Picture Tag

I was picture tagged. The deal is you have to go to your pictures file, go to the fourth folder, and pick the fourth picture, and voila.....here is our winner.

Explanation: This is NOT an actual photo. We were trying out yearbookyourself.com one night and I had saved some of the pictures in a folder to send to Corey's brothers for a good laugh (never actually sent those). There were some of him that were much worse, and some of me that were even worse than those ones. This was just the luck of the draw I guess. Sorry, Corey!

(I know not everyone likes tags, but if you dare, I tag Alisha, Jen Y., Becky, and Missy). You should at least go to yearbookyourself.com and try it out if you haven't already. It will make you laugh, and might even scare some a little because of the frightening reality of some of those hairstyles! )

Tag

I honestly didn't think I could come up with this many things about myself (50!), but after reading a few of my friends', I found myself randomly thinking of these things throughout the day. The ones I read were fun, so I hope this doesn't bore anyone!

50. When Corey and I watch movies together at home, I ALWAYS fall asleep about 45 minutes into the movie, and then wake up during the last 20, refreshed and alert. I hate it but can't seem to help it.

49. I enjoy gardening, but have a hard time putting in the time for it to really look good.

48. I think Corey is THE best daddy.

47. I have always loved dill pickles. I absolutely detest sweet pickles though. Ew.

46. In college I was a little crazy about getting really good grades. Oh, the rush of getting back a test score!

45. I always look at real estate magazines (those free ones at the grocery store) in and out of town.

44. I love going out for breakfast, but never do it.

43. I love to read, but have a hard time picking one favorite book.

42. I am dying to go to Europe. We've actually talked about going with kids in a couple of years...getting closer!

41. I don't really mind working (paychecks definitely help).

40. I wouldn't dream of going back to work right now. I'd get way too jealous of someone else telling me all about Asher's firsts...I don't want to miss a thing.

39. I love watching Asher sleep. I go in every night to kiss him and make sure he's all snuggled in. I actually used to pick him up and hold him too, but he started to wake up too easily and would cry!

38. When I was younger, I really thought I'd be at least 30 before I got married. I was 21.

37. I still give Corey a hard time for making me wait so long for him to propose. We dated for nearly a year!

36. I love to cook and to try new things.

35. I hate doing the dishes.

34. I have never been good at calling friends on the phone. If it weren't for e-mail I'd have lost all contact with old friends long ago.

33. I always cry at sad movies. (Actually, I cry fairly easy at some commercials these days...blame it on the hormones!)

32. One of m favorite places is Ocean Shores, WA. It reminds me of being a carefree kid, beach combing and hanging with the fam.

31. I think Asher has the BEST smile ever.

30. I love to make waffles for my little family on my awesome Belgian waffle iron (thanks, Corey). I use the scratch recipe my mom used, and we always add whip cream...Asher doesn't realize they don't just come that way.

29. I love hanging out with my mom. We have so much fun together.

28. I think every baby that is born is a huge miracle.

27. I've never been a very adept swimmer. Thus, I am bound and determined for Asher to be an amazing and confident swimmer.

26. I don't mind do-it-yourself projects too much. Corey hates them. I need my own handyman on call.

25. I'm always planning our next trip/vacation. I love having something to look forward too.

24. I love watching the seasons change, but Fall is my favorite. I love the smells, the colors, and all the fun holidays.

23. I burn scented candles all the time. I love it when my house smells good...spiced anything is good (ah, cinnamon!).

22. I love to sing, but besides singing to Asher every night I don't do it much. I secretly love it when Asher tells Corey to "stop" singing because he wants me to. Hehehehe.

21. I'd still do a roundoff back handspring, but I'd be sore for DAYS afterward.

20. I am totally a bath person. I'll read, eat ice cream, light candles, etc. My next one will have jets for sure. I don't indulge as often as I should!

19. I try to be more environmentally aware (use re-usable grocery bags, dried some clothes outside in the summer, and buy some of the "greenlist" products), but I don't recycle (yet).

18. I love chocolate. Dark or milk.

17. I've gotten to the point where I think its okay to pay a lot more for something I really want, rather than get a deal on something that's so-so.

16. I almost never drink soda, and I don't like milk (well, except for chocolate). I love water.

15. I love animals.

14. I melt every time Asher runs down the hallway to give me a big hug right after he wakes up from a nap. Just the sound of his feet makes me smile to myself.

13. I love snuggling with Asher in the mornings when I'm lazy and don't want to get up just yet.

12. I love being a mom, even though I'm a work in progress!

11. I almost never watch t.v. (Do morning cartoons count?)

10. Corey and I are both the eldest child, which, suprisingly, works out just great. Except that we can both be very stubborn.

9. I am a huge baby when it comes to cold water. I'd rather NOT get in.

8. I really wanted a tattoo when I was 19. I'm so glad I didn't do that!

7. I tell Asher I love him all the time. I hope he knows how much we both adore him.

6. I am embarrassed to admit that my sisters and I fought over clothes when we were growing up. How stupid is that?

5. I love talking to my sisters on the phone. I always hang up wishing they lived close so we could hang out.

4. I like watching documentaries. Especially ones about history and archeology.

3. It took me 45 minutes to put my contacts in when I first started wearing them. Someday maybe I'll be brave and get lasik.

