Lizonya

A Birthday Recap

2011-09-03T22:46:00.000-06:00

Who told Jake he could grow up? My littlest guy is getting way too big, way too fast.

We threw him our go-to family birthday party tonight. Pizza, cupcakes, cousins and gifts. Dirt, sticky drinks, sports, and thankfully, perfect weather.

My sister took a boat load of pictures (thank you Jeanette!) and I just couldn't narrow them down.

Jake reminded us (as he does a lot lately) to say a prayer for the food. My nephew kindly helped him out.

My baby boyfriend, Eli.

He's big enough to carry his own food. One of the perks of having a big kid two year old.

We played in the dirt.

We played baseball.

And of course, basketball.

He was a little nervous about the presents.

I love this kid. He is mischievous and sneaky. He back-pats when he hugs. He waves and yell "HI!!" to every single person he sees. He doesn't say many words, but he sure isn't quiet. He is obsessed with trucks, dogs, basketball and books. He'll only eat granola bars for breakfast. He still loves to be swaddled at night. He still uses a binki, the blue being his favorite. He is pigeon toed and also walks on his tippy-toes. He doesn't really walk, he runs. He brings Ben his blanket whenever he gets sad. He loves helping with yard work and cleaning. He skateboards on his belly. He is funny and smart and he makes my heart melt and I'm so lucky to be his mom. I love him like crazy.

Opposites

2011-06-06T13:24:00.004-06:00

I was looking through some pictures and ran across a couple that made me laugh. If I didn't give birth to both of my boys myself, I would never guess they were brothers. They really are opposites in every way. Of course they look very different. Ben looks like both John and me, I think (my long face, John's eyes). Jake looks exactly like my mom, only a ginger.

While Ben is passionate about sports (and the outfits that go along with them), Jake is the super coordinated one. Ben enjoys playing alone, with "guys" or watching a movie; Jake is more of a mover and a shaker and likes to be where the action's at. Ben is slightly shy to new people; Jake will charm hugs out of people in the grocery store (a lady actually kissed his face once... creepy!). The only thing they share is a house and their love of sugar.

And these two together just make me laugh. Jake and Luke, who are the same age (Jake is a month older). I know it's bad to say, but I love watching them battle it out over toys. Luke has size and brute strength, Jake has nothing but sheer determination. They are hilarious together.

And because I can't even write the word "opposite" without singing this song, here's a little McSkat Kat and Paula Abdul for you...

Mother's Day Shoot

2011-05-11T13:46:00.000-06:00

My mother-in-law is the best. We decided to surprise her this year with pictures of all her grand-boys. The crazy lady has five grandsons and no granddaughters! (Amber, it's up to you to fix that. No pressure.) I think she loved the surprise!

My very talented sister, Jeanette, of course did our pictures. Here are just a few of my kids. (I wasn't too sure about posting too many of the other kids. That could get a little creepy.)

But first the group shot that we had framed:

A few of my handsome little guys:

This one kills me. We call it the engagement picture.

Jake was being a monster pill that day and cried almost the entire time. He was not happy about having to sit still.

Ben, on the other hand, wanted to do the entire shoot in his fireman outfit. I said no, he said yes. After much crying and complaining, we comprised on him bringing it and changing after pictures were taken of him in regular clothes first. Here he is feeling like a million dollars in his costume.

The very best part is, the pictures are doubling as a Father's Day gift too. Get ready for some new desk photos, John!

Tree Huggers

2011-02-13T21:27:00.006-07:00

Last summer, John's side of the family started our first annual Mann-Brown Retreat. It was loads of fun. Really, it was. We rented a mansion for a weekend and did nothing but play games and eat food and had ourselves a heck of a good. We also decided it was a perfect opportunity to take some family photos. So we all brought along a white shirt and spent a day tie dying some classy shirts for our classy family photos.

After the weekend was over, the shirts were forgotten, lost in the bottom of pajama drawers. Until a few weeks ago, when I saw Jake strutting out of his room, jammied up in his tie dye.

Then Ben, not wanting to be left out, decided to throw his shirt on top of his pajamas.

I love it! They just look too funny!

Parenting Skills

2011-02-13T20:54:00.007-07:00

Please let winter end soon. I'm running out of ideas to keep the kids entertained.

Ben has recently, out of boredom, come up with a fun new game. It's called Sled Boarding. It involves him sledding down our barely inclined driveway into the street. It's safe; it's really, really safe. And I let him do it. Why? Because how else am I suppose to entertain the kid?!

