Fathers & Sons Campout 2013

I haven't been able to get Dave to write about the Fathers & Sons campout, so I'll just post pictures and comment on what I can:

Hamburgers & Hotdogs for dinner.

Bedtime!

Breakfast: OJ, chocolate milk, pancakes & sausage.

My little Tree-climbers.

Time to come home!

7 Years Without The Itch!

Today is Dave and my 7 year wedding anniversary and 11 years since our first date! We got to celebrate a bit early. On Saturday, my parents watched the kids while we went up to our favorite place for dinner: Sundance. We decided to try the Tree Room since we have always gone to The Foundry Grill. It was quite the experience!

The Tree Room is a bit pricier and the food is more artistic. The chef is French trained (which is always a bonus). After ordering, they brought us each a shot glass of something yellow. I remember them explaining what it was, but none of it made any sense to me. It was like hearing a completely different language. I looked at Dave and said, "Do you think it has alcohol in it?" Luckily it didn't;  it was just a thick liquid that was a strong lemon flavor with frozen blackberries on top. I guess it was to cleanse the pallet before beginning our meal. It was very good but we could't stop giggling that we had no idea what was going on. 

Next, the same guy came by with a plate of purple olives covered in herbs and then doused in olive oil. Then he described the breads we could choose from, which, as before, we had no idea what on earth he was saying. So I just randomly picked mine that turned out delicious, as did Dave. The olives were strong in flavor, but absolutely wonderful. Dave was a little turned off by their strong taste, so I ate most of them.

They then brought our appetizer we had ordered: scallops with caviar on top. They were melt-in-your-mouth delicious! I don't think I'll ever be satisfied by another scallop for the rest of my life. They were absolutely incredible!

Our meals came looking delicate and picture perfect. David had ordered the wild boar and I ordered an off the menu special which was a sea bass. We both were taken aback at how small the portions were, but we ate every bite and the meals were delicious, as to be expected.

We giggled at all the rich yuppies sitting around us, arguing about boats and expensive wines. I told Dave, "Of everyone in this room, we probably enjoyed and appreciated our $100 meal the most," mostly because it is a very rare occasion that we spend that kind of money on a meal.

We declined to order dessert since I had a hankering for a Dole whip. So we headed out of the canyon and drove to Farr's Fresh where we enjoyed big bowls of pineapple and raspberry Dole whip with fruit mixed in. It filled in all the cracks and we were finally full! 

After all the trials and struggles, adventures, children, and laughter, there is still no one else I would rather experience them with, than Dave. I am so grateful I married my best friend and that we refuse to give up on each other. I am so blessed to have a worthy Priesthood holder in my home whose #1 priority is his family. I thank my Heavenly Father every day for such an incredible person to be my mate for all of eternity. I am amazed at how much he serves me and helps around the house without a word of complaint or resentment. It makes being pregnant a lot more bearable to have someone who is so positive and a strength every day. Seven years has gone so fast and yet, we have grown closer and stronger together every year. I wouldn't trade this guy for anything in the world. He is my world and has given me the greatest gift of all: to be a wife and a mother. Happy Anniversary David! I love you more than ever! 

Da Baby

We finally had my ultrasound the last week in April  and despite what Cruise prayed for and what everyone on Facebook said, we found out it is a BOY! We brought both the boys to the ultrasound which was enjoyable until the gender reveal. Poor Cruise had tears in his eyes and the saddest look of complete and utter devastation on his face. I started to cry because I felt I had let him down. But after Dad took them to get a Happy Meal from McDonalds, smiles returned again. I am actually impressed that the Happy Meal does what it advertises.

But we are thrilled to welcome another little boy into our family! Despite their constant need for destruction and their lack of aim into the toilet, I just love little boys! Cruise, since the ultrasound, will bring up the fact that it's not a girl and despite being still disappointed, he is getting used to the idea. By the time the baby comes, I'm sure Cruise will be beaming with excitement!

Everything in the ultrasound looked great and he seems to be growing perfectly and is healthy! We got to see him open his mouth a couple of times and after comparing his profile between the two boys', we think he's going to look more like Cruise.

