Aaron and Wendy

Playing Catch-Up

2011-05-30T12:40:00.000-07:00

It's been so long since I have accomplished anything in the blogging world... or scrapbooking for that matter. I feel like all of my time is devoted to my kids: feeding them, cleaning them up, cleaning up after them, playing with them, making stuff with them, going places with them, feeding them again, cleaning up again, doing chores, folding laundry, making meals, playing games, reading books, etc. By the time the kids are in bed, I'm kind of just ready for bed myself. Throw a few winter time illnesses into the mix and it has been one long winter full of stay-at-home mommy work/exhaustion. Sometimes I wonder how we even survive. Ha, ha! It's such a blessing to be at home with my kids, but I must admit that it's not easy constantly juggling the things I have to get done with the things I want to get done. My kids always come first in their needs for sure. I'm also a person who likes to do crafty and creative things. I don't know why. I just like to make stuff. All the time. I'm pretty sure that I have about fifty projects started and maybe two of them got finished over the winter. I thought I would get more done in the winter because we're all inside and there should be more time to spend working on hobbies, right? Nope. Not here. I realized that winter is even harder to get stuff done because kids have seemingly endless amounts of energy that they need to release on a daily basis. So. Much. Energy. So. Little. Time. I feel like we're finally starting to accomplish house projects and home decorating again now that the kids can spend some time outside... which also leaves them tuckered out so they take good naps and go to bed early. Yeah for moms everywhere! Hopefully I will be able to finish the other 48 projects sometime soon. You think I'm joking. No. I really have about that many skirts/sewing projects ready to make in their own little ziploc bags. BUT today I'm working on scrapbooks... here's the latest:

We Do Exist

2011-05-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

Yes. We're alive. I think we hibernated for the winter or something because work was crazy, school for Aaron was busy, kids were stuck inside and everything. We're all ready for summer now so I guess it's okay for the weather to warm up again and stop raining. I'm actually a big fan of the rain. I love it really. I'm from Seattle though so it's been kind of hard living in a state for the last 8 years where rain usually lasts ten minutes and then it's sunny again. When it rains here, we usually open our windows, dance outside on our porch or otherwise find a way to enjoy it. The other day I let Addie jump in a ginormous puddle repeatedly. She was so unsure of it but finally got used to it after a few times running, jumping, kicking and splashing through it. She's going to need to get used to the rain sooner or later because we do plan to eventually move back to Washington where it rains... a lot. So you know those people who always talk about the weather? I'm totally one of them. I love the changing seasons and could sit and watch it rain or snow for an hour. I'm pretty sure that my mom and grandpa influenced my love of all things weather related. I'm just like my mom. The best thing ever is watching it snow OR listening to the rain with the windows open. I'm just like my Grandpa Rengler too. He would always talk about the weather whenever I called to chat. I hope my kids think weather is cool someday too. Ha, ha!

Oh, and what do I do when it rains? I digital scrapbook... and my goal this year is to get caught up on the last 8 years we've been married. Okay, almost 8 years. It will be eight years in July. Wow! Where has the time gone? I still can't believe that we have 2 kids sometimes. One of them being 3 years old! Here's a page I made tonight... in 20 minutes. Need a list of pros and cons to digital scrapbooking. Let's chat. I'd love to convert any of you paper scrapbookers out there. :o)

Sweet Tweets Boutique

2010-11-11T08:15:00.000-08:00

I am participating in my very first boutique sale! I'm super excited and a little bit nervous at the same time. It is a bigger investment to put out a product at a boutique sale so I hope a few people like my stuff as much as I do. Ha, ha! The boutique is held at a model home in a new home development. I'm excited to see the home, but I'm sure it won't help my house/garage/yard envy at all. A few of my art prints will be available for purchase at the boutique for $13.99 which is the same price as on Overstock.com so it's a great deal. I'd love to see you there! Feel free to pass this information to your friends and family or share it on Facebok or your blog. The boutique is next week on Friday and Saturday. I hope to see you there!

For those of you who can't come... you can always check out my prints on Etsy or Overstock:

Link to Overstock.com Search for "Trendy Prints Graphic Art Prints"
Link to Trendy Prints Blog
Link to Trendy Prints Etsy Shop
Link to Trendy Prints Fan Page on Facebook

Addie Marie

2010-11-10T09:14:00.000-08:00

I love that Addelynn is shortened to Addie. I love it even more that she is two years old and so much fun right now. {said with the most sarcasm/love} This is all about Addie Marie:

I could just say that Addie is 2 and stop right there. I'm sure every mom in the world knows just how exciting toddlerhood can be. Addie is a super fun little girl. She has an amazing amount of energy and is pure girl. She loves to go outside and play on the playground, but really it is all about socializing with her friends. When I ask what her favorite part of nursery at church is, she usually mentions how much she loves her friends. She is going to be the teenage girl who is always on the phone or texting or whatever teenagers are doing ten years from now. I guess I should plan ahead now and just give in to the fact that we'll need an unlimited phone plan for her when she's older. She already pretends to call people on our old phones that she has inherited. She has been known to call grandma, grandpa, the Care Bears, Harry Potter, the Wiggles, Mickey Mouse and any other character she knows. The funny part is hearing her reply to them after long or short pauses. She really has quite the imagination. The lucky little girl now has two old cell phones of ours since I recently washed and dried my cell phone. At least my new phone was free! Addie is also currently potty training. That is so much fun. Ha, ha! I really thought she would never go poop in the potty. She always goes to her room and pretends to read a book while she is really concentrating on other things. Poor girl. She's not going to love me after reading this someday! Well, I caught her yesterday and we ran to the bathroom semi hopeful that she would take care of business in the potty this time instead of her undies. Finally! She did it. We did a happy dance and put her undies back on. She was pretty excited. I'm hoping it continues. After about a week she is down to just one accident a day which is really good compared to where we were at. Congratulations Addie Marie! The not so fun part in Addie's day has become the bedtime routine. She is in a scream fest right now every time we go to sing and pray before bedtime. We are trying the "get a sticker" approach but it's not really working like it did for the potty. We have finally resorted to leaving the room and letting her go crazy for a few minutes while we wait outside her closed door. Last night she calmed down and Aaron went in and finished the bedtime routine with her. She was sound asleep and slept all night. I hope it continues. She can't take a nap anymore because she'll stay up all night if we let her. It's super hard because she really still needs a nap, but it's such a struggle when bedtime comes that we're so done with it. "Addie Marie" is a common phrase now as she tests the limits and learns the boundaries in her little world. Cute girl. She is so much fun and drama all at the same time. You go girl!

