Happy Birthday Kaya

Kaya turned 1 sometime in December. I am too lazy to look through her papers to find out her exact birthday.

Basically she has gone from this:



To this:



The past 10 months with her have been amazing. Even though I do have a list of little annoyances that I will share later, for now I will tell you why I think she is pretty close to the perfect pup:

• She is very easy going. Never territorial or vicious. Toby can tackle her while she is eating her food or climb into her kennel while she is sleeping and she doesn't even care.
• She was SO easy to house break. She bumps her nose on the back door blinds when she needs to go out. It is beyond adorable.
• She learns new tricks really easily. Right now she can sit, shake, lay down, wait-til-we-snap-our-fingers-to-grab-a-treat trick, and play hide-and-seek.

• She is extremely affectionate. Loves to nuzzle her nose under your hand when you are watching TV or just sprawl out on your lap like she is saying "notice me, please!"
• She is a great lap dog. I love to cradle her in my arms and rub her belly.
• I love taking her to PetSmart or to get groomed because people just fall in love with her. Every time I come back to get her, they say "She is such a sweetheart! I just want to keep her." Yes, I know. But you can't. She is all mine.
• Although she is pretty much full grown, she is a lot smaller than the average corgi. Many people mistake her for being a new puppy. I love my mini-corgi though - even if her head never caught up with the rest of her body (she has an unusually small head and a LARGE behind).

Now for the annoying stuff:

• I think she is out of this phase, but for a while every time the front door would pop open she would make a dead run for freedom. Sometimes it would take a good 30 minutes before I could coax her back inside with lots of treats and neighbors helping me. Very annoying.
• She sheds. Oh does she ever shed.

• She has to have something to chew on all day. We go through bones like water. If we run out, she will find an alternative like Christmas tree decorations or some of Toby's baby toys (that I was actually wanting to save for the next baby. ARGH!). But as long as I keep a good supply of bones in the closet, she basically leaves the rest of the house alone. Stinker.
• She gives little, soft barks when I am home alone because she thinks she hears someone or something outside. It's usually the wind blowing something against the door or some neighbor kids running by. It's not an irritating, LOUD, bark. It's mostly just distracting when I am writing up a grocery list or whatever. And really, I am glad she is so protective - even if she does resemble a giant twinkie with legs more than an intimidating watch dog.
  

My favorite way to hold her.

So that is my Kaya. I am so grateful Nick decided to splurge a little last Valentines Day and get her for me. I can't even imagine life with out her now.

Mr. Krueger's Christmas

Along with It's a Wonderful Life, this is another classic Jimmy Stewart Christmas movie I have enjoyed watching since I was a little girl. Although you can watch the entire movie on YouTube (25 min.), this is one of my favorite scenes.
Merry Christmas!

New do and killing time

Nick has wanted to chop Toby's hair for a while now. He doesn't like the pilgrim look, but I think he looks adorable. So yesterday Nick grabbed the clippers and hacked away.

Toby went from shaggy...

(Toby loves to carry around Nicks staple gun - along with any other tool he can get his hands on. Don't worry, I took the staples out)

...to Mr. Clean Cut.

I think he definitely looks older with short hair, but I miss the long locks.

And since its colder outside, my busy little man gets cabin fever with staying indoors most of the day. Hence, we brought in the bike.

I'm still amazed at how well he does on it.

And I had to throw in a random Kaya picture just because she is so darn cute (and the paint roller is another item Toby likes to carry around the house).

It's a girl! (at least we are "pretty sure")

Yes, today was the day we found out what whether Toby would have a little brother or sister. But before I get into that I want to tell you about the interesting morning I had. You know how in my last post I said I've been feeling like I am having another boy? Well when I checked my email this morning, I was caught off guard by an email from a business which was called one of the girl names Nick and I like (we're still not 100% sold on it so I'm not going to reveal it just yet). Interesting coincidence though right? Then as we were driving to our appointment, I saw a sign on the side of the road with the same girl name on it. And lets just say it's not a real common name, so that really threw me off. At this point a trickle of doubt crept into my mind about my maternal instincts and I wondered if deep down I just wanted a boy because that is most familiar and comfortable to me.

