Oh Baby

My little baby is no longer a baby. Chloe has gotten to be so grown up lately. Between the full sentences she speaks in, the girly pouting faces she pulls when she doesn't get her way, her continued obsession with shoes, her new obsession with bows and bracelets and her latest craze for "babies" (dolls and stuffed animals that she can carry around on her hip), I find myself wondering when my little baby girl grew up into such a big girl.

Lately, Chloe really loves her babies. Any stuffed animal, bear or doll will do (though she strongly prefers the dolly Grandma Becky gave her for Christmas), and she totes them around with her everywhere. DO NOT try to pry the baby from her hands, though, or you will be faced with World War III. She talks to her babies, gives them loves and kisses, tries to tie bows in their hair, tries to give them baths in mommy's bath water or the dog's water dish, and even tries to sit them next to her in the high chair (cloth dolls and real food don't mesh well, by the way).

I know that I frequently complain about Chloe and the emotional turmoil that comes with raising a girl (I know, I know, it only gets worse from here), but she really is a delight and such a precious blessing in our home. There is just nothing greater than getting random cuddles from Chloe when she is on her way to do something and decides to stop for a cuddle on her way. I will never tire of hearing her say "love you" with the sweet little inflection she uses or "thank you" when someone gives her something she wants. I love that she loves to read books and even more that her favorite place to read is sitting on my lap. I love how much she loves her Grandpas and her favorite uncles - she can't get enough of them and they can't get enough of her. I love (and hate) that she has a melt-down when her daddy leaves for school or work or just to take Morgan to the bathroom during Sacrament meeting because she is such a daddy's-girl and I love the look Seth gets when he is watching his baby girl play. I love that she adores her brother and I love that her brother adores her. The first person they each look for in the morning is each other and I can't help but smile when I see their faces light up as they are reunited after a good night's sleep.

I am so excited for frilly dresses and pretty bows, colorful tights and princess costumes. I look forward to playing with dolls and Barbies and having tea parties with warm water. As I watch Chloe interact with the world around her, I know that, while they come with their challenges, there is just something so sweet about a little girl and the potential of the woman she will be.

The Name Game

Morgan is obsessed with names. Phrases like, "What's your name mom?" "My name is Morgan." and "Wyatt's daddy's name is Ryan." can frequently be heard coming from his mouth lately. At Sunday dinner a few weeks ago, his aunts and uncles were quizzing him on everyone's names, and after he had named everyone else at the table, they asked, "What's Chloe's name?" To which Morgan responded, unphased, "Sister." No tricking this kid.

So, I got this brilliant idea to sing "The name game" song for Morgan when we were eating dinner one night. We started with his name and then did Chloe, Mommy, Daddy, Jen, Seth, Callie, and Roxy and went back through the fam again. He thought it was hysterical. Both Morgan and Chloe laughed the whole time.

That was the start of what has now become a dinnertime ritual at our house when Seth isn't home. It has expanded to include our extended families now: grandmas, grandpas, great-grandmas and great-grandpas, aunts, uncles, in-laws, cousins, girlfriends and fiances of uncles...you know, the whole family!

I wish that song wasn't quite so repetitive though...after singing it 30 or so times, it gets really old. I also wish I were as good at remembering names as Morgan is. That kid knows every one of his aunts and uncles, cousins (including my cousins and their kids), buddies and most of his buddies' parents by name (even the ones we only see every couple of months). This is quite the accomplishment when you consider how big our families are and how many friends this kid has. It is really pretty amazing!

Doo Doo Doo Doo

(That was supposed to be a trumpet announcing good news)...

We have a driveway, it is concrete and it looks amazing!!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!

RockBand

Last night my mom hosted a little birthday celebration for me complete with BBQ on the patio, ice cream cake and presents. To my surprise and excitement, I (with the help of Morgan and Chloe) got to open a giant wrapped box containing RockBand for our Wii! How exciting! When we finally got home and got the kids to bed, we broke open the box and discovered that it is going to take a lot of practice before we get good at the drums! I also discovered that I am a dork and not very well-versed in rock music - not a good thing when you are trying to sing lead vocals. So anyone who wants to come and rock out with us, (or laugh at me trying to sing rock songs) RockBand is much more fun with 4 people than it is with 2! Thanks again Mom, John, Michael and Stephen!