Asher Boy

2010-11-10T08:58:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know... It has been about a million years since I posted anything to my blog. Life has been more than a little crazy as we all know it can get. So here is a quick summary of Asher:

Asher is growing like crazy despite having his first illness last month where we thought he had lost so much weight but actually hadn't according to his doctor stats. He had enterovirus which basically means lots of vomit and diarrhea in case you really wanted to know. I think I may have broken my washing machine from all of the blowout incidents we had to take care of multiple times a day and by that I mean at least 7 times a day. Now our washer makes a terrible grinding noise every time it fills up with water and starts to spin. You would think I would get smart and buy an extra sheet and matress cover for his crib, but I still haven't yet. It is on my wishlist for a future hopeful Amazon.com purchase though. Poor little guy. He finally got over that and now we all have colds. On top of that, he is getting his first tooth this week. He cries way more than I've ever heard him cry. He's clingy and super grumpy but we love him all the same. He's finally filling in after being so sick and I look forward to seeing how much he weighs at his doctor appointment this month. I love his chubby cheeks and thighs. Oh, did I mention that he is still army crawling? He can get up on his hands and knees but he is just so much faster when he drags himself across the floor. He has explored every nook and cranny of our house as much as I let him. His favorite place to sneak into is our computer desk. Silly Asher. You can't have every piece of paper that I'm printing for my business... but he's managed to sneak a few before I move him away. Distraction is not an option for this little guy right now. Asher's main goal in life is to find new things and eat them. He's such a good natured baby. He gets fussy when he is tired and that is usually the only time. He is always super hungry in the morning and can't wait to eat or drink. I live in fear for what our food budget is going to be in the teenage years. He is only 9 months old and already eats 3 meals a day plus snacks and his usual formula. That would explain why he is wearing 2T clothing! His hair is starting to fill in and get curly on the top and sides. It's super cute when I put a little gel in it. He also likes to play games now. He makes a grunting sound and then waits for you to look at him. Then he'll cough and smile. Then he'll cough again and smile. He thinks he's pretty funny. Addie is his best buddy. I love how she calls him "Asher Boy" all the time. I can see her get a little frustrated now that he is mobile. She has had to move most of her toys to the couch as a result, but sooner than later that won't be a safe zone either. Sorry girl. You're little brother is growing up. Way to go Asher!

Weather Forecast

2010-09-22T19:01:00.000-07:00

Never have I been more disappointed in the weather... I know I should be happy about this amazing forecast, but I was really hoping to have a nice, long extended fall season to spend outside loving the slightly cooler weather. However, it seems as if we have ourselves an Indian Summer where the sun just doesn't want to give way to fall. Oh, well. At least I'll have this forecast to look at in January when I'm just wishing to get above freezing temperatures! Ha, ha! I do love the fact that I can finally open my windows at night and get somewhat of a cool breeze blowing in instead of the air conditioning running day and night. We still get to go swimming on Saturdays and play outside in the park on most days. We better get a nice snowy winter after this though! C'mon... 3 feet of snow for Christmas? That would be awesome! {sorry to all of my friends who love the sun... I love the sun too... when I'm not too hot... and sweaty... ugh}

2010-09-22T18:50:00.000-07:00

My friend Stacie Hawley {amazing photographer by the way - so book her fast if you want fall pictures and live in Kentucky} is having a GIVEAWAY on her blog! Enter to win! You have until Sunday night to enter. Invite your friends to enter too. Find out who wins this coming Monday!

Trendy Prints giveaway at Stacie Hawley Photography - find out how to enter on the blog!!

http://www.staciehawleyphotography.com/blog

Overstock.com

2010-08-22T12:34:00.000-07:00

I know, I know... I'm writing yet another post about my little business I started a few months ago, but I had to let everyone officially know that my art prints are available on Overstock.com! I'm just a tad bit excited about this so if I tell you a billion times, sorry in advance! They went onsite this last Friday and I check my computer all the time to see if I have made my first sale. No, not yet... I have to be patient and realize that not only have they only been onsite for 48 hours, but they're located in a really different part of the site. I'm not sure if I have even looked there before because I would never guess there were more products for sale in the section titled "SEE MORE" because it is just so vague. All of the categories are straight forward... but my art prints are hidden in this category in yet another vague section called "MAIN STREET" which I never would have guessed had products that people like me have available. I can't complain that one of the top internet companies is now featuring my product, but I'm really hoping that someone out there searches for just the right thing to find it! Here is the LINK to my stuff on their site. I'm also looking for a few good friends (especially those of you who have an art print or have seen them in person) who would be willing to take the time to review my stuff on Overstock.com. You just have to create an account or sign in to your account and then click on one of my art prints to review it. I would really appreciate your help! I always look at reviews before making a purchase and the images that Overstock.com has up right now on their site are downgraded quite a bit in quality so it is hard to tell that you are getting a quality piece of art. I would review them myself, but somehow I don't think my opinion counts! Ha, ha! Thank you friends!

Community Yard Sale

2010-08-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

Hey friends, family, neighbors, and anyone else living within a relatively close proximity to our pleasant little grove of a town... we're having a community yard sale! Not only will there be the regular garage sale stuff... but also quite a few crafty things from our awesome neighbors. I will have a few of my art prints available for purchase at a huge discount! We're talking $5.00 a print people... which we know hardly pays for the tank of gas to go and get my art printed in the first place. Ha, ha! I know you're so excited to come out and see everything displayed so nicely in front of a somewhat beautiful swamp filled with cattails in front of our condo and townhome complex. Amazing, I tell you! Bring CASH! See you Saturday!

New Calendar!

