Four Strait People

Movin' on up!

2011-05-17T20:58:00.001-07:00

I've moved my blog! Now follow at http://completelystrait.blogspot.com !

Growing up

2011-05-05T21:57:00.000-07:00

It's been a while because my computer hasn't let me upload pictures because it's old and full apparently. I had it cleaned up a bit, but it's not letting me upload anymore pictures. I'll see what I can do.

Anyway... My girls are growing up. Hayden is a mere month away from 2! Ella is 3 months already! Hayden has been such an amazing big sister to Ella. She's so loving to her, most of the time! :o)

A little recap on the girls:

Hayden is now 22 months old. She's probably about 26lbs. She's finally eating!! She actually ate a peanut butter sandwich for dinner! (I know, great dinner.) She's in speech therapy once a week and is "talking" a little more now. She said "na na" for "knock knock" today! She's also starting to say "Amen" after we pray. It's so cute! She looks so cute when she prays. She closes her eyes and bows her head. I love to see that she is starting to know Jesus. She's still not potty trained, not that she "should" be right now, but she is starting to acknowledge when she goes. She still doesn't want to sit on the potty yet. I'll ask her and she says "nope!" She's funny.

Ella is doing really well and I believe she's finally up to 10lbs! I don't know for sure, but she feels like it and definitely looks like she's filling out. She's so beautiful. I'm trying to get her to nurse more. Somedays she wants more bottle than she wants me. It sucks. Today was a good day and she only took one bottle, and the rest was from me. I'm emotionally not ready to give up breast feeding her. I know it's the best milk for her, and I don't feel like it's fair that I nursed Hayden for a year. A year is what I want for Ella too, at least. I think she just needed the boost of calories from the formula.

I can't believe she's 3 months!

Is this not the saddest look you've ever seen? :o( Hayden was messing with her.

Happy girl!

We took the girls to the fair!! We had so much fun and I got my foot long corndog! Yum! A nice, once a year treat! Hayden and Will rode the elephant together! (Pics of the fair to come, they are on the other camera!) Hayden had the BIGGEST smile on her face the whole ride! She also rode the big slide with her Daddy, and did NOT have the biggest smile! Ha! She had a terrified look until they got to the bottom! Then, she wanted to go again! So funny!

Life with a Toddler

2011-04-05T18:32:00.000-07:00

I saw this and just have to pass it on! It's from SuburbanSnapshots.com!

Why life with a toddler is like being at a Frat Party:

10. There are half-full, brightly-colored plastic cups on the floor in every room. Three are in the bathtub.

9. There's always that one girl, bawling her eyes out in a corner.

8. It's best not to assume that the person closest to you has any control over their digestive function.

7. You sneak off to the bathroom knowing that as soon as you sit down, someone's going to start banging on the door.

6. Probably 80% of the stains on the furniture contain DNA.

5. You've got someone in your face at 3 a.m. looking for a drink.

4. There's definitely going to be a fight.

3. You're not sure whether anything you're doing is right, you just hope it won't get you arrested.

2. There are crumpled-up underpants everywhere.

1. You wake up wondering exactly how and when the person in bed with you got there.

Stella & Dot

2011-03-18T19:36:00.001-07:00

Well I've jumped back into my Stella & Dot business! I'm SUPER excited!! It's so fun! I'm having my Launch on Thursday, March 31st at 6pm!! I'd love for all of my followers on here to join me! I already have 6 shows booked and a stylist signing up on Monday! It's really a super business and party hostesses get amazing jewelry for free!! The average hostess gets $350 in FREE jewelry!! Whether you like to make a statement with your accessories or you like something delicate and understated, there's something for you!! You really shouldn't miss my Launch because I'm borrowing my director's jewels, so there will be a TON to come and try on!!

Check out the goods!!
www.stelladot.com/stacistrait

If you want to order but can't make it to the show, look at the top right corner where it says "Can't make it to the show? Find your hostess." Put in my name!!

Want to book a show and earn free jewelry? Email me! staci.strait@gmail.com

One beautiful month of Ella

2011-03-10T20:56:00.000-07:00

Ella,
You are now 6 weeks old! I can't believe how fast time has flown! You are such an amazing joy! I love you so much! You love to snuggle and don't like to be set down! You are such a good sleeper! You usually go to sleep about 8pm, then I wake you up to take your medicine at 10pm. You'll eat and then go back to sleep. Then you usually only wake up about 3am to eat again, then not again until about 7am. It's really nice! You HATE riding in the car. Grandma was thinking that maybe it's because of the ambulance ride that you had to take by yourself. Maybe you were scared and now don't like riding where you can't see Mommy or Daddy. I'm going to try putting a picture back there with you. It breaks my heart to remember you riding in the ambulance by yourself at only 3 weeks old. I was so scared and brokenhearted that I wasn't in there with you. I thank God everyday that He had his hand on you throughout the whole scary experience.

You are wearing newborn clothes and newborn diapers. You're still so tiny. At your one month appointment you were 21 1/4 inches tall and 7lbs 13oz. You've had such a hard time gaining weight with all of the issues with jaundice, RSV, SVT, and WPW. I'm so thankful that you're finally gaining weight with just Mommy's milk.

I love you my sweet Ellabug,
Love,
Mommy

Patience

2011-03-10T20:37:00.000-07:00

Two kids is hard on a marriage. I was thinking about my husband tonight while he's at work and I knew that one thing I'm really lacking with him is patience. The sermon at church was about patience with God last Sunday, I know I need that too, but right now, I really need to give patience to my husband. Life is stressful. Marriage is stressful. I need to show more love and patience. I'm going to restart the Love Dare and really try to commit to it.

I want to get back to a place where our love was the strongest. When we made time to really show each other how much in love we were.

Day 1

Love is patient

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient,

bearing with one another in love. —Ephesians 4:2 NIV

Love works. It is life’s most powerful motivator and has far greater depth and meaning than most people realize. It always does what is best for others and can empower us to face the greatest of problems. We are born with a lifelong thirst for love. Our hearts desperately need it like our lungs need oxygen. Love changes our motivation for living. Relationships become meaningful with it. No marriage is successful without it.

Love is built on two pillars that best define what it is. Those pillars are patience and kindness. All other characteristics of love are extensions of these two attributes. And that’s where your dare will begin. With patience.

Love will inspire you to become a patient person. When you choose to be patient, you respond in a positive way to a negative situation. You are slow to anger. You choose to have a long fuse instead of a quick temper. Rather than being restless and demanding, love helps you settle down and begin extending mercy to those around you. Patience brings an internal calm during an external storm.

No one likes to be around an impatient person. It causes you to overreact in angry, foolish, and regrettable ways. The irony of anger toward a wrongful action is that it spawns new wrongs of its own. Anger almost never makes things better. In fact, it usually generates additional problems. But patience stops problems in their tracks. More than biting your lip, more than clapping a hand over your mouth, patience is a deep breath. It clears the air. It stops foolishness from whipping its scorpion tail all over the room. It is a choice to control your emotions rather than allowing your emotions to control you, and shows discretion instead of returning evil for evil.

If your spouse offends you, do you quickly retaliate, or do you stay under control? Do you find that anger is your emotional default when treated unfairly? If so, you are spreading poison rather than medicine.

Anger is usually caused when the strong desire for something is mixed with disappointment or grief. You don’t get what you want and you start heating up inside. It is often an emotional reaction that flows out of our own selfishness, foolishness, or evil motives.

Patience, however, makes us wise. It doesn’t rush to judgment but listens to what the other person is saying. Patience stands in the doorway where anger is clawing to burst in, but waits to see the whole picture before passing judgment. The Bible says, “He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly” (Proverbs 14:29).

As sure as a lack of patience will turn your home into a war zone, the practice of patience will foster peace and quiet. “A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but the slow to anger calms a dispute” (Proverbs 15:18). Statements like these from the Bible book of Proverbs are clear principles with timeless relevance. Patience is where love meets wisdom. And every marriage needs that combination to stay healthy.

Patience helps you give your spouse permission to be human. It understands that everyone fails. When a mistake is made, it chooses to give them more time than they deserve to correct it. It gives you the ability to hold on during the tough times in your relationship rather than bailing out under the pressure.

But can your spouse count on having a patient wife or husband to deal with? Can she know that locking her keys in the car will be met by your understanding rather than a demeaning lecture that makes her feel like a child? Can he know that cheering during the last seconds of a football game won’t invite a loud-mouthed laundry list of ways he should be spending his time? It turns out that few people are as hard to live with as an impatient person.

What would the tone and volume of your home be like if you tried this biblical approach: “See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another” (1 Thessalonians 5:15).

Few of us do patience very well, and none of us do it naturally. But wise men and women will pursue it as an essential ingredient to their marriage relationships. That’s a good starting point to demonstrate true love.

This Love Dare journey is a process, and the first thing you must resolve to possess is patience. Think of it as a marathon, not a sprint. But it’s a race worth running.

