How can this be?

"Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it you can never get it back." -Harvey MacKay

Can you believe that this little guy...

...was born 2 years ago on Thursday? It just doesn't seem right in my mind - at once, it feels both like he should be younger and older than that! Time is quite confusing!

Let's see how the last two years has changed my Andrew Tyler:

• He's gained something around 24 lbs
• He's grown more than 14 inches. The last appointment he had was 6 months ago, so I can't tell you any really accurate stats on his height and weight
• He's learned how to hold his head up, roll over, sit up, crawl, cruise, walk, and RUN (one of his favorite things to do!)
• He's popped out something like 20 teeth, maybe more, maybe less. It's harder to check nowadays!
• He's grown enough hair for two haircuts, though it took a LONG time for anyone to even be able to see any hair on his head
• He's learned to talk. A lot. He was a talker from birth, but now he's really talking to us! We still have no idea what he's saying half the time, but we can definitely tell what his favorite things are by the words he says most: Mickey, cars, truck, football, Buckeyes, touchdown, papa (Grandpa), daddy... yep, he's all boy!
• He's still the sweetest, most outgoing kid you'll meet, but he's also learned how to throw a tantrum! Flailing on the floor is a current behavioral staple in his repertoire
• He's able to throw a ball like a fiend, so don't get in the way if he has a ball in his hand(s)!
• He loves to see his own baby pictures. In fact, he asks to see them whenever we turn on the laptop or he sees our cell phones, silly boy. He points to himself and says, "Baby!" Hopefully that means he'll be more open to the new baby when we bring it home in February...? (He still doesn't get that he's going to be a big brother!)

There's lots more, but then I'll really begin to gush about my cute little boy!

And here he is, two (almost) whole years later!

Our future basketball player!

I love this little boy!

Secret: Some of my favorite movies are Disney movies - Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Mulan... they're just so classic! How can you not like them? Which Disney movies are your favorites?

Sick! And Christmas!

Well, it's official - the nastiness of the flu (or whatever it is that's going around) has hit our house! My dad got a really mild version of it first, where his stomach was just upset. Then Andrew and I got REALLY sick. Jason has gotten by mostly unscathed, with an upset stomach as well, and now that we're all feeling better, my mom is sick! She's mostly over it too, but she's still feeling weak. It's been a not-so-great week! Yuck!

But I'm glad we're all feeling (or starting to feel) better, because...

Christmas is almost here!

And while I don't normally have any pictures to share that are my own, here are a couple:

Like Grandfather, like grandson! Andrew wanted to help my dad hang the garland around the living room!

He has his list, and he's checking it twice! (I LOVE this picture! Thanks, Mom, for taking it!)

And, as a PS-

And this picture is old, because I'm almost 32 weeks, and this was taken at 24 weeks... I don't feel like I look like I've gotten any bigger! I'll try to take a 32-week picture tomorrow, when I'm officially 32 weeks.

I love this time of year. It's my favorite time of year because of the smells, the traditions, and the general goodwill that is shared. It's almost impossible to not feel happy this time of year! As we think about the reason for this season, our Savior, it's hard not to think of His atonement. The reason we celebrate His birth is because of His sacrifice for us. None of us are perfect, and it's through Him that we can be made perfect. And it all started with a baby being born. :)

It's likely that I won't be updating this again before Christmas, so I'll say it now:

Merry Christmas!

Busy Weekend!

"A charming woman is a busy woman." -Loretta Young

Does that mean I was charming this last weekend? We were busy!

Saturday morning, we had our ward's Christmas social. Instead of working for hours in the kitchen on a Turkey and other dinner foods, this year they decided to do a breakfast, and I thought it was a good idea! People brought bacon, pastries, breakfast casseroles, pancakes, fruit salad... it was yummy!

That night, we had a stake choir practice. Jason and I couldn't find a babysitter, so between the two of us and my parents, we took turns watching Andrew. I felt bad because I couldn't take my turn. One of the songs we were practicing was the Hallelujah Chorus, and they needed me to play the piano to pluck out parts. I could only do one part at a time because that song is cuh-RAY-zy, but I did what I could!

On Sunday, we went to church. We only stayed for sacrament meeting because 1. the weather wasn't so great, and 2. we had another event to go to. It turned out that it was good for us to leave anyway, because a kid threw up in nursery, where Andrew plays for two hours during church! And I've heard of several kids getting sick since then. Yuck.

We left church early to go to my high school's Christmas alumni choir concert. Every year, the choir invites all its alumni back to participate in two songs at the end of the concert - the Hallelujah Chorus and The Lord Bless You and Keep You. Jason and I picked up my friend Cassie from her apartment, and enjoyed the concert with my sister Susette and her husband Josh. It was a good concert. I still like to think that the choir sounded better when I was going to high school, but I'm probably wrong! :)

From there, we came home to change back into our church clothes and eat some chicken salad sandwiches on croissants. Yummy!

We had to move quickly, because we went back to the stake center to sing in the stake Christmas Musical Fireside. My family (mom, dad, Susette, Josh, Jason and me) + our friends Rachel and Derrik sang the song Still, Still, Still, and then we sang the Hallelujah Chorus and a Scottish Christmas lullaby called Baloo Lammy with the stake choir.

(We didn't sound nearly as good as these guys, but we tried our hardest!)

Phew! That's a lot to fit in over the course of two days. At least it was for me! It was quite exhausting. Fortunately, we got all our singing stuff out of the way this weekend, because I think I'm losing my voice now. And Andrew's sick (even though he didn't go to nursery!). And my dad wasn't feeling well last night. Hopefully we're all feeling better soon, so that we can all have a good week leading up to Christmas next weekend! Hurray! Christmas is almost here!