2010-07-21T07:49:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest and greatest addition to my Etsy shop! I'm so excited because I love all things organization related and I have a few different prints coming out in the next little while that will coordinate with this calendar. It measures 20x16 inches so you can frame this calendar print and put it up on your wall in any room of your house - I am putting mine up in my dining room. I know that sounds kind of weird, but my dining room is the main hub in my home since we live in a condo. After you frame it behind glass, you can write on the glass with a vis-a-vis pen or a dry erase marker and use your calendar over and over. I love it!

I don't have a framed photo of this yet, but I'm working on getting one... but this is just an idea of how it would look with the dates filled in. I just printed one out last night and I absolutely love this calendar.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/trendyprints

Weekend Sale @ "Trendy Prints"

2010-07-09T23:09:00.000-07:00

Hello! I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm having a weekend sale with most of the art prints selling for $10. This is a limited time only... AND three featured art prints are only $7 right now. Check back often because the $7 deals will change periodically throughout the weekend. Feel free to tell all of your friends and family too. Is it time to decorate your space? I think so. Have fun!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/trendyprints

Trendy Prints Grand Opening

2010-07-09T06:56:00.000-07:00

I am officially announcing the opening of my online store "Trendy Prints" where you can purchase art prints for kids, babies, nurseries, preschools, play rooms and more! I specialize in graphic art prints with bright, vivid colors you can mix and match to coordinate with your room decor and add a punch of color to your walls. All prints measure 8x10 inches (vertical) so they are easy to frame. Be sure to check back often for new releases!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/trendyprints

Thanks for looking! Be sure to tell your family and friends too!

Pneumonia... really?

2010-07-01T13:09:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I got a really bad headache. It's been kind of an annoyance because I feel like I get headaches that last for quite a number of days frequently now. Then I started to get a cough the next week. I had four church meetings in a row last week so I was busy all day and evening. It must have put my body's immune system in overdrive because by the following Monday evening I was sick enough to go to the Instacare before spending yet another night tossing and turning while coughing in fitful sleep. After the doctor checked my breathing and took a couple of chest x-rays, I found out that I did indeed have pneumonia. Wow. That's really weird to get pneumonia in the summer when it's 95 degrees and sunny outside. Well, now I'm taking a wonderful dose of antibiotics that I'm trying really hard to keep in my body each day and using 2 daily inhalers to breathe. It's not fun and I hope I never get it again. I thought the flu was bad, but this is much worse. My neighbors have been great... bringing amazing meals and letting Addie come over to their homes for play dates since I'm pretty much stuck in bed or on the couch. I'm starting to feel better little by little, but I'm reminded of just how much my body is working each and every time I stand up to do anything. I guess that means I should be able to get a lot of blogging done in the next little while. Meanwhile... Addie is telling her doll that she is in timeout and that she did "a big no-no" - something that Addie has heard plenty of times from Mommy! Thank goodness my kids are alternating nap times today so I basically only have one child at a time!

Busy Summer

2010-06-16T07:05:00.000-07:00

It's been an interesting month so far. Addie has loved all the time we get to play outside after months of winter. Instead of our usual June heat, we have had more reasonable temperatures with some rainy days too. May ended the month with a snowy day so we have seen quite the variety of weather here in unpredictable Utah. Addie loves using her sidewalk chalk on our porch. I love that it keeps her busy and that the rain washes it away for us! Asher loves his swing. If he is ever super fussy (which is pretty rare these days) we just put him in his swing with a cuddly toy and binky... then he's one happy boy! He is a blanket baby through and through which makes Daddy proud too. This random picture of the clouds was taken from my front patio one day. I know... random... but the cool part is that the sky was literally cut in half with stormy clouds and rain on one side and sunny skies on the other side. We always joke about living in the most pleasant city because the rain and snow often passes around our little city so here is the proof!

Addie has spent a considerable amount of time in the pool already. We went again last night and I love how much sleep she gets after a good swim! 7:30 wakeup baby! She is like a little fish in the pool as long as she has her life jacket swimming suit on. She has even been seen wearing additional water wings and a swim ring around her waist. Hilarious and adorable! Asher loves the water once he gets used to the temperature. I think it's a little shocking to be dunked into a pool that is slightly cooler than comfortable at first. He mellows out pretty quickly though and floats around with Mommy or Daddy in his little pool float complete with canopy. Of course, this picture just shows him after swimming in his awesome swim trunks and rash guard that a good friend gave as a gift to us when we adopted Asher. Love it!

Addie and Asher spend lots of time together. Addie still adores him and Asher still puts up with her. Actually, Asher is quite fond of Addie too. He watches her every move when she is in the same room. It must be some good entertainment because it certainly keeps him busy. She loves to give him toys even though he doesn't really play with them yet. Asher's newest skill: rolling over... well, he hasn't quite gotten the hang of it yet but he has rolled over a few times and is working on that coordination.

Oh yeah... Asher had his 4 month checkup at the doctor yesterday. Who's the big boy? Asher certainly is! Wowzers... he now weighs 18 pounds 9 ounces which means you won't find a child bigger than him his age since he is above the 97th percentile. His length is 26 1/2 inches which puts him in the 95th percentile. His head is also finally catching up to his body now at 43 cm in the 75th percentile. Boy oh boy! Basically he's as big as the average 12 month old which would explain why he wears 12 month clothes already. I thought Addie was a big girl, but Asher has her stats beat by a long shot. So we have already used newborn, 3 month, 6 month and 9 month clothes and are on to 12 month clothes in just 4 months. Hopefully he'll slow down at some point and his clothing will get more than a month of use! Ha!

Just Keep Swimming

2010-05-24T21:21:00.000-07:00

I feel like we have been so incredibly busy this last month. I can't recall everything that we have been doing, but it has just been busy. We did sneak a trip in to visit our families in Washington over a weekend a couple of weeks ago. It was way too short, but it was nice to have everyone meet our son, Asher. We also came home with a hand-me-down car. It was a long 20 hour ride in the car with our heads touching the ceiling and knees to the dashboard with 2 carseats in the back seat... but you can't complain too much about inheriting a Jaguar from your inlaws! Now we just have to figure out how to afford the insurance and gas. Fun!

