bCm

new post

2011-04-30T07:34:00.001-06:00

rickellespinoza.blogspot.com. finally. pictures and everything.

Change of Location

2011-04-18T19:09:00.001-06:00

Go to www.rickellespinoza.blogspot.com to read my blog now.

New stuff to come soon. Very soon.

2011-04-11T15:22:00.000-06:00

Still Alive. Busy as ever.

I will update soon.

Thinking of starting a new blog (due to the current blog address).

More info soon.

Hang in there.

Swimming

2010-05-06T19:04:00.002-06:00

We went swimming for the first time this year. Aside from Mattix falling over in the kiddie pool, and trying to get into the big pool by himself, it was relatively calm. That's why I love going up to the Green Valley clubhouse, the kiddie pool makes it so easy. We had a great time, and look forward to spending many more hot days at the pool.

Smart Start Baseball

2010-05-06T18:50:00.004-06:00

Last week was Bentley's first day of baseball. Ok, fine. It was actually his third. The first week we missed because I never received information from the city about where to be and what time, and the next week I missed because I messed up my work schedule. But no worries, Bentley was there. So this is the first week I got to go see my dude play. Bentley's dad also came, which was nice since the parents are involved in the practices. We're still unsure if baseball is going to be his thing, but we'll let him try as long as its what he wants to do.

While Bentley was playing baseball, Chloe and Mattix were playing at the park. They had a good time, and Mattix even found a new ride! At one point, I looked around and realized Mattix was missing. He had gone over to play baseball with Bentley and his dad! Typical Mattix!

A day at the park

2010-04-26T19:26:00.003-06:00

Lately things have been a little hectic with finals approaching. So the other day I decided to put the homework away and take the kids to the park. We had a good day and the kids love this park to death.

Easter 2010

2010-04-04T14:27:00.003-06:00

Easter was a huge hit this year. As usual we had our annual fourwheeling, picnicing, adventure chasing, easter egg hunting, adventure. It was so good to have the family there, and its times like these that make you appreciate your loved ones even more. Notice the pictures of my Grandpa on the mountains, can you believe this man had a major brain surgery just a few months ago and he is in his sixties?? We are so thankful he is in our lives, and I am so happy my kids have him to teach them about all the beauty of the Utah wilderness. You'll also see Mattix with his two best buddies; 'Bampa Bobby, and Uncle 'Clain. The cute little crazy haired blonde you see is Chloe's partner in crime, my niece Ava. The kids had a blast, and it was so nice to spend the whole day with them!

The Zoo

2010-04-04T14:13:00.002-06:00

We had such a blast in Salt Lake in March. It was the kids friend Meya's 5th birthday while we were there so we celebrated by going to the Hogle Zoo and to Chuck E Cheese. We also did some shopping and saw my sisters, and Chelsey, Alan and Henry. The kids are already begging to go back, so it looks like another trip will be in the works!

happy time

2010-03-08T09:26:00.003-07:00

k, I am due for some happy posts. So here's to the start of happy time!
In honor, I am posting some things that make me happy.

1. Spring is coming. Slowly, and every once and a while Mother Nature teases us with a cold day, but its getting here!
2. Rain. Yes, Rain. I love it. I love the smell, the sound, the clean feeling. And it makes for an awesome summer at the lake. The only thing missing is a fabulous thunder storm in addition to the rain, like we had in Arkansas.
3. Bentley. Little dude just melts my heart. He is the most amazingly sweet boy and he melts my heart every day with his endless hugs, snuggles and "i just love you mom."('s)
4. jewelry. shoes. clothes. shiny things. scarves. yeah, I have a problem...
5. Spring Break! I managed to get some time off work to take the kids up to Salt Lake this weekend. We're going to the zoo, the aquarium, the museum at the Gateway, and whatever else we feel like.
6. i get to go to Forever 21!!!
7. I get to see Chelsey, Niki and Lindsey
8. Chloe and her craziness. This girl...sigh. She needs a post all of her own.
9. Mattix and his willingness to roll with it. Poor guy has been dealing with breathing and asthma issues pretty much his whole short life, and it breaks my heart, but he just deals. Last night he would go from coughing his poor little guts out and as soon as he was done he'd turn to me and give me the sweetest smile you ever saw. Its just him.
10. Tax Returns. Enough said.

No pictures today, but there shall be plenty after my trip up north. Also, I want to update my bloglist, so let me know if you read my blog so I can add you. Thanks!

sometimes

2010-02-26T08:21:00.006-07:00

sometimes i look at other people's blogs and facebooks with posts about their happy families and get sad.
sometimes i wish i still had that.
sometimes i get tired and burned out.
sometimes my laundry piles to the ceiling and i wish i had a laundry fairy to come take care of it for me.
sometimes i forget.
sometimes i want to take a day off and sleep.
sometimes i feel guilty my kids spend more time with everyone else than me.
sometimes i cry.
sometimes i forget to cherish the time i do have with them.
sometimes when bentley tells me he misses me, it breaks my heart.
sometimes chloe wants me to paint her nails or play tea party with her, and i can't put my homework down.
sometimes mattix needs to be cuddled and i forget.
sometimes i forget the reason i am doing this.
and then i see their faces and am quickly reminded....

i remember we are a family, and we are happy
i remember that they love me.
i remember that i'm doing whats best for them.
i remember that they are surrounded by people who love them more than they will know.
i remember how fortunate i am that they don't have to go into day care..yet.
i remember that i have the best family and best friends a girl could ask for.
i remember sweet things that they say like, "remember I'll always love you tomorrow mommy".
i remember to take a minute and breathe.

and it gets me through the harder days

(yes, I am alive. just super busy, and haven't felt the need to blog much. Since I am facebook friends with most people who read my blog (assuming anyone does anymore...) I know you all know whats going on with me. i'll try to post some of the happier moments of the last year soon, because truly, there are lots!)

The Meaning of Life

2009-04-09T09:09:00.002-06:00

I met an amazing man today. He is staying at the Spa and is here from the Dominican Republic. He mentioned that he had been married for 35 years. When he saw my surprise he told me what he believes is his secret. He said it was never easy, but they took life step by step. First with their small apartment, while saving all their money to buy a lot to build on. Then later they built their home. One step at a time they worked up their wealth. They didn't mind not being able to buy a boat, or a nice car right away because they knew that later in life they would reap the benefits. They both had the same goals, and the same plan. Now he is one of the wealthiest men in his country, as well as having an healthy happy marriage.
There were many instances where he would have to travel alone for work. He knew how hard this was on his wife, so from time to time he would tell her "Regardless of what you have going on, regardless of it we can afford it, I am flying you out to meet me and spend the last few days of my trip with me." He said she was a wife and mother before anything else, and his family was first priority in his life.
"When you are twenty and thirty years old, your mind is different than when you are older", he told me. Now, years later they have 3 children, two son-in-laws, and four grandchildren. He says that when there are four children in pajamas all jumping and climbing on his bed in their pajamas, he knows what the meaning of life is.

THEY are the ones that matter

2009-03-27T07:02:00.002-06:00

Life has been crazy. And in all honesty, it sucks. Some days I am at my wits end. I love my kids more than anything, but some days all I want to do it lay in bed. All the crap that this divorce has brought on has really drawn me to the end of my rope. I am back to work full time, and preparing for school this fall. Between work, 3 kids, and attempting to keep a decent home, I am exhausted. So when I have a day like yesterday, when all I want to do is sleep, and Chloe finds a random marker and colors on her legs and any other hard surface she can find, or pours nail polish on my coffee table, Mattix is fussy and refuses to nap, and Bentley is needy and clingy - its enough to make me lose my cool. Then I read something like this. This family lost their youngest child and this blog is dedicated to the memory of her and marks the families grieving process. This post in particular struck me. She talks about how shortly after the death of their daughter Camille, two of her other daughters broke some treasured figurines. Her first instinct was to get mad, but then she stepped back and realized how lucky she was to have them in her life at all. It really put things into perspective. I was instantly humbled and suddenly grateful again. I can't imagine losing any one of my children, and need to be grateful for them every single day. The other things don't matter.

Bentley Boy

2009-03-19T20:31:00.003-06:00

I had to post the funny thing Bentley said to me today. I was getting ready to head to the gym and I realized that the only work out pants I had clean were capris, so I needed to shave my legs. So I went into the bathroom and Bentley followed me in. The bathroom in my new house is kind of small, so I asked Bentley to go out so I could shave my legs. He then asked "well, can I shave my legs too?". I about died! Then a little while later I was putting his shoes on and my moms dog walked up and was standing next to us. I reached for his other foot and he pulled away and said "oh, I thought Indy was pooping on me". What?!?! Yeah, cause that happens so often.... weirdo!

Happy Half Birthday!

2009-03-11T06:30:00.004-06:00

Mattix had his half birthday yesterday! He is getting to be such a big boy!Here are some fun facts about little Mattix Jett:
He will sit up on his own for a few minutes before slooooowly falling over.
He loves tummy time, and can turn himself in circles. He gets his little legs moving, so I don't think crawling is too far behind.
He loves his brother and sister and gets giggling so hard when they talk to him.
He only wakes up once or twice a night, and still naps 2-3 times a day.
Still no teeth.
His head circumfrence is on the 60th percentile.
He loves to pull on Belle's tail.
He has moved three times in his short little life.

I got a little mixed up on my doctors visits, so instead of going for his 4 month immunizations, we went when he was 5 months, and will go again next month. Here are his stats at 5 months

Playing Catch-up

2009-02-13T14:30:00.008-07:00

I went to Salt Lake last weekend to watch my little sister swim at the State Competition. She did awesome! She is only a freshman, and is still swimming in the fastest heats. She also took 4th place in one of her events. We are so proud of her and all the Desert Hills Swim Team. It takes so much dedication to be a swimmer. She has early morning practice before school and often has afternoon practices on the same days. Almost every weekend is filled with meets. She says its a love/hate relationship.

I also got to see my best friend ever ever ever. Chelsey!

I am mad I didn't get any belly shots, but you can check her blog to see them We went to Ikea (my new favorite place) and the Quilted Bear (another new fav). I got so much stuff at Ikea I couldn't believe their prices! I can't wait to go back.

The other night my neice Daisy performed at the Snow Canyon/Pine View basketball game. It was so cute to go watch her dance. She get so shy sometimes- it is so cute!
Here is a video of the performance. Unfortunately I filmed up with the camera lengthwise, and can't figure out how to flip it. So just tilt your head to watch! :)

The other day Chloe was being silly while I was cleaning. I usually turn my music on shuffle and blast it while I clean, and this day was no exception. I was working on the kitchen when I looked over at Chloe. She was dancing to Britney's "Womanizer". She would do this move where she gets low to the ground and barely moves her hips. Its so cute. Then on the part when Britney says "you, you, you" she would point off into the distance. SOOOO funny!

SuperBowl Sunday

2009-02-02T19:40:00.006-07:00

We had a little get together Sunday in honor of the SuperBowl. We aren't football fans by any means, but we do love to have people over and eat nummy food. My SIL made "tinga". Its a delicious mexican dish that is shredded chicken, onions, tomatoes, and chipotle peppers on a tostada with sour cream. I made these...
Yummy wings. Got the recipe from Pioneer Woman. If you haven't read her blog DO IT! She is hilarious and all of her recipes are delicious!!!

I also made my world famous meatballs.
Ok, so they aren't world famous, but people like 'em.
Here's how you do it. Its so easy you will want to run out make them right now. Well, maybe....

Chili Sauce (simply spiced up ketchup... found right by the cocktail sauce), grape jelly, and frozen meatballs. Toss 'em in the crock pot. Leave them there. Stir occasionally. See, easy! Trust me, if I can do it - you can!

Before the big game, we played some Guitar Hero, World Tour.

Even Chloe wanted in on it.
Here is some of the crew.

While the game was on, my neice Ava found lots of things to keep herself busy. Including locking herself in the kids bathroom and emptying every drawer, cupboard and linen closet. Then later we found her in my bathroom, rubbing on shampoo like it was lotion. It was a great day, and we loved spending it with friends and family.

Slacking On my Blogging

2009-01-26T19:50:00.002-07:00

I know, I know. I suck. Get over it! :)
This week was a good one. Chelsey came down and I got to have some "girl time". I got a babysitter and we went to lunch and did some shopping. It was so nice, and very much needed.
Then, Courtney, my little sister, had regions for her swim team. She is only a freshman, and was competing against kids from her age up to seniors, and still managed to get first place in 4 of her events. I am so proud of her. State is the first weekend in Feb. at BYU so I am going up to support her (plus it gives me a dang good excuse to see Chelsey and her gestating belly!).
I also finally found some new bedding for my bed. I have been looking for months and just haven't seen anything that jumped out at me, let alone something that Jesus liked also. Then on Sunday we found it. We also found the picture above the bed. It really filled up and empty space I was pretty clueless about what do with it. I still need to get new big fluffy pillows. Anybody have suggestions about good brands or places to get nice pillows?

This is a little craft that I did on Sunday as well. I found these letters at the fabric store for 50 cents each. Then all I had to do was string a ribbon through the holes and VOILA! Quick cheap and easy.

HCG Update, The Park, and Rice Cereal

2009-01-20T16:20:00.008-07:00

Well, I haven't done a diet update for a while, so I thought it was time. The reason I haven't mentioned it lately was because I got a little off track. I gained back a few of the pounds, so I had to work extra hard to get them off again. As of this morning, however, I have lost around 9 pounds! Only 6 more till my target weight, and if I lose more on top of that, even better!! Jesus and I are finding what we can and can't get away with on this diet such as, we can eat a little more than the suggested portions and be fine, but we can't get away with throwing a "carne asada" and eating like pigs. We saw the results the next morning at weigh in! I can have an occasional diet coke, but I am limiting myself. We have around a week and half left, so we are going to try to hit it hard until the end of the month!

