My sister, Rachelle, graduated from CSUN on the 18th with her bachelor's degree in Math and her teaching credentials so she can teach Jr. High and High School students. Here are a few snapshots from her special day! A bunch of family came into town to share this event and it was so fun to see everyone and catch up. Congrats, Rachelle! We're all proud of you...now go out there and change the world!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Oh, Baby!
This last week was such a fun yet BUSY week! A bunch of my family was coming in town for my oldest sister, Rachelle's, graduation from CSUN and she was kind enough to let me steal some of her thunder and schedule my baby shower for the weekend before so that they could attend that as well.
My sweet friends, Kenna and Catherine, threw me such a great shower! The decorations were super cute, the food was delicious, and I made out like a bandit!!! It was such a special experience to be able to have my sisters, mom, aunt, and cousins all attend my baby shower!
We played three fun games: (and if you know me, you know I am not a fan of shower games, so if I say they were fun, they were!!!) The first was a list of personality traits and physical features that my guests had to guess whether I would want the new baby to have from either Kevin or me. It's a pretty good thing that nature decides these kinds of things, otherwise this kid might look pretty funny! Rachelle won first place, and my other sister, Tera, came in second.
The second game involved lots of fun just for me! I had to taste test different baby foods and guess what they were. Not a big deal because when Anslie was eating baby food I always tasted anything I put into her mouth (BTW, baby food bananas are delicious!!!) and I actually guessed all but one right! The worst of the bunch was the turkey. It was disgusting when I fed it to Anslie and it still is! I totally gagged!
The last game, of course, was trying to guess the size of my tummy with a piece of yarn. My mom won that game...not a big surprise since she works with pregnant moms and new babies for a living!
My favorite gifts included a Sit and Stand stroller, a Moby Wrap, an Utter Cover nursing cover, several custom hand made baby blankets, a Boppy nursing pillow, hand made and personalized bunny stuffed animals for both the baby and Anslie, and of course, all of the darling baby clothes!
I feel so blessed to have people in my life that not only love me and my family, but are so supportive of us as well! I can't believe the generosity of my friends and family and I am grateful for all that is done for us! We are officially ready to welcome this baby boy into our lives and are even more excited to raise both he and Anslie within the wonderful community of family and friends that surround us!
PS-- I am 37 weeks along. I had my last checkup on the 20th and there hasn't been any progress from the checkup the week before that. Still 1-2 cm dilated and 50% effaced. We have some time to go before this boy is ready! (I keep telling myself that so that I don't get my hopes up.)
My sweet friends, Kenna and Catherine, threw me such a great shower! The decorations were super cute, the food was delicious, and I made out like a bandit!!! It was such a special experience to be able to have my sisters, mom, aunt, and cousins all attend my baby shower!
We played three fun games: (and if you know me, you know I am not a fan of shower games, so if I say they were fun, they were!!!) The first was a list of personality traits and physical features that my guests had to guess whether I would want the new baby to have from either Kevin or me. It's a pretty good thing that nature decides these kinds of things, otherwise this kid might look pretty funny! Rachelle won first place, and my other sister, Tera, came in second.
The second game involved lots of fun just for me! I had to taste test different baby foods and guess what they were. Not a big deal because when Anslie was eating baby food I always tasted anything I put into her mouth (BTW, baby food bananas are delicious!!!) and I actually guessed all but one right! The worst of the bunch was the turkey. It was disgusting when I fed it to Anslie and it still is! I totally gagged!
The last game, of course, was trying to guess the size of my tummy with a piece of yarn. My mom won that game...not a big surprise since she works with pregnant moms and new babies for a living!
My favorite gifts included a Sit and Stand stroller, a Moby Wrap, an Utter Cover nursing cover, several custom hand made baby blankets, a Boppy nursing pillow, hand made and personalized bunny stuffed animals for both the baby and Anslie, and of course, all of the darling baby clothes!
I feel so blessed to have people in my life that not only love me and my family, but are so supportive of us as well! I can't believe the generosity of my friends and family and I am grateful for all that is done for us! We are officially ready to welcome this baby boy into our lives and are even more excited to raise both he and Anslie within the wonderful community of family and friends that surround us!
PS-- I am 37 weeks along. I had my last checkup on the 20th and there hasn't been any progress from the checkup the week before that. Still 1-2 cm dilated and 50% effaced. We have some time to go before this boy is ready! (I keep telling myself that so that I don't get my hopes up.)
Friday, May 21, 2010
Our Newest Addition
I'll give you a tip: It has nothing to do with babies.
Here's our new couches! Love 'em!!!
Here's our new couches! Love 'em!!!