He will Sled Board for hours. Hours, people. While I sit inside my warm house, watching him from the couch, Jake watching at door. Sometimes I wonder what the neighbors think of a four year old outside sledding down the driveway by himself. I've got parenting skills, people. I really do.

The other way we've been keeping entertained: indoor swimming.

It's easy, fun, time-consuming and mops my floor and washes my walls all at the same time. Plus, it keeps my kid off the street. Literally.

Annual Sledding Party!

2011-02-13T20:37:00.005-07:00

I'm playing catch up with the blog. It might get messy around here...

What would Ben's birthday be without our traditional family sledding party. The day we went it was hovering around 12 degrees. It was frigid. I'm getting cold just looking through the pictures.

Here's what Ben (who is notorious for coming up with some kick-A outfits) decided to wear sledding. He insisted on wearing goggles and a helmet. The chosen goggles were lense-less goggles that came with a tool set and the helmet is a cheap race car helmet. He wouldn't leave the house without either of them.

I think my sister peed her pants a little bit when she saw him. I'm so used to seeing his funny outfits, I didn't know what she was laughing so hard over.

Since we'd already had a friend's party for Ben, we decided to just do a quick donut cake in the back of car.

Did I mention how freaking freezing it was that day? SO COLD! My ears were about to fall off.

And here is the traditional family sledding photo.

Oh! And I can't forget to mention, this was the first year Ben didn't cry the entire time. Although the tears did eventually come when he got snow to the face (can't believe those goggles didn't work!) on what ended up being the last ride down the hill. Jake went down a time or two but wasn't super impressed with the whole thing.

The Knight Party

2010-12-29T21:36:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Ben's big number FOUR today with a party fit for a brave knight.

The call for other brave knights and fair ladies.

We decorated shields to protect us while we fought the dragon.

The finished masterpieces. Don't they look powerful?

The swords used to slay the dragon...

...and to entertain while the cake was being cut.

The ferocious shield cake. (My very first home-decorated cake. Don't laugh at how silly it is.)

The Battle of the Blow Dryer. The glitter glue on the shields wasn't drying, so we brought out the blow dryer and the kids "warmed up" for their fight with the dragon.

Quick break for present time.

Slaying the dragon. (This is not Ben, but it is the best picture of the pinata that we got.)

All in all, a very successful 4th birthday party!

Santa Claus Was In Town

2010-12-20T15:17:00.005-07:00

Trolley Square has the best Santa. It's free, the backdrop is beautiful, you take your own pictures, and NO ONE was there! He only visits for two days out of the season (I think), so you have to time it right, but it was totally worth it.

This was our second time visiting Santa this year and it didn't go any differently than the first time we saw him. Ben wasn't very impressed, but we did get a small smile out of him:

Then I sat Jake down on Santa's other knee. I guess Santa can be scary. If you're a baby...

I thought Santa was going to start throwing coal at me, I was laughing so hard at Jake. Seriously, doesn't he look pissed off? I was laughing pretty hard.

Thanks for putting up with us, Santa. You can bet we'll be back next year!

The Catch Up Collage Post

2010-12-05T21:31:00.008-07:00

I haven't done any serious blogging in like, a week or more, so to cut back on the length of this post, I'm doing it all in picture collages. Starting with...

Yo Gabba, Gabba. I took Ben and his cousin Zeke to Yo Gabba, Gabba back in October and we had so much fun! The boys favorite part: the glow sticks. Go figure, right? They light-sabered almost the whole show while I thoroughly enjoyed myself watching my fuzzy friends on stage.

The other day while we were getting the kids ready for bed, I had to run downstairs for something. I came back up in time to see that Jake had pushed a chair over to the sink, grabbed a washcloth and was doing some serious cleaning. So freaking cute. I was fussing over it so much Ben got a little jealous and had to jump in a picture.

Speaking of Jake, he got his very first haircut. I'm such a nerd, I always get a little sentimental during the first haircuts. They turn my babies into big kids. He was a perfect boy and not a single tear was shed. And now my baby looks all grown up.

Not related to the kids... A few weeks ago I had a little weekend trip with the "law wives." We became friends while our husbands went to law school together, and years later, we are still going strong. We headed to St. George and had a great time shopping, eating, getting pedicures and talk, talk, talking late into the night (I still laugh out loud when I think of the "special sex" conversation). I love these girls! Thanks for the fun weekend.

Well, that put a dent into my catching up. I can now check blogging off the list for another few weeks.