A little bump

I am nearly halfway through this pregnancy and while I am still not quite back up to my preprgnancy weight (a new phenomenon for me, as I have never lost weight during a pregnancy before), over the last 4 days I have developed a little bump. Up until late last week, I have been quite comfortable wearing my normal clothes and, while Seth and I could see evidence of "showing" it was not very obvious to anyone else. Within 4 days, my bump has gone from barely there to obviously pregnant but still too small for maternity clothes. I have never done the whole "belly shot" thing during pregnancy, but for the sake of my scrapbook, we took a picture of my budding belly.

Now, if I could just find something to wear!

Magical Birthday

My mom keeps calling this my magical birthday since I turn 25 on the 25th, so here are 25 "magical" things about me in honor of my big 25 (okay they aren't magical, but I was going for consistency)...

1 - I really really like to talk

2 - I am a girly girl

3 - Despite being a girly girl, I love the outdoors. Camping, hiking, boating, canoeing, rock climbing, backpacking, snowshoeing, skiing, etc. If it is outside and adventurous, there's a good chance I enjoy it, just don't ask me to leave my makeup home!

4 - I love to take pictures and I love to scrapbook

5 - I subscribe to more than 10 magazines and read nearly all of them cover to cover every month!

6 - I thrive on organization and orderliness, but you would never know that if you have been to my house in the last 3 months.

7 - I have always had a testimony of the truth of the LDS Church.

8 - I love to sing. I used to sing in front of big crowds all the time (Carnegie Hall, Disneyland, the National Anthem at a Stingers game, musicals, parties, sacrament meetings, and even the legislature), but since I had kids, I can't even get through a song without getting emotional and crying - kind of pathetic! Lately I have been singing a lot of primary songs with Morgan, I don't get quite as emotional when I sing with him!

9 - I really love Dr. Pepper. My family are all addicted to Diet Coke, so you would think that I would be too, since that's what I grew up with, but no, I am a rebel and I go for the full sugared Dr. Pepper (Diet Dr. Pepper is NOT an option)! When I am not pregnant, I can easily go through 3-5 cans a day!

10 - Growing up I never watched TV...I know, surprising with all my current TV show addictions...really, though, Dr Quinn Medicine Woman and the occasional Full House episode were the extend of my childhood TV experience.

11 - I shared a room with both of my brothers from the time I was 9 or 10 until I moved out at age 19.

12 - I am a bit of a daredevil. Not as much since becoming a mom, but I love to cliff jump, ride really big and fast rollercoasters, bunji jump, and I LOVE the teacups at Disneyland with Seth. I love to spin really really really fast and his arms are amazing for that! I have always wanted to go sky diving, but I am not sure I could handle it now that I have kids.

13 - I am utterly addicted to exclaimation points!!! Seriously, I have been an exclaimation point enthusiast since Jr. High. In fact, my 8th grade english teacher put a little sticky note on one of my book reports once that said, "Jennifer, You are a wonderful writer, but when you use so many exclaimation points you sound like a cheerleader." That didn't stop her from making me the editor of our school paper the next year, though, so it must not be unbearable!

14 - I was a really good student. I once got a B on my report card and thought my world was going to end...really...I shed many tears over it. In college, I slipped a bit in the student department, but I still maintained 3 years of a full-ride scholarship that required a 3.8 GPA or higher. Insanity!

15 - I feel like my life is pretty great, I am married to the man of my dreams, have adoreable kids, and everything always falls into place. Honestly, I have always thought my life was pretty great.

16 - This is because I am a rediculously optimistic person.

17 - So much that my drama teacher in high school wouldn't cast me as a lead in our school musical unless I could prove to her that I could show the emotions, "sad" "mad" and "angry". This was a huge challenge for me.

18 - Even though I was pretty shy through high school, I blossomed into quite the social butterfly in college.

19 - I bite my nails, but I wish I didn't.

20 - My favorite part of scrapbooking is shopping for supplies. Seriously, I don't think there is any way on earth that I will ever use all the paper in my stash and you can't take paper with you! You can remember all the pretty colors and designs though, right?

21 - I have very few aspirations for material things...all I want is a comfortable house that is less than 3000 square feet (more is too much for me to clean), a backyard big enough to play in, a reliable car that can pull a boat and a waterskiing boat to pull. Since I already have a house and car and room in my backyard, all that leaves is a boat. One day, we will have a boat (and hopefully upgrade the first 3 for our growing family)!

22 - I love to read and follow instructions. Weird, I know, but I get a thrill from knowing the ins and outs of how things work.

