Onward

I was talking to my sister yesterday or Saturday, I can't remember. But I specifically told her I didn't think I had 6 weeks of pregnancy left in me...Cut to today, I find out its very possible I won't. It is also very possible I will, but I just thought it interesting that I felt that way, and then I went to my doctor the very next day and basically had my feelings confirmed. I have known for a couple weeks that my amniotic fluid was decreasing; it apparently isn't supposed to do that until about the 38th week. Yeah, not quite where I am at just yet. Its only serious if it continues to do so and starts to happen more quickly. She took images yesterday to see if she could find any sacks of amniotic fluid, and she measured a couple of them to make sure they were big enough to keep her safe and keep her healthy. Next week I have to back to the hospital for my third "official" ultrasound to have them take a more in-depth look at everything and do the non-stress test. As long as everything checks out, I should just have to be monitored once or twice a week. If not, I will have to call someone to pick up Ezra and we will walk over to the operating room and have a baby. Not exactly what we want, but we are very grateful that they are taking all of my concerns very seriously as well as their own and they are doing everything in their power to make sure everything is a-ok! As I am sure it will be. Its just kind of funny. When my mom was pregnant with me, she went in for a scheduled check-up on her lunch break from work. They were doing tests and then they told her she wouldn't be going back to work, she was going to have me that day. I wasn't due until the third or so week in September, but I was born July 14th instead. I was 9 1/2 weeks early. This little girl, even if she comes next week, will only be 5 weeks early, and babies at this stage are more often than not born without problems. She might just be in for some extra monitoring in the NICU, and it bodes well for her that she is a girl, because they tend to do a bit better than boys when born early. So blessing in disguise that I didn't get my second boy? I think so! Since I have been kind of going through things I have become a little more withdrawn. I tend to go through phases of that where I will avoid talking to people, I won't answer my door. I walk around hoping I don't run into people I know, because I just don't feel like talking. Cody & I tend to be very private people. We really like to keep to ourselves, keep all our business private and whatnot. So when I am anticipating news, have something that I am anxious about etc. I just keep to myself. It has nothing to do with anyone else. Just know that if I haven't been so social lately, its nothing to do with you personally, its completely 100% me. I feel like people always assume its them, when in fact people are just going through things and just don't want it all out there, so they pull back. I do this, all the time! So I am sorry if my quiet, reservedness hasn't offended anyone or made them think I am just being a jerk. I am just processing and trying to get myself in a place where I can deal. Now I have to focus on my little E's birthday this week! Can you believe he is already going to be 3!?!?! I sure can't. Time has flown by. My chunky, happy, sweet, cuddly little baby is a very active, VERY talkative, energetic, loving, tall, skinny little boy. He likes to hold my hand, he likes to go on little dates with me. He loves to hug and kiss cheeks. He only stops talking when he is asleep, and even then sometimes he talks in his sleep. He is learning how to recognize letters and numbers & he thinks he can spell his last name (he says "I-T-T-S", he's close). He wants to go to school. And if you ask him, he says he is turning 5, even though he told me he doesn't want to grow up...(me either buddy). It will be hard to let 2 go, as its been such a fun, challenging and just all-around wonderful year, but I am excited to see him grow. He starts pre-school in the Fall, which tugs on my heartstrings just a little, but it has been so rewarding to see how much he learns and grows each and every day asking LOTS of questions and remembering every single little detail. He has really flourished in Nursery without me in there, and I am so happy that he is the cute little guy he is & continues to become. Its all just happening way too fast, as most of you can attest. Well I will post next week (hopefully) on how what we ended up doing for his birthday and how all the testing goes. Hope everyone is having a wonderful week.

AGAIN?!?!?

Being a mom has made my life feel like one big game of "catch-up". Not that I would change it at all, it just seems that I will never be as on top of things as I once was. Which I guess isn't such a bad thing, it just means my priorities are where they should be, right? Well, since I have last posted my life has only gotten busier. I have been to Disneyland not once, but twice. I have been to Arizona for Christmas for two weeks and then went back again for another week for the open house of the Gilbert Temple....and I didn't know it at the time I posted last, but I was pregnant with our little girl.