Giving Thanks

2010-11-24T21:13:00.004-07:00

for this little boy

and this little boy

and the daddy who helped me make them.

Fall Crafting

2010-11-04T15:11:00.008-06:00

I've been on a mini craft kick the last couple of weeks. I say mini because for anyone else the wimpy crafts I've been doing are nothing major, but for me-the wanna be crafter- they're big time. I am not a great sewer, and all the crafts happen to be sew-made (yeah, I just made up that word), so they're all very imperfect and I'm sure in a year or two I'll look at them and think, I can't believe I let people see these... but for now, I'm a proud Holly Homemaker.

My first project was a throw blanket. I didn't dare do a regular finish on the outer edges, so I just clipped them. I think I also used the wrong batting; it's a bit thick, but that only makes it extra snugly and cozy. It's pretty much a grown up's baby blanket.

Close up of clipped/frayed edges:

I've been really, really wanting an orange pillow (seriously, ask my sister how many times in the space of one week I said I was dying for one), but couldn't find anything I loved. I've also wanted to try my hand at making a ruffle pillow, so I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone and make an orange ruffle pillow.

It's so not perfect. I don't exactly know how to do ruffles... but I still love it.

And the last craft to make the blog (I'm sparing myself some embarrassment and not posting the painted frames and door wreaths) is my brand new fall decoration: my very first material banner. I followed this tutorial and I think it turned out ok. I could have matched up the colors better (you can barely see the V and S), but oh well.

It says Harvest. See? I could have matched up the colors better. But it took me hours and I will display it, gosh darn it!

And that is all. Happy fall!

The Cycle Of A Pumpkin's Life

2010-10-25T21:28:00.000-06:00

A couple of weekends ago, on a beautiful fall day, we headed to the pumpkin patch to hunt and trap the most perfect pumpkins we could find. Naturally, we documented the event (with our piece of crap camera- sorry all the pics are blurry!).

Ben took off for the maze with grandma and the cousins after we forced these pictures on the boys, so the rest of the pictures are, like every post, of just Jake. But he's cute, so you can't really complain!

The cheesy family picture.

Tonight we cut, gutted and carved up the pumpkins:

I get pretty competitive carving pumpkins. I'm always sure mine are going to be way better than John's. Most of the time I'm right. This year, I think we might have, maybe, sorta-kinda tied. But only because I ever-so-graciously drew the design on his pumpkin for him. Otherwise... I would have kicked some serious pumpkin carving butt!

I'm not sure why the skull's light is brighter. Maybe because it's the best out of the three??? (Mine are the skull and ghost. John's is the spider.)

And then, because we believe in eating what we kill, using this yummy recipe, we ate up the insides:

Camouflage

2010-10-15T20:53:00.003-06:00

Be honest. How long did it take you to find Jake?

Have Your Cake And Eat It Too

2010-10-05T14:37:00.001-06:00

This post is a month late, but I just can't not post Jake's birthday cake pictures. He was way too adorable! Ben wouldn't touch his cake on his first birthday so I was prepared for the same with Jake. Haven't I learned yet that these two boys are absolutely nothing alike?

He started with a little tester bite:

and decided he approved:

Then he got some help from the cousins on how to properly eat the cake:

And being the quick learner that he is, caught right on:

And in about three minutes, the entire piece of cake was devoured:

That, my friends, is the proper way to eat birthday cake!

Table Makeover

2010-09-25T10:35:00.010-06:00

I FINALLY re-did my kitchen table. I've been thinking about painting it for years. It's a great little kitchen table, fits perfectly in my tiny kitchen, but it was looking pretty hammered. The thing is, I know nothing about re-finishing furniture. Nothing. Thankfully, Home Depot's motto is, "you can do, we can help." And help they did. I went in, told the guy what I wanted to do and he gave me step by step instructions. Thanks guy at the paint counter!

Here is the before:

The during:

I sanded, primed, gave it two coats of black paint (two of the chairs I painted the same green as my front room just to mix it up), distressed it (by hand-total pain in the A), stained it (to add some more dimension) and gave it three good coats of polyurethane. And in between each step, let it dry completely.

I sort of loved not having a kitchen table. I was surprised how open my house felt! And Ben loved playing indoor Hamper Basketball in the kitchen court.

Here's the after:

Nothing super fancy, but better than before. And the best of all was when John, who is very vocal about hating painted furniture, said it looks like it came straight from John Paris. From him, that's a compliment!

Next up: the tv stand downstairs.

