signs: hurt, sorry, and big fish. He signs to Wheels On The Bus, Head Shoulders Knees & Toes, and Itsy Bitsy Spider. I can't even believe how much of it he absorbs...

And the last big achievement (wish I had a video of this one)..HE CAN EAT WITH UTENSILS! He's not a pro but the food generally ends up in his mouth one way or another...

Each day is something new. It sure is fun to be this boys momma :)

**edit** OH! I almost forgot! Talmage is in nursery now! That really makes him seem older...but he loves it and so do I :)

one sad little sicky

2011-09-12T14:35:00.001-06:00

For the last month or so Talmage has been sick. It's been so tough on him AND on us. Here is what happened.

It started out as a simple respiratory infection. Just clear running snot and some trouble sleeping (sorry, but it is what it is). I didn't go to the doctor because I knew he didn't need antibiotics- just home remedies. For the most part I was right, but what I didn't know was that it was soon developing into something worse.

As his symptoms got more intense (fever, wet cough, general misery), we took him to the doc and were told that he had a double ear infection and the beginnings of bronchitis. According to the doctor, this was most likely the aftermath of the infection, and unlike the first stage this part DID need antibiotics- which we were all too grateful for. He drank the pink bubble-gum stuff for 10 days and seemed to be getting much better.

A few days later, his cough came back- this time very hollow and dry. His snot was yellow-green (again, sorry...) and this was worrisome. I decided to drag him back to the doctor and see what was up. That was this morning. Apparently, whatever bug Talmage has is not the typical bug that can be cured with one round of meds. He needs the stronger prescription that most kids at his age never have to take. His ears are still slightly infected, and the rest of the symptoms are in full swing. My poor baby...he has suffered through this for so long now. I just want it to be over.

Thankfully, our prayers have not gone unanswered. Though a speedy recovery hasn't been in the works, Talmage has remained generally happy (at least during the day) and been his normal goofy self. This has taken some of the stress off...and well needless to say he has been spoiled rotten because of how bad I feel for him. He can pretty much have whatever he wants...(except too much sugar of course!)

Mountain Air Vacation: part 2

2011-09-08T18:16:00.000-06:00

For the last half our trip we headed 2 hours west to a beautiful little town called Garden Valley. Jonathan spent a lot of his childhood here, learning to fly fish and falling in love with the river. Its also where he took me for our honeymoon in the wintertime, and the snow was completely untouched- sparkling and beautiful. His uncle lives in GV taking ownership to the Merc, cabin company, and most of the town. He is also the owner of the Sawtooth Lodge in Grand Jean- our first destination. He treated us to this entire vacation and we are very grateful!! We are truly blessed to be so spoiled :)

For the last few nights, Jonathan's family came up and stayed with us. The cabin was much too big for us to have all to ourselves! We had such a good time with the clan, just taking it easy.

McBride Creek Cabin, GARDEN VALLEY:

at the cabin
(I didn't get pictures of everything, but these were the exciting features)

hot tub :)

the view from the balcony was gorgeous!

just eating some grapes

the Payette River

see that red roof?^^^ that was our cabin! It was so close to the water!

floating down the Payette...

attempting to pose...not my most flattering pic. haha.

I miss you already, GV...can't wait to go back sometime!

Mountain Air Vacation: part 1

2011-09-07T18:26:00.000-06:00

We just got back in Rexburg from our 10 day vacation. It was a blast! But I am glad to be home in my own super comfy bed :)

It was pretty eventful (and relaxing) so instead of going into detail I'll just post the pics from each place we were at. I also have a TON of pics so I broke it up into two parts. These are all from Grand Jean- the first half of our vacation.

warning: did I mention there were lots of pictures? I got a little camera happy...

Sawtooth Lodge, GRAND JEAN:

at the cabin

at the geothermal pool

pretty spot off the nature trail

at the hot springs

at Bull Trout

at Marsh Creek (Jonathan's favorite fishing spot in Idaho)

I didn't get any pictures of Stanley...but its a touristy river town about an hour away. There were some fun shops there and an art festival. Oh, and expensive gas :)

Overall we loved our time in this little mountainous haven. Its in the middle of nowhere but has so much to offer. And we felt like we were camping, because we cooked most of our food on a camp stove, roasted marshmallows under the stars (SO many stars!!), and had to filter all our water. The luxuries we had though were welcomed...beds, a shower & toilet, and wood stove to keep us toasty at night. So basically it was glorified camping. I think we were the only guests too, because everyone was waiting to come down for Labor Day weekend. So we had all the space to ourselves :) There is a diner at the Sawtooth Lodge, too, but to save money we only ate there the last night. Let me tell you, it was DELICIOUS. It's kind of funny because both times I've visited Grand Jean I've been pregnant, and both times I've felt completely at ease about continuing the pregnancy and having a baby. Maybe its the calm quiet of nature?

big holes camping trip

2011-08-25T09:55:00.003-06:00

I love this part of summer! Jonathan ends his job with the U.S. Forest Service soon (only 3 days left!) and he had a bunch of credit hours saved up, so he took three extra days off (which he still got paid for- wahoo!). We decided the best thing to do was to go camping of course. Surprisingly, we have only gone camping ONE other time in the duration of our being married. It was before a baby came along, back in the day when we didn't have to worry about anyone else and do whatever we pleased :) Well in the middle of the night some bears scared us off and we flew outta there faster than a jet plane. So...for Jonathan's dignity we had to do this again- the RIGHT way. Besides, Talmage is finally at the age where he enjoys exploring outside and a change of scenery.

Our campsite was complete perfection. I give kuddos to my hubby...he knows the best places to camp since he is out there in the woods every day. There was a fire pit, nearby creek, lots of run-around room, hiking trails, and huckleberries just up the slope from our tent. Talmage loved every second of it- he especially favored the creek.

During Talmage's nap Jonathan and I ventured out to pick huckleberries. They were everywhere in abundance- it was amazing to see! I have to say it was probably the most romantic thing we've done as a couple in a long time. We don't get a lot of alone time really, and the simple things are special to us. I love my husband so much, and seeing him get all excited like a little kid reminds me just how much.

This was our first time trying out the canvas tent that Jonathan inherited...it is a pain putting up but I can't complain too much because we could fit the pack n play and a queen size air mattress inside :)

Scrabble table (we don't go anywhere without our favorite game!)

Talmage's dirty little toes! (I just love taking of pics of his toes, not sure why)

At night we roasted cheddar bratwursts and drank hot chocolate, and it started getting pretty nippy.

We bundled up our little boy pretty good...