Now for the actual appointment. The doc said everything - all the organs, the measurements, etc. - looked perfect and normal. He actually described the heart as "beautiful." And just knowing the baby is healthy and thriving, is wonderful news by itself.

When he got to the sex of the baby, he immediately said "girl." But then after a few seconds back-peddled and mused, "Well, I'm pretty sure it's a girl. The legs are very close together which is making me wonder a bit." It's making me wonder a bit too, I thought anxiously. When he looked from a different angle he noticed the umbilical cord in between the legs which continued his guessing game. But then he went back to the original between-the-legs view and kept reiterating that he was "pretty sure" it was a girl. When I looked over at Nick, he was beaming and immediately said, "I knew it. I knew all along" (he has wanted a girl so bad). I just sat there speechless. Before the appointment, I was honestly indifferent about the sex of the baby. Just happy for whatever and excited to finally know one way or another. Now the doctor was just teasing me with all this "pretty sure it's a girl" talk. I suddenly wanted a 100%, hands down, no question it is a girl (or boy) answer. The doc then told me to remind them at my next visit to do a quick check ultrasound just to be certain of the sex. Oh I'll remind them alright. I left the office feeling a bit deflated and irritated.

As we drove home I vented my frustration: "That was a bit anti-climatic don't you think? Now I really don't know what to think. Are we really any more informed than before the appointment?" Nick was patient and reminded me that we now know that we have a healthy baby, and that is what's most important. True. Very true. But I was still a bit unsettled. Especially with being 21 weeks along, I thought the doc should be able to say "for sure" whether it's a boy or girl. But what can you do if the little one wants be "shy" (that is how the doctor put it)?

When we got back home, Nick and I studied the ultrasound picture some more. We talked about my experience this morning with the email and seeing the sign with one of the girl names we liked. Nick just kept saying "It's a girl, Deb. I just know it." For the first time, I let myself get excited and smiled at the thought of holding a little baby girl in my arms.

So the general vibe in our home is "girl." And I really hope we are right because I seriously can't get that girl name out of my head now. :)

Then and Now

So this is me 21 weeks pregnant with Toby...

And this is me 21 weeks pregnant with baby #2 (man will I be glad to finally be able to say his or her name)...

And sorry it's out of focus. All the other pictures I had a weird smile.

I realized two things when I looked at these pictures: 1) I really like my hair darker and I'm glad my bangs have finally grown out. 2) I think I am definitely bigger this time around - although I still get lots of comments on the smallness of my tummy. It's the extra long torso people (which makes it really hard to find maternity shirts that don't resemble a tent). With Toby, tons of people would tell me he was going to be a 5 or 6 lb. baby because of my little bump of a tummy. He was 8 lbs.

Monday is the day, the moment of truth! I feel like I am having another boy, but this definitely has been a much different pregnancy. I honestly have no preference and will be excited either way. Can't wait!

And I just found out yesterday my brother Tim and his wife are expecting their 4th child and it will be their 3rd girl! The funny thing is, Jodi's due date is the same as mine: April 18th! I've always wanted to be pregnant at the same time as somebody in my family, but never thought I would have the exact same due date. How cool is that?

Ramblings and Exciting News

So I have some catching up to do. A few things have gone down in the Sibert abode. I will warn you though: most of it is just random thoughts and ramblings. The last part is actually pretty significant so try to endure to the end (or just scroll down to the bottom).

1 - We celebrated my dad's, mine, and my sister Mikel's birthday in November. My dad is 63, my sister is 31, and I am 28. Nick likes to tease me about being so close to 30 - yet he's been 30 since last May so I'm unsure how he gets any satisfaction out of it. My birthday was on a Thursday and on those days Nick is gone from 7 am - until 10 pm because of school and work. So I was expecting it to be a pretty normal, long-day-with-Toby kind of day. I was pleasantly surprised when my dad took me out to lunch (and Toby was SO good and actually ate restaurant food instead of making me chase him everywhere. That was a huge birthday present!) After lunch, I arrived home to another surprise. My friend, Burgandy, had brought me two of the most delectable, scrumptious cupcakes I have ever had in my life! Holy delicious goodness. Friday, Nick took the day off - which was a big present by itself. We just lounged around the house most of the day. Actually, I have to admit - I did most of the lounging. Nick cleaned all the bathrooms, vacuumed, did all the dishes and laundry, raked all the leaves, and gave me a much needed nap and break from the T-man. It was a great day.

