Saturday, June 18, 2011
BB
For those who care I finally finished my second semester of college. I only took two classes: Microsoft Excel 2007 and Macroeconomics. I got B's in both classes, and I'm not at all disappointed. Firstly, because I was pregnant (and therefore sick for half of the semester); secondly, because I didn't have Microsoft Excel 2007 on my computer at home till the last week of the class and thus made applying time to each project a little difficult; and lastly, because I think the study macroeconomics is one of the biggest wastes of human effort I have ever experienced. What is the point of studying something that you will never be able to predict or change? Anyway, having had to deal with these three challenges during the last three months, I am very proud of my two B's. Hopefully I will be starting classes again in October, but that depends a lot on how FAFSA works out, where we are financially, and how the new baby settles in. Let's keep our fingers crossed, shall we?
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Kaleb is 2!!
I can't believe my little baby boy is actually 2 years old. He has absolutely no baby traits (and probably hasn't for awhile), but I don't remember it all happening. Pregnancy does that I guess!
Well, at his 24-month doctor visit, Kaleb weighed 34 lbs, 8 oz and measured 37.75 inches, both of which are supposedly in the 97th percentile... at least he has finally gotten as tall as he weighs. One interesting thing we discussed with the doctor is that if you double the height of a 2-year old you will get their approximate height as an adult. That would put Kaleb almost exactly equal to Ammon, just shy of 6 ft, 3 inches. It will be fun to see if it comes true!
WORD-WISE: This month, Kaleb's vocal skills have blossomed! He can pronounce the "K" and "G" sound which was impossible for him before, and it opened up a whole set of words he could never say before, like dog, bug, cake and it's become so much easier to understand him. He also puts a few words together on a regular basis like "That's a rock." Random strangers are beginning to understand him, and that makes me feel a little less worried about his future vocal skills.
SCARY WORLD OUT THERE: Kaleb had a slip in the bath-tub (nothing even worth remembering, except that he unfortunately did), and got scared of takings baths for several weeks. Swimming has really helped, but he still hesitates to sit down in two inches of water... when it's in the tub. He has loved taking swimming lessons but can get a little frustrated when he doesn't have the freedom he has with just normal swimming. Kaleb also went through a week or so of severe separation anxiety. We moved his crib into the playroom so that his old room could become the baby's room, and that seemed to set off a series of days that he just didn't want us to leave him. He almost ripped off the arm of one of the poor nursery leaders while trying to escape that Sunday, and Daddy's absence was constantly a source of tears. Everything has settled once again, but I hold a little trepidation for when we put him in big-boy bed next month.
Random other things: Kaleb has always loved fruit, but lately will not want to eat the skins of things like apples and grapes. He chews them up and then takes the skins out of his mouth with a "Eeeew." When Kaleb tuned 2, his favorite movie was The Lion King and his favorite book was You Are Special by Max Lucardo. He also has wanted us to sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star every time he goes to bed for the last few weeks. Somehow Ammon realized that's what he wanted. We don't even know where he first heard it, but hey, it's comforting so no biggy for us when he says, "Sing Sing, Star!"
Of course we had Kaleb's 2nd birthday party, which was just a family barbeque. We decided to do an Elmo Cake since it's one of the few things he would recognize. Thanks to my mother-in-law and sis for their assistance.
This was Elmo after the cake was cut. I have a sick sense of humor and there just seemed to be something seriously disturbed about the image of a massacred muppet!
Kaleb was in a great mood all night until we sat him down to be sung to. Slowly he got more and more unhappy until the blowing out the candle moment became way too much pressure! He almost cried, it was so cute but so sad.
Daddy helped him blow out his candle... twice and that was the closest we got to a smile until he actually ate a piece of cake.
Afterwards, presents were opened and Kaleb enjoyed every minute... We had taken several trips to Toys R Us to determine what Kaleb would want most.
The "Elmo Laptop" was one of his favorite toys at the store, so we figured why not? It's a little obnoxious, but at least it's educational.
He has really enjoyed ALL of the toys he got that night, so it's been a little easier for those times when we just don't wanna leave the house. Kaleb has a fresh batch of toys to look into.
Well, at his 24-month doctor visit, Kaleb weighed 34 lbs, 8 oz and measured 37.75 inches, both of which are supposedly in the 97th percentile... at least he has finally gotten as tall as he weighs. One interesting thing we discussed with the doctor is that if you double the height of a 2-year old you will get their approximate height as an adult. That would put Kaleb almost exactly equal to Ammon, just shy of 6 ft, 3 inches. It will be fun to see if it comes true!
