Poll Perspectives

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2012-01-23T22:24:00.001-05:00

Here are a few of Boston's "tricks"

Enjoy! :)

** I should clarify why he says "gulk, gulk" for a frog sound. It comes from a song I sing to him about a frog whose eyes go, "gulk, gulk, gulk" and he loves to repeat that sound - so to him that is what a frog says :)

It's about time...

2012-01-09T23:48:00.000-05:00

It finally snowed here today. We have had no snow AT ALL this winter. I'm not asking for the snowmaggedon that we had two years ago, but some white stuff would be nice. I really wanted Boston to get get a chance to experience it, as well, since we will be back in Arizona this time next year.

It was so much fun to take Boston out in the falling snow. To watch him experience catching a snowflake for the first time brought me such indescribable joy. I think this is the first time I've really taken in the fact that this is completely new for him. Something he had absolutely never experienced before in his 15 (nearly 16!) months of life. What a beautiful experience, and I am so glad I got to take part in it.

Goodbye Florida!

2012-01-02T12:36:00.002-05:00

**I completely forgot to post the rest of Florida, so here it is:**

We had a really wonderful time at Disney World. It was so hard to leave. Usually after 10 days on vacation it is kind of nice to come home and be in your own bed, but really....we didn't want to leave.

Here are just a few pictures that didn't fit anywhere else, really.

After our first day at the parks, we decided that we needed to get Boston a balloon. He kept pointing at all the balloons he saw other people carrying, and was so excited by them, so we knew he had to have one. And he absolutely LOVED it! He had so much fun batting it around, and he loved that it was Mickey shaped.

This probably could've gone with the Magic Kingdom post, but I must've forgotten to put it in there. Boston loved the Merry Go Round at the Magic Kingdom. He was so excited to get on and it was a fun ride that we could all enjoy.

Since we were there so close to Halloween, the parks were decorated accordingly. We loved these little Mickey Jack o' Lantern decorations. They even lit up at night as if they had a candle in them. Disney sure knows how to do it.

And finally, a little family shot in the hotel room. This was actually the day after we had left Florida where we were staying on the drive home. (Did I mention we drove? About 12-14 hours in the car each way. We split it between two days, and Boston did great!!). We really did have a blast, and I think I can say that even for Boston. We are hoping to be able to go back to Florida once more before we have to move, but we aren't sure that it will happen. But it was a wonderful trip!

Epcot (Florida Day 5)

2012-01-02T12:26:00.001-05:00

I forgot to take pictures at Epcot. I only snapped a few, so this is what you get.

We were able to see Pooh and Tigger while visiting Epcot. Boston was thrilled to see Pooh again. He gave him a big smooch on the nose...

...and kept honking his nose...

...But he was quite terrified of Tigger. Poor kid. I think he just didn't recognize Tigger so he wasn't so warm to the idea of him.

Like I said, I completely forgot to take pictures at Epcot. There really aren't many things to take pictures of. Epcot is more of an experiential park than the other parks. There aren't a ton of rides; it is mostly a cultural experience.

We ate our lunch at the German restaurant they have there, and it was absolutely delicious! The food choices were quite authentic, and it was very tasty. They even had a band playing on the stage while we were eating. Boston wasn't too thrilled when the tuba player started travelling through the audience, but he enjoyed the music otherwise.

One of the things that I remembered from my visit to Epcot was the Coke tasting center. They have Coca-Cola products from around the world for you to try out....and there are some interesting drinks out there! There was one (and I don't remember what country it came from, Israel maybe?) that was so bitter and disgusting that I had to spit it out. Other than that one, the others were quite enjoyable.

We enjoyed our time at Epcot. It was mostly just another laid back day - not full of lines or crowds. They were having a food festival where they had a bunch of booths representing different countries all throughout the park. Each booth offered a sample size of a few dishes from the country as well as a few desserts. We definitely partook of several of the options. Quite tasty.

Just a little wrap-up, and then I'll be done

Animal Kingdom (Florida Day 4)

2011-11-30T19:45:00.000-05:00

We were told by countless people who were familiar with Disney World to skip Animal Kingdom. They all said that it was just kind of boring, and not worth the time because there wasn't a lot there to do. We considered not going, but I am so glad we went. It was really a lot of fun.

It ended up being quite chilly for the first part of the day. I am sure it was because of the surroundings of the trees and forest-like foliage.

We really liked the Expedition: Everest roller coaster. What a unique ride. I think we went on it a couple times - we really enjoyed it.

One of the main things we wanted to be sure to be able to do while we were at the park was the Jungle Safari. The park was only open for limited hours (because the sun was setting quite early), so we wanted to make sure to get on the ride as early as possible. Thankfully we were able to get on it without having to wait long in line at all, and it was quite worth it. We were able to see all sorts of wild life including giraffes, elephants, hippos, and other animals that I can't remember the names of :)

Boston ended up falling asleep on the ride, which I hadn't realized. He had been sitting in my lap, and I couldn't see his face. I was trying to lift him up so he could see the elephants (he makes a mean elephant sound), and he started crying quite hard and loud. As soon as I turned him around and rested him on my shoulder, he was out like a light. Too cute. He missed pretty much the whole safari, but oh well :)

We discovered at Magic Kingdom that he really liked to go on rides like Dumbo or Aladdin's Magic Carpets. They happened to have a dinosaur version of this ride at Animal Kingdom, and as soon as he saw it, he was excitedly pointing at it, and all but begging me to go on it. What else could I do? I had to oblige :)

He held onto Justin's empty hot chocolate cup the entire time. But he did like being on the ride, and was very sad when it was over.

Overall, we really liked Animal Kingdom. It was very laid back, not very busy but quite beautiful. Definitely worth the time to go, but it also didn't take a whole day. The park closed at 5:00 which gave us a free evening. We spent the evening at Downtown Disney and then called it an early night and headed back to our hotel room.

This was Boston pretty much every single night. We wore the kid out. But it was extremely nice because he also slept very, very well in the hotel room. He was sleeping better in the hotel room than he had been sleeping at home. I got an amazing amount of sleep on this trip - it was great!

Day 5 is next: Epcot!

Magic Kingdom (Florida Day 3)

2011-11-30T19:14:00.001-05:00

This probably ought to be day 3 and day 6 - we did Magic Kingdom twice. I'll probably just talk about both days as if they were one :)

I swear, he was excited to be there...I'm not sure what the scowl is all about.

We loved going to Magic Kingdom. We both love Disneyland, and so being in Magic Kingdom felt a little bit like home, as it were. We were commenting how odd it was to be in a theme park and not know exactly where things are, because at Disneyland, we know where everything is and it always feels very familiar.
We loved how, at each Disney park, we had plenty of rides that we could take Boston on. Really, Disney makes their parks quite kid friendly, even for those with less than toddler-age children.

They have two lines for the Haunted Mansion. One that goes pretty much straight in, and one that is more interactive. There are all sorts of things you can touch and see while waiting in the interactive line, and we weren't in much of a hurry so we decided to take the "long" route. Boston loved it.

He was such a happy kid while we were out and about. He just loves people watching, and he was able to be out of his stroller and touching stuff, which made him happy as well.

We thought that he might be bothered by the darkness of Haunted Mansion since he had been being startled quite easily so far on this trip, but he was great. He just sat in our laps, looking around at everything.

Since Boston wasn't quite a full walker on this trip, he wasn't able to be out of his stoller nearly as much as he wanted to be. While we were at the Magic Kingdom, though, we decided to let him push his stroller around for a little bit. He ended up walking all the way from Space Mountain in Tomorrowland to the edge of Fantasyland. We had a few stops along the way in which he wanted to play with a leaf or something else he had seen in passing, but he really did just take a huge walk through the park, and loved every minute of it. He was so proud of himself.

They were also running the Electric Light Parade while we were visiting, which made me almost giddy with excitement. I LOVE the Electric Light Parade. It just makes me so happy, and I was so excited to share it with Boston. I was sure he was going to love it - and he did. He was just so excited to see all the floats and kept pointing at each one while making an "ooh" sound. It was pure joy. I am so glad that I got to share it with him, even though he won't remember it.

Next up, Animal Kingdom!

Universal - The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Florida Day 2)

2011-11-29T22:36:00.000-05:00

One of the things that was definitely on our "to do" list while we were in Florida was going to Universal Studios to see The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We had been wanting to go since it opened, and this trip seemed like the perfect time to go. We spent our second day at Universal Studios.

The park was pretty incredible. It really did feel like we were walking into Hogsmeade.

All of the buildings are "snow" capped to give it a feeling of winter. It helped that it was overcast all day...it probably would've been a little hard to believe it had it been super sunny and/or hot. But the weather was quite lovely.

The whole place looked just like the movies, and it was just a lot of fun to feel like we were actually visiting Hogwarts. Yeah, we're nerds, and proud of it!

The castle houses a very cool ride that is unlike anything I've ever been on before. It's hard to describe, so I won't even attempt to do it on here, but suffice to say, it was pretty incredible.

Inside the castle there were so many little touches from the books/movies that made it so much fun to just look around.

They also had a lot of the shops from the books/movies that you could visit. We bought some candy from Honeydukes, ate at the Three Broomsticks, and Justin got a wand from Ollivander's (actually, I think we purchased it in Dervish and Banges).

We spent a lot of our time in the Wizarding World, even though it isn't very big. In fact, you've just seen pretty much all of it... We rode the Dragon roller coaster several times, drank Butterbeer (so delicious!), had some Pumpkin Juice - which Boston loved, and spent time wandering through the shops.

The Wizarding World is definitely not the only site at the Islands of Adventures. There are several different areas. Most of the rest of the park is geared towards the older crowd with a lot of coasters and other rides. Definitely not kid-friendly (which is completely fine). We enjoyed the roller coasters (The Hulk was AMAZING!) but found that we weren't as interested in the rest of the park.

There was one area of Islands of Adventures that was a little more geared toward kids, and that was a Dr. Seuss world. It had a few different kids rides including a "Caroseussal". I really wanted Boston to have a chance to ride it, and I am glad I did!

He LOVED it! I could not believe how excited he was about getting on the carousel. Then, once we got on, he just sat there, kind of stunned. He didn't let me know he was particularly enoying himself in any way. He just sat, very quietly on his animal and just watched everything around us. It wasn't until the ride was over, and I was taking him off that he started to really protest. It was obvious at that point that he WAS having a good time, and he didn't want it to end. So, I did what any good, first-time parent would do, I got right back in line and let him ride it again :)

And thus ends the second day. We were so happy that we were able to visit the Wizarding World as well as the rest of the Islands of Adventures. Onto day three!

Hollywood Studios (Florida Day 1)

2011-11-29T21:06:00.000-05:00

We went down to Florida in October to go visit Disney World and Universal Studios since Justin had never been and my visit to Disney World when I was younger was truncated, and I didn't remember much of it. We visited all the theme parks of Disney World (not the water parks), as well as the Islands of Adventures at Universal Studios. It was a jam-packed week, but we had a blast!

The first day we went to Hollywood Studios. Boston was just so excited to go to the park he could hardly wait to get out the door of the hotel room!

(It is a little crazy to think that he wasn't fully walking at this point. Now that he has been walking for a couple weeks, it seems as though he has always been walking...does that make sense?)

At the entrance of the park.

We weren't sure how he would react to meeting the characters. We had tried to at least introduce some of the characters before we went by reading him Disney stories, and getting him a few stuffed animals. It turns out that we had absolutely NOTHING to worry about....

He absolutely adored meeting Winnie the Pooh. He gave him a big ol' kiss on his nose and just kept grabbing onto him. It was so much fun!

The family with Pooh Bear

And again, when we went to see Mickey, he was so excited! He actually got quite frustrated because we had to stand in line and wait before we got to go see Mickey. It was especially hard for him because he could see Mickey while we were in line (he couldn't see Pooh while we were waiting), but we wouldn't let him down to go crawl to him. He had been very happy in line for the first 10 minutes, but then started crying when we weren't getting to Mickey fast enough. However, as soon as we walked up to Mickey he stopped crying and was reaching out to give him a kiss, honk his nose, and even make Mickey clap his hands for him. It was a lot of fun.

The perfect sign :)

Apparently in the various parks there are little play areas for young kids to run around in. Having never gone to a Disney park with a mobile child before, I had no idea these kinds of things existed. Boston had a blast going into these little areas. Like I said, his walking wasn't super stable at this point, but he did pretty well. He also crawled around a lot. His favorite things to play on were the slides as well as crawling through the tubes.

I loved taking him down the slides. He was always so excited.

Again, so thrilled about being able to crawl around.

We really enjoyed Hollywood Studios. We did discover, however, that with Boston being a lot more aware of his surroundings, it meant he got startled a lot easier than he had in the past. We tried watching a few of the different shows that they offered, but I ended up having to leave early from most of them because the loud noises would really upset him. The one show that I really wanted to be able to sit through was Fantasmic, and I was pretty sure that, based on the experiences from earlier in the day, that he would not be too thrilled about the show. However, we had clearly worn him out because he ended up falling asleep in my arms within the first 5 minutes of the show.

So that was our first day at Disney World. Next up, Universal Studios!

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!

2011-11-17T22:04:00.000-05:00

We didn't get to celebrate Halloween the way in which we were hoping. However, we did get to go to our Apartment Complex party, so that was nice.

With his bounty...

And our little Charlie Brown needed a pumpkin, for sure.

He was clearly more interested in eating the pumpkin...

Happy (late) Halloween!

Our New Home - Tour!

2011-11-17T21:54:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the all new, Chateau d' Poll!

This is the view as you enter the apartment (so much space!)

Looking back at the entrance and our "office" space :)

The living room.

A view into the kitchen. (This is as close as you'll get, though...it wasn't really clean when I was taking pictures ;o)

Our bedroom. I didn't take a picture of this, but to the right there is a little hallway that leads to our bathroom.

Boston's room. He has so much more space in here than he did in the other apartment.

The other side of his room.

And finally, the view from our living room. We get to see the Washington Monument every day when we look out the sliding glass door.

We love our new place, so far. We feel as though we have so much more space here for Boston to crawl around. It has also been easier to baby proof and make our living space more baby friendly for Boston to be able to play in.

Another month already

2011-11-13T21:49:00.004-05:00

I don't think I actually posted a 13 month post on this blog. I did one for Boston's personal blog, but not this one.

Regardless, Boston is already 14 months! And he just gets more and more fun every single day!

(LOVE this smile!)

He kept crawling into this box, but then he was making faces at me when I was trying to take pictures.

In our new home we have this little banister that he loves to try and stick his head through. Thankfully, he most definitely does not fit...

...But it doesn't keep him from trying...

And one more crusty look, for good measure :)

At 14 months Boston:
*Is a walker! He tries to walk everywhere! He stills needs help standing himself up, but when he is up, he is going!
*Is quite sensitive. He doesn't like it when people laugh at him, or mimic what he is doing.
*LOVES video chatting with Daddy every day. He picks up my phone multiple times throughout the day to try and talk with dad.
*Can make an impressive elephant noise when asked what an elephant says.
*Knows what a snake says as well as a bunny.
*I'm pretty sure he also makes a frog noise, which is a throaty "bap" sound whenever I sing about the speckled frogs
*Says Dada, Mama (only very occasionally though), and Night, Night. He also tries to say a lot of other things, but mostly just ends up saying da or dadada.
*Signs "more" and "all done" (they look very similar right now, but he is getting better at differentiating them every day)
*Absolutely ADORES Mickey Mouse.
*Hates getting his pajamas on unless I sing The Hokey Pokey - but I have to sing it really, really fast. Then he starts shaking his whole body and smiles really big while finally letting me get him ready for bed.
*Is so, incredibly tall! I think he is almost 32 inches... That is almost 3 feet! That is completely insane!
*Still hates blankets - and this makes me very sad.
*Takes one hour and a half-two hour nap a day
*Knows when it is time to go somewhere. He runs or crawls over to the door and then sits down and sticks his feet out to get his socks and shoes on.
*Is kind of a picky eater, unfortunately. It depends on his mood. But he still loves his cereal & oatmeal, so I at least know that he will eat that if nothing else.
*Has 10 teeth. We are still waiting on the bottom, left molar and a bottom incisor. (And can I just say I will be SOOO thrilled when we are done with teething!)

He is such a smart boy. He understands so much of what we ask of him or say to him. His communications skills are improving as well. He tries very hard to tell us exactly what it is that he wants, and for the most part we are able to understand him.

One of my favorite things he does is when he is getting into something he isn't supposed to, he just stands there and waits for us to notice what he is doing. He won't touch anything until we notice what he is doing. Once we notice him, and move to get him away from whatever it is, he goes into this frantic, "grab everything" mode, where he tries to get all the stuff he isn't supposed to do, in 30 seconds time. It is hilarious, and just one more thing that makes me love him so much.

We love our little man. He keeps us on our toes and makes us laugh all the time. There are many times at night, when we are laying in bed and we just laugh and laugh about something he did during the day or one of his cute little quirks. He really is such a joy, even when he still isn't sleeping through the night consistently ;o)

We love you, Boston! On to the next month!!

We're still alive!

2011-11-05T21:12:00.001-04:00

Just a quick note to say that we are still alive over here. Things have been very crazy busy for the last few weeks, and I have plenty to post about, I just haven't had the time, yet.

We've moved into our new apartment, and we have made a huge dent in unpacking our boxes. There really are not that many left. We love the new place, too. It is technically smaller than our other place, but we actually have way more space here.

I promise I'll be back soon with exciting posts about Disneyworld (yippie!) and other things. Until then, enjoy a picture of Boston in his Halloween costume. Such a cutie.

Random bits of life

2011-10-03T09:07:00.001-04:00

First off, this picture makes me happy. We've been having some rainy, foggy weather recently and I just love it! This was the view from our apartment the other morning, and it was just so neat. Normally we can see at least 5 miles out, but clearly, not on this morning. I am really going to miss this view. We are moving in just a few weeks, so I'm trying to soak in this view as much as I can before then.

Life has been kind of crazy recently, but I don't feel like I have a ton of stuff to write about. Of course Boston keeps me on my toes, and is just as adorable as ever. I still can't believe he's one. It just doesn't seem like it can have really already been that long.

I took the above picture when Boston was playing peek-a-boo with us one night (instead of going to bed, the little stinker). He was pulling the blanket up over his head and then would pull it back down really quickly.

He has finally figured out how to get off the couch the right way. He has always tried to just go head first, but just the other day, he started turning himself around and going off feet first. We're proud of him :)

I love this next picture. I went in to get him in the morning on Friday, and this was how I found him:

Haha. I love his hair. It just cracks me up.

He really is just growing so fast. He has learned how to say "night, night" and says it really, really loud. It sounds like "Naa Naa" and he almost screams it. I love it. He hasn't quite figured out what it means to go night, night... But he is getting much better. He has finally started sleeping a little better through the night, and that has helped me to feel so much better.

He is so curious and it has a tendency to get him in trouble. He doesn't tend to listen to us when we tell him no... We'll have to work on it :) (something tells me that gets much worse before it gets better.)

He has finally grown some hair! And I love styling it as a little fauxhawk. I've had so many comments from people who say they love his haircut...but we've never even cut his hair - it's just finally grown in a little. He's a cutie :)
All in all, life is good. We are moving to another apartment at the end of this month so most of the apartment is in boxes. We are excited about our new place. It's just a couple miles away from where we currently are, but it is a nice little area. Although it's a bummer to move and then move again in just another year, it'll be a good thing. We are just loving life and enjoying being a family.

