Our Little Family

New Blog!

2008-11-06T17:40:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone I took a little blogging break but I started a new blog. Here is the link to my new one.

http://web.me.com/ambernstewart

A moment to vent

2008-05-18T11:22:00.001-07:00

Ever have one of those days where you just need time to vent? Well this is one of those times so I'm sorry for the rambling and complaining. I've been so emotional this past week as I have returned to work part time. As many of you know I work the pediatric intensive care unit at Sunrise hospital and of coarse my first day back I'm greeted with the 4th drowning victim of the summer. I have seen so many horrible tragedies these past five years but I'm always taken back by drownings. It's something to me that is so inexcusable and 100% preventable. As far as I'm concerned I don't even consider them accidents. An accident is something that couldn't of been prevented it just happens. Well drownings should never happen. They scream negligence and are outright heartbreaking to see. In this particular case a 7 month was found in the swimming pool by the nanny and the mother. Supposedly the mother fell asleep on the floor with the child and they have no idea how he ended up outside. It's possible that he went through the doggie door or a door was left open. The child was under for at least 30 min. After performing CPR for 1 1/2 hours a pulse was finally obtained. This sweet little spirit will now spend the rest of his life brain dead. You haven't seen nothing until you look in the beautiful eyes of a child that has suffered through this tragedy. A child that once was so vibrant and full of life is left expressionless and lifeless. They look as though their spirit and soul have vanished and they are left trapped in a body with a young and vibrant heart that may continue to beat for years to come. Anyways, that's completely beside the point. The main point is there was no gate or fence around the pool. I'm sorry to stand on a soap box but please please if you don't have gate around your pool get one. After several conversations with my mother this was my breaking point and they are finally getting one around their own pool. Every time my family watches my children I have panic attacks. I know that they are well taken care of but the bottom line is if there is no gate there is a risk for a drowning. I can't think of anything in this world more tragic than to see a beautiful child that has fell victim to negligence. I understand why we never had a gate growing up. We were all 10 and above when my parents built their pool so there was never a thought to get one. I caution anyone who doesn't have one to put one up right away. The death toll at sunrise is already 3 children and 1 that will remain in a vegetative state completely brain dead for who knows how long. This count is only the beginning as summer hasn't even officially started yet. The sad thing is I have seen children come in that have drown at friends, grandparents, and neighbors homes. The good news is this would never happen if children were of coarse watched but if fences or gates were up. I understand that many people think that as long as they watch their children closely this won't happen. I'm sad to report that it only takes a couple minutes to not be paying attention. These are horrible circumstances that happen to good loving parents. Anyways, I'm sorry for the depressing entry. I'm sitting at work right now and I just couldn't hold it in any longer. I will post a happy entry later with updates of my sweet little ones. Until then please please buy a gate or don't have a swimming pool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guess who?

2008-04-29T22:37:00.001-07:00

Gosh looking back at all of landon's pictures I can definetely see the resemblence between the two. Presley just looks a little more feminine and delicate. Most people tell me that Presley looks like the Stewart side and that landon favors the Thielke side. There were even a couple pictures after I was posting this that I thought were Presley but were actually Landon. I love love these two little bugs!!

Presley Bre

2008-04-27T21:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I've decided I'm the worst blogger. Major events have taken place these last couple months and I haven't even made it a priority to write about it. What kind of mother am I? The first and foremost being the birth of our beautiful daughter Presley Bre Stewart.
She came a day before her due date on March 10 at 4:12 in the afternoon. I was scheduled for an inducement a week earlier but had begged my doctor to let me go another week to do it natural. I had been induced with Landon and decided that going from a 1 to a 10 in one day was just too long and painful. So a couple days before my next inducement I started having contractions in the middle night. I woke up around 5:30 a.m. a bit more uncomfortable and started timing them. They were random but were still coming with each one lasting a little longer. I woke Scott up and told him that I thought today might be the day. I got up and showered and had several strong ones a few minutes apart. After timing them for over an hour I decided to call my doctor. With it being so close to my due date they told me to go to the hospital. I still doubted that I was in labor and of coarse the entire car ride to the hospital I didn't have any. We arrived to the hospital around 11:00. When I arrived they put me in triage and hooked me up to a monitor for an hour to see my contractions and to watch the baby's heart rate. They were ranging from 3 minutes to five minutes with varying degrees of intensity. They then checked me and told me I was a 1 and about 60% effaced. With that they called my doctor and had me walk around for an hour. My amazing mother was there by my side along with my husband and we walked around Summerlin hospital. It was embarrassing when we walked around the outside and I would lean up against a wall during a strong contraction as people were walking by. Isn't it funny that at a time like that you're still caring about what you look like to others? Finally we came back and the nurse checked me and said I was still a 1. After a little stretching she said I was a 3 and I would be admitted. Was that too much info? Anyways, my contractions grew stronger and lasted longer and around 2:00 I was a 5 and I received the beloved epidural. By that time we had visitors and we thought things would slow down and it wouldn't be until that night. I told the nurse that with Landon I went from a 4 to a 10 in 30 minutes and that she should call my doctor. Well around 3:30 I was an 8 and by 3:45 the baby was in position and I was completely effaced and a 10 with no doctor in sight. The nurse said not to worry but that she was capable of delivering my baby if the doc didn't make it. Was that supposed to be comforting news? My doc had went home even though she knew I was far but didn't think I would go as fast. So basically to make a long story even longer she made it and Presley came out with only a few pushes. She is beautiful and is everything we expected and more. She has dark hair and what looks to be blue eyes. She weighed 6 lbs 15 oz. and her length was 19 inches. Her heart rate had decelerated a few times and the cord was around her neck but thankfully she came out and was fine. As for me not so much. I had a complication with my placenta where it wouldn't detach from my uterus. The doc spent a good 45 minutes scraping out chunks until finally I had to have a DNC. All in all everything went pretty good thanks to a priesthood blessing given to me by my husband and father-in-law. Thank goodness for those!
Anyways, sorry for the long version but I'd like to remember all the painful details so when my kids act out I can remind them everything I went through to bring them here. Here are a few pics.
Also Landon turned 2 back in February. My little guy deserves a huge shout out for being such a big helper and awesome big brother. He is my pride and joy. I can't believe how much our love has expanded!! We are so lucky!!

