Springer Family

Recent pics and V-Day

2012-02-15T10:38:00.000-08:00

Pretty girl all dressed and ready for church

My handsome guy

Writing out and putting together all his Valentines for school

Opening some Valentine's Day treats from Mommy and Daddy

He was excited to add Francesco to his collection

Eating one of her Valentine goodies

Love Day outfit #1 (until she got her lunch all over it)

Outfit #2.

Taking a snuggle break with her bun bun

Peyton's new thing when I have my camera out is to run around while I try and get a picture of him.

Attempting a V-day picture

She kept kissing him...lol nice face Peyt

Aww, sibling love

B got me some beautiful roses and we had a nice date downtown...dinner and a movie.

Silly

2012-02-13T15:07:00.000-08:00

Peyton hasn't wanted me to take many pictures of him lately. I hope it's just a phase because I love his smiling face! I did however find this picture on my phone last night. He had been supposedly playing Angry Birds on my iPhone a few days ago in the car on the way back from the gym, but he was apparently taking pictures of himself, and the back of my head instead. :)

I love this face.

Also, I had the rare opportunity to get him on video singing one of his many songs that he learns at school. The fiddle part cracks me up everytime.

12 Months

2012-02-08T10:40:00.000-08:00

Today I took Olivia to her 1-year appointment and she's doing perfect. Here are her stats:

Weight: 23.4 lbs (75%)
Height: 31 1/4 in. (97%)
Head Circ: 46.5 cm (90%)
Plus she got 3 shots which she was not happy about.
(What's so crazy is that she is longer and heavier than Peyton was at 12 months. Yikes.)

Olivia is quickly turning into a toddler. She's losing the baby look and is reaching milestones and growing before our eyes.

Teething: In the last month, Olivia has cut her top two molars and is almost done with the bottom two. Needless to say, it's been a rough month. Add a bad cold on top of that and we had a pretty miserable girl. This was new to me because Peyton never had problems with teething. She is cranky, clingy, and does not sleep well. She now has 11 teeth total.

Eating: Olivia has tried quite a few new foods this past month. Quinoa, couscous, black beans, cucumber, strawberries, red/orange pepper, peanut butter, and we've switched her to whole milk. She transitioned really well, it took about a day for her to get used to it. She still loves pretty much anything we give her aside from cheese. She used to love it and all of the sudden will not touch it. I'd say chicken, bananas, couscous and yogurt are her faves right now. And she loves the organic baby food pouches (and I do too as they are convenient when I'm out an about or so I can eat).

She's just about ready to walk I think. Just in the last week or so she's started walking with her push toys and will walk while we hold her hands. Before she wanted nothing to do with it.

Talking: She's starting to say a lot more sounds and is constantly babbling. New things she's saying: 'awwt' (hot), 'wow,' 'yaya' (oh yeah!), 'ba ba' (bun bun).

New things: She can point to her (or our) nose, ears, eyes, mouth and toes when we ask her to.

Favorites:
Her bunny (bun bun!)
Mommy AND Daddy. She finally got over the mommy-only phase.
Peyton..she's constantly giving him hugs and kisses.
Stacking and sorting. I'm always finding random toys in my shoes. She loves her puzzle ball and is pretty good at getting the shapes in the right spots. She likes to take Peyton's crayons out of its tower and put them back in.
An open dishwasher or fridge-she beelines for it.
Taking a bath
Being in Peyton's room.
Peek-a-boo, clapping, dancing, and blowing kisses.

Not-so-favorites:
Teeth brushing..still
Diaper changes
Peyton taking something from her.

She's in 18-24 month clothes and size 4 diapers.

On this particular day Olivia was SUPER crabby and wouldn't let me put her down for anything. I was trying to load the dishwasher and Peyton told me he would play with her so I could get it done. Such a sweet boy. She loves him and he loves her.

Snotty, and cutting molars...sad baby!

She loves to watch the doggies outside.

Always wherever he is and always all over him.

Pushing her baby for the first time last week.

Hammering with a new toy Mommy and Daddy got her.

8

2012-02-08T09:20:00.000-08:00

She's kind of a psycho, and often in getting into trouble.

But is also the most loving, cuddly pup.

Happy 8th Birthday Tootsie Girl!

Olivia's 1st Birthday Party

2012-02-07T14:23:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday/Super Bowl Sunday (Yes I know, but I could care less about football and that was the last thing on my mind when I picked the date and mailed out the invites. Whoopsie!) we celebrated Olivia turning ONE! I spent a lot of time browsing Pinterest for ideas and got my creative juices flowing. I went with Olivia the Pig colors. We had a huge spread of food: Pulled pork sliders (brought by my father-in-law..so so good!), pigs in a blanket, pastina w/peas & carrots (awesome Giada recipe for kids!), fruit kabobs, veggies, strawberries w/whipped cream dip, Oreo pops, and red velvet cupcakes. Good food for a birthday party AND for the Super Bowl! Now for some pictures...okay, a LOT of pictures.

I made these M&M party favors with Olivia's picture on them.

I made these tissue pom poms...so easy to make and so pretty!

I used one of her Olivia books and framed her party invitation for decoration.

Oreo pops!

Fruit kabobs

Olivia wasn't sure what to think of all of the people in our house...it was a FULL house!

She loved the Oreo pops...she freaked out when we took it away. She wanted the whole thing!

Opening gifts.

Love her smile

More gifts. Of course she got a pink vacuum. Peyt had to show her how it worked as he is the vacuum connoisseur!

This bear my brother Hughy and sis-in-law Sherri gave her was her favorite. She loved on it for so long and wasn't interested in opening more gifts.

Daddy and his girl

Practicing her walking...she's almost there!

Livs with Grammy Springer and Great Grandma Springer

Singing happy birthday to our girl.

She wasn't sure why everyone was looking at her and singing.

She had fun with the cake..she wasn't too messy until she started playing peek-a-boo!

Austin, Ethan and Peyton spent most of the time in his room building legos.

Tuckered out and laying with 'Big Bear' next to Grandpa Prazeau

Happy 1st Birthday Livs! Now on to planning Peyt's (5th!!!!!) birthday party that's in less than a couple weeks!

Happy FIRST Birthday Olivia Sandra! {Instagram style}

2012-02-03T07:17:00.000-08:00

Today my baby girl is one. I'm baffled. We're spending quality time together today for her big day, just the four of us. Then partying it up this weekend. I went through my phone and picked some of my favorite pictures of Livs. It was hard to not pick them all! She's changed so much. And we love our girl. Happy Birthday big girl. xoxo

January....

2012-01-26T13:18:00.000-08:00

...has gotta be the worst month of the year. Cold, rainy, dreary! Peyton's had a cold all week (now Olivia has it too). He stayed hom from school on Monday and he layed low for a day or two.

Resting and reading books

We've been hanging out inside a lot this week and when Peyt's not in school I try to keep him busy and he LOVES to help me around the house.

He washed all the dishes by hand after we made a vanilla pound cake.

He always loves to help vacuum

Olivia playing with her letter magnets

She's really loving stuffed animals and anything soft or cuddly.

Today while I was working on some birthday crafts for Olivia's party, Peyton did some Valentine's Day crafts.

Working on patterns and making a Valentine heart chain. He chose a 6,3,6,3 color pattern.

Practicing spelling L.O.V.E.

Every morning he will pull off a heart as a countdown to Valentine's Day.

And he chose to hang up his love picture in Olivia's room above her changing table so she can see it.

TEN

2012-01-24T09:38:00.000-08:00

Ten years ago the best dog ever was born. Pancho Coronito Springer, AKC breed chihuahua. A couple months later he was given to me for my 22nd birthday from B. Best birthday gift EVER. We love our Panchie Boy...he's slowed down the last few years with small kids around. Chihuahua's are known to not be kid lovers and he keeps his space from them. He's had a seizure disorder ever since we've had him but with meds he does okay and still gets spurts of that spunk/playfulness that I love. Favorite past times for Panch are lounging by the fireplace or on top of a heater vent, eating any vegetable, playing with his ball, being blown by the hair dryer, and did I mention napping? Never a chewer, always a barker...we love you Pancho. Happy 10th birthday boy.