Today's Dare

The first part of this dare is fairly

simple. Although love is communicated

in a number of ways, our words often

reflect the condition of our heart. For

the next day, resolve to demonstrate

patience and to say nothing negative

to your spouse at all. If the temptation

arises, choose not to say anything. It’s

better to hold your tongue than to say

something you’ll regret.

Mishmash

2011-03-08T20:57:00.001-07:00

Well, Hayden knows her potty seat. But... thinks of it as a nice little seat in the bathroom. ~~We've~~ I've tried getting her to sit on it naked, but she screams! She does NOT like sitting over an open crevice naked. Really, who can blame her?! Here, she came and sat on it while I was getting ready. Note: She has khaki shorts on. There's no trying to go potty here. :o(

But, she is the light of my life!

She's rediscovered the swing that she HATED as a baby. Now, it makes a great seat to enjoy some Disney Channel in.

Here's the other light of my life today. She's really coming into her own. She's looking more like a beautiful little girl than just a newborn. I can't say she's a "happy" baby yet. She's definitely feisty. She's a snuggler and doesn't like to be set down for long. She's also a car screamer. She does NOT like to be in the car at all. Screams the WHOLE way most of the time. Hopefully she out grows that... soon.

Yes, this is a little intimate. Sorry if it makes you uncomfortable, but I love it. I love that this is the beautiful view I have of my sweet Ellabug most of my day. I love having her curled up on my lap, holding tight to me. It's even more special having experienced what we did with her during her third week of life. Trying to nurse her through wires and needles all throughout my precious angel, was hard, emotionally and physically. I knew she needed me and that I was her comfort when she was so little and didn't know what was going on. All she knew was that Mommy was there, Mommy was trying to keep her calm, and comfortable. I love her.

Hayden is 20 months!

2011-03-07T07:51:00.001-07:00

Well, this post is a little overdue. Hayden turned 20 months on the 20th!

Hayden,

You are turning into such a big girl! I love being around you and your blossoming personality! You are definitely a feisty little girl! You love to read books and I often find you in your room with all of your books off of your shelf! You startle very easily which makes me laugh! You jump out of your skin if I walk in and you're doing something you shouldn't! We're still working on getting you talking. We took you for a speech evaluation and you were marked as severely delayed. That worries us, but we know you understand everything, you just aren't saying words. You'd rather sign. And, you are picking up new signs very quickly. I just can't wait to hear you really talking and saying "Mommy."

You LOVE your baby sister! It's wonderful to see you loving on her and holding her hand as we all snuggle on the couch. You give her the best kisses!

You are 24.2 lbs, I'm not sure how tall you are but I'm guessing around 32 inches. You are wearing 18-24 month clothes and size 5 shoes. You're in size 4 diapers, but wear cloth diapers most of the time at home. You're hair is getting so long! I love it! You finally started to eat more! You actually ate spaghetti the other night! I was so proud of you! You have 9 teeth. The front top 4, bottom 2, and 3 molars. I think you have a bottom front tooth coming in too. You are an excellent teether because I never know when your teeth are coming in!

I think our next challenge is going to be potty training! I have no idea how to do it and you don't want to yet! In time... in time...

I love you big girl!
Love,
Mommy

My girls

2011-03-03T21:47:00.000-07:00

Amber came over and took pictures of the girls when Ella was 2 weeks old. These are some of the raw, unedited pictures of the girls.

Hayden was signing "hurt" after pointing to Ella's foot that was bandaged because she had blood drawn for her jaundice check.

Pictures from Ella's Birth

2011-03-02T21:49:00.000-07:00

My friend, Amber, was at Ella's birth to take pictures for us! I'll spare you the intimate ones! I'm so thankful she was there to document a precious moment in our lives! I can never thank her enough! She got beautiful pictures and Will and my mom didn't have to worry about taking pictures.

Full on labor...

Here's Ella Sophia!

Daddy cutting the cord!

First bath! A lot less hair than Hayden! (Check the side picture of Hayden in this same pose!)

Big sister gets to the hospital!

The meeting!

Some much needed Mommy time.

Great Grandma meets Ella

Grandma snuggling Ella.

Recap

2011-03-01T15:02:00.000-07:00

Well, it's March 1st and I'll attempt to do the blog-a-day for the month! Here's hoping!

Here's a little recap of things that I've missed! I'll try to explain a little more later!

Valentine's Day pre-having to take Ella to the hospital.

Hayden teaching Ella how to do tummy time!

Hayden turned 20 months on the 20th!

Napping on the couch!

Taking a walk in her wagon!

Ella's first month!

Week 3 in the hospital!

Ella's heart

2011-02-16T21:39:00.001-07:00

My poor baby girl was getting congested on Friday, and I thought Hayden had just passed her cold onto Ella, so I took her to the doctor on Monday. The doctor didn't like the sound of her cough and called the hospital to get her checked for RSV. She was given a breathing treatment before we left. We had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance because she's only 3 weeks old and they didn't want any chance for her to stop breathing. I really thought they were over reacting a little bit because she had been just fine, she just had a cough.

Well, we got to the hospital and she was doing fine. She was given 3 more breathing treatments through the night and then all of a sudden at 2am a doctor rushes in to check her. Her heart rate was at 300 beats per minute. A bunch of other people rushed in and then they rushed her to the PICU. I had no idea what was going on and Will had gone home to spend the night with Hayden. They worked on Ella for about 2-3 hours to get her heart to stabilize. She was given about 14 doses of a medicine to convert her heart back to a normal rhythm. Finally she was given a drip medicine then another dose and it worked.

Turns out that she has a heart condition called Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome. She went into supraventricular tachycardia.

All of that basically means it is a heart condition in which there is an extra electrical pathway (circuit) in the heart. The condition can lead to episodes of rapid heart rate (tachycardia).

Turns out my dad has the tacycardia too. She'll be on medicine probably for the rest of her life, but she can live a full, active, normal life. Which I'm very thankful for. All in all, scariest night of my life. We're still in the PICU because she's now on the oral medicine, Propranolol, that she'll stay on most likely for years. They have to monitor that for about 48 hours to make sure she doesn't have any other episodes. As of right now (9pm, 2/16/11) she has 2 more doses (every 6 hours) of the Propranolol before we're able to talk about going home.

The Albuterol breathing treatments are what triggered her heart since Albuterol makes you all jittery and causes your heart rate to increase anyway. I guess in a way I'm thankful that she got the breathing treatments, otherwise we wouldn't have known that she had this. On top of this, she does in fact, have RSV too, but they don't need to do anything for it.

Thank you for the prayers, she really needs them.

Here she's getting her echocardiogram. It showed that her heart looked good thankfully.

Her little sweet cheeks with heart stickers to keep her oxygen on.

All wired up

Her splinted arm and leg

Sweet baby off of oxygen

Welcome Ella Sophia!

2011-01-26T16:52:00.000-07:00

Well, Ella Sophia just couldn't wait any longer! She entered the world on Sunday, January 23, 2011, at 7:17am!

Here's the story...
Saturday night I went to bed around 10pm, and then woke up at midnight cramping. Will was still up and playing a video game. I went out and told him I was cramping, and he replied with "You're kidding, right?" Haha! Nope. I debated on what to do. After I realized that the cramping was about 4 minutes apart, I called my mom and she came over to stay with Hayden while we went to the hospital. I called my dad too, since he'd gone to San Diego... AGAIN. (Yes, that may sound familiar, since he was in San Diego when I went into labor with Hayden!) When he answered, all I said was, "You're going to love me!" He said, "You've got to be kidding me."

We got to the hospital about 1:30am, and parked in the garage, but the main entrance of the hospital was closed, so we walked around the hospital over to the emergency room. I guess the walking did good, plus I knew they'd make me walk anyway. I checked into the labor and delivery triage and was monitored for about 15 minutes. They checked my cervix and I was dilated to 2-3cm. The Monday before at my appointment, I was barely a fingertip. She called the doctor and had me walk for a little bit. She told me that it looked like it was only uterine irritability though, and they'd probably send me home if there was no change when I got back.

Well, Will and I started walking and my contractions got more intense. After only about 10 minutes of walking, at exactly 2am, my water broke in the hallway! That was the weirdest feeling! I sure wish I had a camera to capture the look on Will's face! He yelled down the hall for a nurse and three came running! The put me in the room right where my water broke and said, "Looks like you're staying!" I couldn't believe how fast everything was happening.

We called my mom and she called my grandma and had her come take over staying with Hayden. We also called my dad and let him know what happened. There was no way he was going to make it back in time. They couldn't find a flight back until later. He was really upset. I also let my friend, Amber, of Amber Lea Russell Photography, know what was going on since she asked to photograph the birth. I'm really glad she got to be there since my dad and step mom didn't make it back this time.

My contractions were a lot stronger than I remembered with Hayden and things were going faster. I got my epidural when I was only 4cm this time, before my mom and Amber got there. The epidural made my blood pressure drop and made me get sick. That wasn't fun, but after it got better, life got better. I was able to talk and laugh with everyone.