19 Weeks

The nausea and vomiting are still kicking my butt but hopefully it will be on it's way out in the next couple weeks. Hip and joint paint have begun along with my old nemesis sciatica. And despite what everyone else says, no, my 2nd trimester never greets me with energy. I'm exhausted as usual. But despite all that, it's so fun to feel the little guy kick and wiggle. Those signs of life are God's little tender mercies for expecting moms.

Can't wait to meet the little guy!  

Easter Weekend

I know I'm way behind, but it really isn't my fault. It's true! The last pictures I took before my camera bit the dust were of Easter. So obviously I couldn't blog about it without pictures! The only reason anyone would even bother reading the blog is for the pictures. You know I'm right.

So, onto Easter.

Friday night, Cruise was so excited for the Easter bunny to come, that he wrote him a note and left him carrots without any urging. I told him that the Easter bunny usually only comes Saturday night and he'd have to wait another day, but after the boys went to bed, I figured, "What the heck!" And put out their Easter baskets a day early.

They both woke up sick with strep throat unfortunately, but they were over the moon when they saw that the Easter Bunny had come to their house early! After looking at their treasures, we got everyone in the car and took them to the Instacare where they enjoyed a poke in the back of the throat and left with prescriptions. We grabbed some breakfast, filled the prescriptions, and headed back home where we quarantined the house off from any friends or visitors. The boys played with their Easter treasures and munched on chocolate.

We were supposed to go to the Ybarra's house for lunch and an Easter egg hunt, but we had to miss out. Dave went for a bit and returned with a bunch of eggs from the hunt so we could do our own in the backyard.

So Sunday morning, since we couldn't go to church, we had the boys watch The Living Scriptures video about the atonement and we had a little lesson about what Easter really is about. Then while I started on preparing the feast, the boys dyed eggs and then did their Easter egg hunt.

Later that evening, we had my sister Abby and her husband Casey over for Easter dinner. Luckily, the boys' doctor said they wouldn't be contagious by the evening. Abby & Casey brought some AMAZING mashed potatoes and I provided the ham, rolls, veggies & cheesecake for dessert. It all was wonderful! And the best part: we had leftovers!

The Jett Has Been Grounded...

Due to a rough landing yesterday, the Jett's landing gear was damaged and presently requires repair. Unfortunately he will not be fully operational for the next four weeks. Please be patient as we have our best people on the situation.

In other words...

Jett and Cruise were once again "flying" off the top bunk of their bed and what Mom & Dad said would happen, happened. Jett got a buckle fracture of his first metatarsal on his left foot. At first we thought he was milking a sprain (which he is known to do) until around noon when he tried to walk to his friend's house and couldn't put any weight on his foot without it being incredibly painful. So I made an appointment with a doctor and couldn't get in until around 5:30pm. With Dave at work and Cruise home, I had to take both the boys along. We checked in and waited until Jett said he had to poop. I got the boys and we headed to the bathroom where Jett did his business and then Cruise needed to go too. However, Cruise's poop ended up all over his hands and his hynie and of course the 3 month pregnant lady with horrible nausea had to clean it up. Needless to say, Mommy puked everything she had in her stomach and more. That whole episode took so long that the people behind us took our place and we had to wait another half hour to see the doctor.

Once Jett was seen, it was recommended he get an X-ray, but surprise, surprise, the doctor's office didn't have an X-ray machine. So we were sent to Instacare for the X-ray. The moment we arrived, Cruise began his meltdown over the fact that he didn't get an X-ray. After waiting about 45 minutes in an empty waiting room, they brought Jett into the X-ray room. I got him calm enough to be able to leave him and he did awesome with the 3 X-rays. After, the boys got to see the X-rays, but of course, this made Cruise even more upset. We left with him wailing and crying and me sweating bullets as I had to carry Jett every where.

It was a pretty crappy day.

This morning we got a call from the doctor who informed us of the X-ray results and told us to go to their American Fork office in the afternoon to get Jett's foot put in a cast. Since the only time available was when Cruise was getting home from school, Dave took Jett while I waited at home. Jett was a little scared at first since he didn't know what to expect, as they wrapped it, he calmed down and was very brave and proud of himself!

Luckily the cast can be submerged and Jett can walk on it if he wants to, but he is still getting used to it and is not too happy about not being able to take it off whenever he wants.

I really hope he learned his lesson.