An update

2008-02-24T21:57:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I've been totally pathetic lately and haven't posted since our nightmare back in November. Scott is recovering great and is back to his normal healthy self. I on the other hand am getting rather large and will hopefully be having this little gal this Thursday assuming I don't chicken out for the induction. Landon just had his second birthday this past week and is into everything. He is obsessed with the movie cars and his new favorite phrase is "No Way." So to make an honest effort into blogging again I decided to start with a tag. I've been tagged by so many of my friends including my little niece and I have never responded so here goes:

Some things you may not know about me or may not even care to know:

#1 One of things I hate most in this world is ironing. If you ask my husband I honestly have maybe ironed two things for him in the past five years of our marriage. I usually just try to lay my clothes really flat when they are wet so that they will dry without any wrinkles. Pathetic huh?

#2 Two singers I cannot even stand to listen to ,and I know I will offend some people, are Alicia Keys and Beyonce. They seriously bother me so much! That song "No one, no one can get in the way of what I'm feeling" makes me want to throw up with her huge hair in the video. Sorry to all their fans!

#3 I am obsessed with chewing gum and smacking it. I know this offends so many people but I honestly love to have bubble gum and smack it. My mother is exactly the same way and if we both get together I'm sure we're quite annoying to be around. I obviously don't do it in places where you are supposed to be quiet but everywhere else is game.

#4 I have a habit that I have done since I was a baby and that is that I rub my index finger over my mouth back and forth. I never sucked my thumb but I still catch myself doing this. It was really bad at college when I would study and I would say it has definitely gotten better but it will be something that will never go away. My brother does something similar and he's 28 so I don't see this as something I will grow out of.

#5 I have to say that I think of myself as a fairly easy going person and that there's not alot of things that really get to me. However, there are a couple huge exceptions that make it on my list of biggest pet peeves. One being that I cannot stand when people cut their fingernails in church. This bothers my husband and I so much that I would love to tell my brother-in-law, who is the bishop of our ward, to announce over the pulpit that it is not only extremely disrespectful but also very disgusting. I think the sound is just something I cannot ignore. The sad thing is I would say that at least once a Sunday I can hear people doing this notty habit. I'm sorry if I sound like a brat but that's how I feel. My number two pet peeve is teeth brushing. I brush mine a minimum of twice a day and always before I go out somewhere. This was just how I was raised and thought that this was the way everyone did it. I realized this isn't true for the majority of people including my own special husband. Luckily I've already been teaching Landon good hygiene skills so hopefully he'll take after his Mommy.

#6 When I reach about 7 1/2 months pregnant I begin snoring. Not just little stuffy nose cute snoring but loud obnoxious snoring that makes my husband want to sleep on the couch. I am normally a completely quiet sleeper but I noticed this habit develop with Landon and it has manifested itself again with this pregnancy. Oh well, only 4 more days of embarrassment and then back to peaceful sleeping right?

#7 I still occasionally watch the soap opera "The Young and the Restless." I started watching it when I was in the sixth grade and I have somewhat remained faithful even though I know it's ridiculous.

#8 I am a lover of all things chocolate and any food that is basically bad for you. I'm really not a picky eater at all. I wish I was.

Well that's about it. I can't think of any more boring facts about me. I'll try to do a couple more posts before this baby but we'll see how everything goes.

More Shocking News

2007-11-18T22:11:00.000-08:00

So today as I've finally had a chance to recollect all the events over the past week that have taken place it finally hit me how incredibly grateful I am for my husband. The surgeon came in to speak to me and Scott today in preparation for his discharge and told us a few things, that have been a little hard to swallow. I think it has taken me this long to realize the seriousness of the situation and how close I really came to losing my husband and best friend. The surgeon told us that 90% of all people with untreated spleen injuries die within 1 week of their injury. Also that if he had been under the age of 2 or over the age of 50 he wouldn't of survived this much internal bleeding. This just got me thinking how incredibly grateful that Scott listened to the voice he heard that told him to get out of the way that prevented Landon from being kicked. He literally turned around just in time for the horse to kick his back side completely bypassing Landon all together. Finally, he told us that Scott's spleen was leaking blood like a hose and that if he hadn't received treatment that night he wouldn't of survived. At the time when all this happened it was a strange surreal experience. I knew it was serious but I never realized the depth of the situation. Here I am 6 months pregnant and to think I almost lost my spouse and the father of my soon to be two children. I am truly in a stupor of thought. Thank goodness for blessings and miracles.

The Worst Birthday present ever!!!!

