Shop Online Much?

I know that I probably should have posted on this before Christmas but since I figure I'm not the only one scooping up some online deals in the after-Christmas sales I'd post it now. I subscribe to a bunch of blogs and about 4-5 are them are money saving blogs. About 2 months ago one of them had a link to sign up for Ebates. I checked it out and I'm pretty glad I did. I don't shop online much, but here's how it works.

1. You go to their website and sign up - all you need is an email and password. They'll even give you $5 to start out with just for signing up.

2. When I shop online I go to their website and find my store in their listing. No matter where I have shopped lately, my stores have always been on the list. Motherhood Maternity, Drugstore.com, Amazon.com, Wal-Mart.com - seriously pretty much everybody is there. Besides just having a store listing they also have a coupon section where you can look up your store and see if they have any coupons or deals listed - like free shipping on my Drugstore.com order.

3. Once you find their store you click on it and it will bring up a tracking ticket and then take you to their storefront where you shop as usual. After you make a purchase a certain percentage of your purchase price is added to your account.

4. Ebates keeps track of your cash-back and sends you a "big fat check" quarterly. So far I've only earned about $15.00 cash back but, hey that's $15 I wouldn't have had if I hadn't shopped through them, right? I think I've only made 3 purchases with them too so it isn't too bad.

Honestly it is pretty easy or I wouldn't bother. All it takes is one more step, going to eBates first, before shopping and you get some money back. Not too shabby. So, if you want to give it a try click on this link and get signed up! Happy online deal finding!

Christmas Grown Up

I will try to get a post up with Christmas pictures soon I promise. See, we have a memory problem with our computer at home and are constantly running on the lowest available disk space possible so uploading pictures to our computer at home isn't really an option. Anyone feeling bad for me right now and want to buy me an external hard drive, or a new computer? Yeah didn't think so. So until I find a place to upload those pictures I'll just post a (hopefully) quick recap of Christmas. And yes, I am ecstatic it is over!

We went down to my mom and dad's house on Christmas Eve and got a chance to stop by and see Kasidee, James and Bentlee for a minute. Oh my word that girl is adorable! I told Logan he needed to impress his future inlaws because he's going to have a LOT of competition. It was so good to see them and it made me realize I need to make a bigger effort to see my friends - they only live 45 minutes away - 2 minutes from my mom's house!

Lisa and Joe came over too and we had a great dinner. My mom always outdoes herself and even if she forgot the pineapple bread everyone was super stuffed on ham, 2 kinds of potatoes, broccoli, rolls and from scratch cheesecake. We watched a really cool movie about Christ coming to the Americas and Logan woke up so we knew it was present time. I think everyone was more than happy with the goods they got - I know I was. I got a kitchen slicer that I can't wait to use and used the money they gave me to buy a cute pair of boots (and another pair when I can find the right ones!). Dave got .17 bullets that he loves and bought some games for his Playstation with his money. Logan was spoiled with books and puzzles. We were so happy to get new books since we end up reading them over and over daily.

Unfortunately there was a storm brewing so we had to leave my mom's fairly early to head up to Panguitch. Logan fell asleep on the way there but woke up once we got there and there was no stopping him after that. We stayed up and played Mario Kart and Golf on the Playstation. I tried to put Logan down finally at about midnight and had no luck. There was no way he was sleeping with stuff still going on. I was upset and tired and finally took him out in the snow at 12:30 to get him to sleep. He finally did fall asleep after we drove around the snowy roads for 15 minutes. When we got back and I carried him through the door he woke back up! There was still too much going on but he finally fell asleep and had a restless sleep all night.

We woke up about 7:30 to open presents (too early!) and the boys had a great time even though they didn't want to give up their first gift to open the next ones. I got the perfume I had asked for and a gift card to the mall which I'm excited for and Dave got me the cutest pair of Etnies. He did AWESOME! Dave got more .17 bullets and a little tool set. Logan was spoiled with toys and clothes from grandma and grandpa and toys and a big spring horse from his mom and dad.

We went to the Veater family Christmas breakfast and tried to get Logan to take a nap. Nope! The kid couldn't do it with all the activity and people. The only nap he took was about 4:30 when we drove around for half an hour. When we took him back in the house, he was up and running again. For as little sleep as he got he was still surprisingly happy. He didn't get much sleep that night either. All the adults were watching Uncle Dusty's new movie, The Dark Knight and Logan couldn't sleep with that going on so I had to take him in the other room and hold him on the couch until it was over. I think it is the longest movie ever!

We made it home on Friday and I think everyone was relieved to be home. Dave got to open his present from me, a portable DVD player for camping and fires. I hope he liked it, he said he did but I know he really wanted the ammo/rifle safe for his gun safe. Logan finally napped and we've been recovering ever since.

I'm so thankful for Christmas and the opportunities it gives us to give and receive and think of the Savior. I know that pretty much anyone that was within blogging distance of me the last few weeks must think that I hate Christmas but I don't. I hate how stressful it can be when it should be a time for family and peace and gratitude. I am always grateful for everything I receive and of course for the chance we have to remember our greatest gift - but this year I also was able to realize how thankful I am for the opportunity that we have to grow and mature as well.

At Christmastime I always try to think back to the previous years and how things were different. When you're a kid Christmas is obviously all about you and its great and you think it couldn't be better any other way. I think Dave and I both figured out this year that Christmas is way better when it is all about someone else. This year Logan was old enough that we could really buy him some fun stuff and we loved it. Don't get me wrong I am so thankful for all the great stuff I got, but watching him love his new toys and books is awesome. Christmas is not about tallying the gifts we did or didn't receive, but for for giving and being grateful for what we have. Besides that revelation this year I have noticed that I've gotten better at holding my tongue. There were opportunities that I could have said things or done things to cause more contention but I didn't. For those of you that know me well, that's saying a lot! This last year has been great and challenging at times, like every other year, but it is rewarding to see that this time I have actually learned something from it.

I hope everyone that we were able to visit with over the holidays know how much we appreciate and love them and all they do for us. I also hope that those of you we haven't seen in months and years also know how much we love and miss you. We look forward to a new year with new challenges, new blessings and new opportunities to grow.

So much for SHORT!

Anybody else ready...

to just skip all this holiday jazz?

Can I get a merry hell yeah?