Life has been busy keeping up with Addie and Asher. They are really cute together. Asher absolutely adores Addie. He always watches her wherever she is. He is talking a lot now with his little coos and squeals, though he still likes to be an observer most of the time. The cutest thing is his sympathy cry that he lets out when he hears Addie cry. He also keeps getting bigger and bigger. Addie is getting used to the fact that she will always have a little brother now. She is more calm around him and doesn't smother him with hugs and kisses quite as much anymore. She tries to play with him all the time now though. She was pretending to feed him plastic food from the kitchen today and then she put her baby dolls to sleep next to him while he was laying on the floor wide awake. I'm glad he is still patient with her. We'll see how long that lasts!

Aaron has officially graduated from Utah Valley University. Yahoo! Good job honey! He is taking one class this summer which is kind of sad because it would have been nice to get a break. He starts his MBA program at UVU in the fall so we have another busy couple of years ahead of us. Then we're done with school and we can finally move back to Washington! Well, we'll move to wherever he finds a job that pays well. We hope to live near our families though. Until then we will continue learning how to live in Utah where it snows in May! Ha, ha! The best part about the inch of snow today is that it melted by the afternoon. Did I mention that my face is peeling from the sunburn I got last week? Ha!

Number Art Prints

2010-04-29T14:58:00.000-07:00

Here are the latest and greatest Number Art Prints available for purchase from Trendy Prints on Etsy:

Trendy Prints Etsy Shop Additions

2010-04-27T14:29:00.000-07:00

Okay friends and family... I just had to make a few more art prints with a little more color. I love making stuff so if you have any requests, be sure to let me know. All of the prints online are 8x10 size pictures selling for $12.00, but anyone who lives locally that wants to pick up a print from me personally can get the 8x10 for only $10.00 and a larger 16x20 size for $18.00! What a deal... I personally think the larger print is better and it's not available online. Here's a peek at my new favorite Alphabet and Numbers Art Prints:

Trendy Prints Etsy Shop

2010-04-26T23:14:00.000-07:00

I finally decided to create an etsy shop. I'm starting small and just putting up some of my ideas for digital design. I know tons of people who can do what I do, but I thought it was worth a shot to pay back some of our debt from adoption costs. I like designing stuff so hopefully someone out there will like what I make and actually purchase it. It's a little daunting when there's about a million items available for purchase on etsy. Let me know what you think. Do you like these art prints? It's super simple considering my usual overly crafty way of doing things. Don't worry... I'll continually add more as I spend so many wonderful nights up with my darling little guy! Ha, ha! Here's a sample... and don't forget to look me up HERE.

A Little Early

2010-04-20T12:38:00.000-07:00

This is a little early, I know... but it is so hard to find cute baby clothes in white for our temple sealing day - in four months! I decided to go ahead and get Addie an outfit that she can wear afterwards too so what could be better than a skirt and top that could become part of her regular wardrobe by mixing and matching it with other pieces of clothing! Now I just have to decide which shirt looks better with the skirt... and the tank top would have a white shirt underneath too.

I still need to find something for Asher. I'm not a fan of the mini tuxedo look at all. I love this plain white onesie from the Gap, but I would have to take the stitched bear off. Does anyone know if this is possible to do without ruining the shirt? Then I would just have to get some white pants to go with it. I'm thinking that I may just have to make them. I might even try to make some white cargo pants made out of jean material or something. Would it be bad if I altered a pair of girl jeans in white to make them look boyish? Decisions... it's a good thing I have a few more months! Plus Asher is growing so fast that I have no idea what size he will be... so how could I even possibly plan ahead?

A Rug for My Little Guy

2010-04-12T11:52:00.000-07:00

This is the rug that I have wanted for our baby boy room since last year. We strolled through IKEA one day and I fell in love with it. Now we have a boy and I think it is absolutely necessary to get this awesome rug. I just have to convince my husband first! Don't you think it's perfect for playing cars on?

Monkey Pajamas and More...

2010-04-06T16:09:00.000-07:00

Easter Egg Hunt

2010-04-05T08:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T12:22:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Addie

2010-03-29T10:18:00.001-07:00

A Few Asher Pages

2010-03-27T07:03:00.000-07:00

Random Scrapbook Pages

2010-03-26T13:32:00.000-07:00

Time Flies When You Have a Toddler and a Baby

2010-03-24T08:59:00.000-07:00

It has been one busy month with my two little kids. Asher is growing like crazy because he is basically eating twice as much as he should. Now I understand the meaning of "Eat you out of house and home." Let's just say that our formula costs are quite amazing. This kid can chow it down. He will be 6 whopping weeks old this week but he looks a lot bigger than that. We had to retire our newborn clothing and move up to 3-6 month clothing already. He's a lot like his big sister in that sense because she has always worn twice her size compared to her age. Addie is almost 2 years old and wears a 3T-4T. I love my big little kids.

Asher is getting quite the personality. I love listening to him coo when he's awake, laugh when he's falling asleep and sigh when he's dreaming. I fall in love with him more and more every day. He has an awesome dimple in his left cheek. His hair is slowly getting longer (mostly in the back). It has a cute curl when it's wet, but straightens again when it dries. He is getting a double chin and a big belly with rolls forming nicely on his legs and arms. He's going to be quite a hunk when he's older... but of course I think I have the cutest kids ever... just like every mom!

Addie is almost an official toddler. Her birthday is next week. We had to delay her birthday party because we keep getting sick at our house. It's Aaron's turn to fight a fever today and I'm crossing my fingers that I don't get it next. Addie was so sick on Saturday. She spent the entire day on the couch or in bed. By the next morning though she was back to her old self and getting into all kinds of mischief. That's my girl... she's a little stinker. She is testing all of the limits right now so we are working on making choices and setting expectations. She's a spunky little girl and I love her to pieces. She has quite the imagination right now. She loves to play with her dolls, puzzles, books, blocks and anything else she can get her hands on. I love watching her color pictures and write scribbles for her name. She copies everything we say so it's not uncommon to hear her repeating us word for word right after we talk. She is also taking after me when I was a little girl because her phrases usually include "ME TOO" with anything and everything she wants. If you're lucky, you can sometimes hear her belt out a cute Addie version of the jazz song "Summertime."