I started to feel pressure about 7am and was checked. The nurse said I was complete and to try a practice push. She counted "1...2... STOP!!" She called Dr. Mainman and he got there quickly. Two, very easy pushes and my beautiful Ella Sophia entered the world at 7:17am. She had a very short umbilical cord, just like Hayden. Will cut the cord and then had to sit down and put his head between his knees. (He claims he was just hungry... :o) It's true, we were both exhausted and starving.

Ella weighed 7lbs, 6.9oz and was 20 inches long. She looks like her big sister, but has her daddy's lips, long fingers and long toes. Hayden loves her sister and gives her kisses all of the time. She's having a little bit of hard time adjusting to the changes at home though. We're trying to make sure that she's helping all that she can. I love my girls and I'm so blessed.

More pictures to come!

Ready to leave the hospital!

Hayden is 19 months!

2011-01-20T16:41:00.000-07:00

Hayden Isabella,

You are a crazy 19 months old today! You are amazing and such a joy! You definitely are a drama queen though! You are so beautiful and smart! I love spending everyday with you! Your smile brightens my day and your running around the house makes me laugh! You love to lay on Leo and give him lots of love. Thankfully he takes it well! Gus just runs from you! You love to have Mommy and Daddy read all of the Ladybug Girl books to you, everyday... multiple times. You now have 7 teeth!! You just cut two molars and your left eye tooth. Right now, I can't imagine your smile with lots of teeth! I love your gummy smile! Mommy is cloth diapering you almost full time now. Daddy doesn't like it! :o) Oh well! You love dancing and singing to music! You are in love with your baby dolls now! You take them everywhere and give them lots of love. I know you'll be a great big sister any day now!

I love you Sweet Pea!

Love,

Mommy!

You love driving with Daddy!

Your first ice cream cone!

Trying on Daddy's work boots!

At the doctor to check on the baby with Mommy and Daddy!

36 weeks a little late

2011-01-20T16:27:00.002-07:00

I actually turn 37 weeks tomorrow! I've been lazy with my blogging! Ignore the annoyed look on my face... Will wouldn't take a good picture of me, then I had my mom take one, she did and cut out my belly... So annoying that neither of them would take a good picture of me. My patience is thin these days.

Pregnant with Hayden

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 36 Weeks

Size of baby: weighs almost 6 lbs, the size of a crenshaw melon (I don't know what that is...)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: gained 9lbs total

Maternity Clothes: pants definitely!

Gender: It's another GiRl!

Movement: all over the place, but slowing down since there's not much room left

Sleep: I need more.

What I miss: sleeping comfortably

Cravings: food... all of it.

Symptons: I know I've got the waddle. I'm getting more Braxton Hicks too.

Best Moment this week: Hayden turning 19 months today!

Baby Feet!

2011-01-06T16:50:00.000-07:00

I painted Hayden's toenails for the first time today. Oy! That was a challenge! She was so wiggly! I think more of her toes got painted than her toenails! She was so interested when I did mine, so I figured I'd try to do hers.

She didn't want me to take a picture of her. Thus, the grump face.

Now, she's trying not to smile. She smiled right after I took the picture!

Matching toes with Mommy!

18 months

2011-01-02T20:58:00.000-07:00

My sweet Hayden Isabella,

You are now 18 months old. I can't believe that it has been a year and a half since the moment that I fell so deeply in love with you. You are the light of my life. You are learning and doing so much right now! You have such a big personality! You have mastered the dirty look and "no." Joy. You also think you can manipulate the situation by giving kisses. Sometimes it works... but we're not falling for it with everything! You've moved into your big girl room, all except for yourself! You love playing in there! It's so fun to see you light up every time you go back there! You got a kitchen for Christmas and love cooking for Mommy and Daddy! You play pretend really well already! You are still signing most of your words and seem to be picking up more signs all of the time. You are also talking more! You go to the nursery at church a little easier now and I love seeing you get so excited when we come in to pick you up and you immediately start waving, saying "bye!" and blowing kisses to everyone in there!

You are now 23lbs and 33 inches tall! You're in the 30th percentile for weight and the 84th percentile for height! Tall and skinny! Hopefully you'll stay like that, just like your Daddy! You are eating better now too! I think it's because you finally cut your 5th and 6th tooth. They are back ones, but not molars yet. It's taken you a long time to get your teeth! I sure do love that gummy smile and am really going to miss it when it's gone!

Here's just one view of the dirty look you've mastered!

You love cuddling to sleep.

Hopefully we'll get rid of the bottle this month!

You went to Winterhaven for the first time too! You were fascinated by the lights but didn't let that bottle leave your mouth for the whole hayride because you were really tired!

Here's your kitchen that you love cooking for us in!

You also got a new wagon from Grandma and Great Grandma for Christmas!

Here's my Christmas Eve girl! So excited!

Opening presents with Grandma and Great Grandma!

Ready for Christmas Eve dinner!

At church for the Christmas Eve service! You were so good and clapped and yelled "Yay!" every time a song was done!

With Grandma and Great Grandma!

Ready to go home and wait for Santa!

Now, here's the 18 month attitude that has emerged.

You'd think I was torturing her, but really we were getting ready to do some Christmas goody making!

You also slept in your big girl bed for a nap for the first time!

I love you and I'm proud of all you are and have done in these 18 months! I can't wait to see what else you learn!

Love,

Mommy

Merry Christmas Eve and 33 weeks!

2010-12-24T20:57:00.003-07:00

Tonight we enjoyed the Christmas Eve service at our church. Well, sadly, I don't know if "enjoyed" is the right word. It was definitely not their best service. Oh well, we enjoyed family time and celebrating Christ's birth.

Here's our little Christmas angel this year! She's so cute all dressed up for Christmas, and so happy to go over to Great-Grandma's and open presents!

Here I am at 33 weeks pregnant today!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 33 Weeks

Size of baby: weighs almost 4 lbs, as much as a pineapple

Total Weight Gain/Loss: lost another 5 lbs, so a total gain of only 3lbs!

Maternity Clothes: pants definitely!

Gender: It's another GiRl!

Movement: all over the place, lots of hiccups lately and jabs on my right side

Sleep: I need more.

What I miss: my back not hurting!

Cravings: Mexican food!

Symptons: I know I've got the waddle. I'm getting more Braxton Hicks too.

Best Moment this week: Celebrating 33 weeks on Christmas Eve!

30 weeks!

2010-12-05T13:14:00.000-07:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 30 Weeks

Size of baby: weighs almost 3 lbs, as much as a head of cabbage

Total Weight Gain/Loss: gained 8lbs

Maternity Clothes: Uh, yah.

Gender: It's another GiRl!

Movement: all over the place

Sleep: I need more.

What I miss: sleep, or at least being able to relax

Cravings: none lately

Symptons: I think I've got the waddle. I'm getting more Braxton Hicks too.

Best Moment this week: Buying her coming home outfit!

My Goodness! She's Cute!

2010-12-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

Here's Hayden's new Tinkerbell chair! She loves it but it still doesn't take the place of her bouncer chair because it doesn't lay back like she likes. She's so cute though!

My cute girl in her jammies!

17 months

2010-11-21T09:59:00.000-07:00

Hayden Isabella,

You are 17 months now! You are so beautiful! I love you more and more everyday! You are definitely a toddler now! You run around like crazy, love to get into things you shouldn't, and you have some attitude sometimes! You are so funny! You're not a very good eater right now, and sometimes we worry about you not wanting to eat anything. You love your milk and we are STILL trying to get you off of drinking it only from a bottle! You "talk" a lot but don't really have too many real words that you say. You sign a lot now though! You can sign: strawberry, grapes, apple, more, all done, please, milk, and I think there's more, but that's all I can think of at the time. You know exactly what you're doing when you say "uh oh" though! You weigh 22 lbs still and some ounces but Daddy forgot when you went to the doctor. You had a pretty bad rash on your tummy and we're still not sure where it came from but it took about a week to go away. You love to play outside and you love when Grandma comes over! You wear 12-18 month clothes and size 4-5 shoes. You're in a size 3-4 diaper. You are such a doll and love to give kisses all of the time!

I love you so much!

Love,

Mommy

At our neighborhood park!

Loving the slide!

She's found out how to climb onto our bed and she loves to sit at the edge, usually with her legs tucked between the footboard and the mattress. (This morning watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.)

27 weeks

2010-11-18T20:28:00.000-07:00

Of course, I'm just getting this up as I turn 28 week tomorrow! Whoopsy!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 27 Weeks

Size of baby: weighs as much as a head of cauliflower

Total Weight Gain/Loss: gained 7lbs

Maternity Clothes: Uh, yah.

Gender: It's another GiRl!

Movement: all over the place

Sleep: I need more.

What I miss: sushi and a Blue Moon with orange would be nice!

Cravings: none lately

Symptons: I'm starting to get the night leg cramps! Noo!

Best Moment this week: PASSING the 3 hour glucose test!! Hallelujah!!

We went to my dad's for the first U of A basketball game, so Hayden broke out her U of A cheerleading outfit and I put her hair into a ponytail for the first time! she looked so cute!

26 weeks

2010-11-07T08:39:00.001-07:00

Pregnant with Hayden

Pregnant with girl #2!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 26 Weeks

Size of baby: an English hothouse cucumber

Total Weight Gain/Loss: gained 5lbs

Maternity Clothes: Uh, yah.