2 - I am going to bed around 10:30 or 11 every night - which is way early for me. I am still waiting for the extra energy that is promised in the 2nd trimester. Every morning I feel like I've been hit by a freight train no matter how much sleep I get. I don't remember feeling this tired with Toby. But then again, the first time around I didn't have a two-year old who literally does not stop running around until his head hits the pillow at night. OK now the chronic fatigue is making sense.

3- Toby is really into vacuuming all of a sudden. He feels the need to vacuum the basement at least twice a day and he does a pretty good job too. And since I require him to clean up his toys before he can vacuum, I get the added bonus of a spotless basement along with extra clean carpets! And just so you know I'm not a slave driver mom and I am not OCD about keeping a clean house. He's just a busy little boy. I only hope I can continue to benefit from his "busyness" when the baby comes! :)

4- So now for the major stuff. Nick has a new job! He will be working for IMFT (aka Micron) starting December 13th. I can't even begin to tell you how huge of a blessing this is. Nick has applied to work at Micron for over 3 years (pretty much since he started school) and we never hear a thing from them. Rumor has it they were undergoing some hiring freezes and were only hiring internally for a while. So when I applied for him in October, I was expecting the usual silence from them. Then Nick got a call a couple weeks ago and they wanted to interview him for 3 different positions! What?!?! We were extremely excited but scared of getting our hopes up. After a few interviews, he was offered a position as a Maintenance Technician.

So there are a few reasons why Micron is a big deal to us: 1) We've heard it is pretty easy to move up in the company and that they take really good care of their employees (good benefits, good pay, bonuses, etc.). 2) Nick will finally be working in a job that is related to his schooling. He will be putting to practice all the book smarts. 3) He will be getting paid more! 4) And the schedule, oh the schedule!! In case you didn't know, Nick has been working 2 - 10 pm everyday and going to school in the morning for the past 3 years. We are both very ready for him to have a job where he will not only be home in the evenings, but will work 3-4 days a week and then have 3-4 days off (it's a rotating schedule). How will he finish his last two semesters at UVU? Mostly through online classes and an occasional evening class. The downside? He will be working every Sunday. :( But that will most likely change eventually.

For now, I am just ecstatic and so incredibly grateful for this long awaited change and blessing in our life. Congrats to you Nick! I am so very proud of you and all the hard work and sacrifices it took to get here. Love you so much.

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

"This is a wonderful time to be on earth. While there is much that is wrong in the world today, there are many things that are right and good. There are marriages that make it, parents who love their children and sacrifice for them, friends who care about us and help us, teachers who teach. Our lives are blessed in countless ways." - President Thomas S. Monson

Traditions and Memories

We got our first, real snow fall yesterday. And when I say "real" I mean it actually stuck to the ground enough to have a decent snowball fight. So to keep tradition alive, I must play my "First Snowfall" Anthem from The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack.

*

I think the reason I get so excited when I open the drapes in my bedroom and see a blanket of snow on my front lawn is because not only does it make the cold more bearable (who wants it to just be cold without something pretty to look at?), but it also brings back a myriad of memories with my family around this time of year: Going on carriage rides at temple square, making Christmas treats in the kitchen while Harry Connick's Christmas album blasts from the stereo, going sledding at Tibble Fork, watching A Christmas Story for the millionth time with all my siblings, snacking on crackers, cheese, and smoked sausage (don't forget the spicy mustard...mmmm). Now that I have a family of my own, I look forward to the making of many more memories and traditions.

And I already know this Holiday season will be one of the most memorable for my little family simply because of one day: December 6th, 2010.
This is the day I find out whether I will be re-using Toby's baby clothes or if I need to start shopping for cute dresses and hair bows. :)

I'm so excited!