23 - I love to write and I am kind of obsessed with grammar.

24 - I have always been pretty happy with my body, except my thighs. They have always been too big, no matter what I do (and I used to do a lot). Recently they have been shrinking...which makes me very happy!

25 - I could not live without mascara...I doubt you will ever see me without it, and if you do, you can be sure that I am having a REALLY bad day!

So there you go 25 random crazy things about me in honor of my magical birthday!

Counting Down

One more day: Tomorrow is DNP orientation and then Seth is officially back to school. We are nervous and excited all at the same time.

One more weekend: Our driveway will be poured next week (WOO HOO) so the kids can ride their bikes, draw with chalk and I can park my car on a surface other than dirt and rocks! Plus, my B-day is Monday (Birthdays just aren't as exciting when you "grow up").

One more week: One Tree Hill season premier (I obviously haven't given that one up yet). I'm on the edge of my seat...who will Lucas choose? Fingers crossed for Peyton!

Two more weeks: Morgan will officialy be a Preschooler! Again, I am nervous and excited at the same time, but Morgan is just excited! We will also be finding out what flavor of baby we are having...pink or blue? Fingers crossed for blue, but betting on pink.

One more month: The event that is better than birthdays, back-to-school, a new driveway and my unborn baby's gender (okay, maybe I am exaggerating just a little bit)... The Office season premier!!! YAY! If anyone needs to catch up on past episodes, we have every episode and are happy to watch them with you anytime!

There's a lot to look forward to, but in the meantime, I'm just trying to enjoy the everyday moments, and those are just as rewarding, but without the wait!

My Life

Sitting in the park this afternoon eating pizza from Costco and watching Morgan tell Seth all about his day and Chloe snuggle daddy's legs in between bites of pizza and sips of soda, I just couldn't help feeling utterly satisfied and grateful for this life I have. We kidnapped Seth from work for lunch and it was so nice to sit in the shade and just enjoy hanging out as a family for 30 uninterrupted minutes.

So often lately, I find myself looking at my kids and just feeling so happy that they are mine: the silly faces, the laughter, the sharing (sometimes), the hillarious commentary on life, the priceless phrases they say, the new words, the interactive play, the kisses and cuddles, the self-sufficient play, and their wonderful sleep habits. Chloe is so sweet and cuddly and makes the funniest facial expressions you have ever seen. She loves to read books and play with her shoes and thinks it is hillarious to lift up her shirt or dress and show you her belly button. Morgan is constantly saying things that have me rolling on the floor laughing and has a little photographic memory that leaves me choosing my words very carefully (I had no idea how much I said, "freaking dogs!"). His new thing is picking out his own outfits and getting dressed all by himself - including buttons and zippers, which is often quite hillarious. He is constantly thinking about his little sister and makes sure that if he gets a juice box or a popsicle, Chloe gets one too.

I look at Seth and can't fathom how he does all that he does for me and our family: playing with the kids, spending every spare second working to get the backyard project finished before school starts, working full-time, mopping the kitchen floor, doing the dishes so I don't have to gag as I smell them, and constantly making me laugh. I don't know how he survives my pregnancies, but I know he will be glad when I am done having babies!

Sorry for such a sappy post. On second thought, maybe my sentimentality is more pregnancy related than preschool related....

Sentimental

Fall is in the air. Despite the fact that the air is still way too hot for my liking, I am surrounded by articles about back to school, ads touting discounts on crayons and glue, and everywhere I turn I see a display of backpacks. I know this happens every year, but this year all of it makes me feel a bit sentimental because this year my baby is heading off to preschool. It is only 2 days a week for a couple of hours each day and I can look out my front window and see his classroom, but it seems so daunting!

Morgan can't wait for school to start and is constantly talking about it, and I am excited for him to begin the adventure of school. I am excited for him to be immersed in social play, a fun learning environment, lining up and raising your hand, it is just a little sad to think that I won't be there for every new discovery or to protect him from the big scary world. I won't be there for every funny thing he says and I don't know how Chloe will survive those hours without her big brother!

And, while I am sure he could function without a backpack or stylin' back-to-school wardrobe, I just can't help myself. Back to School shopping is half the fun! But, don't be surprised if you see me at the Gap, Old Navy or the Outlets in Park City holding a backpack with tears streaming down my face, I'm just a little bit sentimental.

Slacking Off

I have officially been slacking on our blog! Not a single post for August and it is already the 11th! YIKES! Here's what's been happening with us...

