A Little Good News

My 30th Birthday

2010-04-08T07:52:00.001-07:00

My birthday reflection:

I've got a wonderful wife who loves me, two beautiful, smart, well behaved little girls and a boy on the way, an amazing new house that we are closing on, a fun, powerful, feature-rich new car, several great new toys, a well-paying job with coworkers who respect me (and I work with Olga, too). I live in beautiful Sacramento, where we enjoy great weather without the crazy expense of a San Diego.

I've got a great church that inspires me to always be better and try to emulate Jesus Christ, and I'm surrounded by amazing fellow church members who love and support me and who show examples of Christlike lives.

I've been given lots of wonderful talents, which have helped me, and still do help me to make the most out of life, and hopefully to lift others up along the way and leave the world just a little bit better than I found it.

I have two supportive and loving parents who strove and fought to raise me right in a sea of wrong, and who still stand ready to support me in any way. I've been blessed with three brothers who are married to amazing women, and who are wonderful, upstanding people that others look to and respect, and who are, in their own term, raising upstanding families.

I've got extended family members who have always been like good friends to me and who have helped me out whenever they could and who have enriched my life.

I'm lucky that not only do I not hate my in-laws, but I'm blessed that my wife comes from a terrific, smart, supportive family willing to drop everything and help out when needed, whether it be time, effort, or money.

I'm particularly grateful for facebook, which has allowed me to stay in touch with so many wonderful people that I have met in my life who, through my laziness, I would never have stayed in contact with. What a tremendous blessing that has been!

Yeah, you can always move a rung or two up the ladder, and I probably complain more than i should about what is going on in my life, but really, the view from hearer is pretty amazing, and as I look back on my first 29 years and move into the scary 30s, i can't think of too much that I would change (except maybe I'd buy a house next door for Andie and Anna so we could hang out more).

So don't return your birthday gifts just yet - i still want that paisley tie and fancy cheese grater (and that Garbage Plate - I'm looking at you, Brian) - but really, as i blow out my birthday candles this year, there isn't too much for me to wish for.

I always dreamed that I would be further along in life by the time I was 30, but I never imagined that I would be so blessed.

And that is the best gift i could get.

(cross-posted from my facebook profile)

Our House

2010-03-20T20:46:00.000-07:00

So we submitted an offer on a beautiful home in this area on October 12th. We FINALLY got our approval this past week! We actually were starting to look at foreclosures and active sales as of a couple of weeks ago, because we were starting to get really worried that maybe there was a reason why our approval was taking so long, but thank goodness it finally came through. I still have no idea what took so long--even our agent said it was taking forever--and I don't think we'll ever know why it was delayed so many times. The only thing I can ascribe it to is that it's the Lord's timing that our move is many weeks later than we had hoped. Who knows why things happen the way they do, but the important thing is that we are closing on a gorgeous home of our own. I never thought I'd be 32 before I owned my own home, but, quite honestly, we just weren't in a place (physically, mentally or financially) to buy a home before this. I'm thrilled that we were able to move down here to a place that we love, that we have been able to make a lot of friends, and now that we are able to give our family the stability that we have never had. We've moved around a LOT since we were married, and while it scares me a little to put down roots since I'm so nomadic, I think it's time for our family to do so, especially for the sake of our kids. Plus, moving gets so much harder every time we do it, because we keep accumulating stuff. I'm excited about this move, but I'm also pretty stressed out. We had hoped to close on our home quickly, but the sellers' circumstances are such that we'll probably be closing about 2 1/2 weeks later than we had wanted. And, really, we do want to be sensitive to their needs, so we will just have to swallow our disappointment. It's funny, I had joked that I'd be 8 months pregnant before we moved...and it looks like I will be about a week away from being just that! It's nervousing because I really won't be able to do much to help move, and I typically do most of the prepwork for moving, so I will have to rely heavily on others for help---something that is really hard for me to do. I just have to have faith that everything will work out! :)

A bit of a rant...

2010-02-22T13:06:00.001-08:00

Okay, so I would just like to state for the record that I think the "AVERAGE" pregnancy weight gain stuff that they pull on you at the doctor's office is a load of crap. If you gain only 25-30 lbs per pregnancy, than that's awesome for you, and I applaud you for it...I do wish I could say the same. Maybe my body just needs to gain more weight because I'm naturally pretty thin--I really don't know. What I do know is that I can't find anything I want to eat during pregnancy that is healthy for me!! Add to that the almost inability to exercise and you have weight gain. Can you tell it's a sore spot with me? Anyway, it seems to me that from talking to many other women who have had babies, the average weight gain seems to be higher than 30 lbs and in some cases, much more than that. I'm really just doing the best I can with a body that is not my own right now. Sorry about the rant; like I said, it's a sore spot, and I try to do my best. I'm trying to eat healthier, but eating healthy is something that I struggle with even when I'm not pregnant. I am trying to walk more and get myself and the girls out for some much needed fresh air and exercise, so hopefully that will help.

News

2009-12-31T22:10:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know....I haven't posted in a long time. A LOT has gone on since last I posted. The big news is that we're expecting again. If you scroll down almost to the bottom of the page, there is a baby countdown widget that gives details and such. I'm 18 weeks along today, and the tentative due date is June 3rd. We have our big ultrasound scheduled for a week from today...yeah, I'll only be 19 weeks along, but that was when our schedule allowed it, and they should be able to tell the gender, unless he/she is excessively modest. However, I believe I had my big ultrasound with Katie at 19 weeks also, and that's when we found out she was a girl. No fears about modesty there!

I'm enjoying a raucous, fun-filled New Years Eve with the girls in bed, Braden at work and just good old me typing on the computer. WOOHOO, WORLD!!!! :) Haha, New Years Eve was never really that big of a deal to me, and I find that now with kids, it's even less so. Add to that Braden working, and I'm just chillaxing, about to settle down with a nice ebook of The Stand. Now you may ask yourself, is Stephen King the smartest choice of reading material when you're by yourself? Probably not. But I haven't got to the super scary parts yet...so I should be able to fall asleep...I hope... :)

Conversations with Jenna

2009-12-31T21:50:00.000-08:00

I had to write this down for posterity.

Earlier tonight, in the midst of changing Jenna's diaper, she burst forth with the following gems: "I'm pregnant! And then I go to the temple. (suddenly very serious) But I don't wanna poop in the temple. In my diaper." Me (laughing): "Yes, that would be unadvisable. But there are bathrooms in the temple." Jenna: "Oh, I could go poop in there? And wash my hands? And you could go pee pee, in ANOTHER bathroom?" Me: "...Yes." You know, Jenna's in the middle of her independent stage, and it's rough sometimes with the battle of wills, but then she comes out with this stuff that just makes me laugh and laugh. If she's still wearing a diaper when she's getting married, I think I will have failed as a mother! Not to mention that hopefully the pregnancy comes AFTER the wedding... :)

Trials

2009-07-14T22:23:00.001-07:00

"Sometime in the eternities to come, we will see that our trials were calculated to cause us to turn to our Heavenly Father for strength and support. Any affliction or suffering we are called upon to bear may be directed to give us experience, refinement, and perfection."
--Delbert L. Stapley, "The Blessings of Righteous Obedience", Ensign, Nov. 1977

Hope

2009-07-08T11:49:00.001-07:00

"The things we hope in sustain us during our daily walk. They uphold us through trials, temptations, and sorrow. Everyone has experienced discouragement and difficulty. Indeed, there are times when the darkness may seem unbearable. It is in these times that the divine principles of the restored gospel we hope in can uphold us and carry us until, once again, we walk in the light."
--Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Infinite Power of Hope", Ensign, Nov 2008, 21–24

Khao Soy

2009-06-29T11:45:00.000-07:00

We had the following at a Thai restaurant recently, and the recipe looks pretty easy:

"Khao Soy" (Chiang Mai Noodles)

This is the fettuccine Alfredo of Thailand!
It consists of a creamy curry sauce that is served over egg noodles. This particular dish is named after the Northern Thai city from which it was created: Chiang Mai.

Ingredients:
4 ounces fresh egg noodle
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon red curry paste
1/2 cup of coconut milk
4 ounces of ground pork
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 pinch of turmeric powder
2 tablespoons of fish sauce
1 teaspoon lime juice

Note:
The egg noodles should be fresh. If you cannot find fresh egg noodles, you may substitute almost any other noodle you desire. However if you intend to use dried noodles, remember to soak them first for 20 minutes.

Directions:
Here is the two step plan. You should be doing these simultaneously.

Step 1
Bring a medium sized pot of water to a boil.
Cook the noodles for roughly 20 seconds.
Strain the noodles, and put them on your plate

Step 2
In a medium sized saucepan, heat the coconut milk on low heat, and slowly stir in the curry paste. When it begins to simmer, add in the remaining items, except for the pork. Wait about 1 minute, then add in the pork, and cook until the pork is done (not pink in the middle)
Pour the sauce over the noodles, and voila!

Love it

2009-06-27T23:52:00.000-07:00

It's late, and I'm tired. I just wanted to say that I love it here. The weather is hot, but it's great, and the evenings are even better. I was just out at 11pm, and it was still very warm out. LOVES IT!! We are lounging by the pool every couple of days, and it's gorgeous. We are all--except for Katie--getting nice tans. Jenna loves going to the pool...only there is really nothing to do with poor Katie, so she sits in the stroller. I do feel badly about that; the water is usually so cold that I'm nervous to take her in the water.

The parks are almost brand new, and Jenna also loves to go play on the swings and the play equipment. We met a young mom with a 2-year-old yesterday, and he (the 2-year-old, of course) was so enamored of Jenna! He wanted to do everything she was doing. It was way cute.

Katie is officially crawling and sitting as of a couple weeks ago. She would have been sitting earlier, I think, if we had given her more practice. She loves oatmeal and has tried green beans and sweet potatoes. She turned 8 months on Tuesday...I can't believe it! She loves to be wherever she determines the action is. If I'm in the kitchen, I have to put her in the exersaucer, or here she comes to see me! Yesterday, I came out of our bedroom after getting dressed, and both Katie and Jenna were crying for me right at the baby gate. Screaming in stereo; nice.

Anyway, church is tomorrow (thank goodness it's not at 9am), and I need to get some sleep. I keep meaning to write about our drive down here, but never get around to it. I'll keep trying!

Katie at the pool, eating her foot (probably out of boredom)

Jenna got her first haircut and now has bangs instead of a hairy mess!

Agency

2009-06-27T23:51:00.000-07:00

"To fully understand this gift of agency and its inestimable worth, it is imperative that we understand that God's chief way of acting is by persuasion and patience and long-suffering, not by coercion and stark confrontation. He acts by gentle solicitation and by sweet enticement. He always acts with unfailing respect for the freedom and independence that we possess. He wants to help us and pleads for the chance to assist us, but he will not do so in violation of our agency. He loves us too much to do that, and doing so would run counter to his divine character."
--Howard W. Hunter, "The Golden Thread of Choice", Ensign, Nov. 1989, 17

Mothers

2009-06-22T15:05:00.001-07:00

"President David O. McKay put it beautifully when he said, speaking of mothers, 'This ability and willingness properly to rear children, the gift to love, and eagerness, yes, longing to express it in soul development, make motherhood the noblest office or calling in the world. . .' (Gospel Ideals, Salt Lake City: Improvement Era, 1953, pp. 453-54)."
--H. Burke Peterson, "Mother, Catch the Vision of Your Call," Ensign, May 1974, 31-32

New Everything

2009-06-14T17:53:00.000-07:00

Wow, it has been a long time since we posted. Never fear! We finally got internet about an hour and a half ago, so I want to catch up with blogging and everything. We are here in our new place (obviously), and it's starting to look and feel more and more like our home. It has its quirks, mainly that it's very open, but it is a very nice place, and I think we lucked out since we essentially moved in blind. The area that we chose is a very planned community, and a lot of stuff is either brand new or only a few years old, so everything looks well-maintained. I've been informed that no matter where you live in this area, you are within 788 feet of a park, and we are actually within very easy walking distance of three nice parks with play areas. Oh, and did I mention that there are sidewalks??!! What a novel concept. I'm thrilled to be able to walk around the neighborhood and not have to fear for my kids' lives. :) All in all, we are very pleased with the area.