Hi! - Month 18

Well here you are, a year and a half old. You are growing SO fast. So cliche I know, but seriously kid it's like I look at you sometimes and wonder what the heck happened to you overnight. Yesterday we got home from taking a ride around in the snow and you were walking away from me to the kitchen to shut the gate by the stairs and I started to cry. I'm blaming it on the fact that I'm pregnant (it's a good excuse for everything, just wait till you have a wife), but just that view of you as you were walking away hit me really hard. You were so tall, and so capable. I swear you can do anything you want to at this point. It's hard to imagine you when you were a baby and I had to carry you everywhere and do everything for you. Now you are practically my little slave. You put dishes in the sink, throw diapers in the trash, get new diapers out of your room and find your shoes. You put your hat on, you help with your coat, and you tell me when you want something. Just this morning you woke up a little upset and grumpy. I asked you what was wrong and you said "Juice." I said oh, you want some juice and you nodded your head. The small things are amazing to me.

You had your 18 month checkup last Friday. Your stats don't suprise me at all - 27 pounds 10 ounces and 33.75 inches tall. If I remember right you're in the 74th percentile for weight and 89th for height. You're a big kid! You made the doctor laugh so hard at one point. He had already been in to check on you and left to let us wait for the nurse to give you a few shots. I had asked him to give us a 90-day prescription for your vitamins to replace the 30-day one and he came back in to give it to us. You were just playing there in the middle of the room with your back to the door so when the door started to open it scared you. As he opened the door he knocked and you yelled "WHO IS IT?!?!" Holy crap you made that man laugh so hard. He had to go back out in the hall before he could come back in. I was laughing too - partly because of how hard he was laughing and partly because I knew how much he had startled you based on the volume level you had used. I had tears in my eyes as he handed me your prescription. You've never said that before (usually you say come in), so I don't know what made you do it then but you made both our days.

As far as language goes you are still learning a lot. Your grandma is better at challenging you than I am. You have a book that has raccoons in it and one day when I was reading it to you you pointed to the raccoon and said 'dog'. I figured raccoon was a little too advanced for you so I told you good job, it was a dog. Not your grandma. After she had spent the day with you last week I was reading that book to you and you pointed to the raccoon and said "rack-oon". Forgive me for underestimating you - I'll always try to remember that you are going to be way smarter than me.

I think one of the best moments of the last month was when you, your dad and I all went to Home Depot. We wandered around for a minute and decided your dad would come back in the morning to get the sheetrock and we started walking back to the door. As we were walking you stopped and said Hi! to every single person that we passed. It was the best thing ever. It's a crazy time of year and you could tell it had been a long day for a lot of the people in there. You know what I mean... it was like 8:30 on a Friday night and there is always some guy who has been working on a project all day who ran to Home Depot before it closed and just looks like he's had it? Yeah, you made that guy smile. You made the girls at the registers smile. You made pretty much everyone smile. And if they didn't hear you or see you the first time, you would stop and say it again until they looked at you and we made you keep walking. You're a good example of how we should be. Not that I think people would necessarily think it was as cute for a grown woman to stop and say HI! to every person in the store, but I could do more than I do. I could smile at someone if we happen to make eye contact or chat a little more with the person ringing me up at the register. I have a feeling that you're going to be a good example to your mom and dad for the rest of your life and I don't think anything could make me more proud than that.

Love you chubs,
Mom

Oh, and thanks to Lisa D. for posting about http://www.bloggled.com/. If you haven't done so yet, go backup your blog for free today and get entered to win an iPod or Cricket!

Get Ready for a Laugh

I'm getting our Christmas cards ready to go and if you want one and don't think you are on my list let me know. And trust me, I think all 3 of you faithful readers will want one. Lisa took our pictures again yesterday and for some reason the one Dave and Logan look the best in, well, I look like I weigh 200 pounds in. Don't believe me? Stay tuned, you'll see and you'll laugh, cause I still do every time I think about it.


Thanks again Lisa, and I'm blaming the fact that I'm pregnant and trying to tickle my kid while smiling my best for the reason I look so fat - not your camera!

Thanksgiving

So I had great intentions for this weekend, I was going to take my camera so I could post something about our fantastic Thanksgiving. And I forgot. Bet that doesn't surprise any one of my three loyal readers. While I could post a somewhat-less boring post scattered with stock photos, you're just going to get a verbal rundown of our Thanksgiving activities with a couple cellphone pictures to look forward to at the end.

On Thursday we went to my mom's and had a great dinner. I made yeast rolls that actually turned out half decent (which is helped by the fact that I didn't kill the yeast!). We had tons of awesome food and pie and of course we were sent home with tons of tupperware containers filled with leftovers. I wish I could make gravy like my mom. I complained to her that I watched her make gravy for years and I still hadn't mastered it yet. We decided years of practice is her secret ingredient and I will just have to keep working at it. I could eat her mashed potatoes and gravy every day! We were happy that Jean and Marty were able to make it down to hang out with us too. They always liven the party and Dave was absolutely in love with Jean's sweet potatoes!

Friday we woke up and headed to Panguitch to get our Christmas tree. Logan and I shared an orange juice on the way over. I diluted his with water but then I ran out of water so he had straight juice a few times that day which Dave likes to point out is a cardinal sin at our house. He always shakes my head at me when I do it because I always get mad when anyone else does it. But the difference is I only do it in an emergency, like when we're in the truck and Logan is screaming his head off. This story has a point, although I'm not sure anyone wants to get there at this point and I can't say I blame you.

SO.... After we got the tree and enjoyed some leftover turkey sandwiches and a nap (for me anyway!) we headed home. Logan woke up about 20 minutes into our hour drive and just started whining and crying. We knew something was up because he NEVER whines nonstop like that. When we got to Enoch I finally took him out of the carseat to sit on my lap (another cardinal sin). We stopped at Dave's cousin to check on his dog and right as Dave was getting back in the truck Logan puked all over me. Luckily they live only two blocks from our house. Dave jumped out and ran in the house while Derick jumped out and stood in our driveway. This left me in the truck with the puke, the puker, trying not to puke. I was screaming at someone to come let me out of the truck while they both puttered around for what seemed like minutes (probably only seconds). It's all funny to me now but it wasn't then. Poor baby had such a stomach ache from all the orange juice and junk food he'd had over the last couple days. I'm proud of myself for not being a party puker and happy that we have been lucky that although Logan is sick quite a bit he rarely pukes!

Logan had a fun time in the snow when we were getting the trees though. I bought him a snowsuit and some snow boots the other day and he hasn't really tried them out just yet. He was so funny - his boots are too big so he had an even harder time walking. Then when he was back in the truck he just sat there like he couldn't move with this wide eyed look on his face. He's seriously adorable.














