Grandma!

I love my mom so much. She is not only my mother, but my friend. She was obviously my greatest influence growing up, but what I didn't realize is how much I would coninue to learn from my mother even now that I am grown and a mother myself. I am so thankful to live near her. I am also thankful for the immense love she has for my children. I love you mom!~

3 Months Old!

I can't believe Peyton is three months old. We are enjoying her so much. She continues to be a calm and good-natured baby. She especially loves her big sisters (and the feeling is mutual!). She's started laughing lately, which has to be the cutest sound in the world! We already can't imagine our family without her!!

looks like we have a thumb sucker on our hands!

lexi and peyton hanging out on the couch

Only the Beginning...

Since I am one of four girls in my family, I know what I'm in for with raising three daughters. For example, getting ready in the morning. I remember lots of tears, lots of outfits thrown on the floor, lots of brushes thrown at the mirror and lots of "I can't find my shoes"! Jordyn getting ready for pre-school this morning brought back memories, however this time I'm in CHARGE of it all!!! All her pants bugged her (the fifth pair we put on finally didn't make her cry), her shoes slip a millionth of a millimeter so she says "they're flip flops mom!", she couldn't decide what she would eat because she was too upset and hungry by this point, and her hair HAD to be in braids (which, when you're in a hurry, are NOT quick!). All of this is intensified by the fact that we have FIVE MINUTES TILL WE HAVE TO LEAVE, but I have to try to be calm or it makes everything worse and I don't want her to leave home feeling sad at the start of the day!!! Uggh. I have a feeling this is only the beginning. In the fall when she has to be out the door by 8 every single morning....well, I can't even think about that yet! Wish me luck!

To My Child

I don't cry very easily, but this one did it to me...

To My Child
Just for this morning, I am going to step over the laundry, and pick you up and take you to the park to play.
Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink, and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together.
Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the computer off, and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles.
Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble when you scream and whine for the ice cream truck, and I will buy you one if he comes by.
Just for this afternoon, I won't worry about what you are going to be when you grow up, or second guess every decision I have made where you are concerned.
Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake cookies, and I won't stand over you trying to fix them.
Just for this afternoon, I will take us to McDonald's and buy us both a Happy Meal so you can have both toys.
Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story about how you were born and how much I love you.
Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry.
Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the porch and count all the stars.
Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours, and miss my favorite TV shows.
Just for this evening when I run my finger through your hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever given.
I will think about the mothers and fathers who are searching for their missing children, the mothers and fathers who are visiting their children's graves instead of their bedrooms, and mothers and fathers who are in hospital rooms watching their children suffer senselessly, and screaming inside that they can't handle it anymore.
And when I kiss you good night I will hold you a little tighter, a little longer. It is then, that I will thank God for you, and ask him for nothing, except one more day...........

Peyton in her Bumbo

How in the world is Peyton this cute? I just had to post this pic of her. I bought her this Bumbo tonight at Target. It's the newest in baby chairs! Don't you just want to pinch those cheeks or thighs (which, by the way, have a hard time squeezing into this bumbo!)?

Healing Juice

At least once per day I am caught off guard and get a good laugh at something my kids say. Yesterday, Lexi hurt her arm. She was crying and then desperately asking for juice. I've noticed that juice comforts her because when she's upset, she asks for it. So she drank all of her juice, then popped up surprisingly happy and said "Look, my arm is all better!". I asked, "Really, it feels all better?". She said, "YES! Because it has juice in it!". We were cracking up. I guess juice isn't just emotionally comforting, she actually thinks it has physical healing powers!

Baby Wearing

I've never had a baby wrap, sling or anything like that with my other kids when they were little. But I've had the desire to try something of the sort (maybe to free up a hand or two!) with Peyton. My good friend Tiffany has tried lots of them and she swears by the Mei Tai baby carrier, so I ordered one from http://www.alongfortheride.biz/mei-tai-category-s/43.htm and I'm so excited! I think it will be a hit and seems pretty comfy so far.

Bathroom Re-do!

Our kids' bathroom has been fish decor with BRIGHT green paint for about two years. It's fun for the kids, but it's been bugging me ever since I painted it. So, this past weekend, we finally got to re-doing it! I'm pretty happy with the results! Here you go:

The girls insisted on helping me paint the mouldings!

Taco Bell

I had sort of an embarrassing thing happen today. After the girls' dance classes (back to back classes, so we're there about two hours) I was hungry and thought a healthy (ya right) chicken quesadilla from Taco Bell sounded good. When I got to the window to pay, I realized my wallet was in my other purse, and I could only scrounge up a few dollars, leaving me $1 short. I expected the girl to be annoyed, and I told her to take off the drink from my order. But she surprised me and insisted that it would be okay and to not worry about it. She said she had it covered. She insisted so much that I finally said, okay. I mean, I could imagine her doing that if it was only five cents, but I was surprised at a dollar. I thought that was very nice of her and decided it was a situaton that made me want to "pay it forward".