Today was my first Sunday in our new ward, and Braden's second. My mom, myself and the girls were still en route to Sacramento on Sunday since we had to resign ourselves to the fact that we just weren't going to get there on Saturday night, so we got a hotel room in Redding instead of getting into an accident. So Braden went to church last Sunday in a plaid shirt, no belt, no tie, and crocs (his Sunday shoes were in the trunk of the Honda, which I was driving), but he DID have dress pants. He went up and bore his testimony, and let me tell you, EVERYONE remembered him this Sunday. Every time I introduced myself, people were like, "Oh, her husband bore his testimony last Sunday...bzzzzz, bzzzzz..." I guess he was especially memorable.

So far, I really like what I've seen of our ward. It's full of very friendly people and lots of young couples with kids. The Gospel Doctrine teacher is funny but gives great spiritual lessons, and both Sunday School and Relief Society had a lot of interesting comments. I like wards where people feel free to make a lot of intelligent comments. No offense to our previous ward, but this ward put it to SHAME in terms of friendliness. I didn't make friends really until I was called to the Primary Presidency, and Braden never felt welcome, and not for lack of trying! It's nice to have a ward where a lot of people introduce themselves to us. Anyway, we're looking forward to making friends, and I'm trying to be more proactive about finding moms with similar-aged kids to hang out with.

Well, it is soooooo nice to type on an actual keyboard after using nothing but my iPhone for a week, but Braden wants to set up the router so that he can use the internet, too. I will save more posts for later. The story of our long, laborious road trip here shall have to wait...

Question of the Day

2009-05-27T10:53:00.001-07:00

What goes: "Cough Cough Cough Cough Splash" and costs 25 dollars every time we go to the doctor and get no real answers?

Have You Ever...

2009-05-19T23:37:00.000-07:00

Got this from a friend's blog...

So far the starred items is where my life has taken me…what about you?
1. Started your own blog*
2. Slept under the stars*
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a Praying Mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning*
17. Been to the Statue of Liberty*
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on a train
21. Had a pillow fight*
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill*
24. Built a snow fort*
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset*
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person*
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community*
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing* (hated it)
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke*
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain*
53. Played in the mud*
54. Gone to a drive-in theater*
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business*
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen*
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason*
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma*
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy* - Man at Arms, baby!
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial*
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Tied a quilt*
73. Stood in Times Square*
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person*
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper*
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House* - and left a note for President Bush in the Oval Office
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox*
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby*
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone*
99. Been stung by a bee*
100. Visited Italy

Okay, so beaucoup of these have to do with travel, so it's kind of lame for those of us who have only been to Canada twice... :) Or maybe my life is boring!

Interesting...

2009-05-16T14:07:00.001-07:00

"No man achieves the supernal exalting status of worthy fatherhood except as a gift from his wife."
--President Boyd K. Packer, Ensign, May 1998, 73

Wow

2009-05-14T22:26:00.000-07:00

I didn't think it had been almost 2 weeks since I last posted. A lot has happened.

We were all set to accept a 13 week travel assignment to Crescent City, CA when a full-time job offer in Sacramento, CA came through literally an hour before the former job was offered to Braden. Two job offers in an hour...craziness. So, since the Sacramento one is full-time with great benefits (plus way better weather), we are heading off to Sacramento in about 3 weeks. I think I'm more stressed than Braden at this point, since almost all of the packing falls on me, because Braden is working a lot in the next 3 weeks. I have gotten pretty much nothing done so far, because Braden hasn't been around much, and the two girls take up almost all of my time as it is. I'm not knocking Braden, I'm just stating fact. Almost all my free time right now is being used to search for a place for us to live. We've found some promising places, but have not decided on anything yet.

Anyway, Katie is fully mobile again, rolling around the living room. It's fun to see her figure out how to get stuff she wants. I think she is going through a growth spurt, and maybe I've been too dense to realize it. She just screams the past few days like something is seriously wrong, and maybe instead of freaking out, I should try feeding her right away when she does that. Maybe she's just starving all the time. She was doing that earlier this evening and is now happily rolling around after I finally fed her. I didn't think it was time for her to eat! Just when I get used to her feeding schedule, she has to go and change it up on me. I wish babies would just wear a sign, "I'M GOING THROUGH A GROWTH SPURT; FEED ME, MOMMY". Ugh. It'd be so much easier.

Jenna is more and more independent these days. She did not fall asleep at all during naptime today, and when I finally went and got her, she was holding a poopy diaper and had nothing else in her crib. I immediately changed her and then her pellet-y sheets. Gross.

She also wipes her nose on her hand and then holds it out to me, saying "Grossy." She asks for "nugget chicken" a lot and says that we are moving to "california sacramento!" She does say "sacramento california" sometimes, too. Pretty clearly, actually. Jenna loves wearing dresses...is she really my daughter?? :)

Anyway, I could say a lot more, but it's time for bed, and I'm a tired babe. So is Katie.

A Quiz, A Quiz!

2009-05-02T08:24:00.000-07:00

***FOODOLOGY***
What is your salad dressing of choice?
Ranch.

What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?
Hmm...probably Olive Garden.

What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of?
Salsa with some really good chips. Or anything Mexican, really. I did come close to getting sick of salsa last week, though, because I ate so much of it.

What are your pizza toppings of choice?
Pepperoni (or pepper-mony, if you will)

What do you like to put on your toast?
Sugar toast all the way, baby. I haven't had that in years, though...

**TECHNOLOGY**
How many televisions are in your house?
Two, but we only ever use the one, really.

What color cell phone do you have?
Black.

**BIOLOGY**
Are you right-handed or left-handed?
Left-handed.

Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
Wisdom teeth when I was 16. I was out for a week.

What is the last heavy item you lifted?
Probably the slide toy that we bought for Jenna. Or, if we're talking JUST me, the bike I got off Craigslist. Steel frames are freakin' heavy.

Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
I don't think so. I came close once at a rollerskating rink. I haven't been to one since! :)

**BULLCRAPOLOGY** (I don't know what this was supposed to be :) )

If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
No. It would either make me lazy or really stressed out and frantic. Or both.

If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
I wouldn't. I love my name.

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?
Depends what kind of hot sauce. Cholula or Taco Bell, sure. Tabasco, no way.

**DUMBOLOGY** (I don't know what this was supposed to be :) )

how many pair of flip flops do you own?
I don't think I own any, actually. I don't really like them. I have to have backs to my sandals, or it really annoys me. I need a new pair of sandals, come to think of it.

Last time you had a run-in with the cops.
It might have been when I got pulled over going down to Cincy maybe in 2004? That was totally my fault, too. This guy in the left lane wasn't going fast enough for me, so I finally gunned it to pass him on the right, and the cop (who was just about to pull over that same car) got me instead. One of the dumber things I've done. DOH! I learned a hard lesson with that one.

Last person you talked to?
Braden.

Last person you hugged?
Braden.

**FAVORITOLOGY**

Season?
Summer.

Holiday?
Christmas.

Day of the week?
They really all run together now that I stay home with my kids. Probably a day that Braden has off. I like Mondays for 99 cent day at Value Village! :)

Month?
Probably June. Nice weather, but not sweltering.

**CURRENTOLOGY**

Missing someone?
My extended family.

Mood?
I'm fine. Just tired from not a ton of sleep last night. No real complaints, though.

What are you listening to?
The rhythmic back-and-forth of Katie's swing.

Watching?
This is a dumb question.

Praying for?
My relatives to be able to find jobs.

**RANDOMOLOGY**

First place you went this morning?
Straight to Katie's crib. The usual.

What's the last movie you saw?
Monsters vs. Aliens IMAX 3D. It's almost worth buying for the Axel F scene alone.

Do you smile often?
Yes, although I should even more. Jenna's going through an irritating stage.

Sleeping alone tonight?
Better not be!

**OTHER-OLOGY**

Do you always answer your phone?
No. I screen sometimes.

It's four in the morning and you get a text message, who is it?
Braden. And I think, why are you texting me, you're right next to me??? (I'm a poet, I know)

If you could change your eye color what would it be?
A more piercing blue, like my dad's. But I like my eye color.

Do you own a digital camera?
Yes.

Have you ever had a pet fish?
No. Never care to, either.

Favorite Christmas song(s):
O Holy Night, hands down.

What's on your wish list for your birthday?
Hmm...I'd like a bike trailer for the kiddies. My birthday was just here, though.

Can you do push ups?
Yes.

Can you do a chin up?
I probably could, since I've gotten into pretty good shape, but we don't have a chin up bar.

Does the future make you more nervous or excited?
Excited.

Do you have any saved texts?
No. It costs us extra to text. Saved emails, on the other hand...

Ever been in a car wreck?
Someone hit me backing out of their space when I was 8 1/2 mos pregnant with Jenna, but it was a minor incident and no one was hurt.

Do you have an accent?
No.

What is the last song to make you cry?
Geez. I don't know.

Plans tonight?
No.

Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom?
I've been depressed before, but I don't think I've hit bottom ever.

Name 3 things you bought yesterday
Nothing. I had a lot of housework to do, so we stayed home.

Have you ever been given roses?
Yes.

Current worry?
Um, yes, I have one. Maybe I'll share it if it's warranted.

Current hate right now?
Cracked pepper. Just kidding.

Met someone who changed your life?
Yes.

How did you bring in the New Year?
I have little kids. Nuff said.

Name three people who might complete this
Carolyn might. What else is there to do in the middle of the night? (just kidding)

Would you go back in time if you were given the chance?
Yes. I would negate a couple of relationships I had. Yes, I learned a lot, but I paid a big price.

Have you ever dated someone longer than a year?
I dated someone for just about a year, but that was my longest relationship. And that wasn't even my husband!

Do you have any tattoos/piercings?
My ears are pierced.

Will you be in a relationship 4 months from now?
I better still be with my hubbin!

Does anyone love you?
Yes.

Ever had someone sing to you?
Yes.

When did you last cry?
I don't know.

Do you like to cuddle?
Yes.

Have you held hands with anyone today?
No. Braden works today, so I won't get that chance until later. I could hold hands with my kiddos, though!

What kind of music did you listen to in elementary school?
Classic 80s...The Bangles, U2, Guns n Roses, Def Leppard, etc.

Are most of the friends in your life new or old?
Old.

Do you like pulpy orange juice?
Hate it with a passion. And I think anyone who likes it is weird. :)

What is something your friends make fun of you for?
Never calling them back? I don't know.

Patience

2009-04-28T08:14:00.001-07:00

"We should learn to be patient with ourselves. Recognizing our strengths and our weaknesses, we should strive to use good judgment in all of our choices and decisions, make good use of every opportunity, and do our best in every task we undertake. We should not be unduly discouraged nor in despair at any time when we are doing the best we can. Rather, we should be satisfied with our progress even though it may come slowly at times."
--Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Patience, a Key to Happiness", Ensign, May 1987, 30

O Ye Hypocrite!

2009-04-23T18:32:00.001-07:00

Check out this picture.

Katie Katie's 6 Month Day!

2009-04-23T15:09:00.000-07:00

Miss Katie Katie is 6 months old today! Here are some pics from Feb-Apr.

I don't think I've mentioned this on the blog, but Katie has some pretty severe eczema. You can see her extremely red cheeks in a couple of these pictures. We took her to the doctor a couple of months ago and have been using Aquaphor and hydrocortisone on her since then. The latter has worked wonders on her poor face, but we try to use it as little as we can because it's strong. If we even let up just a little bit with either of them, she gets red cheeks within 12-24 hours. I guess she won't need any blush when she gets older! :)

Jenna and Katie love to play together. Jenna can make Katie laugh when no one else can! I'm kind of jealous of it, actually. :) I can make her laugh a little, but Jenna can get full belly laughs out of her. It's hilarious.

Katie in her exersaucer. This was back when she still needed some support (hence the pillow). She hasn't needed it for a little while.

Red-cheeked babe

You can see how big she's getting for the bassinet. This was almost two months ago, too. I really don't put her in the bassinet anymore.

Nice tongue

Katie's dress on Sunday

Katie during Jenna's birthday party. I love dressing her in the clothes that Jenna used to wear.