Secret: I wish I had better work ethic. I find myself wanting the house cleaner than it is, to make more complicated dinners, and just to get off my lazy butt and DO something... but right about now I can't find the motivation! Blame it on being almost 31 weeks pregnant, if you want, but I'm just as bad when I'm NOT pregnant! :(

I love decorating!

"It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air." -W.T. Ellis

This is going to be short, but I just had to tell you - I love decorating the house! It doesn't really matter what it's for, I just love to do it! I think my favorite thing to decorate the house for is Christmas, partly because it's my favorite holiday, partly because we have the most decorations for Christmas! Haha.

Anyway, on Saturday, we put up most of our decorations. We still have a few nativity sets to set up, but outside of that, it's all up! We have our flag outside, bells on the inside of the front door, a plaque by the front door, garland up the banister, stockings hanging on the banister (because we don't have a fireplace), red berry garland on the half wall, garland along the walls by the ceiling in the living room, our Christmas tree, a Christmas tree that's Andrew's size, a little wreath in the living room, window decorations up in the kitchen and family room, and a swag hanging at the end of the entryway. Like I said, there's more to do, but that was the big stuff we wanted out. :)

Oh, now that the house is all festive, it makes me that much more excited for the holiday!

My parents' lovely living room!

What's your favorite holiday to decorate for? Do you have a favorite thing you put up every year?

Secret: Even though I've gone through it once already, I'm still scared of my next labor experience! My last one was great... until I had to push. Even with an epidural, it hurt and it was hard to push for 2 hours! The fact that every labor experience is different is both comforting and scary!

Black Friday

"The only source of knowledge is experience." -Albert Einstein

So, what knowledge did we attain today? Read about our experience today.

We normally don't go out for Black Friday, partly because most of what we would want we'd have to show up for at 3am, and partly because we don't like the crowds. We'd much rather not take risks and get things online whenever we feel like it!

Well, we braved it today. Not early in the morning, but around 10:30 this morning, we went to Kohl's. We came away with one of these for Jason:

...and a pair of these for Andrew:

We didn't get that exact suit or those exact boots, but I couldn't find the exact ones online to show you.

Anyway, I just wanted to boast a little. Because of the big Black Friday sale and an extra 15% off coupon we had, we were able to buy the suit and the boots for $103! That is just ridiculous. I mean, if we had gone any other day, that stuff would've cost us probably $200. Or more!

Moral of the story: We might be going out every year for Black Friday! Maybe not for the big items everyone else, but for things that we might've been putting off getting for a while. Or maybe Christmas presents. Or Andrew's birthday presents (since his birthday is five days after Christmas).

Secret: I've been listening to Christmas music since September. I start that early every year. If you have a problem with that, sorry! I think Christmas music is too beautiful to restrict to just one month a year!

My Dear, Sweet Grandmother

My dad's mother suffered from a massive stroke early Friday morning. She's still alive, but she's unconscious, and it doesn't look like she'd survive being taken off life support. She'll probably be taken off life support tonight, and my dad is planning on flying out to Idaho sometime this next week to attend the expected funeral.

Oh, my dear, sweet Grandmother, I will miss you!

My grandma and (step)grandpa August 2009.

We Found Out the Gender!

"Being Pregnant is an occupational hazard of being a wife." -Queen Victoria

Here's a hint:

This will continue to be the dominant color used in our home, because we're having a little boy! The doctor didn't get a very good look, but from what he could see, he thought it was going to be a little boy. So don't get super-excited yet, because it could still be a girl! Haha.

David Grant McBride (or Natalie Amber McBride), here we come!

Secret: I really wanted a girl. But I had this nagging feeling inside that told me not to hope too hard because it was probably going to be a boy. Looks like my nagging inside was right! Now, I really AM happy I'm having a boy, don't get me wrong. I love little boys! They're so much fun!

Good News!

As it is said: All good things come to those who wait. And such is the case with me! (Ok, so that's not really a quote, per se, but it's an old proverb, and it'll work for me today!)

I actually found this out last Wednesday, but my Medicaid coverage was finally approved and sent to us in the mail, so THIS Wednesday, I get to go to the doctor! Hurray! Unfortunately, because they tried to get me in so quickly, they're not sure if they'll be able to have the ultrasound equipment available for me to get an ultrasound. Pray and cross your fingers that it'll be available so that they can finally tell me what gender this baby is going to be!

PS. The baby is looking like this right around now:

Secret: Even though I haven't seen a doctor since my first trimester, I'm actually not quite as worried with this baby as I was with Andrew. I think it's because I mostly know what's going on this time around. Plus, my baby bump is getting bigger and the baby keeps kicking, so I'm pretty sure it's doing alright in there. It's just nice to have someone who's trained in that kind of stuff telling you for sure, you know?

What Will You Be Eating?

"If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily." -Gerald Good

I love this time of year! Halloween is so much fun, and then after that is Thanksgiving, then Christmas, and those three holidays are probably my favorite. When one is over, we start looking forward with excitement to the next holiday. Though Christmas kinda takes over our music selections pretty early...

Anyway, Saturday and yesterday, our stake had stake conference. We normally have church at 1, but yesterday, we had it at 10am. It was great being done so early. Because of that, we had the whole afternoon and evening to spend with my parents and my sister and her husband. It was great. :)

Looking forward to Thanksgiving as my family does, we all sat down together last night and discussed what we wanted to eat on Thanksgiving. Have any of you started planning yet? If you have, what will you be eating? Here's my family's list:

• Turkey
• Hamloaf
• Green Bean Casserole
• Rolls
• Cranberry Raspberry Mold
• Corn Souffle
• Sweet Potato Casserole
• Mashed Potatoes
• Cheese Rolls
• Fruit Salad

And then for dessert:

• Apple Pie
• Pumpkin Pie

Oh, I love spending time with my family on Thanksgiving, but boy, do I love the food... the good thing is, I don't really need to hold myself back this year... extra 5 lbs, here I come! Haha!

