We can’t wait until the weather gets nice

We also can’t wait until we decide to get a back yard patio or not. It hurts to spend our savings we’ve been diligently accumulating lately (actually, it hurts Brad more than me – I really want a patio). We’ve been in this house for more than 5 years, so it’s time to have something back there.

We’re still debating.  But here is some proof why we need it. Especially when the weather gets really nice and we’ll be outside all day long! I’m tired of being on the front step!!!

I know what you’re thinking – and yes, she IS even cuter in person ;)

See, if we had a patio we could have a sandbox, and I could be sitting in a comfy rocking chair…

“Cheeeeese”. This boy loves his diggers and dirt.

So we have a few people lined up to give us a quote next week – I hate that whole process. Hopefully something works out soon!

Let the potty training begin!

I’ve gotta be honest, I’ve been nervous about potty training Elijah since I found out he was going to be a boy. Everyone has heard those terrible stories about how difficult it is to get a toddler boy on board.

I will also be honest, that I was in no rush to get him out of diapers. Mostly because he is pretty shy and uncomfortable with it – so I didn’t want to push him.

Well I decided to give it a try when Logan (Elijah’s older cousin by 3 weeks) showed me first hand it can be done! One evening while we were watching him he said he had to go potty, and so he did!

Please don’t read this as a comparison! My mom pointed that out to me – she thought I was comparing the boys. Naturally as a mom it’s hard to not compare sometimes (like why my kids STILL don’t sleep through the night…), but this time I think it was more of a conviction for me to not be lazy and teach my boy!

So on Monday (the 5th) we started. After some hesitation and Elijah peeing through all of his undies we own (3 pairs), I decided just to let him go bottomless. That was the best idea. He peed river all over my floor and he was completely captivated! He had never seen what his bits were capable of doing. So I had been teaching him to sit down – would you believe that just on that same Monday he went to the potty nearly 10 times. More than that, he only chose to stand up!

It was seriously the funniest thing to see him peeing in his potty while using both his hands – high above his head – bracing himself against the wall.

So that’s the story. Since then it hasn’t been going so great. While we’re out he still pees in his diapers without feeling a need to tell me. He also REFUSES to go poo. He will request a diaper just for me to change it less than 5 minutes after he’s had it on. Also, he goes to a mother’s day out program twice a week and I don’t think they are going to be very supportive about it.

He does so well at home that he goes potty on his own and doesn’t even care to ask me for a sticker to put on his poster (that I was so proud to make for him). So now I just have to focus on having him poo on the potty and making him aware to ask me when we are not at home.

Since I love to share pictures, this one was appropriate.  (His potty in the corner now has a towel under it – he isn’t the best aimer). He told me he was cold so he had to wear his hat – not pants, socks or even a diaper. Only a hat….too funny.

I’ll keep you posted how this is going….

What's sweeter than a baby girl?

TWO baby girls!!

Mya and Ava (my nieces) were born yesterday. Yep, February 29th - on leap day! Can it get more special than that?

They are so sweet. Mya is on the left and Ava is on the right. I got to the hospital right on time as the photographer was leaving, so I was able to take my own pictures while they were still snuggled together.

Sleepy Ava.

Snuggy Mya.

They both have those enticing "kiss my cheeks" kind of cheeks!

I have to throw in these last two photos because they make me laugh when you look at them together!

    

Me: start of baby fever                     Brad: fear of baby fever

he-he, I'm funny (right Brad?) :)

These babies are so beautiful. I couldn't be happier for their family!! Christmas, birthdays, random BBQ's and family get-togethers just became a lot more fun!

CONGRATULATIONS Tim, Natalie and Logan!

Both kids are sick :(

They have been sick at the same time, but this is the first time that they have been sick and SUPER needy at the same time. It’s been kinda rough around our house lately.

When we debate baby #3, times like these make me happy for only two. How do you moms do it?!

So we’ve been doing our best to entertain ourselves during the day. I hate to say it, but we watch a lot of tv. Including Word World, Word World, Word World and the occasional Thomas and Friends. At least Word World is educational. I actually credit them for helping Elijah learn all of his upper case and lower case letters (he still gets h and n confused).

Athena, she has to be the most stubborn chick ever. She knows how to walk, we’ve seen her do it for a few weeks now – but she still just wants to crawl. It’s nice not chasing two kids, which I know will inevitably happen, but it would also be nice to not have to carry her all the time either.

So to occupy ourselves during their sicken confinement, we have been playing:

lots of trains,

doing lots of 4-wheeling,

shooting many of hoops,

having many tea parties,

and this picture, we’ll I just think it is so cute of them sitting together and eating lunch – I just threw it in here.

I hope they get better soon (they’ve been like this since Sunday evening – it’s now Thursday!). I hate seeing them miserable. Speaking of….someone just coughed themselves awake….

my poor babies.

I am so proud of myself!