Stake Conference

2009-04-23T10:10:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share this conversation that I had on Sunday, because it was both hilarious and a little embarrassing. We (the Primary Presidency) were at a fireside on Sunday night, and as the man conducting sat down, I leaned over to Rachel and said:

K: Who's that guy?
R: (gives me a funny look) Who?
K: The guy who was just speaking.
R: ...that's our Stake President! [...] Haven't you been to Stake Conference?
K: No. We've always been sick!

So funny. Oops. Actually, when I mentioned it to Braden when I got home, he reminded me that I was prego-sick the first time, very big and prego the second time (and unable to rein in a very active Jenna, since Braden was working that day), and we were all sick again a few weeks ago for the third time. So this fireside I was at was the first time I had been in the chapel of our Stake Center!

Free Cone Day

2009-04-21T13:20:00.000-07:00

Go to a local Ben and Jerry's today for a free scoop! See this link for some info; I can't get on their website, probably due to major traffic from people wanting to find out the same thing I do!

My absolute favorite flavor of ice cream is Ben and Jerry's Oatmeal Cookie Chunk. It's great for pregnancy cravings, and I occasionally treat myself when it's on sale (seeing as Ben & Jerry's is a little pricey, shall we say).

Enjoy your free treat!

Happiness

2009-04-21T08:30:00.000-07:00

"Salvation is an eternal goal we gain by a process of constant upward change. Doubt is spiritual poison that stunts eternal growth. We must first feel our way before we can see it with any clarity. We prove ourselves by making numerous correct decisions without being absolutely sure; then comes a greater knowledge and assurance, not before. Happiness is created. Love is its center. Its principal ingredients are sincere faith, true repentance, full obedience, and selfless service."
--Richard G. Scott, "Happiness Now and Forever", Ensign, Nov. 1979, 70

General Conference

2009-04-15T09:51:00.001-07:00

"Decide now to make general conference a priority in your life. Decide to listen carefully and follow the teachings that are given. Listen to or read the talks more than once to better understand and follow the counsel. By doing these things, the gates of hell will not prevail against you, the powers of darkness will be dispersed from before you, and the heavens will shake for your good."
--Elder Paul V. Johnson, "The Blessings of General Conference", Ensign, Nov. 2005, 50

Jenna Quote

2009-04-13T10:02:00.001-07:00

Braden was laying in Jenna's crib with her (I don't know how he fits, either) this morning and was going over animal sounds with her. The following conversation ensued:

B: "What sound does a wolf make?"
J: [...] (Puzzled expression) "What's up, homey?"

DIRTY DOG

2009-04-13T09:59:00.000-07:00

Just had to share this from Passive-Aggressive Notes because it made me laugh out loud. The juzzum (girl/woman) who does the site actually has my name (before I got married, that is). It's quite weird to see my name on her book that she came out with.

Church

2009-04-12T12:56:00.000-07:00

Sometimes church doesn't go very well. This was one of those Sundays. Primary is usually chaotic, but it was extra chaotic today. I guess sometimes I feel especially inept in my calling, and I feel like it showed a lot today, and that bothers me. I know it's probably mostly in my head, but I still left church just feeling down. I hope this day gets better.

Also, in the midst of my running around as usual, someone from nursery came and handed a soaking wet Jenna to me. Of course I don't have a change of clothes for her!! And of course, the mother's lounge is all the way across the building from where both Primary and Nursery are located....who planned that? The nursery room should totally be where the Relief Society room is, not to mention that there should be a changing table in a men's restroom in every single church building. I'm super-busy every Sunday, Braden doesn't have a Sunday calling, and yet they bring Jenna to me if she needs to be changed, because there is nowhere for Braden to change her. The poopiness of it all!!! Literally!!

So I changed Jenna's diaper and then put her clothes right back on her...what else could I do? That's totally gross, and I felt horrible doing it, but I didn't have a change of clothes for her because this is the first time I've changed her at church in months. She either hasn't needed it, or maybe they haven't noticed that she has; I'm not sure. The thing is, the diaper she was wearing was wet, but certainly not in proportion to how wet her clothes were. It was really odd. I'm becoming increasingly disillusioned with Pampers, let me tell you.

Anyway, here's hoping for some nicer weather this week. Maybe the combination of bad weather and the fact that it's TOTALLY supposed to be spring (hello, Washington...it's APRIL) is getting me down. Let's see some sun!!! :)

Pics

2009-04-08T00:07:00.001-07:00

Some recent (most within the last couple of days) pics for you all to enjoy:

Enjoying her free birthday sundae tonight at Red Robin.

Katie is my cutie. I remember when Jenna wore this outfit and still got called a boy by several people. Geez, what do I gotta do, write GIRL on her forehead???

Love it!

In our lovely backyard (deseret?)

I can't believe how old Jenna looks here. This was taken on Sunday. She's starting to lose the baby fat and her face is becoming more elongated. It makes me a little sad that she's growing up so fast, even though in some ways it's nice. I love my babes!!

Choices

2009-04-07T11:35:00.000-07:00

"Some of our struggles involve making decisions, while others are a result of the decisions we have made. Some of our struggles result from choices others make that affect our lives. We cannot always control everything that happens to us in this life, but we can control how we respond. Many struggles come as problems and pressures that sometimes cause pain. Others come as temptations, trials, and tribulations."
--L. Lionel Kendrick, "Strength During Struggles", Ensign, Oct 2001, 24

Thought of your recent post, Carolyn.

WAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH

2009-04-06T11:57:00.000-07:00

Jenna is driving me absolutely insane. She is sooooooo whiny today. This is one of my biggest pet peeves, and it's something that mothers run into a LOT. It makes me want to climb the walls, and then when I'm on the roof, maybe I can actually have some time to myself!! Seriously, whining makes me want to tear my skin off. Let's see if I can think of any other disgusting things it makes me want to do. Are you sure you want to keep reading? :)

The hardest thing for me to do is to ignore it, because I want to scream at her to stop. It's something that I'm working on.

Right now she is whining about fish sticks, because she wants them right now. I've already explained several times that they are in the oven cooking, but she continues to whine for them.

My skin is about to come off.

What are your biggest pet peeves as a mother? I'm just curious.

Mothers

2009-04-05T21:51:00.000-07:00

"We shall prosper and build up Zion upon the earth; for this is our mission, and the work of your mothers and daughters of Zion—the mothers now, and by and by the daughters, who will, in turn, be mothers in Israel. Great responsibility rests upon you. Upon you depend the training and the direction of the thoughts and the inspiration of the hearts of your children, for they drink into the spirit of their mothers, and the influence of the mother over the children is the most enduring impression that can be made. There is nothing so imperishable as the influence of the mother; that is when she is good and has the spirit of the Gospel in her heart, and she has brought up her children in the way they should go."
--Joseph F. Smith, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith [1998], 33

DOG

2009-04-04T19:06:00.000-07:00

So I just had a conversation with my neighbor since the girls and I went out in our backyard for the first time in months. That was actually the first time I've ever taken Katie out in our yard. Anyway, to give a little bit of background, there is a little, yappy dog that lives about 10 feet from our duplex (in an identical duplex). I hate this dog with a passion. I will do nothing more than dare to step out onto MY driveway, and it comes tearing across multiple lawns to stand two feet away from me and bark its head off, yipping and growling at me. The last time this happened (it's happened like eight times now), I was only trying to unload my groceries from the van. I had to yell across the lot to the group of kids there for one of them to do anything about it. I yelled twice, "Hey, can you come get your dog???", and the response was, "Oh, he won't hurt you." I don't give a crap if he will hurt me or not, I don't want him barking at me, all up in my space!! I am afraid of dogs, besides the fact that I just don't like them. They are unpredictable and tend to jump up on you and sometimes bite you for no reason. I've had a bunch of bad experiences with dogs that have led to me feeling this way. This is a little dog, sure, and I could take it on, but I'm of course not going to start kicking it unless it attacks me or my children. Anyway, one of the kids started chasing it to try to get it away from me, but it wasn't very effective. Oh, and my response to what the kid said, was "I really don't like dogs", which elicited a somewhat of a glare from the kid trying to corral the dog. That made me even more mad, because, I'm sorry if you are annoyed that your dog is annoying to other people, but it is!! I can't stand it when people don't take responsibility for their pets. This dog has zero training whatsoever; it runs on people's lawns, and apparently makes a beeline for my neighbor's front lawn to defecate.

So....I asked my neighbor if the dog had bothered them, and she said yes, and about the pooping on their lawn, which no one but the mother of the boy actually will pick up. It's apparently the grandma who lets the dog out to poop on their lawn, and she couldn't care less about the consequences, since apparently there are none. The situation just really upsets me, because I feel like I can't take my kids out in the front for fear of this dog accosting us. The dog would scare the poop out of Jenna, and I'd be carrying Katie probably, and Jenna would be walking, so she'd be way close to it. I hate confrontation, so I don't know what to do about this. But something needs to be done...I just don't know if saying something will do anything. The way our little neighborhood is set up, there's a long lane and a lot of us share driveways because we're all duplexes. The boundary lines are very nebulous, so it's hard to say, "This is my driveway starting HERE." The kids all ride their bikes on everyone's driveways b/c there isn't a lot of room to play, which is fine, EXCEPT when this dog thinks it's king of the entire duplex territory. Just a few minutes ago, I heard it barking again and looked out the window. It ran onto my other neighbor's lawn to bark at her (she's handicapped) because she dared to sweep her own driveway. Her response was to hold out her hand to it, and I thought, "wow, she's way more nice than I would be!!"

Katie is screaming. Sorry this post is so disjointed, but I've been trying to type it quickly. Anyway, another post to come about what my neighbor said to me in the backyard.

To My Dear Hubbin

2009-04-02T15:16:00.001-07:00

Good one. :)

My Husband is Amazing

2009-03-27T22:46:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Braden's awesomeness, I'm able to use my computer again to do any little thing I want to do and oh boy it is really nice to let him have his computer back and stop stealing it mercilessly. I'm terribly ashamed at how much I was using your computer, thereby preventing you from the important things you needed to do, and I'm sorry, but you were always on my mind.

As a reward, I owe you 10 great massages, redeemable any time you want.

Also, thanks for setting scribefire up so that I can post to this blog, and thanks for testing it out with this post.

I will love you always and forever until my dying day. Baby.

Sonnnnnnnnn, she said

2009-03-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

Alive......Oh, I'm still Ali-aaaaaa-ve. That's hard to write out. Try it.

Anyway, just a quick post here. We've all been really sick for the last few weeks; thus, the lack of postage. We took a sick Katie to her well child checkup (4 month, but she had just turned 5 months...oops) on Tuesday. She has pretty bad eczema, a double ear infection and bronchialitis. And yet she's still been pretty good-natured, considering. So she is on antibiotics for 10 days. The hydrocortizone cream has done wonders for her complexion...it's basically clear. Braden said to her yesterday: "Wow, Katie, I never knew you had such beautiful skin!" And she does. Katie is also now able to roll over from her back onto her stomach as of yesterday. She can go the other way, too, but hasn't figured out how to do both at the same time. Trust me, I'm fine with it. At that age, Jenna figured that out pretty quickly, and then would roll across the room when I looked away for 30 seconds.

We are hopefully on the upswing of these bad colds/viruses we've had lately. We're crossing our fingers. Now if we can just catch up somewhat on sleep! :)

Hope everyone's doing well!

What's This? What's This?

2009-03-13T21:11:00.000-07:00

I do believe about one minute of searching Google yielded me this result. And I do believe that's a French Silk Pie on the home page. I dream of French Silk Pie. I dream of it on March 8th. But I'll settle for having it on a different day in March, if it comes to that. Oh, yes.

Mmm...French Silk Pie. ;) ;)

I love you, Braden.

(I had a lot of fun writing this post...I crack myself up.)

The Bear

2009-03-13T18:02:00.000-07:00

Jenna's doing a little better, but last night she had a fever of 104 degrees, which responded well to tylenol and ibuprofen and went down to 99. It was still 100.2 this morning, and she's still got a deep voice, cough and runny nose, but at least the fever's gone down. She's still very cranky booty, understandably.

We hope she feels better soon, but it's very likely she won't be at church. Actually, I don't think I'd let her go even if she is feeling better. Nursery is a breeding ground for all germs imaginable, and I don't want to add to it.