Secret: Looking back on when I was little, sometimes I'd call things the wrong name on accident, because I didn't hear correctly. Take the Topical Guide at the end of the Bible. I used to think it was called the Tropical Guide. And the movie Pete's Dragon, in my mind, was called Peach Dragon. What did you used to call by a different name?

Trick-or-Treating!

"This Halloween, the most popular mask is the Arnold Schwarzenegger mask. And the best part? With a mouth full of candy you will sound just like him." -Conan O'Brian

Our city had it's "beggar's night" last night, so Andrew got to go trick-or-treating for the first time ever! Here are some pictures:

He was a little giraffe!

I think the costume gave him a bit of a wedgie when he wore the giraffe head up, so he's not too happy in this picture...

This is how we compromised. It was coooold outside last night.

He didn't really understand the concept of going door-to-door at first, but got the hang of it after learning he was going to get candy or "chaw-kee" (chocolate) if he went up to the neighbors' doors! I think he loved the experience, and I hope he remembers enough of it next year so that he can get really excited for Halloween.

Secret: I get the songs from Playhouse Disney's shows stuck in my head all the time, and it's really embarrassing to realize that the song I'm humming while at the grocery store is actually the Hot Dog Dance song, and not one that's currently on the radio!

FYI

"Life is all about timing... the unreachable becomes reachable, the unavailable becomes available, the unattainable... attainable. Have the patience, wait it out. It's all about timing." -Stacey Charter

Just for your quick information, the quote above is gonna have to become my motto with this pregnancy. I called Medicaid on Monday, and they STILL had nothing about me in their computers, so they said they probably lost all my information and I needed to come in again and have it re-processed. That stinks, huh? I had to wait a MONTH to find this out. That's the worst part.

So I went in and re-turned in everything. Cross your fingers and pray that it will go through this time, because not having seen a doctor since just before 9 weeks (and I'm 23 weeks today - Yay!) is kinda scary.

PS. The new mattress - it's lovely! I'm still having a hard time sleeping some nights, but I mostly blame it on an allergy flare-up and the fact that I'm pregnant. So yeah. :) I'm really happy we got it!

Secret: When I think about the future, I think about the possibility that I might go back to school once my kids are grown up. My problem is this: I have no idea what I'd do. I don't feel like I'm good enough at anything to go back to school for anything! Yikes. If you could go back to school for something and really do something with your degree, what would it be?

Columbus Day Outing!

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." -Walt Disney

Before I start talking about Monday, I should probably update you on a few things.

1. I still haven't heard back from Medicaid, so I went ahead and canceled my Monday doctor's appointment instead of just rescheduling it. If Medicaid continues to take this long, I'll never see the doctor, and the first time I do see one will be when I'm in labor at the hospital. Anyway, I'll let you know when I'm finally able to go to the doctor. Until then, I don't know how this pregnancy is going, ok? I guess it's alright because I'm still alive, and the baby is too (because it's started moving around a lot more!).

2. I'm really excited. Why? We're getting a new one of these:

Yes, we're getting a new mattress set! I wouldn't normally be so excited, but the mattress we've been using since we've moved to Ohio is actually my brother-in-law's old bed that he had used for years. The moment I laid down on the bed, my poor pregnant hips would start to hurt. I would wake up achy every day. It was pretty horrible.

Anyway, we got a super deal on a queen sized pillow-top mattress this last week, and we're going to pick it up later today. I'm finally going to be able to sleep and feel good when I wake up!

Ok, now I can tell you about Columbus Day!

Since we live close to Columbus, Ohio, my dad, mom, sister Susette, and Jason all got off work for the day. Unfortunately, Josh, Susette's husband, still had school. In the morning, we went to this beautiful place called Hocking Hills. I took a few pictures.

This totally reminds me of this Monet painting!

More pictures from Monday:

Dad and Andrew walking across one of the many bridges.

Walking along the path.

A crazy tree - lots of dead branches, but still pretty on top!

A cool caterpillar we found along the way. (Andrew loved poking it. lol.)

You might not be able to see him, but Andrew's sticking his arm through the bars of the bridge to steady him so he can see the scenery with Grandma and Grandpa.

After leaving Hocking Hills, we went to a small town called Laurelville. They have a place that's famous for their apples and cider, so we got some of both. Also, we ate some really good food at a restaurant there.

I love holidays, mostly for the time I get to spend with my family. It's nice to be able to make some real, solid memories instead of just talking about making them. (Like Disney said, "quit talking and start doing".) I hope that I become more of a "doer" with time so that my kids can look back on their childhood and have some pretty awesome memories, like we made on Columbus Day!

Secret: This might sound stupid, but I make a VERY detailed "to do" list every day. It includes things like, "eat breakfast", and "get dressed". Yeah. I do it because when I don't do it, I don't have a plan for the day, and I end up doing absolutely nothing. Isn't that sad?

We're Going Out!

"Every man dies. Not every man really lives." - William Wallace

Well, we've been trying to "live" a little bit more recently. I've been realizing how lazy I've become since becoming pregnant and moving home. I haven't done anything! (Including leaving the house...) I figured I didn't have the energy.

Well, I do! So we've been going out of the house to do things the last little while. Here are a few.