...but of course he wiggled out of it and had a really difficult time falling asleep. Once he was sleeping we bundled him AGAIN, and he stayed that way until 4 am. Then all hell broke loose. He had this terribly cough that didn't sound good and he was just plain miserable. We decided that we would leave once daylight broke and take him to the doctor. Something just wasn't right. The three of us managed to get another few hours of sleep, and then we packed up camp and headed home. I think we were all pretty sad about leaving (the plan was to stay for two nights) but the biggest lesson we've learned as parents is that our child ALWAYS comes first. And in this case, we made the right decision.

The doctor revealed to us that Talmage had a double ear infection and the beginnings of bronchitis. He wrote a prescription, and thanks to modern medicine, Talmage is now almost completely better. It broke my heart to see him in more pain, especially after just getting over a respiratory infection. But I am SO glad that we left when we did- I'm sure that the cold night air wasn't making it any better for the poor little guy. We still had lots of fun and it was only the precursor to next week!

Have I mentioned that we are taking a vacation? On Sunday we're headed to Grand Jean and then to Garden Valley (you can bet there will be a post and lots of pictures to come!). I am so freaking excited. Garden Valley is where we honeymooned, and it was gorgeous covered in snow but now we get to experience it in full summer glory. The best part? NO TENTS! We'll be staying in cabins all along the way. ahh....so nice :)

tomato pickin time!

2011-08-19T18:04:00.000-06:00

Isn't funny when your child does something totally random and unexpected?

Today my son picked this tomato right off our vine, bit into it, and devoured it whole within about 10 minutes. It was a picture-perfect moment! (I'm glad I got it on camera while it lasted...he must have been watching that tomato for weeks now, waiting until it was just right!)

I love him so much :)

preggo stuff

2011-08-17T17:35:00.000-06:00

I really cannot believe how fast this pregnancy has gone. I'm sure a lot of that has to do with not being sick, but whoa have those other symptoms taken control. I am tired ALL the time, really all the time. Every chance I get I curl up on the couch with a blanket and go to sleep, sometimes even with Talmage awake and playing. I feel terrible about this, but truthfully that boy can entertain himself for hours. Plus when he is around I don't think I am ever fully sleeping, just halfway between reality and dreamland :)

Another big one is oriental food. I do NOT remember having cravings this early on with T nor did I ever think it possible but WOW. I have persuaded Jonathan to go out for take-out (or sit in) Chinese, Thai, and sushi so many times and our wallets are suffering because of it. BUT...once that image gets in your head it literally makes you ill until you have it in your belly. poor husband...

Last night I officially felt our little blob swimming around in my tummy. I remember being so sad after delivering Talmage that I couldn't feel him moving around inside me anymore, and its wonderful to experience it for a second time! It doesn't happen often at this stage, and the flutters are very subtle almost unnoticeable. But definitely baby :)

Oh by the way, it really ticks me off that the only (yes, only) sushi restaurant in town has been closed for two whole weeks! Who needs maintenance?! I just need my spicy salmon roll!

our hike

2011-08-13T17:56:00.001-06:00

Yesterday with Cressa still staying with us we took a little hike up at Cress Creek (how appropriate!) It was a beautiful day and something that didn't make Talmage more sick. Yes, he is still very sick. I now know that he has a respiratory infection. poor little dude. Anyways, here are the pics from our fun day hike!

We had such a good time! There are even picnic tables and benches along the way to sit and have a picnic lunch, which is just what we did. Afterwards we went down to the riverbank and sat under the willow trees while Jonathan fished. It didn't last long because Talmage needed a nap. Later that night we took Cressa out for frozen yogurt. What a fun day! We love having that silly girl around!

new stuff

2011-08-12T09:44:00.000-06:00

Here is what's new:

1. On Wednesday we went to Rigby Lake (not my favorite place, but it was fun to go somewhere together as a family). The water was freezing but we still managed to get Talmage in it! haha...He liked it for about 15 minutes :)

At the beginning of that day he had a runny nose, and I thought it was just from teething. Well after the lake, missing his second nap for the day, and eating lake mud and drinking lake water, he was showing more signs of being sick. I felt like such a bad mom for not keeping him home instead, because I'm pretty sure going to the lake made him 5x more sick. Well that night he was up pretty much ALL night with a fever and very runny nose and slight cough. poor baby. He seems to be getting better though, and today is acting more like himself. Anyways...lesson learned!

I think the most fun part of that trip was going out with Jonathan on the pontoon (pictured below).

We got to that open water and all was so still and quiet. It was romantic even! I love having a husband that enjoys being outside and doing recreational things like that :)

2. Jonathan's little sister Cressa is visiting us for a few days. It has been great fun having her around and cracking up at stupid things :) Last night we did no-heat curls- here is the BEFORE pic.

There is no AFTER pics because mine didn't turn out at all and Cressa wasn't too impressed either. haha...I think we have the wrong hair type :( anyways it was still fun to try. The tutorial is here.

3. We have fish. Yeah...we caved in. It's hard not having any pets, so for now this will have to do. It's hard to get a good picture but this is Humphrey, our spotted puffer fish!

And our other one is too small and fast to get a picture of...we did have three but while cleaning the tank and transferring the fish Jonathan accidentally dropped one and popped his buoyancy bubble. So he sank to the bottom and died :( You can tell we are going to be awesome pet-owners.

4. I got a Silhouette! Finally! The company who makes them is coming out with a new version and so the Silhouette SD is marked way down. I also had a promotional code so it was like 60% off! I am loving it :) Here a few little projects I've done so far...
-Labelling toy bins

-Personalizing my computer!

I'm still learning how to use it...it can be overwhelming at first. I have some other ideas of things to do but we will see if I ever get them done!

big news!

2011-08-03T21:29:00.000-06:00

It's true! We are welcoming a new baby into our family! We are very excited to start another adventure, and for Talmage to be a big brother :)

My pregnancy thus far has been pretty glorious, which is a nice change from when I was expecting our son. I was VERY sick with him, and would throw up numerous times a day if I drank water, ate anything, or moved too fast. This time around, I have mild nausea on and off but haven't thrown up once. If I am feeling light headed, a light snack usually clears it up right away. Still, my appetite is pretty much gone and I've lost weight from not eating as much as I should. Hopefully this gets better in the next 2 weeks as I will be in my second trimester!

Although its been wonderful, sometimes it didn't seem real for lack of symptoms. I had to keep reminding myself that there was a reason why my nails were growing long, my skin was breaking out like a pizza, my tummy felt hard, eggs disgusted me, and I couldn't sleep well. It was reassuring to get an ultrasound at 8 weeks and see the little peanut wiggling around with a strong heartbeat. My midwife said that anytime I wanted to come in and just listen to that heartbeat again I could :) (LOVE those midwives)

We can't wait to meet you little one!