WORD-WISE: This month, Kaleb's vocal skills have blossomed! He can pronounce the "K" and "G" sound which was impossible for him before, and it opened up a whole set of words he could never say before, like dog, bug, cake and it's become so much easier to understand him. He also puts a few words together on a regular basis like "That's a rock." Random strangers are beginning to understand him, and that makes me feel a little less worried about his future vocal skills.
SCARY WORLD OUT THERE: Kaleb had a slip in the bath-tub (nothing even worth remembering, except that he unfortunately did), and got scared of takings baths for several weeks. Swimming has really helped, but he still hesitates to sit down in two inches of water... when it's in the tub. He has loved taking swimming lessons but can get a little frustrated when he doesn't have the freedom he has with just normal swimming. Kaleb also went through a week or so of severe separation anxiety. We moved his crib into the playroom so that his old room could become the baby's room, and that seemed to set off a series of days that he just didn't want us to leave him. He almost ripped off the arm of one of the poor nursery leaders while trying to escape that Sunday, and Daddy's absence was constantly a source of tears. Everything has settled once again, but I hold a little trepidation for when we put him in big-boy bed next month.
Random other things: Kaleb has always loved fruit, but lately will not want to eat the skins of things like apples and grapes. He chews them up and then takes the skins out of his mouth with a "Eeeew." When Kaleb tuned 2, his favorite movie was The Lion King and his favorite book was You Are Special by Max Lucardo. He also has wanted us to sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star every time he goes to bed for the last few weeks. Somehow Ammon realized that's what he wanted. We don't even know where he first heard it, but hey, it's comforting so no biggy for us when he says, "Sing Sing, Star!"
Of course we had Kaleb's 2nd birthday party, which was just a family barbeque. We decided to do an Elmo Cake since it's one of the few things he would recognize. Thanks to my mother-in-law and sis for their assistance.
This was Elmo after the cake was cut. I have a sick sense of humor and there just seemed to be something seriously disturbed about the image of a massacred muppet!
Kaleb was in a great mood all night until we sat him down to be sung to. Slowly he got more and more unhappy until the blowing out the candle moment became way too much pressure! He almost cried, it was so cute but so sad.
Daddy helped him blow out his candle... twice and that was the closest we got to a smile until he actually ate a piece of cake.
Afterwards, presents were opened and Kaleb enjoyed every minute... We had taken several trips to Toys R Us to determine what Kaleb would want most.
The "Elmo Laptop" was one of his favorite toys at the store, so we figured why not? It's a little obnoxious, but at least it's educational.
He has really enjoyed ALL of the toys he got that night, so it's been a little easier for those times when we just don't wanna leave the house. Kaleb has a fresh batch of toys to look into.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Kaleb at 23 Months
As Kaleb is approaching the BIG TWO, he has been improving and growing in so many ways. He understands more complex ideas, and it seems to be getting easier and easier to communicate with him. Of course, with that understanding comes my frustration when he chooses to disobey us. I've become that counting mom, except I never get to three. Kaleb will either choose the better path or get whatever discipline comes to him by the time I get to three.
BETTER MEMORY: I've noticed Kaleb remembering things a lot more, for better or worse. He often remembers where he left toys or books that I can't seem to find. He also remembers how to get to his favorite spots. For instance, whenever we pass the mall, he starts yelling , "No, NO, NO!" because it's the best to play.
BETTER VOCABULARY: With the better memory comes a better vocabulary. Kaleb has well over 100 words, whether anybody but Ammon and me can understand is another subject. The other day he started playing peekaboo with "Here he is" after each one. He likes to 'count' now as well which is mostly just pointing at objects and saying ,"We, we, we" for each. We often just get random mumbles of run-on sentences, but Ammon was able to get Kaleb to say a few things very clearly for the camera the other day. I LOVE THIS VIDEO!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_PywuphvLw
GOOD BIG BROTHER-ISH: I can't wait for Kaleb to be a big brother!! He already shows so many signs of being patient and wanting that company that comes with a bigger family. Kind of a random picture we got with his older cousin-look-alike Christian. They could be brothers.
Kaleb shows the most potential with his cousin Evelyn who is at our house all the time. He still balks a little at sharing his favorite toys, but this picture defines how he takes everything in stride, even letting her crawl over him to get to his sippy cup. The best part is that he usually seeks her company and likes to play with her. Plus he is magnanamous enough to offer her his less favorable toys.
WHERE DID HE GO? He has this new habit of hiding his eyes and/or his mouth when he gets excited. Daddy was chasing him down the hall and he tried to hide by covering his eyes.
And this is a fun photo of his excitement at getting to wear Elmo pajamas. The absolute joy!!