Have you guys all been to the new park off Tonaquint? Oh my goodness! Whoever engineered that park was a genius! It is set down off the road so you don't have to worry about your child making a break for it and running into the road, and the toys are like nothing I have ever seen before! I can't even explain how cool this place is, you just have to go! But here are some pictures so you get a little of a taste.....

Also, I tried some solids with Mattix the other night. Just a little rice cereal mixed with his formula, nothing too exciting. He wasn't so sure, but he ate quite a bit. I have tried it a few times since, but I haven't been too consistant.What the heck is that mom?

Hmmmm, not bad!

New House Pics

2009-01-14T10:18:00.004-07:00

I know it has been forever since I posted pictures of the new house, and since I just got Chloe's new bedding I knew it was time to post her room. When she went to a toddler bed we just used the same bedding that was in her crib. When we moved we wanted to put her in a "big girl" bed, so she needed new bedding. I have been looking ever since, but haven't really found anything that struck me as "it". Then the other day I was browsing Target and found this bedding set. SO cute, and so perfect. I bought it last night and Chloe couldn't stop talking about her "pitty bwankets".
So here is her room, completed!The blankets that are hanging from the shelf over her bed all have special meaning. The one furthest to the left was crocheted by my Great Grandma Slack. She was still working on finishing it when she passed away. It means the world to me, and I actually refused to let anyone use it for fear of something happening to it. The middle blanket was given to Chloe when she was born by my mom's amazing co-worker. She ordered it online and had it personalized. It is embroidered with Chloe Jocelyn and her birthdate. The blanket on the right was actually my dad's baby blanket that some how my mom had saved all these years. On top of the shelf are blocks that spell "inspire", one of the porcelin dolls I collected as a child, and a glass block with vinyl lettering spelling out "sweet baby".
This is her armoire, and some pictures. The top right hand picture is my favorite. It says "My Prince has already come. His name is Daddy".
Here is her window. The sign above the window says "always kiss me goodnight"and in the shadow boxes on each side are her first tennis shoes, her onsie from the hospital, and her pink nike onsie, beanie and booties. The tennis shoes and Nike outfit were given to her by her uncle McLain before he left on his mission. Chloe was just 3 weeks old when he left.
Here is another shelf. The Love letters were made by my mom.Here is a close up of the pattern on the comforter.
I want to get her a headboard but i cant decide if i want a basic one, or something more shabby chic style. Opinions?

HCG Day 5, Miss Chloe, and Bentleys special day

2009-01-12T15:36:00.007-07:00

I know you guys might be getting sick of hearing about this, but I am really trying to keep track of my progress. If you are sick of it, just skip to the next paragraph! :) As of this morning, I had lost right around 5 pounds. So far, averaging a pound a day. I have managed to get past the whole "feeling" hungry when I knew I really wasn't. It used to be that I would eat whatever was on my plate, simply because it was there. I was overeating- not because I was hungry, but because I thought I needed more. I realized that by giving myself smaller portions I eat less (duh!). Jesus, however, has really had a hard time, and still felt hungry after a meal. So we talked to the nurse, and she suggested giving him a slightly larger portion, or a hard boiled egg in the morning. This has helped him a lot. I also wanted to mention that the only reason people succeed on this diet is because of the HCG hormone. It provides the body with the rest of the nutrients is needs by feeding off the fat in your body. If someone were to try to do a 500 calorie diet without the HCG, they would likely fail.

Anyway, onto bigger and better things! Today I saw Chloe pushing around her stroller, but her baby doll wasn't in it. I looked closer and realized that if this doesn't describe Chloe - I don't know what does!

In case you can't tell, thats Bentley's hammer strapped into the seat. This girl is a perfect mix of tom boy, and girly girl. Yesterday she was riding her pink Barbie four-wheeler around, and hit a curb which sent her toppling off the back. Instead of crying, she just hopped up and jumped right back on.

Today Bentley went to Preschool and came home with this.

All the kids get a chance to do this once during the school year. The teacher traces his body onto a peice of paper, then she asks all the kids in the class what they like about that child. My favorite was the little girl who said that "Bentley shares with me", and "I like to play cars with Bentley".

Also, I found two more pictures of Jesus from our trip to California that MUST post.
The first one is when we were shopping in L.A. If you don't catch the joke right away, I don't think we can be friends anymore. (Hint: look above his head@)

The other one was in Costco while we were shopping for the food for our New Years feast. The first thing that got me was that Costco sells alcohol - in bulk!, and the second was that they have Cristal! Jesus was half tempted to buy it just he could think he was a baller, but I wasn't about to shell out $250 on a bottle of champagne that I for sure wasn't drinking!

HCG Day 3, and scrapbooking

2009-01-09T09:32:00.002-07:00

Wow, can I just tell you guys that this diet is MUCH harder than I thought it would be? I made it through yesterday, but Jesus and I wondering if we will be able to do it. We are gonna stick it out , but we were not expecting it to be this hard. I feel better today than I did yesterday, but I am avoiding the kitchen as much as possible. I am trying to get over then mental part of it. In my head, I am hungry and could eat. But really, I know that I won't die if I don't. All my life I have eaten whenever and whatever I wanted, and this is the first time I have really said, No, I don't need that.

Also, I am really wanting to start scrapbooking again. Does anyone know of any organized groups? I want to go like once a month for a few hours. If not, would anyone want to join me at my house every so often? I know my mom and grandma, and possibly a few aunts would like to, but any one else that wants to join us, let me know!

HCG Day 1

2009-01-07T07:27:00.002-07:00

Jesus and I started our diet yesterday. This diet consists of daily injections of the HCG hormone, and a limited calorie intake. However, the first two days are "gorge" days. You eat extremely fatty food to reset your metabolism. This allows your body to burn at a higher metabolic rate even after you have completed the 23 days of diet, making it easier to keep the weight off. Yesterday, after our first shot we went to Ihop and had all you can eat pancakes, for lunch we had In'n'Out, and for dinner we went to Texas Roadhouse. Then we laid in bed and ate ice cream. Today we get to gorge again, but tomorrow we go to the strict 500 calorie diet. We can have two apples or oranges a day, half a chicken breast, fish or lean beef, and a small amount of vegetables. We do the veggie and entree for lunch and dinner. Most people can lose up to a pound a day on this diet, which is exactly where I want to be. I will be blogging about this quite a bit to monitor my progress. After we finish the diet then I will post the before and after pictures. Wish me luck!

2009-01-03T13:55:00.007-07:00

Christmas this year was crazy! It was hectic, busy, stressful, and wonderful all at the same time. I started out this holiday as a bit of a scrooge, because due to some changing of plans by my in-laws, Christmas wasn't going to be as I had hoped. See, usually we spend Christmas Eve with my in-laws, since their tradition is to open presents on Christmas Eve. Then we make the trek up to the cabin and spend the day with my family. This year was going to be different because my in-laws weren't going to come to Utah until Christmas Day. So we were planning on spending Christmas Eve at the cabin and spending the Christmas Day with my in-laws. Then, a few days before Christmas, some of Jesus's aunts decided to come to Utah from California for the holiday. I was excited to see them, but disappointed that my time with my family would be cut short. However, I decided to put on a happy face and make the best of it. Boy am I glad I did. I realized that it wasn't worth potentially ruining the holiday because it wasn't going the way I wanted. We did resolve that next year we will make our plans based on what is best for us and our kids, and whatever else happens, will just have to happen! All in all, Christmas turned out to be great. It was very chaotic however, so my pictures are very limited.

Here are Bentley and Chloe getting ready to go to their aunts house to have Christmas Dinner and open presents on Christmas Eve.

Here are the children waiting to be able to open their presents. They were getting antsy staring at the huge pile under the tree.

This is Eric. He is Jesus' cousin. He is the sweetest little boy you will ever meet.

We gave Chloe this super cute baby set. It came with twins babies, a double stroller, and a seat that converts from a double high chair to a swing. She has not left this thing out of her sight since she got it! She spends hours putting them in the stroller and walking around, then moving them to the swing, and then does it all over again.

The next morning the kids woke up to these....

Bentley has one too but I forgot to take a picture of his. He actually started to cry because he told Santa he wanted the Monster Tractor - which I guess is a four wheeler that turns into a dinosaur or something. But Santa couldn't find one anywhere. He actually loves his four wheeler now.
Mattix got a bumbo chair, which he loves. What else do you get a 3 month old? Well, he got some books, and a movie, and not much else! haha

Then we loaded up and headed to Pine Valley. It was snowing like crazy. We were very relieved that they paved the road that leads to the cabin this year. Speaking of, can I just ask a favor of anyone who has ever been sledding on the big hill as you come into Pine Valley? When you notice people trying to make it up the hill to their cabin, please move out of the way! I can not tell you how scary it is for the drivers to try to drive up that hill in the snow, all the while trying to dodge sledders. Anyway, tangent over... back to the festivites!

Chloe found the cool whip. There are several more shots over her eating it. She started out gingerly dipping her fingers in, then she becomes more adventerous and eventually resorts to licking the entire container clean. I will spare you the other pictures because I am too lazy to upload that many pictures on this already overloaded post.
Chloe wearing one of the tu-tu's Aunt Courtney made for her.My Grandma gave her this monkey and even made her and Chloe matching pajamas. She loves this thing!

She is trying to take after her mommy "wearing" her monkey. (I have a wrap and sometimes "wear mattix" when I am going places that aren't stroller or cart friendly)
By the end of the day, she crashed hard!

After the company left, we had a few days of quiet before we headed to California for New Years. Jesus' family always has a huge party, and this year was no different. They put up boards to close off their back porch to keep the cold out, making this cute little set up. After a delicious dinner, we moved the tables to make the dance floor. The spray painting was done by my wonderful hubby and says "Feliz Ano Nuevo" which in spanish means Happy New Year.

We make a pretty cute couple if I say so myself.

Me and Lexy. She's a punk. Hahaha
Self portraits are great.
While in California I wanted to do something we hadn't done ever done. We decided to go to the peir at Santa Monica Beach. It was exactly as I had expected it. I loved it. We got kettle corn, churros, and cotton candy, and just walked along seeing the little shops and rides. It was too cold to stay very long, and definately too cold to ride any rides. I do look forward to going to back next time we go to California - when it isn't so cold!

Chloe was looking up in awe at this....

The kids were a little disappointed that they couldn't do any rides, so we made do by taking them to Chuck E. Cheese. They got over it pretty quick. Here's Mattix with his Grandpa (or papi). Oh yeah, and just to prove that Jesus is still capable of physical labor.... here ya go!
His dad was very busy working one day and we wanted to go to L.A. to shop at the Alley and Figeroa Street, so he dusted off his detailing skills and helped his dad out.

All in all, it was another great trip. Despite being stuck on traffic on the way home for two 1/2 hours between Barstow and Stateline, I really can't complain at all!

The Snow and Pancakes

2008-12-22T08:40:00.007-07:00

This post was started long ago, but due to the craziness of the holidays, had yet to be posted. This dates all the way back to the week of the snow storm in St. George. In all my years living here, I have never seen this much snow actually stick! It usually snows at some point in the winter, but I can't recall it staying for more than a few hours. My sister in law called me the morning that school was cancelled in some what of a panic, because she had no idea what to do with her children since she had to work. Me, being the amazing sister in law that I am, offered to keep her children. I figured it would be a blast to play in the snow, and make christmas cookies. I was right. We had a blast. We made a very sad looking snowman, with rocks for his eyes and mouth, and little twigs for arms.

Bentley and Chloe had a blast.

The view from my back yard. I love the juxtaposition of the red mountain against the white snow.

Belle took off with Daisy's glove and it was so funny to watch her try to get it back.

Even Belle enjoyed the snow.

Jordan attemptin to throw a snowball at me. I think it landed like ten feet in front of me.

Sadly, there are no pictures of the cookie making, I was too busy trying to keep 6 children from destroying my house in the process, that my camera was far from my mind.

A few days later, we had Daisy, Jordan and Lexy come stay the night. It was another fun day. We woke up in the morning and Jesus made his famous Mickey Mouse pancakes. Bentley kept asking for a Donald Duck one. We are still trying to figure out how to pull that one off.

These were taken by Daisy. She's 8. Pretty good if I say so myself.

Picture Overload... new house and Christmas Decorations

2008-12-17T10:51:00.008-07:00

Ok, I am warning you now, there are like a million and a half pictures on this post. Well, not really, but there are a lot. First off are some of the pictures of the new house. I am still working on the bedrooms and the upstairs tv room/play room, so I am not posting those yet. You will however, be able to see the living room, kitchen/dining room, and hall bathroom. YEAH!

Here is the view of living room when you are standing in the kitchen. After Christmas it will look different, obviously. I will move the book shelf into our bedroom, and there will be other decorations on the mantle.

This is the view of kitchen from the living room.

Closer view of the kitchen.

Dining room. This is just to the left of the kitchen.

Hall bathroom. I was standing in the bathtub here. :)

View from the door.Another view

This hangs above the toilet. If you ever come to my house DO NOT use these towels. They are decoration ONLY! I HATE when people use my decoration towels. (Fair warning!)

Now for the Christmas decorations.

Here is Jesus and an orphan child we found wandering the streets setting up the Christmas tree. Oh wait, that's Chloe....This is on my table in the entry way.

And on the bottom shelf is my Christmas Village.

Our stockings hung above the fireplace. (I need to get one for Mattix.)

This shelf is also in my entry way. I think I am going to move the wreath to the front door. I just need one of those hangie thingies.

Here is our milk and cookies plate and mug. There is also a special key so Santa can come in, since we don't have a chimney. (Our fireplace is a fakie)

My nativity. So cute! I was given to me by my mom last year.The shepherd and his sheep.

Mary and Joseph with baby Jesus.The Wisemen and their camel.