Aaron is busy with work and school. I'm busy with kids and keeping the house clean. We sleep whenever possible to make up for our 2 hour of sleep nights that seem to be so frequent. We can't wait for the day when we feel human again and get a full night of sleep and regular showers. I love having my little guy... but it sure is a lot of work right now. It's a good thing he's so worth it! Is it nap time yet?

Busy, Busy, Busy

2010-03-17T08:39:00.001-07:00

Rock Band Girl

2010-03-03T15:16:00.000-08:00

My girl loves Rock Band. It's hilarous! She gets so excited for Daddy to come home so they can play together. I have to admit that the new baby has limited their time playing considerably but Addie still loves to pull out the guitar every single day. Sometimes she pretends to play along with the Imagination Movers which happens to be one of her favorite TV shows right now. Yes, my child watches the Disney Channel. She loves it. Her other favorites: Little Einstein, Hannah Montana and Jonas Brothers. Too much for a 2-year-old? Not all when you have a newborn!

More Pictures

2010-02-28T19:22:00.000-08:00

Our BIG Little Boy

2010-02-27T13:35:00.000-08:00

Asher had his 2 week checkup yesterday and everything is looking good. He is getting to be quite the chunky baby considering that he was only 7 pounds 9 ounces at birth and now he is already 8 pounds 12 ounces! This boy can eat! He started drinking 4 ounces at a time just a few days after birth and basically hasn't stopped since. He wakes up usually every 3-4 hours to guzzle down a bottle and then sleeps the rest of the time in between. Addie likes to be my helper when I feed him. She sits on my lap and holds the bottle. Then she helps pat his back when I burp him. Finally, she brings to empty bottle to the kitchen and throws it in the sink. Cute girl! She loves him lots and lots. She even gives big wet kisses like he does now with lots of slobber included free of charge. Everyone has been asking for pictures so here are a few...

Official Announcement and Baby Shower

2010-02-25T12:10:00.000-08:00

One Week Old

2010-02-19T12:22:00.000-08:00

My little guy is one week old already and I can't believe it! He's such a good little baby. He's a little piggy - eating four ounces of formula at a time already. That's good though because it also means that I only have to get up once during the night to feed him. I go to bed early. Aaron feeds Asher at 10pm. I get up at 2am for his night feeding and again at 6am. Sleeping baby = happy mommy. I just hope it stays that way because I'm a girl who needs her sleep. Addie is adjusting well so far. We have had our moments where she has tested her limits, but our new thing is having her go to her room for a minute to calm down. It totally works. I just tell her what I expect and if she doesn't do it, then she needs to take a break in her room. Oddly enough, she is quite obedient in doing just that. She walks or runs in there, stands for a minute and then comes out again saying, "Sorry Mommy." It is so sweet. We hug and talk about it and then she plays again. I'm sure it won't last for long since she is just about to turn 2, but I'll take it for now. Addie absolutely adores Asher. She copies everything I say to him right now. The morning time is the cutest because she has to go see the baby first thing. She says, "Hi buddy!" OR "Hey baby!" She gives him lots of lingering kisses on the cheeks or head. He squirms a little and she does it again. Pretty funny. Did I mention that he has at least one dimple? It's in his left cheek. Absolute cuteness. I love my hunk!

The Best Weekend Ever!

2010-02-13T17:38:00.000-08:00

What a difference two weeks can make... we got a call from our agency yesterday with the news that a baby born had just been born. The birth mom flew in earlier this week and an adoptive couple hadn't been picked yet. She went into labor on Friday night and called her caseworker in the morning when she was having contractions every 10 minutes. Luckily they made it to the hospital by 7am because our little guy was born not even an hour later! When our agency called me, I had just dropped Aaron off at work and was headed into Walmart to do some grocery shopping before going back home. Chris told me all about the situation and asked if we would be interested in adopting the baby boy. I said, "Of course!" It wasn't even a question because we had already decided that any good situation would work for us... and we wanted a boy! Then Chris told me that we were picked by the agency and this boy was ours! I was completely shocked and not really sure how to respond other than quite a bit of disbelief at that point. It was also difficult to get emotionally invested in the situation after everything we had just been through. After getting off the phone, I walked out of Walmart without getting anything and went back to Provo to pick Aaron up from work. We contacted our parents in between phone calls with each other and made arrangements for our cousins to watch Addie while we went to the hospital. We met the birth mom and talked with her for a little while about how grateful we were for being able to adopt this baby boy. She was really tired and a little bit shy but it was really good to meet her. We spent about five hours with Asher in the nursery because all of the hospital rooms were full so we had to wait for one to open up. The nurses were really nice and accommodating. There was also a little girl in the nursery being adopted at the same time. Eventually we had to leave in order to get all of our paperwork filled out. We came home and grabbed some food. Then I left Aaron and Addie at home to get ready for bed so that I could go out and run some more errands. I got the birth mom a necklace and earrings with the baby's birthstone in it. Then I ran to Target (my favorite place) to get some coloring books, crayons, board books, small toys and snacks to make a gift bag for the birth mom's other two kids who are 2 and 3 years old. I came home exhausted and mentally drained, but I had to spend the next couple of hours cleaning my house, folding laundry and mopping floors because I just couldn't bring a baby home to a messy house. We were in bed by midnight and up again not too many hours later because of nervousness and excitement all wrapped together. We picked up donuts on our way to our cousin's house again, dropped Addie off to play and were back at the hospital to hold our little guy until we signed paperwork around 10:00 this morning. It was a little stressful not knowing if everything would work out, but it was just fine. A huge weight was lifted as soon as I knew he was ours for good. I cannot even express how grateful we are to his birth mom for her willingness to place her baby in our family. She is a strong person with a huge amount of courage and faith. We hope her family continues to be blessed as ours has been even through difficult times. After signing paperwork, we rushed over to pick up Addie who fell asleep as soon as the car started rolling. Then we were off to meet our attorney to give him the initial paperwork to get the ball rolling as quickly as possible. He is a great man who counseled us during our last adoption that ended up falling through. Then we picked up lunch and went back to the hospital so Addie could meet her baby brother. She was kind of worried and upset about being there at first because she probably thought she was getting shots or something painful that doctors always seem to have up their sleeves. It didn't take her very long to warm up to Asher though and she quickly decided that he was her baby and belonged in her lap. We cuddled and tried to get pictures. I think that is going to be an impossible task so who knows when we'll get a good family picture! She gave him about a million kisses. Then the hospital photographer showed up ready to take pictures which we just had to purchase. Hopefully one of the pictures caught his left cheek dimple. I'm pretty fond of dimples myself! Addie helped me feed Asher a bottle. We sang some songs to him. The nurse came in and took vitals. I changed Asher's diaper while Aaron changed Addie's diaper. We tried to get the TV to work to keep Addie entertained a little longer but she was getting pretty fussy after these two long days away from home. We finally packed up and headed home late this afternoon. Asher was fast asleep after chugging down a bottle. He was the only baby in the nursery so I'm sure he'll be a happy camper tonight. I'm pretty much going nuts that I'm not there with Asher tonight but I'll have plenty of nights in the future to snuggle him. We stopped at Costco on the way home to pick up diapers, baby wipes and formula. Addie went to bed an hour early and now we are trying to get everything ready for the big day when we bring him home with us tomorrow! Did I mention that Aaron is playing Super Mario Brothers on the Wii? Yeah, that's his way of destressing. Mine you ask? I clean the house of course! Remember how I mentioned that I stayed up till midnight last night mopping floors? I feel so much better. I think I'll go do the dishes now! Yay us! We have a baby boy!

