Where do we go with a kid?

Russ and I have slowly come to the realization that the places we used to love and enjoy can be near impossible to go to with a toddler.  For example a restaurant.  When she was younger this was totally do-able.  But now that we have a walking, talking, I want to do what I want to do toddler, this fun activity cannot be accomplished with her.  Too much waiting.  Wait to be seated, wait for food, and by the time our food comes we are almost exhausted trying to keep her quiet, seated, and entertained.  Then starts the crying and wining.....It's just not worth it.  Not an enjoyable experience.  

So what do we do?  Where do we go?  We are still discovering all the kid friendly places around Phoenix.  We wanted to hang out with some kidless friends last night and they suggested we go out to eat.  In my mind I envisioned screaming crying baby and everyone staring at us.  So Russ made the comment "why not Peter Piper Pizza or Chuck E Cheese?"  GENIUS.  Why have we never done this before.  Of course you are sacrificing good food for entertainment but honestly it's worth it.  Us adults like to play arcades too right?  So we went to Peter Piper Pizza where Brynn could roam free without having to contain her.  She ate her pizza, she was entertained by games, a little soda, putting the coins in the games, collecting tickets and getting prizes.  It was a fabulous idea.  Brynn, parents and friends were all happy.  

Everyone!  Where else can we take Brynn and have fun!  Tell me more!

Phoenix Arizona Temple

I can't wait till this Temple is done!  How amazing it will be to only live 15 minutes from a temple!  So awesome!  I wish I could have been her in person to see them put the angel Moroni on the top but I was swimming when Allison called me to tell me they were doing it right then.  And I wasn't about to show up to the temple in my swimwear.  Anyways I borrowed a few wonderful images from Nick Sorensen who captured it beautifully.  I wanted to include this on my blog so i can put this in my blog book and make is a memory! 

PHOTOS BY NICK SORENSEN

http://www.thisisnick.com/

Me and Baby # 2

Well here I am.  Large and in charge.  29 weeks pregnant with baby girl #2.  

Russ says he has not heard the end of me complaining about how big and uncomfortable I am getting.  My doctor says the baby is measureing small (just like Brynn) at about 26/27 weeks but boy I do not feel like she is small!  It could be due to the fact I got pregnant when I was 25 lbs heavier than when I got pregnant with Brynn BUT I have only gained like 15 lbs when with Brynn I gain 50 lbs my entire pregnancy (so I am doing good!)  I don't know but either way I feel like my skin is going to rip open.  I am so tight and achy.  Sleeping is getting harder, standing for long periods of time my ab muscles ache, getting out of the couch may take me 2 trys....... I'm pretty sure I forgot how uncomfortable pregnancy is.  Not to mention recovery after delivery.  I am having vivid flashbacks now to what it was like with Brynn.  UGH.  It's going to be a bit more challenging with 2 at home.  Hopefully baby girl #2 will be as easy as Brynn.  Then maybe I won't freak out.  haha.  Ok, I am done venting.

Overall this pregnancy has been great.  I feel more tired with this one but I blame chasing a toddler around all day.  She is not as wiggly as Brynn was but as she has grown she has become more and more active. 

Naming this child has been a struggle.  Russ and I can't seem to agree on anything.  We have 2 more months to figure it out I guess.  I really like a few names but Russ does not.....and he will not give it to me either!  I can't even pull the "I'm birthing this baby" card!  It doesn't work for him.  Hopefully she will not be a nameless baby for much longer!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's day to everyone!  I can't believe I am going to be the mother of 2 soon!  It really seems unreal!  I know I am pregnant, I know we are having another girl, but I haven't really thought about it much.  Like it's not really real until she is born.  I don't think I can wrap my brain around that idea yet.  Going from 1 to 2 kids is going to rock my world!  Brynn was such an easy baby I am pretty sure we are going to get a run for our money with this next one.

Thinking about my own mother I only hope I can be half the mom she was.  She really is such a selfless person and gives everything she has to her children.  She has made so many sacrifices.  I have much to learn but hope my children will feel my love and know I will drop anything to make them happy.

Brynn had a fever on Mother's day so we kept her home from church.  Even on Mother's day duty calls....haha.  Russ made me a very sweet video of Brynn and I that I love!  We visited family and gave our moms a few gifts.  With lots of sewing help from Brooke I made an apron for my mom that I love!  Turned out so cute!  All the grand-kids hand prints are on it.  I just love it. 