We've...

...been going outside to play! About a month ago, we got Andrew this "leash". I know that sounds awful, but I'd chase Andrew down outside more than I'd be able to sit and watch him, and it was pretty scary sometimes. He's a fast runner and could easily get himself into a dangerous situation if I didn't run fast enough to catch him. Anyway, we've been going on lots of walks with his leash on him. He actually loves it because it's in the shape of a dog and it goes on him like a back pack. We've also been going out to the backyard to play with the different outdoor balls we have and like in this picture, his cars! His cars are pretty much his favorite toys ever, and takes them on drives in the car, to the grocery store, he even sleeps with them at night. It's pretty funny.

We've also...

...gone to the mall! Not to shop, silly, to play in the kiddie play area! There's a childrens' science museum in Columbus that provided all the toys for the kids to play on, and it's so fun! They're all in the shapes of planets, spaceships, and different space stuff. Andrew's favorite part, as you can see, was driving the spaceship! What makes me laugh is that he was the first one to start driving it, and all the other kids suddenly all pile up in that area, like Andrew started a trend. :)

And we've...

...gone to the park! There's a park somewhat close to home called Homestead Park. We went there last night after dinner because the weather was BEAUTIFUL and Andrew was anxious to play outside. We slid down slides, raced through tunnels, and like the picture, drove a car! From Andrew's first glance at this thing, it was love. He ran as fast as he could and climbed right in. It was so cute. He loves playing outside.

As we get out more, I'll try to post more pictures.

Secret: I've had issues sleeping off and on my entire life. I remember at least once or twice when I was growing up not being able to sleep through the night for months on end. Since Jason and I have been married, I've probably had as many sleepless nights as I've had real restful nights. Isn't that sad? So if you see me walking around with a dazed look on my face, it's because I'm trying to figure out how to function on 4 or 5 hours of sleep!

Lyrics, anyone?

"Who, being loved, is poor?" -Oscar Wilde

I have to attest that the above quote is true. While you could be completely without money, if you are loved by someone, and more importantly, love that someone in return, you could be the richest person in the world.

It's been raining here the last few days. The rain has been wonderful because we've had a dry summer and everyone's plants are dying (because no one actually waters anything out here!). The only thing I don't like about it is that it's harder to wake up in the morning because it's still so dark! Yuck! Does anyone else have a hard time waking up on a rainy day?

What I do like to do, especially since the weather is cooler now, is make myself some hot chocolate, wrap myself up in a blanket, and read a good book. The problem here is the book part... We haven't unpacked any of our books, and I don't have a library card yet. Meanwhile, any recommendations for someone who still loves fairy tales and the Teen genre?

Ok, my sister wanted me to do this:

Step 1: Put your iPod or iTunes on random.
Step 2: Post the first line from the first 20 songs that play, no matter how embarrassing the song.
Step 3: Post and let everyone you know guess what song and artist the lines come from.
Step 4: Strike out the songs when someone guesses correctly.
Step 5: Looking them up on Google or any other search engine is CHEATING.

In my case, I don't know all the songs on my iTunes, so I'm going to stick to ones I know, so this should be easier for you guys! Also, I skipped songs that had the title in the first line or were in different languages. (You can thank me later.) :) Some of these songs are so obvious, I'll probably laugh or cry if you don't get them!

1. Once again, I just can't get it straight, wondering if wondering is my fate.

2. Bird's flying high, you know how I feel. Sun's in the sky, you know how I feel.

3. Crossing the ocean with my window view, thinking of the times I spent with you.

4. Remember all the things we wanted, now all our memories are haunted.

5. You can bet there's nothin' but net when I am in the zone and on a roll.

6. I can read your mind and I know your story, and I see what you're going through (yeah).

7. Well I don't mind waiting 'til you're comfortable with me, but what's it going to take to prove that I'm for real?

8. I will stand up for you no matter what you're going through.

9. I never thought my life would end up quite this way. Sometimes it's hard to figure out what I should say.

10. Take what you need, cuz I can't hold my breath.

11. Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation, darkness stirs and wakes imagination.

12. My eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.

13. You were once my one companion, you were all that mattered.

14. Every night in my dreams, I see you, I feel you. (Yes, this one IS in my iTunes...)

15. I'm so tired of being here, suppressed by all my childish fears.

16. You tucked me in, turned out the light, kept me safe and sound at night.

17. Try to see it my way, do I have to keep on talking till I can't go on?

18. I wanna thank you for giving me time to breathe.

19. Yesterday is a wrinkle on your forehead.

20. I don't need to fall at your feet just 'cause you cut me to the bone.

Have fun!

Secret: It's funny. I'm really particular about doing or keeping some things in place a certain way, like keeping pictures hanging straight on the wall or having the toilet paper coming out on top toward you, or doing things in a specific order when I shower. I really wish that would apply itself to the rest of the house... maybe I would feel motivated to clean it more often!

Let's try this again (attempt #1 at new ideas)

"The next time you're tempted to groan, you might try to laugh instead. It will extend your life and make the lives of all those around you more enjoyable." -Elder Worthlin

Today I am home from church. When I woke up, my eyes had a hard time opening and my throat hurt. Ouch. I got better, but my head felt oddly heavy from allergies, and my body felt strangely disconnected from my head, so I decided to stay home.

I've realized that I'm a lazy complainer. lol. So, here's what I'm going to do (and hopefully I can find the motivation and energy to actually do it): I'm going to stop whining. I'm going to get up off the couch and do something with myself! Or at least do something with Andrew or Jason. And that should probably mean I should get off here.

Except I'm going to write an email to my sister Hermana Carrie Budge first!

