Boys will be boys

Monthly post!!

2010-05-19T13:25:00.005-06:00

Well, it's been over a month again. I just can't figure out a way to get myself to do it more often. We haven't really had anything exciting going on lately. The boys keep us on our toes all the time. Logan is loving this warm weather we've been having. He's constantly begging us to put his "shoe shoes" on and take him outside. He loves to play ball and ride his bike. We're in the process of hopefully buying our first home so hopefully it works out...I'll definitely keep you all posted with the details when we know more. We're really excited about it because we will finally have a real backyard that Logan can go play without me having to watch his every move. Where we live right now just has a little patio in the back and the front is pretty much a parking lot. So whenever Logan is outside I have to be right there with him making sure he doesn't run in the road. A backyard will be nice!! Liam just keeps getting bigger. I wish I could say he was sleeping through the night now, but unfortunately he's not. He seems to getting worse with his sleeping habits instead of better. We might just have to start him on cereal soon!! His favorite thing is to be standing. If you are holding him while sitting on the couch he gets mad if you sit him down, but as soon as he's standing he's all smiles! And he loves his big brother. You should see the smiles Logan gets out of him. I wish I would have had the video camera last night. Liam was sitting in his bouncy chair and Logan came over and starting bouncing him, Liam thought it was hilarious...just giggled away! They're so much fun! Anyway, what's a post without pictures??

Remember these?? I made these kimono jammies for Logan and now it's Liam's turn! This is him just over 4 months old.

And this is Logan just over 3 months old. Look at the difference, Logan was a chunk!!

I just thought these pictures were funny. These were taken last week sometime. I don't remember what show we were watching but Logan thought it was pretty funny. This is him doing his fake laugh.

And here he is clapping at something that was happening on the TV.

We got family pictures taken while we were in Salt Lake for my brothers wedding. Our photographer was Amy Twitty. We love how they turned out. You can see her work HERE
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Catch up!

2010-04-22T12:08:00.009-06:00

I really need to get better at blogging, but for now it seems like monthly posts is all I can get around to. We've had a busy last few weeks with visits from family, a trip up north for Liam's baby blessing, along with cousin Ava, and my brother's wedding. It was nice to have Joe up there with us this time. We were able to stay for about a week and it was a fun little getaway! Other than that, Liam is now smiling and laughing like crazy...he's starting to get a little personality. He's very ticklish, just like his brother. Logan's still loving his baby brother. He's always wanting to hold him and give him kisses. He's such a big helper, always bringing me diapers for Liam or getting his carseat when we're ready to go somewhere. He now walks around the house all day yelling, "MOM!!" I love it!! It's hard to imagine our lives without our 2 boys.

Here are some of the pictures we got of Liam in February, sorry it's taken so long to put them on here!

My sister and I found a park that the kids love. Logan has so much fun going down the slide all by himself.

Smiling time!!

My handsome boys in their Easter outfits.

Birthday buddy cousins, Liam and Ava.

The wedding day!!

Trip to Salt Lake and more...

2010-03-09T11:03:00.005-07:00

It's been a while since I posted something new on here so I thought I'd give a little update. A couple weeks ago we decided to go to Salt Lake with my mom. It was a nice change of scenery. While we were up there my sister's friend took some pictures of Liam. They turned out really cute. I'll put some on when I get the edited ones back. Logan had a lot of fun with all the kids. He really likes my little sister Hannah. She took him on his first ride on a wiggle car and he loved it! We got to meet my sisters baby girl, Ava, for the first time. She was born the same day as Liam so they are birthday buddies!! Liam's getting really big, he's starting to smile a little bit but I haven't been able to catch it on camera yet. He holds his head up really well and is really good at focusing on people. Logan's starting to love him more every day. He even wants to hold him sometimes and is constantly giving him loves. He's also starting to say more words. He's got such a funny little personality!

Riding the wiggle car with Hannah.

This was Logan's favorite spot. He was always sitting there waiting for snacks.

Grandma with Ava and Liam.

Cole got these new binkies and was walking around like this!

Sleeping boy

Logan fell asleep holding Joe's phone the other day. He loves cell phones!

I just loved his hair in this picture!

This is how Liam sleeps every night.

Haircut time

2010-01-28T11:53:00.003-07:00

It was way past time for Logan to get a haircut so we took him on Monday. I told the girl to take an inch off, but I guess she decidedshe wanted to cut more. It's taken some getting used to, but I guess it will grow back. Here's some pics...

My baby looks like a big boy now!!

Pics of my boys

2010-01-17T12:50:00.005-07:00

Just thought I would put a few more pictures on of the boys. Liam's been doing great, we take him to the doctor again tomorrow and hopefully he's still gaining weight...still not quite back up to birth weight but we're getting there. Logan is starting to warm up to the idea of having a little brother a little more each day. He even gave Liam a kiss on top of his head yesterday. We're having fun being the parents of 2 boys, although sometimes it still doesn't seem real!! But we love them both so much!!!

Uh oh...he found his nose!!

His new favorite thing...picking at his toes!
LOVE that smile!

Giving brother loves.

Playing with Liam's toes...he loves his toes!!
Sweet boy!

Trying to pick him up...we're going to have to watch him like hawk!!

Home Sweet Home!

2010-01-07T20:39:00.004-07:00

Liam got to come home Tuesday night and it's been so nice to be able to have him home and be a normal family again! He's been doing really well. The night we brought him home I pulled up the carseat cover and told Logan to come see his baby brother. He peeked his head in and didn't really think anything of it. But when I got him out and was holding him Logan got this pouty look on his face and just lost it. Poor little guy is so confused, but he's starting to get used to him. He'll even give him loves sometimes. Here are a few pictures of Liam's last few days in the hospital and his first few days at home...

My 2 boys...I love them so much!!!

Baby Liam is here!!

2009-12-30T22:00:00.004-07:00

He just couldn't wait to join our little family! I went in to the hospital on Saturday for a non-stress test. I'd been having contractions off and on but didn't really think anything of it. When they hooked me up to the monitors I was having contractions every 3-5 minutes so they watched me for a while and then just sent me home. Sunday afternoon I woke up from a nap and was having horrible contractions, but I thought they would stop. By about 4 we finally decided to go in to Labor and Delivery. My doctor checked me and there was tension on my stitch and my bag was bulging so he decided to take out the stitch. I dilated right away to a 4 so they admitted me. About an hour later I told the nurse that I was having a lot of pain and pressure whenever I would have a contraction so she checked me again and I was almost a 6 and my bag was really tight so she said I was going to have the baby that night. Early Monday morning my doctor came to break my water and at 1:55 AM Liam made his appearance. He was just over 6 weeks early, but weighed in at 5 lbs. 13 oz., big boy, and 19 inches long. He's in the NICU on cpap and is doing pretty well. He just needs to work to get his lungs stronger. He's a feisty little guy and keeps his nurses on their toes!! Here's a few pictures of him and I'll try to keep my blog updated when I can.

My first time holding him!! This was when they had tried to wean him from the cpap so you can actually see his face!

Check it out!!

2009-11-11T11:51:00.002-07:00

My sister has started up her own business, and she has some really cute stuff! Go here to check it out.

Also, she'll be selling some of her stuff at a few boutiques in St. George. There is one this Saturday at the Dance Shoppe, and next Friday and Saturday at Cottontown Village. Stop by!!

Happy 1st Birthday to my baby boy!!!

2009-11-08T08:00:00.003-07:00

It's hard for me to believe, but today is Logan's 1st birthday!! The past year went by so fast! I still remember every detail about the day he was born, and it really doesn't seem like it's been a whole year. He's such a blessing in our lives. I really never knew that you could love someone so much from the moment you saw them. But I did, I fell in love with my little man that very instant. In fact, I was so emotional as soon as I saw him. He was just perfect in every way. My first time holding him was amazing. I can't even describe what it was like. I think every other mom out there knows what I'm talking about though. I remember just staring at him when we brought him home, I'd start crying for no reason at all. I was just so happy that he was a part of our lives. He was always such a good baby. I think back on it now, especially when I hear people talk about having a hard baby, and I know that we were spoiled. He was never very fussy, always a good eater, a pretty good sleeper. And he still is all those things. Yes, he does have his little attitude every now and then, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. He's such a sweetheart. If I'm ever having a bad day all I need is for him to come give me one of his loves and everything is so much better. Sometimes, out of the blue, he will crawl over to me and Joe and just lay his head on our laps, I love it! I love the way he gets so excited when he sees Joe walk in the door after work...he loves his daddy!! And even though I'm jealous...I love to hear him say dada. I'll just have to keep working on mama!! I could go on and on about everything I love about Logan, but I think you all know...I love my boy so much!!!

I put together a little collage of Logan's first year...

And, 1 year old!!!

We had a little party for him yesterday. Here's the cute invitation my sister made for it...

She also made the cute monkey 1st birthday shirt that he is wearing in all the pictures from his party. We bought him a little smash cake, and when we put it in front of him he acted like he was going to dig in. But as soon as it got on his hands he was not happy!! It also doesn't help that he's got a cold. Poor guy, who wants to be sick on their birthday?? We still had fun though. He got some really fun presents. He had so much fun when we brought him home and he got to open all his new toys. Thanks again to everyone that came and made it such a special day for him!!

