Pictures with Santa

I took Jacob to see Santa before Christmas. He has seen this Santa since he was 1. He does a lot better every year. He was only nervous for a few minutes and then seemed to be OK with the "stranger". He has been singing "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" for several weeks now so at least the concept of Santa Claus wasn't terrifying for him. Enjoy the pictures!

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Note: This is an old one that was never published. sorry...

Well, for several weeks I have listened to my son tell everyone how much he loves their Christmas Tree. It's always said in a way that I can tell that he really LOVES their Christmas Tree. He will be one of those grownups that looks forward to the Christmas so he can decorate. I can see a bit of Clark Griswold in him...

Jason got the Christmas decorations out of the shed and last night I put the tree up. Jason is going to finish it off with icicles. (which HE will take off the tree at the end of the season). Jake looked at me afterward and said "I LOVE our tree".

If it was just the two of us we probably wouldn't decorate this year.

I'm feeling very pregnant today. No wonder, because I'm HUGE!!!! I'm not as "big" as I was with Jake, but I'm definately not tiny. Everyone at work gasps everytime they see me and makes comments about when I'm going to POP. It doesn't hurt my feelings, it just gets old after a while...

I have less than 18 days left until this baby makes an entrance. I am scheduled to be induced on the 28th, but I highly doubt that my body will hold out that long. I've had two small contractions today. Nothing regular, though.

Complaints: It is sooooooo hot in my office. While everyone else around me is in blankets and coats, I'm chewing on ice to cool down... The baby's current living quarters are apparently getting a little cramped and so I don't feel as much movement as I used to. I kinda miss it. If this was my pregnancy with Jake I'd only have 6 days left.....

Excited about: one week from today is the start of 8 weeks of maternity leave. I'm so ready. I'm hoping to use those few days off work before the baby comes to get things done around the house to get prepared.

House on Oklahoma: We are 99% done. We are waiting on the weather to be kind, so the nursery can cut the sod for us to install and we still need a tiny bit of touch up painting done, and cleaning.. Then it can go on the market. But we'll probably put the signs out before the yard is in.

Jacob turns 3 on the 19th. I want him to have a great birthday party. I have it all planned and if I am not able to be there then I still want the show to go on. It is all about HIM after all. NOT ME!!! This is his last hoorah before he has to start sharing Mom and Dad. I want him to enjoy it.

OK, random thought session is over. I will try to peruse my camera to remind me of more exciting things to share....

Conversation with an almost 3 year old

Last night as we were coming home from my Mom's house for dinner I was talking with a friend of mine on the phone. Jacob made a comment about the moon and my friend told me to ask Jacob if the man on the moon was sad. This is the conversation...

Mom: Jake, is the Man on the Moon sad?

Jake: Yeah, he's sad.

Mom: Is he sad because he is out of cheese?

Jake: Yeah, he needs more cheese.

Mom: How does he get more cheese?

Jake: He just says "Trick or cheese".

What's a mother to do?

Last month: Our ward had a Hillbilly Hoedown complete with a "No Talent" Show... Complete with armpit noises. While Brother Vance was doing his performance Jacob declared to me that he wanted to go on the stage and "talk". Trying to discourage him (because we hadn't signed up) I said "well, what would you do up there?" He said, "Sing". So I asked him what he would sing. "Lollipop". So my mother said to go let him sing. I went and talked to the coordinator and she was fine with the last minute entry. As soon as I returned to my seat she called us up. After I received my award for best Hillbilly costume she told me that Jake was up next. I thought that I would have to gently start his song for him, to get him singing. We went right out on the stage, and I handed him the mic. He instantly belted out his "lollipop" song complete with the finger pop and "ba domp bomp bomp" at the end. Everyone loved it. I was so proud. That's where it started....

Last Week: was the Heart of Texas Fair and Rodeo. I try to go every year. It's no fun for me this year because I'm pregnant and don't get to ride the rides... but since I have an excuse to scarf down all the fair food I go anyway. I offered to take my sister's kids. 3 of them accepted the invitation. Bek wanted to do the "Hypnosis" show. She didn't really get hypnotized as it is very difficult to completely relax at the fair and (according to her) her biking injuries and the cold weather caused her hands to shake, so she couldn't relax her body. Anyway... while she was on the stage, Jacob declared that he wanted to go on stage. I told him he couldn't and he had a meltdown right there. I should have known.