Sunday Bag

2011-07-31T17:08:00.001-06:00

It's no secret that Sundays are a challenge to get through with a toddler. We're still in that weird phase where he's too big to sit in my lap and be happy but 3 months too young to be in Nursery. I've talked with my mom about it countless times...and she gave me the idea to have a bag just for Sunday, full of fun things that Talmage ONLY gets to see at church. I thought it was a genius idea, cause I always just bring my diaper bag with the same books, toys, and snacks. Maybe some change would get him interested and occupied!

......as a side note, the whole reason for this post is to inspire other mommas out there who struggle with the same issue (I can think of one or two! hint hint Nicole, Mimi and and Ashleigh!) If just one idea is helpful then its worth posting about, right?.......

And so I dragged this old Mary Kay purse out of the closet. It's perfect for Sundays because its black leather, which matches everything, and it zips at the top so stuff won't fall out. I may switch to a bigger bag though...

And this is what I put in it! (all of these are new things, never before seen by Talmage eyes! It was a little costly, not too much, but well worth it)

two "I-spy" bags. These are easy to make and great for curious little tots. I used this tutorial.

A few books about Jesus, one with beautiful Greg Olsen paintings and the other a soft book with interactive flaps and things. (from Deseret Book)

This was the biggest hit. It's a magnetic board of Noah's Ark with tons of animal magnets! I think I'm going to have to get some more of these...(also at Deseret Book, only 10 bucks!)

CARS notebook and crayons. He has yet to understand what to do with a crayon, but he's slowly catching on. For now he just loves holding his notebook and making car noises :)

I got this idea from Nicole Tucker. It is a prune container, with a slit cut in the lid for those plastic rings to go in. Talmage will spend at least 20 minutes on this toy, putting the rings in and taking them out over & over. 20 minutes is better than the normal attention span, so I love this thing!

And of course snacks! I threw in some sugary stuff, which I NEVER do but it keeps him quiet in the worst of times. Gotta love the sugar.

And lastly the two things I need..that is, if I get chance to use them. haha.

The bag did not let me down. Thanks mom!

louisiana visit & yet another nursery re-do

2011-07-28T08:37:00.001-06:00

This last week Talmage and I flew to Louisiana to see Mimi, Poppy, and my little sis Dana. It was great fun, so worth the hardships of traveling with a toddler, and HOT. I am okay with heat but the humidity was unbearable. I have lived in the northwest for so long that humid air feels so weird to me now...kinda sad :(

I really should have taken more pictures...I think I have like 8? oops.

During the week we:
*played at the neighborhood pool and sprinklers
*ate Cane's chicken
*had LOTS of Blue Bell ice-cream (just me)
*went to the eye doctor and got some stylin new glasses (just me...)
*saw old friends and ward members
*took lots of naps (both of us)
*shopped at Target, New York & Co., Ulta, Accessory City, and KROGER :)

It was a pretty relaxed week...it was just nice being with the family. I'm so glad we took the trip and thankful that my husband took care of things at home while I was gone.
Before driving back to Idaho, the three of us stayed with my grandma and grandpa in Sandy, UT for a night. My best friend miss Sarah Robison came over and it was lovely visiting with her! The next morning Jonathan and I made our usual trip to Ikea (just us...Talmage stayed to nap!) and found a dresser for Talmage that was marked way down. It was such a steal!

Because the dresser was so big, we had to rearrange all his furniture once again. I feared the room would look so crammed and tiny, but actually it looks more spacious with the new arrangement!

Grandma Heiss cross-stitched this for Talmage, and I love it! It really ties the whole room together.

We love Ikea. A lot. Since it is not expensive you pay for the quality you get, but its great for practical purposes (and decorative!). They have this awesome home organization department and a month ago we picked up these plastic storage bins for dirt cheap. This last time, we bought lids for them all so that we could stack them! They are mostly empty for now, but that's not a problem. Someday when I have a Silhouette, I'm gonna label them! yay!

And since I could move his clothes to the dresser, I was able to put ALL the diapers under the changing station. I didn't realize just how many diapers we were hoarding...

This is already too long of a post...(sorry). But I will just say that I am happy to be home in Idaho with my sweetheart again. Now to work off those calories...

glammin it up!

2011-07-17T12:18:00.000-06:00

From the time I bought this beauty of a baby stroller one year ago, I had big plans. Money has kept me from fulfilling them all, but slowly and surely it has all come together and now I can finally say I have perfected it! (to my fancy at least)

It may be a little obsessive of me to love my stroller this much...but this is how I figure it. We don't have any overly expensive baby items. Our crib, changing table, car seat, nursery decor, etc. is all pretty medium range quality and price. Not to mention some of the other luxuries in life that have not yet graced us with ownership. So I have let myself be spoiled with an awesome stroller. Is this so bad? I don't think so. I deserve it :)

Wallah!

About a month ago Phil&Teds declared that they were raising their price on their stroller attachments, so I snatched some up before I would have a chance to regret it. One that I've been wanting for some time was the removable fanny pack/drink carrier.

The other was a pair of nifty saddle bags. They are spacious enough to hold all kinds of things and can be removed. We sometimes take them off and attach them to our bikes when we go for a ride (because anyone with a child knows there's always loot to bring along). They also make the stroller look super industrious. I love them!

The cover over the bar is called a Bumpaloop , and the lady that makes them was taking maternity leave and she gave out the last call for custom orders. That's why this one couldn't wait :)

It protects the bar underneath from tears or stains, and attached to the cover are ribbon tags that the baby or kid can play with.

And the most exciting addition is the pram liner by Liana Simpson Designs in Australia. It took three weeks for this to arrive but it was so worth it! This particular one is from last year's summer collection (yes I've wanted it that long) that kind miss Liana reserved for me on her etsy shop. She just came out with a whole new collection which is pretty awesome (I'm thinking another one for the double seat?).

Did I mention that it's reversible?

For all the walking we do, and time spent at the park and other places, I am so glad that we can tote our kiddo in something that is multi-functional, chic, and convenient. I've tried to convince my friends looking for a stroller that this is a great pick, and I really mean it :)

coupons

2011-07-13T20:29:00.001-06:00

I have just recently gotten into the MADNESS that is couponing, and let me tell you it is NOT as easy as it looks. But when done right, it truly pays off! I'm still not very good at it and still end up spending more money than anticipated but each time I get a little more thrifty :)

This last week a good friend from the ward who is a coupon queen helped me out a bit and helped me understand what I was doing. A few days later I put her advice to use and well, I won't say how much I spent but I CAN say that every single thing was either free or a REALLY good discounted price being on sale combined with my coupons. I was so thrilled!

