Baby Norah, Dave's Face

Dave got stung by a hornet or wasp on his lip. It got in his soda can and he took a drink.

Baby pictures

Baby Norah was born at 7:45 a.m. on the 11th. She was 8 pounds 6 ounces and 20 inches long. She has a lot of dark brown hair, a lot of hair on her ears and cute chubby cheeks. She looks a lot like Matthew when he was born. She is such a good baby, and we hope it continues. Matt was quite fussy and colicky, but generally Norah only cries when she is hungry. I had a c-section and am feeling pretty good. Much better than after Matthew was born. We came home Sunday, September 14th. Thanks to all who visited or have offered help or called me at the hospital. I apologize to my siblings who called and talked to me. I was so drugged up that I hardly remember any of those conversations at all. Matthew is adjusting as well as can be expected. He is a good boy. Thanks to mom and dad for all the help they gave and are still giving.

Our Garden, Part II

The first picture is our hot yellow peppers, then it is our pumpkin plant, then it is our "happy eggs". I cracked four eggs into a bowl last month, and this is how they landed. I had to take a picture. The next two pictures are Matthew. One in the living room, and one in the canyon.

We have about 5 weeks until this little girl is born. We are still undecided on a name, so if you have suggestions, please post a comment. We are having a planned c-section on September 10th. Time has gone very fast for me.

Dave is working on Matthew's new room downstairs. He is in the process of putting up new sheet rock. Then we can paint, carpet, blah blah blah. Then move Matthew downstairs and prep his old room (next to ours) for the baby girl that will soon join our family. I am not sure how Matt will react to having someone else get our attention. I am sure he'll be okay.

Our Garden

I love our garden. I do not get to spend much time caring for it. You see, I am 8 months pregnant. My balance is off. It is way too hot outside. I can't bend over very well. I love to weed the garden. We planted red potatoes, beets, yellow hot peppers, pumpkins, tomatoes, crookneck squash, zucchini, and cantaloupe all from started plants. I also planted watermelon and more cantaloupe from seeds. These are some pictures of the garden. Please excuse the weeds. I have picked about 10 zucchinis from our garden. It is so much fun. I took about 6 of the zucchinis to church today because our Relief Society is having a "harvest table" where people can bring their extra food from their gardens and share it with people who can use it.

Funny blog

My cousin had this blog address on her blog. It pokes fun at Mormon girls' blogs. Pretty cheesy and over the top, but also hilarious. Check it out!
http://seriouslysoblessed.blogspot.com

Checking out at the store

Tonight I went to the store. As I was waiting in line I was thinking, "I still have 6 weeks left(until the baby comes)." Just then the man behind me said, "how long do you have left?" I laughed and said, "6 weeks." I really have 7 weeks left, but will have the baby a week early. I said, "I am big, huh?" And he (not in a kind or gentle way at all) said, "Yeah, my wife never got that big with any of our three kids." I just smiled and replied, "lucky girl!" Inside I was thinking, "jerk. He may be right, but does he really have to be so honest with a stranger?" When I got home I thought of a response, "was your wife ever pregnant with quadruplets?" Then he might feel stupid, and I am not saying that I am pregnant with quadruplets (because I might be tempted to lie). I have decided that if someone asks me how much longer I will say, "until what?"

Today I said to Matthew, "are you my cutie-patootie?" Just a cute little rhyming phrase. And he replied, "I am not a tootie!"

Snow White

My husband took the princess quiz as if he were me, and he got this result.


You Are Snow White!

Pure and trusting. You are a gentle soul who can get along with just about anyone. Everyone you meet instantly falls in love with you. How can they resist? You have a pure, lovable nature that's irresistable. Just don't trust everyone who comes across your path.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

Princess

A friend had this on her blog, and I decided to try it on the advice of another friend. I don't think it is very accurate. People who really know me probably know that I am generally not soft-spoken. It is a very short quiz, so for those who are interested in doing it, it will not take up much time.



You Are Cinderella!

Dignified and hard working. With a gentle and soft-spoken manner you have something many people don't. Patience. Even through the moments of heartbreak you're still able to hold onto all of your hopes and dreams. Bide your time; your dream will come true.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

Festivities

I am not sure why Dave is making that face. Is it that his neck hurts? Maybe Matthew's diaper stinks. Perhaps he is too emotional to look at the balloons. I think it is because his wife made him get up at 6:10 in the morning.





This is a picture of my pregnant belly during the last week or two. I am much bigger than this picture shows. You may be thinking, "you look plenty big in this picture." You'd be wrong. I am much bigger in real life.



We hope everyone had a fun and safe 4th of July. We went to see the hot air balloons on the field just east of UVRMC. Unfortunately, we got there just as they were taking off. In past years we've been there to see them prepping the balloons and to watch them be inflated. After the balloons Matthew and I went to my parents' house who were hosting a singles ward breakfast. That afternoon we went to Dave's dad's house and had lunch, then that evening we topped off the day with a bbq at my parents' house followed by fireworks. Here are some pictures of the long day. Also, kudos to Dave who worked on my car, his car, his motorcycle, and his trailer all on Independence Day!! Woohoo for my husband!