Secret: My memory is LOUSY. I have to write everything down, or else I forget it all. That's why I don't make a New Year's resolution, or why I can't find my car keys, or why I always take a long time to write a new entry on here. I forget!

Has anyone here ever heard of...

Xanga?

At least, from what I can recall, it is another blogging website. I used to blog on that thing all the time when I was younger. It started my junior year of high school, all the way until just after Jason and I got married. I had completely forgotten about it until the other day.

So I go back and take a look at those old entries. I didn't do a whole lot with my days, and yet they were still interesting to read. Probably because it's ME reading them. lol. I really think I need to get my act together and figure out this blogging thing again, because I remember a time when it wasn't such a chore - it was therapeutic.

Now the question is, what should I write about in my blogs? I remember a few things I did when I was younger to keep it interesting:

-I would tell a "secret" about myself at the beginning or end of each post, something I thought was kinda strange about myself that I normally wouldn't tell anyone because I thought no one else felt/did/was strange enough to be the same as me. It made me feel like I could connect with other people in some little way, even if it was through our oddness.

-I would have a "quote" for that entry, something that I'd found or heard that particularly touched me that I wanted to share, like the Mother Teresa quote President Monson shared during women's conference yesterday, "If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

-I would sometimes tell what song was currently in my head. Some of them were crazy, like the Spectrum Song from the Disney sing-along videos, and some of them were normal, but it was just another thing to share.

-I would have a random "picture of the day" somewhere in the entry. It could be of anything - me, friends, family, or a cool picture I had found and wanted to share.

-I would bold, italicize, underline, change the size, or color words to bring more attention to certain words or phrases, and also to make the entry more fun for me to write!

Outside of that, I would just talk about my day, mostly in a humorous way, and sometimes the entry would have no purpose at all. Sometimes I would vent my frustrations or talk about how happy I was about something.

I'm hoping that this will be the beginning of more fun blog posts to come. I may not have the most interesting or profound things to say, but hopefully this will be something that is more enjoyable for me to do.

Semblance of a Routine

Now that we've been in Ohio for about a month and a half, we've sort of gotten into a groove. My mom goes to work from 6-2. My dad goes to work from 8-4:30ish. Jason's schedule changes daily, so it's hard for us to get into a routine with him. Andrew generally wakes up somewhere between 7 and 9, and we usually watch this show to eat breakfast to:

Andrew also likes these shows, when I don't turn off the tv:

and:

The only thing I don't like about these shows are the songs - they repeat themselves all the time, so I get the songs stuck in my head! Mostly the songs from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse because that's Andrew's favorite. I'm thinking that for Christmas I might get Andrew some Mickey Mouse short videos on DVD. We'll just have to see.

Past that, it really just depends on how much energy I feel like I have. Andrew still takes an afternoon nap, which is wonderful because I try to nap at the same time. I try to take Andrew outside for walks or to play in the backyard if I'm feeling up to it. Once everyone gets home from work in the afternoons/evenings, we like to hang out with them and do whatever they do. It's really great being with family. :)

So there's a taste of the life we're living right now. Really, there's no rhyme or reason to it. Hopefully I'll gather some energy before the baby is born in February so that we can have more than just a semblance of a routine.

Chocolate Pudding and Postponing

First off, Andrew has discovered the joy of chocolate pudding! I mean, he'll eat just about anything that's sweet, but he really loves that chocolate pudding! The evidence:

Quite a good look for him, I say!

I was supposed to go see the doctor today for the first time since the beginning of July. Nope. Not happening. This particular doctor's office doesn't want you coming in unless your insurance is taken care of completely and already in place. If you've ever worked with Medicaid, you know it takes a while. Well, we haven't quite turned in our paperwork for it yet. If you mail it in or just drop it off, it takes sometimes up to two weeks for them to even notice your paperwork! Not what I want. So I have to go in to the office when they open on Wednesday (my first chance to go), wait for a while to turn it in and receive a receipt, and then they have 10 days to approve or not approve me. Lovely, no? Well, I postponed my doctor's appointment for two more weeks, hoping that Medicaid will have approved me by then. Wish me luck!

PS. My birthday was... interesting. Jason made me breakfast and bed and gave me the movie Letters to Juliet. I also went to a jewelery party and didn't get anything. Those were the fun things. The bad: there was a huge storm that for about an hour I was worried was going to produce a tornado. It was quite scary!

Things I should've figured out a long time ago!

I've worked some things out, both in my mind and with other people:

1. I got my first appointment set up for the 20th. They didn't tell me what all was going to be part of the appointment, so I really hope they do the ultrasound so I can find out if this little person inside me is a boy or a girl!

2. We have just about everything for Medicaid figured out, except that Jason has yet to receive his first pay stub. I really hope he gets it soon so that we can turn all the information in and get health coverage for me and Andrew!

Those were the things I worked out with other people. Here's what I worked out in my mind:

1. When I get myself physically ready in the morning (ie getting dressed, doing hair and makeup, etc), I feel so much better the rest of the day. Unfortunately, I've gotten into the habit of doing nothing because I didn't have energy or time to "fix" myself, but when I don't take care of myself, I have a hard time caring about anything else! I'm trying to get better at taking care of myself so I can take care of Andrew, Jason, and the house better! Has anyone else found themselves getting in that rut?

And here's a picture of my little funny guy. He's wearing my fluffy purple socks! They look like leg warmers on him!

Alright, I'm off to get Andrew dressed so we can go for a walk in this beautiful Ohio (almost fall!) weather!

PS. My birthday is tomorrow! I'm pretty excited, although I've already gotten my birthday present - I got to go see the play Wicked with my mom last month! So much fun!