On Monday my mom took all her girls and her mom out for dinner at Paradise Bakery and shopping at Charming Charlies (cutest place ever!)  I may or may not have spent more than the gift card she gave me.  =-)  It was such a great girls night out!  We celebrated Mother's Day by leaving the kids at home!  haha!

I remember specifically thinking after having Brynn that I enjoyed being a mom more than I thought.  Not that I thought I would not like it but your children joys are your joys.  They make you laugh and entertain you, and snuggle you!  It's kind of like having a puppy at first.  haha, but a very smart fast growing puppy!  I love being Brynn's mom and she is the greatest daughter ever.  She is independent, strong willed, stubborn, smart, curious, active, a dancing queen, happy and silly.  She loves her mommy more than her daddy and is obsessed with books.  She likes to feed Domino, ride her tricycle, draw with chalk, play in the water, put mommy's chapstick on, get into everything, baths and being naked, jumping in the lovesack, watching The Lorax, eating fruit snacks and crackers, playing with her baby dolls, and she loves nursery.  She is a good girl and we can't wait to give her a sister she can play with!

I added a funny crying photo of Brynn....Motherhood at it's finest right?  She just learned how to say no today.  Oh geeezzzzz......

Halloween 2012

Yes.....This is how far behind I am. 

Well Halloween around here is a big deal.  I just love it.  I decorate my house with zombie babies and all sorts of SCARY decor!  And matching, coordinating customs are always a plus.  I found a cute cheap bumble bee costume at a garage sale and decided to run with that.  Russ was the beekeeper and I was a flower.  It works right?  Not my best combo but it was cute.  Everyone thought the beekeeper and the bee were so cute.  Most people didn't get the flower unless I told them.  Dumb.

Anyways Brynn loved walking around to go trick or treating.  There were lots of people handing out candy in our neighborhood and lots of people outside with fire pits.  Let's just say Brynn was more interested in the fire pits than anything else but I think she had fun.  Grandma and grandpa went trick or treating with us in their Polaris and the cousins came too!  We only went around the block with Brynn.  Brynn got her parents some yummy candy with her cute little face.  I can't wait to go again with her this year!  She will love it! 

Life is a busy one.

I kind of forget I have a blog these days.  My days are full and this blog is not one of my top priorities anymore.  But it makes me sad because it really is the only type of journal I have been keeping lately and I really want to try and blg alot more so I can preserve my family memories!  These precious times with my family go by so fast and there is no way I will be able to remember all the special memories if I don't take the time to write them down!  I like to make those blog books from my blog so i can have a hard copy to look through.  I makes me very happy!  =-)

Well this second pregnancy of mind is not too bad.  Not too sick, a little more tired than the last pregnancy (probably because I am chasing Brynn everywhere) but overall great!  I have been keeping my weight under control with this pregnancy and it makes me very happy!  at 27 weeks I have only gained about 10-12 lbs!  With Brynn I gained 50 lbs through the entire pregnancy!  YAH!  Although I still have 25 lbs from my first pregnancy it gives me hope that I can work that off after this one is born! This baby does not move as much as Brynn.  She is a little more quiet which I am ok with.  =-)  Brynn was like a kick-boxer in there and is an active child as well.   Maybe our second will be a little more laid back.  =-)

Me at 26 weeks!

Russ and I have an argument probably almost every time we talk about names for the baby.  We have such different tastes in names that it really is almost impossible to agree.  Everyone keeps on asking me what we are going to name her and I have no idea!  Russ just needs to give in and let me name her already.  =-)

Life is great around here.  Russ is working a lot and one time he told me he was going to work till real late.  I said "Single parent late?" and he said " Yes, single parent late".  So if anyone wants to hang out with this lazy prego lady come on over! 

I will try and blog once a week this week so I can catch up on everything.  I don't think i have caugh up since last October.  So we will do this fast.  Because i do love my blog when I actually do it!  Util next time!  

Here is the beginning of my catch up.  Wow, Brynn is such a baldy.  She loves her dolls and is such a happy girl!  These were taken back in October.

Just to compare what a few months does, here is a picture of her now at 18 months!  So crazy how much they change!