12 Months of Jake

2010-09-03T07:45:00.001-06:00

I cannot believe it's been a year. More than that, I can't believe I'm still alive to tell about it. That was a long, hard year. Let's bask in the success of surviving Jake's infancy with picture overload.

The day it all began (well, the labor part of it)...

This (below) was living in there (above). For months and months and months. Pregnancy grosses me out.

Newly born. (Jake still makes this face when he's pissed off.)

One month old.

Two months old.

Three months old.

Four months old.

Five months old. (Oh, the wet bib days...)

Six months old.

Seven months old.

Eight months old.

Nine months old.

Ten months old.

Eleven months old.

My big boy one year old! (Wearing a super sweet birthday crown.)

Looking back, it all seems so worth it. I love Jake more than I can say. He's fiesty, independent, charming, strong-willed and I love him with all my heart.

Bendate

2010-08-27T13:53:00.008-06:00

My blog is slowly becoming a shrine to Jake. But I promise I do love the other kid too. He just doesn't smile at the camera so I don't ever get cute pictures of him. And what's a post without pictures? Every time I bust out the camera, he pulls this sweet and awkward dance move:

Only he's rarely facing or looking at the camera. But with or without his focus on the camera, this boy is pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself. He constantly keeps me entertained and on my toes.

He's recently befriended a boy named Jack. Jack's invisible. And terrific, from what I hear, at baseball. Jack and Ben spend hours a day together, usually outside playing a game of ball on the (also invisible) baseball field. I was sort of freaked out when Jack first started "showing" up, but I've since embraced the invisible friend stage (cross your fingers it's just a stage). Turns out I can get Ben to do almost anything if I tell him Jack is doing it. "Ben, Jack wants to help you clean your room..." Works every time. I have no shame in manipulating my children. It's what mothers do best.

A few weeks ago while Ben was outside playing baseball, he called me out to show me something. I went outside and he was bent over a baseball, scribbling with a marker, saying, "MOM, look! Babe Ruth signed my ball!" He was very, very excited.

He's learned from reading in his baseball stats book that baseball players paint their faces. So he now requests, multiple times a week, for me to paint his face like this:

He also spends a lot of time preparing for a game by changing into the proper outfit. This boy is obsessed with clothes. He changes outfits multiple times a day and dresses accordingly to the game he's going to play next (baseball, soccer, basketball). He's also decided Jake has cooler clothes than he does, so he'll often come walking out of his room in clothes made for a 12 month old . Because we're such sensitive and mature parents, we just laugh and call him Officer Dangle the rest of the day.

Here's another one of his sweet outfits. It had just barely started to sprinkle outside, so he ran to his room to get outfitted for the storm.

He kills me. He's also killing my wallet with the number of times I wash his clothes during the week...

When he's not playing sports, you can find him taking care of his brother or his stuffed animals. He's really into being a big kid; he loves to help feed Jake and give him blankets and hugs when he cries. I always find him swaddling his monkey to put him down for a nap, or feeding his bear a bottle:

He really is the sweetest boy. He tells me daily, "But mom, I really love you." And even him getting mad is just plain sweet. The other day he got so upset he yelled, right at my face, "You're not my best friend anymore and I'm not playing football with you!" I was pretty proud of myself for not saying "Oh, thank goodness" out loud.

But, Ben, I really love you, too.

Cheap Tricks

2010-07-20T21:14:00.001-06:00

My baby is not so much a baby anymore, he's slowly turning into a toddler. I don't know how I feel about this. One the one hand, I love him being independent and mobile. On the other, I don't. I'm sort of sad he's so big and grown up all of the sudden. He's learning new tricks faster than I keep up with him.

He's now an efficient up the stairs climber. Up only. He hasn't figured out how to climb down, only fall down. But the falling down doesn't stop him from going up. As much as I wish it did.

The other day we were outside playing and I had left the back door wide open because, you know, I'm ghetto like that. (This is not new news.) After a few minutes of doing I don't remember, I looked around and couldn't find him. Apparently he'd decided he was done playing outside and had crawled in the house, gone up the stairs and was in Ben's room playing with the train set. Mr. Independent, off to find something to do on his own. I love it and hate it at the same time.

He's climbing up more than just stairs. He climbs up whatever he can and cruises along furniture and walls like crazy. He's even just barely started to walk with his truck.

He said his very first word a few days ago (other than mama and dada). It was Benny. He said it four times in a row and hasn't said it since. But I'm still counting it!