Any guesses on what I am having? For your convenience, I created a baby poll in the upper right corner of my blog. Let the guessing game begin!

Spicin' things up

Today I was thinking about how I have been craving very specific, spicy foods with this pregnancy. When I was pregnant with Toby I think I craved chips and salsa for the first trimester, and then the cravings stopped. This time around, my craving for spice hasn't waned. Not only that but but one week I can't get enough of one particular type of food, then next week I want nothing to do with it. Here are just a few I've made note of so far:

- When I was sick, I craved Doritos Salsa Verde chips for at least 3 weeks solid. And then I over did it one night and threw them up. To this day, just the seeing a bag of them at Wal-Mart makes me queasy.

- I had a good two weeks where I ate a turkey sandwich on a white deli roll for both lunch and dinner. I wanted nothing on it but loads of pepper jack cheese and a little mustard. Now it sounds gross.

- This one isn't spicy but I thought I would list it anyway: A bagel with LOTS and LOTS of cream cheese slathered on top. Ever had one from Gandolfo's? Mmmm...its heaven.

- You know those awesome blossom appetizers at restaurants (basically a deep fried onion)? I literally had to go out to eat last weekend just so I could have one of those with some of that yummy horseradish dipping sauce. That, along with a small salad, was my meal for the night.

- The latest ongoing craving is jalapeno rings from Del Taco. My mouth is watering just thinking about them. When I first had this craving, I ignored it because I thought it would upset my stomach or at least give me heartburn. I finally gave in one day when I was running errands near a Del Taco. I think I devoured them in less than 60 seconds and anxiously awaited some type of negative repercussion. But nothing! In fact I found myself wanting to go back for for round 2, but decided not to push my luck.

So there you have it. I'm not sure why spicy things seem to hit the spot so much for me. I am a bit of a spice junkie normally, but being pregnant seems to turn me into a spice maniac.

Have any of you had any crazy cravings during a pregnancy? I would love to hear them...especially the SPICY ones. :)

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman

Yes, my little man was the radioactive spider for Halloween. I know I am biased, but I thought he was so stinkin' cute. Nick and I chose the costume, but he has liked Spiderman ever since I came home with Spiderman band-aids. I even found the original Spiderman cartoon on YouTube and let him listen to the opening theme song. The next few days he wandered the house singing "Spiderman, Spiderman, does what a spider can..."

Suitin' up with daddy. I swear I didn't plan this but if you look closely at his shirt underneath you will see it says "Mommy's Super Hero"

My mom says the above picture looks just like me when I was Toby's age.

Hamming it up.

Like many parents, I could only get him to wear the mask portion for a few seconds.

But it was long enough to for him feel "Spiderman-ish" and start shooting webs out from his hands. Or try to.

Nick had to carve an Oregon Ducks pumpkin in hopes they would crush USC in Saturday's game.

I guess it worked because not only did they beat USC 53 - 32, but Oregon is now #1 in the nation.
Go Ducks!

Our Halloween (or Halloween Eve, depending on whether you live in Utah or not) basically went like this: We went to the ward's chili cook-off/carnival where I devoured 3 (yes three!) bowls of chili. It felt SO nice to eat and actually enjoy what I was eating. Then after a down pour of rain, we went trick-or-treating for a good hour and a half. And then I was done. Luckily, so was Toby. After we put him to bed, Nick and I ended the evening with watching the Oregon game and eating lots of left over candy.
I love Halloween.

And the winner is...

BYU-IDAHO! Woo-hoo!!!!

Which means: My brother Tim and his family will be moving just outside of Rexburg, ID in March after 4 years of residing in Manhattan, Kansas.

Which means: More family get-together's with all of our little ones running around and stuffing ourselves until we slip into a food coma.

And if none of this post is making sense, scroll down to: "My brother...the docta" and it will.

Congratulations, brother Tim. You have chosen wisely. :) I know all the students at BYU-IDAHO will love you and fight to get into your classes - even though I know teaching there goes against your very red nature as a die-hard Utes fan. Be strong.

My only advice to you: Resist becoming "fully invested" (which shouldn't be too hard based on their current football season).