And yes, I know this picture is blurry but I was driving and just took it real quick while I was looking at the road - yes, I'm talented (and yes mom, I took a picture while driving, and we survived, and it's the only time I've ever done it or ever will do it). We were on our way to Wal-Mart Saturday morning when I took it. I had been rushing around trying to get out the door before it got too late. See, I'm not a shopper. I don't like crowds and I don't like this time of year when my typically dead early morning shopping trip to Wal-mart becomes crowded with holiday shoppers. So I told Logan we had to be out the door by 8:30 and when I couldn't find the beanie I wanted I just threw the closest one I could find on his head. When we got in the car I found the beanie I wanted and just threw it on his lap so I could put it on him when we got to the store. When I turned around less than a block later I saw him with it on his head. He's getting so good at doing stuff himself and the look of accomplishment on his face is priceless!















That's all for now, I'll try to be better at remembering my camera!

17 Months - Oh shit Logan, oh shit.

You'll have to pardon your mother's language Logan bear, but this is one of the top words your dad and I hear all day. From you. This last month your language skills have exploded, just like some book I read said it would (around month 18 they said, HA! You're ahead of the game once again). You repeat just about everything we say or you hear from anywhere. I have to admit that you may have learned this word from me (and the toy that is supposed to say "Ship"). When I found out you were going to be a big brother back in October you got to be the lucky witness to the great event. I took three tests that all came up negative before I finally took the last one I had left. I was 100% sure it would be negative too, or else I would have waited for your dad to be home (I have a habit of taking pregnancy tests when he isn't home). When the second line showed up I looked at you and kid, you'll have to forgive me (and never tell your younger sibling), I said "Oh shit Logan, oh shit." Yeah, you might have learned it from me, but the good thing is, now that you repeat everything I say I will hopefully break my swearing habit before you are old enough to know they are bad words. Oh, and another good thing, you aren't going to be an only child.

One of the days your Grandma Hillier was here watching you she taught you (among other things), how to say heavy. We had a pumpkin on our front step and when I got home she told you to show me how to pick it up. You obeyed (you never obey me that fast) and put your hands under the pumpkin and strained so hard to pick it up while you said "EAVY!". Your voice was so filled with the effort of trying to lift that pumpkin that we both laughed so hard. Now everything is EAVY and seriously kid, just like everything else you say it is the cutest thing. I discovered yesterday that soup is my favorite word for you to say. I was making us lunch and you kept saying Soup. Soup. Soup. You were a little grumpy and had just woken up so your voice was so soft and the way you said it made me fall in love with the word soup. Speaking of love, your dad has succeeded in teaching you to say love you. It sounds more like "ove-oo" but whatever, we know what you mean.

Uncle Boo and Aunt Bre got in on the action last night when they came over for dinner. You were showing off your talents and physique by trying to climb up the kitchen chairs with no shirt on. You pulled yourself halfway up before your belly got stuck on the chair. We laughed at this for a minute before you let us know how serious the situation was by yelling "STUCK!" This made us laugh harder until finally someone had the goodwill to free you from your discomfort. It really has made life easier the more you talk and I look forward to hearing all the new words you have learned every day. You are well above 50 words by now I'm sure and well, your dad and I think you are a genius with every single one you add to the list.

You are also making the transition into nursery at church. Your dad and I have both recently gotten callings to teach primary/scouts. My class is NUTS. In fact, I told them yesterday that I didn't bring you into class that day because they were teaching you to be crazy. So dad took you to nursery. I wish I could see you in there. I wish I could be the one to take you in there and see how you react, maybe one of the weeks I don't teach I will, but until then I hang on the details your dad gives me. He told me how he took you in there yesterday and you did great. As soon as they brought out the toys you were set and he left. He even told me how when he checked on you through the window he almost got a tear in his eye - and that picture brings a tear to mine too. You did good until you pooped (why do you poop when we are in church?). The nursery leader told you that you stunk and she'd have to find your dad. Uh-oh. Apparently when she said the word dad it reminded you that you do indeed like your dad and oh, by the way, where did he go? When you couldn't find him you cried. I think that made your dad's day, even if he did end up changing a poopy diaper. I think we've even got you out of the habit of sticking your tongue out during the prayer and you actually fold your arms and sometimes I swear you bow your head. Yeah, your dad taught you to stick your tongue out at him during the prayer, he's just like that sometimes. The two of you are pretty cute.

So Logan you are 17 months old. I am going to hang on to 17 months like I did 11 months. 18 months is a big step in my mind. And by the time you have a new brother/sister you are going to be 2. And that's when people stop counting in months. They figure your parents have done well enough now that we don't need to be rewarded by counting every month we've kept you alive. You won't be 24 months, you'll be 2 and I know how fast that time will fly. So until that happens I'm going to hang on 17 months with all I've got. Keep learning, keep growing, but stay 17 months for a while please, because your momma still needs to feel like she's accomplished something by keeping you alive for 17 months.

Ove-oo,
Momma

Family Pictures

So I had the fabulous idea to get everyone together last Sunday and have family pictures. Dave, Logan and I needed to get them done for our family Christmas card and I figured while we were at it we should get some with everyone too. Well, despite our best intentions to color coordinate and comb Logan's hair - the weather did not cooperate. Fortunately for us though, Lisa took the crummy weather in stride and we got a few pictures of us inside. Hopefully we will be able to get some outside in the spring but for now, here's a few for you...

Thanks again Lisa for always being willing to drag out your camera for your insistent sister and thanks mom for dinner. I still drool when I think of the potatoes and gravy and Dave is still raving about your cake (he ate the whole thing you sent up with us!)

Toothpaste in the Toilet - Month 16

Ok kid, more evidence that your mom is a slacker. You've been 16 months for over a week now and I'm just now writing your post. But, more evidence that I love you more than my job is that I am putting off my last piece of work for this week to write this. I have to write this at work because you won't let me near the computer without freaking out if I won't let you pound on the keyboard or click the mouse. Oh wait, you can't click the mouse anymore because after I unplugged it one day after being frustrated with your excessive clicking, you took off with it and it has yet to turn up. You owe your dad a computer mouse. I bought you a keyboard at D.I. for two bucks, soaked it in bleach water and gave it to you. You liked it for about 2 minutes but I think when you realized it wasn't attached to a screen you decided it wasn't much fun. Don't let anyone tell you you aren't smart kid.