And finally... TA DAAA! Our beautiful tree!Chloe was so tired that she just passed out on the couch. Poor girl.

The Christmas spirit was complete with snow the next day. This was taken when the snow just started to fall. Can you believe there is STILL snow in my back yard. Amazing for St. George. Anyone who knows me knows that I HATE the snow, but I am actually enjoying it this year because my kids are entralled with it!

I'm Baaaaack!

2008-12-15T22:32:00.006-07:00

Well, a whole weekend without Internet is over, and to be honest, I didn't even feel it. This was much too busy of a weekend to even notice. We are all moved in - well, let me rephrase that- our stuff is here. Most is still in boxes, but it is here! I will post pics of each room as I get them done. Chloe's room is all done, I just need to move her bed in. I love how it turned out! We also did the Christmas decorations last night so I will be posting about that soon.

Sunday was Mclain's mission homecoming. He actually came home last Monday. I planned to do a long post about his arrival. I planned to post lots of pictures of us hugging him as he got off the plane. I was planning on posting pictures of him holding the sign we painted to welcome him home. This was a great plan but, since his plane was 20 minutes early, we missed his arrival. That's right, most of the family wasn't there to see him arrive, my mom included. He was a good sport about it, but I was fairly heartbroken. After leaving the airport, we had a family lunch at Olive Garden to celebrate. I do have pictures of that!

Sorry mom, I know its bad, but I love this look on Mclain's face. Typical Mclain.
Mclain finally getting to know his nephew.
Chloe is such a cheese!

Its been great having him back. He was such a help for me this week. He came over and raked like 30 bags of leaves at the old house. I was so grateful that I didn't have to be the one to do that!

On Sunday he spoke in church and since his last talk was so eventful, we knew we needed to be there. This talk didn't fail to impress. No borderline sacrilegious jokes, but he did liken his mission to the theme song of "Fresh Prince of Bel Air". I got the analogy, but I think it went right over the heads of some one the older members. Something will never change.... :)

apologies

2008-12-11T20:32:00.003-07:00

After some nagging (ahem Chels...) I realized it had been a bit since I had updated. I do have a few posts in mind, but this week has been consumed with furiously packing, cleaning, patching and painting. We get the keys to the new place at noon tomorrow and I am so excited. I actually feel rather prepared for this move. Last week we cleaned the entire garage and I have been moving everything in there as soon as it is packed. Tonight we plan on moving everything but the couches and beds out there. Tomorrow, Jesus is only working half a day so we can (hopefully) be done by tomorrow night. Since my sisters are going to be in town, and Sunday is Mclain's mission homecoming, plus Saturday night is Jesus' work Christmas Party, I would really like to be done by Saturday afternoon. The cable people will be at the new house Monday to install, so plan to hear from me then!

P.S. I made Jesus promise me this was the last move for a LONG time! We shall see.....

Stay at home mommy

2008-12-05T08:21:00.003-07:00

Jesus and I made a very difficult decision yesterday. When I got pregnant with Mattix I has resigned myself to the fact that working would be out of the question. It would be too expensive and way to hard to juggle the house and a full time job. Then the closer I got to delivering I had adjusted that decision to working part time. Nights and weekends, leave the kids with family, or Jesus, but then I would lose my health insurance. Then, weeks before delivering, my co-worker announced that she would be quitting to move up north. This opened up an opportunity to work full time mornings and keep my benefits. I would be home at night with Jesus and the kids and it was also supposed to mean a raise. Jesus and I discussed this at great length, and decided we would try to find a "nanny" to come be with the kids while I tried this out. I wanted someone to come to the house and be with the kids. I felt this would give them more structure and be less of a transition for them. I knew that a typical day care was out of the question. We had already decided that if it became too much "work" to work, then I would quit. While I was on my maternity leave I was searching for someone I trusted to care for my children. This was very difficult. I had several good leads through craigslist and other avenues, but none really panned out. I adjusted my schedule to work every Saturday and Sunday, and my amazing mom adjusted her schedule to work 4 ten hour shifts and be off on Tuesdays. This left me with only one or two days to find a sitter for. I eventually found a girl who would watch the kids for me and was a great girl who was wonderful with the kids. However, since her husband is leaving for the Marines, she needed a full time job. Yesterday she told me she had found one. It was in that moment, I knew I needed to stay home.

I have loved my job, and the people I work with. At the end of the day, I didn't make much more than to pay my health insurance and the babysitter, but it was worth it. I never did get the raise I was promised, and things were falling behind at home. Laundry was never done, I never had the energy to cook, and was always wanting to be in bed by 8:30, cutting out all the quality time I had planned for Jesus and I. I am at peace with this decision. I am actually excited to stay home more. To take my kids to the park, the library, put them to bed at night, and be there in the morning when they wake up. Plus, I get to see this everyday.....

Photo credit - Pixel Me Perfect Photography

P.S. Mattix has started to laugh! Not giggle or chuckle, but laugh! Oh the precious moments!

my man!

2008-11-30T07:27:00.005-07:00

1. Where did you meet? At Tyler Weekes' house on Valentines Day 2003
2. How long did you date? 1 year and 4 months
3. How long have you you been married? it will be 5 years in April... whoa...
4. Favorite Feature? his butt, or lack thereof! haha just kidding, he has beautiful eyes and lashes
5. What is your favorite quality of his? his love for his children. what attracted me to him in the first place was how sweet he was to his neice, i knew immediately he would be an amazing dad
6. Does he have a nickname for you? babe, baby, pickle, penguin, and a few other randoms
7. What is his favorite color? pink, what a girl!
8. What is his favorite food? chilaquiles, anything mexican with lots of salsa
9. What is his favorite sport? basketball
10. When and Where was your first kiss? in Mesquite when Chelsey, Chanel and I went down to stay at the Casablanca.
11. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? when it is just us as a couple we like to go out to eat, something about enjoying a meal without a child screaming or throwing soggy french fries at you is appealing to us. haha
12. Do you have any children? 3 of 'em. and dang, are they cute!
13. Does he have a hidden talent? he is actually very musically inclined, and I wish he had taken lessons as a child because he could have grown up to be a rockstar! haha
14. How old his he? 23 shhh dont tell him I told you I am older than him!
15. Who said, "I love you first?" He did.. it was ummmm.... awkward. We were on the phone getting ready to hang up. we hadn't been dating that long and it was so casual. it threw me off and I kinda just mumbled a response and hung up. oops. love you babe!
16. What is his favorite type of music? He is die hard hip hop. the old school stuff, you know...i said a hip hop the hippie the hippie to the hip hip hop, a you dont stop the rock it to the bang bang boogie, say up jumped the boogie to the rhythm of the boogie, the beat .... he knows all the words to that song. but he likes oldies too, like frankie valli. he will never admit it out loud, but mexican rocklike La Ley and The Jaguares is a favorite too
17. What do you admire most about him? how hard he is willing to work to try to provide the best life possible for us.
18. Do you think he will read this? he might, he checks the blog from time to time, so maybe

I tag - Lenzi, Marci and Megan (even though I know you hate these!)

Also, I ran across a blog that I love! She is amazingly talented and I love her design style. I saw her home and RateMySpace on HGTV's website and it listed her blog. She has given me a lot of inspiration for decorating the new house... oh yeah, we are moving. haha is anyone surprised at this point?

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

2008-11-28T09:46:00.004-07:00

Oh my crazy Chloe....

2 years old today.

With Thanksgiving falling so close to Chloe's birthday this year we almost forgot it was today. Almost. We did have a little get together last week, and plan on celebrating on Sunday afternoon so she can have her "special day". We are just doing cake and ice cream with Jesus' neices and nephews and my family. We saved her presents from Jesus and I for Sunday as well.

While looking for pictures of Chloe to post I just had to laugh at how funny this little girl is. She thought she was so funny this this afro wig on.

When no one would push her on the swings at Niki's wedding - she improvised! Always such a good sleeper - she could sleep anywhere. Even a park bench! hahahaAlways getting into things she isn't supposed to be - sitting in Belle's crate. Luckily she didn't notice the resemblance between dog food and cereal. What? You didn't know bowls make great hats? Chloe does.This was last Easter. She thought the plastic eggs were edible. She was trying so hard to bite into that thing.

Some of my favorite things about Chloe:

How she adds an "s" to everyones name. i.e. Mommys, Daddys, Grandmas, ect.

How she pronounces Bentley (Benji) and Courtney (Corkie).

How she wrinkles up her nose when she laughs.

How she says "hi!" when she wakes up in the morning.

How she always finishes her food, then usually prcedes to finish Bentley's.

How she always runs to give my Grandma Mcknight a huge hug when she see's her.

The way she says shut up. It sounds like "she-up". I know she shouldn't say shut up, but it's pretty dang funny.

How she can hold her own in a wrestling match with Bentley.

How she is the perfect mix of tomboy and priss. She loves her "pincess" room, but loves to roll in the mud.

How she feels the need to tell anyone and everyone when she farts. In the middle of the grocery store she starts to laugh and says "ewww - farted". No shame....

Chloe's 2nd Bithday

2008-11-24T11:45:00.004-07:00

Technically, Chloe's 2nd birthday isn't until Friday, but we had an early birthday party with her cousin JaCoby who was visiting from Salt Lake. We met at my Grandma's house and had some cake and ice cream and a few presents. Then we went to the pool at the Washington City Rec Center. The kids had a blast. My sister was also visiting with her daughter Ava who is about 5 months younger than Chloe. We also had MaKaty there, who is almost the same age as Ava. Ava is the adorable blondie in the bikini, and MaKaty is the other cute blonde. These girls were hilarious to watch.

I love this one. Haha, MaKaty is just too cute!You will have to forgive the quality of the pictures at the pool. We were struggling with the setting trying to find one that came out good, and then my battery died.

Before we headed to the pool we had everyone paint a letter or two on a sign we will hold when we welcome Elder Whitney home. My little brother has been serving a mission in Seattle Washington for the past two years, and comes home on the 8th. Chloe was just 3 weeks old when he left! We are so excited to see him, and so thrilled he will be home in time for Christmas!

I love my Grandma's face in this one! Haha, what a goof!

2008-11-15T11:41:00.007-07:00

Soooo funny. I wish pictures of spiders were proper payment. I would be debt free!!

The full version is here.....please read it. It's hilarious. http://www.urlesque.com/2008/11/07/broke-man-tries-paying-bill-with-a-picture-of-a-spider/

random

2008-11-13T12:50:00.004-07:00

We had Mattix's 2 month check up yesterday. The chunker weighs 12 lbs 9 oz! That puts him in the 70th percentile. I was only slightly surprised. His chicken legs are disapearing rapidly. We just love this little booger!

I found this today and thought it was funny. All you Twilight fans will get a chuckle out of it....

http://movies.msn.com/movies/galleryfeature/lost-twilight-script/?GT1=28127

I saw this picture the other day and it made me think of Jesus. When gas prices were out-freaking-rageous we joked about getting scooters as our main mode of transportation. The only problem... where to put the kids? Problem - meet solution:

Now all I need is a trailer to hold the car seat. Hahahaha. Thank goodness gas has gone down!

Ooops... again

2008-11-08T07:23:00.003-07:00

Well, if you have tried to call me in the last few days it is likely that you got a message saying "this phone has been disconnected". However, this is not because we didn't pay the phone bill. Its because I got my phone stolen. Now, if you ask Jesus he will say that I simply lost my phone, but hear my side of the story and decide for yourself.
I went to get an oil change with all three kids. I was trying to carry the car seat, corral Bentley and Chloe into the waiting room, while carrying our Wendys (it was lunch time and we were HUNGRY!) and I dropped my phone under my seat. I saw it fall and know exactly where it landed, but since I had Chloe screaming "nuggets!" at me I decided I would pick it up later. When the car was done I stood up and paid and loaded the kids up - while trying to hurry since Mattix was getting restless (he HATES his car seat). In the commotion I forgot to pick up my phone. I went to Albertsons and to say hi to my mom and get a prescription filled. While talking to my mom I remembered that I hadn't picked up my phone. I immediately drove back to get it. However, it was gone. The girl at the desk said no one had turned one it. We tried calling it to make sure it wasn't there or hidden in my car. No luck. I called and texted my phone for about 2 hours to make sure it wasn't buried in the diaper bag or something like that. At one point someone answered the phone and hung up. So we called and had my line froze so they couldn't use my phone.
Now, to me, if you find something and have the opportunity to turn it in, and don't - that is stealing. Point blank. All that person would have had to do was hand it to the girl at the desk. That would be the honest thing to do. The joke is on them though, since I reported it lost or stolen to Verizon, that phone can not be activated on anyone elses account. HA! It just makes me so mad because I had just bought new ring tones, and I had a memory card with a TON of music on it. I was lucky enough to be given a phone so I didn't have to go spend $300 on a basic phone.
Anyway, the point of this was to let you all know that I now have my phone turned back on, and once again, I need your numbers. Please call, text e-mail, comment, whatever you desire, but get me your number! Thanks!

Happy (late) Halloween

2008-11-04T16:49:00.006-07:00

Well, I may be the last person on the earth to post their Halloween pictures, but I figure it's better late than never right?
First of all, I bought some super cute Halloween shirts and had to take pictures of Bentley and Chloe wearing them. Easier said than done.....

On Halloween we went to Daisy and Jordan's school for their parade. I had the kids wear their costumes too so it was super fun for them. After that we went to the Trunk or Treat at my mom's ward. Bentley was the red Power Ranger, which I will admit, I hated in the beginning, but in the end I think he looked adorable. He still gets excited talking about it. I am seriously considering leaving it out all year for him to wear around the house, instead of packing it away like I usually do.