2007-11-17T14:47:00.000-08:00

So I'm sure most of you heard that 1 week ago today Scott was up in Alamo and was kicked in his back by a horse. I've realized all the little blessings that have taken place that we have to be thankful for. Luckily that day I was called off of work when I got a phone call from Brent that Scotty had been in an accident and the paramedics were on the way and they would bring him down to Vegas. He had taken Landon down to see the horses and was holding him in one arm and some grain to feed the horses with in the other. He heard his Dad yell to get out of the way, although his Dad swears he never said anything, because two of the horses were getting anxious with one another and their ears were turning back. At that moment Scotty turned around and the horse turned around and kicked him in the lower part of his back. His dad said it flung him a good 10 feet where he landed on his back still holding Landon. If he hadn't turned around when he did there would of been no way that Landon could of survived-clearly blessing number 1. Anyways, he spent the afternoon in a quick care all to find out that he fractured a couple ribs and had to have a few stitches on his elbow. Landon was a little skaken up and had a small black eye from Scott's shoulder when they fell. Well they sent him home that day and ever since he's been in a lot of pain. That night his two brothers came over and gave him a blessing. He took off work the following Monday but returned to the office Tuesday and Wednesday (what a trooper my huney is huh?). He had been in alot of pain but being the unsympathetic wife I am I didn't cater much to his needs. I had even asked him to pick up a couple things around the house and made him pick up dinner Tuesday night. I knew he was hurt but I figured since the Doctor said he'd be fine I figured all his symptoms were tied together. Landon couldn't even touch Scott or really even hug him without a large squeal of pain. Since the accident Scott had been sleeping on the couch or on the floor in our family room because his back hurt too much to be in our bed. On Wednesday I got home from taking my state board exam and Scott returned home from work. We made a quick little trip to Target where he hovered over the electronics section pointing out the PlayStation 3 he wanted for his birthday the following day. That night he was complaining of intense abdominal pain and had a small fever on and off for the last couple days. Again, we didn't think much of it because he did have a few fractured ribs that would certainly justify him to be in alot of pain. Also we thought it was all related and since we were told he would be fine he just dealt with it. Well that night around 11:30 for a reason that is completely apparent now but not at the time I stayed up and was watching TV. Normally I would have already gone to bed but I stayed up exhausted which clearly became another blessing. Anyways, he woke up suddenly complaining of deep stomach pains and then walked over to the counter and collapsed. I jumped up and was shaking him and attempted to roll him onto his back. He was completely unresponsive, pale, and profusely sweating. I checked for his pulse and breathing and thought I almost had to start CPR. He did have a pulse but his breathing was becoming very shallow and laboured. I quickly called both my sister-in-laws and 911. Within 2 minutes the fire department arrived. Scott by this time finally opened his eyes but he was still unresponsive and staring at the floor. I thought for a second that he had a mini stroke. They quickly started an iv and gave him oxygen. They said his heart rate was in the 170's and his blood pressure was 64/30. I heard the fireman say that he was on his way into supra ventricular tachycardia ,which having just taken ACLS, scared the crap out of me. Basically his body was going into shock from internal bleeding and he was really close to needing immediate cardioversion to convert his dangerous rhythm. Anyways, they took him to Summerlin hospital where he immediately had a CT-scan. When they arrived back from the procedure the tech and nurse had a funny look on their faces. Up until now I had pretty much kept it together until I saw that look in their eyes. I know that look since I work in an intensive care area and it's never a good sign. I asked how everything went and the tech said that they were on the phone with specialists right now and they would come talk to me. I seriously felt like I was going to collapse. The doctor came in and informed us that Scott had massive internal bleeding and both his spleen and liver were ruptured. Also that he had broken off a small piece of his L-1 vertebrae. He said that he would be instantly transferred to the trauma center at UMC where he would probably need immediate surgery. I began to cry and was instantly on the phone with his parents. They live in Alamo which is about 90 minutes away. My parents were in Utah and my brother-in-law, and bishop, was in California. So basically I was in a panic to call someone to come and give him another blessing. I was talking to Jen when I thought I should call his uncle Jon. Literally at that moment, another blessing, I received a beep and it was Jon asking where Scotty would be and that he would be right down. I couldn't believe it. Thank goodness for family. There always there when you need them. We left by ambulance over to UMC and he was taken instantly back and met by a team of doctors. They told us that there were a few options but that the first would be to perform an embolectomy. Basically they took a catheter up through his groin area and implanted 14 metal coils into his spleen that would help to embolize the area and form a clot. That procedure took a little over an hour and then we were allowed to see him around 6:00 a.m. He looked so pale but the doctor assured us that everything went well and that the bleeding had stopped. He would be transferred to the Trauma ICU for the next few days to make sure it didn't rupture. So from Thursday through Saturday we spent the time watching closely to his hemoglobin numbers and waiting. On Friday night his hemoglobin got down to a 6 and he had to have a blood transfusion. His number should be between 12 and 14 but the doctor later told us that Scott's spleen was bleeding like a hose so due to the amount of blood lost it would take a few weeks to get his numbers up where they should be. Saturday night he was transferred to the adult burn unit, which is an over flow for trauma, and we were there until Monday morning. How blessed we feel that this situation was resolved and Scott will be able to recover just fine. He did however, have the worst birthday ever but he did get to keep his spleen. So Happy Birthday honey!!

What not to say to a Woman

2007-11-09T21:53:00.000-08:00

So I'm at my doctor's appointment this week wanting to avoid at all cost stepping on the dreaded scale. I removed my shoes, purse, and wore a light weight dress and removed anything I could think of that might change the outcome of the dreaded weight gain. The nurse looked at me smiled and kept inching over the scale. Her comment to me "Wow you've had a substantial weight gain this month!" I smiled and went on with my day.

Next I went to the mall for a quick run to gymboree to get me excited about having a girl-yes it's somewhat official. The doctor did a quick check when I was only 17 weeks but the ultrasound tech had to reschedule. So my next ultrasound is next friday when I'll be 24 weeks and then it will be absolute. Anyways, so I was walking past those annoying people in the keosks that will say anything to get your attention. Well one man looked at me and said "I noticed those dark circles under your eyes, do you use anything to help with that? Again I smiled ignored the comment and went on with my day.