We have just seven short weeks in counting until her semi-scheduled arrival. I painted her room last weekend, and I did some touch-up and a little stripe-age on her walls yesterday. Tomorrow calls for the assembly of her crib, ordering some shelving, and figuring out where her wall décor, some of which I hand-made myself, will go. Her bedding arrived 2 weeks ago, so I will need to put that on, her carseat is ready, she has freshly laundered blankets...and her big brother asks often if its time for me to go to the doctor to "get sister cut out". So it sounds like we are ready, right? Eh, almost. She still has no name. It just seems like this one is SOOO much harder than Ezra was to put a name on this child...with Ezra, he was named at 3-4 months in my pregnancy. Here we are in the bottom of the 8th and we are still stumped...We have a few things we like, but we aren't quite sure if they are "right" for her. But I went in for an ultrasound to make sure everything had moved to its proper place in preparation for my C-section, and she asked me if she could take some shots of the baby. So without any prompting from me (I don't like to bother the techs after working at an imagining center for so long and knowing what their schedule can be like)she put the 3D probe on and started taking shots. So we got a pretty good look at what she looks like. Cody says he can already tell she has my mouth and chin like Ezra does. The rest of her face seems to look like her brother, so it looks like we might be in for some more cuteness :) She already has her daddy wrapped around her little bitty fingers. So I have been enjoying the remainder of my time with me and my little buddy as we wait for our whole lives to change. So our awful dismal winter has been made up of lunch dates to City Creek & playing at the indoor dinosaur play area..

And every couple weeks we go on a movie date, to either the dollar theater or the discount theater for new movies. This winter we saw Planes, Frozen 3 or 4 times, The Lego Movie, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, Despicable Me 2, Free Birds, Mr. Peabody & Sherman...there are probably a few more, but I can't remember what they were called. Some I liked, some I could care less if I saw them again. But Ezra sure enjoys his movie dates. He wants a popcorn and a coke and he is good to go! He's definitely my child.

We are just hoping warm weather comes and stays soon so we can do some more fun things outside before she gets here. We have quite a list of things he wants to do. And we have his 3rd birthday coming up in less than 2 weeks! Hopefully I will get better at updating this than I have in the recent past. But I am not making any promises given my track record. :)

Starting Over

Its been a long time. I have loved just being with Ezra, playing all day, teaching him things & just watching him grow into his own little person. He is gotten to the point that he likes to help me clean. He loves to swiffer the kitchen floor, sweep, help vacuum, grab disinfecting wipes & wipe down anything within reach. Naming him something that meant "helper" I guess paid off. haha! We have had a lot going on this Summer. We recently had the amazing opportunity to participate in Quest. For those who don't know what that is, its a Super Activity where we take the time to either participate in or watch reenactments of stories that took place in the Book of Mormon. It was amazing! I was a little apprehensive about it at first, because we had to leave Ezra behind. But he had a great time with his Noni, Papa & two of his cousins who were nice enough to drive up from Arizona to take care of him. Anyway, Quest. We were there to be tribal leaders, which meant we were in charge of a group of youth between the ages of 14 & 18 for the duration of our time there. We didn't know any of these kids before we got there, so it was a little weird for us at first, but boy do I have so much love in my heart for each of these 9 kids we were entrusted with. I love every single one of them. They didn't come without their challenges, but we were able to sincerely bond with most, if not all of them.