Primary Quote(s) of the Week

2009-03-12T13:08:00.000-07:00

During the Sharing Time Primary lesson on Mothers:
(Senior Primary)
Ker: What else do mothers do?
8 year old boy: (very softly) They kill.
Ker: What?
Boy: They kill. They're killers.
[...]
Ker: Oh, they're healers!! Yes, yes. Thank you for your comment.
(I know I wasn't the only one who heard "killers", because the Primary chorister started laughing behind the chalkboard. I leaned back and said, "I bet I know what you're laughing at!"

Another quote said randomly when I was looking for other answers from the Junior Primary:
7 year old girl: People die.
Ker: Okay! (moves right along to the next subject...)

When Will It End???

2009-03-12T12:59:00.000-07:00

This cold/flu season has by far been the worst ever. I realize that now I have two kids who are very capable of catching colds and whatever else, but geez!!

When I went to get Jenna up this morning, she sounded the worst I've ever heard her. And I mean she sounded like 50 frogs were in her throat, all clamoring to get out at once. Poor thing. She also felt really hot to me. She's stuffed up and really miserable. It's been a rough day for both of us, since I have to deal with a lot of whining and crying, which is hard for me, but at the same time, I try to handle it as best I can because I know she doesn't feel well. I think she's feeling a little better now, since I gave her some Tylenol and am trying to make sure she's hydrated. This was actually the first time she refused to take the tylenol; every other time she just drank it right down. I had to bribe her with some VeggieTales.

Anyway, we were supposed to go down to the pregnancy center for our monthly appointment (we can go until Katie's 1), but I had to cancel because Jenna was so sick. I was really bummed about that, since it's hard to get another appointment soon, but I was able to get one in two weeks. Usually I have to wait another month, so that's pretty lucky.

Here's hoping Jenna gets better soon and doesn't pass it along to any of the rest of us! :)

GrA-Mer

2009-03-10T12:06:00.000-07:00

I'll save this person maybe a little bit of embarrassment and not say where I got it (it's easy to look up, though). I found the following review while looking at fitness dvds on Amazon:

"I'm sorry girls but I didn't like this one, the instructer is just a little to peppy, and the ladies following her just look like manicanes. Not just that but it wasn't as hard as I like it, I perfer to sweat up a storm, also some of the moves I have never seen before and didn't feel like they were working anything. Definitly, the cardio part was way to low impact for me I perfer a heart pumping working this one is more just movement. The band was different but I also didn't feel like it worked too much. Also, the lightening, and backgrounds, and the way it was shot was a little cheesy. I also own the Women's Health Wedding Workout and it is awesome it really makes you sweat and incorpartes alot athletic moves. So far it's my fave!"

I've highlighted my favorite new word. Is that like a man-hurricane? Maybe it's a new superhero. :)

Thanks for the tip

2009-03-10T10:12:00.001-07:00

Found this on craigslist, since I would like a punching bag. I have nowhere to put it, but a woman can dream, right??

Click here and read the title.

I don't have a wife...can I just beat up Braden instead? :)

Quotes

2009-03-06T23:59:00.001-08:00

"Did you hear the garage door?" - Jenna

"Did you hear Mommy bike?"- Jenna - when Braden turned on the teapot, which sounds a lot like the stationary bike. She calls it "bi-kee-kee."

Braden: What a pretty dress!
Jenna: Daddy pretty dress? Noooo...

"We're driving in our minivan with two kids in the back seat. We are so old." - Braden

"Calm down, Katie!" - Jenna, after hearing me say that to Katie while she was screaming.

Hmm

2009-03-06T15:40:00.000-08:00

It's funny that I just posted a quote about trials, and here I am going through one. I'm sure other people wouldn't even consider it a trial, but it is to me, and I'm not going to elaborate here. Suffice it to say that I struggle with something I'm asked to do on a regular basis, because I don't understand it, and for some reason it just really annoys me. Add to that two very unsettling conversations today on the matter, and I'm left so upset that my stomach hurts. So trying to plan for my Sharing Time lesson is out, and I don't even know if I'll be able to sleep until I get it at least somewhat resolved. It would be lovely if the person I'm trying to call to talk about it would be home to talk.

Anyway, thanks to my mom for letting me vent earlier. I needed it.

Sorry this is so cryptic, but some things you want to blog about, and you shouldn't. Nevertheless, writing something helps me calm down or sort things through when I need to.

Trials

2009-03-06T10:47:00.001-08:00

"No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God . . . and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven"--Orson F. Whitney, in Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle, 98

Scriptures

2009-03-05T13:35:00.001-08:00

"Parents must have a knowledge of the standard works to teach them to their children. A child who has been taught from the scriptures has a priceless legacy."--President James E. Faust, Ensign, May 1983, 41

Katie Bear!!

2009-03-03T22:09:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post because we're about to watch American Idol, and it's getting late.

Miss Katie Katie is teething!! We were at the mall play area tonight, and Braden felt a tooth coming in on the bottom just left of center. Jenna starting teething at 3 months, so I'm not surprised at all. Braden then proceeded to insert his thumb in her mouth to give her something to chew on, and she promptly obliged. He said he felt like blood had been drawn, to which I replied, "Well, don't put your thumb in her mouth!!" :)

It does make a lot of sense now that she's been sleeping more than normal the past couple of days. Yesterday she slept so much that I was worried that she wouldn't sleep through the night. Thankfully, she did, though, and regularly sleeps about 8 hours at night now, sometimes more. No whammies, no whammies!!!

Jenna Sayings

2009-03-03T21:57:00.000-08:00

Jenna is right at that stage where she is starting to put words into sentences, and she cracks us up on a regular basis. Here are some examples, just within the past day:

Braden (while changing Jenna): Where's Jenna booty?
Jenna: Where'd Jenny booty go? (reaches for it) Oh, there it is!

Jenna (in the bathroom; Jenna always comes in with me): Mommy potty!
Ker: Mommy went pee-pee in the potty!
Jenna: Mommy goldfish? (She gets a reward of goldfish when she goes in the potty)

At the mall play area, Braden, Jenna and a 4-year-old girl were playing tag:
Braden: I got you!
Jenna (screaming at the top of her lungs but touching no one): I GOT YOU!!!!!!

In the car tonight:
Ker (after an annoyed comment about the car in front of us driving so slowly): Mommy cry?
(I said this jokingly because a couple of days ago, I kind of chewed out someone who cut me off; nothing bad or anything, but Jenna's response was to say, "Mommy cry" because she could tell I was upset, and she's really in tune to people's emotions.)
Jenna: Noooooo. Mommy E [insert our last name]!!

She also jokes around with us, too. She's such a comedian. This conversation happens on a regular basis when Braden puts Jenna down for the night:

Braden: Bye, Jenna.
Jenna: Bye, Mommy.
Braden: I'm not Mommy; I'm Daddy.
Jenna: Bye, Katie.
Braden: I'm not Katie; I'm Daddy!
Jenna: Bye, Gama (Grandma). [rinse, repeat....inserting whatever random name she wants]

She is her parents' daughter for sure; she thinks she's sooooo funny. :)

GOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-03-03T19:34:00.000-08:00

That's "goal" in Spanish, for those who don't know. It's a pretty easy word to remember and very fun to say loudly.

Anyway, I mentioned in an earlier post that I've been exercising regularly (5-6 times a week) since January (I started slowly in December). It's been my goal to get down to a certain weight by July. Well, I'm .2 ounces away from my goal, and it's only March! I'm thrilled. That's down 12 lbs since I actually made the goal the first week of January. I still actually look like I could be 2 1/2 months pregnant, because my stomach refuses to work with me, but I have plans to target that area shortly. I'm actually only 1 lb. away from my pre-pregnancy weight (for both Jenna and Katie). Despite my mommy stomalage (stomach-lage), I feel great and have made leaps and bounds in terms of stamina and endurance since I started exercising. It's been so great for my health and overall happiness. I have plans to continue my exercise kick for the rest of my life!

I am also continuing to enjoy the pool at the Y. If we're still here when we decide to have our next kid, I plan on using to pool to keep in shape during the pregnancy. I was in the pool once during my last pregnancy, and I LOVED IT. I was 7 months pregnant, big and luggy, and as soon as I got in the pool, I didn't feel pregnant anymore! It was wonderful. Maybe I should just live in a pool for the entire 9 months of my next pregnancy. :)

And I have to give props to my mom, because I tried to swim laps for a little while, and it exhausted me. That is tough stuff!! It exercises muscles that I didn't even know I had. And here my mama kicks my trash in the pool exercise arena. You go, Mom!!!

Mama Bear

2009-03-02T20:23:00.000-08:00

I took Jenna to the park today, because it was an okay day weather-wise. I was about to go down one of the slides and was trying to get Jenna's attention, so she could watch me (she'd already gone down right before me). Suddenly, someone shoves me in the back and yells, "GO!" It's this 4-year-old punk whose dad is 15 feet away yapping on his cell phone, oblivious to his child's behavior. I turn to the kid and say, "Hey, wait!" and then proceed with what I was doing. No apology and nothing but defiant stares from this kid. Anyway, we go over to the smaller kids' area and Jenna looks inside the window of a little house there, and all a sudden the kid starts screaming at her, saying not to do that. She thinks he's playing and goes around to go in the house where he is. I'm seriously right behind her, because I sensed what he might do, but he was too fast, and I turn the corner right as he shoves her to the ground. I didn't think, I just acted. I'm ashamed to say that I actually grabbed his shoulders and shook him a couple of times, shouting, "HEY, YOU DO NOT PUSH MY DAUGHTER TO THE GROUND!!!", amongst other things, like how rude he was and to stay away from Jenna. I should not have touched him, but I just snapped when I saw him hurt my child. When I calmed down a little bit later, I regretted actually touching him. I doubt anyone's ever done anything like that to him, because I could tell he was a bully. There is a difference between accidental and on purpose knocking someone over, and this kid KNEW right from wrong, plus he was twice Jenna's size. If a kid is being a bully and is a little bit younger and still learning right from wrong, that's one thing.

Just so people know, there is no way I would have reacted like that if he had not pushed me before. I could tell that he was oblivious to consequences and just did whatever he wanted. I mean, that takes guts to push an adult and still be defiant. There are some serious issues going on. Also, if the father had been around, I wouldn't have done that, either. But he was still yapping away on his cell phone and moseyed on over a couple of minutes later. I told the dad what his kid had done, and the dad had to tell his son like 4 times to apologize to Jenna. The kid just stared at both of us and finally said, "But she doesn't even talk yet!" And yet the boy was trying to communicate with her earlier!! And I said, yes, she does talk, and stood there waiting for his apology, which he finally said sullenly.

No worries, I'm not to go crazy on some kid in the nursery who pushes Jenna. Like I said, there was a clear understanding of right and wrong in this situation, and I'm not going to stand by and let someone hurt my child.

My adrenaline's pumping again just thinking about this situation. What would you do?

Quote

2009-03-02T08:41:00.000-08:00

"Every home is a house of learning either for good or otherwise. Family members may learn to be obedient, honest, industrious, self-reliant, and faithful in living gospel principles, or they may learn something else. "Learning the gospel in the homes of Church members should be centered on the scriptures and on the words of the latter-day prophets. The Lord has commanded parents to teach their children."--Joseph B. Wirthlin, Ensign, May 1993, p. 70

Primary Split

2009-03-02T00:10:00.000-08:00

So today was our first Sunday where we split the Junior and Senior Primary. It was really hectic trying to get it all figured out, but overall I think it went well. I do think that it will be even better with time, and now I'm a believer in splitting. I wasn't in favor of it first, but the reverence sure was better this Sunday than last Sunday, although last Sunday was the worst I'd ever seen it.

Anyway, the Primary President is gone for a couple of weeks, so I have Sharing Time the next two weeks in a row. BUT, then I don't have to do it at all the month of April, so that will be a nice break. I'm actually getting better at teaching the kids, I think, but it is a lot of work, and I still get really nervous in front of people, no matter what age they may be.

In other news, I am starting to get my birthday restaurant free stuff! So far today, I got emails from Old Country Buffet, Qdoba, Hooters (yes, Hooters), Cold Stone, Dairy Queen and Buca di Beppo. Hooters and Cold Stone are the only ones so far to actually give you something for free with no strings attached; all the rest are buy one, get one free type deals. I'm still waiting for my Red Robin free meal email. I'm excited about that one! Braden said that he guesses it ultimately was a good thing that Olive Garden screwed him over on his birthday, since it was a result of that that I started looking for places that actually give you stuff for your birthday.