A few things

Ok. I don't want to give a huge update right now, so here's a sorta quick one.

First off, remember when I posted this picture of Andrew, where he found his old coat and wanted to wear it?

Well, I found the picture of Andrew I was looking for to compare the last one to. This one was during the first few weeks of his life. Think he's grown at all?

Second of all, Jason started working. He's a Spanish interpreter and does most of his work at doctors offices and hospitals. He's really liking it, which makes me happy.

Also, I haven't seen a doctor about baby #2 yet. I looked into insurance, and it looks like they won't accept me because they consider pregnancy a pre-existing condition. Yeah. That sucks. So we're trying to figure out how to go the Medicaid route again and hopefully we'll qualify. Wish us luck!

I am starting to show. I noticed myself showing a long time ago, but now that I'm nearly 17 weeks, it's becoming more noticeable. I still haven't gained a whole lot of weight, which I'm not super-concerned about, but we'll see how that goes. If I ever take belly pictures with this baby, I'll post them.

Oh. I felt the baby move for the first time on Sunday during church. It was pretty exciting. What excited me more is that I was able to recognize it as the baby and not gas. LOL! I had a hard time last time until Andrew was undeniably kicking me last time at 20 weeks.

Two big upcoming dates: Wednesday is our 3rd wedding anniversary. Hurray! We've survived three years, five moves, 1 (and a half!) baby/ies, three marriages within our families, two sisters serving missions, etc. I'm looking forward to spending more years together. :)

Then the 16th is my birthday! I'll be turning 24 this year. Wow! I remember when I was young, looking at people who are my age now and thinking, "Man. They've really got things pulled together." Hahahaha! If only I knew then what I knew now! Every day is a challenge! Anyway, I'm hoping that our Medicaid stuff will be taken care of by then and that maybe I'll even have my appointment scheduled by then so that I can find out the gender of our baby! That would be a pretty sweet birthday present.

PS. Andrew's doing great. He loves playing with my parents and going on walks and climbing and screaming and hitting and throwing and playing with balls and watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and all the things that little toddler boys love to do. He's also too heavy for me to heave around. But seriously, when has that never been the case? Today I held another lady's 7-month-old baby, and he weighed probably the same as Andrew did at 4 months. It was lovely. I can't wait to have this next baby so it will feel like I can hold it forever!

Ok. This turned into quite a novel for being a "short post"...

We're alive!

And doing well, just in case you were wondering. Yes, it has been over a month since I've updated, but this is the first time I feel like I can sit down and write about all the fun things that have happened!

As you all know, we moved. To Ohio. It took us until the Saturday afternoon after graduation to get completely out of our apartment, but we did it! We traveled to Seattle and stayed a few days there with Jason's mom. On Thursday the 29th of August, we drove down to the Oregon coast (near Newport, if you know where that is...) for the first of two family reunions. It was really fun! We were camping in the forest right across the street from the ocean, and it was misty and cold the entire time! To tell the truth, I didn't mind it, except at night when it got even colder. The family reunion was for the Nebekers, Jason's mom's side of the family, and it was really great to see everyone and go to the beach.

We drove back to Seattle on Sunday, but headed right back out again on Monday morning to head to the Salt Lake area for the next week! We walked around Salt Lake, went to the This Is The Place Memorial Park - which totally reminded me of a smaller version of Kirtland, and attempted to be adventurous in other ways, but being pregnant made me tired a LOT.

We camped at a small water park called Cherry Hill starting on Thursday night, and played in the water all day on Friday. Andrew was a little hesitant to go in the baby pool at first because he wasn't a huge fan of splashing water before that day, but after going down the short water slide with Jason a few times, he LOVED it. He wanted to go down the slide over and over again, and sat down in the water and just splashed. It was so much fun to hang out with him and see the joy on his face. (When water wasn't being splashed into my eyes!) We also had the second family reunion at Cherry Hill that Saturday, but I was only there for an hour because we were too tired and sleepy to stay, so we crashed at our campsite. :(

On Sunday the 8th of August, we went to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing in the Conference Center during Music and the Spoken Word. I've seen it in person a few times, and I'm always amazed by how wonderful the choir is. We went to church, then crashed at a hotel.

Monday we stayed with my Uncle Rod and Aunt Jeanene in Salt Lake, and on Tuesday they took us to the airport to fly to...

OHIO!

Ta daaaa! It was a LONG two and a half weeks of traveling around all over, fun, and exhaustion, and I'm glad it's over!

Since we've been here, we've just relaxed. Jason's found a job working as an interpreter in the Columbus area, and now we're just biding our time, trying to save money before we try to move out and get our own place. It's been really great to stay with my parents, and they love having Andrew around.

Speaking of him, he threw tantrums all the time while we were traveling around. Jason's mom helped us find a technique of nipping that habit in the bud that actually works, and he's been mostly pleasant since then! Thank you Momma McBride! He's growing bigger and bigger by the day, and always surprising me with new words and concepts he's learned.

As of yesterday, I'm 14 weeks along. I'm still tired and somewhat nauseous, but I think that's starting to go away a little bit. *cross your fingers* Since we don't have insurance here yet, I haven't seen a doctor since I was just shy of 9 weeks. Once I go see a doctor, I'll give you an update on how baby #2 is doing. I may even be able to tell you the gender of the baby! *again, cross your fingers*

A word of warning: I won't be able to post again until next Wednesday. Jason's younger sister, Katie, is getting married in Oakland, California, on Saturday, and we're leaving tomorrow for it. We won't be back until late Tuesday. Hopefully by next Wednesday I'll be able to scrounge up some pictures to post of our latest adventures!