Snow

2012-01-18T12:46:00.000-08:00

It's always so fun to wake up and everything is white. Peyton was so excited. I still can't believe that school was cancelled for an inch or two of snow. That's Portland for you! Arctic Blast 2012. :)

Not sure what to think of all the white.

Peyton put on some boots and a stocking cap and played in the snow in his jammies.

She was pretty entertained watching her brother

Throwing snow balls at Olivia and I.

This past week..

2012-01-16T10:08:00.000-08:00

We are tired of winter and the cold! The kids seem to be a bit stir crazy if they don't get outside, so if it's dry I try to go out for a bit until our hands turn numb...

She loves to watch him ride his bike

How is he so big!?

She loves her babies

My pretty girl

Rockin the new boots

We went to Playdate PDX with Kate and Ethan on Friday. It was a pretty cool place! Olivia loved it and Peyton had a blast and used up a lot of his energy. (Which made for great long naps for all of us!)

11 months

2012-01-03T11:33:00.000-08:00

Well a month from today baby girl will be ONE. Crazy talk.
Olivia is finally getting over her sickness and is now cutting a bottom tooth which has been bothering her. She's been super-duper clingy and fussy and wanting Mommy ONLY. This was hard during Christmas and having so much to get done! She's a little better now, but will completely freak out if I leave the room. I'm hoping once she's walking she will feel more independent. If I could only get her to not want to be held 24/7 and I bet she will master walking in no time. She will get distracted and stand alone for a while until she realizes what's going on. She got a couple push toys which will help get those feet a movin'.
Olivia still loves to eat. One new food she tried this past month is tomatoes..and boy does she love them. She drinks out of a sippy cup a ton...I'm going to start giving her formula in a sippy cup as she's never been too interested in a bottle. She's making lots of new sounds and will say "ssssaa" (What's that) as she points to something. Oh boy does this girl love to groove. Any song that she hears and she's bobbing her head and dancing. (Videos below).

Favorite things:
Her bu-bun
Her thumb
Mommy
Stacking
Dancing
Snuggling~she is such a cuddle-bug
Peyton chasing her
Peek-a-boo

Not-so-favorite things:
Teeth brushing
Being alone or not held :)
Peyton smothering her (he's always trying to give her loves)

Here's a couple videos of her dancing away..

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T14:45:00.000-08:00

Last night I was supposed to work until midnight, but I got lucky and got off early at 7:30! B dropped the kids off at his parents to stay the night and he met me at my sister's house for a family shin-dig. We ate, drank, laughed and played cards/dice. Here's to a great 2012!

Steph got these fun masks to ring in the new year

Steph and Amy

Bonnie, Chile and Stephers

Cards and Dice for some cash

Making noise outside at midnight!

2011 Reflection

2011-12-30T15:18:00.000-08:00

I started doing this reflection last year. Let's see how 2011 was.....

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before? Survived as a full-time-working mom of 2 (not easy, for me at least) and ran my longest run (10 miles) at a 7:56 min mile average pace.
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? 

Last year's:
~Lose all my baby weight after baby's born, and gain back muscle, get back into good shape. I lost all my baby weight and then some, but lost even more muscle due to running and no time for lifting. I'm far from being in shape and realizing that I have to pick between running and just working out/lifting, as I do not have time for both. :(

~Run more races, starting with a 5k and working my way up to a half marathon. A couple months ago I started training for a half marathon and I realized I really enjoy running. Feeling your body gain endurance feels so good. But it's so time consuming and it's hard to choose between dedicating the limited time I have when B is home to running or spending it together with my family. Also, it's super hard on my body (getting old!) and if I don't lift weights and eat enough, I just wither away. So I'm probably just going to stick with shorter races..5, 10, 15 k'ers. I'm hoping to do the Shamrock 15k in March.

~Although this may be out of my control- try to figure out work schedules between B and I where we aren't working complete opposite shifts. Possibly going part-time, fingers crossed!! I dream of seeing my husband more! Nope. But I have to find a way to get on a day shift by next Fall. The next open day shift that becomes available, I will be all over it. Otherwise I will never see Peyton during the week, as he will be in Kindergarten all day.

~If B and I are home together more evenings this year, cooking and eating more meals together. We only get one or two nights a week at home together, which I try to always make a good, healthy dinner. I feel like my boys need more home-cooked meals than that! (I do have to give B credit though, he tries really hard to cook healthy meals for the 2 of them when I'm at work, which I know isn't easy). I feel like I've done my best with this. I really have taken on cooking as a hobby and I love trying new recipes. I feel like I've really broadened my cooking repertoire. We've also tried our best to go organic with more foods where we can. It's expensive!

~Patience and prioritizing. I'm sure it will take some adjusting to having 2 kids, a newborn and a 4-year-old. I really want to try to have a ton of patience. I want to make sure that Peyton has a lot of one-on-one time and not feel neglected with a new baby at home. I'm hoping I'll be able to juggle caring for a newborn, keeping Peyton entertained/engaged, spending quality time with B, keeping the house in order, making time to workout, etc etc etc. It will take some time to get a schedule down, but I'm hoping to stay organized and prioritize well. FAIL. I'm still trying to figure out some sort of sanity here. I've been getting organizing/cleaning tips from this crazy lady.

~More date nights with B and a take a weekend or more away with just the two of us. Fail. We don't have many days off together. We definitely need more date nights and a weekend away would be awesome.

This year's goals:
~Gain muscle mass back!
~Plant an herb/vegetable garden.
~Get our yard in better shape.
~Develop a budget and stick to it.
~Take a weekend to get away with B.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? 
Becky! Yesterday actually...a baby boy, Alexander. My niece Brittni had a baby boy Andrew a few weeks ago, and my friend Tiffany had her baby boy Riley 5 days after Olivia was born. Lots of boys!

4. Did anyone close to you die? My Grandma.
5. What countries did you visit? None.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011? Patience and less stress. More activities and outings with the kids. I seemed to have holed myself up in the house due to a number of reasons...adjusting with a newborn and learning to move on without my mom, both which have been really hard for me. 

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? February 3, 2011. The day my baby girl was born. I can't imagine life without her.  

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Gaining running endurance. As I'm on my long runs, I'm thanking all my coaches and hearing them in my ear yelling: "Turn your brain off and just SPRINT! Mind over matter!" After the hell of basketball conditioning, I'm thankful that I've learned what my body can handle, which is more than I ever can think it can.

9. What was your biggest failure? No patience and letting the grief of losing my mom and the stress of life get in the way of being the best wife/mom I can be. No mom-of-the-year award here.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? I've was very lucky to have an uncomplicated pregnancy/delivery. The only sickness I had was just last week with the stomach flu.

11. What was the best thing you bought? Best money spent was tuition at Peyton's new school. We're hopeful to be able to continue to send him to private school along with Olivia for the years to come.

12. Where did most of your money go? House mortgage, as usual. 

13. What did you get really excited about? The birth of Olivia and my visit to see Becky in Colorado was a fun anticipation.

14. What song will always remind you of 2010? Any Adele song. Peyton has ingrained that CD into my head.
 
15. Compared to this time last year, are you: – happier or sadder? About the same.

– thinner or fatter? Thinner

– richer or poorer? Well we both got our annual raises, but cost of living always rises, and more expenses always creep up. So the same probably.

16. What do you wish you’d done more of? Weight lifting, date nights with B, gardening.

17. What do you wish you’d done less of? Worry/stressing and try to be more than I'm capable of.

18. How did you spend Christmas? With both of our families and with a sick little girl.

19. What was your favorite TV program? Anything on the Food Network.

20. What were your favorite books of the year? Water for Elephants, Heaven is for Real.

21. What was your favorite music from this year? Whatever was on the radio.

22. What were your favorite films of the year? Bridesmaids, Breaking Dawn Part 1.

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? My sister had a birthday party for me at her house. I turned 31. 