Happy Birthday Logan! I love you so so much!!!

Halloween!!!

2009-11-01T20:16:00.008-07:00

We had a fun Halloween this year. Last year on Halloween I was still on bedrest and wanting Logan to come!! It was fun to have him here this year. He was dressed as a green dragon. He wasn't too fond of the costume, but he did a good job trick-or-treating. We went over to Joe's uncle's neighborhood with some of his family and went around for a little bit. Joe was the lucky one that got to lug Logan around the whole time!! Here are some pictures of our night...

And just for kicks, here's a picture of Logan sporting his new Converse shoes!!!

Happy birthday my love!!!

2009-10-18T10:22:00.004-06:00

Today is Joe's 26th birthday. I wanted to post some of my favorite things about him.

*He is the world's best dad!

*He is better than me at keeping our house clean...I can let laundry sit in a basket, but he's always the first one to start putting it away.

*He served a mission to Japan and loves the Japanese people...someday we'll get there Babe!!

*He loves his family so much.

*He is such a hard worker...sometimes I think he works too hard!

*He loves to play with Logan and get him to smile.

*He's always willing to rub my back or tickle my legs at night when he gets home from work...love it!!

*He has a strong testimony of the gospel.

*He's always willing to help someone out.

*He's very patient...he needs to give some of that to me!

*He lets me sleep in if he knows I've had a bad night.

*He plays with my hair when I go to sleep...I'm spoiled!

*He watches my favorite shows with me even though they drive him nuts!

*He's so good with our nieces and nephews and they all love him!

*He married me in the temple and has given me the greatest gift...my 2 baby boys!

*He loves me no matter what!

I love you so much Joe. I'm so glad that I met you and that we have been able to start our own family together. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. Happy Birthday Babe!!!

A few pics of my boy...

2009-10-16T20:38:00.004-06:00

I haven't posted for a while so here are a few pictures of my baby boy, even though he's not much of a baby anymore!! He's going to be 1 in a few weeks and it makes me so sad! I can't believe how fast the time has gone and before we know it baby brother will be here. Things with the pregnancy are going good so far. I'm not on bedrest...at least yet...so it can't get much better!!

I'm awake!!

2009-09-26T21:30:00.003-06:00

This is the face I walked in to today when Logan woke up from his nap. I love this boy!!!

My Handsome Boys

2009-09-17T14:50:00.002-06:00

I love these 2 men in my life! I can't wait to add another...I'm getting very outnumbered, but look how cute my boys are so I can't complain!!

And then there were 2...

2009-09-10T21:28:00.003-06:00

BOYS that is!! We found out today that Logan is going to have a baby brother. We're so excited! It's going to be fun having 2 boys so close together...at least we hope so!! He was being a little stink at first and didn't want to show us that he was a boy, but it's a definite! Here's the proof...

Sorry it's such a small picture. I scanned it in and for some reason it won't let me enlarge!

Baby #2 is on the way!!!

2009-08-14T10:47:00.002-06:00

It was a BIG schocker but Logan's going to be a big brother! It was kind of strange because I knew before I took the test. It must have been right after it happened and I started feeling nauseous and getting pains in my stomach. I remembered having the same pains before I found out I was pregnant with Logan. I had called Joe at work freaking out that I might be but we both just blew it off thinking that it was just all in my head. But about 2 weeks later I was late and feeling really sick so I made Joe pick up a test on his way home from work and sure enough...POSITIVE!!!! I was freaking out when I saw it. I called my sister bawling because Logan was only 6 months at the time. How was I going to be able to handle 2 babies?!? Joe was really cute about it, telling me that everything was going to be fine and it was supposed to happen if it did. So now that I've had time for it to sink in I'm SO excited!! I wish it was closer! I'm 14 weeks now and had my cerclage on Monday so hopefully that means no bedrest this time around. So far things are going well and in a couple weeks we'll get to find out what we are having. I can't wait!!

9 Months

2009-08-08T17:28:00.002-06:00

My little, well not so little, baby is 9 months old today. I really can't believe it! In just 3 months he'll be a year old...that makes me sad. But I sure have loved these 9 months that I have had to share with him. He is such a sweet baby! Some things I want to remember about him at 9 months...

*He has 4 teeth, and 2 more ready to pop through.

*He loves to hear himself "talk".

*He likes to suck on his lips.

*He's very ticklish.

*He loves crawling and having his freedom.

*He's starting to bite...uh oh!!

*He loves sucking through a straw and gets mad if someone has a drink and doesn't share it with him.

*He gets really excited when we come to get him out of his crib.

*He's not very good with strangers...he gets that from his mom!

*He likes to pull all of our DVD's out one at a time.

*He's is very entertained by a plastic hanger.

*He LOVES go-gurt! He gets so excited when he sees me get one out of the fridge.

*He loves the water...swimming, bathing, whatever!

*He's my precious little baby and I love him so much!!!

We've got ourselves a crawler!!

2009-07-30T11:18:00.003-06:00

He finally did it! After weeks of having no desire to even try it, all of a sudden today he just started doing it. It's only an army crawl right now, but I was so proud of my little man! Here's a little video of him...

I can't believe how big he's getting!!

4th of July

2009-07-08T14:02:00.008-06:00

We spent the 4th of July with my family this year. My mom came down with the kids. We went to the park in the morning so the kids could do the races...Ryan won 3rd place! Then we went swimming at my brother-in-law's friends pool. The kids had a blast, and Logan loved the water! That night we went to the Sun Bowl for the Country Showdown and fireworks. Logan was a little nervous when the fireworks started, but he got used to them and was mesmerized!! He's such a good boy. He turned 8 months old today, tell me how that happened?!? We had to take him to the doctors last night because he wasn't being himself, turns out he has a pretty nasty ear infection. Poor boy!! Even for not feeling good he's such a happy and fun little guy! Here's some pictures from our fun weekend...

Logan in his red, white, and blue!

Logan and Daddy

It took a lot of convincing to finally get Jordan to let Dave take him down the slide!

Brayden going down the slide.

Ryan diving off the slide.

Maggie and Livvy before the fireworks.

This is what Jordan looked like after he ate his cupcake!

My sweet boy!!

How could you not love that face???

Watching the fireworks with Hannah.

Family Pictures

2009-06-12T14:37:00.007-06:00

We had family pictures done when we got home from Blanding by an amazing photographer Alisha Shaw, One Memory at a Time Photo. You can check her website out here . I love the way they turned out!! It helps when you have such an adorable subject to take photos of...Logan of course! Anyway, here are a few...

And the beautiful boy!!!!

Annual Blanding Trip

2009-06-09T20:54:00.002-06:00

The end of May always means camping in my family. We weren't sure if we were going to go this year since we have Logan but we did and it was a blast. We had some bad weather at times...we even saw snow again! But overall it was a great trip. It's always been one of my favorite vacations. I love being outdoors!! Logan did really well, he even slept in a tent with us. He had his first 4-wheeler ride and fell asleep! Here are some fun pics of the trip...

Oh, and I'm planning on going private the first of next week so if you haven't given me your email and want to be invited leave me a comment.

Going Private...

2009-05-18T22:41:00.002-06:00

My sister had some weirdos looking at her blog and it freaked me out so I've decided to make our blog private. I hope it's not going to end up being a pain!! I'm not quite sure when exactly I'll make it private, probably within a couple weeks. Anyway, please leave me your email addresses so I can send you an invite.

6 Months Old!!!

2009-05-08T08:00:00.001-06:00

It makes me a little sad, but Logan is 6 months old today. I really can't believe it's been that long!! It doesn't seem that long ago that I woke up in pain and called my mom to ask how far apart contractions should be before going to the hospital. I was so nervous on the way to the hospital...my contractions were getting really bad and I told Joe I was afraid we weren't going to get there in time to get an epidural. Luckily we did!! I absolutely loved the delivery...it was such an amazing experience!! And a couple pushes and my beautiful boy was here. I cried like a baby when I saw him. He was perfect in every way! I never knew you could have so much love for someone from the moment you saw them. But as soon as I saw him I was in love!! He's the best thing that has ever happened to me...along with his daddy...and he has got me wrapped completely around his finger! But he's growing up way too fast...before we know it he's going to be walking and talking. You always hear parents say that time goes by too fast, kids grow up so quick...now that I'm a mom I completely understand. He's still supposed to be my tiny baby...and he's definitely not that anymore!

Here's my tiny boy...it's crazy to think that he started out this small when you look at him now!
This is my big boy a couple days ago...he's a chub and I love to squish him!!

Some of my favorite things about him at 6 months...

*When I go to get him out of his crib in the morning he always gives me a big smile.

*The way he screams at his toys when he gets really excited.

*Splashy time in the bath!

*He knows what his bottle is and gets excited when he sees it.

*He gets excited when he's around kids...you can tell that he wants to play with them.

*His grunting noises that he makes.

*He's doing really good at sitting up and thinks he's a big boy!

*His laugh...he's ticklish!!

*The way he just stares at me sometimes.

*His gorgeous blue eyes.