Gender: It's another GiRl!

Movement: all over the place

Sleep: I need more.

What I miss: a glass of wine with my hubby

Cravings: none lately

Symptons: My Sciatic Nerve, and I'm getting the pregnant waddle back

Best Moment this week: Not best, but worst... FAILING my first glucose test with a 152! Bah!!

Hayden loves feeing herself yogurt now!

Giving Daddy love while passing out candy on Halloween!

Our pumpkins! I carved that!!

Little Tinkerbell at Great Grandma's

Reading the book she got from Grandma while trick-or-treating!

24 weeks

2010-10-24T20:54:00.000-07:00

Pregnant this with Baby Girl #2! (The sticker says 24 weeks!) I didn't realize I was this big until I saw the picture. Oy.

Pregnant with Hayden... Ignore the fact that my hair looks disgusting and my boobs are ginormous.

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 24 Weeks

Size of baby: an ear of corn

Total Weight Gain/Loss: gained 3lbs

Maternity Clothes: Uh, yah.

Gender: It's another GiRl!

Movement: pretty low and mostly on the right side

Sleep: yes please! Oh wait... that doesn't happen as often as I'd like.

What I miss: feeling pretty and not moody

Cravings: none lately

Symptons: My Sciatic Nerve is totally acting up now! It hurts to walk, sit, lay down, etc. sometimes!

Best Moment this week: feeling a lot of movement this week!

Menu Planning Saturday

2010-10-23T08:37:00.000-07:00

We usually go grocery shopping over the weekend, so I'm going to try to menu plan. It's hard for me to keep to it though, but I'm going to try!

Sunday: Potato Leek Soup Because Vickie's was so good!
Monday: Ranch Tetrazzini
Tuesday: Broccoli Rice and Chicken
Wednesday: Vegetarian Split Pea Soup
Thursday: Dinner at Grandmas
Friday: Left overs
Saturday: Dinner out

Here's hoping it works out! Wednesday may get postponed because I need to find someone to watch Hayden in the afternoon. Thus, I'd probably have dinner with Grandma or Dad, whoever can watch her.

16 months!

2010-10-20T18:04:00.001-07:00

Hayden Isabella,
You are amazing. You are CRAZY too! You make me laugh everyday! As I write this you are napping in your bouncer chair, face down, knees on the floor. You weigh about 23 lbs now and are about 30 1/2 inches tall. You still where 12 month clothes and size 4 shoes. You are speaking more and more everyday. You're also signing a lot too! Your new favorite sign is "baby" and you love to do it when we put on the Baby Signing Time DVD for you. You say "Da" for Daddy now and still don't really say "Mama" yet. That's ok, I'll wait. :o)

You love to grab us and take us where you want to go. Usually to take our hand and walk us into the kitchen for a strawberry or down to your room to read a few books. I love it. You're definitely a crab if you don't take a nap though! This afternoon I saw that in full force especially since you woke up at 4:20am! I was not ready for that!

You love to climb onto the couch and cuddle or into your big girl bed and read a book. You also love to chase Leo and try to cuddle him, but he's fond of that.

I love you so much baby girl. You are beautifully and fearfully made.

Love,
Mommy

Apple Annie's!

2010-10-11T22:15:00.000-07:00

We took a family trip up to Apple Annie's today! Last year, Hayden was just a little baby, just 4 months old when we went. This year, she's a big girl, 15 months! She had a lot of fun and we did too. We started at the orchard and ate lunch then picked a few apples. We didn't get too many because we don't want to waste them. Then we headed to the pumpkin patch. We didn't find too many good looking pumpkins in the patch so we ended up buying one that they had picked. Oh well. I did, however, pick 2 whole tomatoes! :o) Hayden was a trooper for the long drive up and back, she slept both ways!

Here we are after lunch and Hayden ate the first apple we picked!

Hayden in the same place as last year!
2009 at 4 months old!

2010 at 15 months old!

Family picture!

Loving the apple she got to eat!

Will's first apple! (The apple Hayden ate!)

Another family shot!

Hayden liked playing with the sunflowers but there were a lot of bees in them!

Here's me with my first apple! Also, at 22 weeks pregnant! I don't feel like I looked pregnant at all today! Just... chubby.

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 22 Weeks

Size of baby: length of a spaghetti squash

Total Weight Gain/Loss: gained 3 lbs

Maternity Clothes: Uh, yah.

Gender: It's another GIRL!

Movement: mostly at night and really low

Sleep: definitely getting more uncomfortable!

What I miss: not being tired... but that hasn't happened since Hayden!

Cravings: I eat a lot of fruit like I did with Hayden

Symptons: I'm still tired all of the time, but I think that's because of work and Hayden too!

Best Moment this week: going to Apple Annie's with my beautiful family!

Late night

2010-10-06T10:44:00.000-07:00

Well, I started my Fall Break with nasty cold. It lasted the whole first week, and now I've passed it down to Hayden for the second week of break. Great. She seems to be feeling a bit better today but last night was a different story. She fell asleep at 7pm, which is normal, but then woke up at 10pm. She did not want to go back to sleep and threw quite a fit. Then the throwing up began. Poor baby! I was kind of in a panic though because I had nothing to catch it in! I yelled for Will and he brought a towel and helped me clean it up off the floor. Can I just tell you that baby puke is not the smell you want to smell when you are pregnant. Ick. Anyway, my baby is feeling better this morning but is tired. She snuggled me in bed for about an hour before she was ready to go back to sleep herself. We watched some Disney Channel together and just cuddled. I hate when she doesn't feel good!

This morning she wanted the nectarine that I was having, and did some damage on that thing!

Feeling better!

Bumble Bags!

2010-09-30T16:18:00.001-07:00

Ok, so The Bumble collection has some super cute bags and they're giving something free away if you blog about them! I'm all over it! http://www.thebumblecollection.com/index.php

20 weeks

2010-09-28T16:13:00.001-07:00

20 weeks with baby girl #2! By the way... the sticker says 20 weeks!

20 weeks with Hayden

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 20 Weeks

Size of baby: length of a banana

Total Weight Gain/Loss: gained 2lbs - lost another pound this week since I've been sick

Maternity Clothes: Uh, yah.

Gender: It's another GiRl!

Movement: more and more!

Sleep: terrible this week because I've got a killer cold or something

What I miss: not being tired... but that hasn't happened since Hayden!

Cravings: I eat a lot of fruit like I did with Hayden

Symptons: I'm still tired all of the time, but I think that's because of work and Hayden too!

Best Moment this week: being on Fall break so I can spend time with Hayden!!

I rearranged Hayden's room to fit the toddler bed and the crib! I think it's pretty cute! Her toddler bedding is adorable! She won't be in that bed for a while though!

Here's my girl, giving me a silly face!

15 months

2010-09-20T18:36:00.000-07:00

Hayden,
You are 15 months old today. You are wild and crazy! I can't keep you still! You are so much fun! You love your fruit and I have a hard time getting you to eat anything else! You have learned how to open our bedroom doors from the inside or the outside. You head-butt EVERYTHING! You have finally started giving kisses again after being greedy with them for about a month! I love that you share your toys and your food with anyone who asks. You're so sweet. I love cuddling you and Daddy gets to take good naps with you sleeping on his chest. I'm jealous! I love snuggling you on the couch before bed time. I love that you hold your ears when you are tired and that you've done that since you were a tiny baby. You have learned how to climb up and down on the couch and do it pretty well now. You're still not saying any real words but you do use your sign language for "more" and "all done." You've also started blowing kisses. You're going to be a wonderful big sister. I love you Sweet Pea!!
Love,
Mommy

Overalls and 19 weeks

2010-09-18T12:06:00.000-07:00

Hayden was given a pair of Oshkosh overalls from our friend Lindsey and her daughter Alayna. I found them in a drawer and thought they'd look so cute! They were a little short so we rolled them in to capris. She's also wearing the Stella & Dot headband that I got for her to model. She was so cute!

Hayden's also figured out that she's tall enough to open our doors now. She loves it! Thankfully she we keep out doors to the outside locked! Here she's trying to get into her room to get her jammies on!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 19 Weeks

Size of baby: size of an heirloom tomato

Total Weight Gain/Loss: gained 3lbs

Maternity Clothes: Uh, yah.

Gender: It's another GiRl!

Movement: Every once in a while.

Sleep: I'm sleeping okay, better now that I got a Snoogle!

What I miss: Nothing yet

Cravings: Nothing really

Symptons: I'm still tired all of the time, but I think that's because of work and Hayden too!

Best Moment this week: Finding out that I'm going to have two little girls!

17 weeks

2010-09-06T18:40:00.001-07:00

Ok, so, I've already been terrible at taking pictures of this pregnancy. I, from here on out, promise to do a weekly picture, so that this baby is not photographically neglected.

Here's a little comparison. The first picture is pregnant with Hayden... looking DISGUSTING. Please don't focus on that picture too long. The second picture is baby #2.