24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Having my mom here.

25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011? Lacking.
26. What kept you sane? My kids, even though they were the source of my insanity at times. I love those two.
27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011: Family is the only thing that matters and who will always unconditionally be there for you.

Christmas Day 2011

2011-12-27T18:12:00.000-08:00

B and I stayed up after midnight putting stuff together/wrapping everything. I went to bed so excited! BUT...at about 1:45am, Olivia woke up throwing up. I just couldn't believe it. After Peyton and I were sick with the stomach flu last week, we were joking "Watch, Olivia will get sick on Christmas." (Not really believing that she really would). She continued to throw up until 7am until she finally went to sleep for more than 30 minutes. Poor girl, I felt so bad for her, she was miserable. B and I were sleep deprived but still excited for Peyton to get up and see what Santa brought.

Walking out...

His big gift from Santa was a new bike, he also got a Dyson ball vacuum, Cars 2 stuff, Transformers, Legos, remote control Finn car, clothes and and some new art stuff.

Around 10 Olivia finally woke up and had a little formula and some water and opened a couple gifts. We could tell she wasn't feeling too hot but she played for a while with her new stuff.

Then after a good long nap for Olivia, we headed over to my Dad's house for the Prazeau family Christmas. (We really should have stayed home as now a few people are sick with the stomach bug! :( )

Peyton got a bunch more gifts, all that he was super stoked about. I have to somehow reorganize the kids bedrooms to make room for all this new stuff!

Olivia playing with her cousin Drew.

She loved this little lamb from Aunt Susie.

Waiting for my siblings to all hurry and unwrap so we can open our gifts from Dad at the same time!

Cute bowl set from Pier 1, and a family cookbook with family recipes...and some cash!

Mayhem..but I love it.

B opening his gift from the adult drawing.

HA, not sure what she is doing here

Peyton stripping down to help clean the kitchen with Aunt Bonnie. He was in there for about 45 minutes rinising dishes and polishing the sink. Silly boy

Aunt Bonnie and a tired Olivia..

Exhausted.

Merry Christmas! And sorry to everyone that got sick, what a crappy Christmas gift! :(

Christmas Eve

2011-12-27T17:46:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve after I got off work we headed to church with my dad and then went to B's parents to have dinner and celebrate Christmas!

Baby girl all dressed up for church

Big cheese from Peyton

Telling Great Grandma Barb all about his elf Fred

Peyton got so much stuff and he was excited about all of it. Pogo stick, clothes, roller skates, movie, gift card, new sheets, and some other small stuff. His favorite toy of the night was his Cars 2 Finn car he got from Uncle A. You can see him in the top right pic giving him a huge hug.

Olivia did great opening her gifts. She got lots of baby snacks, a rolling horsey, stroller with a baby, clothes, books, etc.

We were spoiled! We got lots of fun kitchen gadgets, gift cards, a big picture frame, candles, etc..

My favorite gift of the night. I've been looking for a wooden salt pinch pot forever and B's mom found the perfect one.

Olivia loves to look at Grammy's Christmas village.

Adventures with Fred the Elf

2011-12-22T20:55:00.000-08:00

We've all had so much fun with Fred this Christmas season. He's been in some fun spots in the house and has gotten into some of our things. It's so fun to wake up to Peyton's excitement every single morning trying to see where Fred is. We just have a few more days with him until he goes back to the North Pole with Santa. Here are a few of our favorite spots with our little elf.

He snuck into Peyton's room and got his colors and he somehow found an elf coloring page and did an awesome coloring job.

Sippin' on some Mrs. Butterworth's. Just like Buddy the elf, Fred LOVES syrup

This one freaked Peyton out-first appearance in his room... on the curtain rod.

The kids loved being able to see him up so close in the entertainment center cabinet.

Trip(s) to see Santa

2011-12-20T14:32:00.000-08:00

Today we finally made a ~~unsuccessful~~ trip to see Santa. This past weekend, B and I took the kids to Clackamas Town Center to visit him. As we got of the car, Peyton upchucked his lunch in the parking lot. Wow, ok. We asked Peyton if he wanted to go home. "No, I want to see Santa!" So we go in, and the line is ridiculous. We tell Peyton the line is too long and we'll come back at a better time the next day. He said ok and seemed unusually eager to go home. On the ride home, he's complaining that his tummy hurts and as we're on the freeway...more puke, and lots of it....on his lap in the car. B at this point is gunning it and we finally get home and put Peyt in the shower and get him settled on the couch with a bowl by his side. He was sick for the next 24 hours.
So today, he's feeling better and finally eating again so I decide to take the kids to Lloyd Center to see Santa. We get there at literally 1:01pm. Santa's on lunch from 1-2pm. Wonderful. I have to work today so I didn't have time to wait. Peyton was super disappointed so I drove to Mall 205 and this is what we got:

Olivia, not amused~Santa, not looking at the camera and hard of hearing ("Merry Christmas Peyson")~Peyton, with a creepy smile.

Oh well! At least we got a picture. Hopefully we'll have better luck next year. :)

Christmas program

2011-12-15T22:32:00.000-08:00

Wednesday morning Peyton's morning class and the afternoon class did an awesome job singing in their Christmas program. It was so cute, they sang super loud and at the end Santa came in for a surprise visit. Then afterwards, we had cookies and refreshments, it was nice. It was fun hearing all the songs Peyton's been singing to himself for the past couple of weeks come together. We are very proud of Peyt, he is really thriving in school. {I'm hoping to figure out how to get the video from my video camera on here, stay tuned...}

Peyton and his two buddies from school Ethan and Beau

Taking cues from Mrs. Horne

Giving me a great smile...our sweet boy sang so great!

Zoo lights

2011-12-12T10:35:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday we met my brother Randy, Amy and Austin to zoo lights. It was COLD! But it was dry and the kids didn't seem to mind one bit. Olivia sat perfectly content in her stroller taking in all the lights. After making our way through, we decided we had had enough of the cold and so we left and got dinner at the Taco House. Delish!

The purple tree out front was my favorite

Austin and Olivia

Chilly but happy girl

Peyt checking out the lights

Our sweet boy

2011-12-06T18:42:00.000-08:00

With time completely flying by, I feel like Peyton is growing up so much lately! He is learning so much in school and he is just so fun to sit down and chat with. I feel like he's crossed that line from being a toddler to being a full-on boy. He is still so stubborn, but is the sweetest boy and an unbelievable big brother. He often gets annoyed with his sister and loves to annoy her, but he truly adores her. He's already asking when he can have another one. Sorry buddy!

PBJ face

Reading sports illustrated today when we went to the doc for Olivia's flu shot booster

Giving kisses

10 Months

2011-12-06T17:49:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure how another month has gone by, it's so hard to believe our baby girl will be one in two months! The time is flying by, I feel like Olivia has been growing before our eyes. She is all over the place-speed crawling, cruising along furniture, and this past weekend she stood unassisted for a few seconds! (And I missed it as I was in Colorado! But she did it again for me today for a couple seconds). Once she realizes she's standing on her own, she flops down on her bum. She'll be walking in no time I bet. She is sleeping great still and eating like a champ. She is kind of over bottles and baby food and wants whatever we eat. I still give her some puree's but usually give her bits of whatever we're eating. New foods she's tried are: broccoli, pumpkin, turkey, garlic bread :), spaghetti, and many more that I can't think of right now. She likes most foods which is great. She's mastered her sippy cup and drinks lots of water. She is babbling a ton. I think she's knowing that I'm ma-ma and B is da-da when she says them. And she'll say ba-ba while waving. She is very strong-willed and will shriek when she wants something or if something is taken away....YIKES. (See video below)

She is growing so much, she's wearing 18-24 month clothes that fit her perfectly length-wise. She's still in size 4 diapers. She still has 6 teeth and still drooling like crazy. Her new tricks this month are pointing, giving kisses and peek-a-boo. The last week or so every morning I ask her where the Christmas tree is and she points to it.

She has become quite the thumb-sucker and all she needs is her bun-bun (see pic below) and her thumb and she's ready to snuggle in for the night.

