You love me. Real or not real?

Real.

Matching hunger games necklaces courtesy of Anna. Winning. Love my sisters.

Christmas advent activity calendar

While browsing Pinterest a few months back, there were so many things I wanted to do over the holiday season that I made a list and turned it into a holiday activity advent calendar for little d and I. Using my Cricut, I easily put together little numbers in circles, reinforced them with some magnets, and put them on a mini muffin tin. Each day of "numbers" as he called it, little d would take a number off, put it on the fridge, eat the Hershey kiss inside and eagerly ask me what we were doing that day. It was a great way to get little d excited to build memories (and make stuff) together while giving us something to do leading up to our move.

Some things like the snicker doodle muffins or cinnamon ornaments required a little extra planning (printing the recipe off Pinterest) on my part, but I made sure to include some fun and easy ones to balance them out, like a pajama party, dance party (we do have those daily anyway), snuggling up to watch a holiday movie, etc. It was a great way for me to feel like I was starting holiday traditions with my son, even if he would probably not remember any of them. Some ideas were more successful than others (and some failed miserably!) but overall I think this worked out great.

Since we moved a week before Christmas, a few things were left undone (gingerbread men cookies, sugar cookies, thumbprint/handprint salt dough ornaments, etc) but in doing certain things like paper snowflakes (of which he could not have been less interested in), it led to new ideas and a few surprises, like little d requesting I make him a paper grinch on one side of his door and a snowman on the other.

I loved doing this little advent calendar as a countdown to the holidays, and think it really helped me get into the holiday spirit with my little toddler... He was sad to see the numbers go, but I assured him they would be back next year (with more fun stuff like ice skating and possibly even skiing thrown into the mix!).

So here you have it, what we've been doing the last 20 or so odd days:

Merry Christmas 2012

Sorry we won't have a Christmas card picture this year, but what with moving a week before Christmas and such, we'd be lucky to have them out by spring. This pretty much sums up our Christmas though...at least it's a white one!

24 weeks pregnant with #2 and the big move!!

In the last two weeks, we have moved into the most lovely home of our very own and got me my one year gym membership with childcare that rivals Utah in cheapness ($40 a month!) but still has awesome classes.

Other than a lot of movement (and this week marking my entry into braxton hicks Contractions, thanks to moving day) from baby A, there's nothing much to report. I'm up to 15 pounds baby weight, although to be honest it feels more like 30! Still working out, running, lifting weights and just listening to my body... Some days are better than others but overall my body recovers from workouts rather well and quickly.

Little d is content to walk instead of having me carry him or going in the stroller, and if this move has taught me anything it's that two year olds LOVE to help out. While putting his toddler bed together (a $20 Craigslist find, so without instructions it was a bit frustrating), he kept walking into his room where mr. D and I were attempting the put-together, and asking "need some help boys? I can help you!" Exasperated, we both told him that we just needed him to eat his dinner, which he dutifully did after some initial protests. I feel terrible for getting upset at him a few times during our move when he would not listen to me, but truth be told it has been a big adjustment and he has been adjusting beautifully. He fell out of the bed two of the last three nights, and last night told me he would sleep closer to the wall so he wouldn't fall down again. Brave kid. He loves his "own room", "own house" and his big boy bed. We are so lucky to have him.

I was worried in moving at almost 6. Months pregnant with a 2.5 year old that I wouldn't have the time or energy to put the house together to my liking as quickly as I would like. Heavenly father has blessed me a hundredfold and within 24 hours of moving in, the house was perfect and organized. Each day I have found new things that get brought in from my inlaws or something else to organize but each night I go to bed content. I haven't been so undeniably happy since I don't know when... Mr. D got his dealersocket job? We got our pleasant grove apartment? Little d was born?

There's a wonderful feeling and sense of relief that accompanies being a happy little family of 3 in a home and community that fits us perfectly, with room to grow and add our little baby A in a few months. I am less stressed and more relaxed than I have been in months, possibly even years. Being a stay at home mom suits me and I know I am so blessed to have a husband who allows me to do so. While I loved teaching, home is where my heart is.

We have a lovely little yard with a swing set for little d (and friends), and what we did not realize is we are only minutes (walking) from the most beautiful lake. Now all we have to do is keep kevs from being eaten by a coyote. :/

And as an added bonus to a home we are completely in love with, Our closest grocery store has Graeters ice cream. While I haven't had any strong cravings (or aversions thank goodness), I am thinking this could be the start of a beautiful relationship. And yes it is currently the only thing in our freezer.