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 17 Weeks

Size of baby: size of a turnip (because everyone knows how big that is!)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: So far, lost 6lbs

Maternity Clothes: Uh, yah.

Gender: Can't wait to find out!

Movement: Every once in a while.

Sleep: I'm sleeping okay, but getting more and more uncomfortable

What I miss: Nothing yet

Cravings: Nothing really

Symptons: I'm still tired all of the time, but I think that's because of work and Hayden too!

Best Moment this week: Having today, Labor Day off with Will and Hayden!

An Afternoon at the Children's Museum

2010-08-29T17:41:00.000-07:00

This morning we were bad and ditched out on church... Whoopsy. Well we went to In N Out for lunch then headed up to the Children's Museum for the first time. I've been before, but a loooong time ago and we decided to take Hayden there! She had a lot of fun but Will wished there was more to it. She looked super cute today, if I do say so myself!

Here's Hayden and Mommy today.

Our stop at In N Out where Hayden got some stickers.

Being a Police Officer with Daddy.

She loved playing in the music room!

Playing!

Looking at the dinosaurs!

She found a strawberry! Her favorite! She pulled that out every time we put it back.

My newest endeavor...

2010-08-27T06:08:00.002-07:00

Ok, so I know this has nothing to do with Hayden or the new baby... well maybe it does...

I've decided to become a Stylist with Stella & Dot jewelry!! It is THE cutest jewelry! I'm hoping that I can do well and get the word out there about this adorable jewelry and make a little money to help us out.

Check out my website! http://stelladot.com/stacistrait You can order from there! Let me know if you'd like to have a trunk show! I'd really help me to jump start my business if I have lots of friends (in person or bloggy type friends) supporting and buying from me or hosting trunk shows for me!

Whoops... It's been a while

2010-08-07T17:10:00.000-07:00

Sorry that I've neglected the blog for a while! Hayden's now 13 months old and I'm 13 weeks pregnant with baby number 2! It's been a wild few months! It's been hard going back to work and being pregnant, and missing my sugar pea. Hayden's getting so big now and has 3 teeth!! She popped her bottom right, then her top right! Now she has her bottom left, and hopefully her top left will join soon!! Here's some of my little 13 month old!

Eating is so tiring!

Taking Daddy's water bottle

She likes to climb inside the fridge any chance she can get!

She's learned to climb on Great Grandma's coffee table!

My 27th birthday

My Godmother found some video clips from when I was little. Here's a few images. Do you think Hayden looks like me?

Smash Cake!

2010-07-06T20:23:00.001-07:00

Here are the smash cake pictures that my friend Amber took! Check her out at Amber's Photography Blog! This blog is picture heavy and word light. I'm tired and the pictures are beautiful, so enjoy! Note: After this session, of course, Hayden had to have a massively poopy diaper, and then do her crocodile death roll as soon as I took her diaper off. Thus resulting in poop on Amber's carpet. Nice, Hayden, nice. :o) It's a good thing she's cute!

Swingin' Queen

2010-06-29T20:07:00.000-07:00

We got Hayden a swing for her birthday. She loves it! I was a little fearful since she hated her baby swing. I also regretted getting the red and blue one when I found out that there was a pink one! Grr. Oh well. We kept this one. I mean, who knows what this next baby is going to be.

Last but not least, I leave you with how she felt about the avocado I gave her...

She loves guacamole, but avocados alone... gets the snorty nose.

100th POST!!

2010-06-27T10:17:00.000-07:00

This is my special 100th post!! I've been waiting to make this special! So, Hayden's first birthday was on Father's Day, June 20, 2010! We started the day off with her presents, then headed to church. After church, we met my mom and grandma at Beyond Bread for lunch.

Presents! No, we didn't wrap them... oh well...

This is her new Cabbage Patch baby. Get this, her name is Eulalia Lakita. Really, Cabbage Patch, really?

Hayden got Creme Brulee! She loved it!

Happy Birthday girl!

Hey Grandma! What'd you bring me?!

A Corn Popper!

Ooo! And cute clothes!

Yay!!!!

With Mommy and Daddy on her birthday!

Oh and one more treat! Her shirt says "Guess what a little birdie told me..."

"I'm going to be a big sister!"

It's true! Here's number 2! Due February 11, 2011!

The doctor said it was safe to announce! We announced it officially at Hayden's birthday party yesterday with the little birdie shirt! You should have seen some of those shocked faces!

O-N-E!

2010-06-20T07:51:00.000-07:00

Today my baby is ONE!!! Wow! How has this year gone by so fast?! She's grown and changed so much! She's accomplished so much! I'm so proud of her! She's walking, not talking still, but she's loud!

One year ago today, at 12:26am, I got to pull my 7lb 7.2oz baby girl into the world!

Daddy in love

The best Father's Day gift

3 months

5 months

The sign did say 9 months before it was attacked

1 year old!

1 Year Ago Today

2010-06-19T09:12:00.000-07:00

Here I was... attractive, no? Contractions had woken me up at 3am. I knew something was different, but since I had never experienced it before I didn't know what was going on. I called my mom and she thought I was in early labor. I called my dad who had gone to San Diego the day before, even though I told him it could happen at anytime! He swore I'd go late since it was my first baby. Ha! I sent Will to work at 7am, but called him back by 9am. He took me to the hospital at 10am. After the checked me out, they made me walk around for an hour to see if I progressed, I did. I was admitted at noon when my labor had officially begun since I progressed.

So, again... just admitted... this is real!

Hey... we're having a baby!

Probably the only time he's ever willingly rubbed my back, although he didn't enjoy sitting behind me since my water had been broken! I did like laboring on the birth ball though! That's where I did all I could take without an epidural. I finally got it at 6cm. I don't know what time that was!

Mish Mash

2010-06-11T20:04:00.000-07:00

Today's post is a mish mash of delicious photos of my precious baby girl that I've taken over the last couple of days.

I can't believe that in a few short days my baby is turning 1! Where has this year gone?! She's walking now, but still not talking. We're getting a little worried that she's not talking like she is "supposed to." She is my pride and joy and I love having this summer with her! She's wild and crazy and running me ragged but we're having so much fun! I love my baby girl so much!

Waking up!

Peek-a-boo!

Happy morning girl!

Happy after getting a fresh diaper!

The reason we occasionally get stuck watching the Weather Channel or Spanish stations.

The aftermath of a day in piggy tails!

Crazy hair!

Three years ago... today.

2010-06-08T20:33:00.000-07:00

We were here...

I wore this...

I stood here...

They were there...

So was the boy band...

He was there...

She was there...

They met here...

Then they saw each other...

And heard about love, honor, and submission to each other...

They sealed their promise with a kiss...

And another one...

And still... another one!

Hayden's Year Photo Sneak Peek

2010-06-08T18:42:00.000-07:00

My friend Amber takes these AMAZING pictures! She's started her own business. You can check her out at Amber's Photography.

Who am I?

2010-06-03T19:01:00.000-07:00

Now a lot has changed in the past few years. I've changed a lot. Now...
I am...

a military wife
a mother
a teacher
a friend, though not nearly as good a friend now.
a daughter
a Christian
an heiress of Christ (the Bible study I'm doing now...)
a shopper (too much... )
a fashion lover
a homebody
addicted to tv and the internet... I could never live 100 years ago.
a wanna be stay at home mom
an ok cook

Then... I was a girl on the town! Hung out with my girls almost every night of the week! Stayed up until dawn...

Now... She is my life. She's the reason I breathe. The reason why I don't mind waking up at odd hours of the night. The reason why I don't ever sleep in anymore and staying up until 9pm is late. The reason why I don't hang out with my girls anymore, but it's ok. I love this girl.

Reasons Why I Smile

2010-06-02T21:54:00.000-07:00

Here are the top two reasons right here:

Will, my wonderful, loving, sometimes frustrating, handsome husband.
Hayden Isabella, my beautiful, happy, cuddly, daughter.

Hugs. You just can't go wrong... well... I guess if it's a creepy stranger hug, you can go wrong, but you know what I mean.
Know Jesus is my savior, and knowing that I have a beautiful inheritance coming.
A clean house! It's rare, but it sure makes me happy!
My Rainbow flip flops.
A Sonic Cherry Vanilla Diet Coke... mmmmmmm!

Flowers growing in my backyard.
Seeing Hayden splash in her pool!

Making hair accessories. I've listed a bunch on my Etsy (http://etsy.com/shop/sugarpeacebaby ). If you want to check them out. My friend owns the scrapbook store, Making Memories and is going to try to sell them for me there too! The newest poppy headbands are for adults. They are fun to make!

A good kiss from my husband! He sure is cute!
GIRLS NIGHT!! Life sure doesn't allow for many of those anymore!
Dresses that make me feel pretty!

Being told that I look pretty or beautiful... even if I don't believe it.
ANTHROPOLOGIE! Now, if only I could A) Fit in to their stuff again. B) Afford it. But if I could I would buy everything out of there!

Dancing. I mean a good booty dance or a sweet slow dance with a sexy husband! Come on! you know you like it too!
Reality tv... I know... my husband despises it, but I sure do enjoy it! The Hills, Real Housewives, Kendra, all the TLC shows! (Too bad I don't get too much time to watch them anymore since a certain baby occupies my time and attention!)