*His chubby thighs!!

*His smile...it definitely brightens my day.

I could go on and on. He's such a precious boy! I LOVE LOVE LOVE him and I look forward to watching him grow and learn every day! Happy 6 month birthday my little monkey man!!

First Haircut and more...

2009-05-05T18:43:00.009-06:00

Yesterday I finally decided to give in and cut Logan's hair. He had hair on the top that was really long...the part that didn't fall out. It was starting to look funny with the new hair growing in. I couldn't convince Joe so I did it while he was at work. Of course, now that it turned out good, he was saying "See, I told you to cut it!" Ha!!! We spiked it up with some gel this morning and I love it!! Here's my little stud with his first haircut...

We had fun with my family being in town last week. We went to the splash pad/pond on Monday and the kids had a blast. Logan even got to join in the fun and loved it...

UNTIL...he got splashed!!

Here's a few of the rest of the gang...

I loved this pic of Mags!!!

We also spent a couple days at Bob and Cindy's pool. It was freezing so Logan wanted nothing to do with it...he did put his toes in a few times. The rest of the kids spent the majority of the time in the hot tub. Hey, it was still swimming to them!!

Livvy was the bravest of all the kids. She jumped right in and swam the whole time!!

This was where Zach, Bradley, and Jordan spent ALL their time!!
And here's my little not so in to the swimming boy!!
Heather brought the boys over to our pool today and it was much warmer. Logan didn't like his floatie that I bought him...I think he'll like it better in a couple months. But as long as I was holding him when we were in the water he was loving it!

Don't mind me in the picture...but this is how we spent our time in the pool.

At least Cole got good use out of the floatie!!!

All done swimming! Isn't he cute???
Wow, this turned in to a long post but I didn't want to leave anything out! Gotta show my boy off!!!

Laughing!!

2009-04-16T21:23:00.002-06:00

I finally caught a video of Logan laughing. It's kind of a laugh/grunt! I love it and he's been doing it a lot lately!! Such a sweet boy! Okay, I just watched it and for some reason it stops around 50 seconds but it's still a good video of him...hope you enjoy!

Easter

2009-04-13T16:57:00.003-06:00

Logan and I spent Easter at my parents house this year. Joe had to work so he didn't get to join the fun. On Saturday morning my parents neighborhood had their annual Easter egg hunt. The kids had so much fun and got a ton of candy! Logan just hung out in his B'jorn and watched everyone. That afternoon my parents had Olivia sealed to them in the new Draper temple. It was such a great experience to have everyone together in the temple...and it was beautiful inside!! After the temple we all went to dinner together and headed home to dye eggs. Logan was mesmerized by the brightly colored eggs. Easter morning the kids got to go through their Easter baskets and eat even more candy! Logan got a toy cell phone from the Easter bunny. After church we went over to my grandma's house to do her egg hunt and then headed home. I had been up there for almost 2 weeks so I was definitely ready to get home!!

The Easter Egg Hunt

Dying Eggs at Grandma's

Easter Outfit

Happy Birthday Hannah!!

2009-04-07T21:18:00.008-06:00

Today was Hannah's 9th birthday. Since my parents are in Hawaii Joe and I had to plan the celebration. We checked her out of school and took her to lunch and the park. Zach had baseball practice tonight so we went to the park again then came home to have Chinese food...that's what she chose...and ate cake and ice cream. While we were eating Matt came in with Hannah's present...a PUPPY!!! It's a pitbull and Hannah loves him...he is pretty cute! So, Matt won the award for best present, but we'll have to see how well Hannah takes care of him because the parents aren't too happy about having a puppy! Here are a few pics from our day...

Happy Birthday Hannah! We love you!!

And just because he's cute...

I love my boy!!!

FINALLY!!!

2009-03-23T14:02:00.007-06:00

Well, he 4 1/2 months old, but Logan finally has a crib! I'm sure you all remember the drama of the Walmart cribs. Well, I never bought another one after all that. While I was in Salt Lake I found one at Target that was a very good price that I couldn't pass up. So I called Joe and convinced him that we needed it. The only bad part was that we couldn't fit it in Heather's car so I wasn't going to be able to bring it home. My brother came down on Friday and he brought it down for us. But of course, I went to put it together and it was broken...completely cracked!! What are the odds?!? I took it back to Target and they said they didn't have any more of that crib in stock. Are you kidding me?!? Is the crib market out to get me or something? I decided to go look back there just in case and there were 5 cribs sitting there. YAY!! So I brought it home and out it together...I did it all by myself and it was a piece of cake! I really love the way it turned out.

We also gave Logan his first taste of rice cereal. I think he likes it!!

And Again!!

2009-03-02T13:46:00.005-07:00

More pictures of Logan...I just can't help myself! I have to share! I can't believe how big he's getting...he's going to be 4 months on Sunday! And he's definitely no tiny baby anymore! It makes me kind of sad that he's growing up so fast...he was supposed to stay little! But he is so much fun. I love when he wakes up in the morning and smiles at me, and I love when he is crying and the only thing that makes him feel better is me holding him. I love when he falls asleep with me and snuggles with me...I just love everything about him! Here's some pics of my little monkey...

Look What I Made!!

2009-02-19T22:46:00.003-07:00

So I decided to give sewing a try. My sister has always been in to sewing...and is good at it, but I never thought I could do it. She bought a book with all these cute baby patterns in it. Seriously, I could have made everything in it...such cute stuff!! Anyway, I decided to try these cute kimono jammies since Joe went to Japan on his mission. They were a pain in the butt to make...at least for me...but I love the way they turned out. I may have found myself a new hobby, I guess it's time to go to the fabric store and start another project!!

I'm a Horrible Blogger!!!

2009-02-05T14:01:00.002-07:00

It's been almost a month since I posted anything and I don't really have any excuse...except for laziness!! We've had a fun couple of weeks. My parents went to the Bahamas for a week so I "volunteered" to watch the kids while they were gone. We went up to Salt Lake for a couple days and then brought the kids down here for the rest of the time. We definitely had a full house, but it was fun to have the kids around. Logan got to meet his Aunt Anna for the first time. She got back last week from her mission in Houston, Texas. We are loving having her around again. Logan has finally started sleeping better. He's only up once at about 5 or 6 a.m. and he eats and goes right back to sleep. He has been such a happy boy lately!! We love him so much!!!

Smiling Boy

2009-01-12T16:17:00.003-07:00

So, a couple days ago Logan started to smile and coo at us. It was the cutest thing!! I had my phone right there and I was able to catch a few pictures, but by the time I got my camera he wasn't in the mood anymore. I got the camera out today and got a few of him. It's so hard to catch!!! Anyway, hope you enjoy.

And here are a few others that I thought were cute...

I'm lovin' mommy life!!!!

Just for fun

2009-01-05T21:59:00.001-07:00

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Through the Holidays

2009-01-05T18:53:00.004-07:00

We've had a busy couple of weeks. We stayed in town for Christmas and spent it with Joe's family. It was so fun to have Logan there with us even though he didn't know what was going on. My family came down a few days after Christmas so we spent a lot of time with them last week. We celebrated 4 birthdays within just about a week...Cole on the 28th, Brayden and my mom on the 30th, and my dad today! We also had our family Christmas party and exchanged gifts. The kids had a lot of fun with the games and chimes...a family tradition with my mom's family! Loud, but fun!!! On New Years Eve I started to notice that Logan wasn't feeling well. We took him over to Joe's parents house to see his family that was in town. His aunt fed him and all of a sudden he threw up his entire bottle all over himself. That's when I knew that he was getting sick. Since then he has just seemed to get worse. I finally took him to the doctor on Saturday and they gave him an antibiotic. I've seen a little improvement, but my poor little guy still has a horrible cough and stuffy nose! It's so sad, but he has been so good!! On Sunday we had his baby blessing. Joe gave the most beautiful blessing...left me emotional, but that's no surprise! Since he has been sick I was worried that he might be unhappy through it, but he was a perfect little angel! Well, I think that catches us up. Here are a few pictures...sorry I don't have more, but I kept forgetting my camera whenever we were doing something.

More Pictures of the Little Man

2008-12-21T15:58:00.004-07:00

Sorry it's been a couple weeks since we've posted anything new. We've been really busy getting ready for Christmas...it totally crept up on us...and spending time with family. I had a shower up north with my family last weekend. It was really fun to see everyone. Heather and I ended up staying a few extra days because of the storms which was fun...even though Logan and I missed Daddy!!! We also hit the 6 week mark...I'm telling you, time with him has just flown by!!! Hitting that mark also means back to "normal life"...which means time to exercise!! I bought myself some expensive, probably too expensive, jeans as a motivation to lose weight. I'm really going to try hard to get back to a decent size. Other than that we have just been having fun with our little guy. I think I love him more every day!!! Here's a few pics...

The tree

And the best present under the tree!!!

Big boy!

Splish splash he was takin' a bath!!!

