16 and then some

This week has been pretty busy. After G-pa left, we had some friends come into town. Ryan and Mardi moved away last fall and they have been sorely missed! Their little girl, Brinnley, was born only 4 days after Reed so Mardi was my "belly buddy". They celebrated their 1st birthday's together last year and it's so fun to see them together again right before their second birthday's! Anyway, we had the Duran's over for dinner as well and beside the chaos of the kids, the parents had a rowdy time too. Here is Ryan and little Brinn hanging next to Fogg and Reed.

Reed and Brinn decided they were going to sit at the kid table together in their PJ's.

It was so great to see the Colburn's and wish their visit wasn't so short! We truly miss them! Mom came into town on Wednesday and Reed just keeps saying "Lala" and "Hi Lala". He sure does love her. In fact, since she arrived, he wants nothing to do with his parents! London has also made some friends with the neighbor kids. They come over almost every day and pick up London to play with him, take him for a walk or just have him hang out with them. This is a good representation of what London looks like after they return him to us. Poor old dog.

Reed will sometimes use him as a back support while watching TV.

Well, the 16 in the title represents that I'm at 16 weeks in my pregnancy! This first picture is at 13 or so weeks.

Here I am at 16 weeks

It's about the same I guess after looking at the pictures. However, I think that the first one was taken at the end of the day and the second one was definitely taken at the beginning of the day. The belly definitely gets bigger towards the end of the day. It's rounding out quite nicely. I didn't even start taking pictures of the belly when I was pregnant with Reed until 20 weeks because I wasn't showing at all. This one is making it's presence known right off the bat!

Also, you might notice (maybe not) that the background walls were painted. I finally finished painting the bathroom on Monday night. I love it! Feels good to be done with that project - finally!

Fogg and I get to celebrate our 7th anniversary this weekend so hopefully I can snag a picture of us all dressed up - well, sort of dressed up. We'll also try to finish up a couple of other projects in the backyard because it's supposed to be super warm the whole weekend. I'm also going to get a massage that was given to me by the in-laws for my birthday - so excited!

Cheers~

Mom's Day Weekend

This past weekend, my dad came in to visit. We had a good time catching up and getting some projects done. On Saturday morning, we went to breakfast where Reed and G-pa got reacquainted with each other. This is one of the only pictures Reed was willing to get taken. Most of the weekend, when a camera came out, he would run away. Oh the joys of a two year old.


After breakfast, we spent the rest of the day working on the yard. We moved dirt, fixed sprinklers, planted plants, moved more dirt, laid down weed stop, covered with gravel. We swept the street, dug holes, and other spring time yard duties. We had a nice dinner at home and retired for the evening.

This is London on the rainy Sunday afternoon. Lazy dog!

Sunday was mother's day. I had a very nice second mother's day, filled with time with the family, chores getting done and a nice card. Because Utah decided to rain on Sunday, we were a bit sequestered to the house for the day. We were able to run a few errands and have a nice lunch at MacCool's. I was also able to get one coat of paint on our bathroom walls while Reed napped. Second coat to go on in the near future. When Reed got up from his nap, G-pa gave him an early birthday gift. Reed saw the wrapped present and immediately started saying "Birthday! Birthday!". Here he is opening the gift:





Attacked by all angles! He isn't wearing clothes because I took off his nice clothes to change him into some comfy rainy day house clothes but he refused to put them on. So we let him run around in just a diaper and he loved it! Anyway, the gift is a very cool new bath toy which is a boat, complete with captain, life preserver, fish and fishing hook. He had to wait a while for me to get the box open and all the pieces out. While waiting he did a little birthday song and dance which was totally awesome but we never got it on video.

A thank you kiss for G-pa

Later, Reed wanted me to take his picture. He grabbed the camera and said "picture". He then smiled like this and immediately wanted to see it. Anyway, I think it's a funny face and thought it was worth including.

Dad taught me how to make his chicken piccata and I made homemade alfredo sauce to go on some pasta. We also had a nice salad, bread and thyme roasted tomatoes. Here is my yummy Mother's Day dinner!

Reed ran around for a few more hours and then the day was over. It was a nice productive weekend. If only it hadn't rained we could have enjoyed a bit more time outside.

Next we have some friends in town tomorrow which we are excited to see again. My mom comes to visit Wednesday and then we celebrate our 7th anniversary on Sunday! Grandma and Papa Fogg come visit next week for Reed's birthday and I'm sure we'll have lots of fun!