ROLLING, ROLLING, ROLLING: Kaleb loves to jump all the time. When he's walking some place there must be a few jumps included, complete with the narration "Jup, jup, jup." Then there is the running. He always runs with his head a little forward and Ammon said it best when he commented, "He's like a boulder rolling down a hill." Here is a video of some running with a new-found friend at the mall.
He also has been demanding that he reads most of his stories instead of having us read them to him. We still try to stay involved, but sometimes it's hard to tell a ten-second story when he skips a lot of pages. There has also been the sudden expectation of a song every night. I used to sing to him when he was a baby, but got out of the habit. Now he begs for it, and if it's anything that doesn't sound like a church hymn or primary song he stops me. My little boy likes to have peaceful dreams I guess!
JUST KEEP SWIMMING: The high-ninety degree weather recently prompted us to beg to use a friend's pool. Once we all got used to the cold water it was a ton of fun. Kaleb seems to have a healthy fear of the water, so that makes me more comfortable with the idea of giving him swimming lessons in a few weeks.
SPECIAL KISSES: Kaleb has always been a lover, not a fighter. He loves to give hugs and kisses. Recently he started giving me some really wacky kisses. This is a photo of a normal little Kaleb kiss.
The new kisses include his grabbing the back of my head and shoving our lips together with his eyes really wide. He only gives those 'special' kisses to me, and a few people have commented that he was inspired by mommy and daddy's kissing. However, I think it's more of a payback for all of the grab-his-face-and-smooch moments I've gotten over the years.
As a side note, Kaleb's favorite movie is now "How to Train Your Dragon" and his favorite book is "The Monster at the End of the Book."
BETTER MEMORY: I've noticed Kaleb remembering things a lot more, for better or worse. He often remembers where he left toys or books that I can't seem to find. He also remembers how to get to his favorite spots. For instance, whenever we pass the mall, he starts yelling , "No, NO, NO!" because it's the best to play.
BETTER VOCABULARY: With the better memory comes a better vocabulary. Kaleb has well over 100 words, whether anybody but Ammon and me can understand is another subject. The other day he started playing peekaboo with "Here he is" after each one. He likes to 'count' now as well which is mostly just pointing at objects and saying ,"We, we, we" for each. We often just get random mumbles of run-on sentences, but Ammon was able to get Kaleb to say a few things very clearly for the camera the other day. I LOVE THIS VIDEO!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_PywuphvLw
GOOD BIG BROTHER-ISH: I can't wait for Kaleb to be a big brother!! He already shows so many signs of being patient and wanting that company that comes with a bigger family. Kind of a random picture we got with his older cousin-look-alike Christian. They could be brothers.
Kaleb shows the most potential with his cousin Evelyn who is at our house all the time. He still balks a little at sharing his favorite toys, but this picture defines how he takes everything in stride, even letting her crawl over him to get to his sippy cup. The best part is that he usually seeks her company and likes to play with her. Plus he is magnanamous enough to offer her his less favorable toys.
WHERE DID HE GO? He has this new habit of hiding his eyes and/or his mouth when he gets excited. Daddy was chasing him down the hall and he tried to hide by covering his eyes.
And this is a fun photo of his excitement at getting to wear Elmo pajamas. The absolute joy!!
ROLLING, ROLLING, ROLLING: Kaleb loves to jump all the time. When he's walking some place there must be a few jumps included, complete with the narration "Jup, jup, jup." Then there is the running. He always runs with his head a little forward and Ammon said it best when he commented, "He's like a boulder rolling down a hill." Here is a video of some running with a new-found friend at the mall.
NEW BEDTIME SCHEDULE: Kaleb has essentially demanded some changes in his bedtime routine. Firstly, I've been giving him more baths. With how often he was getting sick, I figure it couldn't hurt to clean him more often. Here's a great shot of him trying to get the bath to go a little longer by being a human plug.
He also has been demanding that he reads most of his stories instead of having us read them to him. We still try to stay involved, but sometimes it's hard to tell a ten-second story when he skips a lot of pages. There has also been the sudden expectation of a song every night. I used to sing to him when he was a baby, but got out of the habit. Now he begs for it, and if it's anything that doesn't sound like a church hymn or primary song he stops me. My little boy likes to have peaceful dreams I guess!JUST KEEP SWIMMING: The high-ninety degree weather recently prompted us to beg to use a friend's pool. Once we all got used to the cold water it was a ton of fun. Kaleb seems to have a healthy fear of the water, so that makes me more comfortable with the idea of giving him swimming lessons in a few weeks.
SPECIAL KISSES: Kaleb has always been a lover, not a fighter. He loves to give hugs and kisses. Recently he started giving me some really wacky kisses. This is a photo of a normal little Kaleb kiss.