Sorry, my BYU friends. It had to be said! :)

Proud Mama

It was discovered this past weekend that Toby can ride a bike! Grandma and Grandpa Sibert found a bike his size for only $3 at a yard sale and kindly donated it to us. As soon as Toby sat down, he was off. He is still working on how to stop and going uphill is a bit of a challenge, but the boy is a natural.

Way to go Toby-man!

"My brother...the docta!"

Well, not quite. But he is well on his way (by the way, the above quote is from the movie The Burbs - an awesome 80's flick I highly recommend watching this Halloween season).

Almost 2 years ago I blogged about visiting my brother Tim and his family in Manhattan, KS. At that time he was graduating with his masters in "Family Studies and Human Services." Now he is extremely close to getting his doctoral degree in "Life Span Human Development." Recently he received some exciting news. And since I promised some more upbeat posts I thought I would share and brag a little about my talented older brother. So here I go: Tim was offered a teaching position at BYU-Idaho as well as a counter offer for a permanent full-time teaching position from Kansas State - the University he is currently attending . Of course, I am rooting for BYU-Idaho because I would like him to be a 3 hour road trip away instead of a 3 hour plane ride away. But no pressure, Tim. You do what you feel is right...even if its costs you the love and respect from your favorite sister.

I'm kidding, I'm kidding.

No, I'm not. Choose BYU-Idaho, dang it!

I really am proud of him no matter what he decides. He was the first in our family to get his Bachelors (though my sister, Beckie, is soon the be the 2nd!). The guy has come a LONG way and definitely "took [the road] less traveled by." He is a father of 3, he teaches early morning seminary and 2 classes at K-State, and has taught both guitar and tennis lessons on the side to earn a little extra $. Oh and did I mention this was a guy that barely graduated High School? He is pretty much amazing and I'm extremely happy for him and his family.

And lets not forget his wonderful wife, Jodi, who has stood by his side through it all. HUGE standing ovation for her. :)

I'll give you an update when I find out which position he chooses.

Congrats to you Tim and Jodi!

A rollercoaster day

Today I had my 13 week appointment. Don't worry, my baby is A-OK. My doc found the heartbeat right away and stated that everything seemed to be fine with the little bean (now the size of a shrimp but that makes me sick thinking about a shrimp swimming around inside of me, so I still prefer to say bean).

Me, on the other hand, not so good. After testing my urine sample, he said I was severely dehydrated and that he was concerned about my weight loss: I have lost 16 lbs. since the beginning of my pregnancy. I was shocked! I knew I had lost a little weight but when I heard that I was completely freaked out. He asked me if Zofran was helping - I said yes and no. "Yes" in that it is keeping me from barfing 6-8 times a day. "No" in the sense that I still throw up about every other day and still not much of an appetite. I can eat a small breakfast, a couple bites for lunch, and pretty much no dinner (which is actually an improvement from a few weeks ago). My doc was really concerned and said that I needed to go over to the hospital right away to get set-up on some IV's. He also said that I needed to be in better touch with them about how I was feeling and make sure I am staying hydrated. He then added Pepcid AC to my Zofran and Fenegren (sp?) meds to see if that would help with all the acid in my tummy that is keeping me from eating. During the whole doctor visit, I kept my composure and even managed to fake a smile as I said goodbye to the nurse. But as soon as I got in my car, I burst into tears. I felt like such a failure of a mom and the little one hasn't even been born yet. The thing is, I really have tried hard to force myself to eat, even when I was had to gag the food down. And I've kept my fridge well stocked with Gatorades, Sprite, Ginger-ale...you name it, I've guzzled it. The only red flag I've seen was that the past few days I have definitely felt more dizzy, tired, and had quite a few headaches. But I chalked it all up to me being prego, not dehydrated. So while I was wiping the tears from my eyes, as well as avoiding looks from other drivers, I desperately tried to get a hold of Nick. No luck. I remembered when I left the house he was mowing the lawn with Toby and was probably weed-wacking as I called him and texted him in vain. While I waited for him to call back, I called my dad and luckily he happened to be in the area working at the Saratoga Springs clinic (he is a Physician Assistant) and said that he would come to the hospital with me. I immediately felt relieved that I would have someone there to keep me company and keep me from tearing myself apart. Just as I pulled into the hospital, Nick called. He assured me that everything was going to be OK, not to worry, the baby is fine...all the stuff I needed to hear. I also was able to talk to my my mom who reminded me about my friend, Deborah, who was on IV's through most of her pregnancy and still was able to have a full-term baby with no complications. After my IV, I felt A LOT better. I even felt pretty darn silly for my earlier break down. Crazy pregnancy hormones I guess.