O N E!

2011-09-13T21:12:00.000-04:00

I just can't believe it. Seriously. Does this feeling ever go away? How can it already have been a year? When I asked Justin how this could have happened, his answer was, "one sleepless night at a time." Haha, touche.

But really. It is amazing to me how fast this time seems to have gone. I literally remember everything about the day he was born as if it happened yesterday. Wait, it wasn't just yesterday? Hmm.

I have to share some of the pictures from his birthday party we had for him in Arizona. We had it at a local park where there was a nice splash ground for the kids to play at (since it was August in Arizona). Of course, the two weeks we were visiting happened to be the two hottest weeks Arizona had seen all summer. The day of his birthday party, it ended up being 113 degrees... ouch. But, we perservered and had the party, anyway. A few people even showed up :)

A nice shot of some of the family members who came to celebrate with us. There were more people who came, I just didn't get pictures of them on the camera, but I have video proof :)

This was while we were eating some food, before I took Boston to the splash pad. His cheeks were quite flushed because, even in the shade, it was warm. But actually there was a little breeze, so it really wasn't too terrible.

And now the fun pictures begin.

I wasn't sure how Boston would react to us placing a cake in front of him. He hasn't really enjoyed it when he gets his fingers in his food, or if some of the food he picks up gets on his hands - he doesn't really like to be messy.

"What's going on?"

"Hmm"

"Ok. I can get used to this."

And now...these are my favorite pictures - EVER. Seriously, prepare yourself for the cutest pictures you've ever seen.

"Hey mamma! This is fun!"

This picture just makes me so incredibly happy.

"Look at what I did!!"

If you aren't just grinning ear-to-ear now, then there is something seriously wrong with you ;o)

Boston didn't actually eat any of the cake...I gave him about three bites - each of which he made a face as though it was a very sour bite of lemon - he just wasn't interested in eating it, only playing.

This is long, so I will just end with some of the fun things Boston does at the age of one:

*Claps

*Waves (this is new, he figured it out about a week ago)

*Crawls like a madman

*Cruises around furniture like a pro

*Pushes anything (and anyone) around to walk behind

*Has taken a few steps to Justin and me unassisted

*Loves to say "Mamma" and "Dadda". It doesn't usually mean me or Justin in particular, but it does occasionally.

*Is able to show what a bunny "says." I'll have to upload a video of it - it is so cute. He opens and closes his mouth. I was showing him what a bunny says by scrunching my nose and mouth and he was mimicking me by opening his mouth. I'll get the video up...

*Cuddles with me when he wakes up from a nap or in the morning

*Does not sleep through the night....we are working on this one, and it is getting better. We'll get it figured out sooner or later. (I'm hoping for sooner...)

*Loves his dad - and lets out a scream of excitement pretty much anytime he sees Justin.

We love Boston so much. It is hard to believe it has been a year. We can't wait to see what you have in store for us this next year and all the years to come!

Love you.

Love,

Mamma

Dancing

2011-08-26T19:41:00.001-04:00

I wanted to test this to see if I can send videos to my blog through email.

This is of Boston dancing. You have to watch it for a few seconds until he crawls a little closer to me. He has started dancing anytime he hears any kind of music or a beat (musician in the making? I like to think so)

Enjoy!

{I could watch the video on my computer, but not on my phone...Let me know if you can see it! Also, enjoy another new post directly below :)}

Professional Flyer

2011-08-26T08:49:00.001-04:00

We have the world's best traveling child. Seriously. And maybe I shouldn't brag about him because we still have the flight back to DC in a couple weeks, but I just can't help it.

The flight from DC to Phoenix is around 5 hours (hello? That's enough to drive even an adult bonkers). Since we've made this flight a couple of times, we knew there was absolutely zero chance that the flight wouldn't be completely full and we might end up with an empty seat. This flight is always completely packed no matter what time of day you fly or what day of the week. So, we decided that since Boston is so very mobile at this point that we would just buy him a seat so the three of us could have our own row. And if that wasn't the best idea, ever, I don't know what is.

Looking so cute in his seat.

Boston fell asleep during takeoff (he hadn't had a nap yet, so he'd been awake for somewhere near 5 hours). He slept for over an hour and a half, and was just so happy when he woke up. He absolutely loved being on the plane. He would stand on my lap and look at the people behind us (thankfully there was a little girl behind us who played peek-a-boo with him, he loved it!). He literally did not cry once. He had so much fun just crawling between us, and looking at everyone and everything around him. One of the flight attendants asked Justin what we gave him to make him sleep - haha. And he was just such a great, happy baby. He didn't even protest when we were descending, and we all had a great flight.

On A side note, we took off just about 40 minutes before the earthquake rocked DC. It would have been interesting to have been there to experience it, but I'm kind of glad we missed it (not to mention we were in just about the safest place you could be during an earthquake). We will also be missing the first hurricane to actually make it up to our area. Again, it would have been interesting to experience it, but I think I'll stick with my record breaking heat, thanks :)

Eleven Months

2011-08-15T08:02:00.006-04:00

You read that right. It has been 11 months since Boston was born.

It has been an incredible time, full of so much more emotion than I ever knew I could feel. Boston is just such a great baby. We love having him in our family.

Here are some fun facts about our little boy at 11 months:

* He is an absolute speed demon when it comes to crawling. He moves so much faster than we ever expect. He has what we like to call a "stealth mode", where we are sure he is sitting, playing in one area but when we check to make sure, he is already in our bedroom, playing with our mirror.

* He has started pushing chairs and laundry baskets around the apartment and walking behind them. The end is near :)

* He prefers more and more to eat only the kind of food that we eat, as opposed to eating his baby food. He will still eat most of his fruits, but only a few vegetables. But if we offer him something from our plates, he'll eat it most of the time.

* He loves taking baths. He splashes and splashes. He doesn't care if he gets his face wet. He will just sit there with a shocked look on his face and then start splashing again.

(Clearly I need to start wearing a swimsuit while bathing him...)

* He seems to have started to transition to taking just one nap a day. I'm not too thrilled about this prospect, especially because we've only been on a consistent two nap schedule for a few months. He hasn't quite figured out how to only do one nap, but I can see he is working on it.

* He loves to put things in baskets as well as on top of bookshelves.

* He is a professional scowler...

* His night sleeping has left something to be desired, however he has gotten much better the last couple of nights. We are trying to work out what is going on that is making him wake up frequently, and the last two nights he has been sleeping much better. Hopefully soon we will make it all the way through the night.

* He is a problem solver. I love watching him figure out the solution to simple problems he faces, such as getting at a toy that seems to be just beyond his reach. He is such a smart boy.

* Every morning he is standing at the foot of his crib (which is right next to the door) waiting for me to come get him. He even tries to open the door sometimes.

* He's a daddy's boy, unless it is time to go to sleep... Then only momma will do.

* He is very vocal when he wants something. He points and says "uh, uh" until we give him what he wants (or what we think he wants). He tries so hard to communicate with us, and we love it.

* He loves to give kisses and eat our toes.

* He is such a sweet boy. He has started being more cuddly than ever. He will rest with Justin in the evening when it is time to get ready for bed, and he will smile as Justin rocks with him and sings to him.

It has been such a wonderful time watching Boston grow. He has brought so much joy into our home, and he has already taught me so much. I am learning to become a better, more patient mother, and I couldn't ask for a better teacher. He's so forgiving and loving and sweet.

Happy 11 months, little dude. Momma loves you!

Our visit to Norfolk

2011-08-12T08:29:00.000-04:00

We recently had a chance to head down to Norfolk, VA to see a friend who was deploying to Afghanistan. He gave us a call on a Friday morning to let us know that he'd be arriving that evening and flying out the next day, and wondered if we would be able to come see him off. It has been a few years since we've seen him, but he is a good friend of Justin's from high school, and we definitely didn't want to miss the opportunity to spend some time with him before he went overseas. So, Justin took off work early, we packed quickly, and made the 3 hour drive down to Norfolk to await his arrival.

Kevin ended up missing his connecting flight that was supposed to get him into Norfolk around 5:00, and the next flight he could catch took him into Richmond but didn't get him there until 10:00PM. Justin said he would pick him up at the airport and then bring him back down to Norfolk (about an hour drive). Boston and I went stayed at the hotel to get some sleep (see post below to find out how that worked out...)

In the morning we were able to meet up with Kevin to get some breakfast and chat for a little while before he needed to be back on base to check in. It was so nice to be able to spend some time with him. We were also able to drive around the Norfolk Naval base for a little bit before dropping him off at the airport. It is something we have wanted to do, but since you have to know someone stationed on the base, we didn't ever think we'd be able to go. We were able to see some of the different ships they had in port, which was very cool.

This is the USS Enterprise (yes, really).

This one is the Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The ships were very impressive, and it was neat to see functioning Navy vessels.

After a short driving tour, it was time to drop Kevin off at the airport on base.

It was really great to see Kevin off. He'll be home in about six months, and we are hoping to catch him as he comes back through. Spending time with him, and sending him off really made me appreciative of the men and women who serve this country so selflessly. I find that I take it for granted, sometimes, that we have men and women who are fighting to keep us safe. Kevin won't be fighting, or anything (thankfully), but he is still making a sacrafice, and I am so appreciative of that fact.

On a not so serious note, there was this sign on the road to the base airport that I found absolutely hysterical.

Funny, right? Only, I'm not sure the light to which the sign is referring is actually functional. As we were driving back, having dropped Kevin off, I snapped this picture and then, after we had passed the light (which was definitely green), two jets had just taken off and were flying right over the road on which we were driving. We were kind of freaking out. We weren't sure if we should speed up, slow down, stop, or what. We just kept going, and we were obviously fine. But it definitely got our hearts pumping. We figure that it must be for when the jets are taking off from a specific part of the tarmac or something. It's still a funny sign though.

I am very glad that we made the trip down to Norfolk. It was a good experience. We are looking forward to the safe return of all our armed forces, and especially Kevin.

Something new...

2011-08-10T17:32:00.004-04:00

I take a lot of pictures of Boston with my phone, but I don't always get them on the blog. I am able to get a lot of them onto Facebook, but I would still like to blog. However, with Boston keeping me on my toes, I don't get a chance to get on the computer and use my pictures on my phone. That is why I'm trying something new... Mobile blogging!

I snapped this picture in the hotel room we recently stayed in, in Norfolk, VA. I took it because he was so obviously too big for the crib. Little did we know how problematic that fact would be.

He ended up not sleeping well at. all. He finished out the night (the VERY short night, I should say) in his carseat, as it was the only place he would sleep.

Well, hopefully this mobile blogging will help me keep up on the goings on in our lives!

Too cute to not share

2011-07-09T17:36:00.000-04:00

Happy weekend everyone!

Summertime...and the livin' is easy!

2011-06-29T15:15:00.000-04:00

We are having a fun summer! We are loving the warm weather, and especially enjoy the days that aren't super humid. Thankfully there have been a lot fewer humid days so far this summer as opposed to last summer.

We have also had some exciting times so far this summer. We discovered that Boston has some sort of milk allergy.

This picture was taken after most of the swelling and redness was gone. He looked 100X worse before I took this - I just couldn't bring myself to take a picture of his serious reaction. It was downright scary. His cheeks were bright red and puffy, his ears were swollen, his eyes were (and in this picture, still are) super swollen. He never had any problems breathing, but he sure did swell up. Thankfully Justin and our friend Daniel were able to give him a priesthood blessing and within about 20 minutes the swelling and redness started to disappear.

We'll be talking with our doctor a little later this week about some testing and what we should do about this allergy that we had no idea he had... Fun times.

Boston really prefers to sit up when getting his diaper changed. It makes it very difficult to get his diaper changed...and I know it is only going to get worse.

He was so excited when I came in to get him from his nap, that he crawled to the other end of his crib to get me. I couldn't help but snap a picture.

Today Boston had his very first group date. Haha, just kidding. It just happened that there were two boys and two girls in our little group. There are several families in the ward who all had babies around the same time that we did. And a lot of us have just the one baby, so today some of us ladies decided to get together and have a little swim party with our babies. It was so much fun!

Here are the kiddlets, after swimming. They are all within just a few months of each other. The two on the left are 8 months, Boston is 9 months, and the girl on the right is 10 months. (I'm refraining from using the babies names in case their moms don't want them out on the web...) All the babes were really well-behaved, and absolutely LOVED swimming. And I know that the moms all enjoyed having another adult to talk with. We are all stay-at-home moms, and some of us don't get out a lot, so it was a refreshing break, plus a nice respite from the heat. Hopefully we'll be able to get together often!

We have just a few little excursions planned for the summer, but we will mostly be sticking around home and visit some of the wonderful attractions that are in our area. Our time here is already half gone, so we want to make sure to take in as much as possible.

9 Months later

2011-06-14T15:15:00.000-04:00

How did we get from this:

To this, so quickly?

What a fun, sweet boy. It has been such an awesome ride full of ups and downs, but each of them worth it.

(Just for you, Abi, to show that he still makes funny faces :)

Boston is such a happy child. He is soo calm and just chill, and has been since he was born. Whenever we are out with friends or just out in public, we always get comments about how calm he is. It is just his personality. He likes to quietly watch everything that is going on and take it all in.

Over the last few months he has developed a love for balls. We decided to buy a few new toy balls for him to play with, and so far he loves them.

He has finally started smiling when he sees the camera. He mostly smiles because shortly after I take the pictures he tries to go for the camera. He absolutely loves the everyday objects we use, like phones, remotes, keys and the camera.

This month we have spent several days at the pool, and we decided to get him a little float to sit in so we can more easily play with him in the water.

First off, click on this picture and enlarge it, if you can't see it very well. They both have the EXACT same expression. Haha. I love it. The other thing I love about this picture - actually, this day - is the fact that Boston was falling asleep in his little tube. I had just made the comment to Justin a few hours before this, that I didn't think that Boston would ever be one of those kids that falls asleep in funny places, like the dinner table, or playing on the floor. He just doesn't seem like that will be part of his personality. Then we headed down to the pool and as soon as we put him in the float he started closing his eyes and acting as though he was going to fall asleep. It was pretty cute.

Although Boston is officially mobile as of this month, he is still pretty content to sit and watch what is going on around him or just play with some toys.

Boston is officially army crawling. He had scooted himself over to the exersaucer and then started throwing his toys in the middle of it. Once he realized that some of them were too far away for him to just pick up again and throw back into the middle, he tried to climb in and get them. He, of course, got stuck and was crying at me to come get him. What did I do? Grabbed the camera, and took pictures. Haha. I'm such a good mother.

Other things that have happened in these 9 months:
*One top tooth has made an appearance. We are still waiting on the second.
*He knows what it means if we say "no" and has the world's BEST pouty face. I'm trying to catch it on camera, but haven't been able to, yet.
*His favorite thing to say is "dadada." Sometimes I am certain he says it because he wants Justin's attention, and then other times he just likes to say it. He also says "mamama"
*He likes to sit up from his back, not his belly. But this means that changing his diaper is pretty much impossible.
*Shutting doors is one of his favorite things to do.
*Sleeping through the night is an old trick that he doesn't like to do anymore. However, he is napping fantastically during the day. I can get one, but not both.
*We survived our first time without dad while he was on a business trip. Boston loved talking with Justin on Skype for the first few days, but by the last two nights, he was clearly mad at Justin for not being home. It was cute, but sad.

He is just such a sweet baby. We have absolutely loved having him in our family. It is so fun to play with him and see him growing each and every day. I can't believe he is already so big, but it sure is exciting.

Happy 9 months, little bear. I sure do love you!
Love,
Mama

A bunch of randomness

2011-06-07T11:07:00.000-04:00

I have been taking a lot of pictures on my new iPhone, which means that I have some really great shots on my phone and not really anywhere else. Rather than trying to keep up with all the pictures, I picked a few (haha, like 12 :) to share. Some of the pictures are up on Facebook, so some of you may have already seen them. But, I'll keep the commentary short, and just let you enjoy the pictures!

While we were in North Carolina a few months ago, we spent a lot of time walking around campuses that Justin was visitng. On our way around Duke Campus, Boston decided it was time for a nap. He was such a champ, and it was just too cute to see him sleeping so peacefully in his little stroller.

My cute boy sitting on the floor at church on Easter Sunday.

He loves our phones! Anytime we try to take a picture with them or if he sees us playing with them, he wants to grab it.

He loves to try and eat the canopy of his carseat. If I try to use it to block the sun from his eyes, he immediately reaches up and grabs it and pulls it all over the place.

There isn't anything cuter than a baby in his diaper :) (And he's just so proud of himself!)

My very first Mother's Day. Love this little boy.

I absolutely love the look of pure joy on his face when he gets something that we don't usually let him play with. It is like he knows that it is something special and he is just so happy. It is the cutest thing, ever!

Dad trying to steal his rings. (Taken in the dark, so pardon the bright flash...)

Such a TALL boy!

He absolutely adores his daddy!

And he truly is the best baby, ever! We are so happy to have him in our family. I can't believe that in less than a week he will be 9 months old. Oh it is going too fast! But what a blast we are having.

That's it! He's officially mobile with his army style crawling. He has gotten up on his knees and rocked a few times in the last two days, so I'm sure it won't be long before he can cruise. We are also on our own this week as Justin is off on another business trip. We've been having a lot of fun so far, but we sure to miss daddy! We'll be happy to have him back on Thursday!

Swimming!

2011-05-30T21:39:00.001-04:00

I am going to really try to keep up with this blog. I have really wanted to be better at keeping track of the things we are doing, and have found myself forgetting things I want to remember, that I had meant to write down somewhere but never found the time. So, here we go. Another new post :)

The pool in our apartment building opened up this weekend and we decided that today would be a great day to take Boston swimming for the first time. The heat index was in the triple digits today, so it was an incredibly warm day. We didn't actually go until there was a portion of the pool in the shade so that we wouldn't have to worry about getting our little one sun burned. That definitley would not be fun for anyone.

We got Boston an adorable swim outfit from Old Navy that we were so excited to use. And he seemed just as excited.

This is also the perfect shot of his two bottom teeth. Still no sign of the top teeth, but I am pretty sure that at least one of them will be making its appearance very soon. (I hope that is why he was so cranky today...)

Anyway, once we got to the pool, Boston wasn't so sure about the whole concept. He didn't cry or anything. He was just very serious.

He was studying Justin while he was showing him how to splash. By the end Boston was splashing and giggling, and actually enjoying himself.

Last year when we went to the pool, it had been very, very cold. I remember Boston kicking very hard inside my stomach when I would get into the pool because of the shock of the water. Thankfully today, though, the water was really pleasant.

This last picture is probably one of my very favorites (although I do love the one just above that Justin took of me and Boston). I promise that we weren't torturing him. He really was having a good time, I just happened to snap this at the perfect time for a big pouty lip.

Priceless. I love it so much. Just imagine that lip with his eyes squeezed tight, and you have a pretty good idea of the kind of pout he gives us if we tell him "no".

