Extra! Extra!! Read all about it!!

Well I figured it was time to announce that I am pregnant, and we found out last week that we will be having a GIRL! We are excited and a little scared about crossing over to the pink side, but I'm sure it will be fun. I know that some of you knew I was pregnant, to others this may be a surprise, but I'm due in late August and I hope all goes well. Zack and I thought it would be funny to just show up in Utah with me 6 months pregnant and shock everyone, but I decided that we might get a little chastisement if we did that. Now all we have to do is convince Oliver that having a sister will be fun! :)

Oliver Pictures

It's been awhile since I've posted any pictures of Oliver. Mostly because I haven't been very good at taking any lately, but here are a few for the grandparents to admire!! Enjoy!

R.I.P. Mr. Binks

Our house is on a binky bann. I took Oliver to the Dr. last week and he said his teeth were starting to move because of his binky. GASP!! Well the last thing I want is a buck tooth funny smiling baby, so therefore the binky had to go. Of course I had thought about this problem over a year ago, but if there is one thing that Oliver loves, it's his "binks." So month after month we whimped out and the binky remained apart of our daily lives. I know Oliver really loved it, but honestly I have to say it was a favorite of mine as well. He could go from cranky to happy with one pop of the binky in his mouth, it was a wonderous thing. We knew it was going to be hard and probably ugly. He was hooked, I mean really hooked on binky. It's like ripping away your child's best friend with no toddler worthy reasons. But it had to be done. So I thought I would try the old snip a little bit off at a time method. This was a total bust. It was like chopping off your favorite stuffed animals head and then giving it back to him as if nothing was wrong. He wanted no part of it. And so our efforts went from gradual wheening to cold turkey good bye. And just like that the binky was gone from our lives forever. (Or at least until the next kid.) Of course it did not go that smoothly, there were many tears for 2 days, we were geared up for a real fight. But after 2 days, it was over!! I was astonished! Could it be so easy? It didn't seem possible. We waited for a few days to congradulate ourselves in case it was all a sick joke and the binky loving child immurged, but it didn't happen. He is over it. Sometimes at nap time he has a hard time falling asleep, but otherwise, it's been pretty amazing. So I have to say R.I.P. binky friend. You will be missed, but apparently quickly forgotten. We hope you find a good home at the recycle center to which you have gone. Goodbye old friend, thanks for the good times we shared!

The Glove

The other day Oliver got his hand caught in the elevator door as it was opening at the library. His finger got a little scrape, that is all, but boy did he wail and scream. So when I finally got him out the door, I put his gloves on. Little did I know that one glove would not be leaving that hand for some time to come.....
When we got home he refused to let me take off the glove from the "injured" hand. So I let him eat lunch with it on and then he took his nap with it on. I thought after the nap he would be over it, but no, he was very much in need of the glove still since he said his hand hurt. Needless to say, the glove made it's way to making pizza for dinner, eating dinner, tub time, bowling, and bedtime. The glove did finally come off the next day around noon when he suddenly just pulled it off and said, "kiss it better Mom." After I did, it was all better, and just like that the glove was a thing of the past. So here are some funny pictures of our day with "The Glove."

Just Chilln' with the glove


Showing off his gummi bear in the tub
High fiving Mom
Bowling with Mom

Hello??

Hey, if anyone is still out there actually reading our blog, let me just say that we are still alive and well!! I know it's been awhile, the last few months have been kind of hectic and full of sickness, thus blogging was not the top of my list of things to do, but now things have calmed down and we're back!! I hope everyone had a great Christmas (yes, that's how long it's been!!) and I wish you a Happy Valentine's Day today!

Turkey Day!!

Well I hope everyone had a Superb Thanksgiving!! We spent a quiet Thanksgiving at home flying solo. (Well we actually had a woman over that we barely know, one of the missionaries investigators but otherwise solo.) Besides the fact that the chicken (our turkey stand in) wasn't done in time to eat with the rest of the meal, dinner went off without a hitch. I also made my first ever pies from scratch! They were amazing if I do say so myself. So much better than store bought. I thought I would have a few tragedies to report, but the pies both turned out well. Whew! Oliver had fun helping me make the pie crust. And now we are continuing Thanksgiving weekend by enjoying all the leftovers. Family and friends, we miss you, but at least we have good food to keep us company!

The Cooks!!


The Pies! Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie with cornmeal crust and Almond Coconut Peach Pie. Oh yeah, I know you're jealous!

I have to say that I put this video on even though I'm not looking my best. But Oliver looks cute and is talking, so there you have it.

Adventures in Tubbing

Why is it that every time I get in the bath tub, I am always accompanied by a 2 year old that wants to poke, splash, and play ball. Can't a woman get some peace?? It's not like I don't plan for the right moment, because I do. I wait until Oliver is very into whatever he is doing, playing with his toys, running around, bouncing his ball, whatever. He will be totally engrossed and so I think, here is my chance to get in a quick bath, so I run and gather all my stuff and get in and the POOF, there he is next to the side of the tub. "What Mommy doing?" Peaceful relaxing bath officially over. Our last tubbing experience involved 2 large knitting needles. Oliver found said knitting needles and of course brought them into the bathroom where he first poked me with them for awhile, followed by putting "pins" in my hair. Hmmm.....OUCH! Then he threw some of his other tub toys in the bath with me so he could then fish them out with his new knitting chopsticks and finally it ended with us having a knitting needle sword fight. (He lost by the way.) Needless to say, my bath time is usually cut short and most days I opt for the shower instead. But for some reason I continue to test the waters as it were....maybe someday I can fly solo!! Oh well, I guess these are the moments that I will miss someday.