Loves:

*Her bunny (bun-bun)

*Keys

*To be held

*Peyton's room

*Other babies or kids-she will point at them and babble.

*Her baby doll

*Snacks

*An open dishwasher-she makes a bee-line to it if it's open.

Hates:

*Her teeth brushed-more than ever lately, she freaks out crying.

*Putting anything over her head.

*Wearing her heavy coat..I would too if I had to be stuffed in a car seat with a bulky jacket.

*Peyton pestering her

*Us walking away from her. She likes us right by her all the time.

Eating some snacks with her bun-bun

Her and Tootsie (my pre-washer)

Although they both annoy each other, her and Peyt are constantly laughing with each other

Eating peas...her fave

Clearly teething. Notice her soaked shirt. Most of the time she's got a bib on.

Love my baby girl

Looking at books with her comforts in place.

Peek-a-boo!

I got a box of samples of Aquaphor wash from our pediatrician and Olivia was playing with one in the tub. She just loved to hold it for some reason and kept wanting it while I got her dressed and completely freaked out when I took it from her. So random

This is such a fun age and we are enjoying our girl so much these days. We love you Livs!

Surprise trip to see Bec!

2011-12-06T16:24:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I flew into Vail, Colorado for a surprise visit to see one of by best friends Becky. Her husband happened to be in Portland at the last minute and got on my flight! She was pretty shocked when I walked in behind her husband at 11pm. :) She's pregnant and due on January 9th, but will probably be induced within the next couple weeks. Aside from spending most of Friday at doctor appointments and hospitals I had a nice, relaxing time spending time with my cookie! We spent most of our time talking (and talking and talking and catching up), watching college basketball and football, eating, and I had so much fun playing and bonding with her daughter Camas (3 yrs). It snowed pretty good Saturday and Sunday which was really fun since Oregon is lame as far as snow goes.

Their house is UNreal. So nice and with a spectacular view.

Bec and Camas outside in the snow.

We helped Camas decorate a gingerbread house. She is so cute, I just love her.

Camas wanted me to wear my North Face fleece too so we could be twins.

View from out their kitchen window. Gorgeous.

Iphone pic of the 3 of us!

I love her so much, and miss her like crazy already!

Typical car ride

2011-11-28T12:52:00.000-08:00

I sat in the back seat with the kids on the way to the Christmas tree farm and an Adele favorite came on the radio. Car rides are always super loud....gotta love the mid-song yawn.

2011 Xmas Tree

2011-11-28T10:35:00.000-08:00

Searching for the perfect one

This is it. Notice Peyton standing way far back, he was so afraid the tree was going to fall down on him when B cut it.

He waited patiently until the next day to decorate. He was so excited.

Olivia was into everything.

Peyton loves hanging up all his John Deere ornaments

Happy girl

Olivia supervising

Finished product. He did a great job

Peyton introducing her to the "Graham cracker? Is that what it's called Mom?"
HA.

Elf on the Shelf

2011-11-28T10:23:00.000-08:00

I've been planning on getting Peyton the Elf on the Shelf and the opportunity was perfect this weekend. Sunday morning Peyton was having trouble listening, so B said he was going to go have a chat with Santa at the mall. (He really was just going to Target to get more formula). I got to thinking when he left and texted him telling him to get the Elf on the Shelf while he was there and say that Santa sent him home with it. Peyton was pretty shocked. He cannot ever touch the elf or he will lose his magic and each night he will fly to the North Pole to give Santa a report of how Peyton is behaving. Then he'll come back and find a new spot to sit in the house. He named his elf Fred.

Daddy explaining the rules of the elf.

This is where he sat yesterday.

Peyton showing him what he wants for Christmas.

I wish I had my own Elf on a Shelf when I was little! Such a great idea...

Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T19:31:00.000-08:00

I worked on Thanksgiving until 330pm and then headed over to B's parent's house for turkey dinner! My dad went to Joseph to spend the holiday with his sister and my siblings all either spent Thanksgiving with their in-laws or with their own kids (which was a first!). There are so many things to be thankful for...my husband, my kids, my family, my friends, good health, food, warmth and job!

I took some pics on my phone, they are all out of order..

Peyton helping Grammy make whipped cream

Quality control taste!

He did a great job

Tired girl seems to be sucking that thumb a lot more lately...

Olivia with her Papa

I tried to get a pic when we were driving, but all Olivia wanted to do was pet her brother.

Hanging out with Daddy

Hard to get a smile from this girl!

Olivia's Baptism

2011-11-20T16:14:00.000-08:00

Today we had Olivia baptized by Monsignor Murphy, my previous high school president, and high school classmate of my dad, at St. John Fisher Parish. My brother Randy and sister-in-law Amy stood as her godparents. The baptism went super smooth, Olivia was content and looking as beautiful as ever in her white gown! Here are a LOT of pictures of her big day.

1 Samuel 1:27-28
"I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD."

Gorgeous girl

Peyton looking dapper

Peyton making the sign of the cross on her forehead.

I love her!

Being anointed with oil.

Peyton holding her candle

Giving Monsignor Murphy a high-five at the end.

Austin and Peyton

Us with Randy and Amy

My dad, Olivia, and I.

B's mom and dad with him and Livs

Teacher Peyton

2011-11-16T10:36:00.000-08:00

I heard Peyton talking in his room one day and walked into this...

Teaching his pupils the number 6

His classroom sitting on their "carpet squares"

RT graduation!

2011-11-16T10:33:00.000-08:00

Congrats to my niece Steph who graduated from respiratory therapy school last night! I am so proud of her. It was a very intense 20-month program and she worked super hard. She was in the Lambda Beta Society which is the National Honor Society for respiratory therapy. Congrats Stephers!

JJ Jump

2011-11-16T10:27:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we met Amy, Wes, and Abby at JJ Jump! Amy and I played basketball together at GFU. She was my shooting partner in practice and we always were getting in trouble for laughing/joking during practice. Who knew that 10 or so years down the line we'd be hanging out with our 4 kids. I'm looking forward to our next play date.

Crawling around everywhere

Of course he found the vacuum in the play room

Wes

Abby and Wes

Abby

Talking up a storm

2011-11-07T07:35:00.001-08:00

9 Months!

2011-11-03T14:57:00.000-07:00

Baby girl is 9 months! Even though another month has completely flown by, I feel like Olivia has really grown up this past month. She is very mobile now, crawling everywhere and pulling herself up onto everything. This has resulted in quite a few bonks and owies. We have wood floors all through the house except for the bedrooms and she's done a lot of face plants on the floor. A couple bloody lips and one bloody nose.
:( She recovers quickly though. Sleep. Oh we've made huge strides with sleep. I finally took action and decided to let her cry it out. I was really nervous that it was going to be a long road, but it literally took just one night for her to figure it out! It's so nice now, I lay her down for her naps and for the night and she will either go right to sleep or fuss/talk a bit before falling asleep. She has had a few times where she's full on cried herself to sleep, but what an improvement. She has slept through the night every night for the last month or so. I'll hear her fuss sometimes in the middle of the night, but she soothes herself back to sleep without me having to get up. I think before I was quick to jump up and go get her with every little stir that she made. So it was sleep training for her and mommy! :)
She's eating really well still. I tried avocado again and she did a lot better. We've tried kiwi (seems a bit too tart for her), potatoes, bits of cooked chicken and toast this past month. I'm giving her a lot more whole foods as she seems to prefer pureed foods and is funny about textures. Peas are her favorite, hands down.
Olivia continues to be a mommy's girl. She lunges for me whenever anyone else holds her, follows me around the house tugging on my pant leg, climbs all over me when I'm sitting with her or whining for me to pick her up.
She still just has 6 teeth. I've seen two more on the top peeking through for a while now, but they are taking their time coming in.
She is babbling a lot more and making more distinct sounds. When she's whining and following me around she says "ma," and says a lot more syllables such as "da-da-da" "ba-ba-ba" "ooooooh!!" and "ya."
New tricks she does is give high fives and she growls (see video below). She's learning the word "no" and will stop in her tracks and look at me like a deer in the headlights or will smile at me when I tell her no. Here we go!
She's still in 12-18 months clothes and size 4 diapers.