Boston goes to Philadelphia

2011-05-29T21:53:00.001-04:00

For our Memorial Day weekend, we had made some plans with some friends to head up to Philadelphia. Life happened, and we ended up having to change the weekend that we would be going up there to a little later this summer. However, Justin already had Friday off, and we really wanted to do something fun with his time off. Thursday night we decided to check out a hotel price on Priceline for a one night stay in downtown Philly to see what kind of deal we could get. We were able to get a great deal on a hotel right in downtown that would allow us to walk around to all the sites so we decided to do it. It was such a spontaneous decision, but definitely a fun one!

We left Friday morning and made the drive up. Boston was awesome, as ususal. We were able to avoid most traffic, and made great time. Once we got into town we headed over to find out how close we were to Independence Hall and see what kind of time we would need to dedicate to getting tickets for a tour the following morning.

(Independence Hall is undergoing some major rennovations on the outside tower, so we couldn't actually get a shot of the building... just scaffolding. But at least they put up a picture so you know what it would look like if you could see it.)

After walking around in Washington Square for a little bit, we got checked in to our hotel. Once we took a little rest, we headed back out to South Street, which is apparently the place to go. We walked around, checking out the shops, and finally settled on a German restaurant for dinner that had some good reviews.

On Saturday we headed out to get tickets to a tour for Independence Hall and stopped to see the Liberty Bell.

After a nap in the hotel room, it was time for our tour of Independence Hall. It was really neat to see such an historical building. Just knowing what took place in these rooms, and what that meant for our country as we know it today is inspiring.

This is the Court Room. Fun fact, the door on the right is actually a fake door. No handle, no hinges. But the building is Gerogian in architectural style, which means that symmetry is important - therefore, two doors, only one of which is actually functional.

And here is the room in which the Declaration and Constitution were both signed. Amazing. While the Ranger was talking about the creation and signing of the documents Boston decided that he was a little bored, and started growling really loudly. He wasn't actually growling all the loud, but the acoustics in the room were such that you could hear every sound made. It was pretty funny and cute.

Once we had walked around a little more, we decided to call it good and start making our way home. It was long two days, and Boston was a champ, but he was also very tired.

He slept for a portion of the ride home, and then was just his normal happy self for the rest of the drive. He really is a great traveler, and I think he had a lot of fun. I know we did! At least he can't say we never took him anywhere... :)

{Another new post is just below this one :)}

8 Months and some other tidbits

2011-05-29T21:20:00.001-04:00

Technically Boston is already over 8 1/2 months. My dad was here visiting on his 8 month birthday, and I just didn't get around to taking pictures or posting a blog while he was here. It was a busy time. We sure had fun with grandpa though. I just don't have any pictures on my camera to prove it :)

My dad came to visit for just a few days at the beginning of May while my mom was visiting with her parents and siblings in St. George. We wore him out. We walked several miles in downtown DC, went to the Air and Space Museum in Manassas, we saw the Manassas National Battlefield and a few other activities. Like I said...I didn't take a single picture with my camera. I'm not sure why. But maybe my dad will send me some of the pictures he took and I can share them later ;o)

At 8 months Boston is just as busy as ever. He isn't crawling yet, but has definitely started using his rolling skills to get into things. He is still determined to sit himself up from his back rather than his stomach, and has come close to succeeding on his own, but hasn't quite. Even though he likes to roll around he is also still content to sit and look at watch what is going on around him.

He loves bath time. He has a grand time just splashing in the water and eating his rubber ducky.

His Aunt Abi made this cute hooded monster/dragon towel for him for Christmas, and he loves getting all wrapped up in it after the bath. I was trying to get a shot of the side of it - it has cute little spikes on top - but every time I moved to the side, he would turn to look at me. Such a cutie.

Boston has also really started babbling. His favorite sounds to make are still "mamama" and "dadadada," and although it is mostly indiscriminate at this point, there are times that we are certain he knows exactly what he is saying and to whom he is speaking. It's pretty cute. He also loves to growl and scream. It is just fun to see him try to figure out all the different sounds his voice can make.

He absolutely LOVES playing with Justin. He gets so excited every time Justin comes home for lunch or in the evening. He has even started getting upset when he sees him leave in the morning. It's so fun to see their special bond. Justin can get him giggling like nothing else.

Something that Boston does now, that he has been doing for a while but has gotten a lot more consistent with, is giving kisses. He will only do it when he is in the mood to, but most of the time we can ask him for a kiss, and he will open his mouth, stick out his tongue a little and lean into your cheek and touch his mouth to it. It is the most adorable thing, ever. I can never get enough baby kisses. I ask him for kisses all the time because it is just so much fun.

A few last things that have been accomplished in the first 8 1/2 months of his life:
*Still only two teeth! I keep expecting those top teeth to come in at any time, but so far just the cute bottom two.
*He has an incredibly good pouty face - and knows how to use it! He does it when we tell him he can't put something in his mouth or if we have to take something away from him. He doesn't cry, but man, he already knows how to work it.
*He prefers to play with our "toys" as opposed to his own. It is a constant moving game to keep our cell phones, the TV remote, or anything else out his reach.
*He LOVES to pull on my hair. It is almost a comfort thing for him.
*He also really enjoys munching on our feet when he can get them.
*We've finally gotten into a consistent nap routine! He takes two very consistent naps during the day, and depending on when they are taken, he may take a third, shorter nap.

We sure do love our little boy. He is just such a joy and is really such a great, great baby. He makes life so easy and is just such a happy little kid. It has been a fun and fast 8 1/2 months. It will be fun to watch him continue to grow and learn.

One more thing that happened this month was my 26th birthday. I can't believe I'm already 26. It's pretty crazy. But it was a great birthday. We got free cupcakes, did some shopping and had dinner at Cafe Rio with some friends. All in all, a great day/week.

Mother's Day

2011-05-07T20:24:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow will be my first Mother's Day with a baby in my arms instead of in my belly. I have been thinking a lot recently about being a mother. It has been a huge adjustment (duh, I wasn't really expecting anything less than huge), but I don't feel like I've made the adjustment as well as I wanted/expected to. It is so easy to get down on yourself as a mom. Holy cow, it is so easy. I have been avoiding reading parenting books and the like because I don't really need to have all the pressure that they place on a parent. But, when it comes to things like helping Boston nap better, I broke down and read a book and have done some searching online. Bah. Mistake.

In any case, I have since decided that I am done worrying about Boston's napping (or lack thereof) because he is unique, and he will get the sleep that he needs, when he needs it - not when I think he should. He is such a happy baby, and sleeps very well at night, so I just need to let it go. Whew. Probably easier said than done, but it's a step in the right direction.

What a learning experience this has been. It is a crazy ride! I know it will just continue to get crazier, and crazier, but I am loving it so far. Boston really is a joy. He is so happy, inquisitive, and smart! He can't even crawl yet and he keeps me on my toes.

I was feeding him some cereal this morning and I noticed that his feet can already almost touch the foot rest on his high chair.

I know it's a little hard to tell in this picture - I was making him giggle, which means he was kicking his feet like crazy. His legs seems to be hardwired to his excitment emotion. He can't keep them still if he's excited about something. It's so cute. Anyway, I really don't know how he is already long enough to be touching that foot rest. He is growing so fast, I feel like I can literally see him getting longer.

It really has been such a wonderful experience watching him grow and change every day. He has recently learned how to feed himself Cheerios. He is so persistent, and has really gotten close to mastering the pincher grip. He is always so proud of himself when he gets a cheerio in his mouth, and it makes me so happy. It is amazing to me how much my emotions are linked to his emotions. When he is happy and excited it is so infectious that I just can't help but smile. If he is sad or crying for some reason I want to do everything in my power to make it better. I love the fact that most times I can just pick him up and he will calm down. It is nice to feel wanted.

I love looking at the world through Boston's eyes. Everything is so exciting and new. We have been very fortunate to live somewhere in which it is extremely easy to go out for walks close to our home. I really think Boston enjoys all the different things he gets to see.

He also loves to smile at people. It may take a few seconds for him to study the face, but then he will usually break into a huge smile. Living where we live, with a lot of high-rise buildings, means that we are in elevators very frequently. It always breaks my heart a little when Boston is just grinning at someone in the elevator with us, wanting some attention from them, and they are completely ignoring him. I want to tap them on the shoulder and say, "Excuse me, my son wants to share his smile with you." Of course I don't, but who doesn't want to have their day brightened by his adorable, two-teeth smile?

But, my Mother's Day would not be complete without my other half. Justin is such a wonderful Father.

I love, love, LOVE watching him play with Boston. It is just the sweetest thing, in the world. Justin can always get Boston to giggle, even just by smiling at him. And when I am feeling down about being a good mother, Justin always helps me to see just how ridiculous I'm being - because, honestly, I don't really need to worry that I am going to forget to teach Boston what sound a snake makes...(true story)

To all you Mothers out there, especially my own - Happy Mother's Day!

April 30th, 2005

2011-04-30T17:15:00.000-04:00

A truly wonderful day. The day I married Justin.

I wish I had pictures to post, but as I am sitting in the car, on my way home from Virginia Beach, I do not have access to them.

In any case, it was a beautiful day. It started out very rainy, but by the time we were heading into the temple, it had stopped. I do remember that everyone seemed to be very cold while they were waiting for us to come out, but I just must have been too excited and distracted to have even felt it.

It has been such a wonderful six years. I honestly cannot believe it has been that long. We have had such a great time. We have had the chance to travel to three different countries as well as several states, move 3 times including moving to a place in which we didn't really know anyone, and expand our family.

When we were engaged we had a lot of people tell us, "oh, the first year is the hardest" and then Justin's mission president said, "the hardest year of marriage is the one you are in." Even with all of that Said, I have never felt like we have had a particularly "hard" year. I am grateful for that. And although things have definitely changed since we added Boston, I still don't feel like it is hard. It just feels so natural to be with Justin.

I won't get much more sappy, I promise. I just wanted to take the opportunity to say how much I love Justin. He is the best husband I could have asked for and he is such an exceptional father. I love watching the two of them play, and seeing how much Boston already looks up to him makes me so happy.

Happy anniversary, Justin. Thanks for 6 wonderful years - and many, many more to come. I love you!

What we've been up to

2011-04-21T21:45:00.002-04:00

I've been MIA for the last few weeks. I'll be honest. I am so rarely on the computer anymore that it means I don't get to blog very frequently. I could type all sorts of boring blogs on my phone with no pictures, but I don't think that would interest very many of you.

So, here is a little bit of what we have been up to.

Boston is getting so much more interested in grabbing at everything he can see. For example:

Just playing happily with his rings.

"Oh. Hi Momma. What is that in your hand?"

"I want it!"

It is pretty cute. But it means we have to make sure there isn't anything dangerous or that we don't want him to grab (i.e. cell phones, TV remote...) within "lunging" distance. I know, I know, it is going to get much worse once he gets mobile. But right now we are taking advantage of him only lunging from a seated position.
Last week Justin had a business trip to North Carolina in which he was visiting different institutions that NSF has awarded grants to. He was able to rent a car, so Boston and I just tagged along. It was a week long, and we got to see a lot of North Carolina that we likely wouldn't have been able to do otherwise.

While Justin was visiting schools Boston and I would often tour the campuses. His meetings were just about an hour long, so it wasn't like we were wandering around all day, but we thoroughly enjoyed some of the places we got to see, like UNC at Chapel Hill.

There was a beautiful Arboretum on campus that we were able to explore, and we loved it. We also got to walk around the campus of Duke. Can I just say, amazing?! It was so gorgeous and made me really jealous because neither of the campuses I attended for college were nearly as gorgeous.

It was definitely springtime in North Carolina. It has been so cold in Virginia that most of the trees haven't even bloomed yet, but as we crossed into North Carolina, you could tell that Spring was in full force. (My eyes could tell as well...my allergies started almost immediately. Bummer. I didn't even suffer from allergies last year.)

While we were on this trip Boston turned 7 months. Seriously. You read that right, 7 months. Maybe it is just for me that time seems to be flying so quickly?? I just really cannot believe that it has been that long. I am sure that I am going to be saying this for the rest of my life, but it really is just astonishing how quickly time is going and how fast he is growing.

So, to celebrate Boston's 7 month birthday, we decided to go to P.F. Chang's

Boston listened paitently to the waiter as he explained the specials for the evening.

"I'll have the Beef with Broccoli."

Hehe. I love that kid. He is so cute. Everywhere we go he gets so many compliments and people telling us what a good, happy baby he is. He loves to smile at people and is very social. Recently, however, he has decided that he likes to pretend to be shy. He has also decided that he is not a huge fan of anyone besides me or Justin holding him. But he sure is a happy kid.

We love having him in our lives. He is so curious about everything, but still has not really figured out the whole mobile thing. I can't lie, I don't mind that I can still set him down and be certain that he will be in the relative same place 30 seconds later. He sits so well on his own, rolls from back to tummy and tummy to back when he feels like it - but not very frequently - and "talks" all the time.

He has his two bottom teeth. The first one did not cause him any grief - the only way I knew it was there was because he chomped down on my finger one day and I felt it. The second one broke through on our trip to North Carolina, and oh boy, did he let us know it was coming! Poor kid. He was very unhappy, but it only lasted for about a day and a half.

We are finally getting into a pretty good routine for the daytime. His napping had been sporadic, at best, for several weeks, but we are finally getting things figured out.

He's been also a little more willing to let me do some craft projects. Boston is helping me show of my shirt that I revamped. It was a super quick alteration that took less than an hour to complete, which is about how long Boston will entertain himself before he needs some real attention.

On a side note. I have to say I am so proud of Justin. about 11 weeks ago we started Weight Watchers. I have been able to get back down to what I weighed in High School. Justin has already dropped more than 40 pounds. He looks awesome, and he is just going to keep going. He is amazing. He really is the best dad and such a wonderful husband. I love him.

One final picture. We have 9:00AM church which has been a little rough on Boston's napping. But, Justin always seems to have the magic touch. This week Boston fell asleep while Justin was bouncing him on his knee.

Ah. I love those boys.

6 months

2011-03-14T14:58:00.009-04:00

Winners of the photo caption contest are below this post!

Dear Boston,

What a joy you have been! It has been an exciting 6 months and I just love spending all day with you.

You are growing so fast! You have been wearing size 9 months clothes for a while now, and I have a feeling that you will be outgrowing those clothes very quickly. By my estimation, you already weigh 18 pounds! I am sure glad that we bought a carseat that will hold you up to 35 pounds because you will obviously be over 20 pounds well before you are a year old.

You are such a relaxed child, but you are very curious. You love to take everything in. You will stare at a person for a few seconds (occasionally a minute or so) before you smile at them, but you are very social. You have also become very interested in putting things in your mouth - anything you can get your hands on, you try to fit it into your mouth. You especially love water bottles

(or Diet Dr. Pepper bottles if Grandma is around)

and cups. You are so interested in eating whatever daddy or I are eating, and sometimes get a little frustrated if we don't share with you (or at least distract you since you are still only eating rice cereal).

Over the last two days you have decided that you would rather help me feed you your rice cereal. You do a pretty good job of it, too. You mostly like to just chew on the spoon, but you love to bring it to your mouth once I have filled it with cereal. We have tried giving you a little water in a sippy cup, but you seem far more interested in drinking out of a cup and/or water bottle. And you do really well, too. Just more signs that you are growing up too fast.

You are sitting so well by yourself, but you can't pull yourself up to a sitting position on your own quite yet. You try hard, but still need a little help.

You are also rolling from both your tummy to back and back to tummy, but you don't do it really often. You are usually just content to sit on either your back or tummy for a while, but then you get bored, and want to do something different.

Since you are so curious about your surroundings, you also have a difficult time napping. I think you are afraid that you are going to miss out on something if you take a nap and so you usually end up taking very short naps, and it is hard to get you to stay asleep during the day. However, if ever I feel like you really need a long nap (or I need you to take a nap) I can almost always get you to fall asleep by taking you for a walk in your stroller.

I love watching you as you explore different things. You love to feel things with your hands. You will rub things and touch them for a few minutes just to get a feel for them - and then you usually try to get whatever it is straight in your mouth.

I also love that right before you get cranky because you are tired, you become really giggly. You will laugh at just about anything when you get in those moods, and it is just so much fun. You are also working on figuring out what kinds of sounds your voice can make. You squeal and scream, you love to babble (and you even say dadadadada and mamama), and you love to just make a cute frying noise. Dad and I have so much fun mimicking you, and you love trying to have conversations with us.

Every time you see either me or dad, your entire face lights up. You have started squealing with excitment whenever dad comes home from work, and he loves it. Whenever you get really excited your whole body shakes, and you kick your legs. You also make a cute little "o" face when you think you are going to get some of our water from a bottle or a cup.

You are such a joy and such a fun, happy baby. We are so glad that you are a part of our family. Happy 6 months, little one!

Love,
Mom

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!!!

2011-03-13T22:23:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the delay! We were out of town, and I just kept forgetting to announce the winners... So here they are!

Photo 1:

Jackie, who said: "I'll have the steak"

Photo 2:

This was a tie between Preethi, who said "THIS is what I think of naptime!" and my mother, who said "See? I told you I swallowed it!"

Photo 3:

Britney, who said, "Mom, stop taking pictures of me, I can't see the TV!"

Thanks to everyone who participated, it was so much fun to read all the captions. To the winners, I'll be getting your gifts made soon (assuming Boston lets me :)

Winners to be announced soon...

2011-03-02T20:22:00.003-05:00

So I had this grand idea that I would be able to blog the winners of the little contest below last week... That obviously didn't happen. I promise I will announce the winners soon. Thanks to everyone who participated, it was so fun to read your captions. Sorry for the delay in naming winners. It has been hard to get the things I want to get done with a cute little 5 1/2 month old that always wants attention :)

{Insert your caption here}

2011-02-15T10:29:00.001-05:00

Here's the deal, Boston makes hilarious faces whenever I try to photograph him. He'll be smiling right before I snap the picture and then he sees the camera and just doesn't know what to do.

Most of the time, I feel like I should be writing some funny caption under each photo of what he is thinking or some other statement. However, I can't ever seem to come up with anything that I think is very funny. Here is where you come in, I've got three pictures below that I think need some sort of creative caption. So, I want to turn it into a contest.

Pick a picture, and write a caption. It can be any kind of caption you think best fits.
Write your caption in a comment (and specify which photo it belongs with).
You can write a caption for all three photos, if you choose.

The person who writes the best caption for each photo will win a prize. That prize will be either a piece of jewelry made by me, or a set of handmade cards, or possibly even something else. I promise it will be good, though.

(The winners will be picked by myself and Justin)

Photo 1:

Photo 2:

Photo 3:

I'll give everyone until next Tuesday - the 22nd - to come up with their caption. Anyone can leave a comment, but if you choose to leave one without signing in (as an anonymous commenter) be sure to leave me your name so I can contact you if you win.

Have fun!

Rice Cereal

2011-02-06T22:22:00.000-05:00

Boston has been showing a lot of interest in eating solid foods, so on January 18th we decided to introduce him to Rice Cereal.

He was so excited.

He spent most of the time pushing it all around with his tongue, but he kept opening his mouth for more.

Messy Face!

He finished the whole bowl. It was messy, and fun, and sad all at once. I can't believe my little guy is already eating solids.

And actually since we started him on the cereal, he has rejected it for the last few days. He was sick recently and we stopped for two of the days when he was really sick, and once we went back to the cereal, he hasn't been interested. So, we might take a break and try again in a week or so. He's still a cutie though!