Name: James Asher (we love this name and had to have it for our boy)

Weight: 7 pounds 9 ounces (with lots of skin to fill up with chubbiness)

Height: 19 inches long (with incredibly long fingers and toes)

The Longest Weekend in the World

2010-02-03T08:24:00.000-08:00

Our adoption out in South Carolina didn't go as planned. We ended up losing a lot of money out of it and it was also difficult emotionally. Right now our family is just trying to recover from everything and get on with our lives. We don't know if or when we'll be able to adopt again because of this experience. Here's the story:

We made plans to travel out to South Carolina on Friday after the birth mom signed the consent papers to adopt which meant that all of her rights were signed over. We flew out and met our attorney at the hospital so we could see the baby boy. We held him in the nursery for a while, took pictures and then went to spend the night at our hotel. The plans were to pick him up from the hospital on Saturday afternoon. We got a call around midnight from our attorney saying that the birth mom had changed her mind and wanted to keep the baby. She felt she had been coerced into signing the papers. She moved rooms so our attorney could not have any contact with her after that.

We waited all the next day to find out if the baby would be released to us. Our attorney started working on our paperwork but didn't really get anything done because it was the weekend. The birth mom and baby stayed in the hospital on Sunday as well. In the meantime, our attorney decided that this case was more than she anticipated so she started charging us a lot more than we expected even though technically all of her paperwork would have been the same whether or not the birth mom changed her mind. We started to worry about her real intentions and about her work ethic but decided to give it one more day so we would have a chance to go to court the next day.

Monday came and we still did not have an opportunity to go to court. Our attorney had not scheduled a time for anything and said we would just get an emergency hearing. That did not happen of course. The judge said the case could wait a few more days. Unfortunately, the hospital lawyer decided that if we didn't get into court then the baby would be released to the birth mom on Tuesday. We didn't have any choice but to end the situation because once the birth mom had the baby at home it would be really difficult and expensive to get the baby back.

We contacted the hospital lawyer and an arrangement was made on our behalf to meet the birth mother to talk with her and also so I could hold the baby one more time. We met at 8:30 on Monday night at the hospital. We told the birth mom that we never wanted to have the adoption become a hostile situation and we only wanted what was best for the baby. I held the baby and told him how much we would always love him. I asked the birth mom if I could give her a hug. We embraced and cried for awhile. We gave her a couple of outfits, diapers and baby wipes for her to use. It was the most difficult thing I have ever done and I never want to go through that again. A hospital representative walked out with us and told me that was the most respectful thing she has ever witnessed. I broke down crying and we left.

I honestly believe that the baby would have had a much better home and life with us. We will always love him and wish he could be in our family. We are disappointed in how our attorney handled the entire case. She delayed so many things in the process that even if we were able to come home with the baby in the end it would have been way beyond our ability to pay and our time out of state would have been extremely long. It was not a good experience but in the end we had to think of our family and what was best for us as well.

We are home now and catching up on sleep. Addie and I plan on wearing our jammies day and night as we spend our time resting and watching the Disney channel. It was a really overwhelming experience for her. She still asks about the baby. Some people say she is too young to understand, but we know that she feels a loss just like us. The most precious experience I will remember is when she kissed the baby as we said goodbye.

We still hope we can adopt again someday but we have no idea when we will be able to afford it again. It is so expensive and there is always a risk involved. I just can't imagine the possibility of losing what we have lost already over again. We hope and pray that our little boy will come to us sooner than later because I can't imagine a life without him.

Just an Update

2010-01-26T07:36:00.000-08:00

We heard back from our attorney last night and the birth mom is still in the hospital. She is expected to deliver on Wednesday if everything goes well. I was a nervous wreck all day yesterday and got absolutely nothing done. I think all the stress of everything was just starting to get to me a little bit. I was so relieved to get the call last night that everything was still progressing smoothly. Hopefully we'll be on a plane by Thursday, in court by Friday and home again a week after that! Thank you to everyone for all of your support and prayers on our behalf. We have the most wonderful family and friends! We'll be sure to keep you posted on any news we have!