Friday, May 14, 2010
An {old} video
Kevin had to use our point and shoot camera yesterday for a little project (gasp!!!) and when he downloaded the pictures to the computer I found this little video clip. Anslie is a total mess in the video and the lighting is horrible, but I LOVE it just the same! It just made me smile and smile. Enjoy! (PS- notice the super saggy diaper. Yummy.)
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
36 Weeks???
The question marks are because I have now had 4, count 'em, 4 due dates! I finally was able to see my actual OB instead of the nurse practitioner today and asked him what due date he was going by and he said June 9th. That was the first I had ever heard that date before! I've heard the 3rd, 5th, and 7th. But I am happy with the 9th because there will be much less pressure for an induction if things start to run past due.
Things changed for me this week. I could feel it. The end of last week and beginning of this week I was officially MISERABLE! My lower back and sciatic nerve pain had gotten so bad that I was literally shuffling around, often times my legs giving out to the stress. When sitting down I could lift my right leg, but my left was WAY too painful to even get an inch off the chair. I woke up feeling the pain, went throughout the day with it, limped into bed at night with it. Not fun.
I have also had Braxton Hicks contractions since about 5 months along (same with Anslie's pregnancy) but they have started to get stronger, longer, closer together, and much more painful. A few nights ago they were coming on so regularly and were getting so uncomfortable that I almost started timing them!
After complete physical misery for at least a week, all of a sudden, yesterday afternoon, I just felt better. And I could BREATHE. Glorious air filled my lungs again and I was able to read to Anslie at bed time without having to catch my breath between sentences. I was able to eat an entire meal without feeling like my skin was going to rip open on my abdomen. Something HAD to be different.
I had my checkup today and the doctor confirmed that the baby is VERY low and that I am already dilated 1 1/2 cm. He said that for me to only be 36-37 weeks along and to already be experiencing a change in my contractions, the baby dropping, and dilation, he would be surprised if I made it to my due date, even venturing to say that he expects me to have a May baby. Ummm....check your calendars people! There's only about two weeks left in May!!! Totally crazy!
I would be lying if I said I were disappointed by this news. Although life is going to be challenging with two kids instead of one, I feel ready to tackle the job and I just want to be able to move again. It is impossible to properly parent a 2 year old if you can't get up to chase after them, pick them up, etc. So yes, let's all pray for a May baby!
Of course, I am not counting this news as a promise. I walked around for almost 3 weeks dilated to 2 1/2 cm with Anslie and I still never went into labor by myself. But the doc seems confident (and I feel confident) that my body is much more in tune with what is supposed to happen this time around. Thank goodness!
Hopefully this will be the last belly picture I have to put up!
And, just because Anslie actually asked me to take a picture of her, here's one of her:
HOWEVER....
Things changed for me this week. I could feel it. The end of last week and beginning of this week I was officially MISERABLE! My lower back and sciatic nerve pain had gotten so bad that I was literally shuffling around, often times my legs giving out to the stress. When sitting down I could lift my right leg, but my left was WAY too painful to even get an inch off the chair. I woke up feeling the pain, went throughout the day with it, limped into bed at night with it. Not fun.
I have also had Braxton Hicks contractions since about 5 months along (same with Anslie's pregnancy) but they have started to get stronger, longer, closer together, and much more painful. A few nights ago they were coming on so regularly and were getting so uncomfortable that I almost started timing them!
After complete physical misery for at least a week, all of a sudden, yesterday afternoon, I just felt better. And I could BREATHE. Glorious air filled my lungs again and I was able to read to Anslie at bed time without having to catch my breath between sentences. I was able to eat an entire meal without feeling like my skin was going to rip open on my abdomen. Something HAD to be different.
I had my checkup today and the doctor confirmed that the baby is VERY low and that I am already dilated 1 1/2 cm. He said that for me to only be 36-37 weeks along and to already be experiencing a change in my contractions, the baby dropping, and dilation, he would be surprised if I made it to my due date, even venturing to say that he expects me to have a May baby. Ummm....check your calendars people! There's only about two weeks left in May!!! Totally crazy!
I would be lying if I said I were disappointed by this news. Although life is going to be challenging with two kids instead of one, I feel ready to tackle the job and I just want to be able to move again. It is impossible to properly parent a 2 year old if you can't get up to chase after them, pick them up, etc. So yes, let's all pray for a May baby!
Of course, I am not counting this news as a promise. I walked around for almost 3 weeks dilated to 2 1/2 cm with Anslie and I still never went into labor by myself. But the doc seems confident (and I feel confident) that my body is much more in tune with what is supposed to happen this time around. Thank goodness!
Hopefully this will be the last belly picture I have to put up!