Me & My Bestie Hillary dominating the Tug of War for our Nation

Some of our awesome Tribal Family Cody, Samantha, Bethany, Allyson & I (we are missing Kassidy & Sadie)

Love these boys Tanner & Brady

Love these sweet boys too Cameron & Mitchell

While we were there my love for the Gospel, my Savior & the amazing people I am able to serve with ran deeper than it ever has. I loved it so much, it was hard to come home. I was able to live, breathe & experience the Book of Mormon in a way that few people will be able to do. It was entirely true, this experience was going to change lives, just as they promised us when we were asked to be a part of it. The fact that Cody & I got to experience it together made it all the better. We got to watch each other teach these kids about what they were watching & experiencing & witness the other's testimony in a way we wouldn't have been able to do at home. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to go. I hope in 4 or 8 years we will be asked to come again. Our neighborhood camp out was the week after we got back. And since a lot of the kids from our neighborhood & some of the adults had gone on Quest with us, it was the best one yet. We have been so blessed to live in the place that we do. We have remarkable people around us that we are able to spend time with & strengthen relationships with. They teach us a lot & just love us so much, its very humbling. We have recently been talking about making our next move, and this summer has really made me reconsider. I don't love our house itself, but I could never duplicate the people I am surrounded by & the love I have for this Stake & Ward that we live in. Cody thinks that maybe if he found me the perfect house I might reconsider, but I always respond with, you must not know me as well as you think I do if you think the house would make the difference. I LOVE THESE PEOPLE! I have made friends I will have for the rest of my life. >They have been able to make me feel like I have family in a place that I most certainly do not. I can't imagine my life without them & they have been such an asset in raising my little boy. They are the type of people that more people should be. They are interested in people, in family & gospel principles rather than the things the world tells us is important & that is something I love being surrounded with. Who cares that a lot of them are a bit older than we are, I have always loved that about it. I love that no one cares about what anyone has or does. Everyone here is happy for everyone else, not envious, none of that. I know exactly why the Lord wanted us in this exact spot to start our family. I am so grateful that we prayed as hard as we did, and searched as thoroughly as we did to find the right place for us to be. And though it not be the nicest house, its home. Its full of love, surrounded by love, full of laughter & happiness (most of the time) and I love it & that is what is truly important. So that is what we have been up to & what we have been learning for the past little while. Hopefully I will be able to make more time to blog & write my thoughts down, because it does feel good :)

Thrifty Thursday

Make your own dishwasher detergent. Using only 1tbs. a load, it will last quite a while. So much cheaper than going out every month or so to buy detergent. And you won't have to do it as often either.

Ingredients are:

1 box of borax $4.69

1 box A & H washing soda $3.19

24 packages of lemonade $2.80

3 cups of salt $2.00

Total= $12.68

I found this on a cute blog called: Being Creative to Keep My Sanity. Its great. You kind find her post here. Enjoy!

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

This one is from Dr. Seuss. Thought it was appropriate because its his birthday this week. I love his books, and I love that they are making them into movies for kids. :)

Ps. "The Lorax" comes out on Friday, and I can't wait to see it!

Tiny Tyke Tuesday

(My Bug in a fishing vest & ugly crocks we found in his room)

Our little guy lights up our lives, seriously. I love him like the dickens! I openly admitted yesterday, I pick him up most nights and snuggle him while he is sleeping before I go to bed. Its sublime! I love listening to him breathe, sigh, even snore sometimes. Oh boy, there is almost nothing better. He is getting tall though, so its getting harder and harder to cradle him. :(

He has been sick for a couple weeks though. He had a double ear infection, and pink eye, a couple weeks ago. He got over that, but the antibiotics gave him a hideous yeast rash on his bum...so he got over that. He came home from AZ with a cough, and I can't ge rid of it. We got him a humidifier for his room, and that is helping, but it won't completely go away. But at least he is happy and playful as usual, so it can't be effecting him too badly.

So basically he has been through the ringer.

All 3 of us have been under the weather for a month or so. So sometimes Little E and I have pj days and stay in our lounge clothes ALL DAY. Its great, we really enjoy it. One of the perks of being a Stay At Home.

Hopefully Spring comes and the sicknesses leave with Winter.

Monday's Mutterings

Sorry, we were out of town for a week, and Ezra was sick, so we took some time off. But I am sure you didn't really miss us. We are back and ready to roll.