And I am sure you guys are really tired of all my posts about me being sick and miserable (as am I) so I promise to have some more upbeat entries that have absolutely nothing to do with my bodily fluids (or lack of). Thanks for your comments, texts, phone calls, supportive smiles and kind words. It has truly helped me survive the past few months, more than you know. :)

A word of gratitude

This post is dedicated to the two wonderful men in my life: Nick and Toby. First let me elaborate on the awesomeness of Nick:

Since I have been a little busy growing a human inside of me and been bit under the weather, Nick has more than picked up the slack. If there are ever dishes in the sink or dishes to unload, he is on it. If there is a mound of laundry piling up in our hallway, he throws in a few loads AND puts them away. He has taken Toby to his parents house in Hyrum a few times just to give me a break and time for myself. And he hasn't complained once about me not making him dinner in the evenings because of my queasiness (let's be honest, he's not really missing out on any culinary masterpieces anyway). Oh and have I mentioned that he goes to school full-time and works full-time? Yeah, he pretty much rocks. And whenever I am tempted to feel guilty for all that he does, I just remember that I would do the same for him in a heartbeat if he was down and out for a few months.
OK, don't me get me wrong people, Nick and I have our issues, ugly moments, and definitely our disagreements so don't think I decided to get online tonight to brag about how perfect our marriage is. If you know us well, you know we are far from claiming perfection. I just wanted a moment to give a huge virtual hug to my husband and tell him how much I appreciate all he does. And now I am done.

Now for the Toby-meister. The boy who has a tender heart and raging spirit. Though we've had some rough times the past 12 weeks, I am shocked at how well he has coped and adjusted to a boring mommy. Not only that, but I am becoming less scared about him being an older brother. He has been such a strength to me. Here are just a few things he does ALL ON HIS OWN. And let me put in a disclaimer that I don't brainwash him or bribe him to do these things. He does them simply because he wants to (and I am suspecting the "Nick-isms" are coming out in him, which is not a bad thing):

- Not every morning, but at least a couple times a week he will get Kaya's food out of the pantry, scoop it up, and carefully pour it into her bowl. If any food gets on the floor, he will pick it up one by one until all the food is in the bowl. Then he will put the food away back in the pantry.

-Any wrappers or garbage on the floor he will immediately put in the trash can.

- When he has been outside playing in the sandbox, he will come inside, push a chair up to the sink, wash his hands, dry them off, and put the chair back under the table. I have never once asked him to do this. It's all Toby.

- One time I was so incredibly sick and on the verge of vomiting. I told Toby I wasn't feeling good. Without asking him to, he disappeared into the other room to retrieve my spit/throw-up bowl (it was clean, don't worry). WHAT?! My heart just melted.

- He will turn off the lights or the TV (if its on) when is done playing downstairs. I will admit I have major OCD tendencies with turning off lights when I leave a room....and apparently the T-man has picked up on that. :)

- My favorite thing would have to be though is when he grabs my face, brings it to his, and says "you're cute mommy." Even coming from a 2 1/2 year old, it totally boosts my self esteem. Especially since 90% of the time I have on no-makeup, I'm sportin' Nick's old t-shirts, and my hair is shoved up in a clip. Gosh, I love that boy.

Finally, the post of gloating and gushing has come to an end. Thanks for indulging me. :)

"It's getting better all the time.....

