Wild Week of Christmas

Woops! Time to update. The past week has gone by too fast.

Christmas was wonderful! The girls and I loved having daddy home for 4 days straight. We just relaxed and enjoyed each other. We took Kenna sledding for the first time on Christmas Eve. She was sure cute. Santa made it to our house and Kenna thought all of Allie's toys were hers. Perhaps there will come a day when that will create some serios chaos in the home! For now my cutsie little 4-month-old just coos and thinks life is grand even if her sister steals her toys. I myself love to wear my cozy new slippers and dance in the kitchen to my new Michael Buble CD. Kenna likes to join in too. I love it!

Today Jacob got his tonsils out (yep- yuck!). Everything went very well. All except the part where he passed out after he got the IV in. His heart rate dropped and mine skyrocketed. At first I thought he was just teasing me about being squeamish with the IV, but pretty soon I was shaking him wondering what the heck was going on! He came to and looked at me wondering why I was so concerned. Apparently it can create a sudden drop in blood pressure and heart rate and cause you to pass out. The nurse said it's pretty common. Perhaps it's also common for wives to be in tears thinking their husband is going into convulsions! I am proud to say I dried up after that and was just fine the rest of the time, thank you very much. I'm sure the next few days will be full of pain meds and Jell-O, but hopefully he will be back to normal soon. We've heard the recovery is a real kick in the bootie but the end result is well worth it. So I'll just be playing mommy nurse for the next little while. I told Jacob after he is feeling better I am definitely cashing in on a pedicure!

Pictures: Kenna and Allie in their matching Christmas jammies. Too cute! No, you're not seeing things, the other picture is a hammock hanging in my basement. What the picture doesn't show are the two eyebolts making lovely gaping holes in the wall. Thank goodness for wall studs to hold up a hammock. It's Jacob's "recovery ward" idea in front of the fire. Sometimes I just smile and say, "get the plaster, honey."

Monday Clean

For some reason, by the time Sunday night rolls around my house is a disaster. Even if I start out Sunday morning with a clean house, it is inevitable that it will be dirty come nightfall. I wonder why that is? Perhaps it's a combination of baby paraphernalia, a toddler who can pull out everything, Sunday lunch, and a tired mommy who just wants a day off. I suppose it's okay to let it go every once in a while to just sit back and enjoy my family. Of course when Monday morning rolls around, I've got my work cut out for me! Oh well. I guess I'll be grateful for stuff to even clean up and cute little ladies and a husband to help make a mess. I teased Jacob last night and told him that the house stays clean during the week when he's gone, but on the weekends when he's home it's messy.....hmmm. Ha!

Saturday night our neighbors had a Christmas party, so we got a babysitter. Yep, Allie's first time with a babysitter. Hey, I'm getting better. With Kenna, we waited almost 9 months before she stayed with a babysitter for the first time! (well, other than family). I had just fed Allie and put her down before we left and thought all would be well. The cute babysitter finally gave in and called about and hour and a half later saying Allie woke up about 3 minutes after we left and had been crying the whole time! Poor girl! Is it possible for a 4 month old to be a momma's girl? I guess so. I actually think the big problem is her teeth. Well, I hope so anyway, or I have no idea what to do with the little Oscar. Hopefully we will see some little chompers break through soon.

The first picture is Allie all bundled up to go outside. It reminds me of little Randy in "A Christmas Story" saying, "I can't put my arms down!"

The second picture is Allie just kickin' it in the Dora chair. Kenna was so nice to share, but soon tried to pull her out of it.

Good luck on all your last minute Christmas to-do's!