What a Weekend

2010-01-25T09:48:00.000-08:00

First of all, we found out that the birth mom last week with our adoption agency didn't pick us. We were completely fine with that because it happens and our turn will come too. So the plan was to be presented to the next birth mother today, which is Monday. Instead, I got a call from my friend Stacy who told me about another person who posted on our adoption forum about a baby boy that needed to be placed. I emailed right away to get in touch with the lawyer so we could find out more information. I was so nervous the whole night because we didn't hear anything until the next morning of course. Kathy called me and we talked about everything for a minute and then she referred me to Bonnie (who is the attorney). I called Bonnie and we started talking. It was a really crazy day with a few phone calls that made us worry about whether or not the situation would work for us. Finally, the birth mom decided that she wanted our family to adopt because we already have an african american child. Hooray! I was am so excited and completely nervous at the same time. There are so many unknowns in the situation so it is really difficult to take it all in. For now we are just taking it all one step at a time and hoping that everything continues to fall into place. Adoption is quite the journey but it is worth everything in the end. The last update we have is that the birth mom is in the hospital resting. The baby's lungs are not quite developed yet so the doctors think he may be a few weeks early right now. They gave the birth mom steriod shots to help with that and now we are just waiting. We'll fly out to South Carolina as soon as the baby is born and the birth mom signs paperwork. I can feel the wrinkles forming as I type this! I think I'll go have another brownie now. That should help with the stress right?

The Waiting Game

2010-01-21T21:13:00.000-08:00

So we are just waiting to hear back from our agency if we are the one (out of five couples) to be picked as the adoptive family. We are actually more excited to hear about the situation we would be presented to next if we don't get picked for the first. Confusing, I know... but we feel really good about the second birth mom even though we really know nothing about it. It's just that the birth moms are matched in order and we have a choice to have our profile shown to them as they come up or pass on it and wait for the next one. We really can't pass up any situation where the baby and mom are both healthy. Our previous adoption was completely different because the agency picked us for the birth mom. The only thing we had to worry about was whether or not the birth mother actually went through with the adoption and we came home with our baby. Now I'm not so concerned about being picked as much as having to wait to find out each time we are presented. It is a really strange feeling and my stomach is in knots all the time. I can hardly eat or sleep so I hope this passes quickly for us and we are matched with a birth mom really soon! Then I can deal with the next level of anxiety - waiting for the big day when baby arrives! Ha, ha! Then there is the 24 hour waiting period before the birth mom signs papers to let us adopt the baby. Good thing I'm not thirty yet because all this stress is making me feel like it already! The other positive point is that I'm getting tons of projects done. The baby room should be ready after this weekend and we have just about everything we need for the new baby boy or girl whenever he or she decides to make his or her presence known. I need sleep.

Painting Up a Storm!

2010-01-18T21:55:00.000-08:00

I spent another entire day painting and we now have a mississippi mud baby room. Tired. Done. I'll take the tape off, caulk around the window, reinstall the blinds, put up curtains, shampoo carpets, move furniture back in, install closet shelves, put away baby stuff... tomorrow!

Room for Another Baby

2010-01-17T21:10:00.000-08:00

The answer is yes. We are making plans to adopt again and hopefully in the next few months. We would love it even more if it happens when we are hoping and expecting it to (like as in a specific day in March). The difficult part about it is that I'm not actually the one that is having a baby so everything from now until then completely depends on the decision of a birth mother who we will be fervently praying for. We are sending in a truckload of paperwork to A Guardian Angel adoption agency with whom we have complete confidence in helping us pursue our dreams of bringing home another baby. It is not the typical way most families have kids. Our family gets the more exciting and dramatic adventure with a designer price tag. Yeah we could invest in a house, a new car or go on vacations like we would love to... but we really just want to have another baby and will do whatever it takes to make it happen. We have a really good situation coming up that we hope will work out, but many of my friends who have adopted kids know too well the realities of adoption and how everything can change unexpectedly. We hope and pray that everything goes smoothly and without incident. At the same time, I'm trying not to invest too much of myself into it just in case it doesn't work out. Trying to maintain the balance of hope could be compared to the emotions of a pregnant person so I guess it has its similarities in that sense. My poor husband! Meanwhile, I'm keeping myself busy by working on another book (that I'm illustrating myself), painting the baby room a dark tan or light brown (depending on how you describe it) and working out on the treadmill (thank goodness it is finally replaced at the clubhouse). We talk with Addie about bringing home a baby all the time so she kind of has an idea that sometime in the future a baby will actually be a permanent thing in our home. She gets pretty confused when we watch someone's kids for a few hours and then they go home. She usually remains grumpy about it and keeps asking for the baby to come back so hopefully that is a good sign that she wants a baby too! I love my girl. Aaron is secretly hoping for another girl so he can say, "I love my girls."

Making Another Book

2010-01-11T19:47:00.000-08:00

I'm starting another project... I know, I haven't even finished the first one yet! BUT, Aaron is determined to finish the illustrations now that he is done with the GMAT (he took it on Saturday) so I have time to work on something else while he finishes that. Anyways... I was playing with Addie today (who is getting so stinkin' smart now) and decided to use my leftover letter stickers to make an alphabet book for her. It turned out really cute and gave me the great idea of making another alphabet book. I must have a thing for ABC books because I always have a million ideas for them. So I'm working on yet another one of my ideas and hopefully I'll get it done before Aaron does and then we'll have 2 books in print. I'll let you know when it's done of course, but don't get too antsy waiting or anything. I still have a stack of burp cloths on my kitchen table to sew, a bedroom to paint, curtains to make, etc. Ha, ha! So little time... too many things I just want to make!

The Princess and the Frog Movie

2010-01-09T20:02:00.000-08:00

We finally went to see "The Princess and the Frog" with Addie. She has only been to the movies once before so we were a little concerned about how she would handle sitting through an entire movie in the theater, especially when she started out a little wiggly before it even began! Aaron walked around with her until the previews started and then she clinged to us like glue. She was a little nervous about some of the previews and she kept going back and forth taking turns cuddling Mommy and Daddy. I think she had to get used to the noisy and dark theater too. Once the movie started, she calmed down and stayed put in my lap for the first third of the movie. That was the best part! Then she became interested in the popcorn and root beer so that kept her busy for a little while. Finally she started getting a little wiggly toward the end of the movie and started playing with her shoe, singing the alphabet song and waving to the girls behind her (who had previously handed her popcorn at the beginning of the movie too). The end of the movie grabbed her attention and she gave a great big "WOW!" Adorable, I know... and the movie was great too, but mostly I was just happy to see my little girl enjoy herself.