I left them alone for two minutes...

2011-01-29T20:52:00.003-05:00

This is what happens when daddy is in charge of getting Boston dressed.

(he didn't realize the shirt was actually a onesie, and had already gotten the pants on {which is a chore sometimes} so he just went with it)

POST-A-PALOOZA!

2011-01-14T17:48:00.004-05:00

I've updated. There are five new posts below this one; lots of pictures. Check 'em out!

Fastest four months of my life!
It's a party!
Baby's first Christmas
We might have a problem
Cute faces

Fastest 4 months of my life!

2011-01-13T22:36:00.004-05:00

What a ride this has been! I just can't believe how quickly time is flying! My little baby is already 4 months old! (I have a feeling that each milestone is going to feel like this...)

Boston is, of course, as adorable as ever. He has the greatest little personality. He loves to look around at his surroundings and take in every little thing. While we were in Phoenix visiting our family, he was always so interested in checking out where we were. Most of the time he wouldn't even look at the people holding him until he had sufficiently taken in his surroundings. He is just so curious.

He has also really started playing with toys. He has figured out how to bring things to his mouth, and now, pretty much anything he can get his hands on, go to his mouth.

(And, when we lose the toy we were playing with - our hands work just as well)

He coos all the time and has started making other noises as well. There are definitely times I am certain he is making noises just because he can. It is fun to hear all his different sounds and try to have a conversation with him.

He has also started rolling up onto his side when we have him lying on his back. I thought for sure that he would be rolling from back to tummy while we were out in Arizona, but thankfully he is still only going as far as his side. He still can't seem to figure out what to do with his arm that gets in the way.

We went to his 4 month check up and these are his current stats:

Weight: 16 lbs 5 ounces (80th percentile)
Height: 26.75 inches (95th percentile!)
Head Size: 17 inches (75th percentile)

He is already over two feet long! I think he is definitely going to be a tall one :) The doctor also confirmed that he has bottom teeth coming in. No idea when they will poke through, but it completely explains all the teething-like symptoms.

He handled his vaccines much better this time. There was no inconsolable crying when we got home, and just a small fever that lasted only a few minutes. Although while he had his fever it was about the saddest thing. It was like I could hear him saying, "what is going on? I really don't feel well!" Luckily it quickly passed, and didn't come back.

(This picture was actually taken post-vaccines, so it couldn't have been all bad)

Boston is just such an easy-going child. There really isn't much he doesn't like to do. I hesitate to say that he enjoys his baths and tummy time and things like that, because I don't know if he actually enjoys it, but he certainly doesn't cry while doing those things. He does really enjoy watching us eat, though. I think we are going to try starting him on some rice cereal very soon because he is extremely interested in watching us eat, and mimics us when we are bringing the food to our mouth.

He also loves to be sitting up or standing pretty much all the time. If we are holding him reclined in our arms, or I have him lying in his Boppy, he works so hard to try and pull himself up to a sitting position. Like I said, he likes to see his surroundings.

He will still fall asleep in his carseat while we are taking a walk in the stroller or while we are in the car, but he doesn't do it all the time. I think the time we spent in Arizona kind of cured him of that since there is a lot of driving when visiting Phoenix.

We are just having as much fun as possible. Boston is such a joy to have around and he already keeps us on our toes. He likes to be a part of all the action and gets bored easily. It has been the fastest four months of my life, but also 4 of the best months. And it will just keep getting better!

We love you, Boston!

It's a party!

2011-01-13T22:19:00.004-05:00

Our trip out to Phoenix seemed like one giant party. At least the first half of the trip did, anyway. We flew out on Wednesday after Christmas and spent that weekend introducing Boston to his great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins from his mom's side.

My entire family was in town for New Year's, so of course we had to have a party on New Year's Eve with everyone at Mom and Dad's.

Boston was, of course, a huge hit.

Grandpa was getting some great giggles out of him while he was tickling his neck. So cute!

Panda looking fabu - as always.

Boston with Aunt Sara Jane.

A nice four-generation picture with both of my grandmothers and my mom. I probably should have taken one with my dad and grandfathers... but I didn't. Silly me.

Cory, Chris, Justin and Grandma Cannon

Abi's a dork :)

Grandma and Grandpa Cannon, and my dad just hanging out.

We had a great time with everyone. Boston did a great job meeting everyone and being passed around all the time. He did really well on both flights, and even got right back onto DC time after only one night. What a champ!

While we were out there, and since everyone was in town, we decided to do Boston's blessing. It was so nice to have everyone there. We also had some family pictures taken, and as soon as I get those I will post them.

We had a great trip, but it was definitely nice to get home. Like I said, Boston was a champ, but both Justin and I were completely exhausted. However, by the end of that trip Boston met all of his grandparents and living great-grandparents, all his aunts and uncles and cousins. It was such a fun time, and we are looking forward to our next visit in August.

Baby's first Christmas

2011-01-13T22:11:00.004-05:00

Boston's first Christmas was a quiet one. We stayed home for the holiday this year and opted, instead, to travel to Arizona for New Year's. So, we spent Christmas in DC and it was just perfect.

These were some new jammies that Boston got on Christmas Eve. He is fitting comfortably into 6 month size clothing. He is also so long that even some of his 6 month pants don't seem to fit him quite as well anymore.

This is a view of our Christmas Tree and all the gifts under our tree this year.

You'll probably have to click on the picture so you can actually see the stuff. I am not entirely sure why I decided to take the picture with no flash... Most of the presents under the tree were for Boston. Justin and I decided that we would buy ourselves a new computer as our Christmas gift to each other. The gifts that are wrapped in tissue paper in the front of the picture are my ornaments that I still haven't sent to my cousins... (I promise, they are coming!!)

Christmas morning we had been invited over to a friend's house for breakfast. So, once we woke up, we got ready and headed over to their house. After breakfast we came back home and opened gifts.

We only bought Boston a few gifts this year since he is so young and since we also just bought all of his nursery stuff. I was the one that wanted to buy him a few things, Justin just thought I was silly :) We also ended up wrapping up some of the gifts we've received from others that he hasn't played with yet - he'll never know the difference ;o)

He didn't really get the whole gift thing. But we had fun pretending!

I was also telling Justin that I had already gotten the only real gift I wanted for Christmas this year:

It was the best feeling in the world to be able to celebrate this year with our little boy. He truly has been such a wonderful addition to our family. We love him so much!

We also decided to have our own Christmas feast. Since we have been living out here, away from family for most of our holidays, Justin has really enjoyed making practice holiday meals. He has a delicious turkey glaze recipe that we have done for Thanksgiving, and this year he decided to try his hand at a Christmas ham.

It all turned out absolutely amazing!

All in all I think Boston's first Christmas was a great one!

We might have a problem...

2011-01-13T22:10:00.002-05:00

Boston is in love with the TV. He just stares at it all the time. Even when we have him facing away from it, he manages to find it.

I think we might have a problem:

He will crane his neck at really funny angles when the TV is behind him. It's cute, but also probably not very good. We will just have to make sure we aren't watching anything that is too terrible while he is looking :)

Cute faces!

2011-01-13T22:02:00.003-05:00

By now, I am sure everyone that reads this blog knows that Boston is the absolute master of funny faces. Here a few of my favorite cute faces.

I am in love with this picture. I unfortunately took it after we had our Christmas cards printed... but it is still adorable.

One of my friends from high school bought Boston these adorable sunglasses. I thought our recent trip to Phoenix was a good time to use them. Boston didn't mind having them on, but he was pulling some pretty funny faces while wearing them.

This is Boston's newest thing. He is teething right now and loves to have something in his mouth at.all.times. It's pretty adorable. I took this picture on our way back home from the airport. He manages to fit both of his hands in his mouth at the same time, and I find it rather funny. I also took this picture in the complete dark so he was rather shocked when the flash went off.

3 months

2010-12-13T20:08:00.005-05:00

I'm not entirely sure how this happened, but my baby is already 3 months old.

I was talking with Justin the other day about Boston's personality. We decided that his personality is overall just chill - there really isn't another way to describe it. He really just takes everything in and rarely cries. The last few days have been the exception - he's been fussier than normal, but even so, he is still extremely easy-going. He seems to be happy a lot of the time and enjoys (or at least doesn't cry while) having baths, tummy time, and he even takes his vitamins without much protestation. We can always get a smile out of him when we stick out our tongue or blow a raspberry at him. He is starting to smile when we play peek-a-boo, but I can't tell if it is because of the game or because of our silly faces and voices.

He has figured out the whole toy thing, and almost always wants to have his hands or a toy in his mouth. It is so much fun to watch him stare at his hands or a toy as he decides whether to put them in his mouth.

He decides when he wants to look you in the face. Whenever we are holding him, he will only look us in the face when he is good and ready. He will look right past us until he wants to look us in the eyes. We have even tried to hold his head in place and putting our faces directly in front of him, but he always just looks right past us until he is ready to acknowledge us. It's extremely cute.

For the very first time today, he giggled at me. He has been giggling at Justin since he first posted that blog a few days ago, but he hadn't giggled at me since he figured out the whole giggling thing, so I was really happy.

He is such a great baby. He is also a very strong baby. He holds himself so well. At this age, if you pull a baby that is lying on their backs up using only their arms, most babies can't hold their head so that it doesn't fall back - but Boston has been doing it for at least two weeks. He likes to lay with his back against Justin's chest, but more recently, without any help from Justin, he goes from this lying position to sitting himself up.

We are just so thrilled to have him in our family. It has been the most fantastic, exhausting, exciting, wonderful 3 months I could have ever asked for. It has also been the fastest 3 months, ever. So, I say:

Dear Boston,
Slow down. Don't grow up so fast.
Love,
Mom

Boston has discovered laughing!

2010-12-05T21:11:00.002-05:00

Here is a cute video of Boston laughing up a storm!!! Enjoy as we did!

Our very first family Christmas Card

2010-12-05T20:41:00.002-05:00

Ok, so I am kind of loving Shutterfly. I've only just begun using it, but for creating this card - it was super easy and fast. Wow - do I sound like an advertisement, or what? In any case, I am in love with our Christmas card, and can't wait to get the hard copies in the mail and send them off to family and friends!

'tis the Season! Merry Christmas!!!!

O Mod Tannenbaum Christmas

Get custom photo Christmas cards online at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

Thoughts on Motherhood

2010-12-03T08:27:00.003-05:00

I can't even begin to say how much I am loving being a mother. It really is such a joy and has been a much easier change than I would have expected. It probably helps that Boston has been such an easy, easy baby. He has made this transition quite painless. There are some things, however, that I have been thinking about recently that I wanted to put down in words. I won't feel bad if you don't want to read all of this - it is just going to be things I have learned thus far in my short time being a mother.

I never knew that I could worry about so many things all at once. I really didn't think I would be one of those mothers who is constantly worrying about their child. Boston has given me absolutely no reason to worry about him, but I worry about everything. I worry whether he is getting enough to eat, if he is going to sleep well at night, if he is too hot/too cold, if I am playing with him enough, if he is happy..... you get the idea. I am driving Justin nuts with how much I worry. I don't really spend time sitting around fretting about these things, but they are on my mind frequently. It has gotten better as time has gone on, but I get the feeling that I will never stop worrying - it's the job of a mother, right?

We have had friends with children warn us about this, but going out with a baby is a big deal. When we moved out here, we made a lifestyle change. From where we live, it is far more convenient (and cheap) to walk and/or take public transportation. If there was somewhere we wanted to go that required the use of our car, we seriously questioned whether it was worth getting the car out of the garage, driving in traffic, and then coming home and trying to find a parking spot again. Now, with Boston, not only does it change the entire dynamic of going out, it is even harder to go out. Boston is a true champ when it comes to going out. He enjoys his car seat (or at least doesnt protest being put in it), and he is still at the point that he can't keep his eyes open once we start driving or walking in the stroller. But whereas before we were questioning if it was worth it to get the car out, we question if it is even worth going out at all. Having a baby that needs to eat every two-three hours kind of puts things on a very short time-table. That's not to say that I can't feed him while we are out, but it is just one more thing to consider while we are out. It's crazy. So, needless to say, we haven't gone out very much yet.

When trying to make anything, be it food, a craft, or writing an email - it takes at least twice as long as it did without Boston around. I'm not complaining, it is just another adjustment to make. I am sure it is something that will get a little better over time, but it will definitely not be the same as it was.

Being a mother is extremely overwhelming. I have moments when I really realize that I am completely responsible for this child. I have to help him grow into a functioning member of society and I need to teach him right and wrong along with so many other things. Of course I am not alone in this responsibility - Justin is here to help and there are other people throughout his life that will help him, but let's be honest, a lot of the responsibility will fall on my shoulders. Like I said, overwhelming.

As exhausting as it is to be a new mother, the joy I have experienced over the last 2 (almost 3!) months has been so worth it. I love watching him grow (and sometimes, I swear I can literally see him growing as I am looking at him). It is so amazing to see him learning new things, even at such a young age. This probably sounds funny, but I am certain he helps me out with changing his diaper. As soon as I set him on the table he puts his legs together and lifts his butt in the air (cutest thing, ever!). He then waits, butt up, until I get the old diaper off and slide the new one under him. He also seems to understand when I need to suction out his nose to help him breathe better, and most of the time he just smiles at me when I am doing it. He recognizes both Justin and me, and whenever we tell him we love him he gets a huge smile on his face. He likes to mimic some of our facial expressions, and LOVES it when we stick our tongue out at him.

I never knew how much love my heart could hold. Truly wonderful.

I don't know how I will ever be able to have more than one child. Haha. I know that we will have more kids, but seriously, it is pretty tiring with just one - I can't imagine taking care of another newborn while still needing to tend to Boston's needs. Obviously not a bridge I need to cross right now, but it is something that is on my mind anyway.

Showering is ten times more difficult. I have to put it on my "to do" list in order to remember to do it. It's just that there are so many other things to do while Boston is sleeping or being well-behaved in his chair that I forget sometimes to take care of myself (sorry Justin!).

Speaking of "to do" lists...I have a brand new appreciation for them. The days that I don't have one written are the days that I don't really accomplish much.

Being a mother is just fantastic. It's all so strange and new, but I love it so much.

Ok, for those of you that actually made it to the end of this post - here is a picture of my cutie for you :)

Actually, two pictures. The first one is Boston, the second one is my nephew Evan when he was Boston's age-ish (I have no clue how old he was in the picture, but he was young), and I think they look kind of similar. Pardon the bad flash in the pictures...I took them both in kind of bad light.

OK, that's it. Thanks for indulging my scattered thoughts.

Giving Thanks

2010-11-27T21:35:00.001-05:00

I really love this time of year. I didn't realize how much I enjoy the fall and this time of year until fairly recently.

There are just so many things in my life that I am thankful for. Obviously I am so grateful for Boston joining our family. I am so thankful that he is healthy and is such a good baby. Honestly, he is pretty much the perfect child. He sleeps so well (7 hours at night), he eats great (clearly he eats well; at his last appointment he weighed in at 14 pounds! 95th %-ile), and he really does not cry unless he is tired or hungry. Even when he does cry, it is very short-lived and is usually very easy to stop.

I am beyond grateful for this opportunity I have to be a mother. It has been such a joy and a wonderful learning experience.

I am thankful for Justin and what a great husband and father he is. He is doing so much to secure a comfortable life for us, and he works so hard. He is great with Boston - and he is the only one, so far, that can get him to laugh (Boston laughed for the first time today but only does it for Justin).

I am grateful for this opportunity that we are having out here in Virginia. We are growing so much as a couple and as a family. It is a great experience and something that has been a huge blessing.

Something else that I am grateful for is family. Living away from my parents and siblings has made me appreciate the whole concept of family even more.

I am also extremely grateful for the gospel. Knowing that there is a kind and caring Heavenly Father who is watching out for me and my family, and has our best interest in mind, is so reassuring.

We had a great Thanksgiving. My cousin who is attending college in Southern Virginia joined us this year, and it was perfect.

Justin made a great dinner with all the fixin's and it was just plain delicious. It was also so nice to have our very first Thanksgiving meal as a family. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving day and that you were able to count the many blessings in your life.

Neglect

2010-11-15T09:34:00.000-05:00

I feel like I have been neglecting this blog. I haven't been neglecting blogging, just this blog. When Boston was born I started a blog for him that I am using as his journal so I can keep track of the everyday things he does as well as his milestones. I write an entry for that nearly every single day, even if it is only a line or two, and so I end up neglecting this blog. Sorry.

The first thing I should mention is that Justin had a birthday on Friday. We kept the celebration fairly minimal this year. We went out on Thursday for lunch since he had the day off of work (Veteran's Day) and that was very nice. We also went out to the mall on Friday night (it's amazing how good it felt to go out to the mall... We haven't been out much since Boston was born.) and spent some time shopping.

I love Justin so much. He is such a wonderful husband and a fantastic father. I love watching him with Boston. He loves to have Boston sitting with him while he is working on the computer or watching a football game. Boston absolutely loves him as well. He talks to him so much and tonight he laughed for the first time while he was with Justin. I am excited to see their bond continue to grow as Boston gets older. So, Happy Birthday, Justin! I love you!

Boston is also two months now. I can't believe how fast he is growing. He is still rolling from his tummy to back and he is talking up a storm. He loves to smile and he enjoys taking baths. He has been sleeping anywhere from 6-8 hours at night, and is such a happy baby. He is such a joy to have around and I am so grateful that he is a part of our family.

I finally feel like I am getting into a routine during the days. It is becoming a little more predictable and with Boston sleeping longer stretches at night, I actually feel human during the daytime. It is such a joy being a mother. I would have never expected it to feel so natural, and even though I know that I hardly know anything about how to actually raise him, I am learning and I feel like I can actually do it. It helps that Boston is making things quite easy.

And, since Boston is just so photogenic, here are some shots of my little (big!) two month boy!

(Thanks to Nikki for the cute tie...it makes him look so grown up)

And in this last picture, you can really see that Boston's hair is looking like it will be red. His eyes look like they are going to be blue, but everything else seems like he has gotten from his father :)

Just for fun

2010-11-04T20:50:00.002-04:00

I went on a picture taking spree the other day while Boston was having some tummy time. I got some really cute shots, so I thought I'd post some.

This is a favorite.

Hehe - so cute!

Hello!

Just hangin' out.

And finally, after a long day, taking a break with Daddy.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T15:41:00.002-04:00

Happy Halloween everyone!

(about 2 seconds after this picture he did a face plant into the couch. It was really funny.)

One month stats and one year ago...

2010-10-28T15:46:00.002-04:00

Our little boy is one month! (Ok, he is actually 6 1/2 weeks now) He is a very healthy, happy baby. At his one month check up he weighed in at an impressive 12 lbs 2 oz (90th percentile) and was 23 1/2 inches long (95th percentile). His head was 15 3/4 inches (50th percentile). The doctor was suprised at how big he was, but was happy to see him so healthy.

Boston has been smiling a lot recently, so I was trying to get a picture of him doing it. Instead I got a bunch of shots of some really funny faces. He makes a lot of great faces, so I am glad that I got some of these.

I think this is a new favorite...

He is also sticking his tongue out a ton.

"Mom, you are weird"

Almost a smile...

And this final picture is actually a smiling picture! For the most part I think Boston looks like Justin, and pretty much everyone agrees, but in this picture I actually think he looks a little like me.

