Fun Stories

So, I've been worried about Jason's speech for a while now. I've tried my best to keep in the background, but I can't help but laugh when I think of this funny story! The other morning Jason came into my room and asked so nicely ['eeeeze'] for a marshmallow (I have a bag in my nightstand that's been there longer than it should have - the kids are really the only ones that eat them, and they only get about 1-2 a week each - they're rather sticky at this point! anyways, not the story...). When I didn't respond to him immediately - I was asleep after all - he asked again so nicely 't - eeeeze!' There was such an obvious pause between the 't' and the 'eeeze' it was rather comical. I laughed enough it woke me up, and who can resist a cute 2 year old asking for sugar so early in the morning!

Another story:
Shelly has been completely potty trained for quite some time now. She's been doing good at taking naps during the day and not making a mess and I haven't even thought about it for so long I completely forgot what to do with her when she makes a mess... In the last 2 weeks she's decided that diapers are more her style and when we try to put her in panties in only results in a mess for us to either clean up or wish we could find so we can clean it up [icky!!] Just this morning I rememered the book that my mom-in-law lent me for potty training and was about to go consult it when I remembered what to do!! [go me!] So the next time I found Shelly with wet pants we 'practiced' about 4 times (it's supposed to be 10, but I ran out of places to practice from upstairs and I can't run that well anymore!) and she's been good so far since. Granted, it's only been most of one day, but compared to almost never using the toilet over the last week or more to using it 4-5 times and even interupting an activity to go potty! I'll take it! I might have to 'practice' with her a time or two more over the next couple of days just to make sure it sticks, but it's such a relief!! I just hope I rememeber to do that sooner the next time one of the kids has a regression like that...

Doctor's Appointments!

Can I even begin to explain how exciting going to the doctors all the time can be? Probably not. I should save that for someone who likes going to the doctors. I must say one thing though - it's made the time go quite a bit faster. I've had a doctors appointment almost every week since early April just with the random doctors they've tried to send me to, and now I get to go in twice a week until I deliver. This newest development is kinda fun though - as long as I don't have to take the kids with me. I get to do NST testing twice a week. I keep getting different answers as to why I get to start so early - at the doctors office before we started scheduling apts they said it was the diabetes [GDM] (which I still don't think I have, really - I'm determined to not get diagnosed with this again... I know tricks now! ;), but then when I called to set up appointments, they said it was the hypothryoidism - they didn't normally start so soon for GDM.
For those who don't know what NST testing is [I've had them with two kids, and I still had to be reminded], I get to sit in a comfy chair and have some monitors strapped to my belly measuring the baby's heart rate and my belly's contractions. Then they do a quick ultrasound to measure amniotic fluid. It takes anywhere from 20-45 minutes depending on how quickly the baby does what it's supposed to do. Quite relaxing if I don't have two kids to chase around while sitting quite still and not interupting the measurments!

Adventures! :)

Becca got her Masters!

After years of hard work Becca earned her Masters from SUU! It worked out that when Shelly went up with Cindy, she was able to come back with my folks after they went up to attend her graduation! Here's some of the highlights of Shelly's adventures from the fun day!

Shelly with the new graduate!
I have no idea what prompted this, but I think it's cute!
Who knew the kid was camera shy??
There's the Shelly I remember!

Congratulations Becca!!

Whale Watching Trip

Ok, so I had to miss this one. I was rather bummed! I had planned on going but at the last minute had to schedule a class on GDM so I knew how to control my blood sugar and couldn't make it! It worked out well though, and Becca, Emily, Mom, Doug and Dad took the kids while Mark took time out of studying to go to the class with me. Since the class wasn't really picture worthy, here's some pictures that Mom took on the Whale Watching Cruise!I have no idea... Some bird on a boat?

Jason trying to get a better view out the window on the floor of the boat
Grandpa trying to show Shelly how to look for whales
Doug being such the awesome uncle that he is!
Apparently they didn't see any actual whales - but all these seals seem pretty cool!Jason having a hard moment - he was probably either exhausted or bummed at the lack of whales, or Doug's shoulder is just that comfy! One of the three!

I'm sure these stories are connected somehow!