The new kisses include his grabbing the back of my head and shoving our lips together with his eyes really wide. He only gives those 'special' kisses to me, and a few people have commented that he was inspired by mommy and daddy's kissing. However, I think it's more of a payback for all of the grab-his-face-and-smooch moments I've gotten over the years.
As a side note, Kaleb's favorite movie is now "How to Train Your Dragon" and his favorite book is "The Monster at the End of the Book."
Friday, May 13, 2011
The problem with electronics...
THEY BREAK!! Yeah, that's right. It all started with our printer a few weeks ago, it ran out of color ink... no biggy. I went to Cartridge World and bought a replacement. Test page printed fine, but no good after that. The printer would just let paper go through it without a single dot of ink on it. After a few frustrating attempts over a few days, the printer finally tells me that it's out of black ink. So back to cartridge world, new black cartridge... still wouldn't print for me. The computer kept giving me prompts of "Cartridge not in right." So I took both of them out several times, but to no avail. I took both cartridges back to cartridge world, and it turns out the color cartridge was faulty... of course. So get a new color cartridge, install both cartridges. It prints twice and then quits, but I never got to attempt another printing because the computer went on the fritz...
So every time I tried to access the internet, the computer would go into this restarting loop. It would just keep restarting saying that if it stayed on, it could damage the computer. For hours it would do this until finally I just turned it off. Well, thankfully my brother had given us another computer he had built months ago. We basically never used it because we hadn't connected it to the internet and microsoft office hadn't been installed, essentially useless to us. So we turned to this previously useless computer. My brother was gracious enough to transfer the wireless router... which needed installation software we didn't have...
SOOOoooo my brother went online at his house using the router serial number and was able to get the info he needed and install it onto my computer. He had gotten the internet all working!!! YIPPEEE!!! After a week without it, I was able to access the internet. Now to just get microsoft office and the printer hooked up...
Oh no, the printer doesn't work because the cartridge isn't in right... again. Oh no, i can't install Office because this computer is missing some critical something which we thought it already had. Oh no, Ammon tried to use the computer a little later, and right when it started to set up the Windows' screen, the monitor died! That's right, the monitor is broken now. Thankfully we have the original monitor still attached to our now-dead older computer that was totally functional a week ago.
Ammon and I are placing bets on what electronic item in our house will die next. The dryer has been making funny noises, so that wouldn't be a shocker... I'm betting it's the TV though, because we have a spare one of those ;-)
So every time I tried to access the internet, the computer would go into this restarting loop. It would just keep restarting saying that if it stayed on, it could damage the computer. For hours it would do this until finally I just turned it off. Well, thankfully my brother had given us another computer he had built months ago. We basically never used it because we hadn't connected it to the internet and microsoft office hadn't been installed, essentially useless to us. So we turned to this previously useless computer. My brother was gracious enough to transfer the wireless router... which needed installation software we didn't have...
SOOOoooo my brother went online at his house using the router serial number and was able to get the info he needed and install it onto my computer. He had gotten the internet all working!!! YIPPEEE!!! After a week without it, I was able to access the internet. Now to just get microsoft office and the printer hooked up...
Oh no, the printer doesn't work because the cartridge isn't in right... again. Oh no, i can't install Office because this computer is missing some critical something which we thought it already had. Oh no, Ammon tried to use the computer a little later, and right when it started to set up the Windows' screen, the monitor died! That's right, the monitor is broken now. Thankfully we have the original monitor still attached to our now-dead older computer that was totally functional a week ago.
Ammon and I are placing bets on what electronic item in our house will die next. The dryer has been making funny noises, so that wouldn't be a shocker... I'm betting it's the TV though, because we have a spare one of those ;-)
Sunday, May 1, 2011
2nd Pregnancy- 20 weeks
Here is my updated photo to show my belly progress. I don't feel a whole lot bigger except at the very bottom of my abdomen. My doctor said this baby is really low, and I can tell cuz my bladder is already getting a beating. 
I had my ultrasound last week and everything was good news. The baby looks good. In fact, because of the measurements, they predict me to be a few days 'more along' than my doctor originally thought. Since it's not a significant difference I will wait until my doctor actually tells me she is going to change my due date before I get my hopes up.
And of course the best news of all was to find out the gender, and we were right. It's a GIRL!! We are excited for a new adventure... not that any new kid isn't an adventure but it's especially different with a new gender. I've already got my mind spinning with nursery decorating ideas. At this point we are thinking purples and greens with flowers and butterflies... basically the overall theme of "GARDEN."
I had my ultrasound last week and everything was good news. The baby looks good. In fact, because of the measurements, they predict me to be a few days 'more along' than my doctor originally thought. Since it's not a significant difference I will wait until my doctor actually tells me she is going to change my due date before I get my hopes up. 
