Belated Valentine's Gift/ Belly Shot

Alright, well this has been quite the process - we ordered this camera WAY before Valentine's Day but the Camera store couldn't give us a date that we would receive it because it is a new item... well after about 4 weeks we started scouting out other stores and online sites! Most sites said it would ship the next day and some were $100 cheaper than we paid, needless to say we were ANNOYED and were anxious to have our new camera before our trip in a few weeks. So we canceled our order from the store and ordered straight from Sony online and it was delivered today (only 4 days after ordering)... Blake stopped by Fry's Electronics to look at Memory cards and they had it in stock (if we had only known). Oh and the Camera store to be nameless still doesn't have it in, even though they claimed they are first to get it because they are a professional camera store. Riiighttt! Anyway we LOVE it and can't wait for the warp speed photos... I swear at my current camera probably daily because with a toddler I miss so many great pictures because of the delay between pictures! Thanks Blake for thinking of such a great gift! Thanks for being my real Valentine.

This is for my sister and friend Marlo who have requested a Belly shot! This is pretty much my 16 week photo... Lets just say I'm showing way sooner than I ever thought possible! Now if the little baby would kick me hard enough to feel it, It would be a great day! Isn't it funny how we hope to feel the movement in the beginning and by the end it kinda hurts! So exciting though.

My GOLDEN Birthday

I celebrated with my family and had a yummy dinner the Sunday before, then on my actual birthday I received many calls from family and friends (thanks!)

I went to lunch at In-N-Out with Blake and Ashlyn - yummy!

My gift was a sewing machine that I'd been wanting - yeah!

Blake's parents watched Ashlyn and we went to a Tepanyaki Restaurant for dinner - very cool!

We also saw a movie after dinner - Definitely, Maybe was a good choice!

To end the evening we picked up some Nielsen's Frozen Custard (my favorite kind is "Black Tie Affair") Then we picked up Ashlyn and it was time for bed!!

THANKS FOR SUCH A GREAT BIRTHDAY - CAN'T BELIEVE I'M SO OLD!

...Park FUN...

We had a fun park day with my friends from High School and all of our children! Of course it didn't work out that everyone could make it but most of us were there. It was great to catch up and see how much our kids have grown and some of our bellies(4 of us there were pregnant)!! Here is the run down of who showed up and there kids names!

Janalie & her sister Sarah - 2 boys (and a girl on the way) Weston and Brody
Natalie - 2 girls, Elise and Emery
Rachelle - 3 boys, Austin - Jordan - Brayden
Jamie - 2 boys 1 girl, Mason - (twins) Brinlee and Ashton
Lindsay - 1 girl and 1 boy (with a girl on the way), Madison and Stevie
Me - 1 girl Ashlyn and ? baby on the way

Being a "MOM"

I've been doing a lot of thinking (during quiet time or while Ashlyn is napping) about myself and I think it's normal for most young mothers to feel like they have lost a bit of themselves while caring for there children... I know I only have one at the moment and the other will be showing up this summer, but I just want to make sure I am the person I want to be. It's difficult to keep up on hobbies and things I loved before I started a family, but I think it's also important not to lose those things in order to develop talents and encourage my children to learn new things as well. I have a few things in mind to occupy myself during naps and no it's NOT scrapbooking (I gave that up a few years ago to convert to online books with NO mess and way less cost, not to mention time)!! Blake is getting me a sewing machine for my birthday and I plan to just try new things, along with the occasional mending of the clothes. I've gotten some fun fabric and ribbon to start my new hobby!! When I was younger I took sewing classes but I'm having a hard time remembering much these days besides the straight stitch... I could make a pillow case!! I always want to help with the humanitarian projects but didn't have a sewing machine to help with! I want to do better at journaling things that are important to me, but also new things Ashlyn learns and how she becomes her own little person... Just curious how any of you mom's keep a hold of who you are and things that you do when you have time to yourself??