Now to the other part of this blog title.

One year ago, on October 23rd, we moved into our home here in Virginia. As of two days ago, this is the beautiful view out of our living room window

We love living in Virginia. We have thoroughly enjoyed our time here - it still feels unreal at times. We feel so blessed to have the apartment that we do, especially since we almost had to move a few weeks after Boston was born. Thankfully that is all worked out - no moving for now! It has been an eventful year, especially most recently :) We are excited to find out what this next year (hopefully two!) has in store for us.

Picture overload!

2010-10-19T16:50:00.002-04:00

But for everyone's sake, I just made a collage with some of my favorite pictures of Boston. I think some of these have been posted here, but I am not sure which ones. And, if we are friends on Facebook, and you have been noticing my updates, you've probably seen all these. Some of these pictures, though, I think I have only posted on Boston's online journal I have been keeping.

Anyway, click on the collage to enlarge it. Some of my favorites are the one in the middle of the top row where he is holding his head and torso up like a pro (babies usually start doing this around 3 months - he does it all the time). I also love the face he is making in the middle picture on the bottom row. So cute.

He has started losing his newborn hair and his new hair hasn't grown in, so he looks like he is experiencing some male pattern baldness. But of course, I think it is just adorable. We have his one-month check tomorrow; I will post his official stats once we get those. I am pretty sure that he is going to be off the charts, or at least very high up there. We are pretty sure he is already 12 pounds.

We love him so much. He really is such a joy to have around. He is sleeping pretty well - some nights are better than others - and is obviously eating very well :) Parenthood has been a really fun experience and although we are tired, we couldn't be happier.

Flashback

2010-10-17T19:54:00.000-04:00

One of Justin's co-workers at NSF is a photographer and offered to take some maternity shots for us. We were able to get together on September 9th, just 4 days before Boston was born. By this time both Justin and I were ready for Boston to make his arrival. I wasn't particularly uncomfortable or anything (although I had grown considerably in the last few days of the pregnancy as well as gained a few more pounds), I was just ready to move onto the next phase and finally meet this little boy. These are also the last pictures of my belly before Boston made his debut.

Although this isn't a shot with my belly in it, I really like it.

These shoes kept falling off my big belly and so I was consistently having to pick one of them up off the ground and put it back on.

This is probably my favorite shot.

And another favorite.

We really enjoyed having the pictures taken, and I am glad to have the little keepsake.

I promise I will get back to a non-baby, non-pregnancy post at some point...but for now, this is what you get :)

One month update from Boston

2010-10-13T23:14:00.002-04:00

Hi! I am one month old!

At one month I am able to:
* Smile spontaneously, as well as in my sleep
* laugh in my sleep
* hold up my head while on my tummy and when mom and dad hold me
* focus on mom and dad's faces
* consistently roll from my tummy to my back
* sleep at least 5 hours through the night

I love:
* falling asleep while eating
* hanging out on dad
* sitting in my bouncer chair
* eating
* sleeping with my arms above my head
* being walked around the apartment when I am a little fussy

I am a very easy-going baby, and mom and dad love me so much.

What happened?

2010-10-09T20:53:00.004-04:00

Can someone tell me where my newborn has gone?

Because this little guy is just growing too fast!

We are having so much fun being parents. I am so grateful that Justin has had as much time off as he has because it has been so much easier to adjust to this huge change in our life! We are, of course, very tired, but we are so thrilled to be parents to such a wonderful and cute little boy. He really brings so much joy into our home, it's amazing.

I feel like motherhood has come quite naturally to me so far. Yes, I worry about silly things (if you asked Justin he would say I worry all the time, but I am getting better!) and I am nervous about how I am doing, but all in all, I feel like I am doing really well. And I think that Justin is just the greatest dad ever. He loves Boston so much and loves to spend time with him. He talks to him all the time and likes to burp him and get him dressed for the day. I love watching him with Boston - it is really sweet.

Boston will be one month in just 4 days, and I really can't believe it. In some ways it feels much longer than a month and in others it feels like it can't have already been that long. He is sleeping quite well at night. Some nights he sleeps really, really well (over 5 hours) and some he sleeps in shorter spurts. He is also still rolling from his stomach to back, in case you are curious :)

Justin is going to start transitioning back into work next week. He will be doing some half days and spending the rest of the time at home. I am nervous but I feel like we will be able to handle it. It is really nice to know that he is just a short walk from home if I absolutely need him.

Just thought I would check in and let everyone know that we are alive and well!

Rolling Over at 19 Days

2010-10-03T17:17:00.003-04:00

Yesterday during some tummy time, this it what Boston started doing. We thought it may have been a fluke the first time so we gave him another try. He ended up rolling over two more times! We happened to catch the last one on video.

Looks like we will have to keep a close eye on this one already!

Labor Story and More pictures

2010-09-25T14:06:00.003-04:00

Well, I didn't mean to take quite as long between posts as I have, but you know, having a baby makes things a little crazy.

I've had a few people ask me about the labor experience with Boston, so for those interested, I thought I would share. Don't worry, I won't give any gory details (or if I do, I'll warn you :). I know I already wrote a little bit of it below, so if I repeat myself, just go with it.

I should start the story by saying that Justin and I were getting extremely impatient. I had an appointment scheduled for Tuesday, September 14th in case I hadn't gone into labor and neither of us wanted to be able to make it to that appointment. I wasn't feeling super awesome on Sunday, so we decided to only go to sacrament meeting, rather than the entire block. We should have sat in the very back of the chapel because getting all the "oh, I'm so sorry you are still here" comments and looks didn't help with the impatience.

Later in the evening we decided to go on a walk, which we had been doing frequently. As we were walking I was having some mild contractions that were somewhat regular, but not very close together, and definitely not very strong. We came back to the apartment and the contractions completely stopped. Again, very frustrating.

We went to bed at 11:30 and I still hadn't had anymore contractions. I woke up shortly after midnight to go to the bathroom and as I was crawling back into bed at 12:38 my water broke. At first, I wasn't even sure that my water had broken. It took me about 10-15 minutes before I decided to call the doctor. By the time the doctor returned my call the contractions had started, but I was only feeling them in my back. They were anywhere from 4-6 minutes apart. My doctor gave me the go ahead to head to the hospital. We gathered up a few last minute items to take to the hospital and we were on our way.

We got checked in at 2:25 and when the nurse checked me, I was already at 3cm. My least favorite part was laying in the bed with the monitors around my stomach. Since my contractions were in my back, laying down was extremely uncomfortable. After they checked me on the monitors for a while they let me walk around. It helped with the contractions so much! They were coming anywhere from 2-5 minutes apart, but were only still lasting for about 45 seconds. I still hadn't fully decided if I wanted an epidural at this point, but when I had to go back into my room for another check on the monitors, which required me to be lying down again, I was certain that I wanted an epidural. It was becoming harder and harder to remain relaxed during each contraction, and I didn't want to over-stress my body.

I was actually still in a triage room at this point, and so they couldn't do an epidural in the room. I tried to stand up to help with the contractions and promptly threw up. So fun. They were finally able to get us into my L&D room around 6:00 and the anesthesiologist had the epidural in place and working by 6:30 AM. It was absolutely wonderful. By this point the adrenaline of realizing that I was in labor and that Boston would be here by the end of the day had worn off some, and the exhaustion of having only had 1 hour of sleep was kicking in. With the epidural I was able to get some rest, as was Justin.

My doctor came in around 8:30 to do a check and I was at 6cm. She said that she expected that Boston would be here after 12:00. I was progressing very well on my own, and there was definitely no need for pitocin or any other intervention.

Earlier in the morning (around the time I decided I was ready for an epidural) I had a moment of terror in which I was certain I would not be able to deliver this baby. It just seemed so scary and so foreign because I had no idea what to expect. Justin was wonderful and helped me keep my cool and gave me a blessing. By the time I was told that I was ready to push, my attitude had completely changed. I was completely ready. There was no other way to describe it. I knew exactly what I needed to do, and every doubt I had had was replaced with a strong resolve that I was going to be able to deliver this baby. It was a great feeling, and something I had not expected.

At around 11:20 I started having some discomfort in my back on the left side. I figured since I had been lying on my right since I got the epidural that gravity was just causing it to wear off a little on the left. The nurse helped me move over to my left side, but the pain didn't really go away and started getting a little more intense. When I told my nurse she decided she wanted to check me, just to see if maybe I was getting close to being ready to push. She immediately said that I was ready to push. I was at a 10 and Boston was at a +2 station. So, at about 11:45, I started pushing.

I ended up pushing for just about 1 hour and 15 minutes, but it really did not feel like it was that long. I don't think it could have gone much better for my first baby. I did end up throwing up one more time while I was pushing because we tried changing my position to a more sitting position, and that definitely made me nauseous. At the very end of the labor I started to have some pain in my upper abdomen after I was done pushing, but I knew I was so close that I pretty much ignored it the best I could. Boston was also "sunny-side up" which explained why I was having back pains and back labor, but he did turn over right before delivery, which made it a little easier.

Finally, at 12:59 PM, Boston joined us in this world. Boston came out with his eyes wide open and started crying almost right away. It was such an amazing experience. The whole thing was quite easier than I anticipated. Having done 6 (relatively easy) hours without an epidural and 6 hours with one, I don't think I have a need to try a labor and delivery without an epidural.

Boston stayed awake for the first 2.5 hours of his life, and we just pretty much sat and marveled at him. Justin was really able to calm Boston almost immediately when the nurse was doing things like taking measurements - it was really sweet to witness.

So, that is pretty much the story. Really, honestly, I felt like the whole thing went very, very well. For a first baby I thought a 12 hour labor was just great, and even though I was pushing for over an hour, it really did not seem like it was that long at all. We've been joking that I had the perfect pregnancy, the perfect delivery and now we have the perfect baby. It was a pretty incredible experience.

For those of you still reading, I promised more pictures - so here you go!

Getting ready for his first bath!

First family picture

Looking at Mom

Justin can almost immediately put him to sleep when he holds him. I love this picture.

I think he sneezed shortly after this picture...or maybe yawned.

Showing off the double chin!

Such a sweetie sleeping!

We are still just loving life. He is such a good baby and really only cries when he is hungry or when he is getting his diaper changed. He has been doing great at sleeping at night, and has only had one rough night (last night) where he just did not want to sleep. But, we are all feeling pretty good, and we are so happy to have Boston with us in our home. It's a wonderful feeling.

Pictures are finally here!

2010-09-18T13:09:00.002-04:00

Thank you for waiting so paitently as I got the energy to post some pictures of our little guy. I won't write much right now, I will just let you enjoy the pictures of our absolutely beautiful and amazing little boy {I'm not biased at all! :)}

First moments - letting us know his lungs are fully functional.

He's a big boy!!

Justin was able to pretty much instantly calm him while the nurse was doing her check by placing his hand on his stomach. And for the first 2.5 hours, Boston was just completely wide awake and so alert.

Dad is already completely smitten with him.

Taking a break with daddy at the hospital.

I just thought this was such a great face - who couldn't help but just stare?

We had him all wrapped up and ready to go home, and we set him down in the bassinet as we were getting the rest of our stuff together to leave. He was a little fussy at first, but then stopped crying. When we went to check on him, this is how we found him.

Love it!

One last belly shot - sans baby!

In our carseat ready to go!

Sleeping peacfully at home.

Now, I don't know much about infants, but I am pretty certain they aren't supposed to be able to hold up their own heads like this right away.

Within the first hour he was holding his head up like this and just looking around. When he was doing this last night he held his head up for a good 5 minutes without putting it down at all. Our baby is already so advanced :)

Taking another rest with Daddy. Justin is able to calm him down quite quickly, and it is so fun to watch him with Boston.

Grandma is here helping us out, and Boston sure does enjoy his time with her.

And one more sweet picture with daddy.

We are all doing very well. Boston seems to have reversed his nights and days a little, so we are feeding very frequently at night and sleeping a lot during the day... But, we are just loving life and enjoying every minute with our sweet little guy.

He has arrived!

2010-09-14T16:10:00.002-04:00

Many of you have already received notification of Boston's arrival, but in case you didn't hear the great news: our son arrived yesterday afternoon at 12:59 PM. He was a whopping 8 lbs. 0.5 oz. and is 21 3/4 inches long! The labor was quite easy and, for a first baby, not very long. I will write a more detailed version of events later but here are some quick bits of info.

My water broke at 12:38 AM and we got to the hospital and checked in 2:25. The contractions had started almost immediately after my water broke, so I was definitely in labor. At around 8:30 my doctor came in and checked me and said she expected I would deliver in the noon hour. Everything was progressing just perfectly. At around 11:45 I could tell he was ready to make an appearance. A very short (in my mind) hour and 15 minutes later at 12:59, we had a sweet baby boy in our arms.

We have thoroughly enjoyed our time with Boston. We have had so many compliments from all the nurses about how cute he is. He is already holding his head up and is extremely alert. I promise to write more about all of the wonderful experiences we are having later but needless to say - he has us both completely wrapped around his finger.

Sorry there aren't any pictures with this post, we don't have them uploaded quite yet. We will be leaving the hospital tomorrow and we will do our best to inundate everyone with pictures as quickly as possible after that.

Thanks for all the love and support. We are all doing well and getting used to our new life, and loving every minute of it.

And so it has begun...

2010-09-13T03:31:00.002-04:00

Amelia's water broke this evening and we headed off to the hospital! The contractions are getting stronger, but she and baby are doing well so far. Boston should be making his arrival sometime today!

Hmm...that was a little anti-climactic

2010-09-11T22:06:00.001-04:00

Well, hello September 11th. Not that I necessarily expected my body to magically break into labor today - but one can still hope.

*sigh*

I think that doctors should just give you a month in which you might deliver - none of this arbitrary date crap.

This baby is getting big - I can tell. I can feel that he has gotten bigger (I have definitely gotten much bigger the last week or so), and that's good, but I am ready for him to be growing on the outside, so I can WATCH him grow, not just feel him grow :)

In other news, since we didn't have a baby today, we decided to hang up some new artwork we received in the mail earlier this week. They are prints of some of the pieces my aunt has made. She is a fantastic artist and you should check out her info here.

We love the way they look! It adds such a nice pop of color to the room (which is the baby's nursery, in case you can't tell). Some day we are hoping purchase one of her full pieces, but for now, the prints are sufficient for us.

So, it is a waiting game. We knew it would be, but it doesn't make it any easier. Come on Boston! We are waiting for you!!

Really?!?

2010-09-06T09:00:00.003-04:00

My pregnancy ticker is down to five days... That is just so crazy! We are definitely looking forward to meeting this little one.

Yesterday at church we were watching all the dads trying to get their babies to calm down, and Justin said: "I want a little baby that wants to be held by me." So cute! We are both getting very excited. Hopefully we will have some good news soon!

Have a happy Labor Day!

Baby showers!! (Immense amount of pictures)

2010-09-02T17:23:00.002-04:00

I finally got a few of the pictures from the baby shower in Arizona as well as pictures from a shower here in Virginia. So, I will shower you with picutres! (*har, har*)

I will start off with the shower in AZ that my sisters and mother threw for me. It was so much fun and really just perfect. This first picture is of, perhaps, the best baby shower cake ever.

I am a huge fan of Cake Wrecks (click here if you don't know what it is - but be prepared to waste WAY too much time on it...) and so naturally, my sisters had to make one of the fabulous wrecks that can be found on the site. Abi was the mastermind behind creating this cake and it was just awesome.

The original idea for this cake came from this post and it did come complete with a baby inside for me to "deliver." There is video proof and everything. It was a joke cake - we didn't make people eat it - but I think everyone got a big kick out of it.

These are some of the fantastic decorations. Boston's nursery colors are brown, blue and green and my sisters decorated the shower based on those colors.

More decorations - so cute!

Boston's diaper fund care of Sara Jane. Thanks to all who contributed! :)

Abi also made this great diaper/onesie cake for a decoration.

This is proof that Aunt Vicky can be domestic.

We played some great games at the shower. This game was "What goes in, must come out."

In case you can't tell from the picture - we had to taste different baby foods and guess what they were, then there were diapers that were full of melted candy bars which we had to figure out.

We also had people guess the size of my stomach by cutting yarn to the size they thought would fit around my tummy.

The fabulous Cannon Girls! It was such a fun party, and even though I didn't get to participate in the Cannon Girl's Extravaganza very much this time around, it sure was fun to see them.

My roommate from college made the drive down from Utah to come to the shower. (I'm 34 weeks in the pic, by the way)

One more shower set of pictures....I promise.

Justin's co-workers at the National Science Foundation threw a baby shower for us today. The best part about it was that it was a complete surprise for Justin. His boss contacted me last week to get things set, and I just had to be there on time and keep the secret.

I was able to keep the secret, but the surprise ended up getting ruined right as Justin was heading to the room. We had cut our lunch a little close to the beginning of the party (I was trying to get him back to his office earlier so I could have time to get there) so Justin happened to see me getting into the building and heading into the room. But, it was still a good surprise.

I was able to meet more of the people that Justin works with on a day to day basis, and we had good food and good times. It was so much fun to keep this secret from him - he was so surprised, it was fun to see his reaction.

And to finish this picture-heavy post off, another belly shot.

This was taken on Sunday - 38 weeks. The baby has definitely dropped (I don't know that you can necessarily tell in this picture), and I am already progressing along. I feel great, and haven't had any uncomfortable contractions or anything. My doctor said today: "Well, we'll either see you next week at your appointment, or in Labor and Delivery." I can guarantee one thing - by the end of this month, we will have a new baby :)

Some updates

2010-08-27T15:10:00.002-04:00

I just thought I would post some quick updates on what is going on! (If you are interested in some of the things I've made for Boston, scroll down for another new post)

Things are going very well with us. We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Boston, and just got word that I am already progressing along (even though I still haven't felt a contraction yet...) so I guess that is good news!

Poor Justin isn't sleeping as well anymore, and I am pretty sure it is my fault. I am waking up quite a bit in the night, and even though I try to be discreet about having to move around and get up a lot, it's not working very well. And unfortunately, I don't forsee our sleeping patterns getting better anytime soon... :)

On Wednesday we went to a show at the Kennedy Center. We had won tickets to see a Chinese cultural show called Shen Yun. It was a really awesome performance, and such a fun experience. The show included different dances from several different cultures/tribes in China, as well as musical performances by singers and instrumentalists. Definitely a cool show, and now we can say we have been to a show at the Kennedy Center.

I forgot to get a picture of me this week, so I will get one this weekend and post it soon. I feel like I am really big, but I don't know that I look all that different from my most recent picture. I am in full on waddle mode, though, and it is kind of funny. I don't feel like I do it a ton, but there are definitely times when it is just far more comfortable to waddle than to walk normally :)

I just felt like writing a quick update on life, especially since things are going to be changing completely in just a few weeks. Woo!

Baby Stuff

2010-08-27T14:44:00.001-04:00

I have been trying to finish up all the little crafts I wanted to make for this little man before he gets here. Seeing as how we are getting down to two weeks left before the due date, I am trying hard to make the most of the time I have left. Any of you who are friends with me on Facebook may have already seen these pictures, so feel free to skip this post, I won't be offended :)

And yes, I realize I am setting a horrible precedent for my future children. But, I am having a lot of fun!

These first two pictures go along with the giraffe from the post below.