Family Home Evening

I am so bad at consistency when it comes to Family Home Evening (what is family home evening? click here). The kids love it when we do remember to do it, so Tucker and I decided it was time for a FHE chart. I saw some cute ones online, but decided to make one myself for now. I love Adobe Photoshop, so that's the program I used. It's size 8x10 and I'll velcro the little "scripture" "Prayer" "lesson" "treat" and "Song" markers below each photo so they can be moved around each week. Hopefully this helps us! I'm sure the kids will love it and won't let us forget.

Chubby!

Just had to share these pics that capture the true essence of Peyton's cute baby chub. I love the one where you can't even see her mouth from the side profile because her cheeks are so big!!! I could kiss them all day long! She's so cuddly.

100 Things You May or May Not Know

Lots of my blogging friends have done this list and I've enjoyed reading theirs. I can't believe I sat down and did this. It started off as a challenge to myself, but I finished so I thought I'd post it! Here goes:

1. I’ve felt more like myself since I’ve been a mom (after the initial adjustment, that is!) than I ever have.
2. I never knew I would enjoy my kids so much. It’s nothing like babysitting.
3. I never knew a human could have as much patience and enthusiasm as my husband. He constantly amazes me.
4. I love to have lots of friends and be connected to them, but at the same time I require a lot of personal space. Hard to balance that!
5. I love to talk, laugh and analyze with my family and friends in person, but I am NOT a phone person!
6. I am horrible at returning phone calls. The thought of it causes me anxiety, but once I’m ON the phone I’m fine!
7. I’m so thankful that I can be 100% myself with my husband and he loves and accepts me with all my flaws.
8. I tend to be pessimistic. But I like to call it “realistic”!
9. I love to talk numbers and details – I get it from my dad.
10. I ask a lot of questions – I get that from my dad too!
11. My mother is the strongest and most loving and accepting person I have ever known.
12. I hope I can give my children a good balance of freedom and guidance.
13. I am more in love with this third baby than I ever thought was possible
14. Sometimes it hits me that I have three kids and have been married nearly 7 years and I stop and wonder “how did that happen”
15. I love hearing songs that have memories attached to them. Time stops for a minute and I’m back in that memory!
16. I cannot put into words how I feel about Hawaii. When I am there, I feel like I am home. I am so thankful that I went to school there.
17. I struggle with cooking dinner. I think I am a good cook, but feel tied down by the thought of it!
18. I love to bake and bake and bake. I love to eat it too.
19. I love to go out to eat.
20. Eating is a form of entertainment to me!
21. Luckily my husband loves my cooking and loves to go out to eat too – so I win either way.
22. My laptop and wireless DSL are often my sanity
23. I am constantly typing one handed now that I’ve got a baby – it’s annoying so I don’t get on the computer half as much as I used to.
24. The older I get, the less I care about what other people think of me.
25. I wish I was 20 lbs thinner.
26. I have a hard time asking for help.
27. I hate to inconvenience other people.
28. I love old things and always want the story behind them. (like stuff at my grandma’s house)
29. I am obsessed with taking pictures, documenting events and preserving important memorabilia
30. I love soda. Pepsi’s preferrable.
31. I love Costco. It’s like Disneyland to me!
32. I hate that I have arthritis.
33. I’m thankful that if I had to get arthritis, it’s at a time when there are some great new treatments available!
34. I am a total night owl. I am hardly ever in bed before midnight.
35. I have a tattoo on my hip.
36. I like to watch Oprah, but hardly ever have time to anymore.
37. I cannot imagine watching TV without a DVR (Tivo).
38. I graduated with my Bachelor’s Degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Utah in 2000.
39. Someday I would love to get my Master’s as a MFT (Marriage and Family Therapist).
40. I’ve learned that I NEED down time to refuel myself.
41. In a social setting, I am typically an observer.
42. I think FRIENDS is the best sit com ever made. It’s the only show that can make me laugh out loud, event the re-runs.
43. I could watch the movie The Wedding Singer over and over (and have!)
44. I’ve always loved roller coasters, but am a little more scared of them after having kids!
45. I love bargain hunting.
46. I enjoy grocery shopping (when I’m alone)
47. I need to work on not yelling when I’m upset with my children.
48. I twirl my hair and tie pieces in knots - especially when I’m thinking
49. I sucked my thumb until I was 10.
50. I hated having red hair growing up.
51. Pregnancy is, without question, the most difficult thing I’ve endured physically.
52. I LOVE McDonald’s fries – no ketchup but lots of salt.
53. I can’t sleep well unless I wash my makeup off every night before bed
54. I compliment people in my head much more than I do verbally – I need to work on that.
55. I would love a tummy tuck and a boob lift someday – but the thought of surgery scares me to death!
56. I wear earrings almost every day
57. I wear flip flops 99% of the time
58. I LOVE cereal!
59. I usually eat breakfast within 20 minutes of getting up.
60. I hate scary movies
61. I don’t like to watch movies unless I’m at the theater. I get bored.
62. I love musicals!
63. I still know every word to every New Kids on The Block song - they are imprinted on my brain forever!
64. I’m not big on ice cream, but there is nothing as good as Baskin Robbins Peanut Butter and Chocolate flavor!
65. Chili’s is my favorite restaurant
66. I have used Paul Mitchell Soft Spray hairspray for about 8 years and wouldn’t go back to anything else.
67. I would feel best if I got 8-9 hours of sleep per night – never happens
68. I always wish my car was clean, but it hardly ever is!
69. I hate clutter, but have had to learn to deal with it lately.
70. I love the smell of Plumerias and wish I could have them all over my yard
71. I get excited when I use Microsoft Excel – I love that program
72. I gave up scrapbooking years ago, but I organize all my pictures by date on CD’s, and print them off every couple months (1200+ photos per year). My photo albums are up to date at the moment.
73. I breastfed and/or pumped for 7 months with my first two kids and will probably do about the same the third time around.
74. I tend to be repetative
75. I over-think things
76. I wish I was more spontaneous
77. I wear makeup nearly every day
78. I used to be obsessed with animals, now they sort of bug me
79. I pick at my cuticles on my fingers and it makes them hurt sometimes
80. I love sour candy
81. I love to solve problems - especially for others
82. I cannot be fake or hide my real feelings very well
83. I love my in laws and feel blessed to have married into such a great family
84. As far as celebrities go, I think Tom Welling (in the show Smallville) is extremely good looking (still a few notches below Tucker though!)
85. The smell of clean laundry makes me happy
86. One of my pet peeves is when things are left up after they should be – like holiday décor after the holiday, or advertisements after the event is over, etc.
87. I brush at least twice per day, but have a hard time remembering to floss
88. I don’t like my kids to have soda
89. I think Tucker is the only one who sees ALL my moods/sides
90. I still feel really sad about Nick and Jessica’s divorce! Sad but true.
91. Mexican food with lots of sour cream is my favorite
92. If I say I’m going to do something, I do everything in my power to do it.
93. I drink bottled water
94. I’m very critical of servers at restaurants since I was one for so long
95. I love the show “The Office”
96. I love decorating cakes
97. Pink Floyd is my favorite band
98. History has always been my worst subject and I wish I could retain that info better
99. I get very irritable when I’m hot
100. As a kid, I never understood why my mom didn’t wear red nail polish, red high heels with a red dress everyday and swore I would when I was older! (I never do any of the above)