And, just because Anslie actually asked me to take a picture of her, here's one of her:
Sunday, May 9, 2010
My Crowning Acheivment
My Mother's Day gift is this: having the opportunity to sit on my butt all day and mess around with photos, check my email, blog, read, watch TV, and completely ignore all of my motherly duties. It's the best gift I could ever ask for! My husband is amazing!
Something I have wanted to do for a long time is put an update about Anslie on the blog. I haven't taken pictures of her since her 1st birthday (okay, I've taken lots of pictures of her, but none that are worthy of bragging about and making it to a picture frame) and I know that life will be out of control once the baby is born in a few weeks. I wanted to take the opportunity to remember Anslie at this age, before life gets a little more involved.
So here it is, my Crowning Acheivement in life: Anslie
Something I have wanted to do for a long time is put an update about Anslie on the blog. I haven't taken pictures of her since her 1st birthday (okay, I've taken lots of pictures of her, but none that are worthy of bragging about and making it to a picture frame) and I know that life will be out of control once the baby is born in a few weeks. I wanted to take the opportunity to remember Anslie at this age, before life gets a little more involved.
So here it is, my Crowning Acheivement in life: Anslie
All About Anslie
Favorites:
Food - watermelon, strawberries, cheese, CANDY, ICE CREAM, spinach, chicken, FRUIT SNACKS
Toys - Babies and Books
Activities - Swimming, running around outside, going to the park, swings, coloring, bubbles, taking baths, talking on the phone
TV shows - Elmo (Sesame Street), Wonder Pets, Mickey Mouse Club House, Little Einsteins
Phrases - "You crack me up!", "Happy bir day!", "Go way!", "No!", "Sshhhh...baby's seeping.", "Watch me!", "I wan canny!", "Hold you me."
Anslie usually wakes up between 7am and 8am and will currently take 2 hour naps starting around 2pm. Bed time is between 7pm and 8pm depending on whether or not she has had a nap. She LOVES babies and is definitely one SPIRITED child! She is on the go, go, go from the moment she wakes up until her head hits the pillow at bed time.
This kid has personality! She loves to laugh at her own jokes and make silly faces. Anslie also loves to sing songs. She will often climb on top of the highest thing she can and belt songs out at the top of her lungs. She is independent and sassy, just like her mama.
Breakfast is Anslie's least favorite meal of the day, dessert her most! She can be such a big helper around the house, always wanting to sweep, wash, scrub, and dust right along side mom. One of her favorite chores is helping me put the laundry in the washing machine.
I can't wait for her to be a big sister! Anslie is so sweet with babies and can't wait to get her hands on them the moment she sees one. She will be great at bringing diapers, blankets, and wipes to me, alerting me when baby is unhappy, and generally being a big sister!
Even though life with a toddler can be a little hectic (a lot hectic most of the time) I wouldn't take her out of my life for one minute! She is my friend, my sidekick, my heart walking around outside of my body. I love her to death and she really is the best thing I have ever created in my life!
Food - watermelon, strawberries, cheese, CANDY, ICE CREAM, spinach, chicken, FRUIT SNACKS
Toys - Babies and Books
Activities - Swimming, running around outside, going to the park, swings, coloring, bubbles, taking baths, talking on the phone
TV shows - Elmo (Sesame Street), Wonder Pets, Mickey Mouse Club House, Little Einsteins
Phrases - "You crack me up!", "Happy bir day!", "Go way!", "No!", "Sshhhh...baby's seeping.", "Watch me!", "I wan canny!", "Hold you me."
Anslie usually wakes up between 7am and 8am and will currently take 2 hour naps starting around 2pm. Bed time is between 7pm and 8pm depending on whether or not she has had a nap. She LOVES babies and is definitely one SPIRITED child! She is on the go, go, go from the moment she wakes up until her head hits the pillow at bed time.
This kid has personality! She loves to laugh at her own jokes and make silly faces. Anslie also loves to sing songs. She will often climb on top of the highest thing she can and belt songs out at the top of her lungs. She is independent and sassy, just like her mama.
Breakfast is Anslie's least favorite meal of the day, dessert her most! She can be such a big helper around the house, always wanting to sweep, wash, scrub, and dust right along side mom. One of her favorite chores is helping me put the laundry in the washing machine.
I can't wait for her to be a big sister! Anslie is so sweet with babies and can't wait to get her hands on them the moment she sees one. She will be great at bringing diapers, blankets, and wipes to me, alerting me when baby is unhappy, and generally being a big sister!
Even though life with a toddler can be a little hectic (a lot hectic most of the time) I wouldn't take her out of my life for one minute! She is my friend, my sidekick, my heart walking around outside of my body. I love her to death and she really is the best thing I have ever created in my life!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
The Wests Came to Visit!