If for no other reason than they all happened in this state...

Here's Grandpa doing one of his favorite things - reading to the grandkids! This particular book is 'The King, The Mice and The Cheese'

Shh! Don't tell that Katie enjoys listening just as much as the grandkids!

Shelly and Jason 'helping' cook something

See how helpful they are?? :)
Family nap time - my favorite is Jason bent in half with his head on his knees!

I'm not quite sure why it took 4 of us to check out an apartment for Matt and Sabrina, but we had fun on the adventure!

Disneyland Installment [insert some number here... I lost track]

Becca and some friends came down to visit in February and head to D-land. Mom and I decided to take the kids and join them for at least part of the morning.

While waiting for the older girls to get off Splash Mountain we went on Winnie the Pooh and then had a photo shoot on the 'hunny' Too bad the kids didn't quite get the plan... :)
Becca and friends quite a bit soaked after Splash MountainJason playing with a noise maker at the bottom of the Tarzan Treehouse

Shelly wanted a turn too!
Jason found some cool noise makers! How exciting to get to bang stuff and not get in trouble!

Strangely enough this was a case of Shelly following Jason - it's usually the other way around...
What's in there??

Random Adventures from the Past

These are all early January. Jason wanted a hair cut - until we actually started cutting it... :)'Are we almost done?'

Disneyland on New Years with our favorite Cedar City Aunts! (and that Brear Fox - him too I guess :)

Making biscuits for sausage and gravy. The kids prefer to eat the dough raw than eat the cooked biscuits...

They also like to pretend that helping is actually helpful! :)

They're pretty good at cutting! Of course when they help cut I have to re-roll the dough about 3 or 4 more times then if I'd done it alone...

More to come tomorrow. It's late and we have much to do in the morning that we neglected to do tonight. [mostly bathe the kids and ourselves...] Good night!

Robby and Jenny Visit CA for Christmas

After the wedding Robby and Jenny decided to come down to CA to visit. We had fun spending time with them, letting the kids play and going to a 'nun' play - Christmas Catechism. We managed to have quite the representation on stage... ;)

Lizzie loves to dress up, and Shelly had a few clothes to play with. (Shelly's not quite so into that yet, but I have a strange feeling it's not too far away!)

Would you rather guess? No? Didn't think so. The tall bearded one in the back (3rd from the left) and the one with a cup in his mouth on the floor on the left... Robby was a 'wise man' and Mark was a 'sheep'

The nun was trying to figure out who stole the gold that the wise men brought as gifts... The rope was the 'crime scene tape'

I'm not sure what this was about, but Doug was trying to help Jason hammer something...

Memory Lane to Snow in UT

Before our trip to Idaho for Matt's wedding we stayed for a while in UT and we got lucky and it snowed! The kids had fun playing with Grandpa and a few uncles in the backyard making a snow man.Shelly hiding behind a snow man

Showdown!

They decided there was enough snow to make a bigger one

Jason had more fun watching with Aunt Danielle

Shelly sitting on top of the base of SnowMan #2

I guess Jason wanted a turn to be on top (at least for a few seconds...)

'It's cold, will you get that for me please?' (if only we could understand him!)

She was cold and wanted to be done, but didn't want to miss out on the fun

The Troopers! William and Doug finished the big guy!

Jason and Grandpa taking a break from the falling snow

The finished product! Look at the proud parents!! ;)

Flash Back Time!!

I raided my mom's photo collection and found several groups of old photos that I stole for my computer. So here comes a trip down memory lane. Enjoy!

So, many months ago Matt got himself married to Sabrina. She's already mostly acclimated to the family now, so it seems a bit late to be posting this, but who's complaining?

Just hanging out in the hotel

It was COLD!! and we were hungry - McyD's here we come! I love Doug's 'bib'

In the Life of Me!