Firstly, because I am finally an approved Bradley Method birth instructor! I've set classes to begin on March 21st. Now I've gotta find some students!

Aside from being proud of my accomplishment, I am even more so proud that I feel like I've found something I was meant to do. I've always been on the edge it seems like.

I've always been into sustainable, natural methods. Heck, I started working at my first environmental job when I was just 18! From there it lead me to other environmental specialist positions. My last one (which I'm sure if you look back past blog entries you'll hear me complain a lot) I was a corporate trainer. I really liked it as far as being in front of people, and informing them of environmental responsibility and personal safety. I really loved that, especially connecting with the 'little people'...but the company and some colleagues just rubbed me the wrong way. So luckily enough after Elijah was born I didn't return.

I had no idea that I would be teaching couples how to give birth naturally. I joke that if someone would have told me that I would be doing this 5 years ago I would have cried and prayed for God to choose another direction for my life. That "yucky birthin' babies" stuff wasn't for me. And now it's all I think about. Literally!

So I guess I could say that I am proud of myself for accomplishing my first step in my new career, but even more proud of myself for stepping off the edge, and finally being able to say that I know I'm gonna love what I do!

I don't even have to mention the perks of not working in a corporate 9-5 job either. Ugh, the thought of that makes me cringe. (I have to mostly thank Brad for that one though).

So there you have it! Are you pregnant!? Do you want to learn how to have your baby without unnecessary medication and in the most natural way possible? Let me know! Because I'd be humbled and honored to teach you how.

July 15th, 2009 - Elijah's birthday

November 30th, 2010 - Athena's birthday

Did I tell you what I got for Christmas?

It's been a while since Christmas, I know, but I gotta tell you about my perfect gift (it will work EVERY time) - a beach vacation!

Brad tried his best to keep a secret but when his wife is super intuitive and smart it's mostly useless :) It doesn't help that Brad gets way too excited about surprises - he can never keep them!

He and I desperately needed a get-a-way. We've encountered a lot of changes and challenges in our lives recently, so it was perfect timing for us. The last time he and I were anywhere alone was on our honeymoon! That may not seem so bad to some of you (being that we've only been married almost 4 years) but it's bad for me. I don't just want to travel, I really need it :)

So we went to the El Dorado Royale in Riviera Maya Mexico. It was so beautiful. We had four days and three nights to relax without the kids. Brad's parents and my sister allowed us this vacation. We are forever grateful to them for watching our babies!

I am posting this now because we didn't have a digital underwater camera, so we had to get our underwater camera developed the "old fashioned" way. Can you believe that it takes nearly a week and costs around $8!!

The beach was gorgeous even with the sandbags out there, it was still beautiful. The sandbags were there to help rebuild the beach that was mostly destroyed after a hurricane.

I hate coconuts, unless they are fresh! We didn't eat any, but it reminded us of our honeymoon in Punta Cana where staff members were cutting them open upon request!

Yummy margaritas!!!

It wasn't really hot while we were there, but it was fantastic weather for January!

We took a day excursion to snorkel. This was at a natural sink hole fed from an underground river from a nearby cenote.

I jumped from that too, but I didn't make it look as cool and fun as Brad is doing right there :)

Here we went snorkeling in the cenote (which is actually a cave) full of stalactites, stalagmites and BATS!! I was freaked out just a bit.

Here is our picture with the gnome! If you don't know by now we got this gnome as a wedding gift and it goes on every trip with us (kinda like the Travelocity gnome, but I stole the idea from one of my favorite movies, Amelie).

The gnome weights nearly 10 pounds, but that is just he burden we have to endure. I tucked him away in my life vest while we were on our tour.

We got to snorkel in the lagoon and see some AMAZING sea life! This is Brad and the gnome in the lagoon (the last part of the tour)

We tried to get that kissing picture, but it didn't turn out as romantic and effortless as advertisements make it seem!

Everyone thought we were crazy taking the gnome with us. Last summer while Brad was in Portugal, the airport security asked why he had a leprechaun in his bag!! Haha!!

We almost paid for a more expensive tour to swim with turtles, good thing we didn't. We saw two!

We also got to see a massive sting ray! It immediately made me think of Steve Erwin, so I was nervous the remaining part of our snorkeling tour. The rest of our trip was spent relaxing!

We are so corny and sweet :)

Had to have that last margarita before we flew home :)

Needless to say it was so much fun. It also goes without saying that we are going to be purchasing a digital underwater camera before our next trip.  

Thank you Brad for my awesome Christmas gift. I love you and look forward to many, MANY more adventures together!

Sh*t Crunchy Mamas Say

One of my Bradley Instructor peers posted this on Facebook and I can't stop laughing. If you want to get to know me a little better than you already do, realize that 90% of this is me!! poor Brad, right? :)

OH! And can I just share my excitement that my academic package to the Bradley Academy has NOT been lost. They have received it, so now I just wait for approval. I am WAYYYY excited! :)

Enjoy the video!