The Kids: An Update

Cruise

Cruise has been doing really well in school lately and has been working really hard on his math and reading skills. He is a master at coloring in the lines and drawing. He LOVES to draw! It is one of his favorite things to do when he gets home from school. He also loves to ride his bike and watch Wreck It Ralph (now that we have finally purchased it). His best friends are his buddies from school named Tex and Logan. He tells me all about playing cops and robbers and Star Wars with them during recess.

Cruise has gotten increasingly snuggly lately, which is awesome. His endearing personality is always evident and I am so grateful for who he is. Last winter he qualified for the Medicaid Autism Waiver program, which is a poor attempt at helping autistic children in the state. Given, it's more that what Utah has ever done, but it is, in my opinion, the wrong way of going about it. But either way, he qualified and luckily Kids On the Move is a service provider with the program. So the famous Laurie Bowen came over to talk about goals and issues that need to be addressed. As we spoke, Cruise went into the kitchen, filled up 4 glasses of apple juice, placed them on a plate, and walked them into the living room where we were talking. He handed everyone a glass of juice. It was a adorable. 

Cruise got to take swimming lessons at the Legacy Center last month and loved every minute of it! Despite the fact that he didn't pass off the level, all I really cared about is that he learn some new skills and have fun, which he definitely did. I was so proud of him and loved watching him have so much fun!

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Cruise is still having attachment issues with his green striped shirt. It is now holey and too small. I don't know what I'm going to do! I can't find any shirt like it! Luckily, he will wear 3 other green shirts, but the striped is his favorite and refuses to let it go. 

Lately church has once again become a big problem. Cruise just does not want to go. It amazes me that we can go EVERY. SINGLE. SUNDAY. and he still not realize that this is what we do every week. This past Sunday, after dressing him three times and finally getting him out the door, he continued to loudly proclaim that he didn't not want to go to church. When I went to pick him up from his class after the third hour, his dress shirt and tie were off and in his bag, he had a scowl on his face, and as we walked down the crowded hallway I asked him, "How was church?" With which he loudly yelled, "I hate church! It's all your fault!" Yep. That is Sunday. 

Jett

Jett has the life of an unemployed, single 26 year old man who still lives with his parents. He sleeps in, watches his cartoons, plays games, finally gets ready and leaves to visit his girlfriend, Camry, across the street. He gets Mom and Dad's attention all morning and loves it. He still is our snuggly little guy who regularly says, "Mom, snuggle me!" He would be happy if you just laid down and snuggled him which watching a movie all day. He is talking really really well now and still has his adorable little lisp. He also still is a tender hearted kid. If I am not smiling, he will say, "Mommy, be happy!" or if I get upset with him he says through tears and a turned down lip, "Mommy, please don't be mad. I love you." Seriously? How can anyone stay mad at a kid like that.

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Jett loves to play outside with his friends Dylan and Camry and drive him around in his Power Wheels. He also loves to play in the evenings with Cruise, who he refers to as his "best friend". This often leads to them stripping down to nothing and running around the house squealing. I really have no idea why, but I am always sure to lock all the doors and close all the blinds. They love to pretend together and can always be heard laughing and giggling together. I love that my boys are best friends.

Jett also got to take swimming lessons last month but got sick after the first week, so unfortunately he didn't get to finish his lessons. But he still enjoyed it and learned a few new things, particularly to not be so afraid of putting his head underwater. 

Jett has finally reached that point where the Terrible Two's are a thing of the past. He finally has stopped walking behind me all day, crying like an emotional 16 year old girl. He still has his fits, but nothing compared to how he used to act. I am very very excited about this. He is all potty trained, expect bedtime still poses a problem. But he is slowly learning. 

Jett constantly tells us that he loves us. Just out of the blue he will say, "I love you Mom," "I love you Dad." It's so sweet. A couple weeks ago, my sister Abby was watching him and she says to him, "Jett, I love you," with which he responds, "No, I love Mommy."  

Baby

What?! What's that?! Yes! We are expecting!!! We found out in January and I'm not gonna lie, it kind of took us by surprise. But we are so excited for #3! Actually, Cruise has been talking about it before we even knew we were pregnant. He also says it's a girl, which I will be incredibly amazed if he is right. He is by far the most excited for this baby. I am currently 11 weeks and so far it's been the longest pregnancy of my life. This is mostly due to the fact that every day when Cruise gets off the bus, he asks me, "Is the baby ready yet?" Every. Day. So needless to say, it's gonna be a very, very long pregnancy. 