Loves:
*Peyton's toys, especially dinosaurs and spiders
*Gerber arrowroot cookies and Mum-Mum snacks.
*Baths
*Being chased while crawling
*The dogs (still)
*Her bunny she sleeps with
*Music and dancing

Dislikes:
*Getting dressed
*Me walking away from her when she is in one of her whiney-I-want-mom-to-hold-me-all-day moods.
*Her car seat...I think she may have to transition into the bigger car seat soon, she's just getting too big.
*Peyton pestering her, especially when she is tired.
*Brushing her teeth.

9-month stats:
We've got a big girl on our hands...
Height: 29.5 inches (97% or higher)
Weight: 21 lbs 1 oz (90%)
Head Circumference: 45.7 cm (90%)

The doc said she is the perfect weight for how long she is and is a healthy girl! Happy 9 months Olivia Sandra!!!

She loves dinosaurs

This is probably her favorite toy right now.

Crawling fast and everywhere.

She is always going for the dogs.

And big brother

She stops and gives me this look when I tell her no.

Constantly climbing all over me

She content if I'm near enough for her to touch.

Plank!

Growling...

Silly boy

2011-11-03T10:33:00.000-07:00

It will be a sad day when Tigger doesnt fit anymore....

He does this almost every day. Pancho isn't impressed and neither is Olivia. :)

I love him.

First Halloween Peyton vs Olivia

2011-11-02T17:04:00.000-07:00

They really do look a lot alike...

Steph with Peyton and Olivia

My chicken and my lamb

Halloween Night

2011-11-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

We lucked out again with dry (but cold!) weather this year and had a great Halloween. Peyton had fun dressing up as Optimus Prime at his school party with his side kick Batman (Ethan).

(Stolen pic from Kate, thanks friend! ;)

Then after naps, (Failed nap for Peyton as he was too excited to sleep), we got the kids' costumes on and headed over to B's parents to stop and show off their costumes before trick-or-treating.

My little lamb

Daddy helping Peyt

Optimus Prime

Peyton was SO excited

Click picture to enlarge

Then we headed over to my dad's house for dinner and trick-or-treating! There were tons of kids out in his neighborhood but he never gets a lot of kids as he lives on a steep, dark hill. He got 3 total he said. More snickers to take on his hunting trip I guess!

(Click pic to enlarge)

Austin and Peyt. Austin was a star wars trooper.

Peyton was sprinting from house to house and so annoyed that everyone wasn't keeping up. He was taking short cuts through yards and was on a mission. He doesn't mess around. :)

Olivia got some loot too.

"C'mon guys, over here!"

Daddy had a little lamb

Olivia with cousin Steph. We stopped at my sister's house for a while to warm up by their fire pit.

Austin & Peyt checking out their loot

Halloween 2011!

Legos at the Children Museum!

2011-10-30T10:06:00.000-07:00

This summer I saw that the Children's Museum was going to have a Lego exhibit this Fall and I told Kate we had to take our Lego-loving boys! They had fun and we had fun watching them and chatting..

They had some pretty awesome Lego displays

Jousting with Mom

Lego catapult!

This Lego dragon was amazing.

By far Peyton's favorite, shopping !

It was hard to pull the boys away from the face painting. I'm just glad there wasn't any black paint this time!

Lordy..

Fall school conferences

2011-10-30T09:54:00.000-07:00

On Friday, B and I met with Peyton's teacher Mrs. Horne for school conferences. Peyton is doing awesome. He had his moments of separation anxiety again this year, but it only lasted a couple weeks. He loves school. The first thing he asks when he wakes up is "Do I have school today?" When it's not a school day he's disappointed. He knows all his capital letters and all but a few of his lower case letters. He still needs to work on letter sounds. We voiced our concern with him writing some of his letters backwards, but she said that is very normal at this age and to not worry about it until 1st grade. He does well with counting and recognizing numbers 1-14. He recognized an AB pattern. She said he has good fine motor skills and does excellent with scissors and holding his pencil. She said he has a very black and white view of wrong and right and uses his words when another kid is bothering him or being physical and never is physical back. She said he has a special bond with a girl in his class named Lucy who doesn't speak English as her first language and often finds them giggling in the corner somewhere. :) I was very pleased with his report and relieved as he can be a very stubborn kid.

She gave us a written report that said: "Peyton wants to please, but worries at the same time. He has a strong academic beginning, especially his letters. Pretty good fine motor skills. Goals: Strengthen his letter/sound association. Work on his rote counting and being able to recognize his numbers 15-20."
We are so proud of our boy!

Pumpkin Carving

2011-10-23T21:13:00.000-07:00

Saturday night I had some of my family over for dinner and to carve pumpkins! It's always a good time with the Prazeaus....

Steph brought the kids a mask-making kit that Peyton loved. He made two more masks today!

Olivia not knowing what to think of Steph's mask!

Okay guys enough with your antics. She had no idea what was in store for her next!

Peyt guarding his pumpkin.

Helping him get his top off so he can start diggin!

He was determined to do it all by himself

My bro Randy getting started.

Daddy helping him out.

Randy straining and rinsing the seeds so we can bake them!

YUM, one of my favorite things about Halloween time.

The boys grubbing on some enchiladas

B getting Olivia's pumpkin ready...

Oooh doggies was she not amused.

"Seriously?!?!?!"

We realized that she was freezing! The pumpkin was really cold on the inside.

Much happier after a warm bath.

Finished products. Peyton's is the second one in from the left. He carved in a 3rd eye or something.

Pumpkin patch

2011-10-16T16:57:00.000-07:00

This afternoon we met the Hadley's at Lee Farm's in Tualatin to play and get some pumpkins!

She looks thrilled. And tired due to a measly nap this morning.

Peyt did not feel well today, but had fun.

It's so hard to get her to look at the camera.

The jumping didn't last long after he fell. It was a really bouncy thing.

Goatel 6

Attempt at a family pic. I think we have only one other with the 4 of us. One day we'll get a good one!

Hay ride with Daddy

ha.

We got 3 nice pumpkins. I hope to make it to another pumpkin patch before Halloween when Peyton feels better. He's laying on the couch with a 101 fever reading books right now. Poor guy.

Pics from the week.

2011-10-16T16:43:00.000-07:00

Peyt at school making his firetruck snack before the firemen came. (Thanks Kate for the pics!)

First bath together.

They both got a kick out of it. I was soaked.

My chubby little cherub

Story time with Daddy

She is crawling everywhere and getting into EVERYTHING. :)

I just cannot get enough of her!

2011-10-11T19:55:00.000-07:00

"MOM"

2011-10-11T15:34:00.001-07:00

Crawling!

2011-10-09T06:26:00.001-07:00

Peyton update

2011-10-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

Some tidbits on what Peyt's been up to:

~He's loving his new school. We've had a couple days where he's been teary and not wanted me to leave, but other than that he's very excited to go to school. He's learning lots of new things, and has been practicing his lower case letters of his name.

~A month or so ago he mastered tying his shoes.

~For the past 6 months or so all he's been wanting to do is eat! He must have been going through a growth spurt. He's now back to normal and not asking for a snack every hour of the day. He continues to be a great eater and loves a variety of food. I made a chicken taco chili last night that I wasn't sure he would eat because it had a bit of spice in it, but he said he liked it. He knows that he has to eat what is made for dinner and nothing special will be made just for him. He either eats or has to wait until breakfast the next day. His favorites right now are apples, peanut butter/oatmeal, PBJ's, pasta, enchiladas, tacos to name a few.
~Peyton is still a very independent and stubborn boy. We battle often with him, but most of the time he comes around easily. I've started doing a sticker chart with him rewarding him for good behavior (being respectful, helpful, and listening well). When he fills up a horizontal line of the chart with stickers (about 15), he can pick a movie or small toy out.

We love our big 4-year-old! He brings so much light into our lives.