Yesterday: was the Primary Program at church. Jacob is in nursery, and their only part was to sing "Happy Family" at the very beginning of the program. I started practicing with Jacob a couple weeks ago so he would be prepared. All last week we discussed how he was going to go on the "stage" and sing Happy Family. He spent Friday night with Jason's Mom (Nana) and he told her that he was going to go on the stage and sing. When asked what he was going to sing he would reply "Lollipop". All week long he told everyone that he was going to sing "Lollipop". I would correct him and tell him he was going to sing the "I love Mommy" song. Well..... Because I teach in Primary I sit in the stands with the kids. Jason had Jake for Sacrament meeting and I told him when he would send Jake up for his song. (all of this preparation is because I know several children who are scared to death to go sing on the stand during Sacrament Meeting, and I didn't want Jake to be scared). The program begins and I nod to Jason, so he releases Jacob and sends him to the stand. By the time he gets up there his side of the stand is already lined with other children, so my friend Taylor asks Jake if he wants to stand on the stepstool that is there for the children to stand on to talk in the mic. Of course he accepted her generous offer. Then he slides down in front of the mic. He reaches for the mic, but can't quite reach it. GOOD, right? Well a member of our loving Bishopric sees Jacob's desire to make sure he can be heard and reaches over and lowers the mic to Jacob. and then it happened. I saw what was happening. (everything turns to slow motion here for me) I told Taylor that it wasn't a good idea to let Jake have the mi------- and I hear the "Lollipop" song start. People were swift to act and he didn't get to finish, but EVERYONE, children and the congregation, was laughing. Jason said I turned beet red, and I felt it. It was instantly 20 degrees hotter in the chapel and I looked at Jason and his reaction was "Oh Well"... The show went on, and they sang their song. Jake looked around most of the time, but managed to get half of the last verse out. It was a "proud" day for us...

So, what is a mother to do? He obviously craves the spotlight. I've mentioned it before that I know he will be the class clown in school and we will have to curb some of his desire to make everyone laugh. I want him to be comfortable on stage, talking and singing to everyone. I don't want him to have a fear of public speaking. He's almost 3. The only things I can sign him up for is gymnastics and art. They don't have acting classes for 3 year olds around here. How can I foster this talent? I want him to develop as a creative person, but if I have to wait until he is older then he may lose this desire.

I guess this is where as a mother I step up. My friend mentioned to me that her son, who was 3 at the time, asked questions about what people were doing during a Testimony meeting one Sunday. She explained it to him and he wanted to go up on the stage and do it, so he did. I guess the only way for me to be the example to Jacob right now is to start bearing my testimony more during the 1st Sunday meetings. I certainly don't want him to grab the mic and start singing "Lollipop" during Testimony time, but it is the only way I can think of to keep him comfortable in front of a crowd. (I do not share his love for the spotlight) My hope is that he will be able to share his own testimony up there on his own one day.

I need to set the example. In his baby blessing it said basically that I am to be his example and I am responsible for raising him in a Christ-like home and he will become a powerful witness of Christ. It is a huge responsibility. Who knows what the future holds for him, and if I don't do what I've been told to do, I could be responsible for huge missed opportunities for not only him, but others who are seeking Christ.

Next Sunday is Fast and Testimony Sunday. I will pray all week for the courage I need to be as brave as my son and to go share what is in my heart. I just hope the "Lollipop" song doesn't come out of my mouth during my testimony.

Health Screening

What a bad time to be pregnant.... My work has decided that since we are a fitness company we need to walk the walk and set the example. Up until July they paid 100% of our health insurance premiums. Starting July 1st we had to contribute $59 a month for insurance. Now they are doing health screenings to see what we will have to pay starting January 1st. If you do not participate in the screening, our contribution jumps to $149 per month. If we participate in the screening and depending on our screening results we will pay between $39 and $89 a month. We will have another screening in 4 months to see if we have made improvements. After the second screening we will know how much our premium will be.

So... how does this work for me? I have no idea... I am due a couple weeks after the second screening. I've asked my boss how this will affect me and apparently they are going to have a special meeting to discuss "special cases"... ie.. the pregnant people at work... Until then... my scores are as follows: REMEMBER.. I'm pregnant...