Lastly... I say this only in the hopes that positive thinking makes me want to do it... running.

I actually hate working out, thus the still gigantic baby bloated physique that I am still sporting with my daughter turning a year in 2 weeks.
I ran for the first time in for---ev---er tonight. I did a mile in 17:07. Hey... it's a start.

Now, tell me what makes you smile!

Trip 1 to the zoo!

2010-06-02T16:49:00.000-07:00

Today we had the joy of meeting Morgan and Lucas (and their moms!) We love the zoo! Hayden was more interested in people watching than the animals this time. We're going again on Friday for our friend Alayna's 3rd birthday!

Tired baby getting grumpy about being in the stroller.

A peacock so close!

A HUGE tortoise!

Lucas and Hayden

Here's Hayden looking through the turtle shell!

11 Months!

2010-05-24T20:06:00.000-07:00

My beautiful girl is 11 months old now! I can't believe how fast this time has gone! She's standing... so close to walking!! She's still not really talking, but that will come in time. I'm not too worried yet. She's such a good little girl! She tried REAL milk (Organic 2%) for the very first time yesterday and liked it! We're starting to introduce it once a day for now. Hopefully this is the last box of formula we have to buy!

Hayden's loves so far:

1. Teeny Baby (pictures to come). She gives Teeny kisses all the time.

2. Ripping up magazines!

3. Pulling books off her shelf

4. Giving smooches!

5. SHOES! She could sort her shoes for hours... ok... at least 15 minutes!

6. Gerber puffs!

7. Yelling at her furry brothers and chasing them down.

8. Climbing on everything

9. Trying to get to the bathroom trash can

10. Pushing buttons on the DVD player! (We finally unplugged it so she can push away without it opening and closing over and over.)

Her new pool!

Standing alone!

Sacked out from all that standing!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-29T20:57:00.000-07:00

My favorite site EVER!

2010-04-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

Babysteals is my favorite site! I check it religiously because every morning at 8am they have a brand new "steal" that is ridiculously discounted!! I've gotten in trouble over this site, but it sure is worth it!

10 months!

2010-04-25T11:53:00.000-07:00

My beautiful little girl is now 10 months old! I can't believe how fast the time has flown by! In a short 2 months she'll be 1! We're not going to have a huge party this year, it'll just be a small family get together. Even though it'd be fun to have everyone celebrate her birthday!! She's changed so much and she's really smart! She sure knows what she's doing and she knows what you're saying! Though she often chooses not to listen, I hope that's not a sign of future troubles!!

Yah, so... we don't have a pool. BUT it was such a nice day on Thursday evening (before I got the plague at 1am)... that I took Hayden outside to play in our "pool." She love splashing around but we're definitely getting her a pool soon!

Daddy and Hayden Monday

2010-04-19T22:17:00.000-07:00

It's late and I don't have any new pictures of Hayden and I, so tonight, a picture of Will and Hayden will have to do. He came home early, that's always nice. I just finished my progress reports and have they day off with Hayden tomorrow, so maybe I'll get a picture with her tomorrow! My brain is fried.

Waking Daddy up on his birthday and helping him open presents!

My next project

2010-04-15T05:58:00.000-07:00

OMG... seriously. I was browsing around different blogs and I FELL IN LOVE! This is totally my next project! This is at the FABULOUS blog Tatertots and Jello. You should check it out!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-14T19:08:00.000-07:00

I got creative!

2010-04-08T21:28:00.000-07:00

So, I took a chance... I modge podged! I've never done it before, frankly, I don't know anyone who does it and I don't even remember where I first heard of it! Anywho... I tried it! It turned out so stinkin' cute if I do say so myself! I was pretty proud! Maybe my whole house will be modge podged soon! It's WAAAAY easier than scrapbooking, so maybe I have a new hobby! Who wants to modge podge with me?! (Ummm... ignore the spots on the wall near the "N"... they are from the other letters that were on the wall that decided to take paint off where the little stickies were... grrr...)

Easter

2010-04-04T21:36:00.000-07:00

Hayden's first Easter was great! She was treated very well by everyone! She had 3 Easter baskets! We started the morning off at church then went to my Grandma's for lunch. We then went over to her church and saw the rededication of the memorial garden where my Papa is buried. Hayden got to see his plaque and the tree in his honor.

My little Easter Bunny!

Showing Mommy the glitter cup that the Easter Bunny brought her!

Reading her card from Mommy and Daddy

Seeing Papa's plaque, yes I fixed the camera, but then she didn't look

Now you can see Papa's plaque (the middle one) and Hayden not looking

At the Memorial Garden

At Papa's tree

Playing with the rocks

Hunting for eggs with Daddy, you can clearly see the mess she causes here...

Found one!

Sorting through her eggs!

9 month pigtails and fluffy butt!

2010-03-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about starting to cloth diaper for a while now. A lot of my friends do it and love it! I had to get Will on board though since he's with Hayden during the day. Well, I got some gDiapers and we tried them out a couple of times. I got the flushable inserts for out and about and the cloth inserts for home. Well, I just ordered 12 more cloth inserts because 6 just isn't going to be enough. I'll give a further update when I use them for a while. They are just so stinkin' cute! Plus I feel like I'm doing my part a little more with going green. I'd really like to stay home next year and it may be possible, tight, but possible especially if we do little things to go a little greener, like cloth diapering. Plus, my friend just shared a recipe for making laundry detergent that I really want to try!

She's so stinkin' cute if I do say so myself! (The bruise is from falling into the coffee table!)

Helping Mommy with laundry!

Taking monthly pictures is definitely more difficult with her on the move!

I wish this would rotate! Look at that cute fluffy butt! This is one of her cloth diapers!

Attack of the boogies!

2010-03-08T21:09:00.000-07:00

Hayden's had her first boogie attack! It started last Saturday. Poor baby has been dripping from the nose ever since. She doesn't act sick or anything else, she's just got a bum nose. We've been keeping the humidifier on in her room, rubbing her with Baby Vicks, and using the booger sucker to suck her boogers.

Anyway, here's some new photos!

Found some address labels to take apart!

Rolling with stickers all over her!

Like mommy like daugher! The girl LOOOVES her shoes! Forget toys!

Trying to escape the camera!

Another favorite activity is organizing DVD's. Well, maybe not organizing so much as pulling them all out on the bottom shelf and throwing them on the floor and chewing on some.

Rodeo Playdate!

2010-02-26T21:28:00.000-07:00

Hayden and I got to go on a playdate with some friends from work on Thursday. I sure do love Rodeo Break! It's a sweet little taste of what life is like being a stay at home mom. Well... we went to Case Park at 22nd and Bonanza. That is the cutest park! I had never even heard of it, but they have a great little grassy area and a butterfly garden. We had lots of friends to play with and got to swing on the park swings for the first time!

Hayden loving swinging!

Hayden swinging next to friend, Morgan!

We tried to get the babies together for a picture... notice, Hayden's not in it... she's always on the move now!

You'll see the progression of her moving...

She was more interested in sitting up and staring at Ben!

Hi Ben!

BJ and Ben

Vickie and Hayden chatting

Georgia, Georgia's mom, and BJ

A neglected blog...

2010-02-22T19:56:00.000-07:00

Whoopsy... It's been a loooong time since I've posted. I'm sorry to those of you who actually follow my blog! This going to be a little bit all over the place, but bear with me!

Hayden has turned 8 months old! I can't even believe it! It seems like just yesterday I was pregnant with her! She's really turning into a little person now! She has such a bubbly personality! I grow more and more in love with her each day!

She's crawling (well... more of the inchworm crawl) and pulling herself up to things. She absolutely loves her little light up music table. She plays with it all of the time!

We went to Vail Pride Day on her 8 month birthday, Feb. 20th. It was POURING... but Hayden was nicely bundled up to me in the Sleepy Wrap. She had a good time and wore her Sycamore onesie! Gotta represent!

Phone pic Hall of Fame

2010-01-27T05:19:00.000-07:00

Looking through my phone, I remembered that I have some really great pictures on there! I figured that it'd be a great post to share them!

Teacher of the Year

2010-01-16T22:09:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's me... I earned that nomination yesterday. (Yes, that is complete SARCASM.) I think I sent home roughly 18 yellow cards yesterday. Out of my class of 28 students, I had about 10 who were worthy of keeping their good behavior. I was so frustrated with the behavior of my class from the moment I came back to work in Quarter 2, they just didn't get how to behave and yesterday was the tip of the iceberg. I hate having to be mean, but come on! I mean what I say. So yes, either I totally should hand back my nomination of teacher of the year.... OR... I completely deserve it for handling these 28 crazy, 6 and 7 year olds. I don't know, but probably more so the first choice.

Post-It Note Tuesday

2010-01-12T16:34:00.000-07:00

Not Me Monday!