This last month you have gone nuts. At night when me and your dad are hanging out you just go crazy. You run around and around. You run from one of our lovely new couches to the next throwing yourself on the edge and getting up and doing it again. That's when you take a break from running back and forth from the kitchen to the living room or running full speed toward your dad and flopping down on his stomach which makes him go "ugh!" every time. I don't blame you for that one kid, I think it's pretty funny too. I encourage this, the longer you run, the more you wear yourself out. I'm a fan of the running around.

You LOVE shoes. It was one of your first words and you've loved shoes for some time. You've gotten really good at putting them on too. Oh wait, no, not your shoes, our shoes. This isn't a 16-month old story, but since it's about shoes I'll include it here. You had probably been walking for a month or two and one night I woke up to the sound of footsteps on our wood floor. I asked your dad what the noise was and he said he didn't know. So, being the brave one, I got up and went out to see who/what was in our kitchen in the middle of the night. It was you. You were in the kitchen with a pair of your shoes on your hands walking along the floor. I laughed one of those laughs when you were so scared of what you'd find that you have to laugh - not to mention it was a funny sight.

So anyway, while your dad was away at a class this week we were hanging out and playing when you disappeared into our room. I figured you were up to no good because you weren't making any noise. Well, until you hit the tile anyway. Then I heard the clomp, clomp, clomp. When you came around the corner I about died. You found my (and your) favorite pair of shoes and somehow you managed to get them both on and walk. These shoes are high heels kid! You put high heels on and walked in them. Oh, and you were naked too, see?

(let all the nasty comments about how it is too cold for a kid to be naked begin)

Last night your dad was out hunting late and it was just me and you hanging out. I was ready for bed at like 7:30 but oh, not you. You were running around, flushing the toilet, throwing half a roll of toilet paper in the toilet, screaming at me when I made you leave the toilet, etc. Then you ran around with another pair of shoes on. Then you played with some actual toys, locked yourself in your room, and finally started to wind down. I was just as worn out as you by the end of it. I got you your bottle (yes, I'm a bad mom and you still have a bottle. Trust me, it is the one ticket to my sanity) and you laid down on your leopard print pillow for bed. You fell asleep fairly quickly and after transporting you to your bed with a "good night, sleep tight" and a couple kisses I went back out to the couch to finish watching my show.

Ten minutes later I went in the bathroom for my bedtime routine and when I lifted the seat on the toilet I found you'd left me one more surprise for the evening. The toothpaste was in the toilet. I fished it out and threw it away with a smile on my face for two reasons:

1) your dad just happened to buy a new tube of toothpaste while he was at his class up north and 2) somehow you always manage to leave your mark on everything you do.

Reason #2 doesn't always make me smile, but when I find the mark you've left after you've gone to bed and you are sleeping so angelically I can't help but laugh. You are one of a kind.

Great 8

8 Favorite TV shows...
1. The Office
2. Grey's Anatomy
3. The Hills
4. Food Network Shows
5. RR/RW challenges
6. I don't get to watch much tv!
7.
8.

8 Favorite Restaurants...
1. Costa Vida
2. Pasta Factory
3. Don Miguels
4. Pizza Hut/Pioneer Pizza
5. Wingers
6. Texas Roadhouse
7. Arby's (French Dips!)
8. Panda Express

8 things that happened yesterday...
1. Got called as a primary teacher
2. Re-arranged the living room
3. Re-arranged our bedroom
4. Unpacked one more box (yep, still unpacking)
5. Went for a ride up the canyon
6. Cooked steak for dinner
7. Made a snow angel
8. Returned our Redbox movie

8 things to look forward to...
1. Logan growing up and learning more stuff
2. Continuing to fix up our house
3. A bigger family (eventually!)
4. Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays
5. Taking Logan trick-or-treating
6. Getting my new couches
7. Eating lunch (I'm starving and running out of ideas)
8. A big vacation someday.

8 things I love about Fall...
1. The temperature
2. The smell of cold air
3. The leaves
4. Halloween and Thanksgiving
5. Pumpkin pie!
6. "Light jacket" weather
7. Cold weather food
8. Hearing leaves crunch when you walk.

8 things on my wishlist...
1. To be a stay at home mom
2. A garage (especially after this morning!)
3. New couches
4. New shoes/clothes
5. A haircut (I need one bad Kas!)
6. A new computer
7. Eating healthier
8. Having everything paid off.

8 people I tag.....

I think every blog I've read lately has this posted, so if you're reading this and haven't done it, then I tag you.

Nothing new...

Nothing new to post except I am looking for a new job. I'd prefer something with the same fabulous benefits as my current job, however I'd like to work from home and I use the term "work" very lightly. Please anyone let me know if you hear of anything...

I also have to post this picture. Logan and I took last Thursday off (me from work, him from the babysitter) and met Dave out on Mt. Dutton where he was camping with his family for the muzzleloader hunt. This is the best picture EVER. Logan was getting grumpy so grandma pulled out her CD player and turned it on. If you know Logan, you know he LOVES to jam and this is the look he gave me. Awesome.

More Tags...

I can't let someone down that actually specifically tags me, right? Thanks Kas!

3 Names you go by

1) Kim

2) Kimberly

3) Momma

3 Restaurants I love -

1)Costa Vida

2)Don Miguel

3)Pasta Factory

3 Trips to plan on this year -

1)Mesquite

2)Camping?

3) I agree with Kas, this is sad!

3 Things you want badly

1) A stay at home job

2) A garage

3) Landscaping

3Pets you have/had -

1)Lady

2)Brandy

3)Toby

3 Things you did yesterday - (I started this post yesterday so this is stuff I did Wednesday)

1) Sat in the same room as a cold-blooded killer

2) Went to lunch at Timberline (where the killer killed)

3) Hung out with Dave & Logan

3 Things you ate today -

1) A bagel with cinnamon cream cheese

2) 2 Arby's roast beef sandwiches

3) Sour Patch Kids

3 Fears -

1) Being alone

2) Being inadequate

3) Being in the dark

3 Things you plan on doing today -

1) Hang out with Logan

2) Play outside

3) Start a shopping list for tomorrow

3 Things you plan on doing tomorrow -

1) Grocery shop

2) Spend the day with Logan

3) Go to the chiropractor

3 Favorite Holidays -

1) Halloween

2) Christmas

3) Thanksgiving

3 Favorite beverages -

1) Dr. P

2) Cherry Limeades

3) Lime Rickeys

3 people I tag

1) Nikiesha

2) Taren (if she has time)

3) Lisa

Newsletter to Logan

So one of my favorite blogs to read is dooce.com and every month she writes a newsletter to her daughter Leta. I have been thinking for the last couple weeks that I should post something about Logan and the funny things he has been doing. I've been trying to think of a way to do it, so when I read the latest post on dooce I decided that she's got something going with the newsletter so I'm going to give it a shot, but I'm not promising this will happen on any sort of a regular basis!