Allie Rae of Sunshine

My poor little Allie hasn't gotten much blog attention lately, so she deserves a turn! She has actually been doing a little better lately. Well, minus the ear infection. If it's not one thing it's another! She is just such a sweet little thing and so darn cute. She has the chunkiest little cheeks that are little kiss magnets. Getting a good picture of her has been a challenge though. I can't get a real good one of her smile. When I get one, I will definitely get it posted. When she smiles, her whole little face lights up, it is absolutely precious. It's amazing how much a little spirit can add to a home. Kenna sure loves her sister too. She is always in her face, poor Allie sure puts up with it well. It will be so fun to see them interact as they grow older. My FAVORITE though, is watching Jacob with his little girls. I don't think a daddy could love his girls more. There is something so sweet about a daddy and his girls. Ahhh, it's the most wonderful time of the year! La la la. Ah, come on. You all know you're singing along.

The Big TWO

Well ladies and gentleman, my little Kenna has made it to 2 years old! Unfortunately we had a quarantined birthday. Last week Jacob and I endured strep. It was awful, nasty, and I wouldn't wish it even on Hilary Clinton. (Apologies to any fans). Fortunately we are feeling better. As I headed to the store to pick up our antibiotics, I managed to grab some balloons and a cake for Kenna. How depressing that I bought a cake for my two-year-old. I grew up with the funnest homemade cakes, and here I am, supporting the Associated Foods Store bakery. I was fooled by the "cookies and cream" title. It was gross. Even if my throat wasn't on fire, it would still be gross. What a disgrace to Oreos and a waste of $6.99 (Can you believe that? I can get a cake mix for 69 cents! Ridiculous!). Good thing Kenna was way too involved in her ice cream to even care about the cake. She got a new horse that sits on springs and she can bounce. Now she can really get into The Man From Snowy River and feel like she's part of the action. We also got her a new potty that makes music when a little something something makes it's way into the basin. The little stinker figured out how to turn it over and push the button to make the music, so that had to be disconnected. So much for incentive, huh? She just gets cuter by the day. Each day she pops out with a new phrase that makes us laugh. It was sure fun to celebrate her sweet little spirit being in our home, even if we weren't feeling well. Also there's a picture of Kenna last week when she was having a tantrum on the top stair then ended up falling asleep there. Too funny! Oh, and another cute one: when we were up at my mom and dad's we were playing games and I realized Kenna was really quiet in the kitchen, which is a pretty good indication she is doing someting she shouldn't be. When I found her, she was playing in the flour. I asked her what she was doing and she said, "I make a mess!"

It's Christmas Time!

Well, the Christmas decos have been out for a day now. Kenna has already broken one ornament, tried to eat 2 others, and pulled a stocking down and got a great big purple bruise on her cheek from the stocking hanger. 'Tis the season! As long as she doesn't try to chew on the lights....
We had a great Thanksgiving. We got to see a lot of friends and family, which is always so fun. The longer we're down here, the more we miss being closer to home. I must say, however, that a 5 hour drive with two little ones is like a suicide mission. My ear drums are permanently scarred. Last time we went up to Logan, I drove and Jacob spent the whole time going back and forth from the front seat trying to calm the tide of wailing girlies in the back seat. I just smiled the whole time. It was a bit of a break for me. Needless to say, he drove both ways this time. He's not so dumb. Do you remember when you used to fight someone to ride shotgun? Well, we race to see who gets to drive. Unfortunately for me, he was a track star in high school so I end up in the passenger seat. I'm happy to report we made it home safely though, and in one piece. I've decided making the trip to Logan is like giving birth. Over time you forget how difficult it is, so you try it again. Then when you are right in the middle of it you remember why you don't do it very often. Ha! I'm sure I will soon forget and be anxious to come home soon.

I'm it

I guess I've been tagged. Now I have to think of 6 interesting things about me. 6? Are you kidding? I'm definitely not that interesting. I'll have to think hard about this one.