Wordless Wednesday: big boy bed

At long last

Our first apartment was in Provo. We had it from fall 2006 to spring 2007. It was a one bedroom in the upstairs of a house, came with a mattress and box spring, had infinite funny angles in the ceiling that were a constant source of literal head pain for anyone taller than myself. Which is everyone. We had no tub, no heat aside from a heated wall square, shared the washer and dryer with the girls who lived below us, and our kitchen was really more of a hallway. But we had a nice big living room, a fun little balcony where I could do yoga and spy on neighbors. Oh and we plugged in our tv that first day to discover we had free cable/satellite. Bonus.

Our second apartment, also a one bedroom in Provo, was about two blocks away from the first. We lived in the upstairs of a house that was next door to cherry lane keepsakes, and it was where we found Lucy who ultimately gave birth to our handsome Kevin Garnett. We had a window air conditioner, and we used a little space heater we had purchased while at our last apartment. We lived there for fall 2007-winter 2009 and I adored that place something fierce. Maybe it was the little breakfast nook, maybe the enormous front window in our living room, or the fabulous Victorian tub, but that was the first place that really felt like home.

Then we moved about halfway through my first pregnancy to pleasant grove, a half mile away from the high school I worked at. Winter 2012-summer 2011, that two bedroom two bathroom town home may have had the worst insulation on the planet, but the air conditioning worked fabulously, we had a dishwasher and a decent sized kitchen, were able to buy a brand new washer and dryer (I'm still in mourning over having to sell those beauties!), and it felt like a mansion, orange shag carpet and all.

Nearly 16 months after we left Utah, after living with our parents for the majority of little d's young life, we have finally settled into renting a new home. A home all our own (for the next year), with 2.5 bedrooms and one bath, and paying double what he paid at our last apartment, it is finally ours. We have a yard, swingset, patio, tub, washer and dryer, heating and ceiling fans, all nestled near a little lake off a country road. It is home as of tomorrow and this princess cannot wait to move into her castle tomorrow!!

The whole situation makes me sick in a way I cannot even describe. I hope I never have to experience what those poor parents are going through, and my heart and prayers go out to them. As a former teacher and current mother, this breaks my heart but also makes me extremely grateful for the plan of salvation, and my gospel knowledge.

I taught a lesson last week in forgiveness (or I should probably say guided a fabulous discussion), which has left me thinking about it even more than usual. Mercy and justice are such touchy subjects and I know that no matter what happens in this life, especially if it is difficult, it will be worked out to perfection after we die. But if there's anything I learned from my lesson it is that there is no timeline for forgiveness and sometimes it takes a little longer for a heart to heal properly. I can only hope and pray these poor parents, siblings, and friends can get the peace they so desperately need.

And I hope that if something devastating does happen to me, someone will kindly remind me of this very situation. Because I can really imagine very few things beyond losing a child this way that could possibly be worse.

Yes, I am a little more patient and a squeezing a little someone a little tighter (not to mention keeping him closer) to me today. Children really are our greatest assets, blessings and joys in life, of that there is no doubt in my mind.

Boston boy

I am pretty sure the city of Boston has never had such a hard core fan at the ripe age of two. You ask him about football and he will tell you all about Tom Brady, touchdowns and his football patriots. Ask him about the celtics and you'll hear about Kevin Garnett, slam dunks, rejected, and time out on the bench. Red sox: Wally the green monster, hitting home runs, Dustin Pedroia, baseballs, take me out to the ball game, Fenway park, and the list goes on and on. I am so impressed with his ability to understand so many sports and how they work, that as soon as we can get him to stop tackling every friend he sees, or using any sticklike thing as a baseball bat for hitting practice, I can honestly say he has got it all down pat. Like the patriot. But Wally is still his favorite.

Wordless Wednesday: Kevin Garnett goes to the vet and gets an A+

Lesson from my little d

While I was occupied reorganizing baby clothes and other assorted clutter, little d took the liberty to announce he was going to clean the bathroom. 20 minutes later we had a flooded bathroom, and while I should have been furious at myself and maybe even him, I don't think either of us have ever laughed so hard and for so long.