A Transmission is Way More Fun Than a TV

I drive a minivan. Yep, that's right. Most of my friends do too, we call it the minivan club when we're all parked together. Visually, it is NOT my top pick for a vehicle. But I have to tell you that I love how convenient it is to drive with kids!!! It's got so much floor space and so open to move around - plus they can't open the door smack into someone elses car since the doors slide! We took Tucker's Honda Pilot (an 8 passenger mid size SUV) to Utah for Christmas and as much as I love that car, it was way less convenient than my van with the kids! The van is a year 2000 model, and I've resisted my urge to get a new car mainly because we have no car payments at the moment! But also because I'd rather wait till my kids are done with the really little kid phase of spilling and crumbs and stuff. ANYWAY, I was sad last week when it started to do some really wierd things. Come to find out we need a new transmission. Yuck! We've been saving up for a flat screen TV which costs about the same as our transmission is going to. So I've been trying to tell myself that I'd rather have a car than a TV to make myself feel better about this unexpected expense!!

Babies!

My Aunt Kelly had a baby 6 weeks after me and then my cousin Michael and Aracely had a baby just 2 weeks ago. I got to see them with their babies briefly yesterday after I took Alyson home. I also got to see my cute little Grandma for a bit. It was fun to compare baby stuff! Thanks guys!!

Rheumatologist

Today I went to the rheumatologist. My (Psoriatic) arthritis was in a dormant state the second half of my pregnancy, but has returned full force lately. It is primarily in my ankle and both knees. My knees were so bad the past week that it was becoming scarily hard to get up from sitting and even just to bend them. The medication I need to take that will STOP the progression and alleviate the symptoms is one I can't take while I'm nursing. Sooooo I'm trying to stretch that as long as I can without letting my body get crippled! Today I had the Dr withdraw tons of fluid from my knees and then give each knee a steroid shot to eliminate the swelling. That will help temporarily. Jordyn went completely pale and almost threw up or passed out from seeing the needles in my knees! So Alyson snapped this pic of me!

Grandma and Grandpa

This was the other night at Kiddie Kandids. The girls sure love their Grandma and Grandpa (some just didn't want to show it!!)

How Old Is She?

It is very common for people to act a little shocked when I tell them how old Peyton is. Confirming why this happens...she weighed at the doctor today at 16.5 lbs, which is way off the charts! Keep mind she is just two months old! The doctor even kept chuckling about her rolls and size. I think she is so cuddly and cute with all the baby chub. The only problem this presents is she has skyrocketed through her clothing, and now needs a 6-9 month size! On a side note, I just have to say how much I HATE taking babies to get shots. It's heart wrenching, and you have to do it so much their first year - 2 mo, 4 mo, 6 mo, 9 mo and 12 mo!

They finally opened a Kiddie Kandid's near us, which I was SO excited about! I love Kiddie Kandids so much more than other studios. Here are a couple shots we got of Peyton last night. (Disclaimer: I am typically one that doesn't like huge bows for babies, but there was some little part of me that thought it was too cute NOT to include with this dress).