Originally, my plan was to paint each frame to match the nursery colors (which are blue, brown and green), but I am kind of enjoying the look of the plain wood frames. Here are all three pictures finished.

I am in love with this next creation. I used fabric paint to make it and I am so thrilled with how it turned out.

There is kind of a funny story behind it. Justin and I saw an outfit at Ross shortly after we found out I was pregnant (as in, just days after the positive test) that had dinosaurs on it and a tag that said "snackasarus." We both loved it and wanted to buy it - however, we had no idea if we were going to be having a boy, and it was very clearly a boy outfit. I was the one that convinced Justin not to buy it - silly me. Once we wanted to buy it, it was already gone, so I decided to make one.

I also completely finished the quilt. In the pictures before, I hadn't made the binding yet, so here are two pictures with the binding completed.

It just looks awesome. I just finished washing it this afternoon, and now it is all super soft and crinkly. It's a lot of fun.

My next little craft isn't all that exciting, but definitely needed:

Hooray for burp cloths! I really enjoy making burp cloths as gifts, and I am excited that I finally get to make my own!!

And finally, a little wreath to hang on our door once this little man arrives.

It was easy and quite fun to make.

Thanks for indulging me! There are still a few more crafts I want to make, including a mobile for his crib. Hopefully I still have time!

Did you miss me?

2010-08-16T21:12:00.004-04:00

It's been a few weeks. We are back from our trip to Phoenix, which means I need to get back to updating!

Our trip out to Phoenix was great! It ended up being incredibly busy, actually. We were there for two weeks, and we were busy every day, with hardly a chance to take a break. Justin went into work at ASU while we were there (that was the original reason for us going to Phoenix) and then in the evenings, after he was done working, we would go out with friends or family. We got to see a lot of friends and I was even able to spend some time with my sisters during the annual "Cannon Girls Extravaganza!"

My baby shower was the second weekend we were in town, and it was so much fun! Unfortunately Justin and I completely forgot to bring our camera with us to the shower, so I don't have any pictures yet. But once my sisters - who were awesome enough to plan the whole thing with my mom - send me their pictures that they took, I will do a separate post on the shower (*hint, hint*). I'll just entice you by saying that it was complete with tasty baby food, "poopy" diapers, and perhaps one of the best baby shower cakes ever - complete with a baby inside!

I also was fortunate enough to have several good friends make the trek from out of state for the shower. Thank you to Vicky, Melanie, Toni, Cassey and Landon for driving/flying in! And thank you to everyone else that was able to come to the shower - it was so much fun to catch up with people and have a good time!

Now that we are back in Virginia, I have started to get serious about getting things ready for Boston. Um, his due date is less than 4 weeks away. Does that scare anyone besides me? No? Hm, ok. Anyway, I have a list of things that I would like to have made for my little man before he makes his debut in just a few weeks, so I have been trying to get them done as quickly as possible.

First up is some wall art that I have made. This is actually the first in a series of pictures that I intend to make.

You may recognize this giraffe from this post. You could say I'm a little obsessed with these animals, but they are just so cute, and they make me so happy, I just can't help but use them as decorations for his nursery. I made the little giraffe out of fabric and added the details by handstitching with embroidery floss. I have fabric to make the baby hippo and the baby turtle, and I am hoping to get those started and/or finished by this weekend.

This next project has turned out to be a little bit of a sore spot for me. Well, not anymore since I am finished with the hardest part. Back in June I finished the quilt top for Boston (seen here). I decided that rather than tie this quilt I would machine quilt it. I have never machine quilted (or hand quilted) anything. I had been reading up on it on different blogs, and felt like it was something I would be able to do... After a lot of broken thread, quite a few tears, some near swearing experiences, and several trips to the sewing machine ladies at JoAnn's, I finally finished the quilting:

TA-DA! OK, so it isn't bound yet. I still need to cut the binding strips and sew those on, but I figure that it going to be easy compared to what I just went through with the quilting. In the end I think what ended up making the difference was getting an official quilting needle for my machine. Having the right tools makes things so much easier.

Here is a close up of the stippling. The pattern was just random, and it was up to me to choose when to turn and where to go. Once I got past my thread breaking every thirty seconds (not much of an exaggeration, I might add), it was really fun, and quite rewarding. Of course if you look really closely you'll see that it is quite messy - the stitches aren't even close to the same length, there a little "jumps" all over the place, etc. - but I figure that Boston really won't care :)

And just for fun, here is a shot of the back of the quilt. I really like the little extra piecing on the back to tie the whole thing together.

And finally, a belly shot. This is 36 weeks. There are pictures of me at 34 weeks, but those are from the baby shower, which I don't currently have access to... :) Just don't click on the picture to make it bigger. I seriously need to stop taking these pictures on days that I haven't done my makeup and look really scary. Also, taking them at 10:00 at night with a blinding flash probably doesn't help my cause, either.

Now that we are home I should be much better at updating. I am already to the weekly appointments with the doctor, and I have even made the final four appointments before Boston's due date. Time is absolutely flying. People ask us all the time if we are all ready for him to come, and I just don't know how to respond. Are we ready for the complete and total change that is coming into our lives? Uh, no. Do we have all the physical necessities for our child, like a bed and somewhere to store his clothing? Sure, I think. We have a lot of stuff for him, do we have any idea if it is everything we need? Absolutely not. We have no idea what we are doing. But, I take some comfort in knowing that there isn't anyone that knew what they were doing when they had their first baby. It's going to be an adventure, and we are excited (and scared) for what is coming.

Long time, No blog

2010-07-20T10:28:00.004-04:00

It's been a few crazy weeks since my last post. Justin's brother and his family came to visit us for two weeks from Arizona and it was great! We were able to do several different activities with them and *I think* everyone had a good time :)

Some of the things that we did while they were here were:

A White House Tour
A tour of the Capitol
Visiting the top of the Washington Monument
The 4th of July fireworks at the National Mall (I didn't join everyone on this one)
Visited Great Falls National Park
Went to Mount Vernon (George Washington's home)
Took a day trip to Monticello (Thomas Jefferson's home)
A tour of the Bureau of Engraving

I know that's not everything we did - and their family did a few things for which Justin and I did not join them - but it still gives you an idea of how busy the two weeks were. And with everything on that list, I only got pictures of one of them. We took a day trip down to Monticello which was somewhere we'd been wanting to visit. The grounds were absolutely beautiful, and it was a great place to visit.

The back of the home

Thomas Jefferson's garden. I had no idea that he brought food, like, Tomatoes and Macaroni and Cheese to America from France. Pretty good stuff :)

Another view of the property. It was an extremely beautiful area.

They had a "hands on experience center" where kids could do things like lay on a replica of Jefferson's bed, try out some of his inventions, and build things out of blocks. Justin had a fun time with the blocks :)

Justin also took a belly shot for me while we were visiting the grounds. This is officially my 31 week shot :)

On the way back to the parking area you have the option of walking past Thomas Jefferson's gravesite. We decided to take the walk and see the site. It is actually still owned by the family and is closed to the public, but the grave is visible from the gate.

All in all, it has been an exciting three weeks since last I posted. A lot of you probably know that I got to make a little visit to the hospital on the 4th of July to help get some fluids back in my body. I got sick on Saturday night and wasn't able to keep anything down for over 15 hours, so we decided it would be best to get everything checked out in the hospital. I ended up being just fine once I got some medication and fluids in me, but it was just a little scary for a few hours. The baby was absolutely fine the entire time, as well. It was all me - I must have caught some kind of bug. Unfortunately it meant that I wasn't able to join everyone for the fireworks show on the National Mall, but I definitely needed to stay home and rest. And Justin also videotaped the show for me to watch once they got home -and our new video camera did an amazing job recording it so it was almost like being there :) I was also able to see about 15 different fireworks shows from our bedroom window, so that was fun.

Things are going to be even more crazy over the next few weeks. Justin and I are going back to Arizona for a visit before the baby comes. We are so excited to be back in AZ and seeing friends and family - it is going to be a great time.

Everything with the baby is going well. I had another appointment today and the doctor is fairly certain that he is already head down. He is moving around like crazy and has recently found my hips and likes to press on them as I am trying to go to sleep. He also gets the hiccups at least once a day, but usually twice. That is probably my most favorite thing so far with this pregnancy.

I'm not sure that I'll be posting while we are away, but we'll see :) It's going to be a lot of fun though. I can't wait!

28 weeks

2010-06-24T20:42:00.001-04:00

Here is a belly shot (mostly for family) for those of you who are interested.

(I really need to stop taking these pictures when I don't have any make-up on...)

My most recent doctor's appointment went well. I had my GD test this morning, and it was not nearly as bad as I had anticipated. I got a little shakey about 20 minutes after drinking the "soda" {which, tasted just like a Lime Otter Pop that hadn't been frozen}, but the doctor said that is normal. She said that I am measuring about a week ahead of where they have my due date, but again, this isn't anything too surprising. I will also start going in every two weeks from here on out (until we get closer and then I'll go every week)...I can't believe I'm already in my third trimester - how is it going so quickly??

Sorry for those of you who aren't family, or for whom pregnancy is old hat. Since it is what I am going through, that's what I write about. For some non-pregnancy related news, I have the most amazing husband. He has been working hard for the last few months to earn a certification that will help him in his career. It involved a few all-day classes in D.C., followed by some serious studying, and a series of three tests in order to earn it. On May 24th, Justin passed the final of the three tests he had to take, and became a Certified Government Financial Manager. He has worked hard for it, and he earned it. I am so proud of him. He is so remarkable, and such a hard worker - he is going to be the perfect provider for our little family.

Since we're on the topic of Justin (much to his dismay, I might add - he hates it when I brag about him) I should also mention how excited he is to have a baby. I'll tell you a secret - he is a big softy when it comes to this baby. He talks to him all the time and just loves being able to feel him and watch him kick and move all around. I can't wait to watch Justin with Boston, he already loves him so much. I am also excited to see Boston with his dad, because I know that Boston already recognizes Justin's presence.

OK, so I strayed back to pregnancy topics. Sorry. You can look below for a great non-pregnancy related post (and add your answer!) or you can check out my other blog (click here) to see some cute new jewlery I've made - also non-pregnancy related :)

Summer is...

2010-06-22T08:38:00.001-04:00

What is your favorite part of summer?

Crafts, crafts, and more crafts....

2010-06-16T21:13:00.003-04:00

With the baby coming in just a few short months we are preparing for his arrival as best we can. He will be sleeping in our second bedroom, which is where the computer, piano and my craft desk currently reside. The computer will be staying put, but my craft desk and the piano will be moving.

With the imminent loss of my crafting desk, I am trying hard to complete any and all projects on my "To Do" list. And of course with the baby coming I keep getting more and more ideas added to my list. Here are two new ones that I just finished that I love.

Justin and I saw a onesie like this one at a boutique that cost something ridiculous, like, $25. Uh...I will NEVER pay that much for something that will (a) be puked on repeatedly and (b) will not fit the baby after just a few short months. With that in mind, I decided to just make my own because I really liked it and I knew I could do it cheaply.

I used Freezer Paper to create the stencil for the lettering (which I printed off the laptop) and used fabric paint to paint the words. I love it so much! I think it turned out awesome!

My lower back/tail bone has started hurting if I sit for too long (i.e. three hours in church). To help with this I recently purchased a small travel pillow. I wanted it to have a pillow case so that I can clean it when needed. Here is what I came up with:

The fabric has cherries all over it. I added a ruffle because I just love the look of ruffles. And the pillow case has a flap to keep to pillow in. I really like it. Cute and Comfy :)

Things are going great. I go in for my first (and hopefully only) GD test next week - not too excited for it, but excited to have it over with. Boston is moving all over the place, and I love it, even when it hurts {which definitely has happened more than a few times}. I'll post another belly shot sometime next week.

Justin's brother's family is coming in to town for two weeks at the end of this month. We are so excited to have them come visit and sight-see with them. So, lots of good things to come!!

**Edited to add: I should mention that I will still have a space to work on my crafts. Justin has done a lot of rearranging on the computer desk to let me have some space to work. And, I was already going to add this before he commented on this post saying this same thing...he just beat me to it because he was at work before I woke up. Anyway, I have an awesome husband. I love him. And I love that he does everything he can to make sure I can still do my silly little hobbies :) He's the best.

A sneek peek...

2010-06-11T09:01:00.000-04:00

I am making a quilt for Boston that I am really excited about. I just finished the quilt top last night, and it is fantastic!

The thing I am most nervous about is the fact that I am going to attempt to machine quilt this....

Have I ever machine quilted?
No.

Do I have any idea what I am getting myself into?
Not really.

Is that stopping me?
No.

Am I excited?
Absolutely!

Hopefully I don't ruin the great top I just made. Wish me luck! :)

What's in a name?

2010-06-04T08:25:00.003-04:00

I've been getting a lot of questions about why we chose the name Boston. I've been meaning to answer the question on here, but have forgotten.

The answer, I'm afraid, isn't terribly exciting. It's just a name we both love. There isn't a family connection (in fact, neither of us even knows anyone named Boston), we just like it. As for the middle name, James, that is a family name from Justin's side - one of his uncles was named Jimmy (he has passed away), so we thought it might be nice to use a family name for his middle name.

So, now that the big question has been answered... here's some other fun things for your enjoyment :)

Over Memorial Day weekend we took some time to visit some sites around us that we have yet to see. Justin took the day off on Friday and so we took the opportunity to head over to Old Town Alexandria. Unfortunately I forgot to bring the camera with us...but it was a wonderful experience! It is very charming, and beautiful. We are both looking forward to going back and spending more time walking around in the cool little shops.

On Saturday we were able to go to the Iwo Jima memorial. It's a little silly that we haven't gone over there before because it is ridiculously close. Regardless, it was a good place to visit.

Memorial Day weekend also signals the beginning of swim season {in states other than AZ ;o) } so we visited the apartment pool on Saturday. It was a little chilly, but it was still nice to relax.

Sunday we were able to spend some time with my aunt who was visiting from Utah as well as my cousins. It is always nice to see family when they visit - and we've been fortunate to have a few different relatives visit so far.

On Memorial Day we headed down to Mount Vernon. It was so beautiful! For those of you who don't know what it is, it is the home of George Washington. It is the place he retired to after resigning his commision of the army and also after his presidency was over.

The grounds were beautiful, and we had a great day. It was extremely warm (90 degrees with a lot of humidity), so after a lot of walking, a fantastic meal, and a cool behind-the-scenes tour we decided to head back home and take another swim in the pool. I'm extremely happy we live somewhere with a pool...I think I will be spending a lot of time there this summer.

Things here are going great. I'm a little freaked out by the fact that my pregnancy counter says I have 100 days left. That means that tomorrow it will be down to the double digits...yikes! The time is going so fast, it's a little crazy. But we are very excited to meet this little man :)

Twenty-five

2010-05-26T07:11:00.003-04:00

On Monday I turned 25. It was a really great birthday - I couldn't have asked for a better day. Justin took the day off of work (ok, so he had actual work stuff to do, like passing a test that will allow him to become a Certified Government Financial Manager! Go Justin!!!) so we were able to spend a portion of the day together, which was really wonderful. We had a great meal at a German restaurant in DC, we ate delicious cupcakes, and got a pedicure and manicure. Perfect.

I have been thinking about how wonderful my 25 years of life have been - and I have to say, they are pretty awesome. I've made amazing friends, I've graduated both high school and college, I met the love of my life and was married in the temple 5 years ago, and now I am going to be a mother. Yes, I think 25 is a great age. It's a quarter of a century of great memories, and I am so excited to see what the next 25 years (and beyond!) holds for me and my wonderful family.

For those of you who have been waiting patiently, here is an updated belly shot:

Things are going great. I have an appointment this afternoon for my regular check-up. I love going and hearing his little heartbeat. It's been nice recently because I feel him move all the time, and I can even see his movements sometimes and I love it.

Cuteness overload!

2010-05-21T13:38:00.000-04:00

So, I've had baby things on my mind recently (can you blame me??). I wish I could take credit for the design of these adorable animals below, but I can't. They are based on a baby blanket that I bought a long time ago when I worked at Kohl's. I knew I wanted to keep it for my first child, and I am so excited to use it for Boston.

I looked at each original animal and created a bigger version of them using colored paper. Basically, I think each card is so adorable. I've been harassing my sister and mother the last two days as I've been making these cards, so I just thought I'd harrass everyone else as well :) They are kind of addicting to make - I have had to force myself to stop making them today.

The Giraffes came first:

Followed closely by the hippos:

Then the turtles joined the party:

Finally, all the little kids decided to have a get together of their own:

I plan on making bigger versions of each of these (and a few more of the animals I haven't turned into cards yet) and using them to make a mobile to hang over Boston's crib. I also think I am going to do some sort of wall art with them - I just haven't figured out how I want to do them quite yet. Stay tuned!

Peanut Butter Rolo Cookies

2010-05-17T15:52:00.003-04:00

I was making these cookies today, and I thought that I would share the recipe with anyone who cared to have it. These are famous with some members of my family, and I think everyone should have a chance to enjoy the deliciousness that is Peanut butter, chocolate and caramel. Mmm. The best part about it is, it is ridiculously easy.

Ingredients:

Peanut Butter Cookie Mix {if you happen to live anywhere BESIDES the East Coast, these little baking packages will occasionally go on sale 10 for $10}

Water, Oil, Egg (as directed on cookie mix)

A package of Rolos (you won't use them all)

Directions:

Preheat oven according to cookie package

Make Peanut Butter cookie dough according to directions

Once the dough is made, unwrap some Rolos. You'll be making anywhere from 30-36 cookies with this recipe. I usually unwrap a handful at a time, and then unwrap more as necessary. (And, if in the end you have found you have unwrapped too many - enjoy the extra snack!)

Take a small amount of dough, and roll it into a ball completely covering the Rolo.

The balls end up being about an inch to an inch-and-a-half in diameter. As long as the Rolo is covered, and you don't see little bits of it sticking out, you'll be fine. The more dough you use per cookie, the thicker the cookie part will be so you will have to cook them a little longer - you will also get fewer cookies. It's totally a preference.

Bake the cookies for anywhere from 9-11 minutes. This totally depends on your oven - it could be as long as 12 minutes.

(This is only one batch, I had another in the oven)

You'll know the cookies are ready when the bottom edges (closest to the cookie sheet) are just slightly brown. A few of the cookies may also start to brown a very little on the top in the center. Don't over-cook them because the caramel in the Rolo will harden quickly once they cool if they are over-done.

I should mention they are a little puffy when you pull them out of the oven at first. Don't expect them to look as flat as they do in this picture - that happens while they are cooling.

Once you have pulled them out of the oven, allow them to cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet before transfering to a cooling rack. Also, I would suggest twisting the cookies on the sheet before you try to remove them with a spatula. Sometimes the bottom of the cookie will stick to the sheet causing the melted Rolo to stay on the sheet, leaving you with a hollow cookie. Allow to cool (or not, they are DELICIOUS when eaten warm), and enjoy! Store in an air-tight container (i.e. Tupperware) to keep the carmel center chewy.

One of my favorite, and easiest cookies to make. I promise you'll be addicted once you've tried them. And no, I haven't already eaten 5 of the ones I just made this afternoon............

Enjoy! And let me know if anyone tries to make them - I'd love to hear how they turn out!!

The Catch-Up Game...