....ge-tting so much bett-er all the tiiiiiime!" (to be sung with a thick British accent)

That's what I've been saying lately when people ask how I'm feeling. I'm 11 weeks and 5 days and more than ready to shout "good riddance!" to my 1st trimester and "HELLOOOOOOOO" to having more energy, wearing cute maternity clothes, and being able to savagely devour a Cafe Rio pork salad without even thinking about the repercussions.

Yes, tragically, I have learned the hard way that I cannot skip taking Zofran. I thought it wasn't doing much because I would still throw up a couple times a day. Well I had a good three days with no up-chucking that duped me into thinking: "Pshh...I don't need this stuff. What is it anyway? A placebo pill to make me 'think' I am feeling less nauseated?" So I didn't refill my prescription. Huge, HUGE mistake.

It was a gruesome sight to behold at the Sibert residence this past Tuesday. I'll spare you the details but just say that I got very well acquainted with my bathroom that day and humbly apologized to my newly refilled Zofran bottle for doubting its powers.

On the flip side, food is s-l-o-w-l-y becoming more appetizing. One day I was feeling so fantastic Nick and I celebrated and ate at Chilis. I was pleasantly surprised at not having any gag reflex when I put the salty and oh-so-fattening french fries in my mouth and then happily dipped them into ranch dressing. OH YEAH. When we left the restaurant, Nick commented how he thought Chili's was overrated and that his food was just OK. I looked him like he was crazy: "Are you kidding me?! I thought my food tasted fantastic!" I said it a little too exuberantly. He laughed as he remembered that I had just eaten my first "real meal" in quite a while. Ah yes, that was a good day.

And I look forward to many more good days to come. :)

Food glorious food!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We're expecting...

Baby #2! Wahooooooooooooo!!!!

So I've known for over a month now, and so have a few friends and family. But I wanted to wait until my first appointment to spill the beans about the little bean inside of me. So yes, I had my first appointment today and Nick and I got to see the heartbeat (yeah, I don't know we didn't get to hear it, just see it. Weird but still awesome). But I'm officially 9 weeks today and my due date is April 18th.

OK now for the fun stuff:

Oh man, this pregnancy has been rough so far. With Toby, I puked maybe 3-4 times TOTAL. I felt a little nauseated in the morning but could eat by the afternoon. This time around I have obliterated my last puke record: I'm throwing up 1-3 times a day and I feel sick ALL DAY but mostly in the evenings. I usually have to end the night with a trip to the bathroom to empty out my tummy and then I can go to sleep. Usually. Sometimes the nausea is so bad I can't sleep. And I'm even on Zofran too. But on top of that my mouth is producing TONS of excess saliva so I have a few spit bowls scattered around the house (yeah, my neat freak husband loves that) and I have a gross metallic taste in my mouth almost all the time - both things I never experienced with the T-man. But just like everyone says, every pregnancy is different. Nick and I can't help but speculate though: if this pregnancy is completely opposite from the first, does this mean I am having a girl? Or even more, does this mean I will get a baby who is a little more even-tempered and actually likes to sleep? I must admit, the thought makes me a little giddy. Heaven knows we deserve at least one baby that won't give us panic attacks when bedtime or nap time rolls around. :)

But the thing that is probably hardest on me is not being able to be the mom Toby demands every day. Some days, I can stomach a little walk or a trip to the park. Other days we go outside to get the mail and thats about it because I feel so terrible. I feel like such a failure when he wants to wrestle with me or he tugs on my hand wanting me to run around the backyard with him or have a pillow fight and I have to repeat for the 100th time: "mommy doesn't feel good right now. Maybe later, OK?" He still doesn't quite get it. He just looks at me like, "why did you become so boring all of a sudden?" and then usually asks for Daddy. I've tried alternative things to occupy him, but I have a little guy that isn't wired to sit quietly with a book or color a picture. He wants to rough play and run around and take his tricycle around the block 10 times. But what keeps me going is two things: a) when Nick is around, he more than makes up for me being such lame mommy. b) its not going to last forever. I have friends who are much more sick throughout their ENTIRE pregnancy so I can't really complain. At least I know in about a month food will sound good again. I keep reminding myself that someday I will be complaining about how I ate way too much and how that chili-dog gave me heartburn. Someday. :)

But despite the puky-ness and failure-of-a-mom feelings, I am way excited and ready to be a mommy again.