Chloe was an adorable little lady bug. She was originally going to be a 50's girl complete with a poodle skirt, but the costume was short sleeved and I couldn't find a cute cardigan to wear over it. I wanted her to have plain white ked-type shoes, but couldn't find any anywhere. So the lady bug it was. And it turned out so cute! She even left the hat on for most of the night! Plus, she can be a 50's girl next year!

Mattix was Superman. I knew I wanted him to be this from the moment I saw it. I really wanted Bentley and Chloe to be Superman and Supergirl, but Bentley was intent on being a Power Ranger and the Supergirl costume in Chloe's size was cheesy looking. So.... Mattix was the lone Superman.

Trying to get a picture with the three of them looking at the camera was impossible, but I did nab one with the kids standing with my grandpa Mcknight. Anyone in my family can attest to the fact that this is nearly impossible. My grandpa even so much as sees a camera and he is headed the opposite direction.

Well, Halloween is over. Now its time to get ready for Christmas. Yes, I do realize that Thanksgiving comes before Christmas, but Christmas takes way more preparation than Thanksgiving so its next on my list.

I went back to work today. It was an odd feeling. I felt very "out of it", like I knew there was something I should be doing, but not sure what.... Weird. We now offer the HCG diet at my work. If you have never heard of this diet, it is a 23 day diet. While on the diet you receive a shot of the HCG hormone and only eat 500 calories a day. It is a very strict diet with small portions, and strict regulations, but you can lose up to a pound a day! Jesus and I will be starting this diet as soon as Mattix is weaned from nursing. I am super excited to do it! If you want anymore info on the HCG please let me know, and I will get the info to you. We offer it to locals as well as our guests who come from all over the world to do it.
Anyway, thats whats going on in our neck of the woods. Hope all is well with you guys!

Tagged!

2008-10-28T14:23:00.002-06:00

Carrie Ann ( I don't know if people still call you that, but that's still who I think of you as!:)) tagged me with a super cute tag.
Go to the 4th file of your pictures, and post the 4th picture. Unfortunately I only had two pictures in this file so I just chose my favorite! hahaha
This is Chloe when she was about 7 or 8 months old. She hadn't been mobile for too long and she climbed into the cabinet and was so proud of herself. It was all downhill from there! HahaI tag Dayna, Mom, Marci, and Chelsey.

Update

2008-10-24T19:09:00.006-06:00

Well, it's been a little while since I have blogged, so I thought I would do a little update.

Bentley was being so funny the other day I had to write down some of the things he said :

"Thank you mommy, you're a good helper"

"It's 22" while looking at his watch

"It's not a stupid dog, it's a stupid doggy"

"I am not your mommy anymore"
The funny thing about this one was that he wasn't even mad. He just thought I should know....

"Here comes the booby step" while pulling his scooter across the porch to the driveway. I think he was thinking of booby traps.

I found Chloe like this the other day....
Weirdo
Then another day I found her like this....

then she did this....

She filled up the whole sink with water and was almost completely sitting in it splashing it all over the bathroom.

Devil child. She is going to make my hair go gray.

Jesus' family was in town last weekend so we went with them four wheeling. It was a blast!

Mattix has been making such funny faces lately so I tried to get pictures of some of them. This is the best one I got.

Here he is just being the cutie that he is!

By the way, that adorable blanket you see there was made by my little sister. My mom is going to be making more and hopefully selling them at the Dickens Festival. They are squares of fabric sewn together in strips and then assembled into a blanket. She has got some adorable fabrics and I am so excited to see how they will turn out!

Also, last night Lenzi did my hair again. I LOVE IT! I went brunette again due to the advice of my mom and Jesus who said the blond made me look washed out. I think "pasty" was Jesus' exact wording, but you get the point.... haha. The cut is super cute too. The picture doesn't do it nearly enough justice. 'Cause I am that hot... haha

Little Getaway

2008-10-14T13:49:00.005-06:00

We decided to take a quick trip to California this weekend to visit family. There were still a lot of Jesus's "Tia's" who hadn't met Mattix yet, and I didn't want to wait too much longer or we would never be able to get away since I am starting work soon.

We had a blast. We took the Wii and had a bowl off. I ended up having a competition with my father in law that lasted all weekend. I think I won, but so does he so we will call it a draw. Ha ha.

On Sunday we headed down to Long Beach to do a whale watching tour. Bentley was so excited to see the "river dolphins" (thanks Go Diego Go!), whales and fishies.

Mattix was a trooper. He slept most of the day. We had him bundled up against the cold in his car seat all day. I think he had the warmest seat there.

This was the boat we went on.

Some typical California palm trees.

Some highlights of the day:

When Jesus's cousin "Gordo" thought the seagulls were attacking him and he ran away screaming like a girl.

Putting Cheetos on Gabriel's head for the seagulls to eat off him.

When Tia Betty decided to carry hot chocolate on a moving boat and almost fell and spilled on her self. (it was hilarious to watch!)

Seeing Patrick from Sponge Bob

Bentley crashing out on the seat like this

Seeing a blue whale and two kinds of dolphins.

Jesus walking around not realizing the camera was on. We have a half hour of sideways shots of the boat floor.

Jesus's little sister and her cousins dressed Chloe up like this. She wouldn't hold still long enough for me to get a good picture but at one point she had on a lei, these glasses, a purse and several bracelets. It was hilarious.

All in all it was a great little getaway. We love our little mini vacations!

Goodbye....

2008-10-10T08:51:00.002-06:00

to my phone...
My phone broke. For no apparent reason it stopped taking a charge, and sadly yesterday the final bar of battery was gone. So I went to Verizon and got a new phone. Unfortunately, because I did it after the battery died, I lost all my contacts and numbers. Please text me and let me know who you are, so I will answer when you call me! Thanks friends and family!

It's done

2008-10-08T09:16:00.003-06:00

Just as she did with Bentley and Chloe, my mom made Mattix's crib quilt. I had an idea of what I wanted and she brought it into reality. I wanted a quilt that was made up of squares of different fabrics and textures, and it wanted it really soft and poofy. One day, my mom was in the fabric store... surprise surprise... and she found a panel that was exactly what I wanted. I wasn't so sure about the frogs, but I have truly come to like them. My mom has spent many LONG nights staying up till two in the morning quilting, just to get up again at 5:00 to take my little sister to swim practice. She's awesome!

Here is the quilt in the bed all made. The afghan was a gift from my amazing boss, Cheryl. I love it because it reminds me of the one my Great-Grandma Slack was making for Bentley when she passed away.

Chloe was feeling left out so I had to take her picture... weirdo...

My mommy, the photographer.. yeah right....

2008-10-06T13:40:00.004-06:00

I got a little photo happy today. Too bad the kids didn't share my enthusiasm. I tried taking pictures of the kids while they were watching cartoons. I told Chloe to smile, and this is what I got. I guess I should have been more specific that she needed to look at the camera and smile at the same time...

The next attempt got this result.... hmm not quite the look I was going for.
I only managed to get this shot because Diego came on, and she thought I had given up...

Bentley just ignored me, so this was all I got.

Mattix is the only one who can't get away. This is him pre-bath.

He looks terrified here, but I swear he loves his bath. It calms him so much.
There, that's a better shot.
Does it look like he has a lazy eye to you?
See, calm... and so dang cute!

Goin' for it

2008-10-04T09:37:00.002-06:00

When I saw Chloe walk into the room like this.....

I decided it was worth a shot to try for potty training. She has shown other signs of being ready for a while. She likes to sit on the potty, always tries to put on my underwear or Bentley's, but I have never tried to push it because of the timing with the new baby. So when we went to Wal-Mart I grabbed a pack of Princess panties. We had a little success yesterday when she pee'd, but then I put her diaper on for her nap, and we didn't bother for the rest of the day. I figure I have about 3 weeks or so before I go back to work, and it would be lovely if she could be potty trained or close to it by the time I go back.

Speaking of work, I am looking for someone to baby sit my kids 2-3 days a week, from 8:30 AM to around 2 PM. it could be my home or theirs, and I am willing to negotiate on pay. If anyone knows anyone who is looking to make some extra money and is good with kids, get me in touch with them!!

Chunky Monkey

2008-09-26T17:40:00.002-06:00

On Weds I took Mattix for his two week check-up. Wow, that crept up fast! His weight shot up like crazy... he was born at 6 lbs 13 oz, and at his appointment he was 8 lbs 3 oz. Now, I am no mathematician (just ask me husband about how well I balance the check book...) but that's one whole pound, and six whole ounces! I guess Mom has the good stuff huh? And look, finally some chub to those cheeks!
Bentley was being a dork today, so I felt the need to share it with you guys. He was putting the fake nails from his tool bench on his fingers and calling them his "silly fingers". What a spaz.

Random Stuff

2008-09-23T14:20:00.005-06:00

The past week or two has been pretty random, so this post will be pretty random. The first set of pictures is from my moms ward dutch oven dinner. They had a bounce house and it was like pulling teeth to get my kids out at the end of the night.

This was Chloe and Jesus after a LONG day. It was so cute to see them crashed out on the couch together.

Bentley is such a proud big brother. He is always asking if he can hold Mattix. If Mattix is crying he tries to soothe him by saying "s'okay Mattix.... s'okay."

This is Chloe's new skill she has developed. The other night we were driving and Mattix was crying. All the sudden we hear Chloe in the back seat imitating his newborn cry. Its a lovely sound isn't it?

My Vacation

2008-09-18T15:51:00.002-06:00

As I mentioned before, my mom took her week's vacation time to help me with the kids this week. Not so much of a vacation for her as it was for me. She has done everything from being at my house cleaning and entertaining the children, to getting them out of the house so I could nap. They have spent more nights at her house this week than at ours, and have gotten to go swimming a couple times. Things at my house have been quiet and kinda boring... but I did get to go grocery shopping with only Mattix this morning, and that was a huge relief. Well, I think Mom may have reached her breaking point. To see what I mean go here... http://www.freedofam.blogspot.com. All I can say is... thanks ma!

Birthday re-cap

2008-09-16T15:52:00.004-06:00

I had an awesome birthday yesterday. Thanks to everyone who called or texted to wish me happy birthday. I had a nice relaxing day at home and then Jesus took me out to dinner (without the kids... all three!! thanks mom!). Before dinner he gave me this....

I am so excited. I haven't had the best luck with cameras lately so this was a big excitement. He also gave me this....

but he gave that to me early so we could have it at the hospital. I am so excited for both of these. Thanks babe! Chelsey was in town and she stopped by and brought me some pretty flowers and a candy bar.

We went to the Gun Barrel and enjoyed a nice, quiet dinner with some yummy food. Then we went home and had a nice night of sleep with only a few wake ups. Mattix slept so good I was amazed. I think it was his birthday present to me! haha

Speaking of Mattix, he is doing great! He is nursing beautifully, and still sleeping really well. He loves to nap in his boppy, and still loves to be swaddled. He hates his binkie, but will take one when he thinks he is still hungry, but mommy knows better.

day 4

2008-09-14T17:13:00.005-06:00

things I am grateful for -
* lanolin cream
*family - there is no way I could have gotten through the last little bit of this pregnancy and these past few days without the help of my mom, grandma, and various other people. THANK YOU!
* 3-4 hour stretches of sleeping baby
*silence...
*things that keep Bentley and Chloe occupied for more than a few minutes
* the smell of new baby
* sleep
* boppy pillows
*binkies
*that I can drink diet coke and coffee without guilt again
*monkey arms and chicken legs, both of which mattix possesses

We're back!

2008-09-12T09:47:00.005-06:00

We got home on the afternoon of the 11th, around 1:00. I would like to thank my mom for posting the last two posts to keep everyone informed of the arrival of our little guy. We are so happy he is here and already we are trying to remember what life was like before he came along.... (quiet...haha)

I thought I would fill you in on some of the details and post some more pics, because come on... who doesn't love newborn pictures?After the epiduralDaddy and his new little guyChloe missed her mommaChloe pointing out Mattix's eyes, nose and other facial features
Bentley and Chloe meeting their new little brother
All my guys

My version of the birth story -
We got the call around 5:15 am. Labor and Delivery wanted us there in an hour. We got up and gathered our stuff together. My mom stayed with the kids until we got settled at the hospital and got another babysitter there.
6:15 - We got to the hospital and quickly got checked in and taken to a room.
7:15 - Started Pitocin - 4 centimeters dilated
7:15 - 1:00 - took Pitocin through the IV, trying to decide if I was going to get the epidural. Got checked and found I was 6-7 cent. dilated and decided it was time for the epidural.
1:30 - received epidural - feeling much better!
2:00 - Dr came to break my water - still around 7 centimeters
2:30 - suddenly feeling more pressure and babies heart rate was very erratic. Nurse checked me and found I was fully dilated and also put the oxygen mask on me. We quickly called the Dr. so we could start pushing
2:40 - Dr arrived and we started to push
2:52 - Mattix Jett makes his official debut with the cord wrapped around his neck but doing just fine!

He gave us a little scare because he was grunting and flaring his nostrils when he was trying to breathe. They came and got his lungs all the way popped open and now the little guy is just fine.

Update since we've been home-
Bentley and Chloe have been adjusting really well. They think their new little brother is awesome and have shown no signs of jealousy. I have had lots of support from my family (mom, grandma, aunts, sister, cousin etc...) and so i have been able to rest as often as I need. thanks guys! mattix is eating great and sleeping fairly well too.

So far, things are great and we are feeling pretty good about everything. Thanks for all the phone calls, texts, comments and e-mails. We love you guys!