4 Weeks Old

2008-12-06T12:28:00.003-07:00

Logan is 4 weeks old today! I can't believe it's already been 4 weeks!! It's crazy to think that I actually wasn't due until next Monday. But I'm so glad he decided to join us when he did. He has been so much fun. He's already changed so much in the last few weeks! At his doctor's appt. on Tuesday they said he weighed 8 lbs. 3 oz. and was 21 inches long!!! I had a hard time believing it!! He's such a good little baby...I love to just sit at home and cuddle with him. Anyway, here are a few pictures of the last few weeks. Hope you enjoy looking at him as much as we do!!!

PICTURES!!!

2008-11-24T21:14:00.006-07:00

We had a little photo shoot with Chelsea last week and she got some adorable shots of Logan!! He was so good during it all...only a few poops and pees on me and Joe!! It's been so fun to watch him grow over the past 2 weeks, and I know it will only get better!! Thanks again Chels!!!

Kind of a picture overload, but it's too hard to only pick this many...I still have so many more that I could have posted!!! I've got such a cute boy!!!!!

Sweet Little Logan

2008-11-12T10:52:00.005-07:00

I just wanted to share some more pics of our cute boy. He's been so much fun! I could just sit there all day and stare at him. He has been the biggest blessing in our lives already and it's only been a few days!! We experienced our first rough night with him when we brought him home...he did not like his bassinet!! We tried him in his bouncy chair last night and he did much better. Even with the lack of sleep I'm loving my every moment with him!!

Mohawk time!!!

I love this picture of him!!! Beautiful boy!

With his uncle Ryan.
Chillin' in the sun to help his jaundice.
He loves to hold his hands like this!
Little body in a big carseat!!
Lovin' with his daddy...doesn't get better than this!!

He's Finally Here!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-11-09T16:37:00.005-07:00

Logan Joseph Stephenson, November 8th, 2008, 9:53 AM, 6 lbs. 2 oz., 18 inches long. And absolutely perfect!!! He decided to join us exactly one month before his due date. It turns out that I not only have incompetent cervix, but we found out on Friday that I was in the beginning stages of pre-eclampsia. I was scheduled to be induced on the 10th...but he just couldn't wait that long! I started having contractions late Friday night but I just ignored them and thought they would go away. By 6 AM Saturday I was in major pain and the contractions were coming a lot closer together. We finally decided to go in to the hospital at about 7:30. They hooked me up to the monitors and checked me and I was dilated to an 8 , fully effaced, and my bag was bulging. It was time to have a baby!!!! We made a few quick phone calls to share the news, moved in to the delivery room and about 2 hours and a few pushes later he was here! It was an emotional and amazing day! As of now, we are still in the hospital. He had a slightly high billirubin level so he is spending his time under the lights. Other than a few low blood sugars he hasn't had any problems and we are planning on going home tomorrow morning. He's such a sweet baby...hardly even cries and loves to cuddle...my favorite part!! We love him so much and are so excited to finally have him here with us...for eternity!!

Hard to even describe...just PRECIOUS!!!! We love you baby boy!!!

Presenting...

2008-11-01T11:47:00.005-06:00

Hannah as Hannah Montana...

It took a bit to get the costume together, but I think it ended up just right!! She was so excited all week to be able to wear the wig we found. We tried taking her to our wards trunk-or-treat, but it ended up taking too long so we headed over to Heather's neighborhood. She went out with Heather, Aaron, and the boys and Joe and I stayed back at the house to hand out the candy. Then Heather made some yummy chili for dinner. We had a really fun Halloween...now I can't believe it's already November...and I'll be a mom SOON!!!

Doctor's Appointment #1,000,463.....

2008-10-29T17:00:00.002-06:00

At least that's what it feels like!! Looks like I am now dilated to a 4, 90% effaced, and the babies head has moved down. I think Logan's wanting to make his appearance!!! The doctor said that at this point they wouldn't try to stop labor if it started...I still haven't had any contractions!! The nurse that does my non-stress test thinks that I will have a really smooth labor and delivery with the way that things have been going. I'm starting to get more and more excited to meet my little man!! I never knew I could want something SO bad!

Another Baby Shower!!!

2008-10-23T10:53:00.006-06:00

We had our 2nd baby shower on Tuesday...thanks Chels, Cindy, and Lynley for putting it all together. They had it set up so cute! It was really fun, and we got a lot of great gifts!! We also tie-dyed little onesies...I made one for Logan and it turned out perfect!!! Thanks to everyone who came. It's always nice to be surrounded by those who love you...especially when you've been on bedrest and don't get out much!! I need to go through my stuff and take more picture, but here's a few pictures of our night...

My picture doesn't do it justice!!

The CUTE diaper cake!!

Hannah is off track for a couple weeks so she is down staying with me. Here she is working on her tie-dye.

Here's my onesie for Logan...it looks better in person!

Thanks again for the shower! It was perfect!! I can't wait for Logan to get here and put all our fun stuff to use!

*Update: I went to the doctor yesterday and I am almost a 4...other than that it's all the same. The baby looks good, and I'm still not showing any contractions. We just keep doing what we have been and wait for our little ones arrival...something that I REALLY look forward to!!

Look What I Made!!

2008-10-19T10:35:00.003-06:00

My sister-in-law Chelsea has been teaching me how to crochet hats. I attempted one and it didn't turn out the way I wanted it to...of course I will still use it, but I had something in mind and this wasn't it. So on Friday I went over to spend the day with her and we tried a new one. I love the way it turned out. I'm planning on getting his pictures taken with it on when he comes, but we didn't have a little head to measure so hopefully it works.
You don't get the full effect with Joe's arm!! I can't wait to actually put it on Logan!!! Thanks again Chels!!!

Also, it was Joe's birthday yesterday. I'm not really on top of things so this is his belated birthday shoutout. He has been the most supportive, loving husband through the last 2 months. I am so grateful for him and the love that he has for me and Logan! I watch him with our nieces and nephews and I know that he is going to be such a great dad! I love hearing him talk about how excited he is for our baby to come. That's definitely our main topic of conversation!! Happy Birthday Joe!! I LOVE YOU!!!!!

*Update...I keep wondering if these are getting old, but people are telling me to keep doing them so I guess I will. I had my first non-stress test last week. The baby looked really good...he had the hiccups during it! I wasn't showing any contractions...they said my uterus is just irritable. I also saw my doctor that day, and I am now dilated to a 3. I asked him what he thought about when the baby will come and he said there is no way to tell. He said that with this being my first baby and I'm only 32 weeks and already dilated to a 3 he will most likely be coming early, it's just how early that we don't know. So I guess it's just a waiting game now!!!

32 weeks...and counting!!!

2008-10-14T13:51:00.004-06:00

32 weeks...we made it!!! I can't believe I've been on bedrest for 6 weeks! Although it has been pretty hard on me, it's gone by so fast. And I'm so glad that my little guy has decided to stay put for this long. Now that I'm 32 weeks we've past most of the critical stuff...in other words, I don't have to stress out about every little thing!! And since I made it to 32 weeks the girls at work decided to throw me a surprise baby shower last night. It was so fun to see all of them! It's been really hard for me not being able to go to work every day and have our daily conversations and actually have a social life. (I don't necessarily miss the actual work part!!!) They are such a great group of girls!! Thanks so much for thinking of me...and for the great gifts!! Last night was just what I needed!

*Update on progress...I'm now dilated to a 2. I start non-stress tests on Wednesday, I will do those once a week. And I continue to see my doctor weekly as well. I'll let you know what happens at my appointments tomorrow.

Now I get to order my swing...thanks again girls!!!!

Doctor's Appointments and Fun Craft

2008-10-02T17:15:00.009-06:00

So I had 2 doctor's appointments this week. Yesterday I saw my regular doctor...nothing too exciting. I'm still dilated to a 1, the only difference is that the baby has moved down quite a bit. He says it still feels like he is floating rather than pressing right on my cervix. Today I went to the perinatologist. They did an ultrasound so we got to see the baby again! I love it!! The baby looks good, they said he even has hair!! That came as a shock to me! From their measurements they estimate that he weighs 3 lbs. 11 oz., but that's not completely accurate. My pregnancy books say that he should be about 3 pounds so I'm sure he's somewhere in the middle. They tried to get a 3D picture of his face but he didn't want to cooperate...already stubborn!! We would see his face for a second and then he would turn away or put his hand in front of his face. He was also pressing his nose right up against the placenta so that didn't help either. But things look good, they didn't measure my cervix so I don't know if it has shortened anymore, but I'm not too worried about that. I'm still pregant, that's all that matters!! And I'm still on bedrest...unfortuntately! But my sister-in-law bought these cute witches boots for us to make so we tackled them yesterday. It was so fun...and such a nice change from the TV!!!

Not the greatest picture, but I had to put one of me working!!

Chels and I with our boots.

The finished products...aren't they cute???

I had so much fun making this! I struggled with a few things...crafts aren't my forte!! But I love how it turned out. Thanks so much for thinking of me Chels, and thanks for spending the day over here! We definitely need to do it again!!

Oh, and my sister Ashley had a baby girl on Monday. Her name is Myra, 7 lbs. 1 oz., 18 1/2 inches long. And she is SO cute!!! Here's a picture to prove it...

Isn't she adorable?? We have a major shortage of girls in the Weeks family!! Congrats Dave & Ash!!!

Baby Time??? NOT YET!!!!!