This week Matthew fed the cats for the first time. I didn't even ask him to do it. He just said, "I'm feeding the cats," and he just did it!

As I was typing this, Matthew said, "I want to eat the fish!" I was shocked and I asked, "you want to eat the fish?" He gave me a very grave look and I said, "do you want to feed the fish?" And sure enough, that is what he wanted. He has never expressed any interest in eating any of our pets before.

I was just released as the RS secretary and put in as the ward activities chairman. I will insist they refer to me as the chairperson, chairwoman, or just plain chair. But not really. I am excited, but very nervous.

Dave's truck

Last August Dave bought a 1986 Chevy extended cab and has spent some time fixing it up. He is not completely finished, but he loves it. It is fun to take it up to our land in Indianola. Now, you are probably asking, "Indianola? Where is that?" Indianola is in San Pete County and in 2004 we bought 10 acres in the mountains with a married couple friend of ours. We don't go down as often as we would like, but it has been fun.

We are not sure what color to repaint the truck. Right now it is blue and a pretty rust color. It is in pretty good shape for being 22 years old.





I love this flower. I am not a good photographer, and I don't try to be one. Taking an up close picture of nature is about as artsy as I get.



Last month we went to a park by the Provo Parkway Trail and fed the ducks. I took this picture and I love it. I love the green of the grass and trees. The two boys at the left are the most important part of my life. With Father's Day coming up, I just want to say how much I love Dave and can't imagine life without him. He makes life fun and his calmness calms me. He is a wonderful father and Matthew adores him.
Dave is a hard worker and works hard for our growing family. Dave makes me happy and just being with him makes me smile. I am so blessed to be his wife.



About a month ago I let Matthew have a fun time at the sink. He was there for at least 30 minutes and he had the time of his life. He loves anything with water.

Matthew trying to get a noodle off of his elbow.

So Matthew had a noodle on his elbow that he tried to get off with his mouth. Of course he couldn't reach it, but he kept trying and trying. By the time this video was taken, it had fallen off, but I don't know if he knew that or not. He was obviously fake crying the entire time, but I thought it worth sharing. Check out how big his mouth is at the end.

This morning Matt said, "beans!" And I being the health-conscious mother that I am (ha ha )assumed he meant green beans. I don't know why I would assume that. I said, "do you want green beans?" And he joyfully exclaimed, "green beans! green beans! I want green beans." I was so proud of him. I had some in the fridge and as I heated them up I talked about how much I like green beans and how delicious they are. Of course he wanted nothing to do with them after I put the plate in front of him. It was not until hours later as I went down for a nap after eating a few "Jelly Belly" jelly beans that I realized when he said "beans" that he wanted JELLY BEANS. Poor kid.

Nothing much to say

I hardly post anything on our blog because I usually don't have much to say. When I was on my mission many other missionaries spent hours and hours on the phone with their families at times like Mother's Day and Christmas, and I spent about 25 minutes. My family is just sort of like that, and I don't like talking on the phone for long periods of time. Dave doesn't say much either. I will, however, comment that I am excited about the First Presidency's announcement that a sacrament meeting speaker should not ask the congregation to turn to the scripture reference that is about to be read. I never turn to the passages anyway, and have always felt guilty about that. I don't even take my scriptures to church anymore. I don't foresee there being a First Presidency announcement about that any time soon. Unless, of course, the announcement says you really should bring them to church, in which case I will reevaluate my lazy decision.

As far as I know we are still expecting a girl. I feel her move around every now and then. My sister and her family were in town last month and I said to her, "I am big for only 5 months pregnant, huh?" And she replied, "well, the woman that just cut my hair is your size and she is due in a month." I should have seen it coming. I am feeling very pregnant much sooner in this pregnancy than with Matt. Of course I am older and wiser. Actually just older because I know for a fact that the brain cells I lost while pregnant last time did not regenerate or come back. I literally know less than I did prior to ever being pregnant. And that is a scary thought.

I showed the ultrasound pictures to Matthew and pointed out her legs and bottom. Now when Matthew wants to see the ultrasound video he says, "watch baby sister bottom?!" It is cute. Today Matthew was hiding around corners so I couldn't see him. He would throw a ball into the room I was in. I would say, "where did that ball come from?" He would laugh and laugh and show himself and I would say is a shocked voice, "Was that you, Matthew? Did you throw that ball?" He loved it.

We still haven't thought of any names for sure. I like Paige, but Dave doesn't like names that are also nouns. He says Page is something you read in a book or something you get at work over the intercom. I understand where he is coming from. He also doesn't like names that are for boys and girls. I like Erin, he doesn't like it so much. He said he saw a name that he liked on the bumper sticker of a car, but he couldn't remember what it was.