And of course the best news of all was to find out the gender, and we were right. It's a GIRL!! We are excited for a new adventure... not that any new kid isn't an adventure but it's especially different with a new gender. I've already got my mind spinning with nursery decorating ideas. At this point we are thinking purples and greens with flowers and butterflies... basically the overall theme of "GARDEN." 
Saturday, April 23, 2011
2nd Pregnancy 19 Weeks
I will have an updated photo next week along with the ultrasound photos I will get on Monday. I'm so excited to see this little one close up! From the beginning we have thought of this baby as a girl. This pregnancy has been so different from Kaleb's, and it's kind of a pattern of my family to have a boy then a girl. We do have a name picked for the girl, but otherwise having a boy would be way more convenient. In other words, we will be excited no matter what we're having.
Speaking of differences, here are a few: firstly, my eyes are mutinying on me. I get headaches from wearing my contacts for more than a few hours. Plus, my skin is breaking out like I'm a teenage boy. Neither of these were a problem with Kaleb. The only strong craving I've had over the last month is to eat tuna plain out of the can. I also haven't had any serious aversions to food lately which has been very nice. I have sneezed more in the past week than I think I did all last year. Plus the sneezes are uber strong; I have to brace myself to make sure I don't pee!
Of course, in general I've been feeling more changes. I have a hard time tying my shoes cuz my belly is starting to get larger and harder. I feel like this baby is smaller, but that could be proportionate... because I still have all the weight I gained with Kaleb. I've been feeling little movements occasionally since week 15, but this past week the baby has really picked it up! I'm already starting to get a little waddle in my walk, which I'm not so proud of! I am probably the most grateful that my center of gravity is still normal, but I have had some random losses of balance (like tipping over when I'm standing around doing nothing.) I think the best part about this pregnancy compared to my first is that I am WAY less emotional. Yes, I get cranky, especially when I'm really hungry or haven't gotten enough sleep, but overall doing way better this time around.
Speaking of differences, here are a few: firstly, my eyes are mutinying on me. I get headaches from wearing my contacts for more than a few hours. Plus, my skin is breaking out like I'm a teenage boy. Neither of these were a problem with Kaleb. The only strong craving I've had over the last month is to eat tuna plain out of the can. I also haven't had any serious aversions to food lately which has been very nice. I have sneezed more in the past week than I think I did all last year. Plus the sneezes are uber strong; I have to brace myself to make sure I don't pee!
Of course, in general I've been feeling more changes. I have a hard time tying my shoes cuz my belly is starting to get larger and harder. I feel like this baby is smaller, but that could be proportionate... because I still have all the weight I gained with Kaleb. I've been feeling little movements occasionally since week 15, but this past week the baby has really picked it up! I'm already starting to get a little waddle in my walk, which I'm not so proud of! I am probably the most grateful that my center of gravity is still normal, but I have had some random losses of balance (like tipping over when I'm standing around doing nothing.) I think the best part about this pregnancy compared to my first is that I am WAY less emotional. Yes, I get cranky, especially when I'm really hungry or haven't gotten enough sleep, but overall doing way better this time around.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
The Zoo
For two months now I've been trying to get my little family to the zoo. Between bad weather, Kaleb being sick, my migraines and Ammon's new job, it was a bit of a struggle to work anything out. Finally, on the hottest day of the year (96 degree high), we were able to go. My main motivation was of course, to give Kaleb a fun new experience. Since his pathetic mom is tired all the time or busy with school, he doesn't get to do 'new things' often. And since he freaks out whenever animals are on TV, I figured what better place than the zoo.
It took Kaleb about five minutes to realize there was something cool about this place. We pulled the stroller up to the savanna, and he immediately struggled to stand up in it to get the best view... even though there really wasn't much to see.
Because of the heat, a lot of the animals were asleep or, well, not that interesting. But we had a few fun experiences. As always the petting zoo was a little adventure in itself. Kaleb was slow to approach any of the goats, which all seemed to have taken a dose of Valium. Eventually, when we prodded, Kaleb would go up and tap one as if to say "tag" and then he would quickly walk away. It was more fun for us just to watch him!
A relatively new feature to the park are the little water-works. Not only are they great for letting the kids play, but it was so nice to cool down a little. Kaleb got pretty excited at all the spontaneous water jets... Just another reminder that we need a lawn with a sprinkler. We had invited my sis and her fam to come with us to the zoo. They ended up spending half of their time just playing in the water. To each their own ;-)
The zoo had recently opened a new orangutan exhibit that allows you to get up close and personal with the big guys. Kaleb and Ammon had a lot of fun making faces at the male until he bared his teeth (see below), and scared Kaleb for good. We think he was just yawning, but it's hard to explain that to a toddler.