One thing I've learned about using coupons is that you should never buy stuff just buy it at a good price, so I only get those things that I know we'll have need of. It's been very rewarding to have the luxury of just grabbing an extra something off our shelf at home when we need it but don't have the time or energy to go to the store.

Over the course of being married, case lot sales, all other kinds of sales, and couponing our little family of 3 has acquired LOTS of stuff...and then about 6 months back Jonathan and I made the goal to build up a solid food storage. We've been shoving things in the crevices here and there, and I got to the point today where I didn't want to look at another box of cereal stuffed in between other boxes of who-knows-what. So we got this awesome storage shelf at Home Depot and it has made me sooooooo happy. I could just stare at it all day.

How wonderful to have everything in one spot and all organized! Who cares that I have to sleep next to canned vegetables? NOT ME! haha...actually, I really envy a garage :)

his kind of fun

2011-07-09T08:37:00.000-06:00

There's a lot of things that Talmage thinks are pretty fun, but to top the list is definitely being OUTSIDE.

He loves going to the park, and especially riding the carousel! (I know he doesn't look too enthused but I promise when the camera is off he's bouncing and laughing!)

He also loves to play in his pool! This boy could spend hours in the water...his favorite thing to do in the pool is throw all of his toys out, climb out of the pool to get them, and throw them back. haha. I don't know where he comes up with these things.

Another favorite is climbing! He tries to climb onto EVERYTHING! So we bought him this little camp chair and he loves to climb up into it, put his milk in the sippy holder, and read a good book :)

And after all that play play play this silly boy loves his sleep- which I am SO grateful for. Luckily he sleeps so darn well these days that we hardly get up at night anymore. And he takes awesome naps (most of the time).
The other day I found this vinyl lettering for half price and couldn't pass it up. I've always wanted to do something like this in his room but well...I am a penny pincher to say the least. The vinyl doesn't stick very well so we shall see how long it lasts...

No other saying could be more true! I love my son so much and I love him even more for all the energy and excitement he brings into the day!

4th of July!

2011-07-05T08:56:00.001-06:00

I love this holiday. It has always been one of my favorites. I just love getting together with family and friends and eating good food, the fireworks, and everything else!

This year we kept ourselves pretty busy! We started the day with the 4th of July Parade here in town on Main Street. I was really impressed with it- there were actually horse-drawn carriages and dancers and bands and all kinds of other things. We were smack in the middle of Main with awesome seats so it was really neat to watch!

Talmage was content sitting in his stroller until the fire trucks and marching band came by, then he wanted to jump up and down!

For me, the best part of the parade was watching all the little kids run out into the street and try to catch candy being thrown from the floats. Kids are too funny...

Then we came home, put T down for a nap (he was EXHAUSTED) and I made deviled eggs to bring to the lunch bbq at our friends apt, the Bradleys. :) A whole lot of people came and the food was superb. It was nice just sitting out in the warm sun and soaking up the day!

This is the most expensive thing Talmage has ever worn- daddy's sunglasses! haha... He really loves them :)

When we got home from that I made macaroni salad and flag cake for our last event of the day- dinner and fireworks with our friends the Tataipus. They moved a few weeks ago and we've really missed them :(

Here's my flag cake! I thought it turned out pretty good!

It was great to see our friends, including some families from our ward, and Talmage especially loved playing with his buddy Kai again :)

At the end of the day we were very tired, but pleased with all the fun things we could do as a family :) I am very grateful that Jonathan had the day off (he was scheduled to work but his boss gave him the day off). I love this country and the freedoms that come with it, and I really love my husband and sweet baby boy. We are truly blessed!!

books, books, & more books!

2011-06-30T09:12:00.000-06:00

Every morning after I take Talmage out of his crib, he does the same thing. He pulls out his bucket of books. I leave the room for a few minutes to do some morning chores and when I peek my head around his door, what do I see? BOOKS! Everywhere. He takes one out, flips through it briefly, tosses it aside, repeat. Pretty soon his room is covered with them. Fortunately he only digs into the board book bucket and not the paper book one. Sometimes I catch him babbling to himself as he turns the pages, almost like he is reading them to himself! It is so funny...but cute :)

It's nice for me, too, that he so easily entertains himself. And when Jonathan or I say "Want to read a book?" he actually climbs into our laps! ahh :) sweet sweet boy, I don't think there's a time I love him more than when he does that....or when he sleeps, haha.

Thank goodness for books! My son just can't get enough!

And on a totally random note, I just had to post this picture...I'm pretty sure it's my favorite one by far.

His first time on the big boy potty. I'm sure he was thinking something like, "What am I supposed to do now?"

feeling like a fatty

2011-06-17T16:31:00.000-06:00

For some reason these days I just feel fat. Or maybe bloated. Either way, it has motivated me to start eating healthier and getting on an exercise routine. I've decided to implement these goals: (its not much, but it's a start!)

1. No matter what I WILL eat breakfast!
This is probably my least favorite meal because I always feel so gross and groggy in the morning. I've realized that this could be caused by my poor diet so hopefully it will change! I want to feel energized and ready for the day, not eager to lay down on the couch while my son watches cartoons...

2.I will exercise for at least 20 minutes every day.
Okay, let's be honest...I hate exercising. And when I do the whole "workout" thing I usually end up sore and miserable and unmotivated to do it anymore. But I've found one that I like by Denise Austin that is just moderate enough for me. Afterwards I actually feel GOOD! Its a miracle!

3. Ride my bike.
I just got a new bike, so I'm more determined than ever to ride. We also have a bike trailer that pulls Talmage as we ride so I really have no excuse!

4. Cut down on sugar.
I have been eating a lot of sweets these days for reasons that I'd rather not go into, and its taking a toll on my energy. I plan to seriously cut back on the sugar highs and substitute it with foods like fruit and yogurt.

That's it for now so we will see if it makes a difference! My main goal here is not really vanity but a desire to be healthy and fit so that I can play with my son and raise him the right way. I want to have the energy to keep up with his 90 mph playing speeds, and look forward to getting up each morning to his cheery face. I love that boy so much- there are no words to describe!

these days...