2008-09-24T10:27:00.003-06:00

Another doctor's appointment today...I'm going to be seeing my doctor once a week now so he can keep checking my cervix. Last week when he checked me it was still closed. Today it was dilated to a 1, the babies head still feels like it is floating so that's good! I'm still having a lot of pressure, but to him everything still looks good...the longer this little guy will stay inside the better. Every week is a milestone. He said that right now we are aiming for 32 weeks. Of course if we make it past that it would be great! As for me, I'm really starting to go crazy!!! I really didn't think it would be this hard! I told Joe the other day that I have never wanted to scrub a bathroom or kitchen floor this bad!!

There have been so many people willing to help. My sister Heather comes over Mondays and Wednesdays to spend the day with me and I have been going to her house some of the other days. I'm so grateful to have her so close by. It helps that she has gone through the whole bedrest thing herself! My mother-in-law has been grocery shopping for us and doing dinners...it's been great! And luckily my sister Ashley is the crafty one in the family and she taught me how to crochet around blankets and burp cloths...something to keep me occupied! I've been looking at a few cross stitch things online, but I haven't found any that I love...or that I think are even possible for me to do! Anyway, I really want everyone to know that I am SO thankful to all of you that have helped us out! It's so nice to know that there are so many people who care. Thank you so much!!!!

Update

2008-09-10T16:57:00.003-06:00

Well, I'm still on bedrest. I went to the perinatologist last week. Unfortunately they saw that my cervix had shortened again to 1.4 cm. I really wasn't expecting it to shorten that much in a week since I had been on bedrest. The doctor said he didn't want to see it shorten that much either. And then he surprised both of us when he said that if they could get me to 29 or 30 weeks then he would feel good about it. I knew that it was a possibility that he could come early, but I guess it was just a surprise to hear him actually say it. They put me on some medication to stop contractions if I start to have them and I also have to get progesterone shots once a week. I had a little scare yesterday, I was having some pressure and Heather ended up taking me in to Labor and Delivery just to make sure everything was okay.I still wasn't showing any contractions and hadn't started dilating...thank goodness!!! I just hope this little guy will decide to stay put for a few more weeks, at least!!! I tell him every day that he can't come yet...we'll see if he decides to listen. I go see the perinatologist again tomorrow. Hopefully it will be good news!!

BEDREST

2008-09-04T10:18:00.006-06:00

So last week I found out that I am probably going to be on bedrest for the rest of my pregnancy. My sister has an incompetent cervix so I asked my doctor at my last appointment if that could be a problem for me too. They sent me to get an ultrasound and they saw that my cervix had shortened. They sent me up to Labor and Delivery to be monitored and my doctor came to check me. I wasn't having any contractions, but my cervix was 50% effaced. So, here I am sitting on my butt ALL DAY LONG!! It hasn't been too bad, but I am starting to go a little crazy! I thought that it would be nice not having to work, but I guess under different circumstances it would. I want to figure out some things that will take up my time besides watching TV and staring at the computer. While doing my internet surfing yesterday I saw that Target had the stroller in that we wanted...they've been out since we first saw it! I texted Joe and told him and when he came home from work he had it with him! I was so surprised...it definitely made my day!! Joe has been so great through all this. He waits on my every need and doesn't complain about it. It makes me so grateful that I have him as my husband!!!

My first night on bedrest...nice and relaxing!

Heather and Aaron came over to make dinner for us and this is what the kids had fun doing with Cole's toys!!!

Peek-A-Boo!!!

I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FRUSTRATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-08-26T19:15:00.003-06:00

Okay, I am ready to scream!!!! We are having serious issues with our crib! We finally found a crib that we liked, did the site to store shipping to Walmart. They emailed me last week and said that it was in. I go to pick it up, wait forever for someone to help me. I finally get the crib, no one even offers to help me get it to my car...what would I have done if Joe hadn't been in the car to help me get it in??? We get the crib home and go to set it up. I then of course see on the side that it is the wrong color! After my horrible experience at Walmart it's the WRONG CRIB??????? Are you kidding me?!? So we call the customer service number and of course they aren't there anymore. Joe calls the next morning and they say they will send us another one to our house this time, but we had to return it to the store. I made Joe do it, I wasn't about to deal with those people again. SO...we've been waiting for the right crib to get here. I have been tracking it on UPS every day. I was so excited today when it said Delivered. We got home from work and it was waiting there for us! I made Joe take it right up to the room so we could set it up. Well, it was the right color this time. But as we started to put it together one of the pieces wasn't matching up. What are the chances of having 2 cribs with something wrong??? I can't even begin to tell you how mad I am!!! All I want is to get a dang crib set up in the babies room!!! Moral of the story...DON'T ORDER ANYTHING FROM WALMART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First Piece of Baby Furniture

2008-08-18T21:18:00.009-06:00

When we were in Salt Lake a couple weeks ago we went to IKEA. First of all, I LOVE that store! I could have gone absolutely crazy in there!!! They had so much stuff and most of it had very decent prices. Anyway, we bought a little dresser for the babies room. It has just been sitting there because we have been wanting to paint it. We finally got to it and I love how it turned out!

We also bought him a little table and chairs from IKEA but we are thinking about painting it too so I'll wait to post pictures of it until it's finished. We finally ordered a crib that we liked. It should get here any day and I can't wait! I bought some bedding too, but I want to put it in the crib when it gets here so you get the full effect! I have had so much fun trying to think of how to do his room! Oh, and I guess I haven't put this on here yet...we have decided to name him Logan Joseph! Joe didn't like Logan at first but it has definitely grown on him. It's fun to be able to call him by his name instead of "the baby" all the time!!! I love my little guy so much already! I wish December was here!!!

I'm Still Here!!

2008-08-05T18:12:00.004-06:00

I keep getting told that I need to post again!! I just feel like there's not much new going on with us except getting ready for the baby. I have started to feel my little guy moving around a lot!! On Sunday we were laying in bed and he started kicking. I told Joe to feel and then of course he stopped...being stubborn like his parents!!! After that I felt some movement in my lower belly, I started to feel around there and all of a sudden there was this hard spot poking out!! I don't know what body part it was exactly but it was fun to be able to feel it...and Joe did too. Last night he was really active and I told Joe to feel again. As soon as he put his hand on my tummy the little man kicked! Joe was like, "Was that him?!?" It was fun for him to finally be able to feel what I have been feeling. I love feeling him move around inside me! My mother-in-law gave me this cute book. It's coming from an unborn baby talking about how boring it is inside!! I love it!! Anyway, I'm loving looking at all the baby stuff. I've already bought him way too many clothes...I just can't help myself! We're still trying to find a crib, bedding, and stroller that we absolutely LOVE. If you see anything let me know!!

It's A Boy!!!

2008-07-11T09:36:00.004-06:00

It's been a few days, but we found out that we are having a BOY! It was a big shock to us because everyone had been thinking that it was a girl. When she told us it was a boy I looked at her and said, "We are?!?". We are so excited!! We can't wait for our little boy to join us in this world! It was so fun to watch him move around and show off for us during the ultrasound. We got a video of some of it but they were only able to do VHS so I can't put it on here. If I ever figure out how to transfer it to DVD I will definitely put it on!

What a cute little face...and he's all mine!!!!

This was so cute!! We had just put the video in and he moved his hand up to his face and yawned!!

We haven't been able to figure out any names yet...any suggestions???

Blog Makeover

2008-06-28T07:57:00.004-06:00

My sister in law Chelsea started up a new website for blogs. She has free backgrounds or design kits that you can purchase from her. She has a ton of cute stuff on there. As you can see my blog has had a facelift done by her and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!
Check it out...
http://aquapoppydesigns.blogspot.com

Time For a Salt Lake Trip

2008-06-22T17:03:00.004-06:00

We went up to Salt Lake this weekend. My cousin Adam got married and both of my uncles that live out of state were able to come in to town for it. On Saturday we drove downtown to Gateway. We ate at California Pizza Kitchen and then let the kids play in the fountains for a while. They had a blast! That night was the ceremony. My uncle Kerry married them. It was beautiful and they seemed so happy! Congratulations Adam and Erica! We are so happy for you and are so glad that we were able to be up there for it!

It's Been a While

2008-06-17T18:36:00.007-06:00

My sister, Heather keeps telling me that I need to post something new. Every time I get on the computer I think about what I should post and nothing seems to come. So this is just kind of a random post about what has been going on lately. I feel like all I do is work, and that's not a very fun thing to post about. But here are a few pictures of some of our days off with family and Joe's first father's day as a soon to be daddy!!

Joe and Brayden were having so much fun doing this. Every time Brayden would come up from the water he would ask Joe to do it again.

Lookin' good Babe!!

We went to the park with Joe's family for pizza one night. They all had fun playing football.

What a cute boy!!

Joe's brother Clark went through the temple last week. It was fun to all be together in the temple. (Clark sneezed right as the picture was being taken!!)

Me and Joe in front of the temple.

These were Joe's gift for father's day. I thought it would be fun to do something that had to do with being a dad. I had to get boy and girl things since we don't know what we are having yet! He definitely liked the boy ones!!