Catching up on LIFE. ***WARNING*** LONG POST

This blog thing is really hard lately.  Russ turned to me a few days ago and asked me "Do we even HAVE a blog anymore?"  Well, I have just been so busy with life that is has been my last priority.  I mean serisouly, I haven't even showered for 3 days as of today so it's really on the end of my to do list.  But I really do feel like I need to give this blog a little love.  So here goes.

Brynn LOVES kids.  She pretty much just loved people in general.  She will ignore me HER MOM for any stranger that tickles her fancy.  She will go up to random strangers in public and lifts up her arms gesturing that they pick her up.  She is uncontainable now.  at 15 months she is a GOER.  She is constantly getting into everything and entertains herself and plays by herself so good.  This means that I am constantly trying to clean up her messes but what normally happens is that I give up.  The house just becomes her castle and she can do what she pleases.  Here is the most recent photo of her. 

Yes, I guess I should officially announce this on my blog but I am 11 weeks pregnant with #2!!  They will be 22 months apart.  I can't wait for Brynn to have a friend.  =-)  Are we ready?  No.  But we have time right?  So far so good.  Not too sick really.  Just BEYOND TIRED.  It's crazy how low I am on energy.  But just in the past few days I have been feeling better, more energetic.  So that is good. 

As far as us as a family, well we are doing the same ol same ol!  I am doing photography part time and was pretty busy through the fall (2012).  It's is one of the reasons this blog got very neglected.  Brynn turned one!  I will blog those photos soon!  Russ is working at Ultimate Properties.  He works hard and we love him for it!  Brynn is really at a fun age.  She is just starting to throw tantrums and she frowns at me all the time.  Silly girl.  She LOVES to DANCE to ALL MUSIC anywhere!  We will be in the grocery store and she will start dancing to the music she hears there.  We have dance parties at our house pretty regularly because Brynn just smiles so big when she hears music.  She loves to be outside, she could be outside all day!  She loves rocks.  It's weird but she would always much rather play int he rocks than anything else.  She will eat any fruit you put in front of her.  She love peanut butter and jelly, mac and cheese and yogurt.  She is such a fun girl and we love her so much!

Now to take a blast in the past.  I have some catching up to do on lots of photos!  This is Brynn and her friend Beeson.  I call this "attack of Beeson"  haha.  He loves her too. 

This is me and 10 month old Brynn....She is NOT a snuggler so i thought this photo was a trasure.  She probably only sat there for like 30 seconds but I love it.

Here is 10 month old Brynn with her chunkiness.  I miss that chunkiness!  

We took a day trip up to the deer farm in Williams and it was soooo fun!  She was a little scared of the deer but did ok.  If you didn't know, the deer farm is like my favorite place in the world.

Russ and I both take equal responsibility for Brynn so it's "fair."  haha.  We swap off changing diapers and going through the bedtime routine.  But since she was young Russ is mainly in charge of taking her upstairs, putting her in her crib and tucking her in.  Here is a picture that captures it perfectly.  (she even has  a little milk drool.  oh so cute).  This is still 10 month old Brynn by the way (yes I know I have way too many pics).

Since I can remember Brynn has LOVED her bumpers.  She has some pretty fluffy comfy bumpers and at first i always tried to fix them and put them back up against the crib so they look pretty but I soon learned to just give up.  She has always snuggled with them and puts her arms round them.  Now she uses them for a pillow!  So of course I had to take a photo when she was creases on her head from her bumpers.  I think it's so funny.

Now that wraps up last August 2012....here are some from September 2012!!

Here is some family bowling time!  We don't get out much anymore so i thought I would take a few photos of us having fun.  It still happens but not as often as we would like!  =-)

Here is Brynn eating one of her favorite meals, mac and cheese!  But this is paridise bakery mac and cheese!  MMMMM!!!

She doesn't so this often so I think it is hilarious when she falls asleep in her high chair.  That means she is REALLY REALLY TIRED!

Brynn loves dogs.  I mean it was her first word for crying out loud!  She loves Domino!  She chases him around, tries to sit in his "lap", laughs when he licks her face and loves to poke him in the eyes and pet him.  They will both sit at your feet when you are eating and "beg".  It's pretty cute.

Well I think that is good for now!  I have a few more months to catch up on but this is a promising start!  It's a miracle!  =-)  Thanks for stopping by to read about our lives!  I know it's not all that exciting but we try.  haha.