Blood Pressure: 113 over 69 GOOD
Glucose: 76 GOOD
Cholesterol: 211 BORDERLINE HIGH
HDL 56 BETTER (should be higher than 59)
Trig 182 BORDERLINE HIGH
LDL 119 NEAR OPTIMAL
TC/HDL 3.8 OPTIMAL
WEIGHT: 149.4 (I weighed 150.2 when I found out I was pregnant)
BODY FAT: 42% (If I weren't pregnant it should be less than 33%) Right now I am Very High
BMI: 28.5 (Overweight) I need to get it back below 25 after the baby comes...
Waist Circumference: 37.5 inches... In December they'll need a second tape measure.. lol

They told me that I am at .07% risk for Heart Disease within the next 10 years.

I guess everyone had OK readings... I didn't hear sirens from any ambulances outside....

Anyway.. I hope they come up with a reasonable plan for the 2 women that are pregnant here. I just want it to be fair.

Any suggestions?

Happy Half-Birthday, BABY

This is what Pregnancy Weekly had to say today!
Welcome, Tonya
20/40 weeksThis is day number 140 and you're 20 weeks pregnant!You have 140 days or 20 weeks left, and are 50.0% of the way there.Baby's age since conception is 126 days or 18 weeks. You are due on 1/1/2010.

Your baby is now about 5.6 to 6.4 inches and weighs approximately 9 ounces. Your baby is now big enough that you may be able to tell when he or she is awake or asleep based on the level of activity. You can also see a lot of movement in the ultrasound image. Looking at ultrasound images of other babies can help you figure out what you're looking at when you see your baby's image.

This is what I look like today!

We have our BIG ultrasound today. In true Jason-fashion he doesn't want to know the gender and doesn't want anyone else to know, either. We're still working hard to change his mind. I'm too much of a planner. I want things in place for my girl or my boy. I don't want to spend my 6 weeks maternity leave shopping for clothes and making all the cute little things (if it is a girl). If it is a boy we're all set. I'll just buy more bugs, trucks and tractors for the second baby... lol

I'm starting to feel more movement. This baby is still pretty calm and quiet. Jacob was definately more active at this point, and I'm not sure if this is a good sign or a bad one. This could just be the calm before the storm.. I'm still pretty nervous and scared. I was truly spoiled with Jacob. He was so easy and wonderful, I am hoping that this one follows suit, but every child is different. Who knows.. This one could come out with Fire Engine red hair and a temper to match. If that happens we know that he/she gets it from their father. :o)

Jacob is doing well. We're still working on the potty training. He knows that he is supposed to go in the toilet, but never tells anyone unless it's #2, and even by that time it's a little late... His favorite book right now is one that talks all about potty training. He wants to read it several times a night. I wish it were a magical book that would automatically potty train any reader... oh well. Onward and hopefully upward.

We've told Jacob that there is a baby in Mommy's belly and he can recite that to you if asked... "Where's the baby?"... His response... (most of the time) "In Mommy's belly". Sometimes he says that it is in HIS belly. I'd let him carry the baby for me if he really wanted to... He understands when I am not feeling well and I tell him my belly hurts, he'll sometimes kiss my belly and tell it not to hurt me. He's so sweet.

Jason is working hard. He's started a new phase in the Security Company. They are now installing alarm systems. He is also trying to get another monitoring service up and running. It is geared toward the elderly or challenged. It will be a monitoring system where if they fall or need help in any way, they can push a button and call for help. Kinda like the "Help, I've fallen and I can't get up" system. If you know anyone who could benefit from this, send them our way.

The house is coming along beautifully. Yesterday we got together with the guy who will be refinishing our countertops. We have formica countertops, but when they are finished they will look like stone. They're even adding a rounded edge to them to make them look even more authentic. I'll take before and after pictures. We'll be spending the night there tonight so I'll be sure to get the pictures done... lol. We are getting so close to the end. I can't wait. I'm hoping to get TONS done tomorrow because the next Saturday I'll be in Austin with the girls to watch Wicked.. I'm so excited.