2008-09-10T21:37:00.002-06:00

in keeping with the tradition of the other Espinoza baby births, we made a guess list as to the particulars of Mattix's birth. the first category was what time, second category was weight and height, and final category was bald or hair. unfortunately, Jesus won on all three.
Great Grandma Carol's guess....2:48pm 7lbs 1ounce 19 and 1/2 inch and hair
Dr Barton's guess.....2:58pm and that was the only guess he could make-he was a busy man(vasectomy waiting for him at the office)
Grissel's guess.....3:05pm 7lbs 3ounces 20 and 1/2 inch and I did not catch hair guess
Rickell's guess.....2:57 and then she got distracted-it's funny how contractions will do that
Grandma Marcie's guess...2:32pm 7lbs and 3ounces 20 inches and shiny bald
Jesus's guess....2:50pm 6lbs 11ounces 19 and 1/2 inch and hair

the little dude was born at 2:52pm weighs 6lbs 13ounces measures only 18inches and has decent amount of hair
now Jesus needs more hair to cover his own head because his ego made his head swell (joking)

Mattix makes an appearance

2008-09-10T20:49:00.004-06:00

September 10, 2008 marks the first day Mattix Jett Espinoza saw the world and the world saw him. The hospital called Rickell and Jesus around 5:00 am and said they should check in to the hospital within one hour. The labor was induced and after several hours of hysterical comments made by Rickell's mother and not very funny comments made by Jesus, Mattix decided to brave the elements and try life on the outside of mommy's body. The usual three ring circus assembled for the show. Obviously Rickell was front and center and Jesus was at her side. (sometimes sneaking to the foot of the bed to see what the doctor saw). Grandma Marcie and Grandma Grandma (Great grandmother Carol Mcknight) and Bobby (Grandpa Bob) were positioned on the couch trying to see but staying out of the way. Aunt Grissel was stationed by the bed shooting a decent angle of the delivery on the new camcorder that Jesus gave Rickell 5 days early for her birthday. Grandma Grandpa (great grandfather Doug Mcknight) held his usual post in the hallway listening hard for sounds of the new town cryer. Dr Barton made it to the hospital five minutes prior to the birth, he was a truckin down the hallway. He brought a student doctor with him to observe and then you add the three great nurses who made things run smooth, and you have a full house. It was as brand new of an experience as when Bentley was born although it had the feeling of deja-vu. We can not get over the way that Mattix looks so much like Bentley.

I guess I asked for this...

2008-09-09T11:12:00.004-06:00

this is what I get for wanting him to be more independent.....
He only wants to wear his underwear backwards unless I make him put them on right. Boys....

just an fyi - this baby is being evicted tomorrow! We will anxiously be awaiting the call from Labor and Delivery to let us know it is our turn to come get induced... I will try to post before we leave, but if not then see you in a few days!

forcing independence

2008-09-05T11:33:00.002-06:00

I never realized how dependent Bentley is. One of the requirements for preschool is that he has to be able to go to the bathroom by himself. Now, he is potty trained (except an occasional #2 accident, but that's a whole other post), but he still prefers someone to take him to the bathroom. Also, he can't understand the concept of pulling his pants down just far enough to use the potty, and pulling them back up. He wants to fully remove his pants and underwear and then needs someone to put them back on. It hadn't even crossed my mind that this would be an issue until the first day of school. So now I am trying to teach him this concept. It had also caused me to think of all the other small things he "needs" help with every day. Just now it took him 10 minutes to figure out how to put his t-shirt on because I have always helped him with it. He asked for a Capri-Sun and I had to open the fridge for him because he "didn't know how". I realize this is partly my fault for babying him and it just occured to me that we never really went through the "I can do it myself" phase. If you always have someone there to do something for you, why would you want to learn to do it yourself?
So, I have initiated Operation: Forcing Independence. Bentley didn't know he wanted to be independent and more self sufficient, but he is going to be! He is 3 years old for goodness sakes and still asks me to put the lid on his marker for him. Time to cut the umbilical cord child... you are on your own....
Well, as much at least until next time you need help... :)

First Day

2008-09-04T09:23:00.004-06:00

of prechool for Bentley! He was so excited!

He insisted on sitting in his Mickey Mouse chair for a picture.

Saying "Cheese!"
And this time with the eyes open....

The first day was just an orientation so it was nice for Bentley and I to have an "adjustment" day. On Monday, however, I drop him off and leave him there. I am not worried though. He will do just fine.

After preschool we had my doctors appointment. Surprise surprise... no change. My doctor said if I had made any change he would have sent me to the hospital and broke my water, but I seem to be stuck at a 4. We did schedule an induction for next week, the 10th, in case nothing happens before then. I have just decided to be ok with it. As much as it sucks to be contracting pretty consistently for the past week and a half and have no change, I have decided there must be a reason that my body is stopping itself. Maybe the baby needs this extra time, or maybe I need it? Either way, I now have light at the end of the tunnel.

still here...

2008-09-02T12:52:00.002-06:00

that massive ball of pink is my belly. Yup, I am still pregnant. I go to the doctor tomorrow so we shall see what happens after that....

Bentley says....

2008-08-29T19:40:00.001-06:00

Chloe is going to be on the soccer team, and I am going to be a rockstar.

Ummmm ok dude....

ok, ready when you are...

2008-08-27T17:37:00.006-06:00

Last week I was blown out of the water when my doctor told me I was 2 almost 3 centimeters dilated. Today I went again, to find out I am closer to 4. So, this week I have been kicking my butt into gear to get prepared for this baby.

The crib is all set up with the sheets, bumpers, crib skirt (you can't see it but there is a blue stripe that runs along the bottom), and mobile. My mom is in the process of making the quilt so I don't have a picture of that, but expect one when it's done!

The clothes have been washed and hung up.

The socks, onsies,pajamas, bibs, hats, shoes, ect, have all been washed and put away.

I bought diapers.

and some fun extras....

The suitcase, car seat and diaper bag are sitting with my purse by the front door.

So basically, any time this little Mattix Jett decides to make his debut we are ready.
and since this is likely to be the last chance for a belly shot... here ya go.
37ish weeks

happy birthday to me!

2008-08-23T12:23:00.004-06:00

this is my early birthday present from Jesus. At least thats what he claims... haha. There better be other gifts waiting for me... say a camera.... or sewing machine... hint hint. But in the meantime I wont mind crusing around in this.....
An '05 Lincoln Aviator fully loaded. Also it has captains chairs which will be so nice with getting the kids in an out of.
We have been talking about getting rid of the Tahoe for a while now, and when Jesus went to auction yesterday and saw this baby going through he couldn't resist. Now we just have to sell the Tahoe... if anybody wants it we will give you a good deal!!

the difference between my kids

2008-08-21T13:20:00.005-06:00

Today I decided to let the kids paint with the art set my mom had bought the kids.
After looking at the difference between the pictures and the aftermath I realized this showed a lot of the differences between the two.

This is one of Bentley's pictures

He tried so hard not to mix the colors. Notice the distinct lines. He did another picture similar to this, but the lines went at an angle.

Here is one of Chloe's pictures.

Chaos. mixed colors, no distinct shapes. All her pictures looked fairly similar to this.

This is Bentley's work space. There was little clean up required when he was done.

Chloe's was more... umm... involved....

Bentley disliked getting paint on him at all. He wanted to wash his hands anytime he got a little paint on his finger.

Chloe thought it was more fun to paint her face than the paper.

Now, there is nothing wrong with either of these "styles" of art. It just shows some of the distinct differences between Bentley and Chloe. Bentley likes things fairly organized and structured. Chloe is more of a free spirit.

Either way - I love em both, and can't imagine my life without them!

Random Thoughts

2008-08-18T19:14:00.002-06:00

While I sit here at work I have lots of time to ponder, and think random thoughts, so I thought I would share them with you....

I am now 3 weeks and 5 days away from my due date, not that I am counting... (by the way my ticker is wrong at the bottom of the page) and suddenly its all very real. I mean, I knew all along that pregnancy = baby... duh, its my third time around, but until you really look back on those first few days of new baby, you don't really remember. Everything about it just seems like a blur when I remember Bentley and Chloe's first few days. Transition from zero kids to one was a breeze, and from one kid to two wasn't too bad either, but what if this time its like a national disaster? Jesus will be around even less because of work, but luckily I will have my mom and grandma as often as they can be there. I am sure it will all be fine, but there is always the what if...

Bentley starts preschool in less than two weeks. What if baby picks that week to come? I already have alternate transportation lined up just in case (thanks Megan!), but I really want to be there for him as much as possible. He is so excited about going to school, but I really scared to leave him there. I have left him at babysitters and things, but I wonder how he will do in a structured environment like school. I know I am over-analyzing it, but once again... what if?

There is nothing set in stone yet, but I may have an opportunity to come back to work full time mornings rather than part time evenings. It would mean a better schedule, and better pay, but I am so torn about what to do. If the timing was different, say even 6 months from now, I would have no questions. But do I really want to find a babysitter for 30 or so hours a week for such a little baby? Do I want to stay home and be a stay at home mom or a working mom? I know there are times when I want to stay home and be with my kids, but after a few days I get itching to go back to work. I have pro's and con's both ways. Part of me wants to stay home and nurture my children, do craft projects and play fun games, but part of me feels the need to work, to contribute to the income (as minimal as it has been). I see both sides of the argument and can't decide what is best for me. I know that eventually this decision will have to be made by Jesus and I based on what is best for our family, but I would love any opinions on the matter.

Lastly, I don't know if its because I am pregnant and have no patience, or because we bought a retarded dog, but I am ready to kill the thing. She chases the kids around pulling on their pants, shorts, diaper or underwear and really bugs the kids. So the kids are whiny and crying, and I wanna kick Belle across the room! They love the dog but when she gets excited she starts to bite, nothing hard, and had never drawn blood or anything, more just annoying. Plus her nails are really sharp, but that is easily remedied by a trip to Petco for a doggy pedicure. Any tips on how to train a dog to not torture kids without killing her first? :)

Looks can be deceiving

2008-08-16T08:04:00.002-06:00

A normal warm pile of laundry waiting to be folded, right?

Think again......

Salt Lake = Lots of Pictures!

2008-08-14T09:38:00.007-06:00

We just got back from my sisters wedding in Salt Lake. We had such a great time.

The Happy CoupleBentley and Seth were the ring bearers....

Seth was excited with his responsibility.... Bentley..... not so much

Jesus was a groomsman, and I was a bridesmaid...

The kids played......

We danced..... (Aren't my mom and Bob so cute?)

We conga lined....

And then we crashed....

Some harder than others....

Here are some random pictures of how cute my kids are and other stuff...

The beautiful cake

My Stud Muffin sonMy brother Derek with Chloe and my sister Lindsey in the backgroundNiki, her baby Ava and BobThe Many Faces of Chloe.....

Mad

Happy

Not quite sure what this look is about....
We decided the make this trip into a mini-vacation since its so hard to drag Jesus away from work. We got a condo in Park City and shared with my mom and crew. We went shopping, out to eat and spent a lot of time with friends and family. One night we went to dinner with Chelsey and Alan. Afterwards we went to Boondocks, a family fun center. Jesus, Bentley, Chels and Alan went to ride the go-karts and Chloe and I hung back since one of us it pregnant and the other is too small. We had to wait a while since there was a long line. Well, I guess Chloe got tired because I looked over and this is what I saw....

I put the kids in the bath one night and we all learned a valuable lesson....

Bubbles + Jetted Tub = Problems.....

Bentley wanted to sit in the hot tub on the deck, but since it had sat uncovered overnight it was looking pretty nasty. I offered to put him in the bath tub and turn the jets on and that made him happy. I walked out for a minute to gather pajamas and what not (don't turn me in to CPS, I could hear them the whole time! ) and Bentley decided they needed bubbles and dumped half a bottle of shampoo in the water. At first the bubbles weren't too bad, but then they kept growing and growing because of the jets. When I couldn't see Chloe's neck anymore I decided it was time to turn the jets off and drain the tub. It took 20 minutes of rinsing to get all the bubbles out of the tub, not to mention off the floor...

Breaking Dawn

2008-08-06T10:10:00.002-06:00

I JUST finished. All I can say is FINALLY! I think a lot of my issues with the first three books were finally fixed in this one. I was thoroughly impressed. And that is all I will say since I know many of my blog readers haven't had a chance to read it yet. My sister Courtney has next dibs on the book, but if anybody wants to borrow it after her let me know!

my funny boy

2008-08-06T08:50:00.002-06:00

this is what I found when I walked into Bentley's room the other day -

every single Car's figure lined up along the road on his Car's rug....

while wearing his Batman mask.

First Trip to Labor and Delivery

2008-08-02T08:08:00.003-06:00

I went twice with Bentley, and three times with Chloe, but hopefully this time wont be quite as frequent. Yesterday I noticed my feet were swollen. I have never dealt with the swelling in my other pregnancies so I was somewhat surprised. I just assumed it was due to the heat and didn't think twice about it. However, while at work, I noticed I was feeling some contraction-like cramping. I only had an hour or so left of my shift so I waited it out and called Jesus on my way home. He left work and we headed to labor and delivery. With the combination of swollen feet and contractions I didn't dare take any chances. I am still around 6 weeks away from being due, so this was not a ton of fun. Our nurse was awesome. They hooked me up to monitors and started asking all the standard questions. She was concerned I either had a bladder infection, kidney infection, or simply was dehydrated. I wasn't sure about the bladder infection, but was fairly certain it wasn't issues with my kidneys again because this was a whole different pain. They did a UA and it came back with no sign of infection, and everything was pointing to dehydration. Dehydration is one of the biggest reasons women have preterm contractions. Now, I want to point out that I drink water. I drink lots of water, but being prego in the St. George heat and chasing two toddlers while working full time has a way of wiping you out. So, I got re-hydrated, they cleared it with my doctor, and 3 hours later, I was home. I have been told to rest, drink even more water than I think I need, and call my doctor if anything changes. I took a picture of my feet so I could show you how swollen they are, but its not the greatest. You can see the red marks from where my shoes were and notice that there isn't much definition between ankle and calf... basically - I have cankles. The good news is, baby is doing well, and is still in a very good position for how far along I am. Very high, not dilated at all, and the cervix is still thick. We may make it to my due date after all!