I posted some pictures of cactus flowers and other flowers that are in the big brick planter thing in front of our house. I also posted some pictures of Matthew with me and with Dave. I hope you enjoy them.

It's a girl!

We are having a girl! I'd post a picture of the ultrasound, but I won't. Just picture an alien. With arms, legs, and a spine!

More stuff about us.

I had an appointment with the doctor last week. The blood tests looked normal and everything looks great. We will have our ultrasound in one week from today. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it is a baby. Does anyone remember the short-lived tv show "V" or the "Alien" movies? I am having extremely violent dreams. Luckily I am not the one who is violent. It is usually someone I don't know, or once it was Steve Holt from "Arrested Development" Dave and I highly recommend seeing "Arrested Development" for some of our fans out there. Some may not like it. Ask me if you will like it and I will tell you.
Today we went to the park with a bunch of mothers from our ward. It was fun. Matthew threw the little bark pieces at two little girls. We are so proud of him. Liking girls at such a young age and letting them know by being mean to them. He is not good at saying sorry, but we are working with him on that.
I am such a bad mother because he likes to watch movies, and the other day I said, "which movie?" And he said, "coming soon," and a minute later he said his version of "coming soon to your home." You know for previews of movies, the announcer dude days, "coming soon...."
Matthew loves Mickey Mouse. He has a big one and a little one and likes to take them to bed with him. At night Dave kisses Matthew, and then Matthew says "Mommy kisses!" That means Dave needs to kiss me. Last week after Dave kissed Matthew, Matthew said, "Mickey kisses!" I felt very replaced. Matthew will say things like, "be careful Mickey," or "Goodnight Mickey," or "Hold on Mickey." Very cute. Mickey is so obedient. Obedience is the word I spelled wrong in the 6th grade spelling bee. I'd give anything to be on that stage and show everyone that I know how to spell obedience. obedience. o-b-e-d-i-e-n-c-e. Obedience. I have had many years to study. Incidentally, my best friend, Joleen, won the spelling bee that year. And Hope of America. My brother, Dave, won the Hope of America. I think they both are doing just fine. I think there should be a "I won the Hope of America award" group on facebook. Maybe I will start one and be an honorary Hope of America honorary recipient.

Our Lives

I found this at my mom and dad's house on Easter Sunday and snapped a picture. I think it looks way cool. It is a leaf or two that left a print on the cement. This is Matthew playing in the area that will be our garden. Last year we planted tomatoes and cantaloupe. Delicious! This year we are planting (from seeds) tomatoes, cantaloupe, zucchini, watermelon, pumpkin, and corn. I am not confident in my gardening abilities. We may have to get pre-started plants later on if the seeds do not grow.

The following two pictures are Matthew climbing out of one of our cupboards (the kind just off the floor, not above the counters). So far I have never lost him in the cupboards.

For Easter my sister-in-law bought a couple ducks. This is Matthew and the other kids checking them out. They loved the ducks.
Today I went in to have my blood drawn for a test called (I think) alpha feto-protein (AFP). It tests for a few conditions that the baby might have. It is not completely accurate and I know there is a level of false positives and probably false negatives. I just sort of want to prepare if there will be special needs the baby will need. I had the test done when I was pregnant with Matthew. Back then the doctor asked if I wanted it, and I wasn't sure. The nurse said, "if there is something wrong with the baby will you abort it?" Of course I said no, but I realize that I am the sort of person who generally dislikes surprises and need time to process information. Anyway, I hope the results are good.

Ramblings

So before Matthew goes down for a nap he likes to play with my hair. This all started because I love to have my hair played with and he knows that nap time is delayed when he plays with my hair. Dave never plays with my hair. He will if we make a bet and he loses. Generally he wins and I end up rubbing his feet. I refuse to have my feet rubbed, so he usually lucks out.

I have started calling each day to get my horiscope. Dave threw a fit when he saw the phone bill. It charged for each call and I called 5 times a day hoping the predictions for me would change. The calls last for 3 minutes for $5.00 a minute. I guess 5x3=15x5=75. I did it for a week 75x7= I don't want to know.

For our anniversay Dave bought a ClearPlay dvd player thing that edits out bad material in the movies. There are many different items that can be blocked out: violence, language, sex, bigotry, insubordination, and mushiness just to name a few. Mushiness? Isn't that funny? Insubordination?

I can't tell you how excited I am for Kathy Lee Gifford to be on the Today show on NBC in the fourth hour.

I am kidding about the horiscope calls and also about Kathy Lee Gifford. But I am excited for the return of "The Office". Dave and I saw a clip of the new episode last night on Letterman.

Matthew, etc.

Matthew loves his bath time. We thought the mohawk was pretty awesome and it looks like he is having a good time.

I snapped this picture today and wanted to put it up here. He gets his blue eyes from Dave and the red eyes from the camera.
This is during the Easter egg hunt at my parents' house on Sunday. He was so wired from all the candy that day. After he went to bed I put all the Easter baskets and fake grass away. I vow that next year he gets wheat bread and water in his basket.