His 2011-12 preschool picture.

I did a little interview with Peyton that I'll keep doing every year and see how his answers change...

My favorite food is: Pasta

My favorite toy: Legos

My favorite sport to play is: Basketball

The best show on TV is: Sesame Street

The coolest person on Earth is: A space man

My favorite thing to do in school is: Playdoh

If I could go anywhere in the world, I'd go to: Disneyland.

My favorite colors are: Purple and Green.

When I grow up, I'm going to become a: Doctor, like Doctor Bob.

My current favorite song is: Rumor Has It by Adele

The book I'm loving right now is: Clifford Books

Two words that describe me are: Tall and Nice.

When I was little, I used to: Play with a rattle.

My favorite season of the year is: Spring.

The best thing about camping is: Spraying bats to scare them away.

My favorite snack is: Grapes.

One food I really dislike is: Soup.

My best friend is: Ethan.

If I had one wish it would be: That my runny nose goes away.

My best memory is: Camping with Grandma.

8 Months

2011-10-05T10:42:00.000-07:00

Our baby girl is 8-months-old! I feel like I just wrote her 7-month post. She's doing a few new things in the last month. She waves, claps, crawls backwards, goes from crawling position to sitting and vice versa, she dances and apparently has insomnia. ;) We've had a rough month with sleeping. She is hit and miss with sleeping through the night. It will be 3am and she's sitting up in her crib talking, spitting (razzing?), whining, or full-on crying. I'm not sure if it's because the crawling milestone is here and she's practicing in the middle of the night, but wow, we are tired! Naps haven't been great. We had a week where the most she would nap would be about 45 min. She's been better this past week but night sleep hasn't been fun. Over the past couple of months she's turned into a really light sleeper. It's very hard to keep the house quiet during nap time with a rambunctious 4-year-old, 2 barking dogs, living on a flight path, and the train going right past our house. I'd think that she'd be used to it now, but guess not. I'm sure she will get past this stage and every time I'm up cuddling or rocking her, I think to myself "I'm going to miss this one day."
She has turned into a much better eater. She will eat fruits now no problem and really won't refuse anything at the moment. New foods the past month we've introduced are: cheese, cottage cheese, bread, and spinach. I'm going to try avocado again this week, we'll see how that goes.
Olivia has been super duper clingy. She has been battling a cold for the last week and a half and does not want to be put down AT ALL. And she is in a mommy-only phase...so when we're both home, she only wants me. She will be full on, big-tears crying and once I pick her up she's all smiles with tears still in her eyes.
I love this age though...in the next week I'm sure she'll be crawling all over the house and getting into everything. I've got to re-baby proof a little. :) She's starting to babble...we've heard her say 'ma' and what sounds like 'hey.' We've had a break with teething, but I think I see two more teeth coming in on top.
Shes wearing 12-18 month clothes and size 4 diapers.

Loves:
The dogs...she instantly smiles and babbles to them when they come up to her.
Being in Peyton's room. She would rather be in there than anywhere else.
Being held.
Eating puffs.

Hates:
Her nose wiped.
Her teeth brushed.
Being put down on the floor, especially when she's tired.
Sleeping (kidding..)

We love our Livia girl, excited for all the new milestones coming up, and cannot believe she will be one in 4 months! Nutzo!

She loves this, and prefers it over the stroller for walks.

I try to distract her with toys or whatever while I cook dinner.

She goes from crawling position back to sitting, then to crawling backwards..she'll get it eventually!

She loves to be in her highchair at the table eating with us.

Razzing always...

Ok her hair is always out of control like this no matter what I do to it. I hope it will lay down a bit better as it gets longer.

Practicing her standing skills. Kate let me borrow a bunch of baby toys of Ethan's which she loves. Thanks Kate!

She's always like riding in the car, which I'm so thankful for as we're always on the go, taking Peyton to school.

Hall of Fame

2011-10-03T12:06:00.000-07:00

Saturday night my 2000-2001 GFU Women's Basketball Team was inducted into the Hall of Fame. What an honor!! We had an incredible team and AMAZING coaches. It was so great to relive this season and to reunite with all of my teammates. We had a really nice induction ceremony and banquet. Katie (Greller) Lacey, our team captain and center was individually inducted as well as Scott Rueck our coach. He had an amazing 14 years at GFU and has since moved on to Oregon State, where he is the head Women's basketball coach there. I can't even begin to explain what a genious he is as a coach. He made my 4-year college career more than just basketball. I learned so many life lessons through this game. It was such a fun time in my life. He, his wife Kerry, and Worm (Mike) are like family to me and I was so lucky to have them as awesome coaches and now life-long friends.

2000-2001 GFU Bruins

Katie (due with twin girls in November!) accepting her individual induction into the Hall of Fame

Scott going up to accept his award.

It was so great to listen to Scott's acceptance speech. Brought me back to all those team huddles and team meetings. He's one of a kind!

Accepting my award.

Jill

Becky

Listening to Tab give the acceptance speech on behalf of the team.

My cookies!

Adjusting.

2011-09-29T17:20:00.000-07:00

I haven't been blogging much in the last few weeks since school started. Partly because we are adjusting to a new schedule, and partly because I am beyond exhausted. I have to say it is a challenge for me to work so late and then be up so early and rush to get both kids fed, Peyton dressed and ready for school. Olivia has not been sleeping well lately (more on that in her 8 month post coming up soon) so I am a complete zombie most days. Here's an example of a Wednesday morning...

After getting off work at midnight....

6:30ish: Olivia wakes up...I pretend I'm still dreaming and that she's really not awake yet.

6:45: Peyton walks into my room, "Mom, my sister is awake."

6:50: I force myself up and get Olivia, change her and make her a bottle.

7:00: Peyton goes potty and then goes to make himself breakfast...oatmeal, toast or cereal while I feed her her bottle.

7:15: I lay out Peyton's clothes on his bed and head to the kitchen so Olivia and I can eat breakfast...rice cereal w/fruit, and some Cheerios for her. Me: oatmeal with peanut butter most days, yum!

7:30: While Peyton brushes his teeth, wipes his face, and gets dressed, I give Pancho his medicine, wash Olivia's bottles and clean up the kitchen.

7:45: Check on Peyton to see how he's doing and help him if needed. Then get Olivia dressed.

7:50: Brush my teeth, throw on some clothes and make sure I don't look like a crazy person.

7:55: Pour myself some coffee. Can't survive or drive without it.

8:00: Out the door.

8:45: Home from dropping Peyton off. Spend some time playing with Olivia, although she's usually winding down by this time and ready for a nap.

9:15(ish): Put Olivia down for her nap.

9:30-10:55 Get a quick workout in, shower, and straighten up the house a bit.

10:55: Wake Olivia up (lately she's been up earlier due to her lack of napping.)

11:00: Leave to get Peyton.

I can't stress enough, how thankful I am that Peyton can fend for himself. He does have some days where he dilly-daddles and wants me to help him with everything, but most of the time he does great.

Here's some pics from the last few weeks...

He still loves to help with his sister.

She just really hasn't been a happy camper lately...due to lack of sleeping and she has a cold she's been battling.

I seriously just love him!

She will last in the walker for about 10-15 min before she's had enough.

Eating some carrots with his lunch.

Today we spent some time at the park. It's the last dry day for a while, but man was it windy!!

My loves. (How is she so big already?!)

Windy attempt at getting a pic of us

back pack

2011-09-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

I got Peyt a new back pack for school and he's a tad bit obsessed with it. It's a Lightening McQueen back pack and he told me that he wants to keep it forever. We'll see if he's still carrying it around in high school. :)

He wears it around the house. Puts Bruiser in it. Packs a picnic in it. Rides his bike with it on. And always keeps his school notebook in it. He even put a toy for Olivia in it when we went outside today.

Taking a break from riding and studying with his notebook. (matching Lightening McQueen bike, helmet, and back pack).