Here's a great shot Ammon got of the elephant.
Our favorite part of the zoo is the monkey village. You basically have a little trail to walk around the squirrel monkey habitat. A couple of them were only a few feet from us. Kaleb liked the monkey's so much! We've had a little stuffed squirrel monkey among Kaleb's toys (something Ammn bought years ago), but Kaleb never really paid it any attention until now. It seems to be one of his favorite toys since our trip!
Our little family in front of the rhino pen. Aren't we cute!?
And of course no trip would be complete without the ever-so-short-nap on the way home. Kaleb slept for about twenty minutes. Then was wired for the rest of the day. I will take one of whatever he is having.
It took Kaleb about five minutes to realize there was something cool about this place. We pulled the stroller up to the savanna, and he immediately struggled to stand up in it to get the best view... even though there really wasn't much to see.
Because of the heat, a lot of the animals were asleep or, well, not that interesting. But we had a few fun experiences. As always the petting zoo was a little adventure in itself. Kaleb was slow to approach any of the goats, which all seemed to have taken a dose of Valium. Eventually, when we prodded, Kaleb would go up and tap one as if to say "tag" and then he would quickly walk away. It was more fun for us just to watch him!
A relatively new feature to the park are the little water-works. Not only are they great for letting the kids play, but it was so nice to cool down a little. Kaleb got pretty excited at all the spontaneous water jets... Just another reminder that we need a lawn with a sprinkler. We had invited my sis and her fam to come with us to the zoo. They ended up spending half of their time just playing in the water. To each their own ;-)
The zoo had recently opened a new orangutan exhibit that allows you to get up close and personal with the big guys. Kaleb and Ammon had a lot of fun making faces at the male until he bared his teeth (see below), and scared Kaleb for good. We think he was just yawning, but it's hard to explain that to a toddler.
Here's a great shot Ammon got of the elephant.
Our favorite part of the zoo is the monkey village. You basically have a little trail to walk around the squirrel monkey habitat. A couple of them were only a few feet from us. Kaleb liked the monkey's so much! We've had a little stuffed squirrel monkey among Kaleb's toys (something Ammn bought years ago), but Kaleb never really paid it any attention until now. It seems to be one of his favorite toys since our trip!
Our little family in front of the rhino pen. Aren't we cute!?
And of course no trip would be complete without the ever-so-short-nap on the way home. Kaleb slept for about twenty minutes. Then was wired for the rest of the day. I will take one of whatever he is having.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Our Fourth Ammoniversary
In February we had our fourth anniversary, but I was so nauseous and tired all the time, Ammon and I agreed we wouldn't celebrate it until I was able to really enjoy it. Last weekend we were finally able to do so!! With my mom watching Da Kayub for 8 hours, we went to an early showing of the movie Limitless. Really interesting. Just as good as the previews make you think it will be.
We arrived at my parents house to pick up Kaleb, and discovered a family friend visiting. Kaleb was enjoying her kids' company so they ended up staying until 9pm. Just as they left and we were cleaning up toys, Kaleb proceeded to ... show us all that he had for dinner that night. For whatever reason, be it some food allergy or whatever, Kaleb spent the next three hours throwing up in ten to fifteen minute intervals. We didn't leave my parents' house until 10:30 because we couldn't gather the nerve to move him. He finally fell asleep at midnight once I stopped giving him any water. Needless to say, not the best way to end an evening (especially since Kaleb had just gotten over the flu the week before), but Kaleb is okay and we still had a great time before that!
This was the weekend that was 50 degrees and rainy, so it was PERFECT weather for Ammon and I to go to our favorite restaurant, The Melting Pot.
Thankfully they take pictures when you arrive and post them on Facebook. Nice little side courtesy. (By the way, note the cute new haircut I had gotten the night before.) Ammon surprised me with a much-too-expensive bottle of sparkling cider, but it was romantic and just fun to make ourselves feel special with a really expensive dinner. As a side note, the General Manager of the Ahwatukee location is a ton of fun, too!