It just occurred to me that this may be the first post to ever mention both Hooters and Primary. "Today we took the Primary to Hooters for our ward activity, and they had a blast!!..." :)

More Bally Fitness Fun

2009-02-28T22:50:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't know, we have a very heated conversation going on in the comments section of this post, due to someone who works for Bally finding our blog a month ago and actually defending the Bally salesman's behavior. Read the post to refresh your memory, and then scroll down to see what's being said. You may notice that neither I nor Braden buy his/her BS for a second and have said as much.

The Y

2009-02-27T09:09:00.000-08:00

I tried out the Y Water Aerobics class (55 minutes) and Modified Water Aerobics (about 45 minutes) yesterday afternoon. LOVE IT. I think it's what sold me on the Y. I'm going to join either today or tomorrow. I was the ONLY one my age, though. Fully 3/4 of the class is over 65. I peeked in before I joined it, and actually went back to the front desk and asked, um, the water aerobics class is for all ages, right? And the guy was like, heh, yeah, it's not just for old people. :)

I need to get better swim shorts, some good goggles that actually keep the water out (novel idea, I know), a backpack or something similar that I can put my stuff in, and a lock so I don't have to check in my stuff at the front.

I am one of those people that has really big privacy issues; I ended up just putting on my sweatshirt and pants over my wet swimsuit after class. Can't deal with the world seeing me naked, especially since I just saw one of the families in the ward there yesterday. Oh, look, there's Sister E from Primary, and she's totally naked!!! I'm sorry, can't do it. (One of my 11-year-old girls was right behind me coming out of the locker room.) I've been like that since middle school gym class pretty much. And do *not* ask to come in the bathroom while I'm taking a shower if you're my roommate who I don't even know that well!! That actually happened to me, and I ended up switching to taking showers at night, because I couldn't handle it. :)

And can I just say that one of the most annoying things in the world is having to take off your entire swimsuit if you have to go to the bathroom? Guys just have no idea. No idea at all.

More Primary Quotes

2009-02-27T08:44:00.000-08:00

We had our Board Meeting last night at the church, and all Primary workers were supposed to attend. We didn't get everybody there, but we had a decent turnout, I would say.

Anyway, I had just gotten done with my little talk on discipline and reverence, and two girls (6 and 8, I think?) come running up to me saying that Jenna has had an "oopsie". I had brought her with me since there were supposed to be some older kids in the nursery babysitting any little kids of Primary workers, and I thought that she would have fun. Anyway, all the kids were VERY worked up about Jenna's accident, and when I went in there, I could SMELL why. Oh my goodness. The entire room reeked...her lovely "oopsie" had permeated the whole nursery. Anyway, a 10-year-old boy said, holding his nose, "Do we have to live with this??" It was so funny.

Then I was running around trying to find a diaper, because I hadn't brought one, thinking that Jenna would be just fine. Luckily, I finally checked in the van and found the baby backpack that had ONE more diaper in it. I need to restock it. The nursery, believe it or not, *still* reeked to high heaven when I went back in there to get Jenna after the meeting was over. Wow.

Another funny quote was at the end of the meeting:

Bishop: Can I say something?
Primary President (announcing from the pulpit): ...Now we have to listen to the bishop.
(much laughter from the audience)
Bishop: Well, you don't *have* to listen to me. :)

Again, English isn't her first language, so she actually meant, "now we're going to hear from the bishop." She's such a good sport, though. Gotta love her. :)

Mistakes

2009-02-27T08:01:00.000-08:00

"Remember: the heavens will not be filled with those who never made mistakes but with those who recognized that they were off course and who corrected their ways to get back in the light of gospel truth."--Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "A Matter of a Few Degrees", Ensign, May 2008, 57–60

I really like this one, because I've sure made some mistakes in my lifetime!

Quotes

2009-02-20T09:09:00.000-08:00

"The secret of a happy marriage is to serve God and each other. The goal of marriage is unity and oneness, as well as self-development. Paradoxically, the more we serve one another, the greater is our spiritual and emotional growth."--Ezra Taft Benson, "Fundamentals of Enduring Family Relationships," Ensign, Nov. 1982, 59

"The voice of the Spirit speaks gently, prompting you what to do or what to say, or it may caution or warn you. Ignore or disobey these promptings, and the Spirit will leave you. It is your choice--your agency." --President Boyd K. Packer; Ensign, November 1994, page 60.

Kindness Goes A Long Way

2009-02-15T17:19:00.001-08:00

“Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” - Marjorie Hinckley

Primary Quote of the Week

2009-02-15T17:06:00.000-08:00

In the middle of a Senior Primary Sharing Time lesson on the priesthood (I'd just had some kids read quotes from a story, and there were some difficult words in there. I then proceeded to thank them and let them know that I knew there were some hard words, and that I appreciated them helping me out):

10 year old boy #1 (T): What does 'emaciated' mean? (Keep in mind that nowhere in the story was the word 'emaciated' mentioned, nor had it been mentioned in the lesson at all)
Me (surprised): Um, well, it means really, really...
10 year old boy #2 (J): Oh, oh! I know! It means really, really thin. Like in World War II, during Hitler's Third Reich, and when the people came out of the concentration camps, they were emaciated.
Me: Yes, you're right! Okay, now back to the story we just read about the missionaries....

Primary...never a dull moment. :)

Free Agency

2009-02-13T16:51:00.001-08:00

"I know that God loves us. He allows us to exercise our moral agency even when we misuse it. He permits us to make our own decisions. Christ cannot help us if we do not trust Him; He cannot teach us if we do not serve Him. He will not force us to do what’s right, but He will show us the way only when we decide to serve Him. Certainly, for us to serve in His kingdom, Christ requires that we experience a change of thought and attitude."--Thomas S. Monson, "Looking Back and Moving Forward", Ensign, May 2008, 87–90

My Girls

2009-02-10T11:37:00.001-08:00

I've had a request for pictures and realized that yeah, it's been awhile since I posted any, due solely to my computer sucking it up. That and I didn't take any for awhile, either. But I've started taking some in the past few days once again. So ya'll are in for a treat, because Katie has grown a LOT since the last time I posted a pic of her.

Looking serious last night...and looking like a boy due to the color scheme. But hey, they're all hand-me-downs, and I like the color blue.

Expounding on the meaning of life

Excuse the big ol' mess behind her. I love her hat!

I love Katie's hat!!

Katie is in the 95th percentile for length, and it shows.

Daddy brought home some St. Patrick's Day hats, and Jenna loves them!

The Thinker pose

Whatchu lookin' at, Willis??

Pooh Bear usurping Katie's bassinet. Jenna puts Pooh Bear in just about all of Katie's stuff.

I looked over a couple of days ago when Jenna was feeding herself and saw this. I managed not to laugh and grabbed the camera. That's milk, smoothie and applesauce.

A different view. Jenna looks pretty proud of herself.

My smiley girl

Jenna likes to be nakey a lot these days. She's learned how to take her clothes off and puts them on the wrong way, and then takes them off again...rinse repeat. This is typical potty time. Notice Katie having tummy time in the background.

...and Katie's head is too big to hold up anymore. :) Jenna looks beautiful in this picture.

Family and Adversity

2009-02-10T11:27:00.000-08:00

"We cannot control what others choose to do, and so we cannot force our children to heaven, but we can determine what we will do. And we can decide that we will do all we can to bring down the powers of heaven into that family we want so much to have forever." --Elder Henry B. Eyring; Ensign, February 1998, Page16

"There is a divine purpose in the adversities we encounter every day. They prepare, they purge, they purify, and thus they bless."--James E. Faust, "The Refiner's Fire," Ensign, May 1979, 53

I love my family...all of my family.

Katie and Jenna

2009-02-09T18:36:00.001-08:00

Katie rolled from her stomach to her back twice on Saturday! I looked over, and she was on her back, and I said, "I know I put you on your stomach!" So I rolled her back over, called to Braden, and then we saw her do it. Then we broke out the camera, and she of course wouldn't do it anymore!

We think she may have an ear infection, since she has a decreased appetite, cries even when the bottle's in her mouth sometimes and seems to be sleeping more than usual.

Katie has started to grab rings and rattles and even switch them to her other hand. She can bring them right up to her mouth and is getting more controlled. We actually have to put them in her hands, though.

Jenna was saying prayer on Saturday night and after saying "Thank you for Daddy" with my help, she spontaneously said, "And for Mommy". We were amazed. She's never said that before, and we didn't even know she knew what it meant. In the past few days, she's been saying more sentences, like "Take ya coat off", "Get up, Mommy", "Wake up, Daddy", etc. She continues to surprise us with what she says.

Apparently Jenna ran around nursery with one shoe on most of the time. Various nursery workers were chasing her around trying to put the other shoe on to no avail. Shoes that are easy for us to put on her are also easy for her to take off! :)

Exercise

2009-02-02T19:33:00.000-08:00

So I have been an exercise fiend since the new year. Not everybody knows that, since I keep a private log elsewhere. So far, I've lost 8 pounds since keeping track on January 5th. I exercise at home using mostly workout dvds and dumbbells and alternate between cardio (M, W, F) and strength training/toning (T, Th, S). I have goals to exercise at least 4 times a week, drink 2 bottles of water daily, and get at least 1 serving of vegetables and 2 of fruit each day. So far, there's only been one day when I only drank 1 bottle of water, and I've met all my other goals daily.

There's a real sense of accomplishment when you start exercising and making an effort to eat healthier. I've noticed real changes since starting, like more energy, feeling stronger, and some junk foods tasting funny. For example, root beer tastes awful to me now...I can taste all of the sugar in it, and it tastes weird. I asked Braden if he put something in it!

I'm thinking about following the basic workout schedule for the Body For Life challenge. You do 30 minutes of cardio on M, W, F and alternate upper body and lower body/abs strength training on T, Th, S. So this week I would do upper body on T and S and lower body/abs on Th, and then the opposite next week. You're supposed to choose two exercises for each muscle in that section and do 3 progressively harder sets (less repetitions with more weight). I figure I can find different exercises to change things up, and I'll have to keep track of each exercise I do. I can also add some 30 Day Shred and Jackie's Workout (two killer workouts that I LOVE) as I get stronger, too.

Anyway, this is not to brag or anything; I just wanted to share with everyone what I've been up to lately. I plan on making this a lifestyle change, not just an "until I lose the baby weight" fad.

Uh Oh

2009-02-02T19:30:00.001-08:00

I'm becoming my mother. I never thought I would say those words.

Here's how I know:

I spilled something down the front of two different shirts within a couple of hours of putting them on.

Braden just asked me where the cheese was and that no way was it in the fridge like I insisted. He even said that he looked in the drawers. I found it within 10 seconds....in a drawer.

(love you, Mom!)

It's Official

2009-01-30T23:26:00.001-08:00

Well, I think it's time. I'm going to go ahead and call it.

Katie is a thumbsucker. No binkies for this baby; we tried a few times when she was a few weeks old, but she was having none of it.

Pretty much the past week, she's managed to maneuver her thumb (ambidextrously) into her little mouth on a regular basis.

I'm slightly wondering how we'll eventually break her of this habit...take a picture of her at night when she's 13? (Hmm...did that happen to anyone else?)

Hi Everybody

2009-01-30T22:53:00.000-08:00

I just really like this quote:

"When we invite the Holy Ghost to fill our minds with light and knowledge, He "quickens" us, that is to say, enlightens and enlivens the inner man or woman. As a result we notice a measurable difference in our soul. We feel strengthened, filled with peace and joy. We possess spiritual energy and enthusiasm, both of which enhance our natural abilities. We can accomplish more than we otherwise could do on our own. We yearn to become a holier person." --Elder Keith K. Hilbig, "Quench Not the Spirit Which Quickens the Inner Man", October General Conference 2007

I also wanted to mention that Braden asked Jenna "What's your name?", and she responded with her first and last name. Our jaws dropped...we didn't think she knew what the question meant, let alone what to respond.

She also has gone pee-pee in the potty two days in a row!! TMI, I know, but I've got to keep track of this stuff somewhat. She keeps asking to sit on the potty, but is not going every time...I think it's just because she gets to watch a little bit of her show when she tries. "Pinky Pinky Pinky Dee", as she refers to it.