2011-06-12T10:02:00.000-06:00

There isn't much going on, to be honest. Every day is mostly the same, but I like it that way. I thrive on ROUTINE. :)

Jonathan is still busy at work with the Forest Service. He enjoys it when he gets to be out in the forest and I enjoy the wildflowers that he brings back for me :)

This last week he took his first ever business trip to Twin Falls where he certified to give out tickets and stuff. He stayed in super fancy hotel and had a room all to himself. He also got his meals paid for. SO basically he was pampered for a whole week. I really missed him but I'm glad that he got a little vacation...it can get stressful at home sometimes! His boss also switched his off days to Tuesday and Wednesday. That means I take Talmage to church by myself-augh! haha... when is my vacation?

And actually- I will have my turn at the end of July. Talmage and I are going home to Louisiana for a whole week! I am so excited! I really miss my family and Talmage has grown up so much since they saw him last.

About that boy! Well he is becoming a pro at signing some new words like "more", "please", and "baby". He also understands "hug", "sleep", "happy", and "strong". I am so proud of our little guy! He just gets cuter every day :)
There was an incident a few nights ago that totally freaked me out. Somehow Talmage found a way to get out of his crib...but he went head first and landed on his face. I was in the living room when I heard the bloodcurdling scream. When I went in there he was curled up in a little ball on the floor screaming his lungs out. When you are that small, falling from the height of a crib could be very painful. I'm just glad he didn't snap his neck.
Here you can see his boo-boo's :(

We lowered the mattress so that it nearly touches the floor. I don't think he will be getting out again for a while!

And me? Well I am keeping busy with some sewing projects like these couch pillows:

I'm also working on an apron with this fabric:

And if the days keep being warm, sunny, & beautiful we will soon have some tomatoes and strawberries growing! Our little garden failed miserably last year so this is our second attempt :) Fingers are crossed...

something blue

2011-06-04T12:22:00.001-06:00

I have a new-found love for all things blue.
I don't know how it happened, but I would guess it all started with the bathroom.

I took a big leap out of my comfort zone when I tore down those silky red curtains of ours and turned our bathroom into a beach haven. But it brightened up the small space and cheered my mood.

And then I turned Talmage's nursery into a blue room. Before he had green curtains, then yellow...but it didn't seem BOY enough. So I put up light blue sheers, pulled his baby blankets from the closet, and added a fun little rug and some other things.

Remember those Anthropologie-inspired lamps I made a while back? When I saw this fabric I knew I could do something with it to match them...

And that's just what I did!

I thought that maybe the madness has stopped until I saw this darling laundry room decor at a boutique...I had to have them!

Maybe its the lack of sunshine in these here parts that is making me crazy for a little brightness...all I know is that I can't get enough!

What color do you just love in your home?

edit: hours after writing this post I even changed my blog background to blue. Have I gone mad?

about a boy

2011-05-17T09:54:00.002-06:00

It is probably about time for an update on our little guy:)

I can't even believe how fast he's learning, like a sponge- just soaking it all up!

age:13 months
weight: 23+ lbs

he speaks:
da-da, mom, yeah, God, and the rest is gibberish :)

he signs:
brush teeth, eat, all done, milk, fish

(we are working on: more, please, thank you, dog, bird)

he understands:
go outside, ball, book, bellybutton, mouth, eyes, hair, kisses, hug, bath, hungry/snack, drink, nap-time, truck, shoes, "can I have it please?"(in regards to sharing)

His very favorite thing now is reading his books. He will lay face-down on his rug and browse through the collection. He also loves sharing with anyone who is near and hugging other kids. He doesn't hug us so much, but if there's someone his size he sees it fit I suppose! We are trying to get him to say HI and BYE, but it hasn't registered yet :) He just smiles. haha.

I should also mention that his hair is all blonde now. Jonathan and I both had blonde hair when we were little and it darkened a few years later, so I think Talmage will follow the trend.

Its lots of fun being this boy's parents and we look forward to the days ahead!

lions & tigers & bears, oh my!

2011-05-15T20:44:00.000-06:00

Did you know there was a zoo in Idaho Falls? I didn't! At least not until a few weeks ago. I had googled local, fun attractions for kids and the Tautphas Zoo popped up. All the reviews said that it was such a great little zoo with a bunch of animals. So this weekend we took a visit with our good friends the Tataipus. They have a little boy named Kai about the same age as Talmage. It was a beautiful day and a grand time!

Here's Ashleigh and I with our boys and twin strollers :)

the two amigos watching flamingos...

pondering at "pelican pier"

I'm not really sure what this animal is...

three ducks in a row

peacock!

its hard to see but he is looking through the cage of a lion and lioness! they are lounging in the background.

zebras

this monkey stared at Jonathan for a long time...

This was the last thing of the day and the COOLEST! an otter came right up to Talmage to say hello and they nearly touched noses through the glass. Luckily Jonathan was camera-ready :)

mother's & dad's days

2011-05-14T17:16:00.000-06:00

Mother's Day was great this year. On Saturday my sweetheart surprised me by leaving little notes around the apartment that said sentimental things :) It seemed like with each one I would cry a little more...usually I'm not such a sap but I guess my emotions were already high that day. The last note was stuck onto my present- a grand and beautiful headboard! This was a project we had been gathering materials for but he secretly got the rest of them and built it for me. It looks white in the picture but its actually a light cream color to match our bedspread :)

I loved the end result! On the note, it said "May this gift remind you at the end of the day of all these things (and more) you add to my life and our children; which make you the great mother that you are." It makes more sense having read the previous notes....haha...but it was really sweet and I was blown away at his creativity :)

The next day Talmage got all dressed up his lil suit (a gift from his Mimi!) and he looked so adorable...I couldn't help but smile each time I saw him running down the hall in that get-up. The pants were a little loose in the rump haha...

At church all the women got pink roses. It was a good reminder that all women, mothers or not, can be great influences on those around them. I admire many gals in the ward for their nurturing qualities, genuine concern for others, and wholehearted devotion to the gospel. I only hope that I can exemplify that someday. To those women I say THANK YOU and never stop being you.

Tomorrow is Jonathan's birthday, but we celebrated a few days early. We ate out at T.G.I.F and I pretended that I left something in the car. When I came back I presented him with his birthday gift! He was like a little boy on Christmas morning :)

Hooray! A new hat and wading boots with interchangeable soles (he's wanted those boots for SO long). Happy birthday sweetie!

and these are just some fun pics of Talmage enjoying his bowlful of noodles :)

We just love him so much!!!

summer beginnings

2011-05-06T10:18:00.001-06:00

Rexburg's weather is...well, in one word...unpredictable!