As usual, I don't feel very well. Luckily this time, I have my handy dandy ZOFRAN to get me through (yes, the boys have been watching Blues Clues lately). The Zofran has prevented any puking and keeps me at least functional during the day. Some days are better than others, but so far, I feel better than I did with either of the boys. 

Last week I had my first visit with my OB, Dr. Shelley Savage (same doctor I had with Jett). We got to hear the baby's heartbeat and I got poked and prodded. 

My cravings have been rampant and Dave is quite a trooper. I mostly crave Zupas, soups, salads, Italian food, and, as usual, seafood. But then again, I crave seafood even when I'm not pregnant. I don't like sweets as much as I normally do and I hate juice. This is the first baby I've had heartburn with, which is not awesome. But luckily I have a nice big bottle of Tums to help. I am already huge and can't wear pretty much anything in my wardrobe. And as usual, I have gained a lot of weight. It pretty much doesn't matter what I eat, I still gain a ton of weight in pregnancy thanks to genetics. 

I am hungry pretty much ALL THE TIME, but if I let myself get too hungry, then I get incredibly nauseated and nothing sounds good. I'm tired most the time and only have enough energy every day to complete one chore. Sadly for my family, I can't clean fast enough to keep up with the boys. So common sayings in the house lately are, "Where is my underwear?" "Where are my socks?" "We're all out of bread!" "We're all out of fruit snacks!" "The bathroom stinks!" "I can't find (insert specify toy)." etc. There is nothing like feeling like the world's worst mother and wife than being pregnant and completely incapable of being able to clean like you would like to. But I am so grateful to have such an awesome husband who has done all the dishes since I became nauseous, mops the kitchen floor, helps me with laundry, and *gasp* cleaned the boys bathroom! This last one is pretty shocking since he doesn't clean bathrooms. But I am so grateful for his willingness to help as much as possible. There is a special place in heaven for husbands who do everything to help their pregnant wives. 

I always tell people that if you want a sunny, positive outlook on pregnancy, do not come to me. Put simply, pregnancy sucks. But the end result makes up for all of it. 

Baby is due September 30th! 

Dave's Birthday

Dave turned 28 on February 28th this year. I guess that's referred to a "Golden Birthday". I asked Dave what he wanted for his birthday and he said he wanted a spa night. Which means a home spa night. We decided to have that the Saturday after his birthday when he didn't have to input leads in the evening.

So on his birthday, Thursday, the boys and I went to the store and bought a frozen pumpkin pie (Dave's favorite) and went home and cooked it. By the time Dave got home in the evening, it was out of the oven and cooling. He suggested we stick it in the fridge to speed up the cooling process so we could eat it sooner. Unfortunately as he opened the fridge door, it knocked the entire pie all over the floor! Yummy. So I said, "Ok, everyone get your coats! We're going to Village Inn!" Cruise got pumpkin (because he was determined to eat pumpkin pie), Dave got banana cream, I got hot apple pie, and Jett got a Reese's peanut butter pie. I was just glad I hadn't made the pumpkin pie from scratch, otherwise I probably would've been little upset.

The boys also had picked out some presents from Target just for Dave. They said he wanted movies, so I let them choose from the $5-$8 section and they surprisingly picked pretty well. Cruise picked out "Contagion" and Jett picked out "Life As We Know It". Then they each drew pictures (Cruise made a book) and to finish, they had to get Daddy a bag of mini donuts, which were quickly consumed by the little boys upon opening.

Jett's drawing.

Cruise's book.

"Can I have some?"

Friday, Dave and I went to lunch at Pier 49 Pizza, which is Dave's favorite pizza place. We got their all you can eat lunch special and enjoyed being without the kids.

Saturday evening, Dave took the boys out to see Wreck It Ralph (again) at the dollar theater, and I stayed home and cleaned and got the room ready for Dave's spa night. This includes a foot soak, hour long massage, and a hot, relaxing bath to finish. It was nice to do that for him and let him have an evening of relaxation, especially after how hard he works all the time.