Today I was at Walmart returning something when the cashier looked at me and said "how do you get the top of your head so dark when the tips are so blonde?" The sad thing is she was actually asking a question but I just looked at her and smiled and said "oh my roots yeah, they need to be done."

So basically my experience from the past two days is that apparently I'm fat, I look tired with dark circles, and my roots are so bad that it's looking like I intentionally want two completely different hair colors on my head. Now that I'm feeling really good about my appearance I think I'll go to bed Good Night!!

Dave's mouse surprise

2007-11-08T20:37:00.000-08:00

This ranch post is a little late. We haven't uploaded from our other camera for months! I (Scott by the way) secretly set the camera on record to video people's reaction to what we were having for dinner. But when they lifted up the paper towel to peer into the bowl...oh! There was a little surprise! Jared had caught a mouse in the cookshack, and we had a little fun with it. Kind of lame, i know, but Dave's reaction was pretty funny. Enjoy. (Allred's-I think this was the cousin of your friend from the Double Wide!)

-Scott

2nd annual Halloween party

2007-11-04T20:25:00.000-08:00

So this was our 2nd annual Halloween party. Really it's just an excuse for Scott and his brother to come up with hilarious costumes that no one will ever live up to and sing kareoke all night. This year Scott was flava flav from the vhi show flavor of love. He looked crazy and most people could barely recognize him in his charcoal black face paint. However, Landon was not one bit scared of our new looks. He still gladly gave us kisses on our way out. I was New York from the spin off show I love New York. Melanie, my sister in law, was Dumbledoor and Jared was Dog the bounty hunter. Jen was the perfect saintly nun and Dave was Nacho libre. The night was lots of fun and now thanks to the boys the stakes have been raised, yet again for next year's party.

Dashboard's Vindicated

2007-10-14T21:17:00.000-07:00

Here is one of Dashboard's more famous songs. The video is kinda lame with all the Spiderman 2 footage, but the song is awesome.

Dashboard Confessional

2007-10-14T15:48:00.000-07:00

So this past Friday night Scott and I went to a Dashboard Confessional concert. Seriously, probably my favorite band of all times. It was their first solo tour in 5 years. This is probably our fourth time seeing him and I personally just think it gets better each time. He didn't bring his band this time so it was just him singing with his guitar and the audience. I absolutely loved it. Not to mention that he makes for an attractive piece of eye candy to view for a whole two hour performance!! It was nice cause I started listening to him when I was in college and so alot of his audience are all around our age. I start to feel funny when I go to concerts and there's nothing but high school kids there. It usually makes me feel old but not this time. I think, I do however, have a bit of a teenage crush on the lead singer Chris Carrabba. I mean I love my husband but how could you not think this man is attractive? I mean he's my own personal Edward Cullen come to life. (for anyone that has read the vampire series by Stephenie Meyer). Anyways, my parents were out of town and we had a babysitter from the ward for the first time ever. How convenient. I love it that my mom is always so willing to babysit but this Miamaid lives a whole whopping 1 minute away. It was so nice. We had a great time. They opened with Augustana. They were really good as well. It made for a very fun weekend!!

One of those moments

2007-09-19T18:42:00.000-07:00

So I was at work on Monday and I had one of those moments. Those moments where you stop what you're doing and really realize how lucky and incredibly grateful you are for the blessings you have in your life. These past two weeks have been so hard mentally and emotionally at work. I have now been working the pediatric ICU for about a year and half and thought I had seen just about every devastating and emotionally heartbreaking tragedy that I could see in a lifetime but I was wrong. Without getting into too much detail these past few cases have literally broken my heart. From seriously the worst child abuse case I have ever seen on an innocent 8 year old little girl and from who of all people but her very own mother. A mother. A case so bad that depending on how much longer this little being lives she will spend her days in a coma never to run and play again. We had a 2 1/2 year old choke on a hot dog that they had to take off life support at the beginning of the last week. A 16 year old male that dove into a swimming pool hit his head on a rock that nobody witnessed and drowned. A horrible shaken baby case again done by the very own mother. Finally on Tuesday to top everything off a 14-year old honor student that went swimming at lake Havasu with his family and caught a strange parasite from the water. Two days after coming into to the hospital complaining of headaches we removed him from life support Monday afternoon after he'd been diagnosed brain dead. Not to damper any one's mood but this one really got to me. The family was not religious and didn't seek any counsel so you can imagine how devastating this news was to them. I can't think of anything worse than losing a loved one and not having any knowledge or belief in anything beyond this life. Again this was one of those moments that I came home and hugged my husband and held Landon a little longer before bedtime. A moment where I realized there's nothing more important than family. I love mine and I'm so grateful for the eternal perspective I have to know families are forever. Sorry I know this post is a little depressing but this has been on my mind the past few weeks!

Here's a fun little picture Scott just took on our apple computer camera. Kind of cute!!

Nap Time

2007-09-06T13:52:00.000-07:00

Two simple words that give me so much pleasure in my day. Landon is sleeping right now and is about to top the 3 1/2 hour mark. Don't get me wrong I love it when he's awake but there's something to be said about nap time. It gives me the one time a day to do whatever I want- which usually doesnt' amount to much.

Also he has learned two new words this week. He can say Alamo and Apple. I'm very proud of this milestone. He says apple so much that lately that's all he wants to eat. If I open the fridge and he sees one it's a huge ordeal of screaming and hitting until he's in his high chair eating one. As for Alamo I'm sure his Grandpa Brent would be proud to hear him say that. He has no idea what it is but feels very big saying it. I'm sure in no time as he gets older he'll become very familiar with Alamo. I love my little guy!!

I'm behind!