He loves to help me weed the flowerbeds. Well, he tries anyway. And by try, I mean he just rips the tops of the flowers off and then tries to dispose of the evidence by eating them. And yet I'm always wondering why his poo is so often funny colored... (TMI, sorry.)

He can flush the toilet. I'm thinking that's pretty advanced stuff considering Ben still doesn't flush the toilet unless told to.

He likes to play chasing games. I say, "Jake, where are you going?" and he turns around, gives me the funniest grin (all his grins are funny, really), squeals really loud and then takes off as fast as he can in the other direction. Then he squeals again when I catch him. We do this mostly at bed and nap time when I set him down on the floor to straighten out his blankets. It's almost like he's trying to get away from going to sleep...

He helps me unload the dishwasher. Sometimes he even climbs on the door to get to the top shelf. He's such a helper.

This is big news. He can now beat up his brother. This is Ben losing a wrestling match to Jake the Pincher. This is what I get to live with for the rest of my existence: fighting boys. Are you so jealous?

And his very newest trick, just of the last few days, is standing! He can stand on his own for just a few seconds at a time, but I'll take it. He's getting so big!

Do you love his sticky body? We may or may not been having a Naked Popsicle Party in the backyard tonight.

He's still obviously learning how to correctly eat a popsicle. But that's no trick I'm in a hurry for him to learn. It's just to cute watching him eat it all wrong!

"What Does It Mean?"

2010-07-09T22:52:00.003-06:00

My sister sent this to me and it's way too funny not to share. It's a little long, but it's worth the ab exercise you'll get from laughing!

Watch this video first:

Then watch this one:

And you're welcome. (And thanks, Jeanette.)

Swimming Cousins

2010-07-01T14:41:00.000-06:00

(This post is mainly for Amber...)

Every Thursday is playdate day for Jake and his cousin Luke. We usually just do lunch and some floor time, but today we spiced it up with a swim in the yard. (I know, we're pretty wild sometimes.) These two boys are so funny together. They both just light up when they see each other and almost immediately start climbing and clawing each other (in a loving way, of course). They're such fun little buddies, I hope it always stays this way!

Jake and Luke were both really loving the water today. I made it extra warm just for Luke and was rewarded with extra big smiles.

Here are the guys, always a little cautious at first.

We did a little floating. Jake thought it was only ok:

Luke thought it was pretty fun.

Until I started moving him side to side. Then he thought it was the best thing ever! (His face kills me in this picture!)

They did a lot of baby cuddling. Here's the weird thing. Jake is not a cuddlier. Never has been, despite my best efforts to change that. But he always, ALWAYS cuddles up to Luke (or just tries to sit on him). I don't know if I should be worried, offended or jealous. Maybe a little of each.

And here's my favorite picture of the day. I love these two boys!

Summer Lovin'

2010-06-25T15:52:00.000-06:00

It's FINALLY summer! Which means lots of:

garage sales,

playing in pajamas until noon,

picnics in swimsuits while we wait for the pool to open,

neighborhood playgroups (this week was the fire station),

long afternoon naps,

and after dinner cookie decorating

followed by an evening swim in the yard.

And I get to do this every week. I love summer!

Jake the Great

2010-06-13T23:21:00.000-06:00

My baby is NINE months old! Can you believe it. Considering how SLOWLY the first few months of this little guy's life went by, the last few months have just flown!

Nine months happens to be the start of my very favorite age. I love everything about this stage of their lives; they grow and develop like crazy and it's so much fun to watch their personalities really start to shine. And if there is one thing Jake has in spades, it's personality! He inspires laughter from almost everyone he meets, just by being him. I took him to his 9 month appointment with the pediatrician the other day, and the first thing the doctor did when he walked in the room was bust up laughing. He hadn't even said hello before he lost it. Jake has that happen to him a lot. He's just a goofy boy-in the best way possible.

The second thing the doctor did was comment about his hair, of course. "So he's really going to be sticking with the red, isn't he?" Jake just wouldn't be Jake without that orange hair! I wouldn't have him any other way.

He's become super mobile the last few weeks and officially started crawling just tonight! Looks like baby gates will be the next addition to our home decor.

He's also a champ at eating. He's always been a little thing (both the boys are), but it's certainly not because he's a picky eater. Some days I'm tempted to leave him in his highchair loaded with snacks all day. He's happiest when he's got food in front of him, just like his mama.