Funny thing is, I was only the one who got sentenced to time out this morning, since little d discovered I had written a few notes on my hand. Longest two minutes of my life and then his talk to me went a little like this: "wass your name? Okaaaay... What did you do? Why you draw on your hand? We dont draw on our hand. You not do it again ok? Okay. Good job."

Toddler style gingerbread houses

Little d and I have actually been making a lot of fun things this month thanks to our advent calendar... More on that next week. This week we had little d's girlfriend over (with her parents of course, since they are still too young for unsupervised dates) and they had a blast. While I helped little d make his house (meaning i put it together while he ate/sampled and spit out most of the candy), mr. D made and ate his entire house. I shouldn't have been surprised. ;) a successful family home evening.

Changes

As much as I feel like I marvel at the many changes my body makes during and after pregnancy, it pales in comparison to how much my little baby has turned into a boy. He is so smart, independent, and such a huge helper to me these days when it is much harder to move around or touch my toes. It has been really fun the last few weeks to cuddle up and watch Christmas classics together at night before bedtime while they have been featured on ABC Family.

For vastly different reasons, I have loved every phase of his young life he has gone through so far but I think in my mind, when i think of his babyhood/early toddlerhood, these pictures will be the ones I remember him most for. It is a bittersweet thing to look back on and think of the first two years of his life... Bitter because it's gone and it happened so fast and sweet because I am so grateful to have taken a bazillion pictures and looking over them with my little d who loves looking at "baby d". I have just loved having a little boy and raising him has been such a joy.

After going through his baby clothes a few months ago, he has discovered his receiving blankets, nicknamed them "puppy towels" (since most of our boy blankets are dog themed) and insist on being covered in them at night, and at times carrying them around the house, Linus style.

I can't believe I'm saying this...

But I just made a skirt for my son. And I really hope he likes it.

Boston's How the Grinch Stole Christmas

When my father in law got me tickets for my birthday to take little d to see the Grinch, I had some serious doubts... Mostly in my two year old tolerating sitting in one place for 75 minutes straight in his first visit to live theater.

The train ride was a breeze since we got in after rush hour traffic, and after we got off on our stop, we could see the theater district and little d spotted the grinch signs before I did. It was a quick 1.5 block walk to the theater, and little d proudly showed his ticket to everyone around him. The Wang theater was beautiful and our seats were just right... Not to mention there was no one sitting in our entire row. He was completely mesmerized the entire time, clapping enthusiastically at the slightest pause. I don't know how much he understood of the whole thing, but he did go down for a nap mumbling "a grinch not like christmas and thennnnnn he DOES like Christmas!"

Another fun outing in the town with my little man. At least it was a bit warmer than our Fenway outing last week!

22 weeks pregnant with #2

craving: chocolate (mostly in the form of hershey kisses or cookies or brownies), milk (possibly from the increase in chocolate consumption), German pancakes. Aside from that, nothing too particularly strong.

averting: guacamole, most meats (the smell makes me sick), nutella, hard boiled eggs, artificial sugar anything, ice cream that is not vanilla or chocolate (plain). So the same old.

thinking about: getting an apartment. on some days it is spoiling my desire to have fun and enjoy the christmas season, but I am seriously on near full blown panic mode in wanting to get into an apartment ASAP. so yes, I have a terrible desperate desire to start nesting and it may be driving me (and probably everyone around me) crazy. I wish I could make it stop because aside from looking around online for hours there is literally nothing I can do but wait for the right apartment to pop up. I am not sure which I am more sick of at this point: not having an apartment, or the actual apartment search itself.

working on: lots of little crafting projects with little d, our activities advent calendar, still able to work out at least 4 to 5 times a week with weights and just about everything else (except some days my running is more walk/run than run/walk).

looking forward to: using my sewing machine.

enjoying: hearing a lecture from little d each morning requesting that I please push his sister out of my tummy so he can play with her. Most days I am able to play well with little d and not feel gross or tired at all (at least not till the evening).

comparison to #1: +14 I feel better when it comes to working out, but most of my photos from #1 at this point are in sweaters since I was working in the winter, and there are unfortunately too few days a week that I change out of my workout clothes before I go to bed. Hopefully a move and a gym pass will change that, but maybe in two weeks we will be more enlightened to that situation.

first post... making the transition

Hopefully this will be a seamless transition from the last blog, but in case you are wondering if you are in the right place....

22 week pregnancy post coming up tomorrow afternoon. And allow us (and wally) to be the first to welcome you to the new blog.