Thankfully they take pictures when you arrive and post them on Facebook. Nice little side courtesy. (By the way, note the cute new haircut I had gotten the night before.) Ammon surprised me with a much-too-expensive bottle of sparkling cider, but it was romantic and just fun to make ourselves feel special with a really expensive dinner. As a side note, the General Manager of the Ahwatukee location is a ton of fun, too!We arrived at my parents house to pick up Kaleb, and discovered a family friend visiting. Kaleb was enjoying her kids' company so they ended up staying until 9pm. Just as they left and we were cleaning up toys, Kaleb proceeded to ... show us all that he had for dinner that night. For whatever reason, be it some food allergy or whatever, Kaleb spent the next three hours throwing up in ten to fifteen minute intervals. We didn't leave my parents' house until 10:30 because we couldn't gather the nerve to move him. He finally fell asleep at midnight once I stopped giving him any water. Needless to say, not the best way to end an evening (especially since Kaleb had just gotten over the flu the week before), but Kaleb is okay and we still had a great time before that!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
2nd Pregnancy and Other Updates
16 WEEKS- I'm now totally fine with being pregnant... because I've actually had a whole week where I felt 'pretty good.' I have more energy now than I remember having with Kaleb at this point, so that's a plus. However, I definitely feel much bigger (cuz I am) than I did with Kaleb. I've already started to really show, which is kinda cool, but also a little annoying since I'm not even half way done. I've already gained ten pounds! Six were just in the last month. GRRR. Since the weather has hit 90 degrees, per Ammon's and my agreement my long locks will be facing the chopping block in the next few weeks, and I should be able to find out the gender within the next month! SO EXCITING!!
EMPIRE- Ammon is LOVING his job. He really likes everyone he works with because (go figure) they all have that sense of decency and respect that most people find in a normal work environment. He's usually stuck working with the less savory folks, so it's been refreshing. As planned when he got hired, he will probably start the night shift in a week. It might be a hard transition at first, but I think once we all get into the groove of it we will be fine. It's been fun to really make plans for the future again! THE BIG BUZZ- We decided to give Kaleb a buzz-cut for the warmer season, and Ammon figured he could do a decent (and free) job of it. So the other night, we strapped Kaleb to his booster seat, stripped him down and started a-buzzin! Here's the before picture!
After a good bath, everything was fine. The funny thing is that he looks SOOOO different to me, I almost don't recognize him. I love rubbing my fingers all over the fuzz, but it's still kind of foreign. The wierdest part is when we spend time with his four-year old cousin who inspired us to buzz Kaleb's hair. From the back, it's hard to tell them apart unless they're standing next to eachother. The great timing is that Kaleb came down with a nasty flu the next day, so the short hair made it much easier to cool his 103 degree head.
EMPIRE- Ammon is LOVING his job. He really likes everyone he works with because (go figure) they all have that sense of decency and respect that most people find in a normal work environment. He's usually stuck working with the less savory folks, so it's been refreshing. As planned when he got hired, he will probably start the night shift in a week. It might be a hard transition at first, but I think once we all get into the groove of it we will be fine. It's been fun to really make plans for the future again! THE BIG BUZZ- We decided to give Kaleb a buzz-cut for the warmer season, and Ammon figured he could do a decent (and free) job of it. So the other night, we strapped Kaleb to his booster seat, stripped him down and started a-buzzin! Here's the before picture! 
At first he handled it really well, but then the hairs started itching, and daddy wasn't finishing fast enough, it became one of the most traumatic experiences Kaleb has ever had. We bribed him with a couple of otter pops, and thankfully Gramma Teller showed up as a great distraction.
After a good bath, everything was fine. The funny thing is that he looks SOOOO different to me, I almost don't recognize him. I love rubbing my fingers all over the fuzz, but it's still kind of foreign. The wierdest part is when we spend time with his four-year old cousin who inspired us to buzz Kaleb's hair. From the back, it's hard to tell them apart unless they're standing next to eachother. The great timing is that Kaleb came down with a nasty flu the next day, so the short hair made it much easier to cool his 103 degree head. 
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Kaleb at almost 22 Months
Kaleb is just a few months shy of being two years. This past month he has learned to get into the carseat all by himself and LOVES making new friends. He seems to have no problem going up to strangers and 'talking' to them... or dancing for them, whichever the situation calls for. He doesn't like it when mom or dad (both of us he calls Daddy of course) leave unless we give him proper goodbyes with a hug and kiss and a wave.
DIET: I've been slacking with his food lately (totally playing the pregnancy card on that one), so he has found a fresh dislike for all things green except sugar snap peas. We have gotten into negotiation mode where we give him veggies first then reward him with the rest of his food in increments. Milk is often a dessert or it becomes the only thing he has at meals.
VOICES: Much like his mom, Kaleb loves to hear all the interesting things his voice can do. He likes to whisper and 'shoosh' me whenever he feels it's appropriate. He will join in screaming if others around him will do it. Plus, his new thing is growling. I'm not sure if it's from watching the Lion King a lot recently, but there you have it.
OH, GO FLY A KITE: With that windy Monday we had a few weeks ago, Ammon and I couldn't resist buying a kite and making it a day of outdoor fun. Ironically, the kite plus wind factor made it impossible for Kaleb to fly it by himself, but we all had fun at the park as usual.