Well, that's about it for now. I'm not sure of anything else that needs reporting. Oh, one more thing.... What do you think of the name Abbey Dawn for a little girl?

So Kind

Just something that I want to write down before I forget. Jacob is very concerned about me being happy. Because we are trying to get the flip house done (new pics to come soon. I promise.) My Mom has lovingly taken him on Saturdays so we can get tons of stuff done. When she showed up the first time to get him I pretended that I was so sad that he was going to be gone with Grandma... He came to me and told me to "Don't be sad, be a big boy". The next Saturday my Mom showed up again to get him and he automatically looked at me and told me to "Be a big boy, don't cry".. I didn't even have to get out my crocodile tears.. So this morning, I'm driving to school to drop him off and he asks "Mommy, what's wrong"? I didn't realize I was giving off sad vibes considering I wasn't sad... so I responded "Nothing is wrong, honey". So then he said, "Mommy, be happy". He is so concerned about my emotional well being... I guess I need to smile more when I'm driving...... especially on a Monday....

Wow..

Where did the last month go???? Wow.. Well they are working me very hard at work... I worked 55 1/2 hours last week.. I'll enjoy this Friday's paycheck.. yee haw.

On the baby front I am 17 weeks along. I am definately out of my normal clothes, but luckily not very far out of them.. :o) I go to the Dr. on Thursday for a checkup and to schedule my "BIG" ultrasound... So prior to my appointment news I thought I would give you my stats. I have LOST 3 pounds... can you believe it. I don't have much of an appetite. Apparently this child is watching its figure... who knows. I'm sure that will change in the next few weeks. I am not feeling movement regularly. I have felt a few flutters, but nothing consistent or strong. I have felt the baby roll to the front of my belly and push. At least I get a reminder that I am pregnant every now and then since I am having zero other symptoms... The morning sickness has been gone for about 2 months.. Thank goodness. I get complimented on how beautiful my skin looks. If you follow the old wive's tales this would be an indication that I am having a boy. They say if you are having a girl you will know because she will steal your beauty while you are pregnant. So I must be having a boy, right? I have only had one dream that showed the gender and it was actually a girl, which falls in line with everyone else in the world's premonitions about this baby's gender. I want a girl. I think a Daddy needs a Daddy's Girl. It makes them a much more sensitive man. :o) Jason could use more sensitivity.. lol I am happy no matter what the gender is. We refer to the baby as "she" because Jason is convinced he can't be lucky enough to escape having to raise a "girl" {insert shudder here}... Maybe you fathers of daughters out there can give him some advice..

Jake is trying to potty train.. My sister potty-trained using M&M's and I remember one time she expressed to me that she wishes she hadn't used candy as a motivator, so I found some really cheap stickers and was going to use them to coerce Jake to go potty, but his school uses Skittles and he gets so excited about the Skittle... I guess there is something to candy.. Much better than a stinkin sticker.. Yesterday he went ALL DAY without wetting his diaper and he used the toilet all day, so they gave him a starburst. That's all he talked about. So he told me this morning that he wanted another Starburst, so his goal was to earn another Starburst at school. I'm all for getting him out of diapers since I've already spent $30 on training underwear for him... I may have to hit up my Mars friends for skittles and starburst.... ;o) Desperate times call for desperate favors.. I'm willing to donate some of my 18,000 stickers to the children of their choice.. lol

We went to the waterpark last Friday and I'm happy to announce that Jake is starting to resemble the child that proves that he could be mine... He enjoyed it a lot more this year than in the past. I bought him a swimsuit that has the built in floatation pads. He was leary about putting it on at first, but then we tried to get him excited about wearing it by play-hitting it to show that it doesn't hurt and he thought it was funny. He didn't have any problems wearing it after that. He wanted us to hit him more.. lol such a boy...

I have been subbing in the Primary for some friends who are out of town for the summer. The poor primary children have had to endure a very inept Music and Singing time leader for the past month... I'm surprised that they are learning anything.... I don't read music or sight read very well. I'm also at a disadvantage because I didn't go through the primary program myself, so I don't know the songs or actions. I had a "Snowman" disaster last Sunday. Not fun... at least it was in front of the Junior primary who will forget about it. right?