We're both doing great! I'll be 15 weeks this week which is so crazy! It's gone by so fast and we are getting closer to finding out what we are having...CAN'T WAIT!!! Then the shopping begins!!!

Our Interesting Camping Trip

2008-05-29T18:02:00.010-06:00

Every Memorial Day weekend my family heads to Blanding for our annual camping trip. This year was a little different than usual.

Day 1- We headed out at 4:30 AM, in a rental car. Our car's heating core was leaking and was supposed to be fixed before we left, but of course it wasn't! I was so mad!! We had good weather the whole way there, but when we got to Blanding it looked pretty ugly. We started up the dirt road and we were sliding all over the place. I'm not very fun to be in the car with when this is going on! We drove up to the campsite and saw this...

In all the years that we have gone I can remember one other time that there has been snow, but it only lasted for maybe an hour. We spent the whole day cooped up in the trailer playing games and talking. Then we headed to our tent...yes tent, but with heaters...and went to bed. Of course, me being pregnant I had to get up in the middle of the night for a bathroom break. I stepped out in my crocs to about 4 inches of snow...BRRRR!!!!

Day 2- We woke up to the campground covered in about 7 inches of snow and it was still falling. We decided to head in to town for lunch and a stop at the park...get out of the snow for a bit. My parents and Joe and I went to check out a different campground that we used to camp at. It seemed much more appealing than the snow so we decided to pack up and head to a little warmer climate.

That night was much more comfortable...we didn't even need to heaters on high!!!

Day 3- It wasn't a hot day, but it definitely wasn't cold and snowing! I went in to Monticello with my mom and sister to take a warm shower...much needed!! Since it was Sunday we spent the rest of the day relaxing, sitting around the campfire. My dad made his famous dutch oven chicken and potatoes for dinner...YUM!!

Day 4- It was a pretty nice day. We were finally able to ride the four-wheelers. We took a nice ride with all the kids. They all loved it of course! We spent some more time playing cornhole and sitting around the campfire. Then some of us headed out to go clay pigeon shooting. After that we went in to Monticello to the MD Ranch restaurant. We've gone there every year for about 5 years. I don't know if it was because I'm pregnant, but I wasn't a big fan!!

Zachy caught this grasshopper and he was very proud of it!

Day 5- Time to get back home! We packed everything up, loaded up the car and headed home. We had to get our rental car back in time...we were so ready to get our own car back!

On the way home we drove past Monument Valley...beautiful!!!(I was taking the pictures in the car so they aren't very good!)

This has always been one of my favorite vacations...even with the snow. We had a great time with my family and look forward to next year...hopefully with no snow!!!

Ultrasound #3

2008-05-06T19:15:00.003-06:00

We had to get another ultrasound today. This was our 3rd ultrasound since we found out we were pregnant. The last ultrasound we had showed that the baby's heartrate was a little slower than the doctor would have liked so he wanted us to get another one just to make sure. The heartrate went up to 171...it was such a huge relief! I have been stressing out about it since he told me it was low! We are so grateful to know that things are going well so far. This baby couldn't be a greater blessing in our lives right now.

Sail Away, Sail Away, Sail Away!

2008-05-04T20:01:00.006-06:00

Joe and I were finally able to take some time off from work and get away on a cruise together. This was the first vacation that we have taken by ourselves since we got married. It was so nice to be able to spend time one on one and just relax together. We left from Long Beach on Monday afternoon. We were able to get on the boat earlier than we had expected and scope things out. The rest of the day was just full of relaxing and getting used to our new home for the next few days. When we left the port I could feel the boat moving. Unfortunately I am one of those people who has to deal with motion sickness. Dinner that night wasn't very fun because of it, we ended up having to leave a little early and go back to our room to lay down. The next morning we stopped at Catalina Island. It was a lot bigger than we had expected. The island was beautiful, very green. We had planned on renting a golf cart to explore the island but unfortunately when we got there we found out that you had to be 25. Bummer! We explored as much as we could on foot, just walked up a few of the streets and checked out some of the houses. Then we walked to the Catalina Casino, it is a beautiful building. It is no longer a casino, it is used as a theater now. After that Joe decided he wanted to search for crabs. I was surprised how many we were able to find. As we had been walking down one of the streets we noticed a run down miniature golf course. We decided to head back up there and try it out. It was actually a pretty fun course! By then we had had all the fun we could on the island and decided to head back to the boat.
These are some of the houses on the island.
This is the view of the island as our boat was bringing us to the shore.
This is the old Catalina Casino.
Here is one of the crabs that we found...pretty ugly things!!
We were trying to take the picture by ourselves!! This was as good as it got!

That night was very rocky!! You would watch people walk past and they couldn't even walk straight...and it wasn't all from the alcohol. So once again we went to bed early. The next day was Ensenada. A dirty little town in Mexico...it kind of reminded me of Tijuana. We didn't have any plans for what we were going to do. We ended up getting a taxi to take us to La Bufadora, the blowhole, and the open air market. The blow hole was pretty neat. Neither of us had ever seen one before. There are only 2 others in the world. Then we made our way through the market. The people would not leave us alone. Everyone wanted us to come in to their shops and bargain with them. I'm sure we made a few of them mad. But we got what we were after and headed back to our taxi. He dropped us off in their downtown shopping district and we decided we needed to get some lunch...nothing better than McDonald's! We didn't quite trust any of the other restaurants there. We walked around a little more, I finally found someone selling chicklets...I love that gum...and we headed back to the ship for a peaceful day of no rocking...we were docked until 10 PM.
Here is La Bufadora. It's hard to see how it works, but water from the ocean builds up and shoots up next to the rocks.
This is the lovely open air market where I learned to talk people down on prices...I was a little intimidated at first!
This is a 500 lb Mexican flag that was right by where our ship was docked. Joe is the amazing photographer!

That night we went to a few shows. There was a really cool magician that I could have watched for hours. Then a comedian came on. Joe thought he was pretty funny. They also had Bingo. It was amazing to see how many people were willing to pay $20 for 3 cards of Bingo and only one person wins! No thanks!!! It was so nice to be able to have a night that we didn't have to spend in bed feeling crappy! The next day was our day at sea. I thought I was going to be miserable all day, but the boat wasn't moving very fast so I didn't feel it much. We laid out on the top deck and just relaxed all day...and all night. We ordered room service and watched LOST...I know, pathetic, but we couldn't miss it!!

The sunset was amazing!

The next morning we were off the ship by 7 AM and on our way home. We were ready to be off the boat! We ended up having a wonderful time together! I wouldn't have wanted to share this time with anyone but Joe!!!

Big News!!!

2008-04-21T21:44:00.005-06:00

Well, here it is...I'm pregnant! I'm 6 1/2 weeks along, due December 12th. I know it's early, but I just couldn't hold it in any longer. We got an ultrasound today and we were able to see the heartbeat. It was amazing!! It actually seems real now. I can't even begin to tell you how excited Joe and I are. It was actually kind of unexpected. We had been trying for over a year, been on Clomid and all that, but nothing was happening except that I was moody and having hot flashes! I had decided to just give up and move on to the next thing...laparoscopy. I guess giving up like everyone told me to do was the right thing. I didn't start when I was supposed to so the next morning I took a pregnancy test, only because I had one at the house. For the first time I started to see 2 lines, one was lighter than the other but there were 2 lines. I wasn't sure what to expect. I opened the bathroom door and said, "Joe I think I'm pregnant! I took a pregnancy test and there were 2 lines." He rolled over in bed and said, "WHAT??" It was hard to believe at first. We didn't want to get our hopes up. But it's for real this time! We couldn't be happier! I know that we are so blessed to be able to have this child. We can't wait!!!!

That little tiny thing is our baby!! What do you think, boy or girl???

Happy Birthday Ry!!!

2008-04-13T15:15:00.003-06:00

Today is Ryan's 9th birthday! I can still remember the day that Ryan came in to our family. He was such a cute and friendly baby...sometimes too friendly! He had the funnest personality and still does. I love it because he is the one in the family that is emotional like me. Whenever they leave St. George or I leave Salt Lake he will get upset when he hugs me goodbye. Ryan also loves BYU football like me. He is REALLY "True Blue". I love you so much Ry, you are such a special little boy and I love having you as my little brother!

Happy Birthday Ry Diggs!!!

Happy Birthday B!!

2008-04-07T19:47:00.002-06:00

Today is my cute little Hannah's 8th birthday. It's hard for me to believe that she is already 8 years old. She is such a funny girl. You can always count on Hannah to make you laugh. She can come up with the funniest little sayings. I love it when my family comes to visit because it means that I get to have Hannah sleep over. She is such a sweet girl and I love her so much! I couldn't imagine life without her in it.

I love you Hannah, Happy Birthday!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T22:17:00.003-06:00

Happy Easter everyone! We had a great day today. My family is in town so we headed up to Ashley's for an Easter egg hunt and Easter dinner. The kids had so much fun finding their eggs and little surprises. Some of the younger ones weren't quite sure what they were supposed to do...they just wanted to eat the candy. Just wanted to share some of the fun pics from today! Hope you all had a great Easter as well!