On another note, we getting prepared and super excited to go up north for Niki's wedding. My step sister is getting married on 8/8/08 and the whole family is going up. I am a bridesmaid, Jesus is a groomsman, and Bentley is one of the ring bearers. We are staying in a condo in Park City and I am so excited to go shopping, swimming, and just relax. Jesus is actually taking a few days off of work! We will leave Thursday and hopefully (if Jesus isn't itching to get back sooner) we will come home Monday. Well, hopefully I will have lots of pictures of our little vacation to share when we get back since a lot of my posts have been kinda boring...

a rare moment....

2008-07-26T20:30:00.002-06:00

sleeping... all of them.... ahhhhh, silence!

sniff... tear....

2008-07-24T12:47:00.003-06:00

I got a letter in the mail from Bentley's preschool yesterday. It was information about orientation and the first day of school. I can't believe my baby is gonna go to school! Granted it's only 2 days a week for 2 1/2 hours, but still! Bentley is so exicted too. He always talks about his backpack and how he has to be a big boy to go to school. Anytime a school bus goes by he tells me that's how he goes to school. I hope he won't be too disapointed with the fact that he gets dropped off by mom, not in a yellow bus....

By the way, the panic time has begun. Today, I sent a text message to my sister-in-law asking if she was working. She responded with "why? do you need to go to the hospital?"

8 Weeks left

2008-07-20T09:35:00.003-06:00

Ahhh, the countdown is on! 8 weeks left. Knowing my history, probably closer to 6. Bentley and Chloe were both early, so I am guessing this baby will be too. I feel alright. Not too uncomfortable, and I am still sleeping alright. I do have to wake up to pee occasionally, but that's not too bad. My back pain hasn't been too bad, I only notice it when I have overdone it. The day I took the crib apart to move it into my room I really felt it, but on a day to day basis I am alright.

I have managed to get some nesting done. I went through all of Bentley's old clothes and it was great to have so many outfits still in good condition. I only have to get a couple packs of socks and onsies and I should be set. I still have several totes of clothes that are 3-6 months, 6-9 and 9-12 that I haven't even attempted to go through yet. As soon as I get the crib put back together, the car seat bought, and my suitcase packed I should feel totally prepared. I am going to Salt Lake the 7Th of August for 3 days, so lets hope this baby doesn't pick that weekend to come! hahaha

I plan on working until the end of August, but cutting my hours back. I will return to work in mid October (depending on how I feel), but only as part time.

I feel the incessant urge to make list after list and make phone calls to the hospital and insurance company. I guess that's the nesting instinct kicking in.

I haven't posted much about Bentley lately and I feel totally guilty about it. He is such a good little boy that there isn't much to say about him.... He has become totally obsessed with Batman. The other day he insisted on wearing his Batman mask and cape in the grocery store. He were walking down the aisles and people kept walking up and saying "hi Batman!". He would look at them like they were crazy. It was hilarious! I am trying to decide if the new Batman movie is too scary for him, so if you have seen it, or know anyone who has - any input would be appreciated!

Weekend Update

2008-07-15T09:45:00.004-06:00

This is the newest member of our family (at least until September.... haha)

her name is Belle, and she's a pughuahua. Her mom is a pug, and her dad is a chihuahua. She is the sweetest thing and the kids are loving her. She was almost completely potty trained when we got her so that was a major stress off my shoulders! Bentley and Chloe are in puppy heaven. He does not want to let her out of his sight and we even got in trouble at Harmon's the other night because Bentley insisted on taking her into the store... oops....

On Sunday we took a little day trip to Vegas to get some baby shopping done. We were deciding between getting a toddler bed for Chloe, or a new crib for the baby. We also need a new car seat and a couple other odds and ends. Since St. George isn't exactly known for its shopping selection we decided to go to Babies R Us and do it in one sweep. When we got there I was immediately disappointed in the car seat selection. There were a few I was looking at online and they weren't nearly as cute in person. I decided I would wait and get one I had seen a few days before at Wal-Mart.
We decided to get a toddler bed for Chloe despite the fact that I knew bed time was going to be a huge challenge. But hey, you gotta do it at some point right? We were going to get a basic white one, but then I saw this one.
For $20 more it came with toy box and bench, plus it just seemed like Chloe. The canopy bed and pink princess theme were right up her alley. I was able to get some more organizing and picture hanging up today, so here's some pictures of her room now. There are just a few shelves I need Jesus' help with and we want to paint the chair rail white, and the bottom half of the room pink. Then her room will be all done. She slept in her new bed last night for a couple hours, but since she hasn't been feeling well we didn't push it too hard and she ended up in our bed.

That brings me to my last topic. What is with my kid and weird illnesses? Chloe was acting kinda funny on Saturday and we realized she had a fever. We gave her tylenol and didn't think much of it. Sunday she was still a bit fussy, so we gave her some more, thinking she was teething since she kept touching her mouth. Then I saw the sores. She had what I thought was a canker sore on her tongue, but when I got looking closer I realized she had two more. One on her gums, and another one further back on her tongue. I couldn't see down her throat but later when we went to the doctor we saw them when he shined the light in her mouth. We cut our Vegas trip short after lunch because we wanted to get her home. We had promised Bentley we would take him to Kung Fu Panda since we weren't going to the Shark Reef. Then when we realized how bad the sores were we knew we had to get Chloe into the Instacare. We were trying to figure out how to keep our promise to Bentley, and make sure Chloe got to the doctor. I was willing to let Jesus take Bentley to the movie while I went to the doctor, but Jesus said that he wanted to be there, so we had Cambria (my cousin) and her friend take him to the movie while we went to the doctor. Chloe has hand foot and mouth disease. The worst part is - its a virus. There is no medicine for it. It has to run its course. I can give her ibuprofen for the pain, but thats about it. It's supposed to last about a week. Today she slept until 10 am. I am not complaining, but that is SOOOO not like her. This kid wakes up at the butt crack of dawn most days. Poor girl.

Well, there's a little update on whats going on in our life.

my dilema

2008-07-11T14:33:00.002-06:00

When we were pregnant with Bentley, the minute my husband suggested the name "Bentley" I knew that was it. With Chloe, as soon as I heard the name Chloe I knew that would be my babies name. It was easy. It just "clicked". This time around.... not so much.... I have searched every website, read all the books, hoping that that perfect name would jump out at me. I would jump out of my chair and shout "YES! there it is!", but so far, no dice. I have found some names I like, and so has Jesus, but nothing with that light bulb above your head affect. So, once again, I turn to you fellow bloggers. Give me your opinion.

Mateo Jett Espinoza.

Now, so far, the initial response I have gotten was a definite no, but give a second. Let me explain. Jesus is feeling guilty for not having Bentley's middle name be Jesus as family tradition calls. His middle name is Jesus (I wont tell you his first name because I would have to kill you after!), his dad's middle name is Jesus, and his grandfathers middle name was Jesus. Originally we had decided this was not an option for us, but now Jesus is feeling the guilt and wanting to follow tradition. I am fighting tooth and nail against it. My compromise with Bentley was to have his middle name start with a J, as well as Chloe (Bentley Jayde, Chloe Jocelyn) but apparently this isn't going to be the case this time. I was browsing names today and came across Mateo. I have heard the name before and liked it. It means Matthew in Spanish, so I thought it would be a good compromise without going too traditional. (Javier, Jesus, Juan so on....) Jesus said it's "growing on him", and my moms first impression was "NO!" until I explained. So... tell me what you think? Maybe offer another option?
I am not saying this wont change before I actually deliver. This child may be one of those that you can't name until you see... who knows? But I still would love some opinions or options!

Blonde and Belly

2008-07-03T19:25:00.003-06:00

Here's me and my big ol belly. I am feeling large and in charge! 29 weeks and wondering how I can get any bigger? haha. I am actually feeling pretty good. Today I went and got my hair done. Lenzi always does such a great job. I asked for blonde and Lenzi pulled it off! I haven't been this blonde since high school! I really like it! I also went back to the shorter 'do. It's so much easier to do! Also, I really should have put on more make up before I took this picture... yikes!

I think.....

2008-06-24T09:52:00.002-06:00

I am going to try to sew this....

This is selling on Babies 'R' Us for $350.00!! I don't know too much about sewing, but this looks pretty basic! My mom, grandma and I made Bentley's crib set and I have pretty much decided I am going to try to make something similar to this. Its so colorful and fun, I just fell in love with it. I guess I better get cracking if I plan on having this done before little Mason gets here!

Open for business!

2008-06-20T09:00:00.004-06:00

Well, the new dealership is officially open. Jesus went back to Southwest to help get their new dealership up and running. They are going to be a "buy here - pay here" dealership specializing in helping people with questionable credit, but he can also work wonders for people with good credit too! They are located right next to Wendy's on the Boulevard, in the log cabin. Also, he gives referral fees. If you send someone to him and they buy a car he will thank you with a little bit of moola! But they HAVE to mention who sent them before they buy it, so he can file the right paperwork. Jesus is very excited to be back at the dealership doing what he loves!

Check out their website to see their inventory. http://www.southwestmotors.net/ or call them at 435-652-9777!

27 Weeks

2008-06-17T16:11:00.002-06:00

I am 27 weeks along today. This officially puts me in the third trimester. YEAH! So far I am feeling great, except for being exhausted. I am pretty anemic (according to my Dr.) and so I think this may have something to do with it. I am going to try to be better about taking my prenatals, and hopefully that will help.
Big shout out to Chanel, she gave birth to little Layla last week and I failed to congratulate her officially. I went and saw her at the hospital without the kids, and then when they got home and settled Jesus and I took the kids over to see the baby. Bentley was adorable. So sweet and gentle and almost intimidated by her, but eventually he warmed up and we let him hold her for a second. Chloe was the exact opposite. Extremely excited, and not very gentle. At one point she was trying to stroke the baby's cheek like she does to us, and she accidentally smacked her in the face... oops! I felt so bad! Needless to say, I am a little scared about how she will adjust when this baby comes....

(no pics on this post, because I am still camera-less, btw, if anyone see's a good deal on a basic point and shoot digital, let me know! I am in the market!)

Happy Dad's Day!

2008-06-14T17:48:00.003-06:00

I know I am a day early, but I was so antsy to give my gifts to Jesus that I broke down and gave them to him early. I was so proud of my little project that I had to share!

I started out by taking a cute picture of us. Its hard to see in the final project, but the kids are wearing shirts that say "my dad rocks", and I have a t-shirt on that we put an iron on patch right on the belly that says the same thing.

Then I matted the picture with some cute paper, added some embelishments and voila! Perfect fathers day gift!

(I hate cell phone pics, but I cant find my camera... again.... I am pretty sure it got stolen this time....)

I also got Jesus some new clothes that he desperately needed due to his recent weight loss (20 lbs and counting!!!), but I don't have pictures of those...

Anyway, just want to publicly wish my hubby a happy fathers day, and let him know that he is the best dad our kids could ask for. He is always looking to find fun things for the kids to do, and so willing to take them to park whenever they want to. He is a goofball and a kid at heart, and my kids love him to death. As soon as he walks in the door they go running yelling daddy!!! until they get their hugs and kisses.

Coming from someone who's biological father was in and out of her life, it makes me so proud to see have my kids have a dad who wants to be involved in every aspect of their lives! Thanks honey!

Thoughts?

2008-06-11T13:04:00.001-06:00

Mason Jett Espinoza?
Discuss

ohhhh one of "those" days

2008-06-08T10:44:00.003-06:00

Its been one of "those" days. Already. Its not even noon yet and all I want to do is crawl back in bed. I need a mocha. I know, I know, pregnancy and coffee... not the best combo, but give me a break. I had to be to work at 6:00. Which meant I had to leave my house by 5:30. Which meant I had to be up by 4:45. What time did I really wake up? 5:15. Which means after the quickest shower of my life I was out the door by 5:40, and walked into work at 6:05. I have been on autopilot all day. I can't tell you one productive thing I have doneyet. No filing, no billings, nothing. Just now, I spent twenty minutes fixing my jammed stapler, only to forget why I needed it in the first place. Now (since my hubby is so wonderful), I have a delicious mocha from Perks, and feeling much better. Lets see if I can make it through the next three hours before I crash.

I'm it!

2008-06-07T09:14:00.003-06:00

I was tagged by Nancy, and haven't had much of a chance to sit down and do it. I was also tagged by a few other people, and I promise I wasn't avoiding them, its just that my life was a bit hectic there for a minute!
You are supposed to answer these questions with one word. I know some answers have more than one word, but it was necessary!
1. Where is your cell phone? ....................Jesus
2. Your significant other?.......................working
3. Your hair?....................................growing
4. Your mother? .................................amazing!
5. Your father?..................................absent
6. Your favorite thing?..........................love
7. Your dream last night?........................work
8. Your favorite drink...........................dietcoke
9. Your dream/goal?..............................interior design
10. The room you're in?..........................office
11. Your children?.....................................hilarious
12. Your fear?...................................losing
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years........... happy
14. Where were you last night?...................work
15. What you're not?.............................busy
16. Muffins......................................chocolate chocolate chip
17. One of your wish list items?.................bedroom set
18. Where you grew up?...........................St. George
19. What you read last........................twilight
20. What are you wearing?........................uniform
21. Your TV?.....................................big
22. Your pets?...................................none
23. Your computer? ..............................home
24. Your life?...................................better
25. Your mood?...................................sleepy
26. Missing someone?.............................always
27. Your car?....................................tahoe
28. Something you're not wearing?................flip flops
29. Favorite Store?..............................target
30. Your summer?.................................long (pregnant)
31. Like someone?................................ love him
32. Your favorite color?.........................pink
33. Last time you laughed........................barely
34. Last time you cried?.........................two days
I tag Marci, Lenzi and Dayna. Have fun! (if you actually do it!)