1. I don't like people that are impatient with kids on planes. If you don't like children, you probably shouldn't fly Southwest...and flying back & forth from Arizona to Utah is the worst destinations for people who don't like kids.
2. I enjoy watching Ellen, I love her. If we all did nice things for people like she does every day, the world would be a marvelous place.
3. Speaking of Ellen, "Dance Dares" are my new favorite thing in the world.
4. I use Amazon.com way too much and for way too many things. I have resorted to buying some of my grocery items (non perishables of course) on there instead of going to the store...
5. I don't understand when people from your ward, who know you have a small child, who probably takes naps, ring the doorbell. I have tried unhooking it, but I can't figure it out.
6. I have never had a cavity before.
7. I love raspberries to death...my sister made me chocolate cupcakes with raspberry frosting when we were in AZ, and they were to die for!
8. I don't understand or get along with many people around my own age. I usually have friends that are a bit older than myself. :) And I love it! They teach me so many things!
9. Children's toys that sing, or make noise, get old really fast....
10. Chris Martin from Coldplay is one of my favorite people to watch, plus I like their music.
11. My eyes change color. They are blue/green, sometime they even look gray.
12. I like my nails really short. Don't know why, but I can't stand it when I can see more than like a millimeter of white.
13. Water is really hard for me to drink sometimes.
14. I can't eat oatmeal, I wish I could handle the texture, but it just feels like throw up and I can't make myself do it. I have tried everything, but I just can't make myself do it. You are lucky if you can eat it. I'm jealous.
15. I DVRed the Oscars & the Red Carpet Show, and Gwenyth Paltrow was my favorite. :)

What's on your mind today?

Thrifty Thursday

Need some fun jewelry on a budget? Or do you just like wearing things you made yourself instead of spending on something you can make yourself? Then you will enjoy these tutorials!

For the tutorial for the bracelet above called the "hexnut" click here.

And for these beauties called the "braided bead bracelet" click here.

I love both of these. Would be great gifts for anyone you know, I think my neices would love these. :) I am planning on making them with little Em & Fallon next week.

What do you think?

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

"We make a living by what we get; We make a life by what we give"

So true. I love helping others, and doing nice things. It makes me feel more fulfilled than anything I could possibly buy or any possession I could have.

Its something my husband is glad I have taught him. He has always been a really nice, genuine, and thoughtful person, but now he is more concerned with how he can help or do something nice for someone else. I am really proud of him (sappy I know, forgive me). Now he always goes to help someone move, or get involved in the ward service projects, its awesome. I think we have grown closer as we do things for others, and we have become even happier. I think service is the true key to happiness and a life you can be proud of. That is the legacy I want to leave behind. :) And one of the many lessons I want to teach our children.

I just feel that people are too concerned with themselves & self involved and losing sight of why we are here. Especially younger people, they can't really see past the end of their own nose a lot of the time (or past their phone...ugh).

That's why I am going to donate blood tomorrow. Can that be my good deed for the day?

Tiny Tyke Tuesday

This is what my week has been like thus far...messy... Ezra has decided that he doesn't eat baby food anymore. He only eats food he can put in his own mouth. So now he eats blueberry waffles for breakfast cut into pieces. Either a flop over (a quesadilla with refried beans in it) or pb&j cut up for lunch...and whatever we eat for dinner. Its harder than it sounds. I don't know if my kitchen floor will ever be clean...he is SO messy!
My poor little guy also has a yeast infection. Poor kid. I feel so bad. It took me a couple days to figure out what it was. Luckily I said something to my friend Carrie, and she helped me figure it out. :) Thanks Carrie! I didn't even know they could get yeast infections. But its clearing up. Thank goodness. It looked so painful.
I love that Ezra has started being more cuddly though. He lays his head down & gives hugs all the time. But unfortunately not to everyone. Two people he gives hugs to every time without fail is Grandpa Norm (Ezra's great grandpa, its so cute!!!) & Cody's little cousin John. Ezra loves John like no one else. John gets him to laugh hard & he always gets super excited kicking his legs & clapping his hands whenever he sees John. Its the sweetest thing. :) I love it. Especially since John is 14, but still loves to play with Ezra, he's too cool for a lot of things, but not Little E!
Love it!
Well, I will stop there. Hope I didn't bore you too much! Until next time! :)