The house is coming along. We had to take about 3 weeks off from working on it because the A/C went out in there and 100+ degree weather does not make for fun home renovations. I could only work for a couple hours before the heat would make me nauseas, so we've been spending the night there for the past couple weekends to work hard on it now that the A/C is fixed. The painting is almost done. We have replaced a few light fixtures and next is the countertops and a few things on the outside... then carpet and landscaping and up for sale... I'm happy with how things are looking so far.

That's the last month in a nutshell. I've included a picture of my growing belly for you all to laugh at. I am going to dig out some pictures from when I was pregnant with Jake because I'm sure I was well on my way to being big as a house by this point last time. If I find a picture from this timeframe I'll post the comparison... until then....

Say Hello To My Little Friend...

I'd like to introduce you all to our little friend...

That's right... I'm pregnant. 12 weeks along which makes me due on New Year's Day. We are excited and looking forward to the new addition and new challenges.

We don't have a preference of gender one way over another. Our wallet wants another boy. Jason wants another son (mainly because I think he's scared of girls) I want either. I've always wanted one of each, but I'm scared of girls... Jacob wants a sister. We've asked him several times and he always says the same thing. The dogs just want us to move out and leave them be.

I personally think I'm having a girl, and several other people have professed the same thought, but only time will tell. I'm over the morning sickness part and actually there are times when I forget that I'm pregnant.

Jason is insisting that this one be a surprise, but of course I want to know so I can shop and plan.

I'll keep you all informed. Or at least try to...

I guess everyone needs a vacation now and then...

Last night while Jacob was saying the night time prayer I heard the following:

"Please bless Jacob that he doesn't have to go to school. Bless Jacob that he can go to Emma's house. Bless Jacob that he can go to Papa's house. Go to Grandma's house. Go to..."

At this point I interjected because his list of vacation spots can be lengthy. I steered him more toward others' needs. I had him pray for his great grandmother who is very ill.

I found it very hard not to chuckle at his prayer as he normally loves school and has a great time there. He is often the center of attention since he puts on shows for everyone to see. He is their entertainer. I have shown up many times to see the entire class sitting down watching Jake who is doing his one man comedy show... I just hide and watch as long as I can until my presence is known.

I'm grateful for Jacob and the wonderful, sweet, innocent spirit he brings into our home. I refer to him as our family conscience. He's always telling us to behave and to be nice. I guess we still have a long way to go.... Maybe our parents shouldn't have turned us loose so quickly.. Or just maybe we need to take a vacation... I'm all for that one.

Last Thursday was my birthday. The girls at work went above and beyond to make sure I had a good day. First they decorated my cubicle...

Then they surprised me by organizing a departmental lunch... Hot Dogs with chili, sauerkraut, relish and all the other fixins... plus chips and Chocolate chip cookies, low fat chocolate pie, low fat key lime pie and full fat red velvet cake. It was really nice. I have the super easy recipe for the pies if anyone is interested, too....

It was a great day.

Cousins Make all the difference

There are times when I wonder if Jake is really my son. I'm a very adventurous person. I LOVE amusement parks and carnival rides. I have gone skydiving and bungee jumping. There are many more daredevil things I'd love to try if I ever get the chance. My father was in the Navy, so no matter where we lived you can be sure there was water close by and he made sure we were well aware of all the fun you can have in the water.

Jacob.... not so much.... I thought I was being a great Mom when a couple years ago at the age of 8 months old I introduced Jacob to the wonderful world of the waterpark. Needless to say.. He hated it. I was destroyed. But I chalked it up to him being so young and the water was too cold and we'll get him a little older and try again...

One year later... I took him to Spray Park... I couldn't get him to play in the water. I told my Mom where we were and she and Bekah were down the road, so they stopped by. Viola!!!! Bekah + Spray Park = good time to Jacob. Who knew??? I thought for sure that he'd have a great time at the Water Park later that summer, but it took him a LONG time to find his happy place... and that was being with his Daddy and his cousins...

Memorial Day (this year) my sister and her husband set up the big inflatable waterslide my parents own and told their kids to have fun. Then they called me and told me to bring Jake... At first he didn't like it much...

But after lunch and more time to get used to it all he started having a great time.

Jacob loves his cousins. At least I know who to call at the Water Park this year...

Here are some fun pictures from Memorial Day.. Enjoy.