Blast From the Past Tag

2008-03-18T22:23:00.002-06:00

Heather tagged me and even though she hasn't done any of my tags I have nothing better to do!

What television show or movie did you want to be in when you were little? Strawberry Shortcake
"Which character or star? Strawberry of course!
Most embarrassing moment your friends will never let die? Hmmm...I've got quite a few. I guess when I was on a date and we were in a corn maze, my date wanted to take a shortcut and I totally biffed it!
What are a few good memories you had growing up? Me and Kenna dressing up in our sister's clogging outfits and trying to dance like them, making cooking videos, making an ER movie with my friends Cook and Kellie...he broke our coffee table, night games in the circle, so many more!!!
Your proudest moment or accomplishment? Marrying Joe in the temple.
What adult did you have a crush on when you were little? I don't know...probably some of Heather's guy friends.
What habit or personality trait do you have of your mother or father that you swore you would never do? I'm very stubborn like my mother!!
Who was your first kiss? Brian Clyne, on Heather's doorstep at the ranch!!!
What are 3 adjectives that someone from high school or middle school would use to describe you? Shy, the girl who sings, and smart.
What hairstyle, clothes, or other accessories did you rock back in the day when it was cool? Scrunchies, big bows, leggings...the ones with the straps at the bottom.
What jobs did you have in high school? Hot Dog on a Stick, Sno Shack, and Reflections through Scrapbooking.
What job did those long and annoying surveys in school say you would be good at? Nurse
And what did you try and make the test result outcome be? Nurse
What made you laugh harder than you have ever laughed before? Probably my mom trying to play boxing against Ashley on the wii.
What was your 5 year plan when you had to write it out in high school? Go to college, and get married.
What is your 5 year plan now? Hopefully have kids and get Sojourn finished!

I tag anyone who wants to do it!

The Happiest Day of My Life

2008-03-14T09:11:00.005-06:00

2 years ago today Joe and I were married in the Salt Lake Temple. I can't believe it's already been 2 years! But they have been the happiest 2 years. I think I remember every detail of that day. I remember being so nervous, yet so excited at the same time. I was so worried that the weather was going to be bad, but we were lucky. I think that was the only day that week that it didn't snow. It was such a beautiful day! It was so wonderful to be inside the temple surrounding by family and friends and to be sealed for time and all eternity to the most amazing man who I love more than anything in this world!! The rest of the day didn't even come close to comparing to the temple. You hear people talk about how great the temple is and how beautiful it is, but i never imagined how great it really would be. The reception was perfect! We had it at a place called Le Jardin. It's pretty much a greenhouse, but they decorate it so beautifully! I would do it there again if I had to do it all over. It was so nice to see all the family and friends that had come to give us their love and support. What a great and perfect day! I look back now and I can honestly say that it was the happiest day of my life!
I love you Babe!!!

(I had pictures all picked out to post and my scanner quit working on me!!! I can't begin to tell you how mad I am!!!!!)

Guitar Hero

2008-03-04T21:16:00.005-07:00

Joe and I decided to buy Guitar Hero for our Wii. My brother bought one while we were in Salt Lake and we had a blast with it. I can't tell you how many hours we have already spent staring at the TV screen and rocking out!!!

Ryan and Zach spent the night at our house while my family was here this weekend. Zachy couldn't quite get the hang of it, but he still had fun!

Ryan's quite the little rocker! He would have played it all day if we would have let him.

He was quite proud of his 90%.

Anyone for a battle???

My Grams

2008-02-25T07:00:00.003-07:00

Margaret Laycock, February 25, 1927-February 28, 2006.

My sweet Grandma would have been 81 today. I just needed to share a little bit about this wonderful woman! My grandma was probably one of the greatest people I have ever known. I always looked forward to the time I got to spend with her, whether it was picking her up to go to lunch...she never had a drivers license...or when she would come sleepover at our house. I remember when she would call to tell me that she had a little surprise for me, but that I couldn't tell because I was the only one she got it for. It was usually a cute pair of socks or a little shirt. I miss getting my fun socks for holidays...I had to buy myself some Valentine's ones this year. She was so funny! She had a little feisty attitude about her that always made people laugh. And her cute English accent! I loved that about her! I got so used to it that I didn't notice it anymore, but my friends would always say things about how cute it was. She loved that she was from England. She always talked about wanting to move back there. She would tell me about how beautiful it was there. I loved to hear her stories about growing up in England. She is the reason that I have always longed to visit Europe. My Grandpa, Fred Laycock Jr., died in January of 1994. My grandma was left a widow for a long time. She hated being alone! I don't know how she did it! I remember when my mom called to tell me my grandma had had a heart attack. I was on my way home from a bridal shower that the girls at work had thrown for me. I was so shocked!! My grandma was always so healthy! Joe had heard the news before I did. He knew I wasn't going to handle it well. I'm glad I had him to comfort me through it all. I was able to get up to Salt Lake a few days later to visit her in the hospital. It was hard to see her that way. She would ask me to fix her hair or get her lipstick. She hated being in the hospital! Even though she was in so much pain she still had her funny little attitude. I remember her telling my mom and I that her doctor, Dr. Thorn, was like a thorn in her side!! She didn't want to be stuck in that hospital bed. She talked about just wanting to be with my grandpa. The day she died was one of the hardest days of my life! But knowing that she got to be reunited with my grandpa was such a comfort. My wedding was only 2 weeks away. I was so sad that she wasn't going to be able to be there. My aunt saw how upset I was and told me that she was going to be there more now than she would have been if she was still in the ICU. And I know she was there that day. I could feel her spirit there. I miss my grandma so much, but I know she is so much happier now. She was such a great person. I was always happy when I was around her. I hope that I can be the wonderful grandma someday that she was to me

I love you so much Grams!!!

Our Weekend in Salt Lake

2008-02-17T09:59:00.007-07:00

We headed up to Salt Lake on Wednesday, but we only made it to Beaver. The weather was horrible so we had to stay the night in a hotel. I don't think I have ever been in such a bad storm. It started a little after Parowan and just got worse. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I'm jumpy enough when we travel in good weather, this just made it 10 times worse!!! I've never been so happy to see the exit to Beaver! We woke up the next morning and headed back out on the road. They were still a little icy and slushy so I was still on edge, but it was much better than the night before.

We pulled in to Salt Lake and it was covered with snow.

Since it was Valentine's Joe let me go shopping and then we went to dinner with Heather and Aaron.

The next day was my friend Kenna's wedding. I was a bridesmaid so I had to get all dolled up! I went to a salon to have someone curl my hair for me because I am hair challenged. I ended up paying WAY too much for it, but at least I looked better than I would have made it look, right???

Saturday, the girls headed up to Park City to do more shopping. You would think I see enough clothes since I work retail! But I love to shop! I take advantage of the stores when I am up in Salt Lake because we have nothing in St. George! We had a really fun time together.

Today we have to go back to St. George. It's always nice to get home after a little vacation, but it's always hard for me to leave. I love spending time with my family, especially my little brothers and sister. Joe knows that I will usually cry when we leave. It's just the way I am! We had a great time this weekend. Thanks Mom and Dad for letting us stay and always making us feel welcome!

All About the Husband!!

2008-01-31T08:01:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by Christy so here goes!!!

What is his name? Joseph Val Stephenson
How long have you been married? 2 years in March...crazy!!!!
How long did you date? 9 months, engaged for 2 of them.
How old is he? 24
Who eats more? Joe, but I'm catching up fast...unfortunately!!
Who said "I love you" first? Joe, he said, I think I'm falling in love with you!
Who is taller? That would be him!
Who sings better? I'll take that one.
Who is smarter? Joe thinks that I am, but I guess it depends on what it is.
Whose temper is worse? That would be me, but I am getting better at not freaking out ALL of the time!
Who does the laundry? Most of the time it's Joe. But we usually fold it together...after it piles up!
Who does the dishes? Ever since we got married Joe has always offered to do the dishes...he's so sweet!
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? If you are looking at the bed then it is Joe.
Who pays the bills? Both of us. I have some that I pay, and he has some that he pays.
Who mows the lawn? We live in a townhome so we don't have to mow the lawn, but when we do I'm sure he will do it.
Who cooks dinner? That would be me. When I asked him to cook dinner one night I came home to Little Ceasars pizza.
Who drives when you are together? Most of the time it's Joe. But since we got our new car I tend to want to drive more.
Who is more stubborn? Me for sure!!!
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? I HATE to admit it, but I have realized that we get nowhere until I do.
Whose parents do you see the most? Definitely Joe's parents. Mine live in Salt Lake so we don't see them as much.
Who proposed? Joe, at Christensen's in the kids department. That was where he had first asked me out.
Who has more friends? Not sure!
Who has more siblings? Me-6, Joe-4
Who wears the pants in the family? I think that that would be Joe.

I tag anyone who wants to do this. I think only my sister Ashley has done it so far when I have tagged!!