Oh, and I thought I'd include one more funny picture from last week. Reed came over to me and asked to put his shoes on. Then he laid down on London's bed. London also wanted to lay down on his bed, so the result is a little Wicked Witch of the West with Reed's feet sticking out. Luckily Reed thought it was funny and didn't get upset. I laughed.
Cheers~

Like Mother, Like Child

I wish I had the picture of me to compare this with, but I'm sure my parents will appreciate this anyway. I'm known for my organization and order. I spent every Christmas growing up unwrapping my gifts from small to big. I would line up things in some sort of order (color, size, etc). There is a picture of me lining up some rocks that were shaped like eggs along the stair when I was a kid. I don't know how old I was but the trait still lives on. Sunday morning, Reed took his cars and lined them up. There was no order to it (yet) but he had to have them lined up in a row. He was going down the line saying something about each one (he was either counting or telling me the colors). Funny how he used the same inflection in his voice as we do when we are counting to him.

Dirt Bikes!

We joined some friends to attend the AMA Supercross races down in Salt Lake this weekend. Fogg's idea was to bring Reed this year, I had my reservations but we brought him anyway. Turns out, he did great! It was a very late night for Reed but he was a trooper and really enjoyed watching the racers. Here is the track. If you can't tell, it's just a bunch of jumps and small bumps. If I rode this course I would not be in great shape at the finish line (that's assuming that I crawled there after crashing off of the first jump). Reed also liked watching the tractors grooming the course a couple of times.


We brought Reed's dirt bike so that he could play with it and see what was really happening. He was driving it all over and pretending to jump it off of things. He got mad when I sat on his "course".


It started to get pretty chilly when the sun went down. I came prepared though, with lots of layers and blankets. Last year it was dumping rain so it was pretty miserable. I can handle cold though! Everyone was bundled up in down jackets and beanies. I brought Reed's snowsuit so he would stay warm. He mostly kept his hat on the whole time. I'm pretty sure he stayed warm enough. Here is the crew.

Reed showing off his dirt bike.

High fives! This is during the very last race - still had a smile on his face at 9:15pm!

The rest of our weekend was filled with house and yard projects. I was able to get our bedroom painted - finally! I did all but one wall and the room in our bathroom with the toilet. Next weekend, I hope to do the second color on the remaining wall in the bedroom and the main part of the bathroom. I'm pretty happy with my color choices so far, hopefully I will still love it when it's all done! Fogg was able to get a little bit of yard work done, moving some sprinklers and getting a list together for other yard projects we need to get going on.

We've got a lot planned for next weekend too - lots of projects! It's supposed to be warm so hopefully we can get some of the items checked off our to do list in the yard.

Cheers~

After Bath Diaper Dance

Reed has created a new dance that we will call the "After Bath Diaper Dance".

Happy Berf-day

My berf-day (as Fogg and I keep calling it - instead of birthday) was a success! Tuesday, my actual birthday, was pretty uneventful. Fortunately, I was able to go skiing for my birthday! We had a work task to shoot video for a ski gear guide. It ended up being a powder day at Snowbird and I really enjoyed making some turns for my 30th. We skied pretty hard (for a pregnant girl anyway) in the morning and I had to take a break at noon for a little lunch and to sit down. The boys were beat after I had finished lunch and I was happy enough to head on home. I got a chance to take a little nap and a shower before I went to pick up Reed. We got to hang out and open a few gifts and cards in the afternoon when Fogg got home. Then a quick dinner and we headed over to Jim and Dianne's house. I made the above cake for the occasion. Obviously to celebrate my birthday but it was also for Dianne's on Thursday, and Fogg's on Saturday. We got to hang out with them for a bit, let Reed run around and have some red velvet. It turned out pretty good, a little dry but I can fix that by baking it less time next time. The frosting was really the best part!

I wanted to include some pictures from the other day as well. Reed LOVES being outside. He will throw a total fit if he wants to go outside and we don't let him (for a variety of reasons, weather, time of day, other activities happening). He will bring us his shoes and say "outside?". We try to let him out as much as possible cause it's good for him. The other evening he was about to have his dinner and wanted to eat outside. He carried his plate out there and set up his own dinner table.




So Saturday was Fogg's birthday and our big birthday outing! He went dirt biking in the morning while I ran a few errands and got us ready for the evening. Dianne came and picked up Reed in the afternoon then we headed down to Salt Lake and checked into the Grand America. Thankfully it didn't storm like the weathermen said it would. It was a little gray but a decent temp. Here is the view from our room at the Grand.

After getting ready we headed over to dinner at Cucina Toscana. It was the most amazing meal as I'd hoped. We had a few great friends join us for the dinner and I really appreciate them for making the effort to join us! Our friends, Dawn and Travis, just had a new baby boy and dressed him up for the occasion.

Travis and Dawn Webb

James and Michelle Scrip

Bree and Chris Duran

My table neighbors, Dawn and Bree

Andrew and Greer

I wish I had taken a picture of all the amazing food but we were all super hungry and it was just too good to stop and take a picture! It was so yummy and everyone seemed to love their dishes. At the end of the meal, they gave each of us hot chocolate which basically tasted like warm liquid chocolate cake, actually it was almost like we were drinking the batter. It was so yummy.