2010-05-10T10:27:00.002-04:00

(If you care, I have some cute new cards posted on my other blog [click here]. I promise, they'll make you smile :)

I have been a little bit of a slacker in the blog world - so here is a quick catch up of what we have been up to recently. (Lots, and lots of pictures!!)

We went to Baltimore for the weekend of April 30th to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. We also wanted a chance to see Baltimore for more than just a day, and decided to stay at a hotel that was right on the waterfront to get the full effect. It was wonderful!

We went to the National Aquarium and had a great time. We were able to see an amazing dolphin show as well as several really cool exhibits with fish from all over the world.

All the dolphin performers

We had front row seats for the dolphin show, and we were techinically in the "Splash Zone" but thankfully didn't get wet. But, we did get an amazing, close-up view of everything that was going on.

One of the dolphins showing off his dance moves

Jumping high.

This is a reconstructed jaw of a megaladon - a huge prehistoric shark. All the teeth are real, the jawbone has been fabricated.

There was a cool exhibit about jelly fish. They are kind of fascinating.

Lots of different sting rays and eagle rays.

I just couldn't help but buy this shirt for Boston. Obviously we haven't met him yet, but I have a feeling it could work for just about any child. And it was just too cute to pass up!

We were also able to go to the top of a tower in Baltimore that had a view of the entire city. It was cool to be up so high and see everything.

It was a fun weekend, and a great mini-vacation. We definitely look forward to going back up and spending some more time in Baltimore. It was a beautiful city, and we could easily spend another day or two up there.

And finally, last Saturday we decided we wanted to tour the Washington Memorial. We have seen the outside of it several times, and spent time walking around the area surrounding it, but had not gone inside it yet.

It was an AMAZING experience. I don't know what I was expecting, but I was not expecting all the stunning views that could be seen from 500 feet above Washington, DC. It was really just incredible. I had no idea that it is completely free-standing (no steel inside helping to hold it up), and it is hollow all the way to the top. Really, if you get a chance to tour it, DO IT! It really was beautiful.

(I couldn't pick just one picture, so click on this collage to see each one bigger - these are all the views from the top of the monument)

While we were waiting for our tour time, we decided to stop by the American History Museum for a few hours. Again, an awesome place. I didn't take any pictures, but they had the greatest things on exhibit, such as the original flag that inspired the "Star Spangled Banner," the Ruby Red Slippers from "The Wizard of Oz," and just fantastic exhibits. I can't wait to go back and see more of the museum.

Whew. That's it. Hope you enjoyed the catch-up of what we have been up to recently. Life is good, and we are excited for this summer and all the adventures it will bring us!

9 years in the making...

2010-05-05T20:50:00.001-04:00

...or the quilt that took over the apartment

(I promise, our floor isn't usually covered in white pieces of fabric...)

And yes, you read that correctly, NINE YEARS. I started this quilt when I was a Junior in my High School sewing class.

Just why would a quilt have taken me 9 years to complete? (Well, aside from the fact that I am a slacker when it comes to projects that become too time consuming...)

See all of these little and big squares?

They don't look like much, do they? Except that I had to take two squares of fabric, sandwich a piece of batting inbetween them, and sew an "X" to keep said batting inside. I had to make 45 big squares and 180 little squares. Then take those four little squares, sew them into a big square, making 45 pieced-big-squares.

See? It was a monster. Then I had to sew all of the rows together, of course.

Once the rows were sewn together, I then had to clip the seams to become all fringed.

Now it is just time to wash the quilt to make it all soft and cuddly.

Basically, it took me 9 years to finish because it took a long time to sew the squares with the batting in them. I just didn't have the patience to sit and sew the same thing over and over again. And it just took a long time. Today, however, I am finished. I finished trimming all of the fringe and we are taking it to a landromat tonight to wash it. (Yes, we have a washer and dryer in unit, but I don't want to gum up our machine with all the lint and threads that this will create when washed...)

I am really loving the quilt. It was such a pain, but I am so thrilled it is done! My thumb is a little (read: extremely) sore from all the cutting, but I am glad it is done. It feels awesome to have it checked off my list of things to do!

Happy Anniversary!

2010-04-29T21:53:00.002-04:00

This was going to be a different post. But, I am not going to be able to post what I wanted to post quite yet, so I'll just post a quick picture.

I'm 20 weeks! (Almost 21 weeks...woo!)

This weekend Justin and I will be staying in Baltimore, MD to celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary (officially tomorrow)!!! Holy cow. Five awesome years. It's been a blast. I sure do love my husband - he is the best. And, he is going to be the world's greatest father. Love you Justin!!

Pictures of our little boy

2010-04-20T13:37:00.000-04:00

Our scanner is currently on the fritz (OK, it has been for about a year now...anyway) so I had to take pictures of our pictures of our little guy. At first I was just going to add these to the post below, but for those who had already read it, I wasn't sure if they'd see the pictures.

The ultrasound was awesome. The technician was very kind and spent a lot of time with us. Boston was a little uncooperative at times, completely covering his face with his hands and feet. I thought it was very cute. But, the technician was able to get some good shots and check that everything was going well. Here are a few of our favorites.

This is a good profile picture of the little one. His leg is in the background of this picture since he was sitting Breech. Of course, since I'm still so early on, it's not a concern that he is Breech because there is still plenty of room for him to be moving around.

Clearly he was done with us taking pictures. Both his hands are in front of his face. Too funny.

And I love this profile shot with his little foot sticking out. So cute.

After the tech was done and the doctor came in to do a few more pictures it was clear that Boston was done. By the time the doctor was trying to look at the baby's face he had completely turned his head away from the ultrasound, so the doctor just had to make do with what he already had.

We are so excited to meet this little one. But we are definitely going to make good use of our time before he arrives in September.

Pink or Blue??

2010-04-19T12:32:00.004-04:00

Well, let's see...

It seems as though 53% thought this little one is going to be a girl, and 47% thought it is going to be a boy.

Usually I am a fan of majority rules, but in this case....

MINORITY WINS!

That's right. We are having ourselves a little baby boy.

We had our ultrasound today and got to see our little guy moving all around. Well, he was moving a little, but mostly his hands AND feet were in his face. I guess he was comfortable?? In any case, we loved it, and it was such a wonderful experience. As soon as I can get some of the pictures onto the computer I will add them.

But for now, we're anxiously awaiting the arrival of Boston James on September 12th - or whenever he decides to grace us with his presence :)

"The time has come," the Walrus said...

2010-04-09T15:15:00.003-04:00

..."to speak of many things"

In my case, just pregnancy.

Feel free to leave now if you aren't interested in reading about it - but come back again soon, ok?

Can I just say that I am loving this pregnancy? I'm allowed to say that, right?

All the time? :)

I have to admit, that beyond the whole new parent jitters that everyone experiences, I was nervous to for pregnancy for other reasons too. The main reason being that I tend to have odd luck when it comes to things like basic diseases (haha, not that pregnancy is a disease!). But, honestly, more often than not, most of my doctor appointments in the past when I have gotten sick have the doctor saying things like,

"hmm...I'm not sure what that means."

Or else I get really random and rare symptoms (such as an extremely high fever that won't break, no other problems, just a fever, and it ends up being Pneumonia?!?). In any case, I was quite scared that I would be one of those women who would get every symptom in the book - including all the "1 in every 1 million pregnancy" type of things. I also used to have several doctor appointments, before I was married, in which I would complain of something and the first question would always be:

"well, are you pregnant?"

So, I just assumed that since my body reacts so well to other things, that it would react just as gloriously to pregnancy.

I have never been happier to be proven wrong in my life!

I like being able to have weird things, like a sensitive sense of smell, be completely normal. Actually, I've figured out that basically anything weird that goes on with your body when you are pregnant can be blamed on the little one growing inside of you. And that is perfectly fine with me.

Also, I am so happy that I have not ended up being one of those women who gets every symptom, or even one of those women who has to spend the majority of the first trimester in the bathroom because she can't eat anything. I know I have been extremely lucky, and even though the lack of "normal" symptoms left me questioning whether I was really pregnant at times, I am thankful. Extremely thankful.

And now, for the best news. I am 99% certain that I have been feeling this baby move over the last two days. There are little things that feel like twitches in different places in my stomach, and then times that it feels like little flutters...I am pretty sure that it is this little one letting me know that it is alive and well.

Now that I have been feeling it, I pretty much just want to sit around all day waiting for the next little movement. I am trying to enjoy it now, when it is still just a little flutter, because I know at some point some of the movements will be closer to punches and not be so comfortable :)

Oh! Some more good news!

We find out what we are having on April 19th! Hooray!

Initially my plan for this post was to end with some more pictures of the beautiful Spring that we are having, but alas, computer and camera are having an argument. I'll have to save the pictures for another post. So, you just get a boring old post of me blabbing about pregnancy with no pictures.

Lame, I know. I promise pictures next time though!

Cherry Blossoms!!

2010-04-02T13:18:00.001-04:00

NOTE: Pregnancy update below these pictures.

I just couldn't resist posting some pictures from our recent trip to see the Cherry Blossoms in D.C. And, there aren't really words needed to describe these pictures...just enjoy :)

(This picture is for my Aunt Susan)

This final picture is probably my favorite one of all:

I hope you enjoyed your small tour of the National Cherry Blossom Festival! How about joining us in person next year?? :)

Michigan, Ohio, 4 months...oh my!

2010-03-30T14:09:00.003-04:00

It's been a busy, and fun week for us. I'll get into that in a minute though.

First off - I am officially 4 months into this pregnancy! I am 16 weeks and 2 days along, and am really enjoying life. I have felt really energetic for the last two days, and it makes me think that the first trimester really did make me more exhausted than I had realized.

For those of you wanting a belly picture - here it is:

I think I just look really, really fat in this picture...I don't really look like this in person though. But my stomach is definitely starting to poke out (even if Justin and I are the only ones that notice it). I have also finally gained some weight! I haven't gained much, but I've gained a few pounds which makes me less nervous. I know, silly to care about gaining weight, but I was freaking out a little.

Also, you may have noticed that my hair is a little different. I got a hair cut this week by a good friend. So, here is a straight shot of the hair cut. I love it. I hadn't gone into it planning on getting a full set of bangs, I've been doing the side bangs for a while, but I messed up and told Yolanda (my friend/hairstylist) to cut the bangs to the wrong side. For reasons I won't go in to, they looked bad. So, we went with a full set of bangs to hide my mistake - and I LOVE it :)

One last pregnancy related thing. We will be finding out soon (I'll be making that appointment tomorrow) whether this little baby is going to be a girl or a boy, so I'm going to go ahead and put a poll up on the right side for those who are interested in guessing.

Back to why this last week was busy and fun. Last Sunday Justin and I packed up the car and headed to Cleveland, Ohio for a conference in which Justin was participating. I basically just tagged along and hung out in the hotel while he was doing conference stuff on Monday and Tuesday. I was enjoying swimming and reading my book. Nice and relaxing. Our hotel was kind of cool. It was first built in 1918 and, although it had been remodeled on the inside and such, it definitely still had an old feel to it.

Since we were in Cleveland that also meant that we were quite close to Kirtland, Ohio. (For information on why we were interested in visiting Kirtland, click here) We decided to drive the 20 minutes over to the town and take a small tour. It was amazing to see the original structures that are still standing and even those that the church has re-built. It was a beautiful tour, and I am glad we were able to go. I only snapped a few pictures of the N.K. Whitney store, but it was a great area to visit.

(Whitney Store in Front, original Whitney home - yellow - in back)

After spending the afternoon in Kirtland we headed over to Ann Arbor, Michigan. Some friends of ours from AZ had moved to Ann Arbor so that the husband could attend dental school. They moved shortly before we did, and since we were considerbly closer to Michigan while in Ohio we would go spend some time with their family. While we were there we were able to take a small tour of the University of Michigan campus and see some of the sites in Ann Arbor.

One of the places we stopped in was the Law Library. That building (although built in the 20th century) is straight out of the Gothic period in architecture.

See what I mean?? It almost makes me want to go study law at U of M. Not that I am interested in being a lawyer...I just want to have an excuse to use this library.

Our friends have two adorable little boys that were such sports about us invading their home. The boys were even kind enough to let us use their toy room - although I am not sure they fully understood what they were giving up :)

I told you they are adorable. They were troopers, too. We dragged them all around Ann Arbor while it was really cold and windy.

Not only is the Law Library impressive and beautiful, but the Law school buildings are lovely as well.

The campus of U of M is quite old, and so it was very neat to be on a campus with so much history. It also made me a little jealous...none of the campuses I ever attended were this cool...

In front of the Law School.

These are our friends that we stayed with. (Yolanda, I promise, we are sending you a CD soon with these pictures on them...) Although both Justin and I managed to pick up some sort of bug in Ohio so that we were having to blow our noses the entire time we were with them, we had an absolute blast visiting with them. We are really look forward to seeing them again sometime...maybe when they come to visit us? (*hint, hint*)

We were also able to visit with a former boss of Justin's who had moved to Michigan as well. This boss was the first person he worked under at ASU, and he was such a help in getting Justin started and on the right path for quick advancement. It was so nice to spend the day with him and his family and catch up on life.

We made it back home yesterday evening so that Justin could return to work today. The trees here have really started blooming, and the cherry blossoms are almost at peak bloom. Don't worry, there will be plenty of pictures to come...For now, however, I'll end this very long post. There are some peanut butter rolo cookies that are just BEGGING me to make them. Ciao!

Random thoughts

2010-03-16T11:24:00.002-04:00

I feel like blogging even though I don't have anything in particular to say. I am still feeling pretty good (I'm 14 weeks and 2 days), although I am still dealing with a bit of nausea every now and then (mostly morning and night). I have been really lucky because I haven't had to deal with any food aversions. I do, occasionally, have a hard time eating chicken - something about the texture - but even then I am mostly fine with it. More often than not, I can't come up with something that sounds appetizing to eat, which is frustrating for both myself and Justin.

A few weeks ago Justin and I went to the National Zoo. [On a side note, I find it rather funny that anything that is located in Washington, DC is called "the National whatever". Like, for instance, The National Children's Hospital. Most children probably don't go to the National Children's Hospital, but apparently we have one!] Anyway, the Zoo is part of the Smithsonian Institution which means it is free. I love that.

The weather was beautiful when we went, but there still weren't a lot of animals outside. Much of the snow from the February blizzards was still on the ground, especially in the animal habitats. But, we were able to see a few animals that were braving the snow, including the Pandas.

We actually didn't even make it through the whole Zoo. We were kind of tired about half way through it, and since there isn't an admission price, we didn't feel bad leaving before we saw everything. We'll definitely go back once it warms up and hopefully more animals will be out.

Justin's younger brother Aaron was here this last week with some kids from school. They were here as part of a program called Close Up. It gives the students an opportunity to meet with the senators and representatives from their area as well as getting the chance to see the sites of DC. We were able to meet up with him a few of the evenings and take him out to dinner and spend some time hanging out. It was a lot of fun. Personally, I can't believe he is already a senior in high school - he was 12 when we got married. Yikes. We're getting old.

I finished another project on my craft to do list.

(Er...I know the "Spring" isn't centered. I fixed it after I took this.)

Eventually this frame will hang on our front door, but since we are in an apartment, I'm not sure I am actually allowed to hang anything on the door - so I'll settle for the Air Conditioning panel. The idea is that I will be able to change out the hangings for different seasons, holidays and celebrations. I am really happy with it. You can check out my other blog for close up pictures of the flowers and "Spring" sign, as well as another little Easter project I finished.

I guess that's all for now. I know, this was a pretty random post, but I just really felt like writing something. Now it's time for me to get back to cleaning up the apartment and maybe even making a dent in yet another project I'm determined to finish before Baby Poll makes an appearance.

Done and DONE!

2010-03-11T09:08:00.003-05:00

I finished my pillow! It is adorable, and I love it. Oh, and my mom corrected me - I hand-pieced the squares, not hand-quilted (duh!).

I just thought I'd share it with everyone! One more craft checked off my To Do List!

13 weeks and other miscellany (with a ton of pictures)

2010-03-08T08:31:00.002-05:00

Hooray! I've made it to 13 weeks! I am still feeling good, and things are going well. I haven't even gained any weight yet (I think I've lost some, actually), which is a little strange because I feel like I am eating a ton.

Even though you probably can't tell in the pictures (which are none too flattering, by the way...), my stomach is definitely sticking out. I can still wear all my pants without problems, but a lot of my skirts are getting tight. I had to wear this skirt on Sunday because I really think that by next week I won't fit into it - and it is one of my most favorite skirts of all time.

(Yes Susan, that's the bracelet I won from you. Love it!)

This next picture is my side shot, and I have to explain it. Justin kept saying "now, your mug shot!" And he wouldn't take the picture until I wasn't smiling. So, I'm making a totally stupid face, and for some reason my posture is really bad. Whatever. Enjoy :)

So, in non-pregnancy related news, I have been really in a crafting mood recently. It may be because once the baby gets here I will be losing my dedicated craft corner in the second bedroom and will have to make do with the kitchen table when it's not in use. So, I have quite the list of projects that I would like to get done by the summer, some of which have been on my list for years...(I'm talking, since before high school...)

These last few weeks I've really gotten a lot of the things I've wanted to checked off my list. I still have plenty to do, but I am happy with as far as I have come.

This first project still isn't quite finished, actually. I made two cross-stitches when I was in (I think) Jr. High. I didn't really have anything planned for them, I just wanted to make them because I thought the pattern was cute. After I finished the second one I asked my mom what I could do with them, and she suggested that I add some handpieced quilt squares and make a pillow out of it. Great idea.

I found a pattern for the quilt squares that I liked, cut out all the pieces, and finished one of the squares. The second square sat unfinished until last year when I decided it was finally time to finish it. So, after at least 10 years, here is the first part of the pillow that I am making.

See? It's super cute.

I decided once I had the four squares finished, that I wanted my pillow to be a little bigger. So, I borrowed some fabric from my mom when I saw her in December, and finally, just this last week, put it all together to create the front of my future pillow.

I am absolutely in love with it. It just feels so good to know that every single thing about this pillow I made with my own two hands. The quilt squares are hand quilted, the cross stitches were done by me, and I added the border of this pillow. I am also pretty sure that the fabric in the corners of the pillow is vintage (right, mom?) and I know that the floss I used for the egg belonged to my Aunt Gladys. I just like the history of it.

I have one more step left. I need to find a fabric to use for the back of it. I also think that I will add some kind of lace or something else that will stick out of the pillow. We'll see. I need to make a trip to the local craft stores and find the fabric as well as a border. I am so excited that I'm so close. It is going to be adorable, and I made it all :)

And, it wouldn't be a complete crafting week without some cards to show for my work.

I got a crafting knife for another project I am making for my sisters' birthdays (shh...they don't know yet!), and I have really enjoyed using it to make a lot of detailed things, like this "Thank You." Something about the simplicity of this card makes me really happy.

Ever have one of those moments where you think, "oh, crap. It is so-and-so's anniversary and I wanted to give them a card" or you get invited to a New Year's party and you want to give something to the hostess? No? OK, me either. But I can pretend, right? And I just love this card. Just check off the box that is appropriate and you have a card for nearly every occasion!

This next card was something that I thought off while I was half-asleep. I woke up in the middle of the night one night and as I was falling back to sleep I thought it would be really cute to make a cupcake card for a birthday.