2010-01-11T20:19:00.000-07:00

Monday, why is it that you come so quickly when Friday seems to take forrrrreeeevvvveeerrrr to get here? WHY?! It's 8pm, I'm exhausted. I actually think I'm going to go to bed now. I guess it's one of the perks of having the hubby work nights. I don't have to stay up. I would however, much rather him be here in the evenings. I really miss him. I don't get to see him for more than 30 minutes until Saturday. I know it's great that Hayden gets to have her daddy instead of day care, but really miss my husband, and not seeing each other is a big stresser on our marriage. We are continuing to do the Love Dare, just to keep connected.

That being said... or really not having anything to do with what I'm next going to say... here goes "NOT ME" MONDAY!

I did NOT come home and cook a homemade soup for just myself. Nope, not me.

I did NOT have the baby in bed asleep by 7pm so I could relax for once in the last 6 months. Nope, not me.

I did NOT take a shower tonight so I could get just 15 extra minutes of precious sleep in the morning. Nope, not me.

I did NOT decide to enjoy a glass of wine after the bottle fell out of the fridge twice tonight seemingly to MAKE me have a glass since I had to clean up spilled wine twice. Nope, not me.

I did NOT choose to eat a glob of sugar cookie dough instead of working out. Nope, not me.

I did NOT regret the above choice when I had a sugar nausea wave come over me. Nope, not me.

There you go.

Love is kind

2010-01-07T20:23:00.000-07:00

Love is kind. Kind is something that I strive to be. Kindness is something that I don't always have. In the stress of the day, the stress of life, I'm not always the kindest to my husband. I do have a very deep love for him, undoubtedly, but I'm definitely human. I make stupid remarks. So does he. It's true in any marriage. So, day 2 is about kindness. I'm definitely going to try to be kind to everyone, not just my husband.

I love my hubby!

(p.s. I'd give anything to look like that again. Uggh... baby weight still 6 months later.)

Day 2

Love is kind

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32

Kindness is love in action. If patience is how love reacts in order to minimize a negative circumstance, kindness is how love acts to maximize a positive circumstance. Patience avoids a problem; kindness creates a blessing. One is preventive, the other proactive. These two sides of love are the cornerstones on which many of the other attributes we will discuss are built.

Love makes you kind. And kindness makes you likeable. When you’re kind, people want to be around you. They see you as being good to them and good for them.

The Bible keys in on the importance of kindness: “Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man” (Proverbs 3:3–4). Kind people simply find favor wherever they go. Even at home. But “kindness” can feel a little generic when you try defining it, much less living it. So let’s break kindness down into four basic core ingredients:

Gentleness. When you’re operating from kindness, you’re careful how you treat your spouse, never being unnecessarily harsh. You’re sensitive. Tender. Even if you need to say hard things, you’ll bend over backwards to make your rebuke or challenge as easy to hear as possible. You speak the truth in love.

Helpfulness. Being kind means you meet the needs of the moment. If it’s housework, you get busy. A listening ear? You give it. Kindness graces a wife with the ability to serve her husband without worrying about her rights. Kindness makes a husband curious to discover what his wife needs, then motivates him to be the one who steps up and ensures those needs are met—even if his are put on hold.

Willingness. Kindness inspires you to be agreeable. Instead of being obstinate, reluctant, or stubborn, you cooperate, you stay flexible. Rather than complaining and making excuses, you look for reasons to compromise and accommodate. A kind husband ends thousands of potential arguments by his willingness to listen first rather than demand his way.

Initiative. Kindness thinks ahead, then takes the first step. It doesn’t sit around waiting to be prompted or coerced before getting off the couch. The kind husband or wife will be the one who greets first, smiles first, serves first, and forgives first. They don’t require the other to get his or her act together before showing love. When acting from kindness, you see the need, then make your move. First.

Jesus creatively described the kindness of love in His parable of the Good Samaritan, found in the Bible—Luke, chapter 10. A Jewish man attacked by robbers is left for dead on a remote road. Two religious leaders, respected among their people, walk by without choosing to stop. Too busy. Too important. Too fond of clean hands. But a common man of another race—the hated Samaritans, whose dislike for the Jews was both bitter and mutual—sees this stranger in need and is moved with compassion. Crossing all cultural boundaries and risking ridicule, he stops to help the man. Bandaging his wounds and putting him on his own donkey, he carries him to safety and pays all his medical expenses out of his own pocket.

Where years of racism had caused strife and division, one act of kindness brought two enemies together. Gently. Helpfully. Willingly. Taking the initiative, this man demonstrated true kindness in every way.

Wasn’t kindness one of the key things that drew you and your spouse together in the first place? When you married, weren’t you expecting to enjoy his or her kindness for the rest of your life? Didn’t your mate feel the same way about you? Even though the years can take the edge off that desire, your enjoyment in marriage is still linked to the daily level of kindness expressed.

The Bible describes a woman whose husband and children bless and praise her. Among her noble attributes are these: “She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue” (Proverbs 31:26). How about you? How would your husband or wife describe you on the kindness meter? How harsh are you? How gentle and helpful? Do you wait to be asked, or do you take the initiative to help? Don’t wait for your spouse to be kind first.

It is difficult to demonstrate love when you feel little to no motivation. But love in its truest sense is not based on feelings. Rather, love determines to show thoughtful actions even when there seems to be no reward. You will never learn to love until you learn to demonstrate kindness.

Today’s Dare

In addition to saying nothing
negative to your spouse again today,
do at least one unexpected gesture
as an act of kindness.

What is desirable in a man is his kindness. (Proverbs 19:22)

When 2 become 3...

2010-01-06T17:57:00.000-07:00

When we were just a couple.

(Actually before we were a "couple." This is was the awkward "Hey! You two get together and smile!" picture.

Will and I have discovered that the first year of baby is WAAAY more difficult than the first year of marriage. We've definitely had our fair share of ups and downs. We've both learned of selfish and childish we can be. We love each other deeply and with that said, we are striving to make our marriage stronger. We watched the movie, Fireproof, and it really impacted our lives. We bought the book, Love Dare, and we're currently doing it as a devotion. We've just started it but, so far it's really good. Definitely gives you something to talk about and think about.

Now, we're not just a couple, we're a family! Even though it's harder, it's unbelievably worth every up and down!

Our local Christian radio station has posted a 40 day (until Valentine's Day) Love Dare. It's really a wonderful way to strengthen your marriage with God's perfect love. I strongly encourage all to read it, use it, and live it not only in your marriage but in your everyday life.

Day 1

Love is patient

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient,

bearing with one another in love. —Ephesians 4:2 NIV

Love is built on two pillars that best define what it is. Those pillars are patience and kindness. All other characteristics of love are extensions of these two attributes. And that’s where your dare will begin. Withpatience.

Love will inspire you to become a patient person. When you choose to be patient, you respond in a positive way to a negative situation. You are slow to anger. You choose to have a long fuse instead of a quick temper. Rather than being restless and demanding, love helps you settle down and begin extending mercy to those around you. Patience brings an internal calm during an external storm.

No one likes to be around an impatient person. It causes you to overreact in angry, foolish, and regrettable ways. The irony of anger toward a wrongful action is that it spawns new wrongs of its own. Anger almost never makes things better. In fact, it usually generates additional problems. But patience stops problems in their tracks. More than biting your lip, more than clapping a hand over your mouth, patience is a deep breath. It clears the air. It stops foolishness from whipping its scorpion tail all over the room. It is a choice to control your emotions rather than allowing your emotions to control you, and shows discretion instead of returning evil for evil.

If your spouse offends you, do you quickly retaliate, or do you stay under control? Do you find that anger is your emotional default when treated unfairly? If so, you are spreading poison rather than medicine.

Anger is usually caused when the strong desire for something is mixed with disappointment or grief. You don’t get what you want and you start heating up inside. It is often an emotional reaction that flows out of our own selfishness, foolishness, or evil motives.

Patience, however, makes us wise. It doesn’t rush to judgment but listens to what the other person is saying. Patience stands in the doorway where anger is clawing to burst in, but waits to see the whole picture before passing judgment. The Bible says, “He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly” (Proverbs 14:29).

As sure as a lack of patience will turn your home into a war zone, the practice of patience will foster peace and quiet. “A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but the slow to anger calms a dispute” (Proverbs 15:18). Statements like these from the Bible book of Proverbs are clear principles with timeless relevance. Patience is where love meets wisdom. And every marriage needs that combination to stay healthy.

Patience helps you give your spouse permission to be human. It understands that everyone fails. When a mistake is made, it chooses to give them more time than they deserve to correct it. It gives you the ability to hold on during the tough times in your relationship rather than bailing out under the pressure.

But can your spouse count on having a patient wife or husband to deal with? Can she know that locking her keys in the car will be met by your understanding rather than a demeaning lecture that makes her feel like a child? Can he know that cheering during the last seconds of a football game won’t invite a loud-mouthed laundry list of ways he should be spending his time? It turns out that few people are as hard to live with as an impatient person.

What would the tone and volume of your home be like if you tried this biblical approach: “See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another” (1 Thessalonians 5:15).

Few of us do patience very well, and none of us do it naturally. But wise men and women will pursue it as an essential ingredient to their marriage relationships. That’s a good starting point to demonstrate true love.