1- My favorite vacation was my college grad trip to Boston with a cousin. We did the Freedom Trail in Boston, went to Concord, Walden Pond, the Norman Rockwell museum, drove into upstate New York, did the Mayflower thing in Plymouth, ferried over to Martha's Vineyard, and saw some amazing early century mansions in Newport. And, I got as close to Harvard as I will ever get. The spirit back there is amazing with all the American history. I would love to go back someday.
2- Worst pet peeve is when people take out their gum to eat or something, then put it back in later. One time in high school a friend put his gum on my newly opened can of lemonade. It made me sick and I had to throw the whole thing away. Yuck!
3- I LOVE coupons. Pretty much I just love getting a steal of a deal. Last year right after Thanksgiving Smith's did a double coupon deal. I was tending for a lady who was the biggest coupon nutzo I ever have seen, and it was coupon heaven. I got over $300 worth of stuff for $30. I am looking forward to this weekend and hope they will do the double coupon again. I've been saving up my coupons. Saving money is addicting!
4- My girls just woke up- stay tuned for the rest-

Smart mom

Mom's just have to be creative. By the time I pulled into the grocery store this afternoon, Allie was pretty ticked off and hungry. I didn't want to have to go all the way to the back of the store to the bathroom and unpack the kids just for some water. So we headed over to the deli. One ounce of water from the fountain drinks (many thanks to the lemonade for sharing), two and a half ounces of hot water from the coffee maker, throw in the formula and BINGO! Bottle is ready, baby is happy. Am I smart or what? We headed over to the little table and chairs and let Allie fill up. It's nice to have a few tricks up my sleeve. Ya, pretty much I get my inspiration in life by figuring out ways to make a grocery trip a success. Another great success today was Christmas shopping at the dollar store. That is one of the great things about a 2-year-old: you can do a large part of their Christmas shopping at the dollar store! To make it even better, you can do it when they're with you! Kenna loved the little toy horse, but she's already forgotten about it and will love it again Christmas morning. Isn't that great? That's called Christmas on a budget, my friends. I admit, I even got Jacob a little something while I was there, too. Yep, it was a very inspiring day. HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE! I am so blessed to have so many wonderful associations. To all you who read this, know that I am so grateful for your friendship and love.

Another Week

Not much new is going on around here this week. I do have to say my husband was so wonderful yesterday! He was just a little Mr. Mom. As he reads this over my shoulder he is laughing saying, "Honey, erase that. It's not the image cowboys want!" Ha! How funny is he? What a greay guy. He'll just LOVE to know I wrote all that.

Well, Allie has had a rough few days. For anyone who doesn't know, my little Allie has a milk protein allergy. She pretty much screamed for the first 6 1/2 weeks of her life until we got her on a really specialized formula that has the protein completely broken down into amino acids. The past few weeks I thought she was starting to do a little better with sleeping and such, but the past few days she seems to have taken a few steps back. I'm not sure if some of the formula still had some chunks of protein in it that got through and bothered her little system or what. Poor little thing. It is sure frustrating at times, especially when she is so inconsistent. Somedays I feel like I spend the majority of my time in the rocking chair with her. The hardest part is that the mom in me still feels like there is more that needs to be done, I just can't find the right doctor to help me out with it. I am actually hoping to get her in to a homeopathic doctor this week. I'll keep you updated. I sure love the little cuss, though.

Last night Kenna was "trying" to go to sleep and I could hear her back in her bedroom just talking to herself. I started laughing in the hallway and then she started laughing back at me, it was so fun. So of course I had to go in and see her. She said, "snuggle mommy?" So I jumped in bed with her and we snuggled for a bit. It was a great little relief after Allie's crying session. I am quite sure I have many things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Even if one of my blessings has a great set of lungs.

Way to go Allie!

Allie slept the whole night last night! YEAH! I woke up at 5:30 to go check on her, and she kept sleeping until a little after 7. I could have done cartwheels! I should actually try one to see if my body is even capable anymore. Another great sleep achievement in our house is that Kenna is now sleeping in her big girl bed. A few months ago we tried to get her to sleep in it, but the attempt was unsuccessful. Sunday night we decided to give it another shot. We put on her new princess sheets and kept telling her what a lucky girl she was to get to sleep in her big girl bed. Jacob took her in and gave her a big pep talk and she fell asleep with no tears! Way to go Daddy! The next day we moved all her toys and books into her room and she just thought it was great. I am loving that my front room is staying a lot cleaner!