Monday's Mutterings

1. I have never been to the circus, or anything like it.
2. I have a hard time with large groupings of people.
3. I watch the 4th hour of the Today Show every day (I DVR it, so its not like I make sure I am home for it everyday).
4. PDA is very annoying to me; being near it, or being involved, doesn't matter which. Just not a fan.
5. I actually read people who do PDA actually do so because they feel they have something to prove or need validation. Is that acurate? I don't know, but I could see how that would make sense.
6. My worst fear is someone breaking into my house & harming me or my family, or taking my child.
7. My husband is 11 inches taller than me.
8. I miss working at a salon.
9. My favorite colors to wear are white, grey & black...boring huh? I have recently become obsessed with grey.
10. I have a hoodie addiction. I own over 20.
11. I am an extremely loyal person, like loyal to a fault, whether it be friendship, relationships or family.
12. I need noise. Whether the tv just be on with movies or whatever, music playing in the background etc.
13. I am cold a lot of the time, even when I was pregnant.
14. I have self diagnosed myself with acute OCD
15. If my son's hair is not done, he has a hat on. Never fails. One of the things I am very particular about.

Simple Saturday

When I saw this I thought GENIUS!!! They are frozen crockpot meals. You put everything for your recipe in a plastic bag & freeze it. When you are ready to make the meal, you just place it in your crockpot, turn it on & wait for it to cook. Awesome. And yes, I do believe it just might make life a little simpler. :) This blog has some recipes if you would like some. You can find them here.

Thrifty Thursday

I found these tutorials on a blog called "how about orange". I love ruffled tees! But I have a hard time going to a store and paying for a shirt when I can make one myself, just the way I want it, and possibly with different colors, and for a fraction of the cost. So cute! There are a few different ones. Check them out here.

Words of Wisdom Wednesday Take 2

This one is an Italian Proverb.
"After the game, the king & the pawn go into the same box"

Being Italian I feel a little qualified to expound the meaning hahaha. When everything is said and done, when this life is over, it will not matter what you had, who you were in society, or what people had previously thought of you...you will be as everyone else.

I think people forget this more than anything else. Thats why everyone is trying to keep up with the Joneses, or tryig to perhaps be the Joneses. Its often too late when they find out that the simplest things are what mattered, and what made them the happiest. Hopefully I will be able to keep things in perspective, and remember that. I know I strive too, I just hope I never lose sight of that.
Cody & I have promised eachother that no matter how little or how much we have, we will NEVER be "those people", who care what they drive, how big their house is, what possessions they have. My life has never been about those things, and I hope it never is. :)

Whats your take on this proverb???

Tiny Tyke Tuesday

I love reading people's blogs. But its kind of redundant when they are ALWAYS about their kids. Like only about their kids. My child consumes most of my life, yes, but I do have other things going on as well...So I limited myself to one gush a week.
Ezra started dancing consistantly last month. Its one of my favorite things. He nods his head, bounces either sitting on the floor or standing somewhere. I love it. I must say I think he might have some rythm! Which I am really happy about, because his daddy doesn't have an ear for music or anything...Luckily he stuck with mom in this particular area. :) One of the few things I was hoping he would inherit from me.
He also likes to sing. He does it when he is laying in his crib, he sings along at church, etc.
I am hoping we might have an interest in music, possibly an instrument??? A mom can hope, can't she?
He cracks me up. Seriously the light of my life. I couldn't imagine a life without him. I wouldn't trade one thing in this world for my little sweet boy!
There you go, my one gush for the week. Now that wasn't so bad, was it? :)