I ♥ him

365

2011-09-23T07:43:00.000-07:00

Dear Mama,

It's been 365 days since you left this earth. How can that be? It feels like yesterday. This year without you, the longest ever without you, has hands-down been the hardest time of my life. It still doesn't feel real to me. I look at pictures of you and still deny the truth. There are so many emotions I have felt since you passed...sadness, obviously. Anger...why someone SO undeserving like you had to suffer, had to fight so hard and still end up losing, to be taken away too early. Why?! Jealousy...as a mom I'm so jealous of others who get to share many years to come with their mother as their child's grandmother. It's not fair. And I feel horribly guilty for feeling that way. Peyton got 3.5 years. Olivia got none. They will be forever short-changed of such a great and perfect grandma. I hope Peyton remembers all his memories he had with you so he can share with his sister. Relief...that you aren't suffering anymore. It was so hard watching you wither away. You were amazingly strong, though...you never complained. Anxiety...I don't like the unfamiliarness of you gone, I'm still not used to it and it makes me feel crazy. Your house is empty without you, but still full of you, your smell. Our family struggles to function without you, it's a huge gaping hole...something horribly missing that we all cannot deny. You were our glue that held us all together. Tension is high and we're fighting hard to stay bonded...and to be there for Dad. You can't even imagine how much he misses you.

Everyday is a struggle for me and the tears come fast, easy, and often. I still get the urge to call you-after work just to talk about nothing, wanting to tell you about my day, knowing without a doubt that you care and want to know, to tell you about each and every milestone the kids reach. This year Peyton learned to ride his bike with no training wheels and just a few weeks ago, he tied his shoes all by himself. He would have been so proud to show you mom. He's such a great big brother. He is still so young and doesn't fully grasp that you're gone...permanently. Just a couple weeks ago, we were praying before bed, and he said he wanted to pray for you and for great-grandma in heaven, like he often does. Then he said to me "Mommy, I want Grandma to come home now" and "Why did she have to be sick?" I laid there in his bed with him, holding him as tears ran down my cheeks, struggling for the words to come. He has been a huge comfort for me. I love that kid and I know you did so much too.

I didn't realize how much I relied on you for parenting/newborn advice until Olivia was born. Those first few months with my new baby was torture without you. You would love Olivia mama, she sure is something special. Shes gorgeous and has some of your mannerisms. This is by far the thing that tears me apart the most. It absolutely kills me that she will never know you. I will one day tell her all about you...memories, pictures, everything. I can't wait for that, as hard as it may be.

Telling you that I miss you is an understatement. I lost a part of me when you passed. No one can ever take that place in my heart. You were so much a part of my daily routine and life. You...The only one 100% interested in every tidbit of my day. Unconditional love only a mom, only YOU could give. What am I supposed to do when I want to sit and drink coffee and sit in the sun at your house in the mornings? Or our morning shopping trips, laughing, making fun of each other, baking cookies, and experimenting with new recipes before I have to work? I can still replay your laugh in my head, your same voicemail you would leave when I missed your call, you singing happy birthday to me on the phone every year. I hope that never leaves my brain.

I always knew you were a patient and kind person but now I can honestly say I've never, ever met anyone as selfless as you. Always kind, always looked out for others, never raised your voice, and so full of love. The world needs more people like you.

I hope, no, I know you are loving paradise and I know you're watching over us. I swear I feel you near at times. Funny and weird thing is that I have seen an abundant amount of butterflies in the past year. I see them constantly when I'm running, frolicking with me as I jog. I opened the back door one afternoon and one flied right in my face trying to fly into the house!! There is always one fluttering around me and the kids while outside playing. It could be that I just never noticed them before, but I like to think that it's you checking up on us....watching Peyton grow up so fast and getting to know the granddaughter you never got to hold. Mom, I'm trying really hard to move on with life without you. I won't ever forget what a great mama you were to all 5 of us kids, and an irreplaceable grandmother to all 14 of your grandchildren. I will strive to be the patient, loving, protective, and wonderful mother to my kids as well. You're a tough act to follow...

I love you mom, forever and always and I will never stop missing you.

Love,
Your Nicoley-oley-olio

First Day of School

2011-09-12T10:09:00.000-07:00

Today was Peyton's first day of preschool at his new school! We enrolled him in a private Catholic school nearby that is K-8th grade. I can already tell it was a good change. He did so well today, not one tear and so cute in his uniform! Love you Peyt!

Blue Lake

2011-09-12T10:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we headed over to Blue Lake with the Hadley's for a BBQ lunch and water park fun. It was so packed there!! But a good time..

Birthdays

2011-09-12T10:05:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning we headed down to the Pearl at Jamison's Square for Layton's 5th birthday party! It was perfect weather for a day at the water park.

Happy Birthday Layton!!!

Then we headed over to celebrate Austin's 8th birthday again, this time with family. I forgot my camera but took a few pics/video with my phone. Happy Birthday Austin!!

Opening gifts

Peyton loves Bill, Austin's guinea pig

Then we all got a hold of one of Austin's gifts...the incognito mask.

Yeah, we're idiots. We laughed so hard.

My name is Humpty, pronounced with an Umpty.

I like my oatmeal lumpy..

Olivia loves her Uncle Randy...

First zoo trip

2011-09-10T14:40:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, I decided to take Peyton and Olivia to the zoo. I realized that we hadn't been to the zoo ALL year and this was Olivia's first time! Now that she is getting a bit bigger, and if I start getting a little more consistent sleep/energy we hopefully can get out more during the week.
(Cick photos to enlarge)

7 Months

2011-09-05T11:18:00.000-07:00

Another month has flown by and Olivia is 7 months! She is getting really close to crawling, I'm thinking it may happen in the next month or so. She is getting so big! She has grown out of all her 9-month clothes and fits perfectly in 12 month clothes. She is just so long. She is still teething. She now has 4 teeth on top, with two more cutting through now, and 2 on the bottom. She has been a lot happier lately, but still has fussy moments that I'm sure are from teething pain. Eating-wise she has tried a lot more different foods, and has done a tad better with fruit. New foods we've tried this month include, peaches, pears, yogurt, blueberries. I've decided for meat, to buy organic jarred baby food instead of making my own. Summer vegetable dinner, chicken mango risotto, chicken tomato pastina we've tried so far and she loves all of those. The ones that seem the least appetizing are the ones she loves the most, crazy girl. She's also finally warmed up to eating puffs...and practicing feeding herself. She's always a little wary and gives me the side-eye as I give her food...like she's wondering what the heck I'm trying to give her now. :) She's sleeping ok..she tends to wake up during the night on hot nights, but otherwise sleeps through. A couple months ago in the midst of bad teething, she stopped sucking her thumb. I've given her a binky to just chew on as a teething toy, and she sometimes will actually suck on it. It's calmed her down and soothed her to sleep a few times, but she's still not dependent on it nor a huge fan of it.
She's definitely having separation anxiety and stranger anxiety. As I sit on the floor with her and play or as I'm folding clothes while she plays, she will constantly reach out for me and make sure I'm still there or tug on my clothes, and climb up to me wanting me to hold her or to sit on my lap. If she is around people she doesn't know or hasn't seen in a while, she will get upset and just want B or I. I don't remember Peyton having this so early..if at all.

Loves:
Being held. She would be perfectly content being held ALL day.
Sitting like a big girl in the shopping cart and babbling to all the people in the store.
Her teething mesh feeder.
Peyton.
Men! She will cry for a woman stranger, but will flirt and smile for all the men. Yikes..
Sitting on Daddy's shoulders.
Spiders. She loves to play with all of Peyton's plastic toy spiders.

Hates:
Being held cradle-style.
Water on her face.
The vacuum and hair dryer..scares her to death.

Practicing her sippy cup skills with some water

Her spider friend

At first we weren't sure what she was doing, but it turns out she is waving to us!

Here's a video...

First shopping cart experience at Costco. I wish Peyton still fit in a cart so they could both sit in there!

Love you baby girl!! Happy 7 months!

Kung FU Party

2011-08-29T21:09:00.000-07:00

Saturday Austin had his "kid" birthday party at a place called One With Heart. They got to take a class and learn some Kung Fu moves. They had a blast!