Girls Day Out

2008-01-24T21:30:00.000-07:00

I decided to have a girls day with Hannah today. I let her decided what we were going to do. We went to Pizza Factory to eat lunch...I just happened to tell her that as one of her options!!! Then we headed over to the outlets to do some shopping. I was surprised that she said she wanted to go shopping because that is not like her. I think she just knows that I LOVE to shop! We made our way through most of the stores and then I decided to take her to the Bear Mill, it's like Build A Bear. I wasn't set on letting he build on, but I couldn't hold myself back...I just love to spoil her. She picked out a black cat and a cute little outfit for it and went to work. She named her Kristina. It was fun to watch her do it all. I love spending time with her!

Our Weekend in Brianhead

2008-01-20T12:52:00.000-07:00

We headed up to Brianhead again this weekend. This time we had Ryan, Hannah, and Zach with us. We stayed the night at Rob and Chelsea's. As soon as the kids woke up they were asking to go tubing. We got all bundled up and headed out. Joe had made it a little easier to trek through the snow this time...I was worried about the kids being able to make it. They made it just fine and they loved it! It was hard to get Hannah to do it, but she ended up going down once. Once they had had enough we went swimming. Hannah was in 7th heaven...much better than tubing!!! We all had a great time!

Ryan's "trick" off the jump

2008-01-20T12:42:00.000-07:00

Ryan told us he was going to do a trick...this is what it turned out as!!! Turn off my music if you want to hear the commentary.

TAGGED.......

2008-01-17T19:09:00.000-07:00

Two names I go by:
1. Nanny or Nan
2. Nutes...don't ask!

Two things I'm wearing right now:
1. pajama pants
2. Billabong hoodie

Two of My favorite things to do:
1. Go to Salt Lake
2. Go to a movie with Joe

Two things I want very badly at the moment:
1. A VACATION
2. A baby

Two favorite pets I have had/have
1. My dog Pepper
2. My cat Tigger

Two things I did last night:
1. Watched the final disc of Lost Season 3...can't wait until the 31st!!!
2. Worked and worked

Two things I ate today
1. Apple
2. Fajitas

Two people I last talked to:
1. Joe
2. The girls at work

Two longest car rides:
1. Salt Lake to California
2. Salt Lake to Blanding

Two favorite holidays:
1. Christmas
2. Memorial Day...cause that means we get to go camping in Blanding!

Two favorite beverages:
1. Dr. Pepper
2. Raspberry Lemonade from Pizza Factory

Thanks for tagging me Chels! Now I tag...Ashley, Heather, my Mom and Dad, and Tenille. And you all better do it!!!

Adventures in Brianhead

2008-01-10T20:04:00.000-07:00

Joe and I decided to drive up to Brianhead today to spend some time with Rob and Chelsea since it was our day off. We had a great time! We tried to go tubing at the resort but it closed at 4:00 so we decided to make our own tube run on the Sojourn property. It turned out to be quite a task, but we all had a lot of fun...until one of the tubes found a tree and popped!!! Thanks for inviting us guys. We can't wait to get up there again!

Babysitting the Little One

2008-01-09T16:12:00.000-07:00

Look at that precious face! Who wouldn't want to babysit that cute thing??? Today was my first time getting to stay with him. Heather took Bradley and Jordan to a Mommy and Me class so I was the lucky one!!! I even got to give him a bath. Oh how I love tiny babies!!!

After his bath Cole was wide awake so I had to take advantage of it!

And I couldn't resist putting another picture just because he is so dang cute!!!

New Car!!!!

2008-01-09T11:12:00.001-07:00

We did it! Joe and I bought a new car. It's a Saturn Vue and we love it!!! Now we just have to sell our Axiom...any takers???

Tagged!

2008-01-01T18:59:00.000-07:00

My mother-in-law tagged me...thanks Cindy! Like you I would love to read more books this year. I guess I just need to make myself more time!!!

Lets try this:
1. Grab your nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog along with these instructions.
5. Tag 10 different people. (5 will do too)

"Actually, it was Private Marcus Hill who pused you out of the crater. Clune and I only helped," James said softly. Daniel shook his head. "Amazing that you would be there...right at that time."

Upon the Mountains by Gale Sears

I tag...

1. Heather
2. My mom
3. Ashley
4. Tenille

I guess 4 will have to do for me!!!

Happy Birthday to You, and You, and You

2007-12-30T10:22:00.000-07:00

Guess who's 5 years old today???

Happy Birthday Brayden! Brayden is such a cute little boy. He's always the first one to run and give me a hug when I walk in the door. We love him so much and we are so glad that he is a part of our lives. Happy birthday B Dawgs!

Birthday #2???

Happy birthday Mom! I don't know how I got so lucky to have such a wonderful mom. She is such a giving person. I wish we lived closer so we could spend more time together. I hope she knows how much she means to me and how much I love her.

And another???

Happy birthday Robby! Robby is Joe's older brother. They live in Brianhead now so we love when we get a call saying they are coming down to visit. Especially because it means that we get to see Lachlan! We love you Rob and happy birthday!!!

Wow, 3 birthdays in one day! At least we won't forget!

The Newest Addition

2007-12-28T22:52:00.000-07:00

Cole Jackson Duke. Born December 28, 2007 at 8:40 PM to Heather and Aaron Duke. He weighs 5 lbs. 12 oz. and is 18 1/2 inches long. He came into the world a month early, but is healthy and strong...and so very cute!!! Congratulations Heather and Aaron. We are so happy for you. I'll be waiting for the call that says I can watch this cute baby!!!

Baby and Mommy. What a strong bond. One lucky boy!

Here is the proud father! Aaron was just beaming all night. Even though it's number 3 there was still as much joy as the first!

A baby and his grandma. Couldn't get any better than this!

Here he is with his Grandpa Weeks, almost an hour old!

Joe's Babysitting Adventure

2007-12-21T15:46:00.000-07:00

Babysitting is a regular happening at our house. But when I have to work it turns out to be Joe's turn. Heather had a doctor's appointment so she dropped the boys off at Joe's parents and he watched them for a while. They had a great time watching Ice Age in the theater together. Heather asked what he was going to do if one of them had a messy diaper...he said he would let his mom take care of it. I guess you better watch out for that Cindy!!!

Happy Happy Birthday!

2007-12-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

What a cool guy! It's Zachary's 6th birthday today. It's hard to believe that he is already 6. He is such a cute boy. He is so tough and there's not much that can make Zach cry. He slept over at our house the other night and he fell and hit his mouth on Joe's knee. Any other kid would have started crying, but Zach just looked at me and said, "I think I'm bleeding. I know I am cause I can see it." Then he took his hand away from his mouth and there was blood all over! Tough boy! Zachy is such a special part of my life. I am so grateful that he came to our family. We all love him so much! Happy Birthday Rooskers!!!

Making Our House a Home

2007-12-02T16:08:00.000-07:00

Joe and I have been trying to add a few things to our house since it's pretty bare. We bought this saying at the Dicken's Festival and decided to give it a try today. The picture doesn't show it very well, but it turned out great! One more thing checked off the list!

SLEEPOVER TIME!!!!!

2007-11-29T22:22:00.000-07:00

It's time for another sleepover at Nanny's! Jordan had to get ear tubes in the morning so Bradley got to have a sleepover at our house. As long as he has his "Bear Bear" and his blankie he is good to go.

Joe and I were putting together some new pictures for the wall and Bradley was our little helper...he was the tape cutter. He got really excited when Joe told him he could help us with it!

And then it was time to go to bed. At first he got scared and said there were monsters, but I told him we don't let monsters in our house and he turned over and closed his eyes. We love sleepovers with Bradley! Next time it will be Jordan's turn. He threw quite the royal fit when Bradley got to leave with us and he had to stay home. We love you too J-Boy!!!

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!

2007-11-18T15:51:00.000-07:00

It's a little early, but Joe and I put our Christmas tree up today. Christmas is my favorite holiday so I was a little excited, and we figured we will be too busy with work coming up so this was our only time to do it. We had a lot of fun with the Christmas music in the background. Joe sat back and watched as I decorated...he's good at telling me where there needs to be more of something. Anyway, an early Merry Christmas to you all!

Life Without Kids

2007-11-17T18:59:00.000-07:00

Joe and I don't have any kids yet so our spare time usually consists of spending time with my nephews Brayden, Bradley, and Jordan (and soon to be Duke boy #3) and niece Maggie. Whether it's babysitting or just hanging out I can always seem to find some reason to get to see them. We love them all so much and they make me so excited to have children. I have loved having kids arounds ever since my mom started doing foster care. I feel empty without them. I can't wait until I am lucky enough to have my own.

The Three Little Ones

2007-11-03T21:41:00.001-06:00

Ryan, Hannah, and Zach. My 3 younger siblings. I love them more than anything! They bring so much joy into my life every time I get to spend time with them. They always seem to find a way to make me smile. I'm so glad they were brought to our family and that I get to be their big sister. I love you guys so much!!!

Japan

2007-11-01T16:36:00.000-06:00

Joe served his mission to Japan. He loved the country and the people very much. It truly was his "best two years"! We hope to be able to someday go back there together so he can show me the country that he enjoyed so much.

They Roped Me In!!!

2007-11-01T15:23:00.001-06:00

Well, Cindy and Chelsea have finally talked me in to blogging. I'm thinking maybe it won't be as hard as I thought. Hopefully I can keep up with it like they do. So look forward to more from Joe and I.