Ok, so a bit of an explanation for the last couple of months. Apparently pregnancy wears me out more than I thought it did... I've had a myriad of doctors appointments in the last 2 months. Endocrinologist (Thyroid - Hashimotos), Registered Dietetian (I think that's what she was - for Gestational Diabetes (GDM)), Paranatalogist (Hashimotos, GDM), regular OB appts, Dr appts (Apparently the Certified Mid Wives don't want the pressure of all my 'medical problems' - except for getting rather tired rather quickly, I don't really think I have any medical problems!! I think they're just being over cautious - although the thyroid is real, but it's rather minor once it's under control). I took the random glucose test (drank that NASTY! stuff just after breakfast and then went to have my blood drawn before my ob appt) and it came back a tiny bit high, so they made me do the 3 hour test (NASTY!! stuff again!!) and my glucose levels were just the tiniest bit high [I've since realized that if I had thought to go to the bathroom or get a drink of water during the first hour, it would have come back normal - it was on the number that it's not supposed to be above (1 point off!) - the second number was high, but you need 2 high numbers to get diagnosed - Frustrations!] and I've been on this strict diet ever since. It is a much healthier way to eat than I had previously been eating and it's probably just as well. I get to eat smaller meals 6 times a day (they're timed, and I'm given a list of what types of foods to eat when) and then I get to test my glucose (finger prick!) levels 4 times a day (in the morning, and then after the major meals). That plus running after 2 toddlers makes for quite the tiring days for me. And I still practically pass out at church every week! We had thought it might be my blood sugar was the problem, but after taking my glucose monitor to church we discovered that wasn't the problem. Only at my last appointment this last week did my doc semi confirm what I had been thinking since my blood sugar discovery. It's possible that it's my blood pressure dropping! I get to stand up/walk around/move my legs at least once during the almost 1 1/2 hour sacrament meeting. I'm not sure that sounds exciting. When I start feeling that way, the last thing I want to do is try to stand up in from of 300 people and show them just how well I can stand [aka fall]!

I had a nice break with only Jason at home for more than a week! It was nice. I was able to actually do stuff! It's so much easier only having to deal with one child when there are errands to be run! I was able to go to D-land and get my B-day gift card! [if you have a season pass they give you a gift card worth the price of admission instead of getting in free]. Jason also learned to do random things that previously Shelly used to do [i.e. finding poop for Daddy to scoop, instead of stepping in it!], and he tried to take over Shelly's sleeping spot on the green chair - that didn't last any longer than the minute Shelly saw him in her bed! He's now mostly sleeping either in the toddler bed or on the floor. We only use the crib when he asks to go in there, or when he's too cranky to handle sleeping anywhere else.

Ok, this is getting really long! We have a BBQ to get cooking! Matt and Sabrina are on their way down to spend the summer in Sunny Southern California while Matt is at a Google internship. They should be here in an hour or two and it might be nice to feed them - although they stopped at In-N-Out in Vegas and might not be in the mood for burgers, but that's just too darn bad! ;) And apparently we're in a rush because the parental units need to head to Doug's Sussical play! AAHH!! Oh, the stress and drama!!

[I should add - just in case anyone is wondering why they don't remember seeing all these old posts - Cindy showed me how to change the post date and now it looks like I've been keeping up! I haven't been, really... Besides today, the last time I actually posted was in Feb]

Guest Blogger Time!

Rachel is WAY too busy for this so I am stepping in! Maybe I should tell you who I am huh? It's the wonderful, beautiful Katie :D :D Welcome to the adventure that it is to have me as a guest blogger. Sit, back, relax and get ready cuz this here is the widlest ride in the wilderness!!!!!

The best video E-V-E-R!!! [Katie]

We must be wearing these kids out with all the excitement of having me home for a week of fun in the sun! Jason was eating lunch when this occurred:



A-mazing huh? Loved it!!!

Disneyland!! [Katie]

K, these are from different trips, but that doesn't matter, there'll all at the Happiest Place on Earth! :D

First up, it's DL with Aunt Grandma on the carousel

These next few are from DL with Aunt Katie:

We let the kids run around outside the park for a bit. Shelly had fun playing on the letters. I have a few of Jason and me (Aunt Katie...in case you forgot who the "me" is referring to) that I'll have to put on my blog, or give to Rach, or both!

Shelly signing the letter L while sitting on the letter L :)
She's just too cute!

I don't know when these were taken, but here ya go anyway!