It's Ending...

Well, my friends, the end of the semester is growing near. Jason and I are constantly asking each other, "Are we really at the end?"

Jason graduates on Friday, and it really will be the end of an era for him, for me, for us. I've been here for the better part of the last 5 years. And on Saturday morning, when we're pulling out of Rexburg for good, I don't think it'll feel quite real.

As I've been saying for months, we've been slowly getting rid of things and packing things throughout the semester. Of course there's still a ton to do, but because we've been doing everything so slowly, it doesn't feel like "the end" should quite be here yet. I think it'll feel more real once we're packing up silverware and emptying our fridge. Or it might feel more real as we're driving out of Rexburg. Or it might randomly hit me 5 weeks down the road, as things like this sometimes do.

It's ending...

But then, with every ending, there's a beginning. We're going to two family reunions - one in Oregon, one in Utah - and then we're moving to Ohio. Jason's going to establish residency there, retake the LSAT in December after taking a prep course, and then applying to several different law schools (most of which are in the East). We'll live with my parents until Jason finds a job and earns enough money for us to move to our own apartment. And in February, we'll have another baby!

The rest of our lives - here we come!

I know the due date!

I went in to the doctor's today to see about baby #2. I probably wouldn't have come in again so soon, except that at the last appointment, I was so early on that they couldn't even see the baby in the gestational sack. Last time, they estimated that I was somewhere around 6 weeks.

They were pretty much right! Three weeks later, I am 8 weeks 5 days along, only 2 days short of what they guessed. That puts my due date at February 16th, 2011. We could have a Valentine's baby!

They gave me some pictures from the ultrasound, but because our printer/scanner/copier is pretty much busted, I can't upload them. :( It was pretty cute though. I asked the nurse what everything was (because it looked like a little blob at first...). She said that the baby was looking at us, with it's head on the left side of the picture. It had these two little blobs under the head that were the arms - my favorite part of the picture! Then there was the belly and little protruding legs and cord, with the yolk sac at the far right end. It's funny how that's all you need to see - a little blob that will become a person - to fall in love. <3

Since I can't post the ultrasound pictures, I'll post a picture from the babycenter website of what the baby should look like right around 2 days from now (sorry if it's too graphic for your taste):

Not a whole lot to say...

...but Jason took Andrew to the doctor on Tuesday for his 18-month check-up. I normally take him to those things, but I was feeling really crappy that day, so Jason took him.

Here are the stats:

Weight: 32.4 lbs (!!!!)

Height: 34 inches

Head: 20 inches

He's only grown half an inch since his 15-month appointment, and his head didn't grow at all (not that his head NEEDS to grow, it's already huge!), but he gained 3 1/2 pounds. My child is a chunker. I'm actually really surprised he gained that much because it isn't like he eats more than bread and crackers and cheese every day! We try to give him more, but most of the time he just pushes it away. I guess all the grains added up!

Just to show how huge he's become, the other day he found a coat that we used for him when he was first born. It's 0-3 month size, and when he was a baby, he drowned in it because it was so big on him. Well... take a look at it on him now, a year and a half later:

It's definitely not too big for him now!

This kid...

This one right here...

...is 18 months old! I can't believe that he's a year and a half. Ridiculous.

He'll be going to nursery on Sunday! Hurray!

I counted, and according to my list, he can say at least 18 words. That's pretty good, considering that before I made the list I couldn't think of more than 8 words he could say.

Andrew dances like a fiend. I've taken too many videos to post, but if you're wanting to see an example, look at this post.

When he was an infant, he would eat like crazy. Just about anything you gave him, he would eat it. (Other than green beans and the nasty pureed meats, but who could like those???) He's become a pretty picky eater. He loves bread, cheese, crackers, yogurt, and pizza. That's just about it. He'll eat other stuff sometimes, but it depends on his mood, I guess. I'm looking forward to moving to Ohio so I can get some help feeding him from my parents and siblings, and also reassurance that he's still a healthy boy!

He's turning into such a little boy. Jason was saying that earlier today and for the last few days - he's growing up. Yes, he throws tantrums and other things that shouldn't be, but he's become so aware and is really learning so much. I just wish I had the energy to keep up with him.

As for baby #2, it's keeping me pretty sick. I've felt pretty nasty since last Thursday, and with Jason working 32 hours this week along with going to school full-time, Andrew and I are alone pretty much all day long. Fortunately for me, Jason's sister Katie came over today and helped me clean the apartment a little bit, played with Andrew a BUNCH, and watched him so I could shower. For the first time in a while. :) I really can't thank her enough. She helped me get some of my sanity back.

Some of you have been asking: do you want a boy or girl this time? Well, I love Andrew, but I want the opposite of him this time! I want a calm, quiet, cuddle baby girl. :) Plus, girls are so much easier to dress up and I grew up with only sisters, so I think I can handle the drama that comes with a girl.

Thanks to all of you that have expressed concern for me since I started feeling sick. I really appreciate it!

Appointment

Well, I went and saw the doctor today, and it looks like everything is going well! I came in a little early (as I suspected...) because they want you to have your first appointment between 8 and 10 weeks. When they did the ultrasound, the baby was so small they could hardly see the yolk sac, and couldn't see the baby at all. They had to measure the gestational sac to get an approximate "age" of the baby, and it looks like I'm about 6 weeks along. Whoops! I went in early with Andrew last time too. I thought I was around 9 weeks, and he was 7 1/2 weeks along. I guess my body just likes to do things a little later than normal!