Mondays Mutterings

1. I contemplated selling my son on Ebay today. But he usually gives me extra loves the day after we have a rough one, so I would probably regret it.
2. I find people who are obsessed with their phones so annoying. Can you just put it away? I usually have it on me, but I only have it out if I am talking to someone, texting someone or taking video or pictures of the child. But I do use facebook messenger to talk to my cousin during the day. (I haven't actually seen him since I was 4 or 5)
3. I really don't like anything peanut butter or banana flavored...ugh!
4. I am obsessed with hair accessories.
5. I miss the homeland during the winter for the weather, but I wonder if I almost miss it more on a warm day in spring or summer, cause I can't just run out to the beach like I used to...sad.
6. I miss being closer to a bigger diversity of people. I like the people here, but I do miss encountering people with different beliefs and ways of thinking....I felt more educated.
7. I am getting back into the school thing, and I am actually kind of excited. :)
8. Little E laughing or just babbling is my favorite sound ever.
9. I detest fake people. Its like they are insulting my intelligence. Yes, I see through you, and yes I like you even less for it. Just be real & own it, at least I will have SOME respect for you.
10. Referring back to #9, when I want to say something not nice, or suspect something might be said that someone might not appreciate, I just fall silent...cause I refuse to be fake, but I don't want to be mean. I just figure silence is my best option, thanks Thumper!
11. Something might be wrong with me, because I don't find Brad Pitt or Bradley Cooper abnormally attractive, they are normal guys...Cody on the other hand...haha
12. My sister in law got me into this season of the bachelor, but at least now we have an excuse to get together every week :)
13. I have too many crafts & recipes circulating in my head...Thanks Pinterest.
14. Indie music makes me super happy.
15. 14 is my lucky number...

Whats on your mind?

Simple Saturday: Peanut Butter Cookies

Here is a VERY simple Peanut Butter Cookie recipe.
4 ingredients, 7 minute cook time, 3 steps, 110 calories (if you count those).

1 cup Peanut Butter (I use creamy)
1 cup Sugar
1 Tbsp. Honey
1 Egg slightly beaten

1. Mix ingredients (no specific order)
1. Bake for 5-8 minutes ( 7 min. was perfect for me)
3. Eat them.


Cody says they are good. I don't eat Peanut Butter Cookies. Enjoy!

Simple Saturday

You know how we girls seem to complicate things? I do. I overstress, I over-analyse, I over plan, the list goes on.

So on Saturday I like to look for things that might make my life a little more simple. Cody helps of course. He and I are obsessed with simplifying life, whether it be simplify the way we live, like doing without things we don't need, finding ways to save, or finding more efficient ways to do things. Its been a really nice. Its created more time for us to spend as a family, and made us aware of things that really matter, and things that really don't.

So on Saturday I will post things I have found. And hopefully you can make your life a little easier as well. Cause who couldn't use that?

So this Saturday Cody found something to help with meal planning. Click here for help from General Mills meal planner. You can search through hundreds of recipes, make your meal plan, and they also have coupons. :)

Happy Cooking!

Thrifty Thursday

So I am obsessed with getting the best possible deals, repurposing things, making my own decor, ect.

So Thursday will be dedicated to the things I will be able to do myself affordably and which look fantastic! :) Cody says the stuff I make, makes our house feel more like a home (what a cornball, but you gotta love him!). I agree though, I like more rustic, imperfect, eclectic things. So these projects are perfect!

This one is also for those of you who recently welcomed a bundle, or are about to. :) It would be so cute for some wall art in your little one's room. I think I will do one for little E-Fizzy.

Click here for instructions. Enjoy! :)

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

I thought I would do themed days on my blog because 1) it will make me blog, 2) so I would never be daunted by the blank page staring me in the face. I use this as kind of my outlet, and I know people who read it. So I just wanted to do something worth reading, as well as do something that helps myself.

So here we go. Our first Words of Wisdom Wednesday.

This one is from President George Albert Smith. I think it is as meaningful today as it was back when he said it during WWI.

“Though the world may be filled with distress, and the heavens gather blackness, and the vivid lightnings flash, and the earth quake from center to circumference, if we know that God lives, and our lives are righteous, we will be happy, there will be peace unspeakable because we know our Father approves our lives” (George Albert Smith, in Conference Report, Oct. 1915, p. 28).

Gives us hope in the face of the adversity & uncertainty the world always provides. :)