River Day

2011-08-21T11:27:00.000-07:00

We used to do this a ton when I was younger. Load up our boat with lunch and head out on the Columbia ALL day! So fun and one of my favorite things to do. Glad my kids are able to experience this as well.

~Lounging~Swimming~Finding frogs~BBQing on the beach~Wakeboarding~Tubing~Hot sand~Laughing~Sand Digging~Watching ships go by~Suntans (burns for some!)~Boat rides~So much more...

(Click on the collages to enlarge)

Loving her bath (with the video that works!)

2011-08-18T22:04:00.001-07:00

Lately..

2011-08-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

I haven't been keeping up on blogging what we've been up to. It's been a challenge to get out and do things in between Olivia's naps, but I try to at least get outside everyday and enjoy the summer weather before it's gone! Here's some pictures of what we've been doing the last couple weeks...

Blue Lake Splash Pad with Ethan

They are becoming so close. She just lights up around him.

Park time

They look so much alike!

Cooling off in the sprinkler

Love this boy

Looking forward to the HOT weather that's forcasted for this weekend! We've got a fun-sun-filled weekend planned!

Tribute to my Grandma!

2011-08-17T22:25:00.000-07:00

My cousin Andy did an awesome tribute for my Grandma. There's even video we have of her when my dad was a baby! Love you Grandma...

Celebrating her 93 years...

2011-08-05T15:23:00.000-07:00

We celebrated the life of my gorgeous and ever-classy Grandma yesterday. We had a rosary Wednesday night and her service the next morning. She had everything planned down to the T, she wanted to make sure no one had to worry about anything. She was having my Aunt Carol read her the scriptures one last time just a few days before she passed to make sure they were the right ones! She will be missed greatly, but was so ready to join Jesus in heaven. She lived a long, healthy, and fullfilling life. She was the youngest of 11, had 5 kids of her own, and many grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren (over 86 all together!). She loved to crochet, play cards (she will take your money! Her and my mom were the card sharks! I bet they are playing in heaven...), read, travel, golf, and cook. My cousin Andy put together a slide show, that hopefully will be online soon and I'll post it here.

I love you Grandma!!

Heres a few pictures I found with her and Peyton/Olivia..

After the service and the burial, close family gathered at my dad's for food, drink, sun and great company!

My Brother Hugh and nephew Brandon

Peyton, Trey and Macey...his 3rd cousins

We played "Pass Olivia..."

G-pa Prazeau and Livs

My niece Lauren and Olivia...cousins!

My nephew Sean and Olivia

Uncle Brett!

Grammy Springer

Uncle Hughy

Papa Springer

Aunt Sherri

Mama got a turn too!

Looking at Grandma's gorgeous hydrangea with Aunt Amy

The basketball court was busy as usual!

Peyton leading the train of kids

Hooping it up with cousin Sean

6 Months

2011-08-05T14:42:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe 6 months has passed already! Here's what our 1/2-year-old is up to..

Eating...Olivia still has not been too interested in her formula. I asked the doctor today about it and she says she's pretty sure it's from her teething. She's been a little better lately, at least finishing her 6 oz during the day. She will almost always take a full 8 oz before bed though. We've tried a couple new foods this past month. We have yet to find a fruit that she likes...weird! Squash, sweet potato, carrots and peas are her favorites. We tried bananas...she was kind of eh about it. That's the one fruit she won't spit out. Applesauce, avocado, and apples/blueberries she does not like. I just wonder if it's too tart for her taste buds right now. We'll definitely try them again later. Although she did seem to like the watermelon I put in her mesh fresh food eater. She loves rice cereal and baby oatmeal. She's drinking about 26 oz of formula per day but we've increased her solids a tad.

Avacado. She really hated it. :)

She kept gagging even 30 seconds after she swallowed it.

Applesauce...not a fan of this either.

More teething...Olivia's bottom two teeth are all the way in. Currently her right top tooth has just barely cut through and the left is on its' way. These top ones have really bothered her. She's still pretty fussy. I (and her too!) can't wait to get a break from teething. The doctor gave us a prescription today for flouride drops.

Sleeping...Olivia had a rough month with sleep, also due to teething. She would wake up at least once per night and sometimes took a while to get back down. The last week or two she is back to sleeping through the night (thank goodness! I was becoming a crazy, sleep-deprived person!). I usually get up once or twice just to check on her. She tends to scoot in her crib and get stuck in the corner, which wakes her up so I scoot her back down once or twice during the night. Typically she goes down around ~8pm and is up between 6:30am and 7:30am. She is still napping pretty well, two 2-hour naps typically.

Temperament...Olivia is still very serious! She likes to sit back and take everything in and she is so aware of everything. She still loves to watch everything Peyton does and he gets lots of laughs from her. I can tell he might start getting annoyed with her pretty soon. She loves to grab for his face when he gets close...it's funny to watch. She has been fussy as I mentioned earlier, but she still gives tons of laugh/smiles/squeals!

Activity...Olivia doesn't really like her bouncy seat anymore, she's kind of too long for it anyway. She loves to be in her bumbo, especially by Peyton watching him play or do legos. She grabs at everything, and put's everything in her mouth. She is sitting up on her own for the most part..she is still a bit wobbly, but gets better at it everyday. Crawling may not be far off, I'm not sure though. She is pushing up on her arms and up on her knees well, but never both at the same time. We'll see...I'm savoring this non-mobile time. I have a feeling I'll be constantly picking up legos and other small toys of Peyton's! She's starting to have a bit of separation anxiety as well as stranger anxiety. If we leave the room she will cry and when she is around a lot of people or new people she will cry too.

6-month stats...
Weight: 16lbs 14oz (75%)
Height: 28.5 inches (off the charts!) She is 1.5 inches longer than what Peyton was at 6 months...yikes!
Head: 42.5 cm (60%)
She got 2 shots today which she took like a champ!

Playing with her baby

Everytime we go into her room to get her up she peeks through her crib and gives the biggest smile.

I have these mesh deals that I put a chunk of banana or watermelon and she sucks all the juice out. They are great.

She loves to watch the dogs. And Tootsie loves to wait for her to spit up. Gross, I know.

Sitting up

Checking out her sandals

She LOVES her Daddy

Hands always in her mouth

I can't imagine not having this baby girl, she is finding her spot in our family and we love her to pieces!!!

HAPPY HALF BIRTHDAY OLIVIA! WE LOVE YOU!

Last goodbye...

2011-08-01T16:03:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday I headed back down to Joseph with my brother Randy, sister-in-law Amy and my nephew Austin. We almost left on Friday, but I'm so glad we didn't because my grandma passed away Friday morning. I'm so glad I got to see her one final time. We stayed at a cute bed and breakfast in Enterprise and spent some quality time with my dad and Aunt Carol and Uncle Dave, plus saw some more sites, and spent lots of time in the sun and down by the lake. It was some great bonding time but I missed my kiddos and hubby SO much! I'm glad to be home and we have a full week coming up with family/extended family for my grandma's funeral and wake.
I only took a few pictures this time since I took so many on our last trip...

My dad took us on another hike

My dad, Amy and I

It was Chief Joseph Days this last weekend and we went to a pow-wow...lots of history in this town.

My dad showed us a house he is looking at there and this deer was cooling off in the shade up against the house. The deer are so tame, it's crazy!

This picture is small as it's a forwarded cell phone picture, but Austin went fishing with my dad and brother and caught his first fish! He was pretty excited...

Blue Lake Splash Pad

2011-08-01T15:51:00.000-07:00

I always forget that we live so close to a fun park! Blue Lake Park is just down the road from us and there is so much to do there. Today we went to the splash pad and to a few of the play structures, etc. It was a perfect day for a cool-down. We could have stayed there for hours but we had to get Olivia back home for her nap. We'll definitely be spending lots more time there for the rest of summer!

Olivia was perfectly content just watching her brother.

He would come over to check and make sure she was okay.

Taking my picture too.

My little teether! She's getting her top two teeth right now.