Singing and Counting

2010-01-08T22:45:00.000-08:00

Addie is officially singing her ABCs and counting from 1-10. I consider it official because she spent nearly an hour singing her ABCs in bed before falling asleep one night mixed in with a few other random tidbits she inserted into the song... like saying a prayer in the middle and then picking right back up where she left off and finishing the alphabet song. She also counted from 1-10 at least thirty times today. I think she likes to show us how smart she is! Of course, we tend to think everything she does is adorable and amazing because we're her parents... but I also have a ton of people constantly commenting on how cute she is all the time. Friday is usually my day to get everything done so we were busy running around town today. Addie entertained everyone she could with her newly acquired mastery of her songs and counting. Me however - I'm kind of ready for something different. What should I teach her next? We're working on "Summertime." Maybe she'll grow up and be a jazz singer! Ha, ha! She sure likes to sing.

No Bon Bons Here

2010-01-05T20:47:00.000-08:00

So I was following my routine of eating dinner when Aaron gets home from work, giving Addie a bath, saying bedtime prayers and putting Addie to bed... followed by changing into workout clothes and going over to our clubhouse to exercise. I usually bring a DVD of some sort to watch, but tonight I turned the TV on and lo and behold... the Biggest Loser Premiere was on! This is probably the first time ever I have seen that show while working out. I admit that I've seen it a few times before and most of the time I was laying on the couch after a long day. I'm kind of proud of the fact that I was actually not feeling guilty while watching it this time! Ha, ha! I guess I have something to look forward to on Tuesday evenings from now on instead of bringing an old movie I've seen a few times before. Good times. Less Guilt. No bon bons.

Hoping to Adopt Again

2010-01-03T18:33:00.000-08:00

We are hoping to be able to add a family member to our trio in the near future. Addie is growing up way too fast and she loves babies like crazy. Those are good reasons, right! I'm thinking that she'll be a very good big sister... at least as soon as she gets over the jealousy part that will surely come when a baby is actually here for good. We talk about having a little brother or sister and she always agrees that she wants a baby too. The baby room is ready as soon as we apply a fresh coat of paint and finish painting the baseboards (a never ending task in our home). A friend let me watch her 1-month-old baby the other day and it was a good reminder of how much work a newborn can be, but it is all so worth it. Addie was so sweet with him and wanted to be close to him the whole time he was here. She read books and sang songs to him. It was really cute. She was quite disappointed when she woke up from her nap and he had gone home with his mom. She kept checking the crib and asking for the baby saying, "Where'd the baby go?" Feel free to let your family and friends know that we are hoping to adopt. Here are our adoption profiles:

My Baby is Growing

2010-01-02T06:15:00.000-08:00

I really can't believe it but Addie is growing out of all of her clothes. I knew this was inevitable but I didn't want to admit it. I'm just like every other mom out there who can't wait to see their baby do such amazing things as they learn and grow... BUT at the same time, I don't want to see her grow out of her baby-ness! I miss the little newborn who would sleep for hours all wrapped up in her blanket... BUT I do love that she now sleeps roughly 12 hours straight at night in her big girl bed! We finally caved in and went shopping to get our growing baby some new big girl clothes. She is now wearing 3T shirts and 2T pants, but we bought bigger pants now because you really can't pass up the 60 percent off deals in the stores. I'm just saying... $2.68 for some leggings and $4.98 for pants! We're all set until she hits another major growth spurt... EXCEPT we'll have to get some new shoes really soon too. She's worth every penny though... AND she looks pretty darn cute in her new outfits!

Digital Scrapbooking from DCWV

2010-01-01T17:54:00.000-08:00

My favorite scrapbook company has finally created a digital line of products! Hooray! I'm so incredibly excited and can't wait to pick out what to get for my next digital purchase. I highly recommend this company and their products. They always have the latest and greatest designs! These are some things I love about digital scrapbooking:

You can use a product over and over again - instead of buying paper and running out!
You never have to worry about going to the store to buy supplies - instant downloads!
You can change the size or color of any image to make it fit your needs - so fun and easy!
You don't have to store a bunch of scrapbook supplies - storage space is precious!
You never have to use a paper cutter - perfectly straight lines every single time!
You can start and stop a project at any time without all the mess - toddler safe!
You can send your files to be printed at Costco and pick them up in an hour - efficient!

Resolutions for the New Year

2009-12-31T12:13:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again when everyone decides to start exercising and lose weight along with a million other lofty goals. I admit that I'm one of those people. This year I decided to start early so I began an exercise routine as soon as I could after recovering from carpal tunnel surgery. I have already been able to shed a few pounds! My other goals for the year are much more simple though. I also reserve the right to edit, modify, change, eliminate, etc... any/and/or/all of my goals to make myself feel good at the end of the year!

Read more books just for fun because I have a bookshelf full to read now!
Follow a daily schedule/routine so I can get everything done with time to play!
Make one scrapbook page every single day which would be 350+ pages!

I Love Snow!

2009-12-30T12:55:00.000-08:00

Have I ever mentioned how much I love the snow? I can sit and watch the snow for hours and hours. I think I get my love of snow from my mom, but I'm also passing it on to my daughter as well. Addie couldn't wait to get outside today to see the snow. She kept looking out the window and saying "snow" over and over until we finally got bundled up and headed out to play. We went for a walk to take advantage of our trip outside and dropped some stuff off at a couple of places. We took a detour on our way home to stop and look at the ducks and geese in the pond and Addie had to swing on the big toys for a few minutes before finally being coaxed back toward our condo. Then we shoveled snow from the porch and sidewalks for a little bit. Addie was a great helper and actually cleared some snow with a few grunts from all the work. Then we chased each other around in the snow for awhile. I was finally getting cold and was ready to go inside to get warm so we came in with a promise of a "treat" for Addie! She kept trying to get her snow clothes on so she could go outside again. I'm going to have to hide them before she wakes up from her nap. I think we need a sled. We'll have to ask Daddy when he gets home from work!