2. I am a total klutz.

1. I love rainy days. We have so few here that I really appreciate them when they come!

Okay, I swear I don't have this much time on my hands! I tag anyone who wants to give this a try. It's actually kind of fun.

Pickin' in the Patch

We headed out to our local pumpkin patch last Friday to let Asher pick the perfect one. He thought every one he picked up was "it", until he saw the next one that is. He actually had a pile of pumpkins he'd picked out. I guess when you are 2, selecting one out of a thousand might be a tough task. We also tromped though the Corn Maize (Asher ran) and with Corey as our guide, we only took a few wrong turns. At the end of the maize we hit the little petting zoo. Asher's best buddy was the cutest calf I have ever seen, and it let him pet away. Then it was just a hayride back to the patch again. Have I mentioned how much I love fall?

We've been wanting to put a sandbox in our yard, but after seeing how much he loved this, I'm thinking we should reconsider. He was literally swimming in the stuff. Corn-box anyone?

Decisions, decisions...

Balloon Fiesta 2008

In Albuquerque, NM, this is the big event of the year, every year. We still get excited to see all the unique and colorful balloons gracing our blue skies. It's even more fun with Asher around to enjoy it all with us (as is everything). It's funny to me how the pictures are so similar every year, and that I still can't keep myself from snapping away. It seems almost criminal not to.

Potty break.

Corey actually waited in line for a sample of Spam. Ewww! I tasted it and did have to admit it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. But, still, Spam?

We decided to do one of the early morning "special shapes" mass ascensions again this year, and it didn't disappoint. The weather was perfect and the balloons were every shape you could imagine. The bus ride down to the park and back was a big highlight of the morning since Asher still loves buses...so easy to please! One of our favorites this year was the Darth Vader balloon, including its own Storm Trooper guard at the front. I think the balloon has some kind of cult following though because it was nearly impossible to get close for a picture while it was inflating. The Nemo, Pumpkin, and Train balloons were among Asher's picks. I also liked the stork complete with baby in beak; I think that sounds like such a nice way for a baby to arrive. We drank hot chocolate and devoured breakfast burritos, but I'm still feeling a little regret for not indulging in a funnel cake...they just smelled so good!

The joyous bus ride back to the car.

We also saw one of the competitions where the regular shaped balloons drop down to a pole on the field and try to win prizes, so we saw a lot more balloons than we had originally expected. They launch from another site, then fly to the balloon park. I'd never seen the competitions before and they were surprisingly entertaining. The zebra-painted referees for the event were pretty entertaining too.

Asher entertained himself during the competition by throwing rocks down a hole. He was thrilled.

We sure love our balloon fiesta! Love, love, love fall in New Mexico!

Stitched Up

Yesterday afternoon we dropped Asher off at a friend's house and headed to the hospital for my cerclage. It has a fancy sounding name, but isn't a really complicated or lengthy procedure...thank goodness. After checking in and waiting for a bit I make it downstairs to the pre-op area where the hooked up my IV. After that....more waiting, as this is after all a hospital. My surgery was scheduled for 3:30, and, big surprise I wasn't wheeled into the operating room until 4:30. They administered a spinal injection (oh, so fun) and got to work, a little too quickly in my opinion because I was still feeling more than I'd have liked. But, I knew that the more anesthesia they gave me, the longer I'd be in recovery and still at the hospital, and the less stuff going through my body the better for the baby's sake, right? It really wasn't too bad just a little discomfort. My position during this procedure is a little, oh, precarious and awkward shall we say?

Then it was off to the recovery area for me. There is one major detail I haven't yet mentioned...as everyone knows, surgery equals NO FOOD OR DRINK. My doc said I could eat at 6 AM, so I crammed a piece of bread and some water down and rolled back to bed. A late afternoon surgery time does NOT bide well for a pregnant lady. No food, all day, are you joking? I think not being able to eat might have distracted me from thinking about what was coming most of the day, but that was the only upside. I was in recovery until 7:30 before my nurse let me know that, although it's not allowed, Corey would be coming down with some food...they'd just pull the curtain around us. Hallelujah! Once he came down with my Subway sandwich, soup and water I found out how he'd maneuvered all the glorious contraband food. He'd been letting the check-in guy upstairs (first name basis now...Patrick) watch his ipod...some random show called Dr. Horrible's Musical Blog. Corey asked about food for me, and voila! A call was made downstairs, and soon I was saved! A little sharing with the right person and you get the hook-up!

It still took us until just before 11 PM to finally get outta that place. It doesn't matter what you do, you can't will your body to be un-numb. I tried for hours to wiggle my toes and had no results whatsoever. By that time I was grumpy and irritated, and just wanted out. Asher had been long asleep at the Symes house (he had a lot more fun than we did, and what great friends to help us out like that!), but we picked him up anyway and headed for home.