~15 Month Newsletter~
Ok Logan, I'm sure you already are well aware that your mother is a slacker. You are 15 months old and you don't have so much as one well intentioned picture/keepsake/memento stuck in any sort of a well-intentioned baby book. Your Aunt Lisa has tried, by giving me a beautiful pre-made scrapbook with spots for pictures, suggestions for quotes, etc., but I have yet to do anything with it. I do have a lock of your hair stuck in a baggie in my jewelry box though. I bet if you looked right now you'd find it still there.

All of my slackerness/laziness aside I must say that you have a part in this problem. You are wild. Your Grandma Hillier always told me that if you had your second child first, you wouldn't have had any more. It was meant as a dig toward me of course, but I don't think it is true in our case. We love you kid, but boy you have put your parents through the ringer! In fact, if you do end up with any siblings consider yourself lucky. Everything I attempt to do while you are awake is immediately sabotaged by you, you darling thing. Your dad and I love the mischief that is constantly in your eyes but make no mistake child, we are not kidding when we say you are wild.

Ok, now that I think you have probably gotten the picture I want to move on to the reason I am writing this. I'm writing this so that someday when you are searching for that baby book, (while I hope and pray you find one complete with pictures in the right spots and your lock of hair placed strategically next to the pictures I took of your first haircut), if you don't find that book you will know that I did love you and I did want to remember this time in your life.

You are starting to talk and it is by far the best thing ever. Your first word (that I am going to count anyway) was ball. You started saying this around 12 months and it was before your tongue was clipped so it sort of sounded like bah but I knew what you meant. This was followed by kick, dog, duck, shoes, eyes, moh (more) and a few others that I can't remember right now. You also say Oh, daddy and it is so SO cute but your dad and I have determined that lots of things are "OH, Daddy" so it's lost a little of its appeal to him. The other day I decided I should teach you who Jesus is. I'm horribly afraid that I won't teach you the gospel the way I should and I was already feeling like I was behind and your first words should have been "I Nephi, having been born of goodly parents...". So I pointed to the picture of Jesus above our TV and said Jesus. I did that over and over and over until I thought you were sick of it. You figured it out though. Now I ask you where Jesus is and your head turns to that picture, you point and say "sheshus". I melt. I absolutely melt.

You know so much more than you can say though and we love to show off how smart you are. Logan, go get your shoes. Logan, throw that in the trash. Logan, take mom's shoes off your hands and put them in the closet. Logan, make dad a sandwich. We tell you the name of my favorite book, I Love You Through and Through, and you go get it and we read it together. We hand you a stuffed puppy and you give him loves by holding him tight and rocking from side to side. You give kisses and hugs, but only when you want to, the other times you shake your head in the most aggravating way. At night when we are all hanging out on the floor you come up to me and pull my shirt up and blow raspberries on my stomach and laugh. Your dad sticks his feet in your face and you say "Ew, uck." You can point to your eyes, your nose, your mouth, your other eyes (more commonly known as ears) and when someone asks to see your belly you lift up your shirt and point one finger directly into your cute little pudge (we might have to get you to stop doing that on command when you're a teenager).

These are the things I want you to know. The things I hope I remember but probably won't. These are the things I couldn't put in a scrapbook, so I'm going to keep them for you the best way I know how, by writing them down for you in a way that will undoubtedly confirm your fear that your mother is in fact, crazy.

Another Tag

I took Taren's unofficial tag to heart so here is some meaningless information about me all thanks to her. I'm not going to fault her becase at least she is back to blogging more than once per quarter. Here's the tag:

List 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 surprising facts about yourself. Then tag 5 people at the end of your post and leave them a comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.

3 joys
1. Hanging out with Logan & Dave, particularly when they aren't grumpy or tired.
2. Teaching Logan funny words.
3. Sleeping through the night

3 fears
1. Having more than one kid.
2. The dark.
3. Not being good enough.

3 current obsessions/collections
1. Trying out new recipes (poor Dave we've had some bad ones!)
2. Reading the 40+ blogs I've subscribed to on my Google Reader account.
3. Crisp meat burritos from Taco Time.

3 surprising facts about me
1. I listen to NPR on my trips to Beaver every week - and I like it.
2. I like to think of myself as a feminist, but maybe that's not all that surprising.
3. I'm not as mean/tough as I pretend to be.

I'll tag anyone who reads this and wants to play...

Reading is a privilege....

I took my blog off "private" status for a probationary period. Yep, I work with people on probation every day and have decided this is the action I should take. You have served your jail time and now you're on probation.

Here are your terms and conditions:

1. If something offends you, um, don't read my blog anymore. Simple.

2. If something offends you - resist the urge to tell others who would get offended just how offensive my blog was. While I may slightly enjoy the fact I offended someone, telling others what an offensive jerk I am bugs me.

3. I reserve the right to say what I want on my blog because well, it's MY blog. It's not my husband's, my son's my dog's, my mother's, my coworker's. It's MINE. . . and one of the only things in this world that is mine alone - so what is said here is solely the property of me and no one else. Don't blame them. If you want to write something on YOUR blog about how much you don't like me or what I do/say/think/blog, that's your right too.

We normally print out these little agreements and have our probationer's sign. Since I can't do that, I'll just assume if you read the blog, you agree. As judge/probation officer/prosecutor of this blog and my readers, I retain the right to revoke probation at ANY time. And remember, as we like to say in this business, probation is a privilege!

I plan on putting a sidebar with some of this information on it just to remind those of you who need to pull out your probation agreement every once in a while and look it over...

ArtsCow

Many of you received an email referral from me for the photo printing site called ArtsCow. I know that a lot of these places have promotions that seem too good to be true, but this one actually seems to be legit. The site claims to give you like a bazillion free prints and then once you join, it gives you a bunch of other credits for other cool stuff like mousepads, photobooks, etc. They also give you credits toward free or discounted stuff when you spend x amount of money too.

So... I uploaded some photos today and added them to my cart and then proceeded to pretend to check out, just to see what would happen. Voila! The .42 that I was going to be charged for the 6 or 7 prints I added to my cart was gone, and only $1.79 was left for shipping costs. I have to admit I don't know how much shipping is if you have more prints than that, but I hardly doubt it is too astronomical.