Kaleb was pretty pooped on the way home, so Ammon had the chance to carry him... well that and the kite got stuck in a tree, so Ammon had to go home and get a ladder to fetch it. My cute boys' butts!
WITH THE CHANGING TIMES: Kaleb has a lot of new favorites. His favorite movie is Up and his favorite book is Duckie Duck. While channel surfing the other day, we tripped upon his favorite Disney heroine: Tinkerbell. Her first movie was on and he sat and watched the entire thing, even with giggles (I had never heard him laugh at the TV before.)
OPEN THE FLOODGATES: I think I've mentioned before that we have a hard time keeping Kaleb dry the whole night. His size six diapers just can't hold ten hours worth of Kaleb apparently. Well, it was pretty bad, but nothing compared to how it got when he came down with croup (swollen vocal chords) and we were asked to boost his fluids. A couple of mornings of this picture were probably the worst part of his illness.
PROJECT STUCK-IN-CRIB: Kaleb has become a bit of a trouble-maker whilst in his crib. The other day he ended up climbing (or falling) out of it for the first time. Plus, he has a tendency to try some new fashion statements.
KALEB'S KISSES: This is just a fun thing Ammon has trained Kaleb to do, he can get Kaleb to give him kisses in specific spots. SO FLIPPING CUTE!!
CINCO DE SPRING: Spring Break inspired a cousin playdate. We ended up with five of them together at my parents' house. It was a good time without any real arguments. Kaleb loves it because his favorite thing to do is follow others around and see what they do.
SAY GRRRR: My newest frustration with Kaleb is his love/hate relationship with the camera. He always wants to see the pictures on the back, so he won't stay still for me to take any. At first it started with a cheesy grin...
Then came the tears with constant whining of "Mine"
Then the groping...
Finally, with some practice, and some more negotiating, we have gotten a great smile!
DIET: I've been slacking with his food lately (totally playing the pregnancy card on that one), so he has found a fresh dislike for all things green except sugar snap peas. We have gotten into negotiation mode where we give him veggies first then reward him with the rest of his food in increments. Milk is often a dessert or it becomes the only thing he has at meals.
VOICES: Much like his mom, Kaleb loves to hear all the interesting things his voice can do. He likes to whisper and 'shoosh' me whenever he feels it's appropriate. He will join in screaming if others around him will do it. Plus, his new thing is growling. I'm not sure if it's from watching the Lion King a lot recently, but there you have it.
OH, GO FLY A KITE: With that windy Monday we had a few weeks ago, Ammon and I couldn't resist buying a kite and making it a day of outdoor fun. Ironically, the kite plus wind factor made it impossible for Kaleb to fly it by himself, but we all had fun at the park as usual.
Kaleb was pretty pooped on the way home, so Ammon had the chance to carry him... well that and the kite got stuck in a tree, so Ammon had to go home and get a ladder to fetch it. My cute boys' butts!
WHAT TO DO? The other day my mom bought a bunch of her grandkids pinwheels to play with while at the park. Kaleb didn't really get the chance to use it, so when we got home he seemed kinda lost, but he found a few fun things to do with it:
WITH THE CHANGING TIMES: Kaleb has a lot of new favorites. His favorite movie is Up and his favorite book is Duckie Duck. While channel surfing the other day, we tripped upon his favorite Disney heroine: Tinkerbell. Her first movie was on and he sat and watched the entire thing, even with giggles (I had never heard him laugh at the TV before.)
OPEN THE FLOODGATES: I think I've mentioned before that we have a hard time keeping Kaleb dry the whole night. His size six diapers just can't hold ten hours worth of Kaleb apparently. Well, it was pretty bad, but nothing compared to how it got when he came down with croup (swollen vocal chords) and we were asked to boost his fluids. A couple of mornings of this picture were probably the worst part of his illness.
PROJECT STUCK-IN-CRIB: Kaleb has become a bit of a trouble-maker whilst in his crib. The other day he ended up climbing (or falling) out of it for the first time. Plus, he has a tendency to try some new fashion statements.
KALEB'S KISSES: This is just a fun thing Ammon has trained Kaleb to do, he can get Kaleb to give him kisses in specific spots. SO FLIPPING CUTE!!
LITTLE HELPER:
CINCO DE SPRING: Spring Break inspired a cousin playdate. We ended up with five of them together at my parents' house. It was a good time without any real arguments. Kaleb loves it because his favorite thing to do is follow others around and see what they do.
SAY GRRRR: My newest frustration with Kaleb is his love/hate relationship with the camera. He always wants to see the pictures on the back, so he won't stay still for me to take any. At first it started with a cheesy grin...
Then came the tears with constant whining of "Mine"
Then the groping...
Finally, with some practice, and some more negotiating, we have gotten a great smile!
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