2007-09-01T23:38:00.001-07:00

I feel like I am so behind on everything in my life. I haven't even had time to post about the two Cali trips I just went on. By the way they were a blast.

Our house is a disaster. While I was away on vacation with my friends my sweet husband bought me a craft table that I've had my eyes set on. We've been attempting to clear out our extra bedroom in preparation for the baby but we haven't got that far. Gosh that sounds weird to say baby again!! Strange!! Anyhoo In addition to the new desk we've knocked out the closet to build some much needed storage space and again the project is at a stand still.

Landon has had a temp this week and after going to the doc and finding out he's a little under weight I'm again worried that he'll loose even more weight. I hate when he's sick and doesn't feel like eating. He really doesn't have any weight to spare. My 18 mo. old is 22 lbs even. According to the statistics he's slightly under weight and also has a small head. I hate going to the doctor. I hate statistics! I should feel grateful that my little guy doesn't have any fat on him. I mean that is the american dream right?

In the meantime I've been attempting to learn on my new apple computer. Another surprise Scott bought while I was out of town. All of which were suppose to be for me. Well, who do you think spends more time on the new addition? I'll give you a hint! It's not me. Actually neither one of us have done much. I've been so lazy this past week. I've managed to make myself cook 3 meals and that's about it.

Other than that I've been feeling like lying on the couch and doing nothing which is exactly what I've done. Poor Landon.

Scott has been down the last two nights with a temp of 102 so I guess the shelves and the office will have to wait another week to be completed. This just adds to the never ending list of things I never accomplish. I admire people like my sister-in-law who seem to be able to do it all. Care for 4 kids, a house, and now feels the need to make cute crafts, still makes dinner, and updates her blog regularly, and manages to get herself ready and look cute daily. A huge shout out goes to you Jen! Please teach me!! Gosh, I seriously must waste alot of time in my day doing nothing. Well, I know this blog was exceptionally boring but I have a goal this week to get caught up so we'll see!!!

It's Official

2007-08-14T17:10:00.000-07:00

Yes it's official. I am pregnant. Pregnant again! Wow what a strange concept to do all over again. Two kids! I don't know why but I'm a whole lot more nervous this time than I was with my first.

First of all, what a shock. After trying for nearly a year to get pregnant with Landon, this baby was a first timer. Scott and I had just decided that when the babies would be two years apart we'd start trying. After coming home from my all girl trip I found a nice little surprise waiting for me. Scott paid a little visit to Victoria Secret and bought me a nice little something to begin the trying process. Too much info? Anyways, little did we know I was already pregnant- sorry hon, I guess that article of clothing will have to wait about a year- or longer.

We couldn't' believe it. I didn't think it would take another year but I thought at least 5 or 6 months. Now these kids are going to be exactly 2 years and 1 month apart. That seems so close! I have had such a wide range of emotions running through me. I know they are all normal but I feel bad for Landon having another one. I mean he's totally my little one and only right now. I know I'll love another but is it anything really like your first? How amazing the love that one person can hold.

Basically I've been feeling like crap for about 3 weeks now. I thought I might be prego when I was at work and couldn't stop thinking about ruffle potato chips with sour cream and onion dip. How bizarre! The funny thing is when I was pregnant with Landon I had the same craving early on. It's like it pops in my head and there's no getting it out until I satisfy that craving. The weird thing is I never eat that normally it's totally random. My other symptom came when my family wanted to go to cafe rio and the thought nearly sent me running to the bathroom. That's my two things. I crave chips and have a huge aversion to cafe rio.

I tend to have really strange things happen to me when I'm pregnant. From the obvious weird cravings to a huge tendency to want to gag at just about anything and everything. Smells really trigger the reaction but it happens where ever and when ever. Landon has totally even started mimicking the noise. He hears it so often he thinks it's a game. How sweet huh?

I also normally have really clear skin but not when I'm pregnant. That adorable pregnancy glow everyone talks about turns into oily skin for me which means bad breakouts. The gross thing is they happen on my chest and back. How sick is that? Scott wouldn't even pop any last time. I had to resort to my mom and brother who all happen to be obsessed with pimple popping.

I also start snoring about 7 months on. Not stuffy nose snoring but loud bulldozer snoring. Scott even slept on the couch a few times because it would get so bad. How inconsiderate huh? I've put up with snoring for the past 4 1/2 years and he can't handle a couple months during a rather difficult time.

I also developed a couple skin tags and even had a really weird mole appear on my head last time that was so big and ugly I had to have it removed. My chest size about doubles and lets not even talk about stretch marks and weight gain.

So here I go again. Scott wanted to correct me by saying here we go again. Isn't that funny! As if he has any part in the next 7 months. I think it's hilarious when couples say we're pregnant. Um correction I"M THE PREGNANT ONE! Lets be very clear on that. You're not the one going through all these freaky body changes and you're not the one that has to push the baby out. However, Scott is very helpful during my pregnancy. On occasion he will rub my feet and he's pretty open to eating whatever my little heart desires. I love you hon!!

Well enough griping. I just got back from my appointment and had the chance to hear the rapid 176 heart beat. How amazing only 1 1/2 inches long and 1 oz in weight and there's a little heart beat. Truly amazing! How crazy how fast your body changes. The doc told me while doing my exam that my inside is very pregnant. Whatever that means! I already feel different and I'm convinced I already look pregnant. Anyways it's official I'm 9 weeks almost 10 weeks pregnant due around March 17. Almost 1 month after Landon's birthday. Totally excited!

Any advice on more than one child? Is my social life really coming to an end? Will I ever make it out of the house showered and ready before 2:00. Help!!