Happy Birthday Hunny!

2008-06-05T07:46:00.005-06:00

Yesterday was Jesus' 23rd birthday. Yes, he's getting old! hahaha. I was at a loss of what to do for him, since my recent "vacation" has put a crimp in my spending money. (Translation - Momma is broke! haha).

So I decided it would be fun to my complimentary employee stay at my work.

We ate dinner here. He had pork tenderloin. I had scallops. Since this is "spa cuisine" it wasn't overly filling and we were still starving afterwards, so we went down to Don Pedro's and got some Super Nacho's. Hahaha.

We slept here. The guests fondly refer to them as the "marshmallow beds". This is a huge pillow top mattress with a featherbed overlay, a down comforter and feather pillows. You feel like you are sleeping on a cloud.

The best part of the whole thing was the Couples Massage. It came with a couples bath first and it was so nice to relax together without a child screaming in the background, or knocking on the door.

I also got cupcakes from 25 Main, the cute new bakery on Main Street. I want to go back and try their food. It looked yummy!

http://www.twentyfivemain.com/

Big shout out to my mom and Courtney for their help baby sitting! It wouldn't have been possible without you!!

Vacation?

2008-06-01T18:15:00.003-06:00

HA! I think not. I haven't blogged in a while, and I promise, there is a very good explaination why.
Let's start at the beginning.
First, we started our move. Life was hectic. We were without internet in the process. The day our cable company was coming to install cable and internet at the new house I started having some really bad cramping. I was very freaked out and my husband and I went to labor and delivery. The monitors were not showing any contractions and the baby was fine. They checked my urine and said I had blood in my urine. This made them think I had a kidney stone. They told me to go home and wait it out. By this time the cramping stopped so I wasn't too worried, however, we had missed the appointment with the cable company so we were still without tv or internet. I went a few days feeling fine, and way ready to back to work when the beast struck again. This time not in the form of cramps, it was back pain on my right side. This was the worst pain I had ever felt. Within minutes I was laying in bed sobbing and Jesus was forced to call in sick for me... again. I took a hot bath and tried to wait it out, but nothing I did helped. We finally went to the ER. Since I am pregnant they cant do the CAT scan or MRI or whatever, but they were able to do an ultrasound to determine my right kidney had "moderate swelling". They basically told me that the crappy thing about kidney stones is that you have to wait it out. They did, however, give me Percocet to get me through. I went home, took a Percocet and the next few days is pretty much a blur. (Thank for all the babysitting help Cambria and Courtney) I spent Memorial Weekend drugged out on pills being in bed pretty much nonstop. I have since begun to feel better, and have had only a few moments of pain. At this point I am almost 4 days without any back pain and so I think I may have passed the stone. I was not able to return to work until today because I needed the doctors ok to return. I actually got the clearance a few days a go, but decided to take a couple extra days to finish the move, and make sure I felt better. The upside of this debacle? The time at home has given me a chance to really crack down on Bentley's potty training. He is almost completely done. We still have to remind him from time to time, but I have had very few accidents. Also, it gave me lots of time to unpack and get settled.
It also allowed me to see that I really do want to stay home after this baby. I have wrested back and forth for the past few months over whether or not I would return after my maternity leave. In my head I said "how can I? Is it even financially possible?" but wondered if I would miss work too much to stay away. The answer was no... I like my job, and did look forward to returning, I was much nicer to be home at night with my family, and to cook dinner, so on and so forth. I will continue working until I have to baby, so I can keep my insurance, but I doubt I will return after that.
Anyway, life is good. Kids are great, and pregnancy is going well. Hope its the same for all of you!

Progress

2008-05-13T17:31:00.002-06:00

I get these e-mail's weekly to update me on the progress of my pregnancy. I love to read these and see what's going on inside my body. I thought I would share this with you! Enjoy!

Your baby is more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango). He may be able to feel your movements now, so put on some tunes and dance around the house. No matter what race your baby is, he looks red now due to blood vessels showing through his transparent skin. His true skin tone will develop over the course of his first year. Blood vessels in your baby's lungs are developing to prepare him for breathing, but complete lung development will take many more months. The lungs are the last organ to fully develop.

anybody?

2008-05-10T19:17:00.003-06:00

I know I already posted today, but I am killing time at work. I am hoping someone has the second book in the Twilight series they will let me borrow? I have seriously gone to the library like 4 times and of course they are all checked out. I know I can be put on a list ot have it held for me, but I don't have the patience for that. I am also too cheap to go out and buy books. I know I will only read them once, so why buy them? Anyway, if anyone wants to be so generous as to let me borrow the book (seriously I will only have it for like 4 days!) I would appreciate it! If not, I will continue to wait not so patiently...

Gotta get something off my chest

2008-05-10T14:16:00.002-06:00

This is something that has been bothering me lately. It is going to sound silly and trivial to most people, but there will be some who see my point.
The last couple weeks they have been doing some type of construction on Dixie Drive, the main road that runs by our subdivision. This in itself does not bother me, but some of the workers do. (Disclaimer: I am not a construction worker. I do not know all the the ins and outs of construction jobs, and have no clue all that is involved in this gentleman's job. I hope I don't offend anyone...:) ) You know the guy who holds the sign that says "slow", and on the opposite side its a "stop" sign? Well, his job seems pretty simple right? Hold the sign so the drivers are aware they are in a construction zone and the keep their speed down. Occasionally if he gets the signal to stop traffic he has to turn the sign around to the other side to ask people to stop..... not rocket science right? Well, I have heard they get paid a fairly decent amount of money to do this since its considered "hazardous" or something. Well, there the guy who is supposed to be holding the sign in my neighborhood doesn't even bother to hold it. He leans the dang thing up against a traffic cone. He stands fairly close, but honestly, if all you have to do is hold a sign and you get paid a nice chunk of cash to do it, can't you make sure you actually do it? Sheesh...
Oh well, I feel better now....

Oh Chloe....

2008-05-03T09:59:00.002-06:00

what to say about this girl? She is adventurous, fearless, and determined. The following picture was taken yesterday morning. After her morning bath. Bentley woke up and asked for yogurt for breakfast. I knew it would make a mess but since they needed baths anyway, I wasn't too worried about it. I set them up at the table and let them eat. Of course, Chloe was covered from head to toe. After they were done I put them in the bath and got them cleaned up. Shortly after I hear chairs moving in the kitchen but didn't think much of it because Chloe likes to push things around. A little bit later I decided to check on her and this is what I found.....

I was thrilled. (sense the sarcasm?) She had managed to push her chair up the table, climb up (we have a bar height table!) and find the left overs of her yogurt. I stuck her in the kitchen sink and she got another quickie bath.

I can't wait for the "terrible two's" with this one!

Belly Pic Time!

2008-05-01T18:27:00.003-06:00

I failed to mention this last week, but we had a semi-lengthy discussion with our Doctor about my due date. As I mentioned before, the ultrasound shows me not being as far along as we had originally thought. While I do believe I will go sooner than my new due date, I have opted to change my due date to September 16th. (ps, thats the day after my birthday :)) I decided I would rather move my due date back and be surprised when I go early, than to plan on sooner and be depressed if I go overdue. So, I am now 20 weeks along... again...

On a happier note I am starting to notice lots of fetal movement. When I get in bed for the night I can feel the baby roll around like he is trying to get into a comfortable position. I love this point in my pregnancy. I have more energy, I am not as sick as before, and lots of exciting things with the baby. We have picked a few names, but I think the one at the top (for today haha) is Brody. Opinions......? To end this baby filled post - a pic, of my ever expanding belly!

4 Years... and some odd days

2008-04-28T16:57:00.002-06:00

I am a bit late in posting this, but life has been a bit all over the place lately. The 24th of April was Jesus and I's 4th Anniversary. It was a Thursday, and I had to work, so we were forced to wait to celebrate. On Saturday we had a birthday party for Daisy (Jesus' neice) at our house. Afterwards my mom asked if she could take the kiddies overnight so she could take them to church. She had twist my arm just a bit, but I gave in... (hope you can sense the sarcasm!) So Jesus and I decided to make the best of it. Despite both of us being exhausted from the days activities we decided this was a perfect time to celebrate. We cruised town for a bit and looked for something exciting to do and were left at a loss. For 3 years we have done mainly child friendly activities. If we had the kids with us we would have quickly drove to Jump'n Jax or Fiesta Fun. Neither of us were overly hungry since we had just eaten at the birthday party, but we decided to go to Samurai 21 and sit at the sushi bar. Jesus ordered two sushi rolls, and I ordered the Tempura Shrimp, which came with the nummy Miso soup and ginger salad that they have at the Hibachi grill. In the words of Rachel Ray - numm-o! It was only around 9 o'clock at that point so we considered a movie, but our dropping eyelids made us believe neither one of us would stay awake through it, so what did we do? Drove straight home and went to sleep! The next morning was even better. We slept in until almost 10:00! Something I don't think either of us have done in several years. Then we went to breakfast. It was nice to enjoy a hot chocolate without a three year old sticking their finger in your whipped cream, or Chloe having a melt down because the pancakes aren't coming fast enough. It was a nice slow relaxed type of breakfast, definitely not the norm in my house! I can't thank mom enough even though I know she enjoys having them as much as I enjoy the break. The kids had a great time and even got to Pine Valley. Mom got some great pictures of that, including Chloe wanting to take a dip in Pine Valley Reservoir. BRRRRR. Hopefully I can get a copy and I will post a few pictures of that soon!

HELP

2008-04-14T19:25:00.002-06:00

So I wanted a cute blog like everyone else has, so I went to Cutest Blog on the Block http://cutestblogontheblock.blogspot.com/, and found this layout that I love. I followed the directions, but it doesn't look right. I want the entries to go inside the ribbons, like centered down the page, and have my favorite blogs and my tickers to run along the side. like the originally were. Can anybody offer me suggestions? otherwise I will just put it back to my original layout. THANKS!

Oh yeah, the Drs office called. My ultrasound shows my due date to be September 16th. The day after my birthday, and the same day as my cousin McKenna's. Too bad they tried the same thing with Bentley and Chloe, and I still ended up going early. I still plan on giving birth around the first of September, if not the end of August. But I could be wrong... hahaha

On our Way

2008-04-09T12:18:00.005-06:00

to the Ultrasound! I will be sure and update you when we get back! Can you tell I am excited?? :)

okay, okay, calm down... I know you all have been overcome with excitement wondering what we are having. I can definately tell you, without any doubts or hesitations - baby number 3 is going to be a ........

boy!

Oh Joy!

2008-04-08T08:42:00.000-06:00

Days 1-3 of potty training were filled with frustration, disappointment, and feelings of helplessness. It was a roller coaster. Bentley would do really well for a bit, then decide it was easier to just go... wherever.... I think the problem was that we weren't home much on Saturday or Sunday. However, day 4 was the light at the end of the tunnel. We started out the day in underwear, and after the first accident, I ditched 'em. He spent the majority of the day naked, which clearly worked because we didn't have another accident after that. He got to the point that instead of me asking him if he needed to go, he would just sit on the potty and let me know after he had gone. I was so proud. We only went through 2 pairs of underwear yesterday versus the 8 pairs we went through on Sunday. He is still in a diaper at night, and I think it will be a while before we venture out of the house without a diaper on, but we are making progress!

One day he will kill me for these, but I don't care!

Ummm.... are you seriously taking my picture right now?

And a recent belly pic, just for fun.

Our mini trip

2008-04-02T19:37:00.000-06:00

We just got back from a quick trip to California. This will be a pictureless post for two reasons.
The obvious - 1. I broke my camera.
The not so obvious - 2. None of the moments that I am going to tell you about were really "hurry grab the camera" worthy.

We left town Friday when I got off work. I had the worst headache and was looking forward to sleeping it off in the car. Things were fine and on schedule until between Mesquite and Glendale. Then we blew a tire. I mean full on, tire off the rim, almost flying into the other lane - blowing a tire. Luckily Jesus was driving because there is NO WAY I would have been able to handle that. Jesus got us safely to side of the road and began to change the tire. People were flying by, not even attempting to get into the far right hand lane for our safety. It also really bothered me that not ONE PERSON stopped to offer assistance. It reminded me of my Grandpa. If we were ever out on an excursion and we ran across someone needing assistance we stopped. Even if they told us no thank you and sent us on our way, we still stopped. I mentioned this to Jesus and his response was "It doesn't matter, I don't need help. I got it." I think he missed the point....
We drove to Vegas on the spare and begon to search for a decent priced tire shop. Since Jesus has to have the 24 inch rims and low profile tires, I knew this would get expensive fast...
We found a Discount Tire "right off the freeway" (according to them). It took us half and hour to get the after we got off the freeway. Where I come from this is not "right off the freeway". Anyway, $300 dollars and and hour later, we were back on the road with In 'n' Out in our bellies. We made it to California with no more delays. It was 11:00 by the time we got there and we were exhausted. The kids didnt sleep well, but Jesus was such a sweetie he slept in the other room with them so I could try to sleep of my headache that had never managed to go away. We woke up and went to the Swap Meet. A must for a trip to California. I got Chloe the cutest little pair of pink and black polka dot flats. $5.00. Yep, that was my steal for the day. After that we went back to Jesus' dad's house for a bar-b-que.
The next morning was the Memorial Mass for Jesus' Grandma who passed away one year ago. This was the reason we went to California. We woke up bright and early to get ready. I know a lot of you complain about 9:00 church, this was much worst. Try 7:30. So I woke up and got ready and waited till the last minute to wake the kids up. Chloe was not having it.... during the first 20 minutes of the Mass she was screaming, so I gladly took her back to the house. This was fine with me, since the entire service was in Spanish. I was the only non-Hispanic person there, except for the priest. He was Asian- speaking Spanish.... I was a little out of my element.
We spent the rest of the day with the family eating lots of good food.
Things we fine until that evening. I am not sure completely what led up to the next drama, but what I do know is Giovanni - Jesus' little brother was climbing a fence. Not a chain link, or typical fence, it was one of those secutiry fences, that are a skinny pole that are almost impossible to climb. Well, as he climbed to the other side he fell. The fence literately stabbed him in the side. He was taken to the emergency room and given an x-ray. He didnt puncture any organs (luckily) so he was able to leave with a tetnus shot, some stitches and a couple staples. Last we heard he was still in a lot of pain, and they were keeping him home from school for a few days. Poor guy!
That was pretty much the jist of it. We are home now, and all is well.
We have our ultrasound next week on the 9th, and can't wait to know if this is a little boy baby or little girl. Feel free to post your opinion!