Not even kidding, a few weeks ago this is how much we had to bundle up Talmage on our our daily walk to the mailbox.

and as we were walking back, there were tiny snow flurries falling all around us. Yeah, it would be safe to say I was near to blowing a gasket.

But then, all of a sudden, the sun came out and we've had GORGEOUS days. Finally an opportunity to use our new bike trailer :)

We're pretty sure he likes riding in it, even though he always pulls a really funny face as he's bumping along the road.

He especially loves to take Mr. Gruffles along...(yes, I caved in to the pillow pets...it is a long story but basically, when I tried to put him back on the shelf Talmage was NOT having it)

In other news, if anyone is wondering what is new with us, Jonathan works full-time with the Forest Service 8-5, Monday-Friday. He has the weekends off for now but in the next month his 2 days off will switch to the middle of the week. I am NOT looking forward to spending my Sundays alone, especially hauling little guy to church and handling him by myself through all 3 meetings. It is a challenge even now with both of us there. I usually have to stash a few dum-dums (and MANY other snacks) in my purse to keep Talmage happy. Even then he always wants to be on the move and play (or hit) the other kids. When Sacrament meeting starts its his naptime so we're lucky if we get to take the sacrament at all. Oh well, only 5 more months till I get to hand him over to Nursery! :D Don't get me wrong, I love church. And I really love dressing up Talmage in his cute little vests and bow-ties too...sometimes its just sooooo stressful. hahaha...

I also babysit a cute little 6 month old named Madeline twice a week. It used to be every day but her daddy found he was able to be home with her :) She is so so adorable and really gets along with Talmage. Once, Talmage had overslept his nap and so I put her in his crib and let her wake him up. When he saw her in there, he got really smiley and cute and handed her his stuffed giraffe. It was so stinkin cute :)

I think this summer will be loads of fun :)

lindsey poo is twenty-two

2011-04-27T21:48:00.000-06:00

When I was two, my parents made a cake for me that said "Lindsey poo is 2" and well let's just say that for my life thereafter I was OFTEN referred to as LINDSEY POO, (not a name I totally love) especially by my two older brothers.

The name has stuck with me and Jonathan even calls me "Lindsey poo" at times. So, this year, he insisted that I re-live that birthday scenario.

I guess I won't have to deal with that happening again for at least another 10 years :)

It was a great birthday overall. Simple, but great. I got to stay home with my favorite little boy and await the return of my favorite man :D He got me a new Camelbak water bottle (to take with me on all the summer adventures we will have of course!) He filled it with my favorite candy, plain m&ms.

and some very pretty flowers :)

And Talmage? well, he gave the greatest gift of all. He slept in :)

A while ago my mom got this fabulous purse and I was very jealous, so for my birthday she bought me one too in a different color, along with a new wallet! Now we are twinkies. I love it! Thanks ma!

I especially love the wrapped rosette in the middle :)

I thought I would have to swear off purses when I had a baby, but everything that fit in my diaper bag fits quite nicely in this bag! so, yeah, I get to put it to good use!

For dinner we had crawfish chowder (the last of our remaining stash from Louisiana. how sad!) and then cherry cheesecake for desert. I never liked cake, so my mom used to make this for my birthday every year. She knows me so well.

It wasn't as good as mama's, but it did the job :)

And thanks to my two friends who brought me yummy cupcakes! There were lovely and a wonderful little treat!

And to end this post, let me share with you the song that was in my head the whole day.

It is indeed a *very* good life.

Easters!

2011-04-24T18:02:00.001-06:00

Easter is one of my favorite holidays, and for a few different reasons. I love all the bright colors and rain showers and spring flowers. I love the symbolism of rebirth and especially the time of reflection over Jesus Christ's atonement. This time of year is also great because we get to celebrate all 3 of our birthdays! (Talmage, April 14th--Lindsey, April 26th--Jonathan, May 12th)

This Easter was pretty swell. On Saturday we had a fun ward picnic, and afterwards we took Talmage to see the Easter Bunny at Broulims...haha. Yes, we did go to the grocery store just to get a picture. Turns out Mr. Bunny was a cashier, so we bought some stuff to look like we really needed to be checked out, then casually asked him to pose with our son.

Talmage was in awe of the soft furry thing holding him.

They even had a real bunny!

Then this morning we had our baskets all full of goodies, and Talmage could hardly believe his bucket was full of stuff just for him!

He got blocks, bubbles, bunny ears, a slinky, a fuzzy chicken, a t-shirt with Dad's lucky number on it, and a bunch of empty eggs :) We didn't fill them until the "egg hunt".

Our church starts at 1:00, so we had plenty of time to go up to the gardens and take some pictures :) It was REALLY bright sunny outside, meaning weird shadows everywhere and hardly any smiles from the little guy, but I tried my best to get some good shots.

We did a lil egg hunt and I filled his eggs with gold fish, raisins, and miniature m&ms.

The rest of the pics are on Facebook :)

And to end this Easter weekend Jonathan & I cooked a gigantic pot roast. We are joining some friends tonight for dinner and I'm sure we'll have fun as we always do :)
I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter holiday!

oo la la

2011-04-19T10:38:00.001-06:00

I have been drooling over this newly discovered website, thevintagepearl.com

Aren't they beautiful? All of the jewelery is made of sterling silver and freshwater pearls.

These would make perfect gifts for Easter, Mother's Day, birthday..all of which are coming up! (hint hint, J...) Did I mention that they are all so stunning? I especially adore this wrapped pearl ring.

love it!

birthday bonanza!

2011-04-17T18:34:00.000-06:00

Talmage's first birthday party was a smashing hit! We had good friends, good food, and rockin decorations :)

the invite:

the guests:
(all the husbands were outside grillin and chatting)

and of course little Ella, Talmage's girly friend :)

the decor:

(we played this soundtrack during the whole party. I love the fun songs for kids and who doesn't love Jack Johnson?)

the food:
We had a BBQ chicken lunch with some yummy sides. Allow me to share!
First, this punch is the most delicious I've ever had.

to make: 1 can Welch's white grape raspberry juice (undiluted), 1 bottle pineapple soda, crushed ice. Amazing!

This is my mom's macaroni salad that always reminds me of summer and picnics. It is always good and even better as leftovers.

to make: cook 16 oz. ditalini pasta, let cool, and add in...chopped olives, chopped dill pickles, 1/4 cup chopped onions, salt & pepper, garlic powder, 8-10 hardboiled eggs chopped up, 2-3 cups light mayo.

and because we did primary colors for the party, I also served up a big bowl of coordinating colorful fruit :)

the gifts:
Talmage was pretty spoiled with birthday presents... his grandma got him a swim outfit and awesome church shirt (also a onesie!), which he rocked today at church! my little stud!

thank you Grandma Dennett! And then he got MORE presents from all the nice people at the party! goodness gracious :)

his first soccer ball!

yay, sidewalk chalk!