This Love Dare journey is a process, and the first thing you must resolve to possess is patience. Think of it as a marathon, not a sprint. But it’s a race worth running.

Today's Dare

The first part of this dare is fairly

simple. Although love is communicated

in a number of ways, our words often

reflect the condition of our heart. For

the next day, resolve to demonstrate

patience and to say nothing negative

to your spouse at all. If the temptation

arises, choose not to say anything. It’s

better to hold your tongue than to say

something you’ll regret.

Five Question Friday Carnival!

2010-01-01T20:43:00.000-07:00

I thought that since I'm trying to do more with my blog, I could start off by linking with some other great blogs! Here's one I found on a fabulous blog Mannland5

1. If you could bring one character to life from your favorite book, who would it be?

My immediate first thought was Edward Cullen. Why? Ummm... hello, he's dreamy!

2. Where did you get your very first kiss?

Wow, umm... I was actually 21. It was my first boyfriend, Bill. Yah. 21. I know. Anyway, it was in my driveway after a date, and that's about it.

3. How did you welcome in the New Year?

We stayed home because Hayden's bedtime is around 6:30pm. Our friends Vickie and Garret came over and we share a bottle of wine (or 2) and watched The Ugly Truth (hysterical by the way) and then played "Would You Rather..." It was a really great, low key night!

4. What is your favorite Beatles song?

Unfortunately, I don't have one. I'm not much of a Beatles fan.

5. Donuts: Underrated, overrated, or 'bout right?

They're good, but I don't neeeeed them. I do however enjoy a Dunkin Donuts chocolate glazed squishy donut when given the opportunity!

My first blog carnival! Happy Friday!

Happy 2010!

2009-12-31T23:02:00.000-07:00

Wow! I can't believe that 2009 is over! What a {{whirlwind}}it has been! It's been a truly amazing year. Obviously, what I'm talking about is the fact that this year, I was given the best gift anyone could ever ask for. I became a mother! Not only did I become a mother, but I became a mother to the most beautiful little girl in the world! Hayden Isabella is truly a gift from God. She's been such a sweet and happy baby from day 1. June 20, 2009 at 12:26 am, my world changed. There will hopefully be more babies to come in the future, but there will never be another first baby. Hayden has such a bubbly and joy-filled personality that brings a smile to everyone's face who gets to meet her. All I want in this world is be the best mommy I can be to her. I want to be with her every waking moment. I love the precious time I have a night with her, cuddling, praying with her, singing to her, reading to her, nursing her, every moment is special and cherished.

This year, Hayden has gone from:

a {{rumble}} in my belly (1 week exactly before giving birth)...

to a gift from God in my arms...

to a growing little girl (2 weeks old)

to a joyful, spirited little girl (3 months old)

to a beautiful little cuddle girl (5 months old)

to a rolly polly, little scooter (6 months old)

to a little girl with a sweet smile, who's a good eater!

and who is the another {{love of my life}}...

With this New Year, I obviously have resolutions. Hopefully, this year will be different than past years and I'll actually stick to them!

1. Be the best mommy I can be
a. teaching Hayden about God, leading her to a life devoted to Christ
2. Be the best wife I can be
a. committing to love truer, deeper, and more faithfully, and with the love of Christ
3. Grow closer to God
4. Be a better friend to everyone
a. call more, text more, more face to face contact time
4. LOSE WEIGHT ... uggh... that's an EVERY year resolution
5. Stay home with my baby!
6. Blog better and learn how to make money doing it!
7. Work on selling the headbands I make!

Now... goals are set. This should be a fabulous year! I hope things work out in my favor! I'd love to hear what your resolutions are! That way we can help each other keep them!

Hayden's First Christmas

2009-12-28T21:29:00.001-07:00

Ahh... Christmas. You've come and gone so quickly this year. I actually had a big ol' blog written explaining all about this year's Christmas, but then this dumb blog site froze on me. I actually am pretty sick of having to upload only 5 pictures at a time, and having to really think about the order in which to upload because it uploads backwards. It's really annoying. Anyway... enjoy our Christmas through pictures instead of words!

Christmas Eve Eve...

Mt. Lemmon!

Cookie Making!

So tired from such a long and busy day...

Christmas Eve...

Celebrating with Grandma and Great Grandma!

Opening her first present!

Christmas Eve service

Christmas Day!

I got peanut earrings in a Tiffany's bag as a gag gift... utter disappointment.

And all in all, Christmas was a success. Hayden truly scored present wise! She was exhausted from all of the Christmas excitement! I can't wait to see her at Christmas next year and enjoy her really knowing what's going on. (Ok... well... at least a little bit more!) I hope you all enjoyed your Christmases as well!

Diamonds are a girl's best friend!

2009-12-20T20:12:00.000-07:00

Hayden turned 6 months old today! For her half birthday present we took her to get her ears pierced yesterday. After much anxiety and a few tears (shed by all 3 of us) we did it! She screamed for 5 minutes then was fine and dandy. They look beautiful!

Daddy not happy about this.

A last look at naked baby ears.

They look beautiful!

Daddy still feeling horrible about putting her through the pain.

Big girl with her new earrings before bath time!

Peas Please!

2009-11-30T19:43:00.000-07:00

We talked to our pediatrician and he said it's time to let Hayden start trying new foods. She's had oatmeal and really likes it! I want to make her food and thus, Hayden tried PEAS for the first time yesterday! She loved them! Thus, we're going forward and that's the food of the week!

Messy eater!

Sweet face covered in peas! It's so funny how she grabs the spoon or shoves her fingers in her mouth along with the peas!

Had to be topped off with a little from the bottle.

So pretty, even with peas all over her.

And... she's done! BATH TIME!

Hayden's Dedication

2009-11-08T19:27:00.000-07:00

Hayden was dedicated at church today! My whole family came!

The feet...HAVE BEEN FOUND!

2009-11-08T19:25:00.000-07:00

It only took 4 1/2 months! But... the baby feet have been found and are constantly in the baby hands now! Thankfully, not in the mouth quite yet!

Hayden's First Halloween

2009-11-03T05:19:00.001-07:00

My sweet little pumpkin!

Why yes, that was me in handcuffs on the side of I-10

2009-10-27T18:54:00.000-07:00

On my way home from work, going 10 mph (due to ridiculous construction) down I-10 and Houghton, I pass a DPS officer on the side of the road. Not thinking anything of it, he gets behind me, then so does another one. I pull off at Rita, trying to get out of the construction and just take Valencia home, I see their light go on behind me. I thought they'd just go around seeing how I did NOTHING wrong. But no. "I hear stick your hands out the window!" I look and the officer has his gun in hand. Then he had me turn off my vehicle, give him the keys, and step outside. Then, I had to walk to the back of his car. That's when the handcuffs came out... and I was handcuffed. I'm flipping out because A) I DID NOTHING WRONG and B) I have traffic going 10 mph next to me, thus, parents, teachers, all can see me clear as day handcuffed on the side of the freeway.

So, apparently, my license plate was listed as STOLEN.

Back story:
Will's F-150 had the license plate stolen 2 years ago, while he was at my mom's house. My mom helped him make a report. He got a new plate, we thought all was done. We got this brand new Corolla in August and DMV sent us a brand new plate. Somehow, between then and now, DMV and TPD got those license plate numbers switched. So, the one on my Corolla was listed as the one that my husband reported as stolen. Lovely.

The officers let me get out of the handcuffs when my story was matching up and they called TPD. I had to go down to the police department and get the two license plates switched. The officers told me that Will and my mom both owed me a beer, seeing how they made the reports! We still have no idea how the brand new license plate number got switched from the one stolen 2 years ago.

The long awaited Jumperoo!

2009-10-25T07:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Grandma (my mom) got Hayden a Jumperoo!! Hayden loves standing and bouncing so it was time to get this! As soon as we put it together, Hayden jumped in and LOVED it! She was sitting in there cooing away! It was a much better investment than the swing that she hates!

She's still a little short, so we had to put a box under her so she could bounce!

A few new favorites!

2009-10-25T07:24:00.000-07:00

1st trip to the big park!

2009-10-25T07:17:00.000-07:00

We have a big community park in our neighborhood, so before I went back to work, Hayden and I went for a walk down there! It was hot and there wasn't a lot of shade so we didn't stay all that long.

Sitting like a big girl in the stroller!

She was getting tired, as you can see from the heavy eyes.

Love this one!

Pretty baby!

She turned and gave me a kiss at the right time!

I love my girl!

4 months old!

2009-10-25T07:09:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that Hayden is already 4 months old!! This time has gone so quickly! She's rolling over and starting to "talk" a lot! I love hearing her happily cooing! She loves to stand and bounce! I bet she'll be walking before she crawls!

Apple Annie's!

2009-10-25T06:56:00.000-07:00

We went up to Apple Annie's on October 10th and had a great time! We didn't actually get anything besides a pumpkin though. I would have liked to get some of their produce, but it'll have to wait until next year! We met our friends, The Poteets, and our other friend Sarah up there, so that was nice!