I also never got a picture of Fogg and I - ugh! We looked so good and I wish I had that. Oh well. After dinner, we headed back to the Grand and hung out with a few people at the bar. Nana and Papa had Reed overnight and for the most part he did well. He woke up middle of the night a bit confused as to where he was but was alright. They gave him a very nice Easter bucket filled with sand toys, a fishing set, chocolate bunny and some balls. Then they took him to church in the morning. We spent the night at the Grand America. It was mostly a nice place, but Earl sure does like to charge for e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. Fogg was a bit irritated about that and we ended up packing up and meeting Jim and Dianne at church. We picked up Reed there and headed to breakfast at the very reasonably priced Star Cafe. After a nap for Reed and a little yard work for Fogg and I, we went over to Chris and Bree's house for Easter dinner and a little hang out time. Reed enjoyed their little bike and got himself a new hat. This was the best picture I could get of Reed's very cute Easter outfit from Lala, he wasn't really letting me take his picture.
We headed home and let Reed open his baskets from Grandma and Papa Fogg and Lala. He was sugared up and getting a bit crazy with all the new toys.

All in all, it was a great weekend and made me feel loved and happy. Thanks to everyone - especially my husband - for making my birthday unforgettable! Happy Easter everyone!

Musings of a 30 year old

My favorite author is J.D. Robb. She is actually Nora Roberts but instead of writing romance, J.D is a murder mystery/detective writer. All of her books are about the same detective - Eve Dallas - and a frequent line in her books are "Eve mused". Eve seems to "muse" a lot. I like the term so I decided in honor of my 30th birthday tomorrow, I will muse my way through my thoughts.

So yeah, I turn 30 tomorrow. I think it freaks my parents out more than it freaks me out. My 30th birthday means that they have a 30 year old! But to me, it's almost a feeling of "finally". I mean, I'm staring down my 10 year college graduation (not high school). I'm the owner of my second home. I've been married for almost 7 years. I have an almost 2 year old little boy. I have one more kiddo on the way (more on that below). I've worked at my "career" for 5 years at the same company. I'm pretty well established as an adult. I mean, I ought to feel like an adult. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I feel like an adult when I scold my child for being disobedient. I feel like adult when I write a really massive mortgage check. I feel like an adult when I drive my kiddo to daycare. But then I look at some of my mentors, friends and family and think - boy I'm young! I don't know anything! I'm clueless as to lead a productive and fulfilling life. I look at my clothes and think, do I really dress like a 30 year old? Do I look mature? Do I feel mature? Am I spending money like a 30 year old would? Does my house look adult enough?

Sometimes I make really dumb decisions. Sometimes I ask my friends for advice that I feel like I probably ought to be giving rather than receiving. Sometimes I say stupid things. Those are the times that I think, am I really responsible enough to raise two kids? Can I really maintain a good marriage? Can I really have financial responsibilities?

The thing is, I really love my life. I'm not sure I ever thought about where I would be when I turned 30, but I'm thinking this as close to the answer as I could have imagined. I have a wonderful husband who really couldn't be more perfect for me. I have the most adorable little boy in the world. I have money to keep food on the table and fun things for us to do. I have a great house, great job, fantastic friends and family. I live a very charmed life.

There are a few things I wish I would have done and didn't do. They seem inconsequential now. I still have a few things on my bucket list. I have no timeline for those things, I'd just like to do them. But number one on the list is to enjoy my life and blessings that are all around me right now.

No big plans for my actual birthday, we are going to a friends house in the evening and we will be celebrating my birthday, Dianne's (Thursday) and Fogg's (Saturday) with a cake that I made (a friends family red velvet recipe - hope it's good!). The week will probably tick by as it usually does. Saturday, we will drop Reed off at Jim and Dianne's house and head down to Salt Lake to take in some amazing food at Cucina Toscana with a few close friends. Easter Sunday we'll have some Easter basket fun and hopefully enjoy nice weather. Fogg's birthday is Saturday so we'll get to do a joint dinner/party to celebrate his 36th.

Onto that "other" announcement! We are having our second baby! I'm due October 25th, I'm 13 weeks tomorrow. Reed seems excited. When I gave him this shirt he would repeat "big brother" but I'm pretty sure he doesn't know what that means.


We had our first ultrasound at 12 weeks and 1 day. Here is our new little one. The tech got some great pictures of the little rascal. It flopped and flipped the whole time. Reed kept pointing at the screen saying "baby". The doctor said everything is PERFECT!

Hand - can you see all the little bones?

Creepy skull picture

Here is the butt and legs

Apparently it is the size of a peach (why is it always compared to food?). Seems to me to be too skinny to be a peach, but the point is that it is 3 or so inches long (from top of head to butt) and weighs about .8 oz. We aren't going to find out the gender cause it was so fun not finding out with Reed either.

Well, that will be it for my LONG post. I'm sure I'll be back soon with pictures of birthday stuff and Easter pictures from the weekend.

Cheers~