It took him a while to get used to the whole opening presents thing...

Bubbles and a super bubble blow-gun from Emily & Kevin!

Our good friends Ashleigh & Logan were unable to come but they were so nice to get him a present anyways. Thank you for the bath boat!!! :) Talmage LOVES it!

Stuffed animals from Rachel & Tim!

At some point Jonathan tried to re-attach Talmage's party hat...the elastic string accidentally snapped on his wee nose and he was NOT happy...hahaha.

After re-situating in Mommy's lap, tears mostly gone, he opened some more fun presents!

Cute pj's from Nicole & Ella!
and from Mom & Dad he got lots of clothes, socks, a "magic writer",bath toys, and these awesome blocks.

We also made him some fleece blankets :)

with some added funky trim

After the party was over and the birthday boy had a nice long nap, we presented him with his very own birthday cake. He was a little wary at first but once he had that frosting on his lips he just went to town on it!

it got pretty brutal, and we had to bust out the paper towels :)

and then out of nowhere, he pushed it away! "No more cake, I am DONE!"

the damages?

And of course he had to top it off with some finger-painting in the remaining mess...

Bath time!

he loves his new tubby toys :)

And that was it! I had all this built-up stress about his birthday...the anxiety of him growing a year old and not being a baby anymore kept eating away at me. But I realized at the end of the day that he was still just a silly little boy who always puts a smile on my face. He will continue to be happy and healthy, and that's what is important. I love you, Talmage! (even if you do poop in the clean bath water that was *supposed* to cleanse you of cake crumbles...)

one whole year

2011-04-14T08:41:00.001-06:00

I have a toddler now? Really? My sweet darling baby boy is no longer a "baby" in technical terms, but I will always think of him as one. This past year has been the most memorable in my whole life. Motherhood has matured and re-shaped me, and the blessings that come with watching a child grow are priceless. It has tried my patience to no end, but this has made me stronger as a wife & mother. I am so thankful that Heavenly Father has entrusted us with such a wonderful,happy human being.

Today Talmage is one year old. Here are some fun facts about our spunky lil dude:

words:
da-da, mum, yeah, God :)
(and the inaudible ones) guya guk, bulla boi, wayyyyyyy

signs:
eat, all done, milk

favorite food:
chocolate chip pancakes, raisins, blueberries, goldfish, pasta, dum-dums, pizza, fruit loops, chocolate milk.

favorite shows:
Sesame Street
Friends
Curious George
Cat In The Hat

other:
LOVES to dance, claps hands, whistles, walks and almost runs, laughs hysterically when scared, plays peek-a-boo with anyone that will look at him, reads his books aloud (gibberish of course), is intrigued with his bellybutton, kisses, likes to hit and kick (we are working on this one...), six teeth, waves, loves patty-cake, size 4 diapers!

weight: 20.3 lbs (lil chubber)
height: not sure, his doc apt. isn't until the 19th. but he's usually in the 75th percentile.

Happy happy birthday son! We love you!!!

i'm cheesy

2011-04-11T20:23:00.001-06:00

I have a weird confession.

This is awkward for me, but, okay, well I'll just come out with it.

I'm SUPER cheesy.

I've noticed this more this last week. I love to watch tv shows and movies that make me cry. The other night I watched this movie called "Listen to your heart" and it got really sad near the end. I looked over at Jonathan with my bottom lip out and said, "Here I go, I'm gonna cry now" and he said "yep" because he KNOWS me. He knows I do this with just about every thing I watch. I make sure to tell him so that he knows not to look at me (I hate it when he watches me cry because I pull this really cheesy face).

Also...

Jonathan and Talmage have both been sick these last few days. Taking care of my baby boy is one thing, I'm used to the Tylenol drops and humidifying his room and such. But when Jonathan gets sick I like to pamper him. Like REALLY pamper...he is so spoiled. Like I said this is weird for me to say out loud but yes, I treat my sick husband as if he were a tiny ill child who can't do anything for himself. I draw his bath complete with salts and bubbles, turn the lights down and light candles, put on Enya, lay a cloth behind his head as he lies there so pitiful. I put clean clothes on the toilet and shut the door. I make him tea and tuck him into bed, let him sleep in as long as he likes and get things done. You must know that normally I don't do these things--only when he is sick. And I haven't even gone into the majority of it...And I LOVE it. weird, right?

well, hubs is out of the bath so to the teapot I go!

"Tight Wad Crafts": glammed-up wipes & baby bow ties

2011-04-10T10:31:00.002-06:00

Moms, wanna glam up your wipes case?

It is super easy! Here's what you do:
(ps- I find the Huggies wipes cases much easier to work with)
1. Pick out some fun fabric. Those "fat squares" are the perfect size and you have plenty of scrap left over. Then pick out some ribbon & buttons of your liking.
2. Cut the fabric to size around the wipes case. It doesn't have to be perfect because the ribbon will cover the edges anyway. Hot glue the front and back pieces of fabric onto the case.
3. Hot glue your ribbon around all edges. Then glue one strip across the front.
4. Glue those adorable buttons on and you're done!

For a while I've wanted to make some baby bow ties for Talmage, but haven't found a tutorial that I liked. The other night as I was trying to fall asleep I came up with a way to do it that was simple and fast! Those are really the best projects, haha... and since Talmage's birthday is this weekend and Easter is coming up, I thought not only would this make a cute b-day present but look fabulous in some Easter Sunday pictures! The best part is that I got to use up some of my scraps.

Here is my very own tutorial! (sorry for the poor quality pictures)

Right sides facing in, I sewed a trim as close to the edge as possible. Start near the middle, leaving about two fingers width open at the end of the trim.

Snip the loose threads and corners, avoiding the stitches.

Take a skewer or long pointy of some sort to the corners.

Here is a better picture of what the finished piece looks like.

Now that piece is done, set it aside.
Next cut out a smaller strip, about this big folded in half or double the width of what you want the center to be.

Right side out and folded in half, sew the edge then snip loose threads.
Press both pieces with your iron. The smaller strip should be pressed so that the seam is in the middle of the back, like so.

Take the bigger strip and pinch it to make your bow tie shape. You will pinch where the gap is to conceal it. It should fold itself towards the back so that it is unseen. Add a dot of glue on the back where the open seam is and attach one end of the smaller strip. Wrap it around and end it on the back side with another glue dab.

