March 2013

I think that March might be my favorite month of the year in Arizona.  Its just starting to get warm--warm enough for the occasional afternoon at the pool.  Most of the month is in the 70's and 80's. I really enjoyed it this year.

We kicked off the month with a big milestone: Potty Training Mia!! I'd been postponing it for awhile, waiting to exit my morning sickness phase.  But by the end of April, we knew it was time to take the plunge.  Mia was constantly taking off her diapers, and was very interested in the potty.

Training couldn't have gone any smoother.  The first day was rough, but after that she caught on quick. Even wearing a pull-up, the girl did NOT want to have an accident.  I remember one night in those first couple weeks, Mia got up during her nap and came to the door.. she had accidently "gone" in her pull-up and was horrified.. she came to me crying, and said "I'm Disgusting!!!!"  (I don't know where she got that phrasing from, because even now, after she goes number 2 on the potty, instead of asking to be wiped, she still says "I'm disgusting". kinda funny.)

Anyway, long story short--Mia is rockin' the potty. And we are proud :)

This was how I staged the living from before day 1.  Towels on the couch and floor, a shiny new stack of Tinkerbell panties, and her all time favorite Ninja shirt.

 First weekend in March, we went to a family festival at the Train Park.  They had all kinds of fun free activities for the kiddos!

Waiting for a magic show to start.  Jake actually got invited on stage as a volunteer!  Sadly I don't have a picture--just a video.  But he looked pretty cute up there!

 Wes surprised the kids with a water activity table for the deck one afternoon.  (early Easter present)  It's given them lots of fun in the sun since then!

 Jake is still thriving at Preschool! can't believe how much he is learning each week. The kid is a sponge.

He's really excelling in math.  I'm amazed at his ability to add 2 and sometimes even 3 numbers together in his head.  The teachers said he is really methodical about it, and that they think it'll be a strength for him in the coming years.  way to go Jake!

 This girl is so crazy :)

 I'm so in love with her hair texture.  It smoothes out a bit after I brush it, but right out of the tub--pure ringlets.  I hope she keeps them for a long time!

 Out on a preschool morning doing a little shopping :)

The kids were very excited when it became warm enough to go to the pool! They really missed it all winter!

The next few pictures crack me up--I think they really show off Mia's silly personality. 

 Relaxing in the hot tub :)

 I forgot how tired my kids get after being out in the sun all day.  They eat/sleep so well during the summer. 

Notice that Jake passed out with his arm still in his bag of Pirates Booty.

One day, Mia fell asleep right at the table..

 ...Of course Jake had to pretend he fell asleep too. lol

 One of Wesley's old mission buddies came into town one weekend, so we all got together for dinner.  I'm glad he has such a great group of "brothers" out here in AZ. 

 It's nice for the kids too :)

Mia's hair is finally long enough for a side braid.  I've been dreaming out this for a long time...luckily, she actually enjoys having me do it too! 

 When Daddy has a day off, Jake always gets spoiled with some kind of fun treat.  Cold Stone is one of his favs.. and it's right down the street. (dangerous, I know)

 One day, we were at the splash pad and they had a DJ set up and playing music.  Mia climbed up this big grassy hill, and started "dancing".. I was impressed by her insanely high leg lifts.. she looked more like she was doing yoga poses than actual dancing.  This went on for about 20 minutes.

 Tis the season for birthday parties in Jake's preschool class. There must have been something in the air back in 2008--lots of spring babies!!  He has enjoyed celebrating with his friends!

 Towards the end of March, we finally went and registered Jake for Kindergarten.  It was a surreal experience.  We chose a school a couple months ago, but I was putting off signing him up.. in denial I suppose.  But he was really excited to turn in his paperwork!

 Mr. Jake--freshly enrolled to start Kindergarten in August.  yikes!!!!

The last week of the month, my sister came into town with her two kids for a visit, and of course we celebrated Easter.  I'll save that stuff for the next post.  Thanks for reading!

Some pregnancy updates :)

In a few days I'll hit 23 weeks along in this 3rd pregnancy.  I thought I'd spend a post writing a few things about my experience so far.  My symptoms have been pretty textbook--I was sick from the beginning, and it tapered off around 15 weeks, with a few bad days here and there. By this point I'm back to feeling great, and just enjoying the glow of the second trimester!  I pulled together a few belly shots that I took along the way, and a few other special photos as well :)

11 weeks along

Ultrasound at 13 weeks. Cute little peanut :)

I got some sort of stomach virus, or food poisoning around 13 ish weeks.. I was so incredibly dehydrated that I wound up in the ER one night, contracting and unable to stand.. not my favorite weekend ever :(

After a large dose of Zofran and 3 bags of fluids I was able to go back home.  A good friend of ours (one of Wesley's old mission buddies), was able to come stay at the house that night while we were gone. Got home around 2:30 am.. I'm grateful I was able to have Wesley with me.. maybe I should consider myself lucky--3 pregnancies, and this was my first experience with needing IV rehydration.

 Finally starting to feel better!--15 weeks

Almost 19 weeks 

At 19 weeks it was finally time for the BIG ultrasound.  I had such mixed feelings on the days leading up to that appointment.  Of course, I was really excited to finally know the gender of our little baby.  But in the past couple years I've seen several of my friends and family walk out of that mid-pregnancy scan with all sorts of bad news; ranging from possible defects, serious problems, terminal defects, and even, loss of a baby.  These women are some of the most amazing people that I know, and were handed such heart breaking trials coming out of that ultrasound.  Plus, between Wesley and I, there are several birth defects that are found in our families.  So as much as I tried to think positive, it was hard to ignore my nerves coming up to this special day.