Next I went to the page that lists all the other cool stuff they claim is free and clicked on the Generate Button next to the "Heart Keychain" and then clicked on the Order Button. This took me to a page where I could add the photo I wanted to the keychain. I picked a cute one of Dave and Logan and again went to the checkout, expecting a catch to all this free stuff...

...and yep, there was a catch! I had to jump through a small hoop or two which I won't explain in detail here (if anyone joins and needs help here, it is a little tricky and I can try to help!) but in the end I wound up back at my cart pretending to check out, and my balance was only $5.78 for the 7 prints (.6 each) and the "Heart Keychain" ($7.99). Not too bad!

So the moral of my story is, so far I am pretty impressed with this site. I hope that you guys will check it out too. I haven't ordered yet because I'm planning on ordering a bunch of prints and I need to get them all on the site in albums first but when I do I will post an update of the print/product quality.

If I didn't send you a referral and you want to join, please, please, email me or comment and let me send you a referral. You get extra credits for referring people and I would love to take advantage of as many friends and family members as I possibly can ;) I am on a computer anywhere from 5-10 hours a day at work and on weekends I check occasionally so if you are chomping at the bit to join I will most likely get a referral sent to you with a pretty quick turnaround.

And I hope no one is surprised if they get photo gifts for every birthday/holiday/Christmas from now on! Who doesn't love a bottleopener with a loved one's photo on it?!

Another Tragedy

I feel, almost odd, blogging about this. I didn't know Mandy Johnson super well personally, but for some reason this tragic accident has stuck with me. I know most of you that have access to read this blog knew Mandy and know her family and might be feeling the same way. Because I didn't know her well personally I wasn't sure if I should even be "allowed" to write something in her memory. I am hoping that by writing down a few of my thoughts I am not in any way offending anyone.

Mandy was 3 years younger than me in high school, but instead of only knowing her as someone younger than me that I may have known their name but nothing more, I have a distinct impression of the kind of person I believed her to be. I envied her. How often does that happen in high school? When I was a senior she would have been a Freshman (I think), and I envied this girl. She had it all from what I could tell. I never saw her with anything but a smile on her face. She was gorgeous, and not only on the outside. You could see her testimony on her face from a mile away. She was popular, but also seemed to be one of those popular kids who had time, and not only that, but a desire to talk to anyone who may have needed a bright spot in their day. She was definitely a bright spot in anyone's day.

Dave knows the family of the boy she had just gotten engaged to and commented to me that the kid was pretty amazing. I responded that he must of been because of the person she was. I am so sad for him as well. To have just asked someone to be your eternal companion and have something like this happen must be absolutely devastating. In a way though, I hope he is comforted in knowing that that very act of proposing made her last actions, thoughts, and words on this earth full of the most amazing excitement that a young girl can feel. I imagine she spent much of that day retelling the story of the proposal, discussing wedding plans and showing off her ring to her co-workers.

My prayers are with the Johnson family and the others who are devastated by this loss.

For anyone who hasn't taken the chance to visit the blog in memory of the medical team and pilot, you can visit it here: http://www.cedarcondolences.blogspot.com/

For my non-Hurricane readers you can read the story and see a picture of Mandy here. http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=4092033

Finally!

Logan and I went to the doctor today to get his tongue clipped. We've been there so many times in the last 5 months and every time we do it something goes wrong or he gets sick so we can't. Well today was finally the day and I was going to make them do it no matter what - I was so sick of psyching myself up for it just to have it not happen. He did have an abcess from a diaper rash gone horribly wrong that they ended up having to cut open to get the crap out (sorry for the TMI) and that was actually way worse than when the clipped his tongue. Poor guy! He just screamed and screamed while I held his hands.

After they clipped his tongue (no numbing or sedative mind you...) the doctor said he would cry for a few minutes and be done and he was right. I rocked him and let him play with my cell phone and he quit crying after a few minutes. What a champ! He's sleeping now but if I can get any pictures of him and his new, improved tongue I will put them up later. I'm just so glad this ordeal is over!

By the way, my doctor is AWESOME! I switched from one of the more popular offices here in Cedar and I am so SO glad I did. If anyone is looking for a pediatrician in Cedar - Dr. McCune and Color Country is the BEST!

Tragedy on the Mountain

We are all fine. Yes, Dave is in California right now. And yes, he is there on a helitack (helicopter) crew but No, he is not one of the nine missing. I have had a hard time keeping myself together since he told me about the accident early yesterday morning. He has over a week left on this trip and I told him not to tell me if he flies again - I don't want to know. My dad did make a good point however, after things like this horrible accident happen, people are that much more careful to do things 100% by the book. It's a little comforting, but I am still close to tears every time I stop to think about it.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, read on:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-crash8-2008aug08,0,7182403.story?page=1

Thanks for everyone expressing their concern to me, the families are in my prayers...

A Fun 24th!

Lisa came up and played with me and Logan on the 24th of July and we had a blast. We took some pictures that morning, and then Kasidee and Bentlee came by to play later that afternoon.

I knew there was a parade nearby but the one in Enoch doesn't start until like 4 in the afternoon (if anyone can tell me a good reason for this, I'd like to know), so we didn't really think much about going. Luckily though, the parade lined up right in front of our house so we got to watch part of it and the kids loved the animals!

I don't know why we didn't think to get any pictures of the two kids together but they were sure fun. Poor Bentlee was such a good sport with Logan's rough playing - he thought her hair was the best thing to pull on ever and she didn't even make a peep!

Here are some of the pics Lisa took that morning.

He's a big kid walking and running all around the park.




















Can you see the mischief in those eyes?














We gave him a lime and it took him forever to make a face! He liked the sour!














What a turkey!

Memory Tag

So I had seen this on a couple people's blogs and didn't think much of it. Then I saw it on Marianne's blog and I couldn't resist posting a comment for her. I have so many memories from my first year at Snow with Marianne, so I had to just go with the first thought that popped in my head. So, I guess I am curious to see what the first memory is that people think of about me. If any! So, if you're up to it, play along and I'll think of memories to post on your blog!

Memory Tag...
Here's the directions: 1. Add a comment on my blog leaving one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember! 2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll get my memory to you another way!

Roommate Reunion (a few of us anyway...)

Kiki's parents were kind enough to take a detour in their trip and let her and sweet little Parker have breakfast with me, Logan, Kasidee and Bentlee. It was fun, even though when I got to work I realized I was still starving because I think between the three of us talking and feeding/chasing the babies none of us really ate much. What cute kids we have!