Attach an alligator clip with felt backing on the backside of your finished bow tie.

Add another tiny piece of felt to the metal part that will be touching baby's skin.

And there you are.

because I eyeballed it when I cut out the strips, they turned out to be different sizes. but I actually like the variety :)

see that pink one? it turned out the best because it's flannel, which is naturally soft and poofy. just a tip :)

Who says little boys can't have accessories?

in full bloom

2011-04-06T12:31:00.000-06:00

Spring is finally here (sort of) and it has made me a little flower crazy. There aren't actual flowers popped out of the ground yet, so I've made do with fabric ones :)

Remember that rosette necklace I wanted to make? I kept looking around for a cheap long necklace to attach them to, but frankly there are none. So I pulled out some scrap ribbon and used that instead. Here it is!

and my attempt to take a glamour shot with it...

It was pretty simple. I used hot glue on shorter pieces of ribbon to attach the rosettes on the back.

and knotted it in the back. easiest necklace ever! (not that I've EVER made one before)...

and here the pics of those other flower broaches I promised...

I love the vintage buttons...my favorite is the cameo, which I dug out of the bargain button bin at Porters! that means I paid less than 1/4 of a cent for it!
and I don't really like the hot pink one...but I thought it might be good for Valentines day?

I should mention that for all of these I used just needle and dual duty thread. If you make small x's with your thread as you hand stitch, the fabric will bunch itself up, giving it more volume. Some fabrics are more stubborn and you have to make your x's quite large. Then just stitch on the buttons and all those x's will be covered. I glued felt circles on the backs, along with a safety pin.

crossing my fingers for warmer weather to come soon! I am so over the gusty 30 mph winds!

Conference weekend!

2011-04-03T14:02:00.000-06:00

This time around for Conference we stayed in our home and watched General Conference on our tv. I like to have my hands busy while I listen to the talks, it helps me tune in better. Yesterday Jonathan helped me make these delicious seven layer bars. They are oh so yummy and fattening (and super quick to make).

Recipe?

Melt 1/4 cup butter in pan on low heat.
Add 2 or more cups of graham cracker crumbs and 2 tbs. sugar to melted butter.
Spread mixture on bottom of 13x9 pan, pressing it firm and even.
This is the fun part! Add however many chocolate, peanut butter, white chocolate, or butterscotch chips as you like on top. You may also add walnut bits (I always do- they give a nice crunch!)
Pour one 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk evenly on top. You may add some coconut flakes and mini chocolate chips on top of this to make them even more fancy.
Cook for 25-30 min. at 350 degrees and wallah! I highly recommend letting them cool for about half an hour in the fridge before eating, otherwise they are way too gooey and hard to eat.

And during today's morning session I made these wall decor squares. We needed something on the blank wall above our couch, and this was the perfect cheap project.

I got a killer deal on the 3 art canvasses- they were less than $10 all together! The paint was acrylic.

I painted the canvasses brown with 2 coats for a dark even finish.

And after I painted them they looked like this: (keep in mind that I am no artist!)

This one doesn't look so orange in person, it is more copper.

I've never used metallic paint before but I really love how it turned out. The paint reflects sunlight nicely and kinda shimmers.

I also made some more flower broaches last week, but I will save those for another post. I hope everyone enjoyed listening to all the Conference talks this weekend. There were some that I definitely needed to hear. I am so thankful for the leaders, apostles and prophet that head up this gospel. They are inspiring people!

"Tight Wad Crafts": garden mirror

2011-03-26T19:57:00.002-06:00

I found this plastic wicker mirror at D.I. for $5. It was cream-colored, really dirty, and in dire need of some tlc. Still at first glance I thought it was quite pretty!

First I took out the glass part and cleaned the wicker with a damp rag. It was a little time-consuming but well worth it! Then I cleaned the glass with some spray. good as new :)

Jonathan spray painted (he always does this part, I hate spray painting because of the smell) the rim a metallic caramel color.

I really loved this color for the mirror. It goes well with our decor and looks great at the end of the tiny hallway that is the only hallway in our apartment.

It even shimmers a little!

love it!

On another note, a friend told me about this home decor store a few streets down called Real Deals. It's only open Thursdays and Saturdays during select hours of the day, so I went on Thursday and was blown away! It is the most awesome hole-in-the-wall decor outlet ever. I dragged Jonathan in there with me today and he bought me a wall clock as an early birthday present. Our kitchen is sort of french themed, so it fits perfectly.

I just can't believe that this store has existed so close to us for all this time and I've never been in it until this week! I will be visiting frequently from now on :D

good news

2011-03-21T20:41:00.000-06:00

You know how sometimes in Relief Society someone announces it is "good news minute" and who would like to share theirs? Well I never raise my hand because either I think my good news only qualifies as such to myself, or I'm worried people will think I'm bragging. But on my blog I don't really care what people will think...haha. So, here are my "good news moments" for the week.

1. Finally it has arrived! These babies are on back order from Phil & Teds, but on AMAZON (a godsend for sure) there are about 8 of them from various retailers in the U.S. I snagged one up in a jiffy and it delivered super fast! Talmage is happy, too :)

He especially loves to make messes in his lobster. Especially if those messes include chocolate-chip pancakes!

2. After 19 months of being up to our necks in debt we are finally debt-free! This is mainly due to our tax returns :) We are going to more closely manage how we use our credit cards from now on, and as for now they are tucked away in a secret place where we won't be tempted to use them! We will probably only use them for medical emergencies now, since I don't have Health Insurance and Jonathan's isn't the best. It truly feels like a weight has been lifted! I don't even care that we can't afford some of the luxuries I wish we had because at least we don't owe anyone money!

3. Talmage is almost one year old and for some reason this makes me very excited. I will be able to say that I have a TODDLER instead of a baby. weird. but exciting!

4. Remember when I said that I have lost 10 lbs. since starting my workout? :) strangely my mom has ALSO lost 10 lbs. while training for her last marathon, and even MORE strange is that now we weigh the same! This is good news to me simply because it is cool. ha ha.

5. Jonathan got a job for the summer! He will return to work for the Forest Service as he did last summer, with a possibility of higher pay and more time on the river. We were so relieved when they called to tell him. For a while it was up in air because they weren't sure they would have the funding for a seasonal hire, but they promised if they did they would offer the position to him. We weren't completely hopeful that they meant it, but sure enough they must have seen something in Jonathan last summer that they liked! I am so proud of his good work ethic-without it our family would not be this blessed :)

Anyone else have some good news?