The Ranch

2007-07-30T11:45:00.000-07:00

A little piece of heaven on earth. That is what the ranch feels like. Lots of family time, good conversation, tons of eating, the perfect environment for cousins to play together and become friends, a time away from things that don't matter, meals in the cook shack, popcorn and otter pops, 4-wheeler rides, horse rides, tractor rides for Landon, spotlighting, sewing, trampolines, and above all relaxing doing nothing and loving every minute of it. I have been so fortunate to be blessed in such a great family. This was the first year that the whole fam was up together. Landon had so much fun. I think he likes Tanner the best. Tan took him everywhere the first few days. That is until a little trip to the park and a slide broke Landon's leg. Well actually it fractured his tibia. We enjoyed a nice afternoon at the star valley medical center. From then on the ranch was a little different for Landon. He spent alot of time driving around on 4-wheelers, tractors, trucks, the john deer moer, and basically anything that would allow him to be outdoors but not have to walk. I never thought I could have more fun at the ranch until I had a child. What a different perspective. Everything was so new and exciting to him this year. I felt bad taking him home to our boring house. Anyways, the week flew by and we had another great year. These are just a few of the fun pics. Oh if you're wondering what the red odd looking thing on the counter is, I'll let you use your imagination. With a quick trip to kings Scott and Jared came home with this that provided for a few jokes. Just part of the good times at the ranch!!!

Girl Trip

2007-07-30T11:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it feels like an eternity since I last blogged. The longer you're away from it the easy it is to just keep putting it off. Anyways, a quick brief on this past month. Me, my mother, my cousin, and aunt all went on a girl vacation. Just a short trip to Utah for a weekend. Lots of shopping, eating, walking around, talking, and staying up late and by late I literally mean up until about 3-4:00 in the morning. We saw legally wed-don't think I'll see it again, the Joseph Smith movie (always a favorite), and again Le Miserables. I seriously think I could spend a great deal of money on broadway musicals if I lived in New York. I had such a great time. I love my family so much. We have never done anything like this before so I think it is the beginning of a little tradition. So much fun!

When I came home I found this card for me laying on the kitchen counter. It made me feel so good to be back at home. I love my hubby and son!!

I LOVE THIS BOY

2007-06-28T20:46:00.000-07:00

My little man. Crazy. Happy. Active. Independent.

Tough. Smart. Lovable.

Absolutely Perfect.

New Shoes

2007-06-28T01:01:00.000-07:00

Landon's favorite word lately is "SHOES." The moment I put on shoes he has to come up and touch them and then repeat over and over the word. I have to admit two things I love to buy for a boy are shoes and P.J.'s. I'm a huge sucker when it comes to splurging on these items. Scott is always looking to find him a new pair. I think that's just about it and the rest of the time I look at girl clothes and dream for the day!!!

Crazy Hair

2007-06-27T00:56:00.000-07:00

Love it! Jen, my adorable sister-in-law, took this picture at the park on Sunday. That sneaky grin and red cheeks looks a little devilish to me. He's my little man!

My So Called Life

2007-06-22T15:46:00.000-07:00

Not much exciting has happened in our lives this week-or I should say last week (I'm a little late posting). Landon has discovered he likes farting-of all things. He discovered this amazing trick that whenever I change his diaper one or two usually slip out and it makes me laugh. Now it has become a huge game. He'll just stare at me, hold really still, and focus and he's now learned how to let them rip. It's all cute right now until he gets bigger and they get louder and smellier. I guess I haven't done a good job at teaching manners-obviously he would never learn something like that from his mother. Is this normal for boys? Is this the first of many embarrassing milestones he is yet to discover?

I've also become addicted to the show "So You Think You Can Dance." I used to think if I could pick any talent to be good at it would be singing. Now after this show I think I would like to be a dancer. It's never too late to follow your dreams right? I think more than anything I admire the physical training that goes into something as intense as dancing. Maybe I should have Megan and Sadie show me a couple moves. I am yet to discover what my talents are.

My mother and I also saw the movie "Waitress" last week. Totally cute movie. I love Keri Russell. I think I would like to have curly hair like her. She is so pretty. I highly recommend the movie.

So basically the only new thing this week is that my son farts, I would like to be a dancer and have hair like Keri Russell. Is that too much info?

Cowboy in Training

2007-06-09T13:15:00.001-07:00

Here is Landon, riding just like his Pop! Don't you love the huge eye-sore decoration Scott bought for Landon for Chirstmas? This horse is a favorite toy Landon frequently enjoys! The horse's name is White Lightening. Sound Familar? Pay attention to Landon's famous dismount off his horse.

****Ok...I had the video set on private mode. Hopefully it will work now that I set it on public****

The Not So Simple Life

2007-06-08T22:37:00.000-07:00

Yes, Finally Paris will get whats coming to her! Is anyone else totally annoyed with Paris Hilton? I can't believe I'm even caring enough to write about it in my blog but I'm so fed up. I was actually mad yesterday when I heard she had been released from jail for medical reasons. Give me a break! I'm so annoyed that celebrities get such special treatment-especially something as serious as a DUI. What is with our judicial system?
Did anyone happen to catch Oprah this week? She had a segment on horrible accidents that happen to various people. One family in particular, lost their 8 year old daughter to a drunk driver. I won't get into the details but this accident was horrible and completely preventable. This makes me so angry.
Well I am proud to report that as of right now she is back in jail-where she belongs. Maybe it will wipe that never ending smirk off her face! I know she gets special treatment and what not but it's better than her mansion. Anyways, that's my frustration. I realize I'm so ridiculous for even caring but oh well.