Morgan started his second session of swimming lessons and is doing awesome! I decided to put him in a more advanced class to challenge him because he started getting bored at the end of his last session. Now, I'm not the type of mom who thinks her kid is a miniature einstein or sports star and so he needs special treatment and consideration or anything (though my posts may make you think so), but I do know my child and unfortunately when he gets bored he starts being naughty. While this is something we are definitely going to be working on, because getting bored is inevitable, we knew it wouldn't change in 2 weeks, so I put him in the harder class knowing that he would be the worst swimmer in the class. The first day, I thought I had made a big mistake. These kids were swimming more than half the width of the pool and doing different arm strokes, and while Morgan had been swimming about 4 or 5 feet by himself toward the end of his first session , that first day, he didn't even want to swim to the teacher without holding her hand. We stuck it out though, and he has made enormous strides! He is now swimming more than half the width of the pool, is the best knee diver in the class, and can dive in and swim to the side with no help most of the time. He is still the worst swimmer in the class, but he doesn't care one bit, it is only really hard for me to watch. Through the process he has learned a lot about trying new things even though they are hard and doing things that he doesn't want to do.

I have also become the sideline mom I didn't think I would be. My mom was always the loudest cheerer in the crowd, the one yelling positive instuctions and affirmations from the sidelines and the one clapping for even the smallest accomplishments. While this embarrassed me many times sitting next to her at the endless baseball, soccer and football games I attended to watch my brothers, I now appreciate it so much as a mother. Morgan thrives on verbal encouragement, and now I am the mom cheering like crazy so my kid knows I am proud of him even though his head is under the water. I am the mom who yells "you can do it" across the pool for an extra bit of encouragement before the next dive. And don't worry, I yell for other people's kids too!

We are coming along on our garage. The roof is on, the inspections are passed and now we are working on the grading, landscaping, finishing the fence, and running electrical to prepare for the driveway pour in 2 weeks (which we hired someone wonderful to do). After the pour, we will be able to lay sod, put up siding and we will be FINISHED!!! YAY!

Chloe has gotten to be quite the little cuddle-bug and a major Daddy's girl. She loves to come and give loves and kisses and just nuzzle on your shoulder, but she especially loves to say "Love you Daddy". Since Seth got home from scout camp, anytime he leaves when Chloe is awake she has a meltdown. Anyone else leaves, and she waves goodbye, but Seth leaves and it is the end of the world! And she is still completely obsessed with shoes!

Last week we went to the IKEA Crayfish Festival which was one of the coolest things we have done recently! We had to buy tickets in advance to reserve our spots and they completely sold out. The restaurant was decorated in fun and colorful crayfish party decor (apparently these parties are a sweedish tradition thing) and they had a table set up for us with hats and bibs and such. There was live music and all you can eat crayfish, sweedish meatballs and potatoes, breads, cheese, sweedish sparkling juice and amazing desserts! It was so yummy - we will definitely be going back next year!

Friday we went to our first Demolition Derby of the year (sadly we had not been able to make it to any others yet) at the County Fair. We were all decked out in our white trash outfits, we ate giant scones and kettle korn, there was a truck derby and mini car figure 8 race and lots of crashing - one car even got knocked completely over the dirt wall and tried to get back in the race! All the joys you expect from a demo derby. Chloe did not enjoy the derby nearly as much as I remember Morgan did at the same age.

Pregnancy is still miserable, and I officially have a little baby bump. We find out the gender early in September, and will keep you all posted. Sadly, we had chosen a girl name and a boy name and both have been recently used by close friends and family. I may just use them anyway because it is getting very difficult to find names I like and we have an enormous family and a lot of friends with kids! It is just unavoidable that there is going to be some crossover. At least we all have good taste in names, right!

Seth is less than 2 weeks away from school starting and we are getting nervous and excited all at the same time! He moves from the ICU to the ER in 2 weeks which is so exciting for us and we are looking forward to the increase in flexibility.

And finally, Seth and I have been enjoying what we think is a hillarious blog that I think a lot of you would appreciate. It is a spoof on mormon mommy bloggers by a fellow 25-year-old mormon mommy blogger, and if you haven't seen it and enjoy that kind of thing, check it out at seriouslysoblessed.blogspot.com. Make sure you read the profile on the side and get ready to laugh!

So there you go...a long post to make up for my slacking! Congrats to you for making it through the whole thing!