little fish

this boy of ours is quite the fish these days! he loves going to the pool with us and was starting to get pretty brave, so we decided swimming lessons were in order. now he holds his breath and can kick under water to the stairs with a little push from one of us. it is the cutest thing ever and he LOVES it. he also likes to jump in to danny, go all the way down and touch the bottom of the pool with his feet before he comes up. little daredevil! i'm SO glad he likes the water and isn't afraid of it!

i decided i HAD to get a few pictures of max and tyson at swimming lessons, so the first day leslie was in town we took the boys together to their class. oh man, they were the cutest!!

the two toe heads are ours. =)

doing the monkey dance before "snapping out of the tree."

our cute little boys! leslie received countless comments about her "twins" with one curly and one straight head of hair. literally multiple people stopped her at every store or place she went with them! never mind the fact that they're cousins and max is 6 months older. haha!

what goof balls. i just LOVE watching these two interact- they love being together so much and lets face it, they're just plain cute. =)

36 weeks, 5 days. here's the deal.

so lately, i've been spending a lot of time here:

and here:

not because i just live such a chill life, no. a couple of weeks ago i went in for a routine appointment with my ob and what do you know, high blood pressure. 158/96 to be exact. not good, not good at all. it had been a little high the week before, but this was getting dangerous!

diagnosis, BED REST. WHAT??! seriously? not so fun. luckily, its not super super strict bed rest (you know, the kind where you have to be in bed laying flat except for if you have to pee), my doc has given the thumbs up for a couple of hours of activity to get things done around the house when necessary, and i can leave for small amounts of time on occasion- example, dinner with the hubby and go home. as long as feet are up and i'm relaxing, that's the key. she even recommended some time in the pool! like, floating to relax, not the usual catching max as he jumps in over and over and over. haha!

after the first few days, BP was still high. i was informed that if i get up to 160/110, DONE. Immediate induction. I was 35.5 weeks, the big push was to get to 36. 3 days later, i came in again, the day baby girl hit 36 weeks. i was SOOO nervous, but my BP had gone down to 130/84, which is like, NORMAL! what a relief! i asked if this meant no more bed rest- my doctor gave me a big fat NO and explained that it just meant that it was working and to keep it up. =)

new goals. remain on bed rest. come in twice weekly for an NST (where they monitor contractions and the baby's heart rate), check BP and urine protein levels. make it to 38 weeks, and DONE. unless anything happens sooner, induction is scheduled for the end of next week!

my plan, be very good this week and lay low, especially because my doc is out of town until saturday. =) 37 weeks is also a big milestone for baby girl's development. today i am also starting to take evening primrose oil, which is supposed to help "ripen the cervix." we have been planning a natural birth and taking HYPNOBIRTH classes- sooooo cool! so anything i can do to help my body get ready will help. ideally, i'm hoping that i will go into labor on my own next week so i don't have to be induced. pitocin + natural birth, not exactly ideal. so girls, any tricks? i'm thinking i'm going to try clary sage and pressure points. we'll see what happens!

thankfully, i have had a lot of help to make this whole bed rest thing work. first, danny has been a champ. taking over a lot of things around the house and helping a TON with max!!! he is no small project, that boy. and a busy three year old doesn't really make bed rest possible! last week, my aaaaamazing sister in law leslie came down with max's favorite cousin tyson and took care of him ALL WEEK. i seriously have no idea how i would have made it through the week! she kept him busy and took care of the house so i could rest and go to the doctor etc. they had swimming lessons every day, went to the park, rode their tricycles, you name it! les seriously SAVED me. i don't think it's a coincidence that my BP dropped after she had been here for a few days. =) my sister kenzie was also in town for the weekends before and after she had byu diving camp. she played with max and put him to bed at night (HIS request!), helped fold laundry, and was just plain fun to be with! i miss that girl. this week, my awesome inlaws are helping again, max is up at "GRANDMA'S CABIN!!" with all of his aunts and cousins. i soooo wish i were there, and it was really hard to see him go, but i know it's best for everyone. i will be able to rest and max will be able to PLAY! he was soooo excited to go and is having the best time. i feel SO blessed to have such an amazing family- they have stepped right in and taken care of everything! even though we don't live close.

anyway, that's the deal for now, i will keep everyone posted! more pics of swimming lessons and summer fun to come. =)

independence day

4th of July weekend was SO fun this year! i felt like we did so much in a short amount of time.

it started off with a trip down to Moroni to party with our friends the Lemons. of course on the way down we stopped in Provo for the opening of Justin's 30 strangers project, which was AMAZING.

when we got to Moroni, we set up our tent in Ben's parents yard and oooooh man, you have never seen a happier little boy than our max!! he had never slept in a tent before and thought it was the COOLEST thing ever. he thought we were really camping (in our defense, even though it was someone's back yard, it really is the middle of nowhere and they live on a little farm) and kept asking where his hot dog was. it was the cutest!

settling in for the night- one of the best parts of the whole thing for max was the flash light!

p.s. props to ME for sleeping in a tent at 34 weeks preggers!

we also woke up at 6:15 to the sound of CANNONS going off. max was dead asleep and jumped up and said "WHAT was DAT??!" we died laughing!