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Renaissance Festival

About a week ago we were going to take Ashlyn and our dog to Coon's Bluff to let them run around and play in the river, we ended up talking to my aunt and she mentioned they were at the Renaissance Festival - we decided we'd rather go there because Blake and I had wanted to go for the last 5 years and always forgot when it was open! So we headed out past Gold Canyon and went, however I'm not sure if they still have them but they did print 50% off the entrance fee (which is $20 a person) so if you go look for a coupon in the paper or online. We didn't know about the coupon until too late. But we still had a great time, Ashlyn had a ride on an elephant for the first time, pet some farm animals, road on a ride with mommy and ate some yummy food.... her favorite was my Frozen Icee which stained her chin red. Blake did the Axe throw and the knife throw, he stuck the most axes and was given a certificate! We met up with my grandma, aunts, and cousin towards the end and we were happy that we went. Blake and I had both gone as kids in elementary school and I remember doing the wax hand and Blake wanted to check out the wooden swords that he SO wanted back in the day - I must say we'd both grown out of those activities this time around. It was a beautiful sunny day and we made up our trip to Coon's Bluff the next day but forgot our camera.

WHAT THE........

It's about 4:30 PM and I'm just sitting on the couch watching Ashlyn read her books and play with toys, she was sitting near her chair that is directly below one of the big windows in our great room! I just checked on dinner and started the oven for some biscuits! About 30 seconds after I sit down I hear an object hit the back window and then I just heard glass break and fall! I was shocked, first of all that it was our BACK window (how does that get hit with something, there are only single level homes in my block). So I call Blake and tell him how upset I am, and then decide I'm going to drive around the block to see if any kids are messing around outside. I didn't find any kids out in the road, and our neighbors don't really have kids - the ones that do were out of town! Blake gets home and we realize that it was similar to a pellet from a pellet gun but larger and it tore a hole in our screen, broke the outer pane of glass on our window and the "pellet" is now in between the panes! I just keep wondering if the screen hadn't slowed it down if it would have punctured both panes and made it in the house - also the fact that Ashlyn was sitting very close to the window made me nervous as well, she always climbs in that window sill. So the mysterious glass breaking will remain a mystery unless some kid that was playing with a pellet gun feels guilty enough to come tell us. Until then we will be in search of a company that can replace our window to match our existing ones without breaking our bank!

What a Week!!!!

My husband is incredible - since the pregnancy not only has he taken care of me, he helps SO much with Ashlyn and almost does everything concerning her once he's home from work - diapers, dinner, jammies, and bedtime! He of course plays with her a ton and gets out all her energy too with horsey rides, twirls in the air landing on the poof pillow, tickles, peek a boo, and stories!! She loves her daddy and so do I. They fell asleep on the lazy boy and I had to snap a photo!

Ashlyn loves playing with her cousins, and she loves balls & blocks!

We have had such great weather, with a little rain and rainbows followed by clear skies and kind of warm weather actually...

Ashlyn loves to help with laundry and wanted to try on daddy's work clothes!

We have done lots of walking and shopping
This is Ashlyn and Great Grandma Bird (who she is named after)

Cheese!!!!

Blake taught her to climb on the coffee table, not long after she decided to become a dare devil and climb her chair onto the window sill - she tries standing and crawling and it drives me crazy! She gets so proud and claps as soon as she makes it up!

The other day she just pulled out my shirt and must have been trying to figure out what all the fuss is about! Sadly I am showing some, I know it's so early but my tummy just popped!

- We have an Announcement to make -

This is at Ashlyn's family birthday party and for her last present she opened up a book that is titled "I'm a Big Sister" - My mom caught on first and helped everyone catch on!!!! It was fun...

This is from my 12 week ultra sound and it's a profile of the little baby facing up - the hand is right by the face and the black circle in the tummy is the stomach

The baby turned over and was facing down in this picture, the hands are right below the chin and if this video works, it's just the baby moving around during the ultra sound and you should be able to see the heart beating. It was a great day! My due date is August 15th! I'm almost 13 weeks. We are really excited, mostly that it didn't take 2.5 years to conceive like with Ashlyn - 2 months isn't bad huh!

Michelin Baby?????

We are taking a trip to Utah/Idaho in a few weeks to visit family, go snowboarding and sledding!! We have been buying snow clothes for our family being that we didn't really own much... I ordered this new snow suite and coat for Ashlyn and I wanted it to be a 2T because we are going back up to Utah this Thanksgiving and it would need to fit her then too - so I tried it on her last night and it was SO funny, the coat is pretty big but the snow suit isn't that bad, it has adjustable straps which helps but doesn't make it perfect. We are still in the look out for good boots for her and think we found some on ebay. Just wanted you to see my little 'Michelin Baby'