Bored

2007-06-07T22:45:00.000-07:00

I don't know what my problem is but lately I've been really bored. Is that normal? Don't get me wrong I love love love being a mother and Landon is loads of fun, but I think part of the reason I needed a vacation so bad is I felt so bored. I almost felt like my life was becoming so much of a routine the same things every day. I wake up the same time, feed Landon, dress him, clean the house, lay Landon down for a nap, attempt to shower, then feed Landon lunch, attempt to clean the already messy house, and etc. You get the picture. Well anyways, I think my problem was I wasn't doing anything. Landon had been sick for so many days and I was finding myself going a little Jack Nickelson, from the shining, you know getting a bit of cabin fever. I wasn't hanging out with my friends, or meeting for our little play group, or meeting my mom for lunch-- I was basically staying at home with Landon doing nothing. I even contemplated going back to work a couple more days a week just to past the time. I didn't know what to do and I was becoming really frustrated. I love being a stay at home mom but it has been a huge adjustment this past year staying home when I was used to working full time. Now here I am working harder than I have ever in my life and I was complaining I was bored. Anyways, the point of this long rambling and complaining is that I needed to do something more with my free time. Scott suggested I take up a hobby. He seems more than content spending any extra time on the Internet or playing with his hand held psp but I needed something to do. Since I'm definitely not a scrapper, or anything else for that matter I decided to bust out the fabric I've had for 6 months and quilt. My problem is though that once I start something I become so O.C.D. that I can't do anything else, or as my brother would call it anal. So basically in 4 days I made 2 quilts. It actually felt good to start and finish something but now I'm done. Any more suggestions? I've spent alot of time today blogging so I guess that counts as a hobby too. Well I hope no one reads this and gets the wrong impression of me. My point is that I just needed to being doing something other than staying at home cleaning. So lately, I've been taking Landon to the park and swimming. I guess being a stay at home doesn't mean you have to stay home all the time--duh!!!!!!!

Pop and Grams

2007-06-07T22:33:00.000-07:00

How cool are Grandparents? Who else can you turn to when you want to go out of town and need someone to watch your kid? I have to admit I was pretty nervous leaving Landon with someone more than a night fearing he would be his usual naughty self and misbehave. However, with the exception of church, they said Landon was overall pretty good. You got to give it up for grandparents who will never ultimately tell you the truth about how hard or bad you're children really are or how excited they are when you walk through the door to pick them up and take them home. We are so lucky to have them and we love them so much. I know Landon loves his Pop and Grams. They probably did more fun things with him in 4 days than I do with him in a month at home.

A Trip to Remember

2007-06-07T22:16:00.000-07:00

Scott and I took our first trip alone and by alone I mean without our little man to Salt Lake. Can I just say how fun it was to just eat taking our time, drive somewhere without screaming from the back seat, and above all sleep and go anywhere we wanted to when we wanted to go. We honestly didn't even do that much. Sad to say this was the ony picture we took of the entire 4 days. Without Landon it seems we have nothing to take pictures of!
Anyways, we did go see Les Miserables which by the way was awesome. I had already seen the play in New York but it was Scott's first time and he loved it. He's really mad that I get to see it again when I go back in another month with my mom, aunt, and cousin. We are so obsessed with the play we bought the cd and it's all we listen to lately in the car. I even think Landon is beginning to like it- a bit of a change from the Wiggles. We also went to temple square and saw the new movie about the prophet Joseph Smith. Wow what a powereful movie! If you haven't seen it I highly recommend it and just bring some tissues with you, it is a bit of a tear jerker.
So the rest of the time we basically ate and shopped. Why is shopping so much better when you are out of town? I think for some reason you get a false sense of reality that you can spend money you don't have because you are on vacation. Oh well, reality will definetely sink in when we get the credit card bill. Well this little trip is exactly what we needed. All I can think about lately is planning another one. Does that make me a bad mother?

Paigey

2007-06-07T22:00:00.000-07:00

How cute are these two giving hugs? This is one of Landon's favorite things to do-besides biting or head butting. Can you believe they are only 9 months apart? Little Miss Paige seems so much older than Landon and yet I see what things he'll be doing in just such a short period of time. My baby is no longer a baby. I already have a toddler- yikes!! I am so grateful Landon has so many cousins to play with. I only had like 3 cousins growing up, which I love, and Landon already has 6 with 1 more on the way. How lucky is he!!

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease

2007-06-07T11:23:00.000-07:00

So a while ago Landon had Hand, Foot and Mouth disease ever heard of it? And no it's not hoof disease! Well basically it is a virus that spreads through germ carrying children that causes nasty sores. The only place I can think he got it is the gym day care-last time I take him there. Landon had a temperature for five days and ended up getting the flu. He lost almost 2 pounds and wound't eat or drink anything because of the sores in his mouth. My poor little guy. Does anyone else have to hold down their child like this to give them medicine? The doctor told us that if we didn't force fluids and we couldn't get him to drink we'd have to get to the E.R. so thanks to the priesthood, Landon had a blessing and we were able to force fluid down him. He wouldn't even drink his milkshakes.

Don't ask Don't tell

2007-06-07T11:04:00.000-07:00

I have no idea what in the world Landon is doing in this picture but he looks like he's having fun doing it. His face is so funny with his little buck teeth!

MMMM, Milkshakes

2007-06-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

So Landon was sick for a while and we couldn't get him to eat or drink anything with the exception of milkshakes. His favorite thus far, and a frequent trip for us, is In-n-out. He will seriously almost drink an entire one in one long slurp. As soon as I take it away from him his nasty side comes out and he'll scream at me. He won't stop sucking and I know he's bound to get a really bad brain freeze but I guess he'll learn. See what a good mother I am what with all the nutrtion I feed my child? There was a time forever ago when I actually cared what he ate, I actually even made homemade baby food, what was I thinking? but at this point I no longer care.