Our dear friends, family really, came for a visit from New Mexico this week. It was so fun to see them and hang out! Owen and Kevin have known each other since High School and Britni and I of course met each other through our husbands (then, boyfriends). Britni and Owen have a very sweet 4 1/2 year old girl, Mia, who was really good to Anslie (wish I could say the same about Anslie). It was great to have someone for Anslie to play with and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit with our dear friends, the Wests.
One of the fun things we did was a "beach" trip to Lake Elsinore, which happily ended up only being 15 minutes away from our house! It wasn't a San Diego beach, but it was fun, warm, sunny, and wet! Hopefully we will get to see our dear friends again soon!
Anslie's personal Lake Elsinore
One of the fun things we did was a "beach" trip to Lake Elsinore, which happily ended up only being 15 minutes away from our house! It wasn't a San Diego beach, but it was fun, warm, sunny, and wet! Hopefully we will get to see our dear friends again soon!
Owen, Britni, and Mia
I think this was supposed to be a picture of Anslie and Mia hugging, but neither one got the concept of looking at the camera.
Anslie's personal Lake Elsinore
Cutie Pie Mia
I didn't know there were such things as fresh water whales?!?!?
We had a fun day!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
I am in love!
Never before have I come in contact with something so easy to use, so trustworthy, so gentle yet effective, so everything it's label and advertising claims! Let me introduce to you my new favorite cleaning product:
My step mother recommended Folex for the carpet in our home. Since we purchased a Bank-Owned property, not a single thing in the house was cleaned before we moved in. Walls were disgusting, appliances needed scrubbing, and let's not even talk about the horrors that spotted the carpet. (Let me be fair by saying that, although our house wasn't spotless, it was actually pretty pristine compared to a lot of the foreclosed homes that we looked at. But still way below my standards of "clean.")
I was pretty skeptical that anything could take out the dark spots and stains that riddled the family room and hallways. Especially when the directions for use on the bottle literally say, "Simply apply a generous amount on the spot, agitate with finger tips and blot with absorbent cloth. SPOT WILL DISAPPEAR INSTANTLY." Really. Instantly? We'll see about that.
Last night Kevin and I got on our hands and knees to put this baby to the test. We did as the directions told us and to our amazement, the spots literally disappeared before our eyes! We were shocked! Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of this mini-miracle in action, but trust me...there were dark brown, almost BLACK, spots leading from the garage entrance down the hallway and HUGE black spots in the family room that we joked around looked like someone had changed a tire in there. Gone. Completely gone! And the bottle guarantees that the removed spots will not return.
So, for what it's worth, this product has my official stamp of approval. And FYI, it can also be used for walls, upholstery, and in a carpet cleaning machines (not just for spot removal). I am looking forward to having much cleaner carpets in the future! And at only around $15 for a 1 gallon bottle, who can't afford to have clean carpets?!?!?!
Click on the link below to find out where you can buy your very own bottle of Folex!
http://www.folexcompany.com/find_us.html
My step mother recommended Folex for the carpet in our home. Since we purchased a Bank-Owned property, not a single thing in the house was cleaned before we moved in. Walls were disgusting, appliances needed scrubbing, and let's not even talk about the horrors that spotted the carpet. (Let me be fair by saying that, although our house wasn't spotless, it was actually pretty pristine compared to a lot of the foreclosed homes that we looked at. But still way below my standards of "clean.")I was pretty skeptical that anything could take out the dark spots and stains that riddled the family room and hallways. Especially when the directions for use on the bottle literally say, "Simply apply a generous amount on the spot, agitate with finger tips and blot with absorbent cloth. SPOT WILL DISAPPEAR INSTANTLY." Really. Instantly? We'll see about that.
Last night Kevin and I got on our hands and knees to put this baby to the test. We did as the directions told us and to our amazement, the spots literally disappeared before our eyes! We were shocked! Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of this mini-miracle in action, but trust me...there were dark brown, almost BLACK, spots leading from the garage entrance down the hallway and HUGE black spots in the family room that we joked around looked like someone had changed a tire in there. Gone. Completely gone! And the bottle guarantees that the removed spots will not return.
So, for what it's worth, this product has my official stamp of approval. And FYI, it can also be used for walls, upholstery, and in a carpet cleaning machines (not just for spot removal). I am looking forward to having much cleaner carpets in the future! And at only around $15 for a 1 gallon bottle, who can't afford to have clean carpets?!?!?!
Click on the link below to find out where you can buy your very own bottle of Folex!
http://www.folexcompany.com/find_us.html
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