Danny ran a 5k in the morning and Max stood and waited (just like this with his hands behind his back) at the finish line for him to finish. he was soooo proud of Daddy!

as Danny approached the finish line we yelled and cheered and Danny smiled and waved at Max, but apparently, Max was expecting to be picked up and carried across the finish line like he was at the dam relay in rexburg. he was heartbroken! Danny had to come back and pick him up and run across the finish line... again. =)

of course after the race and pancake breakfast we hit the parade! max loved gathering his candy and prizes, including this little airplane that dropped ping pong balls.

eating salt water taffy. what is it with parades and salt water taffy? does anyone even like that stuff? max does.

after a kids carnival in the afternoon, we headed home to do fireworks in our little cul de sac with our neighbors and watch the Oakridge fire works. it's the best!

and of course, nothing beats sparklers. =)

bump and bumper

a few weeks ago my mom [max's famous nana] came to visit just to help me get some things ready for baby! the biggest task was making the bedding- we didn't have a pattern but we created our own from a pottery barn bumper that i bought at down east for like $10 a few years ago. it was a really nice thick bumper and i loved the squared off edges, but it was blue. so obviously that had to change!

p.s. here i am at 33 weeks. i am even bigger now. =)

my mama is sooooo pro.

of course while she was here she and max were living it up. they are obsessed with eachother, it's so sweet. the two of them + heather did a little planting, and max apparently felt the need to wear a swimsuit for the occasion.

thankyouthankyouthankyou mom for aaaaallllllll of your help!!! seriously, i don't know how i could survive without you.

from max, with love

nothing says love like a handful of the neighbor's flowers, right? max came home with these today after playing in the sprinkler with his friend bennett. he was soooo excited to give them to me- it was the most adorable thing ever and it honestly made my day. danny prepped him to tell me that i was pretty too, but he forgot and told me he ran in the water instead. i'll take it anyway though! the whole situation was so funny i HAD to try and get some pictures of him with the flowers. here's what i got...

for real!? i have been looking at this picture over and over allll night and i just die laughing every time. if you all could just see me staying up alone in my jamies on the couch, laughing my head off. oh, it's a sight. a few more silly and sweet ones...

notice the roots and dirt still in tact?

he was so proud of his pretty bouquet in the cup and i couldn't love them more. perfection. =)

thanks little boy, you completely melted my heart today.

grandma r

my cousins were looking at old pictures and found this one of my grandma, the day before my dad was born. they think we look a lot alike. rach sent me the photo, and i'm so glad she did! i like to think i look like her too, and it makes me happy because she's an amazing woman, and soooo beautiful. if i am ever compared to her in ANY way, i consider myself lucky. =)

marilyn rands, 1957

me, 2010

the moral of the story is, let people photograph you. even when you're pregnant. =) she may not have felt that great the day before she gave birth, but i think she's stunning. and i'm SO glad to have this photo of her now!

au natural...

this blog, it's a place for honesty. even when honestly might be a little (or a lot) disgusting. i'm sorry for those of you who have weak stomachs, but i just couldn't pass this up! so. max lately has taken a liking to peeing in the great outdoors. i don't know why it's soooooo much cooler than going in the potty, but he seriously will leave the house and go outside just to pee! i have tried to convice him it isn't necessary, but honestly at 31 weeks pregnant, some things JUST. AREN'T. WORTH IT. you choose your battles with a three year old.

anyway, a couple days ago max told me he had to go potty, and that it needed to happen outside. whatever. then he casually mentions "i need do poo too!"