Jake really wanted to come along, and I debated for a long time whether I felt alright with that.  If the ultrasound didn't go smoothly, did I want my 4 year old in the room?  But after praying about it and talking to Wes, we felt ok about involving the kids.

The radiology center had an aquarium in the waiting room, so Mia and Jake were even more excited to be there :)

While we waited for our turn, my sister Jessica called me.  She asked if I had any secret wishes for the gender of our baby.  I thought about it, and responded that I really didn't care.  On the one hand, I LOVE girls--I love doing Mia's hair, buying clothes for her is so much fun.  So another girl would be exciting in that way.  But on the other hand, Jake really wanted a brother, and I could somehow really see Mia doing well with a boy on each side of her.  She is such a tough girl, I knew she'd be able to handle it. ;) Plus, boys really are a lot of fun to raise.  So there were things to be excited about either way.  It calmed my nerves thinking about that part of my ultrasound as we waited those last few minutes.

 The longer I sat on that bed with the monitor gliding over my belly, the more relaxed I became.  The results were perfect.  I know there is still a chance that something can go wrong, but we got through this next step without a problem, and for that I am so so grateful.  

About midway through the scan, the radiologist got an unexpected shot of our baby's little pelvis (we were still looking at the heart at the time). Without any warning, we learned that Jake and Mia will be getting a new brother!!!

(It's a boy!)

I was shocked and silent for about 3 seconds, just trying to absorb the moment.  

Jake broke the silence. "A boy!!! Oh thank you, thats what I wanted!!!!!!!"  In that instant, I knew this was exactly how it was meant to be.  This little guy is going to join our family, and I can't wait to meet him and see how it all fits together. I'm so excited to be his mom, and for Jake and Mia to gain another lifelong friend and companion.

Jake loves to remind me that he and Dad and the new baby make 3 boys against 2 girls, so they "win".. and honestly, I think I'm ok with that ;)

iPhone pics-- Winter

In between visits from family, and all the various holidays, 2013 has been pretty great.  Other than a couple nasty plagues hitting the family, and the several weeks of morning sickness I still had to survive, we've mostly been feeling good! I'm so grateful to have a nice phone camera with me at all times, to capture all the candid moments of everyday life.  Going through my iphone stash tonight, I was reminded of so many adventures with my kiddos.  It gets a little crazy sometimes (ok, a lot crazy), but when it comes down to it, I'm grateful for the job that I have.  The rhythm of my life and the things I experience each day are a treasure, and I feel so lucky to be raising my sweet kids. And even though Wesley is very busy with his other life of work and school, there are a lot of moments he is still a part of.  Even if the only time we see him is for a quick 30 minute lunch break in his office building cafeteria, we try to make it count.  I'm thankful to have him on my team.

And now, here are a bazillion iPhone pics. Enjoy :)

I never posted in detail about the week in January when my parents came to visit, but they came out to do a little house hunting, and wound up signing on to build a new home! The house is now under construction down in Gilbert, and we are counting down the days til Omi and Opi join us out here in the baking sunshine!

(just a couple shots from a date night to see Les Mis.. we went to Studio Movie Grill, and enjoyed the movie while eating tons of yummy food.  I love that place so much.)

As I mentioned before, sometimes the only chance we have to see Daddy is on his lunch break. Lot's of times he runs home for a bit, but if he's especially busy, we bring the party to his place! The kids love eating lunch at work :)

Although we do have blue skies probably 95% of the time, we did get a few fantastic rainy days this winter. (It doesn't happen often enough that I've been able to justify buying rain boots.. so the kids get soaking wet within 5 minute of puddle jumping. woops.)

Costco run on a rainy day! (she demanded "hoods up" for the picture)

We finally wandered into this little bake shop right by our house a couple months ago.  It was so adorable! and the cookies did not disappoint.  (They use almond in the frosting.. mmmm)

I just LOVE jake's thick, straight, asian hair.  It's amazing.

hmmm.. what do i want??

The following pictures are proof that Wesley is their dad. I would never take them into a place like Dave & Busters on my own for lunch.. I'm so lost in arcades. I'm glad that Dad is such a fun guy! ;)

On Super Bowl Sunday we got together with Wesley's crowd: Mission buddies and families. It was awesome, and all the Mexican food was soooo good. 

Look at her! Actually getting along with a baby.. Maybe our new little one will survive after all ;)

Nothing beats cookies and milk in the world of Jake and Mia!

Wesley's grad school had a softball charity tournament one Saturday, and we came out to watch him play!  The kids LOVED sitting in the dugout with Daddy :)

Go, Dad, Go!!!

Mia was pretty worn out after the day in the sunshine :)

Jake and Mia love running around in the front yard of the preschool after I pick up Jake most days.  there are usually 5 or 6 kids out there, and they end up playing for a good 10-15 minutes.  I love this picture, Mia looks like she just wants to be "one of the guys".. also Jake has way too many friends that are girls, haha.

And the weather finally started to warm up! First visit of the year back to the good old Train Park.

I think thats enough for one post. On to the next!