Easter Egg Hunt and random other things

2008-03-22T20:08:00.000-06:00

First of all - I would like to start this blog off with a moment of silence. There has been a death in the family. My trusty Polaroid. While not the most high tech fancy schmancy camera on the market, it has done its job for well over a year now. Today, it met it's match. Rock. Hard unmoving, rock. We shall miss our trusty camera. Ok, moving on.

Last night Grandma Freed came over and we colored easter eggs. Bentley and Chloe had a blast. As you can see, Bentley was as methodical and precise about painting Easter eggs as he is about every aspect of his life.

You can literately see the concentration on his face. He did make some beautiful eggs however.

Chloe thought it was fun the splash the eggs in the water. Typical.

Today the whole fam damily went to Rockville for the annual Easter egg hunt. We had a blast.
Here's Chloe in the pack and play. Aka - baby jail. She was only in there for a matter of minutes before she decided it was no fun and she wanted OUT. She even went so far as to try to climb out.

Megan has an adorable picture of her with her hand on her cheek with a look on her face like..... hmmmm how am I gonna get outta here?
She did love the four-wheelers though!

And the water bottles.....

The definite highlight of the day was without a doubt the Easter Egg hunt. The Easter Bunny sure did get some good non-chocolate candy this year. Last year he must have learned his lesson! Since this was Chloe's first year being involved it was a ton of fun.

Bentley really got into the swing of things and ended up with an entire bucket of candy. Wooo weeee!

On an entirely unrelated note- here an adorable video I was telling Megan about today. As I was telling her I needed to show her she said " Why don't you blog it?" DURRR.... its very dark, but it was taken with Jesus' cell phone. Listen close because its super cute!
Spiderpig - by Bentley

2008-03-15T20:18:00.000-06:00

This week we went to Salt Lake for a little getaway. We Stayed with my step-sister Niki and had a blast. We were able to go shopping at the Gateway which I had never been to and LOVED! We saw Chelsey and went to dinner with her and Niki and Lindsey. We went to Bucca Di Pepo, an Italian restaurant we had never been to. And of course we had to hit the Zoo! Bentley was talking about it for days before. He kept talking about the monkeys, elephants and owls. Yeah, I know.... owls. Whatever.... weird kid. The weather was overcast and a bit cold for us "St. Georgeians" but over all it was a good trip. Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure!
Daddy and Bentley with the tigers.

Mommy and Chloe by the elephants.

How do YOU measure up?

And just because I can - my belly. I am roughly 15 weeks right now. Can you see the belly or is it just looking like fat?

tagged.... again...jerks

2008-02-29T17:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, I was avoiding it, but I am at work with the only other option being to actually work. So I will succumb to the tag, and make it look like I am working. Hahaha
Alright.... 7 weird things about me:
1. As a child and/or teenager, I never really pictured myself as a mother. Not that I didn't want kids, I just never imagined what life would be like with them. Now that I have two (almost three), I can't imagine life without them.
2. I like the smell of gas. Like when you first pull up to the gas station, the faint smell. Its nice... after a while though, it gives me a headache.
3. Although this baby was not planned - I was baby hungry, so I am excited, and feel like this baby will complete our family.... but no more! haha
4. I am addicted to celebrity tabloids. Sad, but true... I have to know what Britney did, or if J.Lo had her babies...
5. I work because I want to. Sure, the money is nice, but the main reason I work is because I would go crazy. I have found I am a better mother and wife, if I have a place to go to get away. Nothing against those who do stay at home, but for me it wasn't the best. If I told Jesus that I wanted to quit and never work another day in my life, he would support me 100%, but I couldn't do it. I found myself slipping into depressions when I was staying home. I need places to go, and a sense of purpose in a day. This may change when baby number 3 comes along, but for now I am content.
6. I am content to wear flip flops every day, but I love shoes. Heels, wedges, flats, I love shoe shopping. But all I ever wear is flip flops.....
7. During this pregnancy, diet coke has been making me sick. Forcing me to drink more water and juice, my doctor wont mind, but I miss my diet coke!!!

A week of sickness

2008-02-25T17:17:00.000-07:00

Well, this week has been interesting. First off, I ended up in the Insta-care on Monday (Presidents Day) for four hours because I couldn't stop throwing up. The Unisom just stopped working. I am now on Zofran and that has made all the difference.
Then, Chloe started to throw up non-stop. The vomiting has started to taper off, but she has continued to have Diarrhea (TMI sorry!) for over a week. I finally got her into the doctor today, and lo and behold.... she has an intestinal infection! Like when you go to another country and they say "don't drink the water"... that type of infection! No clue on how or where she got it, but at least we have an anti-biotic to take care of it. Hopefully in a couple days she will be back to normal.
Other than that, all has been well. We are approaching the 12th week of pregnancy and I am starting to get a little tummy already. We went to the doctor last week and got to hear the heartbeat. We actually experienced something I haven't had happen. We could hear the heartbeat, but when we tried to isolate it my heartbeat kept getting in the way. No matter how we moved the Doppler we kept hearing mine stonger than the babies. No clue on the sex though since the heartbeat was in the mid-range. With Chloe it was fast, so we had a bit of a clue.
I haven't taken many pictures of the kids lately, so I will definately have to take some and post them soon.

I've been tagged

2008-02-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

My husband
his name......Jesus prounouced "hey-sus"
How long have we been together... 5 years this Valentines day
how long did you date.....about a year and a half
how old is he.....22, almost 23
who eats more.....He does, but being prego I am catching up to him
who said I love you first....i think he did
who is taller......He is
who is smarter...I think we all know the answer to this one... haha, actually I really think it depends on the subject. I am horrible at math, and have been banished from balancing the check book, but I think I am smarter in other areas
who does the laundry...I do, or else we would all have pink socks... haha
who pays the bills...We both do, whoever thinks about them first
who sleeps on the right...I do, well i guess it depends, is this if you were standing at the foot of the bed or actually laying in it? silly questions
who mows the lawn....the lawn people... lucky for us we dont have to do it
who cooks dinner... if we are both home then I try to
who drives...we both do, but not at the same time... :)
who is most stubborn... we both are very stubborn, we also both like to have the last word. it can be interesting
who kissed who first...it was him... all him... hehe
who asked who out first..we never really did that... we just kinda started hanging out
who proposed....he did
who has more friends... i have more close friends, he just randomly meets a lot of people
who is the most sensitive...i definately am way more sensitive. he never lets things get to him
who has more siblings... i do. i have a total of six including step and half siblings ,and he has 4
who wears the pants..we both think we do, but we actually have developed a good sense of "it goes both ways" if that makes sense...

unfortunately, megan you are the only other person who reads my blog, so I am going to have to tag you...
do with it what you wish!

ugh....

2008-01-26T15:21:00.001-07:00

I thought this time would be different. I thought maybe, just maybe it won't happen this time. I hoped I could get away with it. Maybe I can sneak through without it happening again. I mean why does this have to happen? I will stop being cryptic and annoying and just come out with it.

Its started... the morning sickness.....

I felt good in the beginning- tired, but not sick. Then yesterday it hit me, and again today. At least it's not haunting me all day - yet....

If this pregnancy is anything like my other two, it will only get worse. I am determined not to let it get as bad as before though. As you may recall, I was so sick I couldn't hold down water. Even chewing gum would cause me to dry heave (too much info... sorry). With both pregnancies I had to go to the Instacare and get an IV to rehydrate me. While pregnant with Chloe I found a miracle cure.

Unisom.

Its an over the counter sleep aid that for some reason helps with nausea. I would take half a pill at night, and would wake up feeling fine in the morning. However, if I missed a day... look out! I actually went to Salt Lake to see Chelsey and forgot my Unisom. I had to run to Wal-mart and buy some just to make it through the trip.

At least this time around I know what to watch for and how to prevent it. I just wish I was one of those lucky girls that gets away with being pregnant and not being sick. Hmph... (pouty face....)

New 'do

2008-01-19T17:05:00.001-07:00

Well, lately I have been hating my hair. Hating that it was knotted and hurt to brush it when it was wet. Hated to do it because it had gotten so long that it took forever to do. Hated that I had to sweep my bathroom nearly daily because of how much hair would fall out when I was getting ready. I hated my hair so much I broke down and chopped it off. 6 and 1/4 inches. I love it. My friend Lenzi did it for me and she's amazing. She was not timid about chopping that much hair off which made me feel so much better. Hopefully this will make my early morning much quicker!

Ooops!

2008-01-13T15:11:00.000-07:00

Well, I know you know this already Megan, but I thought I better blog it so it's official, and so I made sure Tennille knew.....

I'm pregnant! Hahaha, this was definately not expected or planned, but we are very excited. Bentley is starting to grasp the concept a little bit and with how well he adjusted when we had Chloe I am not too worried about him. Chloe on the other hand.... she is a bit more high strung. We will have to wait and see how that goes....

Anyway, here's the blurry picture of the pregnancy test

Our estimated due date is September 8th, so yes, I will be huge fat and pregnant ALL SUMMER LONG! I give Megan kudos for not finding out what she was having but I honestly think I would have anxiety attacks if I did that so we will be finding out the sex as soon as possible. I would also like to try a 3-D ultrasound this time around and see if there's a difference. Probably not but it would be fun. Anyway, I will keep you posted on the pregnancy and I am hoping to post monthly pics of my growing belly so watch for that!

The Hidden Ducks

2008-01-07T20:33:00.000-07:00

Today Bentley woke up and immediately asked to go to the duckies. At first I was totally confused. I had no idea what he was talking about. Then it hit me. Over Christmas Bentley's grandpa (Jesus' dad) had taken them to a nearby pond to feed ducks. I didn't realize just how nearby it was. I called Jesus to ask him how to get to this pond and he told me just to walk across the empty lot across the street. I followed his directions and hidden behind the house across the street was this.......

I was amazed. All this time hiding literately in front of my face was a beautiful duck pond. We took some "oldish" (if that's a real word) rolls, and the heels of a loaf of bread (who eats that stuff anyway?) and let Bentley throw them to the duckies.. Bentley had a good time. As soon as we got there he plopped himself down and began to toss. Then he waited patiently for the ducks to come in and eat it. Every once a while they would spook themselves and fly off quacking all the way and he would bust out laughing and say "they scared me!". It was adorable.

Chloe had a enjoyed it too, she kept trying to get closer and closer. Ahhh - she is my adventurous girl. Bentley has always been content to sit by the side and observe, but not Chloe! She was in no way entertained just watching She wanted to feel the feathers, and taste the water for herself. She would have literately jumped in the water if I hadn't grabbed her. I finally sat her next to Bentley and she was content enough to watch what he was doing long enough for the rolls to be eaten. I couldn't resist snapping this of the two of them. We had a blast and this definately wont be the last time those ducks see us!

our new best friend

2008-01-03T17:07:00.000-07:00

No, we didn't buy a dog as the title of this post would imply, but we did get a trampoline. It was one of the new treasures Santa brought us this year. Bentley and Chloe have been loving it. I practically have to drag those two outta there. So today, as I stood shivering outside watching them, I decided to bust out the camera phone and take some pictures of how much fun they were having.
Chloe couldn't manage to stay standing up while Bentley was jumping, but she loved it anyway.

This one is super blurry but I love the joy on her face. (Cell phones don't take very good action shots....)
She was contemplating her plan of attack, maybe it was payback for this......

Yes, he has a dirty face... no, I don't care.... haha it gives him charm and character.... :)

Its here!

2007-12-24T21:09:00.000-07:00

Well, I officially have been a loser about blogging again. As I sit at work on Christmas Eve feeling guilty for not being home, I will try to redeem myself a bit by blogging some Christmas-y feelings. Yes, I am at work on Christmas Eve. Yes, Jesus is home with his family and our children waiting for me to join in on the festivities. Yes, I hate the fact that I am at work, but it was either that or Christmas Day, so I can't complain too much. When I go home (in about 30 minutes... but who's counting?) There will be a feast waiting for me, and anxious children ready to open presents (Jesus' family's tradition is to open the presents on Christmas Eve and then Santa will come and bring his presents in the middle of the night).
Today we baked christmas cookies to leave out for Santa (I picked my favorites...tee hee hee) and that just made it all seem real.
Tomorrow morning we will make the trek to Pine Valley (after we see what Santa left for us) to spend the day with the McKnight clan..... oops, sorry, had to do some work there for a second. Darn people, can't you see I am blogging here?
I have complained a bit about having company at our house but all in all it has been nice to have them here. Amidst all the chaos and messes, there was a feeling of Christmas excitement and cheer in my home this morning. The kids kept asking me periodically through the day "do we get to open presents tonight?" and then when they recieved the answer they were hoping for ("yes"), they would run away giggling looking for something to do to keep the excitement contained.
Yes, tomorrow is Christmas. Months of planning, stressing, budgeting, and all in all excitement will come to an end tomorrow. Hopefully we can keep the spirit of Christmas in our hearts and minds for the upcoming year. Love you all and hope you have a Merry Christmas!