So the first time I ever saw The Man From Snowy River was on my 3rd date with Jacob. I was way too involved in sitting next to Jacob and that our legs were touching to even remember the storyline. Now I think I can probably quote a good chunk of the movie. Thanks to daddy, Kenna has discovered this beloved classic. For the past few days we have to watch the last 20 or so minutes of the movie where they are on the big horse chase. She just stands there mesmerized. I never thought I would have to moderate the time a 2-year-old spends watching The Man From Snowy River. She says, "watch horses?" This morning we were watching and when one of the riders fell off the horse she got a concerned look on her face and said, "Oh no! Bucked off! Goodness sakes, cowboy." Sometimes I just have to laugh at the phrases she comes up with. She is all cowgirl-- definitely Jacob's daughter! Jacob said we should get her a whip for Christmas. The crazy thing is I think she would love it. Saddle up cowgirl!

Adventurous Halloween

This week has gone by so fast! Monday and Tuesday we spent in Midway at a conference with Jacob's work. It was a nice little getaway. Grandma Shelly took Allie while she was at Steph's in Salt Lake, so we had a bit of a break. I missed the little cuss, though. It's been a while since Kenna and I have had some time alone together, so it was fun. She has to give hugs and kisses to everything. The flowers, the cow doorstop, herself in the mirror, all sorts of crazy things. The resort had a carousel we took Kenna on and she cried and held onto Jacob the whole time while I took the pictures and laughed. What a mean mom.


I've decided that a trip to WalMart is always adventurous. Take for example, yesterday. By the time I had the girls fed, their diapers changed, and in their carseats, I was already exhausted. That should have been my first clue. By the time I got to WalMart, Kenna was asleep. I was hoping she would sleep in the cart, but no such luck. By the time I got into the store, Allie was screaming and was beyond binkie help. So I pulled in by the pharmacy where it was less crowded and tried to sooth the little screamer. Guess who everyone was looking at? Yep, me. To make it even better, Kenna wasn't sleeping so I tried to take her out of the cart basket and into the seat. She sure didn't like that, so now I had two screaming children in the middle of WalMart. Now everyone was really looking at me. So, you ask, what did I do? I stood there laughing! It was either that or start to cry. So there I stood next to the laxatives laughing while my two children screamed. Fortunately Kenna was bribed with some treats and Allie decided her binkie was alright. I am so happy to say that by the time I left WalMart, I had two good Samaritans who had helped me along the way-- both were mom's who knew exactly what I was going through. Thank goodness for fellow moms! We made it back from WalMart just in time to get Kenna in her little Lion outfit and go down to the church to trunk-or-treat. I drew some whiskers on her cheeks and she looked so stinkin' cute! She had a little plastic pumpkin to carry her treats in and she was extremely protective of her pumpkin the rest of the night. Too funny. As you can see, I've figured out (sort of) the picture thing. I didn't want them all going down in a row, but it takes too long to load them so they can just stay as-is. At least there's pictures!

Multitasking

It is sure funny what we think about mom's before we are one. For example, don't we think we will NEVER let our children run around in a diaper, especially outside where they can actually be seen? Or do we think we will ever be standing in the middle of the street talking to the dogcatcher in our pajama pants, holding a baby in one arm, and holding the hand of your diaper-only child with scraggly just-woke-up-hair in the other? Probably not! But did we ever think life would be so gosh darn entertaining? How could we ever know! Yep, that was the adventure this morning. I'm sure I looked like I belonged on an episode of the Beverly Hillbillies. Then to make it even better, I had to chase the pumpkin. Let me explain. Jacob brought me home a pumpkin a few nights ago and I was sick of Kenna rolling it all over the kitchen floor, so I stuck it outside on the front porch. Well, while engaged in conversation with the dogcatcher (who was getting rid of the neighbors pack of wild animals) Kenna managed to push the pumpkin off the front porch. As she stood there in her diaper proudly watching, it rolled right down the cement stairs off the porch, then right on down the cement stairs of the walkway coming up to my porch, hopped the curb, and proceeded to roll down the street. So off I went, baby in one arm, chasing the pumpkin. Who knew pumpkins were so athletic? I am proud to say I caught the pumpkin, and placed it back in it's humble abode on the front porch- all the while carrying the baby and talking on the phone. Now THAT is multitasking.