Happy Birthday Dad

2007-06-07T10:44:00.000-07:00

So I'm a little late on my blogging and updating my pictures. His birthday was actually May 2 and I'm just getting to it now. We actually had quite a few people come over for my dad's celebration. Family pictures like these are still really hard to look at but it is a good picture of everyone. A big shout out goes out to all the birthdays in May which also include Tanner, my mom, and of course little miss Paige.

The Wiggles

2007-06-07T10:32:00.000-07:00

So here Landon is once again watching the Wiggles. This is what peace and quiet sounds like at our house! Did I mention that my son has no neck!! If you can believe it he will just sit down on the floor or get on his horse and watch. Thankfully I can usually clean the house in the morning for like an hour while he's content just watching. Lately he has been starting to dance. There's a couple songs that he knows that he'll start getting down with. Thank goodness for tv.

Like Father Like Son

2007-05-17T12:08:00.000-07:00

I think this picture is so funny. My two little couch potoatoes staring intently at the tv both oblivious to their surroundings. The older Landon gets the more I think his mannerisms favor Scott along with his expressions.

Mans Best Friend

2007-05-17T11:41:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wonder why we still have Rocky. I mean don't get me wrong we love him and he is a part of the family. However, sometimes he gets really annoying. On most weekends we have to come home early to let him inside because he barks really loud-or should I say howls. But it's times like these that I remember that somebody else really loves Rocky too. Landon plays with him so much. Rocky is probably Landon's favorite toy. He chases him and tries to run him over with his walker or he'll just hit him with a toothbrush. Rocky is a pretty good sport about it and when he's had enough of Landon he'll go hide somewhere. But when all is said and done he's part of our little family!

How sweet it is to be a cousin

2007-05-17T11:25:00.000-07:00

What would Landon do without cousins? I can't imagine anything funner than having so many friends that you can grow up with. Ellie wanted to hold Landon so bad and you can see how much he loves it. Also, Bridger is just the cutest little guy. I think he'll weigh as much as Landon within a few months. Landon looks so old next to the newest edition.

Uh-Oh

2007-05-17T11:09:00.000-07:00

So this morning as I was getting ready I told myself I'll just let Landon play in the bathroom because there's not much he can get into. I went along putting on my makeup thinking that under the sink there are no harmful products or toys or anything that he could possibly find entertaining-wrong!! I turned around and saw that he had found the soap dispenser. He unscrewed the lid and as you can see, by the time I stopped him he had poured out every last drop. The soap was everywhere. On his feet, hands, shorts, and of coarse it made the floor very sticky and slippery that only took one try for him to stand up when down he fell. I guess that's the last time I will be attempting to get ready before his 10:00 nap!

I Love Family

2007-05-11T16:59:00.000-07:00

Then and Now

2007-05-11T10:48:00.000-07:00

Where has the time gone? I can't believe my boy is almost 15 months old! The past year of my life came and went so fast. Landon has reached so many milestones and is such a handful. He's turning into a monster and you'd never think it by looking at these pics. I'm grateful to be a mother but wow what an adjustment its been. I can't imagine my life without him.

The First of many boo-boos

2007-05-10T23:31:00.000-07:00

How sad is this picture? It seriously breaks my heart to see him hurt. We took him to the park and all he was trying to do was kick his little soccer ball around. Unfortuneatly the ball went one way and his feet the other. He landed head first right into the pavement. He actually bled from both nostrils. The following day he woke up with a swollen nose and dark eyes. I even took him to the doctor to make sure his poor little nose wasn't broken. Well obviously he didn't break his nose but he was quite a little sight to see for a few days. I know that this is just the first of a long list of future boo boos. What is with little boys? He seriously is constantly getting hurt. His legs and arms are always bruised up. What a typical boy!!

I love Yogurt

2007-04-27T16:07:00.000-07:00

So Landon has decided he doesen't like much food these days. However, he will never turn down yogurt. The kid loves it so I guess I should count my blessings that amongst the goldfish and vienna sausages we can squeeze in a bit of nutrition with yogurt. No matter how hard I try it still gets all over his face, clothes, and hair. Maybe I should just start feeding him naked!!

Wiggley Party

2007-04-15T21:21:00.000-07:00

Okay, so me and Scott totally caved in and we let Landon watch the wiggles. I figure since I can't stand Sesame street and Barney, and don't even get me started on the Doodlebops, the Wiggles would be the next best thing. Now here we are with 29 epsiodes recorded on our Tivo and Landon still can't get enough. He seriously could watch them all day long and not do much else. I don't know know what it is. 4 full grown men dancing around singing. Their songs are very catchy and sad to say me and Scott do join along. Scott even made him a cd for the car. So basically everywhere we go the Wiggles go too. So we decided for his birthday to take him to a Wiggley concert. We assumed he would be the youngest kid there, boy were we wrong. The thomas & mack was packed with tons of screaming kids. It has seriously been the only thing thus far that he has successfully sat through. All 95 minutes of pure enjoyment. Me and Scott both have to admit the Wiggles do put on a pretty good show!! We'll definetely be back next year!!

Sad to say, however, our favorite yellow wiggle, Greg, is leaving for good. He is the only one that can sing. Scott heard there was an opening and thought he might have a potential career opportunity!!!

1st Birthday

2007-02-21T19:22:00.000-08:00

So my little baby is turning into a big boy. He was so cute at his party. He loved feeding himself as long as he could hold the fork. I guess with age comes mood swings, temper tantrums, hitting, biting, not sharing, not wanting to eat, not holding still, and all of the fun things that come with growing up. Forget about the terrible two's what about 1 year olds?

Bath Time

2007-01-08T21:30:00.000-08:00

I don't know why but I just love this picture. He just looks so innocent and pure. My special little guy!