I have another appointment in 3 weeks to make sure that the baby is growing, and also to give us a more accurate due date. Until then, the due date is somewhere around mid-February. If I really am 6 weeks along today, then the due date would be Valentine's Day! That'd be a sweet gift.

No picture for now, but after the next appointment I'm sure I'll have a fun little gummy bear picture to post. :)

Just thought you should know...

Took this Thursday:

If you can't tell, there's two blue lines, which means...

:)

YouTube and Hulu

I knew that these websites existed before, but I don't think I knew until recently how wonderful they are!

YouTube has become one of my favorites. Not for my sake, but for Andrew's. We don't get cable in our apartment, and to get any stations at all in here, you have to buy cable. Which we don't because that's money we'd like to spend on something else. So pretty much that means watching tv shows... well, just about never. We'd watch some movies sometimes, but Andrew could never sit through more than a quarter of the movie, whatever it was.

Then, the other day, I was thinking about some classic Disney short cartoons that my sisters and I would watch around Christmas time: Mickey's Christmas Carol, Pluto's Christmas Tree, and Donald's Snow Fight. I loved those growing up, and wanted to watch them again. Not only did I find those though, I found a LOT of old Mickey Mouse videos, pretty much all of which are 10 minutes or shorter. Andrew and I have really been enjoying watching the Mickey Mouse videos.

Also, Hulu has been really fun. I've watched The Biggest Loser, Losing It with Jillian, Glee (which has become a new favorite!), and The Bachelorette - it's a guilty pleasure to watch the last one! lol.

What are some of your favorites to watch on YouTube or Hulu?

Selling Continued

So. You know how I said that our apartment was going to be just about completely empty soon? Well, my dear friends, that day has come! So far we have sold:

• Our couch
• Our love seat
• Our kitchen table

We're in the process (right now!) of selling:

• Our entertainment center
• Andrew's dresser

I have no idea where we're going to eat. Or sit. Or watch movies on our TV. For the next two months! But hey - at least we'll have a place to sleep until we move, right?

Belated news...

Perhaps I should have blogged about this before, but my sweet sister-in-law, Katie, is engaged! I'm super excited for her. She talked about this guy the entirety of Christmas break this last Christmas, and from the moment I met him and saw them together, I remember thinking, "This is it. He's the one for her. They're going to get married some day."

And I was right! Sometimes I just have a feeling about certain things, and this was one of them.

More good news: She asked me to be a bridesmaid! Now all I have to do is find a dress for cheap!

Here's the loverly sister-in-law and her fiancé (before they were engaged):

PS. I watched a couple episodes of Glee on Hulu today just to see what the big deal with it was... and if I had tv, I'd probably be hooked. It's my kind of show!

Advice, anyone?

Ok. I was wanting to do this yesterday while the frustration was still fresh, but I need to ask you guys for advice.

How on earth do you get your children to sit (or at least stay!) with you during sacrament meeting? For my life, I can't figure it out. For a little while, Andrew will be just fine, and then after the opening song, he just goes crazy! I don't remember the last time I was able to sit through more than half of sacrament meeting, much less the entire thing. I'm trying what some people have said, where their parents made it less fun in the hall than it is in the chapel, but he probably just thinks I'm torturing him, making him sit in my lap. I don't want him to hate sitting in my lap!

What should I do? Mind you, Andrew is huge and heavy and knows how to scratch!

*sigh*

Outside of that, We're surviving. I'm actually thinking I'm bearing the solitude of being home alone with Andrew a little better than normal. Jason worked a lot this past week and had long days at school, and with that discovery, it wasn't so bad toward the end. It just means movies, snacks, and going outside - whenever the rain stops...

This kid cracks me up:

Eating with a fork his size for the first time!

Dancing!

This video is only 29 seconds long, but it's hilarious! Andrew started dancing to music a long time ago, but he's really started going at it recently! The other day, Jason was cleaning the apartment while I was gone donating plasma, and was playing some Latin music to get things going. I came home to see this:

So so funny!!!!

Selling + Haircuts

I've realized that it's been a while since I've updated, but I have to admit, there isn't a whole lot to say.

Recently, we've been trying to sell some of our stuff on Bulletin Board (BYU-Idaho's version of Craigslist), and the eastern-Idaho Craigslist, partly to bring in a little more money, but mostly to start getting rid of stuff before our big move in August. Most of the stuff we've been selling have been things we haven't needed or don't have great need of before we move.

Well... We decided to sell more essential things lately. Like our couches, the entertainment center, and our kitchen table and chairs. I thought it might take a while to sell the table, but it was claimed just about right away. They have yet to pick it up, so we still have it, but it's pretty much gone. The entertainment center I thought would be gone fast, but no one has expressed interest in it. And our couches, our beautiful (cough) DI couches, have been snatched up way faster than I was expecting! Within a couple days, we sold the big couch, and someone has claimed the love seat and have yet to pick it up. This is just crazy.

So, if you come over sometime over the next couple weeks, our apartment will probably be just about empty! Ridiculous, especially since we're not leaving until August. At least we still have our beds!

I only have a few pictures of Andrew. He just doesn't stay still long enough for me to get too many pictures anymore, which makes me sad. What happened to my baby? You know, the one that didn't have any teeth to chip and couldn't even roll over, much less crawl, or walk, or climb? Sheesh. The good thing is, he held still enough for me to give him his very first haircut! He looks like such a big boy now! It's ridiculous. Anyway, here are some pictures of him recently, including the before and after hair.

One morning he wanted to play in the bath tub, so I let him!

He loves playing at our complex's playground.

And here are pictures from his haircut!

Before:

And after!:

I'll post more pictures of the hair when I take them. :)