For Your Information - My Baby Will Not Turn One on Sunday

This time last year on a Friday morning I drug myself to work. I had gotten home from the hospital around 1:30 a.m. vowing I would not step foot back in that hospital until I could barely walk. I sat at my desk "working" with my eyes closed waiting for the vise that had a hold of my insides to release so I could start working again. I did this as discreetly and professionally as I could manage, however at 9:30 one of my co-workers suggested I go home. I think they were less concerned with the lack of actual work taking place than the thought of what might happen should I stay there too long.

The nurse at the hospital had told Dave the night before not to bring me back in until I was "hanging off the furniture". He didn't go on the mountain that day with the rest of the crew and when he came home for lunch he learned what "hanging off the furniture" meant because that is how he found me. I told him to go back to work insisting I was not ready to go back (I believe you are all aware how stubborn I am?). I think I lasted 10 minutes after he left before I decided I couldn't take it anymore and drove myself to the hospital.

I met my doctor in the parking lot and he asked me what was going on. I think his question had a lot to do with the fact that I had hit my "barely walking" goal by this time. As best as I could in the middle of another guts-in-a-vise-grip episode, I told him I didn't know what was happening but it hurt like hell.

Five hours and an magical epidural later Logan David Veater made his grand entrance, complete with a vacuum attached to his head. They put him on my stomach and I stuck one finger out and poked his arm. That is how I greeted my first child into the world - I poked him. If I had been paying attention I'm sure I would have looked up to see Dave, two nurses, and the doctor glancing at each other with eyes that would have undoubtedly said "did she just POKE that baby?" Dave probably just shrugged his shoulders - poor guy. What explanation could he give for a poke? I didn't have a clue in hell what I was doing that day, and I still don't. I think the most notable fact here however, is that that same person who poked her child has also managed to keep him alive for 11 months, 4 weeks, and 1 day.

Fast forward those 11 months, 4 weeks, and 1 day. I am at a different desk but I am at work again with the same thing on my mind as I did that Friday nearly a year ago. The birth of that little fart. Was it really that long ago? I can remember it perfectly. Every. Little. Moment.

Thankfully for you, I have left out the majority of those moments, as they were not all precious or pretty.

Why am I crying? Why have I turned into that blubbering mom who tells this story and cries and says things like "Was it really that long ago?" Am I really that person? When we moved Dave was a little saddened by the fact that that house had been the only house Logan had known and so many "firsts" had happened there. Not me. I was ready for our new adventure. But now, a month later I turn into the sentimental one deep in denial of the upcoming doomsday? To this point I have been a little sad with each milestone that has come and gone but this one, this one has really got me. One year old? No, nope, not going to happen.

No one asked me if he could turn one.

No one told me I would cry as I made his party invitations.

No one told me the first year would go as fast as the first week.

I need more time. On Sunday my baby will no longer be considered an "infant", he will be a "toddler". Hold the phone. I am not ready for the T word. No one asked me if he could be classified as a toddler. I don't care if he does "toddle" all around the house and the yard and basically anywhere you'll let him - he is NOT a toddler.

So, as a final thought I will leave you with a warning:

My child will remain 11 months, 4 weeks and 1 day old until further notice.

If you dare to contradict this statement in my presence, you best have some Kleenex. If you dare to call him the "T word" you will most likely be toddling around yourself after I am done with you. And yes, that was a threat.

The only thing that may get you in worse shape than committing one of those two sins is suggesting it is time for another one. Hello? Do you KNOW Logan?

Kitchen Before/After

Ok, here are the before and after pictures of the kitchen...

Before.... The old view from the living room, complete tile going way too far into the living room. This is after we took down the upper cabinets so it looks worse (slightly) than it would with those still intact.

The new view from the living room. We ripped out all the tile and extended the carpet out to the hallway and added laminate wood floor to the kitchen.

The old cabinets/countertops/sink. blech.

The new cabinets/countertops/sink. That's my baby, the big single-bowl sink. I love it because I can set a 9x13 casserole dish down inside to soak or wash a cookie sheet without splashing water everywhere. Oh the little pleasures in life!

The other side, I don't have a before picture of it. We painted the kitchen too while we were at it. Eventually we want to add a tall pantry cabinet to the other side of the fridge...

So... looks pretty nice huh! Dave worked so hard on it and I think it is beautiful! Thanks babe!

And here's a picture of Logan from a few months ago - his first time to a park with mom and dad for a picnic.

Tuesday Tell All

This one looks fun so I'm gonna try...

Answer the following with only one word.
1. Where is your cell phone? ....................desk
2. Your significant other?.......................awesome
3. Your hair?....................................help!
4. Your mother? .................................great
5. Your father?..................................helpful
6. Your favorite thing?..........................snuggling
7. Your dream last night?........................court
8. Your favorite drink...........................chocolatemilk
9. Your dream/goal?..............................SAHM
10. The room you're in?..........................office
11. Your children?.....................................sofreakingcute
12. Your fear?...................................badmom
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years...........content
14. Where were you last night?...................home
15. What you're not?.............................mean
16. Muffins......................................yum
17. One of your wish list items?.................lawn
18. Where you grew up?........................... Hurricane
19. What you read last........................Iamamother
20. What are you wearing?........................flipflops
21. Your TV?.....................................small
22. Your pets?...................................renegade
23. Your computer? ..............................eh
24. Your life?...................................hectic
25. Your mood?...................................better
26. Missing someone?.............................yup
27. Your car?....................................cute
28. Something you're not wearing?................ring
29. Favorite Store?..............................homedepot
30. Your summer?.................................unpredictable
31. Like someone?................................lots
32. Your favorite color?.........................green
33. Last time you laughed........................earlier
34. Last time you cried?.........................april?

I understand that simply by taking the space between two words out does not make it one word, but some of those questions had to have more than one word!

Easter Pictures - Finally

Ok so here are the pictures from Easter that I have waited so long to post. I was going through deleting old programs from our computer at home and I accidentally deleted the program that uploads the pictures from my camera and I have to fiddle for like two weeks to get them uploaded and I just don't have time since Logan is always trying to "help" me type. Anyway, I brought my camera to work and uploaded them here, so enjoy. Oh, and I'll throw in a picture of my kitchen as a "work in progress".

Our new trailer and me and Logan playing Vanna -

First Easter egg hunt with dad -















Ok seriously, there is not another child as cute as mine -














Double chin and chubby cheeks -

Yeah it is definitely going to be a work in progress...

Thinking Happy Thoughts

So Jen inspired me to try to stop and think of things that I am happy about today. I need this. I wouldn't care if this blog went completely ignored and unnoticed, I need this.