Happenings

2009-01-25T20:39:00.001-08:00

Katie is now sleeping through the night as of Monday night, I believe. She'll sleep about 8 or sometimes even 9 hours, usually from around 10 until 6 or 7, although we have yet to have a set routine for when she goes down. I am, as you might imagine, totally thrilled about getting to stay in bed through the night, although I don't get to bed right when she does, but I try to make it there within an hour of her going to sleep. So things are better on the sleep front.

Katie turned 3 months old on Friday, and she is getting to be a regular chubby-bubby. I noticed her chubbo-legs on Thursday...she is really starting to fill out. She is a very beautiful baby, with her dark hair and blue eyes. Her hair lightened up a little bit, but it is still very dark and seems to be staying that way for the time being.

Katie also had her 2 month appointment 2-3 weeks ago; I can't remember if I posted about it or not. She's in the 95th percentile for length at 24 1/2 inches and something like 50 percentile for weight at (I think) 12.5 lbs. She officially grew out of size 1 diapers about a week and a half ago; and the way I knew was that she kept being absolutely SOAKED on a regular basis, like through her diaper, clothes, and onto her bouncy seat, and I would've just changed her 1-2 hours before, which would've been fine in the past. She is just getting so big! She's at the stage where she's starting to notice her hands, and her thumb and fingers sometimes make it into her mouth. We may have a thumbsucker! We "talk" on a regular basis; I coo at her, and she just loves it. She smiles and coos right back at me. She is totally a people person and loves to make eye contact with people and be right in on the action. She and Jenna are starting to interact a little bit more these days. Katie will watch her sometimes.

Jenna is just growing by leaps and bounds, both mentally and physically. Her words are being modified, like she'll say Ga-ma for Grandma instead of Gaba, and just a few minutes ago pronounced her last name much better, saying Ah-lee instead of Ah-dee. Goldfish actually sounded like goldfish! She has gone pee-pee in the potty 3 times in the past couple of months, although we're not really concentrating on that, and she went a few hours ago, actually, and got her treat of goldfish. Potty training is just kind of something where we ask her if she wants to sit on the potty, and if not, it's fine, or sometimes she'll ask to sit on it.

Jenna's hair is getting a lot longer, and is FINALLY starting to grow in the front! The baby mullet is cute, but it's time to say goodbye to it. :) She has a rash all over her right now, and the doctor said last Monday that it looks a reaction to a virus (kids react with rashes and adults don't is what she said), and that it should go away within a week and a half. It seems to me that it got worse over last week, but Braden said just now that it looks better, so that's good. We've kept her home from church the past two weeks because we weren't sure if it was contagious or not. Anyway, I hope it clears up by the end of this week at least. She hasn't been scratching, so that's good, because if she does, it's not a virus, but something else.

That's it for now!

I Heart The Internet

2009-01-16T16:46:00.001-08:00

...especially when it basically just lays out an entire Sharing Time lesson for you.

It's that time again! Yep, this Sunday I shall be teaching Primary again. I've dodged the bullet for a few months, what with the Primary program, giving birth, and Christmastime, but now it is time to actually do a real lesson. Wish me luck!

Magic Bullet

2009-01-15T22:21:00.000-08:00

Braden bought a Magic Bullet blender with some of our Christmas money (thanks, Grampa!) a few days ago, and we have just been going crazy with it. I'm almost sick of smoothies! I'd been making them with our regular blender, but the Magic Bullet has different glass sizes, so you can just make enough for you and then flip it and drink it right out of the container. The lady who we stayed with for Ryan and Vicki's wedding had one, and I guess Braden paid a lot of attention to it! You can make sauces and chop vegetables with it, too, but I haven't been too impressed with the latter purpose; it seems to puree them instead of chopping them. Braden especially has been experimenting a lot with it. He stopped by a Cash & Carry, too, and got some smoothie base (peach and strawberry), non-fat yogurt, mango base, and raspberry sprinkles, so we've been having fun with that, too. I personally have found that adding too much of the base makes it WAAAAAY sugary, so I just like a little bit in there. All in all, it's been a really good buy for our family. Jenna's obsessed, too. Now she asks for "foo-by" instead of "mummy".

By the way, it was not $99; Braden got it for half that at Costco.

Dental Day

2009-01-08T22:13:00.000-08:00

We just got done with a football party. Braden had his dad, brother and old roommate over to watch some football, and so of course we had to have lots of yummy treats.

It's probably a good thing that the entire lower part of my jaw was completely numb until about 8pm, but I still wanted to eat some treats (although I didn't). I got my teeth cleaned at 4pm today, and I'm not a fan of the dentist. I should go more often than I should, but I don't, so that when I do go, I need more work done. In my defense, I've been prego a lot lately, so when there was a window for me to go, I just didn't think about it.

Anyway, I was scared to eat anything, and I was starving! I finally made a banana milkshake about 30 minutes ago, took small sips and didn't let any of it touch my teeth (well, it did once, and it was OUCHY). So I know I'll be starving tomorrow. I hope that my teeth aren't quite as sensitive tomorrow morning, so I can at least chew somewhat.

In other news, Jenna was running around without a shirt on (by her own choice) for much of the night. She either looks like she just came from Ethiopia, or she's into her third trimester. Now there's a girl who is definitely not starving, and apparently she likes to show it off to older men! :)

Smoothie Recipe

2009-01-01T13:30:00.000-08:00

I want to write this down so I don't forget. I just made a really yummy smoothie, which is actually quite soothing on my sore throat (we're all sick around these here parts...again).

Kerry's Yummy Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

5 frozen strawberries
2 small bananas (or 1 large banana)
2 ice cubes
2 teaspoons honey
3/4 cup or 1 cup of skim milk
1/2 cup of V8 Strawberry Banana Fusion
1/2 cup of fat-free plain yogurt

Blend until smooth...like a smoothie. :) Then share with your daughter, who sucks it down so fast you marvel how she doesn't get permanent brain freeze.

Jenna calls it a "mummy", so when she points to mine, she says, "Mommy mummy." It's really cute.

So I don't want to jinx myself, but my computer seems to be working again...? Dunno.

Virus

2008-12-29T16:39:00.001-08:00

This is Kerry. I am having problems with my computer. We think it may be a virus, but who knows? It has made it so my computer is very slow and crashes or shuts down frequently. Braden tried restoring it from 2 days before it started acting up, but that didn't work. Any suggestions from people who know computers would be much appreciated. In the meantime, I can't really use my computer, so if you have written me an email and not heard back, I've not been able to get on Braden's laptop to check it. Braden is to sharing his laptop as Kerry is to sharing her computer, so...I will not be on the internet a ton until we get this thing figured out. At least that's what I'm telling Braden. ;)

Everything I Need To Know I Learned In Primary

2008-12-28T13:24:00.000-08:00

I wanted to post about this while it's fresh in my mind.

This is how Opening Exercises in Primary (read: Sunday School) went this morning (keep in mind that Opening Exercises means that both Junior and Senior Primary are all gathered together, so approximately ages 3-11 or 12):

Primary President (conducting): When I was little, Santa used to bring me presents. But as I got older, I realized that Santa was really just my dad. You all know that, right? That Santa is just your parents?

In the room off to the side, the Primary secretary and I were just staring at each other with our jaws dropped, just in total disbelief that she would say this to a group of children! The secretary was mouthing, "Are you kidding me??" I risked a glance out at the kids just to see, but all I saw were some adult teachers with the same looks on their faces. (The first counselor later said, "I didn't see any kids with traumatized faces, just some adults!") The secretary's husband, who is a member of the bishopric, came in right after that, and when we whispered to him what had happened, he said, "Go up after her and say, 'Just Kidding!'"

Apparently, right after that when the president sat down, the first counselor whispered to her, "You do know that a lot of children still believe in Santa Claus...", and she goes, "Oh, okay. There is a Santa" back to her and then giggled.

Then, once Singing Time had started, in the next room, the president went over to the first counselor and said, "I'll tell them that there is a Santa", and the first counselor said, "Oh, no, don't say anything; it'll just make it worse!"

In the president's defense, English is not her first language, and while she is a very sweet lady and means well, she just doesn't get some things, and I guess this was one of them!

I have to admit, I happen to think it's more funny than horrifying. Like, I couldn't believe she said it, but I couldn't stop laughing, either. This happened at the beginning of Primary, and I was still laughing about it when we got home. Braden's opinion of it was, "So what?" But then, we don't really do Santa in our family, and I don't remember being traumatized about finding out about "Santa" growing up. I do hope no hurt feelings were caused by the incident, though.

We think most of the kids were either not paying attention when she said it, or didn't understand what she was saying, so I guess no harm, no foul...but I sure hope no kids went home devastated!

I Have To Post About This

2008-12-22T20:12:00.000-08:00

I see a lot of misspelled words every day on the Internet, but every once in a while, I come across one that makes me laugh out loud and then drop my jaw in disbelief. This was one of them (go to the 8th comment after the post).

"You may think I'm crazy, but I stock your blog! I think you are amazing and you have inspired me!!"

Let's see that one more time:

"I stock your blog!"

With what? A year's supply? Eggplant? Parmesan?

Why can't I have more blog stockers? My blog shelves are, like, totally empty.

"I stock your blog!"

It Was A Good Day

2008-12-21T22:04:00.001-08:00

It was a nice day today for us. Braden let me sleep in, and then when I got up, about thirty minutes later, he went and took a five hour nap. So we didn't see much of each other until 5:30, but we both got some much needed sleep. It's funny, though, neither of us slept well last night, so really we were just making up for a crappy night's sleep. But we'll take it. :)

Needless to say, today went by pretty quickly, but it was just a really nice day. I'm content.

Katie is not so content, which means I have to cut this post short.

Let It Not Snow

2008-12-20T22:29:00.000-08:00

We are supposed to get a lot more snow tonight. I went out with Jenna in the snow a couple of days ago, and she absolutely LOVED it. I told Braden that I guess she doesn't take after either of her parents! She would not come back inside! She loved throwing snowballs and kept asking for more. My hands had been freezing for awhile, and so I finally just picked her up and took her inside...I know you love it, but I don't want you to get frostbite, either!!

(Oh, you can see her new glasses here. I still have to do a separate post about that.)

The two pics below are from when Braden and Jenna went outside for like two minutes before Braden got cold and went back in with her! I think this was a couple of days before the above pics. Jenna has Braden's favorite coat on. I think it was her first experience with snow.

Can It Be Possible?

2008-12-20T22:16:00.000-08:00

We may very well have a white Christmas here in Western Washington. It looks like this everywhere, and Christmas vacation apparently came three days early for school-age kiddos this year.

And now church has been cancelled. We had about four phone calls telling us this, so I think we're certain that it's cancelled. We may have another 43 messages on my phone by tomorrow, I don't know.

Can I admit something? Maybe I'm bad to the bone, but...I'm glad I get out of doing Sharing Time tomorrow. :-O (Even though the first counselor suggested that I play her 18 minute Christmas Oranges DVD, and I obliged...but ONLY because she suggested it, of course! What do you think of me??)

L & D

2008-12-20T21:34:00.000-08:00

WARNING: GRAPHIC MATERIAL OF LABOR AND DELIVERY-NESS

So I've been meaning to write my labor story for a few weeks now (obviously not longer than that), but the whole taking care of a newborn kept getting in the way. Here goes:

I walked around the mall for a couple of hours on Wednesday, October 22nd with Braden. And I mean walked and walked and walked. Then we went to my midwife appointment, at which point she stripped my membranes a little bit more and pronounced me about 4 cm. I was very uncomfortable at this point, but still not in labor. We went home, and Braden left at a little before 5pm to go to his staff meeting, which was supposed to last until 9pm. He really wanted me to get him out of it, but I of course couldn't make any promises. Jenna was already with the Grandparents E. because we THOUGHT I was in labor on Tuesday night. (I was really mad when the contractions stopped that night). I started getting contractions after Braden left, and they became more and more regular. I think it was about 6:30 that I gave in to my craving of Pollo Asado from a nearby Mexican place and went to pick it up. I enjoyed my last supper very much, thank you. :) The contractions continued, and I believe I called Braden about 7:30 or so and told him that it would be a good idea for him to come home. Apparently he took the call out in the hall, ran back in to get his stuff and ran back out. Just like Braden to make an exit memorable.