I really wanted the cupcake cup to stand out on the card, and I think I succeeded. The only thing I think I will change about this card if I make it again is the candle. Not a huge fan of it...but overall, I love it. There is more dimensionality to it than you can probably see in the picture.

This next project is a before and after kind of thing. My sister used a lot of large vases for decoration at her wedding. Each vase held a fish as the centerpiece for the tables. It was really cool. But, it left my mother with a lot of really large vases and nothing to do with them. I took a few off of her hands with the grand idea of doing something crafty with each of them. This is the first one that has actually pulled through.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Pardon the glare of the ribbon. I bought a cool pack of coordinating fat quarters from JoAnns and then mod-podged strips of the fabric to the vase and covered up the not so neat edges with some ribbon. I love it. I think I am going to put some sticks in the vase and tie them with the same ribbon used on the edges. I just need to go pick some up off the streets :)

Finally, two last random pictures. Justin bought me some "just because" mini roses the other day when we went grocery shopping. They opened up beautifully, and better than I've ever seen mini roses open. I just had to snap a picture.

And lastly, I had to show off the cute new containers I get to use for my craft stuff. I have slowly started clearing off my desk space and storing the stuff in these fabulous boxes we found at Target. It makes everything easily accesible, but it keeps the clutter off my desk.

Wow. Lots of pictures. That was a long post. Things are great. We are all healthy (again. Justin got really sick last weekend. Only lasted 24 hours, thankfully) and happy. Life in DC is great. Spring is finally sticking its head out to say hello. It almost reached 60 yesterday, so I wore my springy-est outfit (see above) as well as sandals! My feet have been feeling claustrophobic. It felt great.

We are going to be doing some traveling in the next few weeks (Cleveland for a business trip and Michigan to visit some friends), and then it will be time for the Cherry Blossoms in DC. Oh man. I can't even tell you how excited I am for the Cherry Blossom season. Expect a ton of pictures.

Lubba-Dubba, lubba-dubba

2010-02-25T21:30:00.002-05:00

Anyone know what the title is from? Major brownie points if you do (and maybe even a pair of earrings to the first person to get it right...). Think something from elementary school and someone in spandex...

Anyway, the "Lubba-dubba" is the sound of a heart beat (according to said person in spandex) - which is exactly what Justin and I got to hear yesterday. I had my regular appointment with the doctor yesterday just to check how everything is going and get the results of all the bloodwork I've had done (everything is perfect, by the way). I didn't honestly know what else to expect. I wasn't sure what the appointment would be about. So, I wasn't really expecting it when the Doctor said that we were going to listen to the baby's heartbeat.

It was so cool! It took her a minute to find the baby, but once she did, we could hear that little heart beating loud and clear. It was just incredible. Justin was surprised (as was I) at how loud the Doppler made it sound. And it was SO fast!! It was going at about 167 beats/minute. Amazing. It's so strange to think there is a human being growing inside of me...complete with a little heart beating twice as fast as mine.

I'm still feeling pretty good. I've definitely been feeling more nauseous the last few days, and it has been really hard to convince my body that it needs food, but we've gotten through it. I have also started a cleaning schedule so that I can do better at keeping the apartment clean. So far, so good (I've only been doing it since the beginning of this week :).

Life is good. Justin is rocking at his new job (of course). **There have already been more than a few people that have expressed the fact that they don't want to let him go at the end of his 2 years. He's impressed his group and has now moved onto impressing the upper management of NSF with his technical know-how, and just overall amazingness.

We are loving everything about our new home. It is beautiful here, and I cannot wait until Spring - I hear the Cherry Blossoms are amazing. I am enjoying the winter and all of the snow we've gotten, but I am itching to put on some sandals again.

**Justin made me edit this paragraph. He didn't seem to appreciate the fact that I was bragging about him. He's too modest, sometimes. I'll just say that he is doing an amazing job, and is doing very well. To anyone reading this from ASU, don't worry, we are still planning on coming back! :)

Recent Cards

2010-02-18T09:42:00.002-05:00

Ready for a non-pregnancy related post? :)

I have been trying to post most of my crafty projects on my other blog (here), but not everyone who reads this blog reads that blog, and these cards are just too cute not to share with as many people as possible.

These first two cards were inspired by some juice glasses at, I believe, Pottery Barn. I just loved the idea of the letter becoming the fruit. And, for anyone who knows me, I am sure you can tell which one stuck out to me the most.

The inside reads: "Orange" you glad we're friends? I am. (Corny? Yes! Do I still love it? Definitely!)

I love anything and everything to do with Cherries. They just make me happy. The inside of this card reads: I'm "Cherry" glad to know you.

These next two cards came from a book that my mother purchased for me while she was here. (It's my birthday present. And yes, we both realize my birthday isn't until May...who cares)

This book has some of the most amazing pop-up cards I have ever seen in my life. I mean, we all know how to make the basic pop-up card that we learned sometime in elementary school, but these are some seriously cool cards.

The first one is kind of like a diarama card. I made it for my Father-in-law's birthday, and I really like the way it turned out.

This is the view from the front of the card. There are actually three layers to this card. The front frame, the presents are on their own piece of paper, and then the baloons are on a third paper that also makes the background of the card.

This is the view from the top of the card. Pretty cool, huh?

I made this card for my mother's birthday (in April). This is the card she requested from the book, and I made it while she was here, so I'm not ruining the surprise or anything.

I don't know if you can tell by this next picture, but this is one of the amazing pop-up cards I was talking about. The thing I love about them is that the pop ups are at different heights. See for yourself...

I love it. I think it turned out pretty cute. This was actually my first attempt at one of the pop-up cards from the book, and I was pleased with the way it turned out.

So, that's it. I am loving my new book, and I am excited to make some more of the totally cool cards that are in it.

Froggy's Day Out

2010-02-12T09:13:00.006-05:00

I guess I need to start this post with a little explanation for those of you who aren't my sisters or my mother. Every year, for the last three years, my sisters, mother and I got together for a fun weekend. The first year we went to Laughlin, NV, the second year we went to San Diego, CA, and last year we kicked my dad out and stayed at my parent's house in Phoenix, AZ.

During each of the girl's weekends we do a lot of shopping. And I mean a LOT of shopping. At the first Cannon Girl's Extravaganza we found a frog. This frog was meant to be a decoration, but it is just about the most hideous thing, ever! I'm not sure I ever want to see the home in which this decoration could fit. We decided that this frog needed a home within our family. Here's how it works:

The frog lives at one person's home for an undetermined amount of time. It is supposed to be displayed where everyone can see it (I don't know if everyone has been doing that...). After the frog has outlived its welcome, you secretly pass him on to someone else within the family. So far the frog has shown up disguised as a Christmas present, it has appeared mysteriously in the trunk of a car, and has been "forgotten" in a guest bedroom. Some of us have ended up with the frog more often than others.

Currently, the frog is residing in Arlington with me and Justin. He has a cozy place on our mantel above our fireplace. Well, I just thought that the frog was looking bored, and he was practically BEGGING me to take him out and see the sites of Washington, D.C. So, I finally gave in to all of his whining and Justin and I took him out to see everything this area has to offer.

Enjoy some of the sites that the Frog got to see. Since he is a little difficult to spot in some of the pictures, I've circled him in pink.

Our journey begins in front of our apartment building

Of course we had to stop by the White House

If you look closely, you can see the Washington Monument in the background
Just hanging out on Pennsylvania Ave. with a view of the Capital

Finally, a close up of the Frog.
This was as close as we got to the monument, there was a lot of snow!

Hanging out in a snow bank.

A better view of the Capital from the Mall

There was an igloo that someone had built in the middle of the mall that was the perfect size for the Frog.

Another close-up

I just had to show you what I had to trudge through to get out to the igloo. The snow was past my knees!

A small path leading up to one of the Smithsonians.

After a long day, it was nice to catch a ride on the Metro and head home for some rest.

Alright, so I am willing to bet that only my sisters and mother will find this funny. I will admit that I was laughing hysterically as I reviewed all the pictures we took. Yes, the frog is absolutely hideous, but we had fun. Hopefully my sisters and mother will be able to live up to the challenge.

P.S. We were able to make it to the doctor on Tuesday, and everything is looking great!

Digging out from under 2 feet of snow to say...

2010-02-08T21:56:00.002-05:00

HI!

(8 weeks - Jan. 31st)

Sorry, I didn't mean to wait so long between posts. I just got a little distracted with life. And it's amazing, even though I'm staying at home now, I still hardly find time to do the things I really want to do (and those things I need to do, like laundry...which reminds me...)

Anyway, things here are going well. The D.C. area got slammed by another HUGE storm this past weekend (think 2+ feet of snow in many areas, including ours). This coming after we had just gotten 6 inches of snow the weekend before and another few inches on Wednesday, then this storm hit Friday/Saturday. It was seriously intense. Church was cancelled again on Sunday and Justin had today off and he will be getting tomorrow off as well, because honestly, we're going to get hit with another 10-20 inches tomorrow into Wednesday. I'm pretty sure that Justin's co-workers hate us right now. When we first moved here we were saying how excited we were for snow and they all told us that it doesn't snow very much. We're already in the record books for two top ten snowstorms and we are well on our way to being the 2nd snowiest winter on record for this area. Woo!

Other than the storm(s) of the century I guess the big news is still my pregnancy. I'm entering my 10th week this week, and I am feeling great. There are definitely some days that are better than others. I haven't thrown up or anything, but if I don't eat frequently I get extremely naseous. It's kind of hard for me to remember to eat as often because for the last few years I've really been trying to watch what I eat and not over-eat. Now I have to get into the habit of actually eating before I feel hungry so I won't make myself sick.

I have an appointment tomorrow for an ultrasound to date the pregnancy and see the baby's heartbeat. I am really hoping that it doesn't get cancelled because of all the snow that will be falling tomorrow. I am really beyond excited (and Justin is, too!). Oh, I forgot to mention in my last post - my due date is Sunday, September 12th. It's all still very surreal to think that by the end of this year we will have a little baby in our family.

On a totally unrelated note, I've been having a surge of ideas in my head that I would love to make. The only problem is that of the ones that I do end up trying out, only about 1 in 4 actually turn out close to the way I thought of them, but the other 3...well, not so much. Anyone else have this happen? It's kind of frustrating and makes me not want to try those ideas that I really want to work out. *sigh* Maybe I'll get lucky :)

New diet

2010-01-21T16:00:00.002-05:00

I know I just posted a few days ago...I don't generally like to post so quickly together (so look below for some pictures and such :)

I just thought I would share my new diet I'll be following this year. It's actually something my doctor told me I needed to start doing. So, I'm going to take the advice, but I thought I'd share it, in case you find it interesting.

Basically, my doctor informed me that I need to up my caloric intake. I've been doing pretty well with the way I've currently been eating, but some more calories would be helpful. I also need to make sure I am getting (on a daily basis):

3 servings of Protein
4 servings of Calcium foods
3 servings of Vitamin C foods
3-4 servings of Green Leafy and yellow vegetables/fruit
1-2 servings of Other fruits
6 or more servings of Whole Grains and Legumes
Some Iron Rich foods
3-4 servings of Fats and High-fat foods
at least eight 8 oz. glasses of fluids

Whew. That's a lot to eat in a day. But, I guess that's what my body will need while it is cooking a baby over the next 9 months.

Oh, did I forget to mention that I'm pregnant? Whoops! Silly me!

:)

Recent Stuff

2010-01-19T17:54:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted in a while, but that is because we had our very first visitor in our new home:

MY MOM!

I was so excited that she came. She was here for about a week and a half. And, may I say, it was a fun week and a half! We spent a lot of time making jewelry (mostly she designed the jewelry and I put it together...but I made some cute stuff for myself as well), and shopping. We did get to take a tour of the Pentagon, the White House and the Capital. Unfortunately cameras are not allowed in either the Pentagon or White House, and we did the Capital on the same day as the White House, so we didn't have a camera - so, no pictures. But, it was really fun, and very cool. Justin and I definitely want to go back to the capital and sit in on a session of the House or the Senate.

The day before she left we went back to DC to walk around the Renwick Gallery of Art. It was really fun, and a very cool gallery.

Us at the White House

This was one of the sculptures, and it is amazing. It's hard to believe, but this is all one solid piece of wood, carved to look like it is a grandfather clock covered with a sheet. The details are absolutely incredible. It's called "Ghost Clock" but I can't remember the name of the artist.

A cool vase in the gallery.

A dinner table bracelet. Yes, that's right, a bracelet.

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Justin and I (my mom left on Saturday), decided to head down to DC since Justin had the day off. We stopped by the National Archives and took a look at the Declaration of Independence (or what is left of it...you really can't see much of the writing anymore) and the constitution, as well as other cool documents from American History.

After the Archives we headed over to the Museum of Natural History. There is just so much to see. I am certain we were only able to see about one-, maybe two-, thirds of the place. It was amazing.

There was a butterfly house as part of the museum, and the admission was free so we went in to have a look.

One of the butterflies decided it liked Justin and landed on his forehead (bottom left picture). It was pretty incredible to see some of the butterflies they had.

There was a gemstone exhibit that was pretty amazing. We spent a lot of time looking at it, but finally had to drag ourselves away from it.

They also had this beauty on display:

That is the Hope Diamond. It is quite brilliant and beautiful. I thought it was cool that it was on display in the museum.

Well, that's what we've been up to recently. Life is good!

We love FOOD!

2010-01-05T08:40:00.002-05:00

We have this wonderful stitched picture hanging in our kitchen, courtesy of my oldest sister.

And it is so true! We love food. And since we have been living here in Virginia, I have really had a fun time making meals for us to enjoy. Justin is able to come home every day for lunch, and he is home early in the evenings as well. It means we have been eating at home a lot more than we used to (which also means we have to do the dishes A LOT more than we used to :). It has been fun. Some of our meals have been so awesome that I decided to take some pictures to share with everyone - and probably make you a little hungry :)

For New Years, we decided to do a lot of appetizer/side dishes rather than make a big meal.

First up:

Mmm...Pasta Salad. I think this salad is actually supposed to have a French dressing on it, but I make it with Italian - I love the tangy flavor.

Potstickers are a mandatory New Year's Eve food. Everyone knows that.

Justin also made himself some stuffed mushrooms. I say he made them for himself, because anyone who knows me, knows I don't like mushrooms. Although, I do have to say that I ate an entire mushroom. The stuffing is SO good, and it pretty much masks the mushroom texture (which is what my problem is...)

That's it for New Year's Eve. Next we have some of the meals we've been enjoying recently.

Kaese Spaetzle is one of the best dishes that Justin has introduced me to. This is something he used to make on his mission. It is a little like a Poor Man's Macaroni and Cheese. It is just so good. It's Gouda Cheese and Spaetzle (which is a German Egg Noodle) and some sauteed onions. So tasty!

This next meal is one of the best we've had.

Steak, Potatoes and Asparagus. I can guarantee you that this steak rivals any steak you would find in a high end steak house. It is so tender and juicy, you don't even need steak sauce. (I will admit, however, that we did use some - the flavor of the steak sauce is just too good to pass up!) And the best part about this recipie? It is so EASY! (In fact, we've had steak twice!)

We also couldn't resist having some of this with our fancy steak dinner:

'Nuff said :)

A few weeks ago, when we were in the "Blizzard of '09," we found ourselves with ample amounts of time on our hands. Church got cancelled on Sunday, so I decided to make some cinnamon rolls to celebrate. I had all of the ingredients on hand, which made it even better. This is something I have been wanting to make ever since I got the Kitchenaid 3 years ago. Why it took this long, I have no idea.

Look at that cinnamon-y goodness.

They turned out fantastic. I made an Orange flavored icing for the top. I actually didn't have all the ingredients for the frosting that came with the recipie, so I had to improvise and make my own. It was still amazing.

Now, onto some of the lunches I've been making for my sweet, hard-working husband.

Tacos! Justin LOVES tacos. When we were living in AZ, I think we easily consumed a taco meal at least once a week.

These actually weren't just any tacos, either. Some of our good friends in AZ taught us about the meatless variety (they follow a Vegan diet), and we love them.

This is TVP (Texturized Vegetable Protein). It is so good! When you re-hydrate it and add the taco seasoning to it, it has an excellent flavor. And, it is healthy for you (I think...)

Another favorite meal is deli sandwiches with all the fixins.

The bread in the red bag is perhaps the best bread I have ever eaten. It has three chesses baked onto the top as well as cheese INSIDE the bread. It is amazing. (Hey, I never said our meals were super healthy...)

We also had dinner with some friends recently and they asked us to bring a sald. I love the way this turned out.

(This is the "day after" picture. It was much prettier when we took it for dinner)

There was a lot of "stuff" in this salad...and it was awesome. Dried cranberries, cucumbers, candied walnuts, tomatoes, crutons, and mozzarella cheese. I think all the health benefits of this salad were cancelled out by the toppings. Oh well. It was SO worth it.

I hope you enjoyed the Food Tour. Mmm...I don't know about you, but I'm hungry. I wonder if we have anything good to eat around here... ;o)

Year in review

2009-12-24T09:39:00.007-05:00

It's Christmas Eve...wow. I love Christmas, it is one of my most favorite times of the year. It has always been such a magical time, and this year has been no different. Actually, this year, it was so much easier for me to get into the holiday spirit. Living somewhere in which it actually gets cold and snows definitely helps. It being near the year's end, I thought I would do a "year in review" for Justin and I. When we started 2009, we were expecting it to be a fairly uneventful, yet fun year.

I began the year student teaching. It was exciting to finally be in a classroom setting in which I was being able to put to the test everything I had been learning in all my years of schooling. I started at a Jr. High for 8 weeks and then finished at an elementary school for 8 weeks. Both experiences were wonderful, and completely different.

Justin began the year busy at work. Of course the economy had affected everyone, and Arizona seemed to be hit especially hard. In February we found out that Justin would be required to take 2 weeks of furlough (unpaid time off) by June 30. It was an unfortunate event, but at least Justin still had his job.

Instead of taking the time off one day a week (which is what had been suggested), we decided to take two, one week vacations. We went to Utah for one week in March and then stayed and vacationed in Arizona for the second week in May. Both vacations were fun, and it was nice to get a time off without having to actually use vacation time.
In June Justin was promoted to an Accountant Principal position at Arizona State University. It was a huge promotion, and we were very happy. Justin had worked hard, and it was a great opportunity. Of course, he was only in that position for 4 months.

In September we found out that Justin had been offered a temporary position with the National Science Foundation in Arlington, Virginia. We had a short 5 weeks in which to pack up our belongings and move across the country.

Our new home has been such an adventure so far. We love our new apartment, and the city in which we live. It has been an amazing experience so far, and we are looking forward to the next 2 (hopefully 3) years. It's been a very exciting and unexpected year. We are so grateful for all the friends and family in our life. I hope that everyone has a wonderful Christmas, and that you are with loved ones.

Merry Christmas from the Polls!

Enjoy some pictures of the fun we've been having recently!

(I love this picture of Justin!)

At the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony

Enjoying the snowy day in Washington, D.C. It was so fun to see everything absolutely covered in snow. This snowfall completely shut down the Federal Government for a day so we decided to spend it walking (nearly 4 miles) around our neighborhood.

(Justin just couldn't help but push me over...)