HALT. no way. sorry pal, that's an inside ONLY deal. and i direct him firmly to the potty and go back to my room to fold laundry. all the sudden i look out my window to see my STARK NAKED child bee line it to the back yard, stop at the flower beds and SQUAT.

my reaction? "NOWAYNOWAYNOWAYNOWAY!!!" of course it's too late for me to actually stop anything from happening so i do what any other mother would do, grab my camera (iphone). by then, the deed is DONE and he has turned around to pee (see above).

this is the part when i should have gone out and grabbed his naked self and had a talk. you know, the serious kind. the only problem is that i am laughing WAY TOO HARD!!! so again, plan b, i do what any mother would do, i called my mom. and my cousin. and danny. so that i could report "i just watched max take a dump in our flowers!!!!??!"

AND LAUGHED MY FREAKING HEAD OFF.

finally i composed myself enough to retrieve my child, who is now sitting (still naked mind you) on the deck blowing bubbles like he hasn't got a care in the world.

enter serious talk about appropriate places to poo. but really, all i'm thinking is that i would seriously pay a million dollars to know exactly what was going through that head of his throughout this entire process.

so for the rest of the day whenever it came up he would say, " noooooo, we don't do poo out-thide, dat'th thiwwy [silly]."

well said.

our friend megan...

seattle girls, remember our friend megan? of course you do. well, she's all growed up and married and i just posted her bridal photos today. check them out here and leave her some love! she's more beautiful than ever, wouldn't you say!? and let me tell you, her hubby is just a gem. worth the wait for sure! =)

happy weekend

love a very naughty little boy [do not let the picture deceive you] and his mother. he got a haircut yesterday and i'm kindof dying over it. is it not the sweetest?

he really was cute, huh?

oh man, for some reason tonight i was having a good ole time looking through my first couple months of pics on my photo blog (and laughing my BUTT OFF!) and i came across this image of max. can you believe how little? he is sure one feisty toddler now, but this just reminded me of the sweet, cuddley, angel baby he was (and there IS still a little of that left!). it sortof hit me, i am going to be doing all of this again! little fingers and toes, wispy baby hair, onesies, ... the whole thing. will she look like him? i hope so. because i honestly would love to relive his entire childhood over and over again. is that so much to ask? =)

it's where i live.

my very own house tour is being featured by local designer extraordinaire Kirsten Krason on her darling blog 6th STREET DESIGN SCHOOL. i seriously don't feel worthy- i have SO much i still need to do to my place and there are a lot of things i want to change (esp. the family room)! i'm planning on posting some pictures here as well as some of my sources and plans, but for now, go check it out HERE!

what can i say? i love a deal.

i was soooo excited when i found this dorothy draper style dresser on KSL this weekend! and for only $20!! nevermind the fact that it desperately needs to be refinished- i seriously can't wait! i'm thinking maybe a bright kelly or emerald green- and then either leaving the shapey part gold or white. i also kinda need to decide where this beauty is going to go... minor detail. i wish it was just a little bigger so i could use it for the little lady's room, but i just don't think it has the storage space i need. bummer. so keep you eye out for a great big dresser for max's little sister, ok? she really needs one.

[my ksl find, just waiting for some paint!]

[i loved this look- via oh happy day]

[this one is pretty fancy too!]

mama's day.

my last mother's day as a mother of one. it was perfect- so simple and just the three of us. breakfast from the boys [buttermilk pancakes + strawberries], church [just sacrament meeting!], a nap, and afternoon picnic at the park [chicken salad sandwiches, diet coke for us, and chocolate milk for the little mister kettle].

max is just so helpful.

me and the little guy who made me a mama... and his little sister. =)

you should see me try to chase him. it's hillarious.

danny took max on a "hike" down the hill. you would not beeelieeeeve how cool he thought he was! he couldn't stop talking about it!

our little family- we tried to take it ourselves and this was as good as it got. i actually love it!

happy mothers' day... TO ME.

oh, i can't wait! this is really something i look forward to forever, it's handmade heaven! i ALWAYS walk out struggling to justify a million things. this year it's at thanksgiving point, which should be interesting. if you're going, let's look for eachother!

if you make it, be SURE to check out caroline's booth from ARMELLE JEWELRY [sooo beautiful!] and ashley's booth WENDY AND PETER [ashley is one of my 2010 brides and she has such great style!].

what my house needs

...is less e-mails, and more finger paint!

max and i did this the other day and he was in HEAVEN. go figure we decided to do it probably 3 hours after the cleaning lady left, which seems crazy. but i have to say, it wasn't a difficult clean up. not even a leeeeetle bit! i used regular old butcher paper and kids washable crayola paint. wiped up with water in less than 5 minutes. sweet.

max's painting outfit- boxer briefs of course.

next activity, TOE PAINTING! this was definitely his idea. =) but how could i say no?

look at those tootsies. so purple, so CUTE.