Braden came home, and we timed the contractions a little bit more. We ended up heading to the hospital maybe at 9 or 10...I can't remember some details; sorry. Anyway, when we got there, I dressed in the lovely, modest hospital gown and the nurse checked me before she wrecked me. I was still 4 cm and regretted telling her that the midwife said that I was 4 cm at my appointment at 2 that afternoon. She calls the doctor, who is on call instead of my midwife, of course. I had indicated that this doctor could deliver my baby if my midwife wasn't available. This is the doctor who I had seen a couple of times before and who had done my 36 week ultrasound. Well, the nurse comes back and says that the doctor said that if I haven't progressed within one hour, I need to be sent home. WHAT?????? Understandably, I was quite upset. I tried an exercise ball thing for 15 minutes, but that did nothing, so then I started speedwalking around the entire department, noticing as we went along that the rooms were not even half full. So why the crap were they threatening to send me home? Braden suggested it was because the doctor wanted to have a good night's sleep. I think it was 10 or 11 at this point. Anyway, when my hour was up, I made the nurse give me more time, since the ball was a waste of time, and she gave me like 10 more minutes. My contractions sped up to 2-3 minutes apart while I was walking, but when she checked me again, she goes, "Maybe half a centimeter..." Well, I was really, really upset at this point and had been ever since they had told me that I might be sent home. I let the nurse know that I did NOT want to be sent home, that I knew I was in labor, that my contractions were not very far apart and consistent and that they had sped up. Well, after a few minutes, the on-call midwife came in, and I guess my impassioned plea worked, because she asked me a few questions and then said, "Well, when would you like your epidural?" NOW! I guess the doctor wasn't on call anymore, and the midwife either had pity on me or realized that I was actually, really in labor.

So after a little while, the anesthesiologist came in and did his thing. He had a habit of telling that he was going to do something right as he did it. As in, "this will stingOUCH." I jumped at one point, and he was like, "PLEASE...try not to do that." Well, suerie, maybe you should give me a little warning! :) The epidural took effect after a little bit, and I was overcome by itching...everywhere. Oh, my goodness, I itched so badly. And then, not too long after, I started to feel the contractions somewhat, which really upset me, because that's WHY I got the epidural, hello! :) So I told the nurse and then they brought me my own button thingy to press whenever I started to feel them, and that helped after a bit. Then I was a lot happier, trust me. Anyway, rinse, repeat...blah, blah. At some point, I tried to sleep as much as I could, and Braden did, too. Then around 5am, the baby's heart rate all of a sudden went way down, and Mom ran and got the nurse. It was deduced that the baby's head was engaged and she was ready to be born. Mom said she wouldn't be surprised if I had her within the hour, and she was right! Katie was born just before 6am on Thursday, October 23rd. When I was pushing, I guess the midwife wasn't all the way ready yet, but she said, Um, you're a really good pusher, so I'm going to get ready here. Also, I had a mirror to see, but the midwife's head was in the way most of the time, and when she finally moved, and I got a good look, my eyes about popped out of my head, because Katie was almost, well, out, and I couldn't feel it, so I had no idea she was that far along!! :) I guess that with Jenna, they had stopped the epidural when I started pushing, so I definitely could feel that part with her. I wasn't aware that they had stopped the epidural with Jenna, so with Katie, I expected to feel that again, so when I didn't, I thought I still had a long way to go. I had actually pressed the epidural button right before Katie's head engaged, so I was chock full o' medication, and that's how I prefer it!

They weighed her behind a curtain, so I yelled to Braden, how much does she weigh?? When he came back with "8 lbs, 6 oz", we were both shocked, because she did not look that big to us when she was born. WOW!!

Anyway, the other occurrence of note was that my epidural did not wear off until like 5:30pm on Thursday, and I received it at about midnight! That is a loooooong time to not feel your legs. I couldn't get up that entire time, so when they moved me to another floor, the nurse really did not get that I couldn't move my legs at all until she didn't support me enough, and I almost fell off the wheelchair while they were trying to get me in it. I had warned her! Anyway, I had the painful IV of death in my hand from the night before (it really, really hurt, not only going in, but the entire time it was in; the nurse kept jabbing me while trying to get it in), and I really wanted it out, but the nurse wouldn't let me until I could go to the bathroom by myself. So when my epidural took so long to wear off, I had to have this stupid IV in that whole time. It was the bane of my existence. I was hyper-aware of anyone's proximity to it...WATCH THE IV, PLEASE. :) However, I'm not knocking the epidural; thank goodness for modern medicine!

I should also mention that one of my ward friends had her baby at the same hospital this past February, and that they not only threatened to send her home...they actually did! She told me about it a couple of months before I had Katie, and it worried me a little bit. She went home and had hours of really painful contractions before she couldn't take it anymore and went back in. My mom could not believe that they were going to send me home. She said on our way to the hospital that she thought they would take me right in. If I were going to be around this area for our next baby, no way would I have it at this same hospital. I was not as far along (centimeters-wise) with Jenna when I went to the hospital to have her, and that hospital never once said, "you have X amount of time to dilate, or else buh-bye". Women in labor have so many other worries and concerns going on; it's just not right to do that!! I was very clearly in labor and had followed the orders of my midwife for when I should go to the hospital.

Anyway, my postpartum recovery has been so much better than the last time (not hard to do), so I am really grateful for that. I'm also grateful that I did not get sent home and that I got to have my Katie!!

The end!

Blog Posts

2008-12-19T15:45:00.000-08:00

I have to admit here that one of my pet peeves is clicking on an item in my Google Reader and having only a paragraph display, followed by [...]. This means that I have to go to the actual site. You would think that this wouldn't be a big deal, since it's just one click, but it is to me. I hate it!! I want to be able to read the whole thing in Google Reader and not have to go to the site again and again and clutter up my desktop with windows. That's one of the main reasons why I read my blogs through Google Reader: to simplify things and have all my blogs in one place.

I'm going through the blogs that I subscribe to and basically, if I'm on the fence about a blog, and it does this, I'm unsubscribing. I really, really hate it. I actually don't know how you set up your blog to do that, but if mine did that by default, I would find a way to fix it. I know that some people do that to make people go to their site, so they can have a more accurate knowledge of how many people visit it, but that actually makes me not want to visit the actual blog. There is a way to see how many people are subscribed to your blog, so I don't know why they don't just use that, in addition to a counter. Anyway, none of the family/friend blogs I read do this...it's just a handful of miscellaneous blogs here and there.

Finally!!

2008-12-19T15:06:00.001-08:00

In the midst of cleaning out the pantry, I found a jar of soup ingredients all packed together. It's Wild Rice and Barley soup, and I've had it for I don't know how many years. I believe I got it at a Relief Society Homemaking Meeting somewhere...I think it was at some singles branch I attended. Since I've been married for over three years, I know it's at least that old, and I'll add on a few more years because I think I had it in Cleveland. Pretty much I've just been lugging it around from place to place, each time thinking, "Huh. I should use that or throw it out." And each time, I do neither!

Until now, my friends.

The soup has been made.

And it makes a LOT, let me tell you. "Put mix in a large soup pot and add 14 cups of water." I got out my biggest pot and promptly reversed the directions, because I figured it would be less intelligent (read: really dumb) to put the mix in first and then discover that my largest pot doesn't hold 14 cups of water. But it does! Oh, yes, it does. So we were golden.

So I'm sitting here going through Google Reader and thinking that it would have been funny to say to whoever gave me the jar back in the day, "Thank you so much! I'll be sure to make this sometime in the next decade!" :)

Cake Wreck

2008-12-18T15:28:00.000-08:00

Wooooooooooooooooow.

Din Din

2008-12-17T17:48:00.000-08:00

Almost without fail, Katie is hungry when I'm trying to make dinner. It's like she knows.

So instead of feeding her or making dinner, I post about it.

What a great mother I am. :o

Some November Pics

2008-12-15T11:56:00.000-08:00

These pictures are from November. I'm a little behind on picture posting.

This was on a walk through the mall. It's a medieval/sword/knife-ish store...kind of right up my brother Kevin's alley. Scooby Doo obviously fits right in here. :)

Where's Daddy? This is at the play area in the mall. Jenna hearts the play area.

There's Daddy!!

This is Jenna's favorite shirt. Whenever I go into her room in the morning and say, "What should we wear today?", she asks, "Ah-lah, be?" As in Elmo, please. She looooooves this shirt. I wish I had more Elmo shirts, because this one's always dirty!

Daba Misses Gaba

2008-12-15T11:46:00.000-08:00

Translation: Jenna misses Grandma.

She is also giving the evil eye, too, but that's beside the point.

Workout, Baby, Workout

2008-12-13T15:27:00.000-08:00

So this week I've starting exercising again. It's been awhile. Like say, pre-Katie, and I do mean pre-Katie in the womb pre-Katie. I am one of those people who has a very hard time exercising during pregnancy. I usually just do not have enough energy, and that's how both of my pregnancies have been. Anyway, now that things are in a semi-routine lately, plus with me being over 6 weeks postpartum and feeling up to it, I decided to start doing something about this here baby weight. I didn't exercise much after Jenna, because I couldn't with the birth from heck and long recovery time, but even after that, I was focused on raising Jenna and didn't really get back in the swing of things. And then I was pregnant with Katie and had no energy. I was lucky enough to pretty much lose almost all of my baby weight with Jenna without really exercising...it just came off.

This time around...not so much. And I know it's only been a little over 7 weeks, but I can already tell that I'm going to have to really work at it this time. This is fine in a way, because it motivates me to exercise and eat better, which is of course much better for my physical and emotional well-being. It's true what they say about exercising: it makes you actually have more energy and feel better about yourself.

I exercised on Monday and Wednesday with a workout from Self.com, which I had to sign up for. The first time I did one of the routines I died. That was on Monday. I got through it once and then saw "Complete circuit three times." Then I died again inside, because no way could I do it three times! So I just did it once and had to be satisfied with that, because, hey, I'm out of shape, and it takes time for your body to get used to exercising again and to build up stamina. I think that one of the hardest things for me do is to take it slowly. I want to go, go, go when I'm gung-ho about something, but I really need to hold back and make sure I'm not pushing myself too hard. The last thing I want to do is injure myself. For example, I got a few exercise DVDs out of the library, and I did this one today. I picked two 10 minute routines, and I'll admit that they were strenuous. I could really feel it! After I finished up, I felt like maybe I could do one more 10 minute routine, but I didn't for the reasons I just mentioned. Patience, Kerry, Patience!

I think one of the hardest things about exercising if Jenna's awake is trying to keep her from thinking I'm a horsey (horsy, horsie?) if I'm laying on the floor doing abdominal work! I was also breathing really hard at times, and she would come up to me with her little brow all furrowed and put her hand on my shoulder. I could totally tell she was like, Mommy, are you okay?? Don't die!!

I'm working up to this routine, which I really want to do, but I want to be in somewhat better shape than I'm in right now. Trust me when I say I am really, really out of shape!! I requested it from the library, but there are 21 people ahead of me, so I've got a little while before it comes in. I've heard great things about it (thanks, Jen!).

Unbelievable

2008-12-10T14:57:00.001-08:00

Two tow truck drivers tow a car and then discover a two-year-old inside. Read about it here.

I do think that the drivers should have noticed a kid inside, BUT I think the mother's to blame here. I cannot believe that you would leave your child in the car while you double parked and ran inside a store to chat with someone, let alone if the car is running and unlocked. I think it's amazing that the child wasn't kidnapped.

I agree with the second commenter after the article: "Ok. You leave your child alone. In a car. Unlocked. Engine running. Go
out of sight. Talk to someone and get distracted to the point of not
noticing a TOW TRUCK TAKING YOUR CAR AND CHILD AWAY. Hmm, that's a
toughie. Let the courts battle that one out!"

Ah Ah Ah...

2008-12-07T22:18:00.000-08:00

This is from "Who Will Baby Mickey Meet?", a book that Jenna likes to read. I played a little prank on Braden and asked him to read this book to Jenna:

Every single time I read the book, I think of this when I read "meat market", so I finally decided to do it.

I know, I know...good one, Kerry. :)

Jenna and Katie...and Jenna

2008-12-07T21:54:00.000-08:00

Jenna "helping" Katie by giving her blankets and burp rags:

Katie trying in vain to free herself:

Big Smile! "Thank you for freeing me, big sister!"