1. Winnie (I love her name) called and said the underwriters are through with our paperwork and the closing documents are being sent and should be there tomorrow. A day early. Who would have thought that we would meet this crazy closing date (two weeks from our first offer!) and even a day early. I am happy that the impossible is possible.

2. I am happy I didn't have to go to Beaver today. I enjoy my drive there every week, but it gave me an excuse to go home at lunch today. I got to go home, take my shoes off, sit on the floor and eat (impossible with a small child who likes to pick food off your plate and mush it in the carpet), and watch the Food Network instead of basketball. I am happy I got to eat my lunch on the floor.

3. I am happy we are buying a house. I am nervous, scared, skeptical, excited, overwhelmed and underpaid but I am happy. This is not a dream home - it is a home where we can work together to make it better than it is. I am happy we are buying what some would call a "dump".

4. I am happy Logan is finally feeling better. It started off with a nasty bout of diarrhea and diaper rash clear back on March 28th. That got better just in time for him to be diagnosed with RSV around March 31st and we dealt with that for 3-4 weeks before finally having him diagnosed with an ear infection on April 21st. It has been a L-O-N-G and P-A-I-N-F-U-L month for everyone involved but we finally have some antibiotics and he is getting over the infection. Now I am praying that he doesn't get anything else for a while. I am so grateful for his normally good health that I take for granted.

5. I am happy that it is "Administrative Professionals Day" and I have a bag of candy and a gift certificate to Applebee's on my desk. I am happy I am an Administrative Professional.

So, in all the chaos of the last month, I have lots to be happy for and I am glad I have a blog to write them down - it really does make you start to realize what you do have. So, here is an update to my blog and a boost for my sanity!

A HOUSE!

I know it has been forever since I posted and this mini-post won't make up for it but....

WE'RE BUYING A HOUSE!

The people accepted our offer after a stressful moment last night when we found out that they had received another offer (we think it was a bogus offer by their crazy bee-yatch agent) but that doesn't matter now!

I'll try to do better on keeping my blog updated, but as for now I have 3 minutes left to sit here at work before I got home and celebrate.

Picture Tag - Thanks Alexis!

Alexis posted this on her blog and "openly tagged" everyone who read it so I'm going to play - it looks too fun to pass up. Besides, Taren always claims she needs help with ideas for her blog, so I specifially Picture Tag Taren, and anyone else who wants to play.

Just google image search your answers to the question - and pick a fun image to post!

age you will be on your next birthday:

(I have a special place for MJ in my heart, we have the same birthday)

your favorite food:

your middle name:

your college major:

your favorite color:

a place you would like to visit:

where you live:

name of a past pet:

one of your favorite places:

your favorite holiday:

a bad habit:

your favorite animal:

19 months - Hasta La Vista Bopple

Well Logan we all survived the holidays and it's finally back to normal around here. You did ok with the Christmas decorations for the most part, although our tree did look a little odd with all of the breakable glass ornaments about 3 feet from the bottom and up. You were pretty well spoiled this year - you got a spring horse, toys, puzzles, and clothes from us and your grandparents and a bunch of new books from your Aunt Lisa and Uncle Joe. Your dad and I were super excited for the books cause kid, we love that you like to read but you can only read Hop on Pop about 3 times a day before you want to scream - STOP! NO MORE HOP ON POP! I can't complain at all though, I think you are a genius (your dad will be mad I'm writing that cause he thinks it will go to your head) and I know that a love of reading will only make you smarter.

While we were at Christmas Sylvia mentioned that Quade was starting to get off of his bottle so I decided to give it a shot with you. I was worried about it and had put it off for a while because 1) you really seemed to like it and I hated to take it away from you and 2) no bottle = no more baby. You did awesome. All I do is give you a sippy at night with your milk and you do just fine. The first night it worked I gave your dad a high five but then I got really sad because seriously you are not a baby anymore. I loved how cute it was at night when you would walk to the kitchen in your pajamas, hang on the handle of the refrigerator and say Bopple? Milk? Bopple = seriously the cutest word for bottle ever. You never asked for another one. I couldn't ask for a more easygoing kid when it comes to stuff like that. You got sick once when you were about 7 months and decided no more binky. Then you got sick when you were about 13 months and no more nursing. Now this, you just give up the bopple no questions asked. Thanks - you make me look good as a parent and I need all the help I can get.

You got a cool puzzle from your grandma for Christmas. It has a bunch of colors, foods, animals, textures, etc., that you can match together. Like bumpy goes with alligator and red goes with strawberry. Not long after you got it I started drilling you. You sit on my lap and I put about 8-10 of the pieces on the floor and ask you where each one is and you point to it. And you get EVERY ONE RIGHT. Then I get 8-10 more and you do it again. You surprised me with how much you had picked up on them already. The best part is when I picked up the rabbit and asked you what it was thinking you might say bunny or kitty or something. Nope. You pointed in your finger and said "RABBIT!" It was awesome and it made me laugh. Then grandma taught you that the frog says "ribbit" and you don't even get confused. The bunny is the rabbit and the frog says ribbit. See, genius.

Colors are a little tougher. When I ask you where the green puzzle piece is you point right to it, the red one, no problem, blue is the same thing. You know them when I ask you to point to one but if I point to something and ask you what color it is you say geena. Everything is geena. Your dad figured out though that if you say geena, all he has to do is say no, look at it, what color is it and you usually get it right.

In two days your dad and I are going to have an ultrasound but much to everyone's annoyance we aren't finding out what we are having. You have your opinion about what you think it is but that depends on what we say last. For example if we ask you if it is a boy or a girl, you say girl. If we ask if it is a girl or a boy, you say boy. Same goes for sister or brother. I don't know how you will feel about this younger sibling by the time you read this, but you are really cute right now. I don't know if you really get that there is a baby in my belly, but when we ask you where the baby is you point to it. You'll even give it a kiss sometimes which seriously melts me. I wonder if you'll freak out when the baby is big enough to give you a good kick when you are blowing raspberries because if that baby kicks anything like you did you might end up with a black eye.

There will be some changes in our lives in the next few months that's for sure, but somehow I know that you'll take it all in stride. At least I hope you don't end up hating us for all the times you went to daycare. I wish there was a way I could stay home with you but I know that the time I spend away from you only makes me more prepared to spend every minute I can with you when I am home. So while your dad and I work through the next few months keep that in mind - we love you and we want to spend as much time as we can with you so don't hold tanything against us when you are a teenager because it is all for your benefit in the end.

Love you chubs,
Mom

(Oh and I'll get pictures up no later than the end of this month - we're getting a new computer!)