So I was going to write a lot more about how excited I am but really all I want to do is assume position on the couch downstairs with my bowl and ginger-ale in hand. :)

Goodbye.

Toby's in a commercial

Well, not really. But when I saw this commercial a couple nights ago, I literally laughed out loud and said "It's Toby!" I love my little guy more than anything, but man he keeps me on my toes! Enjoy!




Oh and I laugh mainly because Toby has committed these same acts in real life. He has a toy baseball bat that he destroys his toys with on a daily basis. He has dumped out all my liquid dish soap onto my counter tops and almost flooded my kitchen. In the past he would chuck his toothbrush in the toilet as soon as I gave it to him but now he deliberately gives it to Kaya because he thinks its funny to watch me chase her. There isn't a day that goes by that he doesn't throw his toys (big toys) at Kaya. I'm still waiting for the snail experience to happen though. :)

But a classic Toby moment would have to be what happened a few weeks ago at the mall (I can laugh about this now but at the time I was a complete wreck). My parents were watching him while I was finishing my dinner in the food court. Within minutes of leaving him at their side, he had run away and disappeared into a big crowd. This boy could win medals for how fast he can run. Needless to say, this was the longest 10 minutes of my life. Apparently he had taken the escalator, totally BY HIMSELF to the bottom level of the mall and was running around from store to store. Luckily, someone had found him wandering and took him to a security guard. When I saw him I was bawling and a total mess. As I hysterically reached for him, I expected him to be a little shaken up or scared by our separation. Nope. He was casually licking a sucker and said "Hi mommy" as if nothing had happened.

Gotta love these kids who make life more interesting. I can't wait until he is older and I can read him all my journal entries that should be titled "Adventures with the Tobe-man." :)

How boring would my days be if I didn't have this little guy spicing things up?!

Fall

I've talked to people who say Utah doesn't have much of a Fall. They think we don't truly experience the leaves changing colors on the trees. Uh, I beg to differ:

I love fall!

Perspective

Yesterday I attended the funeral services for a 6-year old girl who lived in my neighborhood. She died in a tragic car accident just last week. As I listened to the many speakers and watched the small, white casket be reverently taken from the church, I silently cried and prayed that I would never ever have to endure such a heartbreaking event in my own life

Since the passing of this sweet little girl, I have been looking at Toby with fresh eyes: watching how his nose crinkles when I get a good belly laugh out of him, the way he instantly shakes his little booty whenever he hears music, and how he now yells, "Deb!" in a low voice when he wants my attention. What if all that was gone in an instant? What if I could no longer take walks with him in the mornings, beam with pride as I watch him develop in such a vibrant, smart, little boy, curl up next to him in the evenings and feel his little hand twist and tangle my hair until his little eyes close and he drifts off to sleep. The thought instantly brings tears to my eyes and gives me the renewed perspective of the need to put my time and energy into the things that not only matter most, but are eternal in nature: my family.

The challenge: If only I could live each day with such a perspective and not need these close-to-home reminders of how precious the time allotted with my family really is.

Snapshots of the Summer

The summer has blown by. Here are just few things we've done:

Nick got his truck! We love it. You definitely can't miss him with the Fire Engine red. :)

One of Toby's favorite things to do is help daddy fix something. They are two peas in a pod.

Me, Toby, Vanessa, and Jade at the Legacy Aquatic Center in Lehi.

Baby Jade is now a 1 year old!

Thanksgiving Point Animal Farm with some friends

So photogenic.

I love this picture of Toby and his buddy Colin.

Niece Azia's baptism. Toby is so cute with a white shirt and tie.

Glowing Azia.

Highland Splash Park
The best part: its free!

The Living Aquarium in Sandy

Realized later I wasn't supposed to have the flash on when taking pictures of the jellyfish. Oops.

Fun rides at the South Towne Mall

Toby wanted it to really "go" like Grandpa Sibert's four-wheeler.

Jumpin' and slidin' at Kangaroo Zoo

I was the one who accompanied Toby on every slide.
Yup, that was my workout for the day.