"Help, help! She's going for more blankets!"

Lately Jenna has been, um, eating her clothes. It makes for nastiness.

I'm sure that's such a pleasant feeling. Mmmm...

More Jenna Bear

2008-12-07T21:22:00.000-08:00

Since you all can't get enough of her, I just know it.

Jenna got ahold of Katie's washcloth, which apparently was not as dry as I had thought:

Performing a vaudeville routine: Hello my baby, hello my darling...

I just love these little sleepers. This one fit her perfectly:

Jenna giving Pooh Bear a bath. She's obsessed with Katie's bathtub:

I think she's right-handed, but she switches. I was impressed by how well she was holding the pen here:

Playing catch:

More catch:

My first trip by myself with the girls to Target on Black Friday. I gave Jenna a bunch of books with buttons you can press that make noise. They gave me at least 15 minutes of uninterrupted shopping time. It was hilarious, because you could hear us coming from 50 feet away...I felt like an ice cream truck! I couldn't stop laughing, because people kept looking around to see where the noise was coming from. :)

When You Might Want To Change Your Last Name

2008-12-07T20:45:00.001-08:00

This poor kid. But he might be laughing all the way to the bank someday.

Every time they announce his name on TV, I die a little bit inside.

Daba

2008-12-06T13:23:00.001-08:00

Jenna now actually says her own name on a regular basis. It used to be that she would say, "Baby!" when she would see her picture, but now she says "Daba!" We don't know where she gets "Daba" from, but there you go. Now, if she wants milk, for example, she'll say, "Be Daba na?" That means "Please Jenna milk?" She will also say what she is thankful for instead of thanking whoever got it for her. If I get her milk, she'll say, "Diggy na" or "Thank you milk." I have to remind her to say thank you to me. :)

She'll also say, "I love you, Daddy", which is "Lubby Daddy." Whenever we tried to get her to say it before, she would say, "Bye Daddy!"

Also...yesterday, she started saying, "No!" I'm not sure if it was because she didn't get much of a nap and was just really tired, but she was Miss MegaBrat starting from when we got home a little after 5pm. I ended up retreating into my bedroom early last night, partly because I was so tired, but partly because I needed a break from the kiddos, especially Jenna. She was driving me crazy! Braden actually got really excited when I told him how Jenna was acting, because he was like, "I can't wait until she tries that with me!" I said, "Do you think I'm letting her get away with it??" :)

Katie has this routine where she'll sleep between 3-4 hours at a time at night, but then when it gets to be 6-7am, she'll wake up every 30-45 minutes. It's really annoying! So I'll get up and try to feed her more, and she doesn't eat much and falls asleep again, so I go back upstairs to bed, and sure enough, about 40 minutes later, she's crying again. She did it again this morning, and the third time, I put her in the swing and just stayed on the couch. That seemed to work pretty well, so I think I will try that the first time the next time this happens (probably tomorrow morning).

FYI: I started a post on Monday and just finished it today, so it is listed as posted on Monday, even though I only posted it a few minutes ago. So be sure not to miss the new pictures!

Comments

2008-12-05T10:27:00.001-08:00

What do you do when someone you don't know very well comments on your blog? Let's say you had no idea that they read your blog. I suppose there are various reactions. One is to ignore it, either because you're uncomfortable that they found your blog, or maybe you don't know what to say. Or you could respond to it, especially if the comment is a complimentary one that says, Hey I love your blog!

I guess I'm just discouraged, because yesterday I commented on a blog that I've been reading for a few months. I really like the blog, and I said so in my comment, as well as telling a little bit about myself (we both have two girls around the same age). I know the husband of the person that blogs, but not very well. Anyway, not only did she not respond to my comment at all, but she responded to a comment after mine, so I know she saw it. And I'm left to wonder, do I smell? Do people just not know what to say? Or do they think I'm a stalker (I had said how I found the blog, and the husband has it posted on a very public site)? I know that this is not a huge deal, but it bothers me. No one likes to be ignored, and I guess it is much easier to ignore people over the internet.

Also, this is not the first time something like this has happened. I had been reading an acquaintance's blog a few months ago, and she decided to go private. She told people to email her if they wanted to keep reading, so I did. She hadn't been aware of my reading her blog, but we knew each other from a singles branch we both went to a few years ago. She didn't respond for over two weeks...and the entire time, I was just left hanging and wondering if she didn't want me to read her blog. It sucked! Okay, so maybe she was busy, I don't know. She did finally respond, but only by approving me to read her blog; there was no note, no nothing. It was supremely weird. And about a week ago, I emailed another acquaintance who has decided to go private, and I am again waiting and wondering the same thing. I guess it's just not worth it to me. So if you decide to go private, and I don't know you that well, I guess I just won't be able to read your blog anymore.

Bottom line: Acknowledging people is polite! Don't leave people hanging...it's the worst.

2008-12-01T13:28:00.000-08:00

This was the same day that Katie had her one month appointment at the pediatrician's office.

We went to the glasses center thingy to try on Jenna's new glasses. Jenna was not too keen because it was just the frames and the lenses didn't have her prescription yet, since we were just trying them on to see if we wanted to go ahead and get them. She was fussing in the picture below because they still had the brand name stickers on them, and I'm sure she was like, What the crap are you making me wear?? :) The store had had to special order the frames since she still wears such a small size. We have learned since having such a small child with glasses that most people don't know their children need glasses until they go to school, so that's another reason why it's so unusual to have a baby wearing glasses. Then again, Jenna had an obvious manifestation of her problem: she's very cross-eyed. A lot of kids aren't but still need glasses, and it's much less obvious that they do.

Daddy and Katie sharing a kiss in the exam room. We were waiting for the pediatrician, and she took so long to come in that eventually Braden covered Katie up in a blanket to keep her warm.

Still waiting...

I love this little hat! Also, I have learned that little fingers are hard to put in gloves. Good thing we usually don't need gloves!

After all that work, we were only outside for like two minutes, and she went back to the door and wanted inside! :)

My Little Jawa

2008-12-01T12:57:00.000-08:00

Jenna was playing with my hooded sweatshirt the other day. It made her look like a Jawa.

Naky BehBEE

2008-11-29T19:33:00.001-08:00

I'm writing this down partly because it's hilarious and I want to remember it, and partly because I want to remind myself to ask Braden about it.

When I went to get Jenna up this morning, she was sitting in her crib wearing nothing but a diaper (this is by far a first). There were no clothes in her crib, and there were a couple of things on the floor that she *could* have been wearing, but it's tough to say. She's not yet adept at removing her clothing, I would say, although she's making progress. I wouldn't have thought she'd be able to completely remove her outfit by herself, whatever it was.

I asked her where her clothes were, but got no response. It is a mystery...until Braden gets home. Then we shall find out if my hubbin is down with putting his toddler in her crib with no clothes on when it's almost December. :)

Earrings

2008-11-28T11:53:00.000-08:00

I have to go feed the Katienator, but here is a really cute pic of Jenna and her "earrings" from yesterday:

Party At My Crib - 3 AM

2008-11-24T18:40:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Braden lost track of time in the morning and forgot to get Jenna up until it was like an hour and a half past the time she usually gets up. If we don't get her right away when she wakes up, she usually will chatter away and entertain herself somehow. However, sometimes that source of entertainment is not quite what we would like.

So this is what Braden found upon entering Jenna's bedroom yesterday morning:

In the last picture, you can see a Pampers box right next to the crib. I had put a bunch of stuff on there that I've let her play with in the past; I was just trying to clean up her room a little bit. That stuff has been there probably for a few weeks with no mishap...until yesterday! She grabbed some books, the Huggies wipes holder, and more! Most importantly, she also got ahold of the nursing catalog on top and proceeded to tear it to shreds in her crib.

Fast forward to this morning, and this is what Braden found when he opened her bedroom door:

Quite the fashion statement, don't you think? She's done this before with other shirts.

Never a dull moment at our house, I tell you. :)

Happy Belated 1 Month Day, Katie!

2008-11-24T18:26:00.000-08:00

Katie turned 1 month old yesterday! She is growing so fast. One thing I have noticed about her is that she really is so much more alert than Jenna was at that age. Katie notices people, and she realizes when you stand in front of her, move or make a face. She is quite social, I think. She likes to be around people. Jenna was completely oblivious to people until she was 4 or 5 months old - I was actually starting to worry that something was wrong, but then she finally started becoming more social. On the other hand, Katie has been alert and aware almost from birth. It's so interesting to see the differences (and similarities) between siblings.

She slept like this for hours yesterday

She has superhuman head and neck strength and has from birth; it's amazing

Heeeeeeeee-YA!

On the way to the store for the first time

Paid Blogging

2008-11-22T16:54:00.001-08:00

So I just read this post, and it got me thinking. I know it's only $1 per post, and that can be lowered if you don't get a lot of traffic after a while...or you can be "fired" if you stink, but hey, $1. I mean, my brother will pick up loose change on urinals, so a dollar that hasn't been on a surface in a public restroom is pretty cool. :) (I tease, I tease)

Anyway, I was just thinking about what I could blog about that would be of interest to others. What topic would generate the most interest and is also a topic that I am either good at or interested in? Hmm...

Let's see. I like the following:

Languages
Art
Being a Stay-at-Home Mom
Books
Certain shows on TV
Movies
Music
Recipes/Cooking
Trivia

I'm not saying that I totally have time to do this. I mean, hello, I'm still trying to get used to taking care of two kidditos. The idea just interests me, though, and I'm wondering what I would post about if I were to do it. I could do a music trivia one, but that's pretty specialized. Or it'd be fun to do a quotes one or weird news one. The original post is from a blogger who blogs about nonfiction books she reads, and she recently expanded it to include happenings at the library where she works. I think it would be cool to also do a book blog, but that is a lot of work. I don't know that I could commit to reading that many books, although I do love to read. I should do one on TV shows...I sure have been watching a LOT of it lately while I feed Katie! The problem with that, though, is that if you limit yourself to one show, then...well, just that, you limit yourself. And if you review a bunch of shows, then that takes up a lot of time, plus you pretty much have to watch them as soon as they air, because people want to read about it that night or the next day. I have shows from 3 weeks ago recorded on our DVR that I still haven't watched yet. There would be a lot of pressure to watch them right away, and that's pressure I don't need.

All in all, if I were to do this, it would really have to be something that I enjoy doing and would do anyway regardless of payment. And, if it's a review blog, it certainly wouldn't be once a day; it would be more like once a week.

Anyway, it's something to think about.

Diaper Emergency

2008-11-21T15:48:00.000-08:00

I thought you all might want to see what my husband does when faced with a diaper emergency.

Okay, now here's the situation: My parents went away on a...oh, sorry.

Okay, now here's the real situation: Braden was at his parentals' with Jenna on Sunday. They went to church down there and ended up staying for a bit to visit. Jenna poops, as she is wont to do, and Braden discovers that there are no Jenna diapers in the diaper bag. Katie diapers up the ying yang, but no Jenna diapers. (Note: this is why we need two diaper bags now. Additional note: I have been made fun of repeatedly for the diaper bag being too heavy from all the stuff I put in it, but *I* have never run out of diapers, ha HA!) Anyway, Braden calls me around 4pm and says he's going to come home because of the aforementioned situation. I go down for a nap, and I hear Braden come home later and put Jenna straight down for a nap. I get up later, along with Jenna, and Braden asks me to change her diaper. Perplexed and, dare I admit it, a little bit annoyed that he would let her sit in poop for hours, I go to change her diaper.

Folks, may I now present to you what I found upon pulling down her pants and then unsnapping her onesie:

"What in the sam hill is that??", you may ask. Or, in my case, "WHAT THE CRAP IS JENNA WEARING?" Turns out that Braden had in fact changed Jenna's poopy diaper at the Grandparents E's house, and he had used....duh dun dun: one of Granna's old diapers. Braden just wanted to see my face when I undressed Jenna. After I got over my shock, it *was* pretty funny. Nay, hilarious. In the last picture, you can see how high up on her it was. Geez, that must have been sooooo comfortable, especially to sleep in!

The lengths Braden will go to in order to see the look on my face...he will make his one-year-old sleep in Depends. :)