Wicked Awesome!!!

Well, it is official... I will be having a girls day out with some friends to go see "Wicked" in Austin in August. Yay. I'm so excited. This is my birthday present from Jason. I love it when I let him off the hook so easily.... lol Thanks, honey.

He's so funny... and he knows it.

The first thing you need to know is that Jacob is extremely independent. He insists on opening doors and holding them open while Jason and I go through them, then he closes it... anyway.. if HE can do it, he WILL do it... This poses a slight problem and frustration for a mother who needs the morning routine to go quickly and smoothly... with that said:

This morning while doing our morning routine we were heating up some waffles in the microwave and after they were done I always tell Jake to open the microwave door. Sometimes he can get it himself, but sometimes it is just too hard for his tired muscles to do by himself, so I offer to help him "get it started". After a couple minutes standing at the microwave offering assistance, not getting any participation and reminding him that we need to hurry, Jacob got down from his step stool and said "I need get key". I didn't quite understand him at the time, because that isn't something he normally says, but when he went over to the carpet, bent over and acted like he was picking it up I understood. He turned around and said "I need unlock it". I about busted out laughing. WHERE DOES HE GET THIS FROM? So with his "key" he made several unlocking motions and declared he needed more keys. I looked on top of the microwave and there happen to be a skeleton key Brandy brought back from Nauvoo. In order to keep his game from going on and on... and to hurry him along, I handed him the Nauvoo key and said, "Here, use this one". He took it and "unlocked" the microwave. Then I offered to help him get it started again.. It worked. A few minutes later we were leaving the house and he was happily singing the "I Love You" Barney song...

Jacob is a crack up. He keeps everyone rolling, even his daycare teachers. I fear the day I get a call from his school teacher saying he is the class clown and distracting everyone... I don't want to discourage his sense of humor, because I love it so much. This age is so fun. Just about everyday he says something new and I just jump back in bewilderment at how big he is getting.

I told you we are busy people

Well, we'll be very busy people for at least the next few weeks. We recently bought a house in Hewitt that we are renovating and plan on selling. It is a cute house. 3 bedrooms/2 bathrooms. It is on a 1/2 acre lot in a great neighborhood. We hope it sells quickly. We are pricing it so it does that. (fingers crossed) Anyway, here are some before pictures....

This is the before view from the front door.

This is the ceiling in the entryway. This house was a foreclosure, and we are lucky that the most the previous owners did as far as damage was to take light fixtures... This is a huge inset. It probably goes 14 inches deep. It is definately more impressive in person.

Here is a view of the living room. The carpet in the house has already been removed and thank goodness, because it was nasty.... The fireplace is really nice. It is a real brick fireplace.

Here is a picture of the dining room and kitchen. They have a really nice faux suede paint technique on the long wall that we will soon be covering up (along with the burgundy wall in the dining room) with a very neutral color called bone white. I hate covering up the burgundy wall. I miss MY burgundy wall.....oh well. See the cute chandelier in the dining room? It's also finding a new home. Anyone know what I should do with this one? The colorful blotches on it are stained glass fruit.

Here is the master bath... This is going to need a major overhaul... We are having a company come in and refinish the tub, surround and vanity top. (in both bathrooms) we are also replacing the toilet and putting fresh paint everywhere. The only thing NOT changing is the built-in cabinet....

I didn't take a picture of the front of the house because it was still dark outside when I was snapping these pictures. I will try and get more shots today to post to show how far we have come... This is our first "flip". If this works out well, we hope to do more in the future... If any of you are "itching" to paint, come on over... grab a roller... just kidding.

Bluebonnets

I am obsessed with Bluebonnets. They are my favorite flower. I look forward to the one month a year that I get to see them along the roads and highways of Texas. I am the one who insists we go as a family and have our pictures done in the bluebonnets every year. Here are some great shots from this year's Bluebonnet photoshoot. Jake is luckily a little poser like me, so we got a lot of good shots from him. Enjoy.

First Post

Well, after being hounded by numerous people and telling them I have nothing to blog about, I guess I will just have to show you all that I am boring. I will try and keep up on the updates, but know that I'm much better at stalking your blogs and hounding you for updates. Bear with me while I learn this new fangled gadget....