Corey's taking care of us all for the weekend while I lay low for a few days. The surgery went well and we are happy that the baby should now stay safely inside. Yah!

Mum's the Word

Or rather Mom. After much patience and hard work (ahem) we are happy to say we are expecting a baby in March! I was a little leery of making it known, as I always am, but after telling family, a few friends in Utah, and a couple of friends here, it has started to get less and less important to me that it was still a secret. What's the big deal anyway? The more people that know, the more people we can have crossing their fingers for us. Besides, my body isn't going to let me keep it a secret much longer anyway. Isn't there something they say about your body "remembering?" It is definitely doing that. Hey, on the upside I'll get more use out of those maternity clothes!

We are excited but as always very apprehensive. My pregnancies in the past have proven less than ideal and simple, so we are readying ourselves for the long haul. I have a surgery scheduled the end of next week to keep the baby safely inside (a cerclage). I must say, that I am a huge fan of modern medicine when it comes to having babies. It's a very good thing I was born in the 20th century instead of the 18th. With the surgery, a little good luck, a lot of prayers, a lot of inactivity (in a few months), and my doctor's expertise (I think his mantra is "the glass is half full", a good thing for an OB I think) we'll be a family of 4 come Spring.

Asher's been pretty cute about it all so far. But, I am fully aware that once the reality of a foreign invader hits him its going to be a little less appealing to him. Whenever we ask him what he wants...a brother or a sister, he answers the same almost every time. "A stister!" I am convinced he doesn't know the meaning of the word, and that he simply likes the sound of it. It makes us laugh though. He also reminds us in the middle of prayers to "bless the baby coming." So sweet.

Besides feeling tired and gross for several weeks, and craving salty foods, things have been pretty smooth so far. Now I am looking forward to the better sleep the 2nd trimester usually brings. Bring it on!

Training Day

Goal: Potty training in a day.
Reality: This is going to take some work.

8 AM
Today was day one of potty training Asher. I decided he's ready (and so am I), and today's a good day to stay home and do it. We started out around 8 or so, and I slipped some brand new "big boy" underwear onto Asher, Elmo ones to be exact. He went potty (yeah!) and I set the timer on the microwave for 15 minutes. After eating breakfast was interrupted a couple of times by a buzzer going off, and a few successful trips to the bathroom I let Asher down to watch some t.v. That was my first mistake, and one that I didn't learn from as quickly as I should have. There is no way he is going to take a break from watching his favorite shows to use the bathroom, even if he does get M&M's for doing it. Hence, accident #1 ensued.

10 AM
We are on our 3rd pair of Elmo underwear. Apparently, 15 minute intervals are too presumptuous. We need a 5 minute timer. I have also realized that we are out of some things we need and have to go to the grocery store. I put a diaper on Asher and we headed off to the store.

11 AM
Back from the grocery store. I begrudgingly purchased another pack of diapers and think to myself, I should have bought stock in Pampers. I also stopped on the aisle with all the cheap toys and bought a few as "poop" prizes, figuring I better one-up the M&M's to get results on every level. Asher did point out where the bathroom was at the store. That's encouraging.

12 noon
Back to the underwear and timer. Asher is playing with his cars, and I walk over to ask how he's doing when I smell my answer. As I begin clean up I realize I need the patience of a Saint to do this. I have some work to do. We eat lunch.

12:30
I decide to let Asher go "Commando" for a little bit, which doesn't seem like a wise choice on my part since he's never proven that he can handle that much freedom in the past. Soon thereafter, I decide "Commando" may be a good idea. He keeps saying "don't pee on the floor" and is doing little potty dances. After another successful trip to the potty, Asher earns a "poop" prize! We called Daddy at work with the good news. He didn't sound as excited as I thought he should...I guess he has some work to do too. I am pretty sure if Dad's had to do this, kids would wear diapers until they were 10.

1:30
Asher is diapered and snoozing soundly. I just can't fathom letting him sleep without a diaper yet. He can hardly make the decision to head to the toilet when he's awake. Right before he went down for his nap we tried one last time to go. Nothing happened, to which Asher replied, "Maybe next time." I couldn't help but laugh. He's right, there is always the next time!

4 PM
Asher wakes up and we have to drive across town to give Corey some papers he "has to have." So, I concede for the day knowing that being in the car for an hour or more is no way to potty train. Plus, we are in and out of the house the rest of the evening, Asher in diapers. I guess we've had more successes than failures during our half day attempt. I am proud of him for giving it a good starting try! This has to be such a new concept for him that his diapers are no longer the safety net. I need to remember that. Transitions aren't always easy and this will take a little time. Tomorrow should be exciting to say the least. And I better start doing laundry until I get a chance to go and buy 20 more pairs of underwear. I am such a rookie. Is it really true that they'll have accidents for a year before this whole process is perfected?

I salute mothers everywhere. Any kid wearing underwear is now something of a miracle to me. Wish us luck, we'll need it! Oh, and any suggestions would be welcome too!
You can do it Asher!