Technical difficulties

Hayley, I need you to sit by my side again and help me figure this out some more! The picture thing is struggling. I try to add a picture on, and it just shows me a big triangle with an exclamation mark in it. I am really in trouble when my girls start learning computers in school. Maybe I need to find one of those Computers for Dummies books. I admit it, I'm a computer dummy. Anyhow, another week has come and gone. I am amazed at how fast the days go by. Little Allie always keeps us on our toes. Last Tuesday she started wanting to eat every 2 hours. To make it even better, it is a huge trial to get her to nap. She is so chunky, how could she possibly need that much food? Maybe I'll give her a good ribeye and then we can get a good 3 or 4 hour stretch out of her! I will count my blessings, however that she will have 4-5 hour stretches at night. I think the Lord is trying to teach me patience. I am needing it more than ever lately. A few nights ago Kenna was sitting with me in the rocking chair trying to "help" while I was patching some of Jake's pants. I told her she needed to get down and she just waved her hand and said, "whatever." All we could do was laugh because it was so darn cute! I just have to say that despite the trials we've had the past few months, I am so incredibly grateful for my little family. Yesterday during Sacrament I was in the back of the cultural hall rocking Allie to sleep. I looked a few rows up to see my wonderful husband and my darling little Kenna, then looked down to see my peacefully sleeping baby. It was one of those moments where you really can't describe the feeling you have inside. I smiled and took a moment to thank my Heavenly Father for all my incredible blessings.

Sick of being sick

So our greatest adventure the past little while started last Friday with a trip to the Dr.'s office. Kenna had started to sound like she was getting a bit of a cold, but by Friday morning she had a horrible barking cough and could hardly breath. She had been around her cousins who had strep and so we thought maybe we should get a culture done. Well forget strep, how about a case of croup? They gave her a breathing treatment, a shot of steroid to help take the swelling in her throat down, and almost gave her a shot of epinephrine. They told us to watch her close and if she really started doing worse to not hesitate to take her to the ER. What? The ER?! What mom likes to hear that? I admit, mom had some tears. I really hate shedding tears in the pediatrician's office. With the cute little elephant table and the painted monkeys on the wall, I still got teary. But, thank goodness we avoided the ER. She still is hoarse and has a cough, but I think we are on the mend. What an experience. Jake has had a cold too so that's not fun. Allie has a stuffy nose. Mom has been fine until I found out last night that dad brushed Kenna's teeth with mom's toothbrush. Nice. I ran to get some gas in the car and Jake put Kenna to bed. He couldn't remember which brush was mine and which was Kenna's, so he thought he would just ask the little lady who isn't even two yet. Well, she picked the wrong one. When he saw me brushing my teeth last night all he could do was laugh. Big oops there! So who knows, perhaps it will soon be my turn to get sick. We'll keep you updated!

Blog: Week two

I am proud to say that I am getting another post done before a week has passed! Still working on getting some pictures up. Our girls are still cute as ever. Last night after putting Kenna to bed she waved to me and said, "drive safe!" She is constantly saying the funniest things. I'm afraid she and Allie are both getting some kind of cold, though. So is Jacob. That makes for a grumpy household. This morning after Kenna got up she had to go sit under the bed and cry because mom was feeding Allie and couldn't hold her. "Hold you?" she says. Until next post, drive safe!

Hey, we're bloggers!

Thanks to some savvy help, we finally have a blog. Hopefully we can keep it updated! Stay tuned....