It's not all fun and games with this boy though. He's got some bad habits I'm trying to break, hair pulling being at the top of the list. I'm also trying to break him of his favorite chew toy-my chin. It's all he wants! He grabs hold of my hair, lines the chin up and bites down as hard as he can. Lately he's even been laughing while he does it, like it's some sick joke of his. He only has two small bottom teeth, but those babies are sharp and it really hurts!

Oh this boy. He kills me. As much as he has his moments of driving me crazy, I can't imagine life without him.

The Rest Of It

2010-06-12T14:48:00.000-06:00

Are you ready for more house pictures?! I feel like this is such a lame excuse for a post, but I really love looking at other people's houses, so to keep myself from being hypocritical, I'm posting some of my own.

There are a million and one projects to do with this house. But I feel like we're very, very slowing starting to check some things off the list. The first thing that had to be done was the kitchen paint. Well, honestly, the whole kitchen just needs to be gutted, but we're working on a budget here, so for now paint and new hardware will have to hold us over.

The paint was this horrible shade of yellow. I usually love yellow paint, but this was just ugly. It looks way better in the pictures than it did in real life, I swear. Here is the before:

And the after:

I really wanted a pale turquoise, but I'll be damned if that paint color exists. I looked through every single paint sample I could find with no luck. In the end I settled on a pale blue that sometimes, for about an hour or so in the evenings, has an almost greenish hue to it. It works for now.

My next project (just as soon as the weather cooperates) is to paint the kitchen table black and the plain wood chairs the same color as the front room (much to John's aversion to painted wood), to tie it all together a little better. Here is the blue kitchen and green front room together:

So that's the kitchen. Now the basement. We didn't do much here except put in new, non-filthy nasty carpet.

We spend almost all our time in the basement so it never, ever looks this clean. It usually looks like this:

Our current project has been the outside of the house and yard. We're redoing the flowerbeds and garden, have big plans to fence in the backyard completely, and to finally get the filthy vinyl on the house power-washed. So much work... But it's been fun (in a rewarding way), too!

Lucky Number Seven

2010-05-22T07:33:00.000-06:00

Happy Anniversary to my favorite person EVER!

He's the best dad

and the best husband

and I'm a lucky girl. I love you John!

Say Cheese

2010-05-06T17:25:00.000-06:00

I love my children. I love Ben and I love Jake, equally. But let's be honest for a minute. Jake is goofy. He was "blessed" with a mix of my bad features on John's square face with random bright orange hair. He's just goofy. But let me tell you, that boy is a charmer. He loves the ladies, and the ladies love him right back. Any girl, any age, any shape or size, he loves them. And he can charm the hell out 'em, regardless of his goofy grins- or maybe it's because of his goofy grins. He has a way of smiling that just takes over his whole face; his cheeks, eyes, even the tilt of his face changes. I almost can't handle it I love it so much.

His smiles start out normal enough, with obvious happiness on his face:

Then he starts squinting up those eyes, showing you he means it:

Then he starts tilting his face, almost bashfully, picking up the charm a bit:

Then he goes in for the kill, pushing the corners of mouth as far as they'll go and squeezing his eyes so tight in sheer joy. It's almost impossible at this point not to laugh out loud and smile along with him. It is just so freaking cute!

His smile is completely contagious and so, so charming. But that just might be the mother in me talking.

And here's one more, just because he makes my day:

Get Me the Bumper Sticker, It's Official

2010-04-24T15:35:00.006-06:00

I'm a soccer mom!

It's true what they say, sports are more tolerable (I wouldn't go as far as to say enjoyable, but tolerable? yes) when your kid is playing. We had Ben's first soccer game this morning and it was loads of laughs. Laughs for all the wrong reasons, but laughs all the same. We've got some serious practicing to do at home this week. I think Ben might be better suited for football. He seems to have tackling down to a fine art. Sharing the ball? Not so much. But it was great fun all the same.

I'll try to keep the number of pictures posted reasonable. Especially considering the 150 that I took all look about the exact same.

Ben had fun chasing the ball, but all that running took it's toll on him after the first quarter. He did a lot of this during the game:

Just taking a quick lay down. We also caught him sneaking over to the sidelines (the other sideline-TRAITOR!) to take a quick five.

Meanwhile, Jake was having the time of his life. Him and Luke made a mess enjoying biter biscuits and being in the sunshine.

Then he did some big time flirting with his girlfriend, Jeanette. He LOVES Jeanette.

The game went by quicker than I thought it would and soon the boys were cooling down with some gatorade and soccer cookies.

The best part of the whole day was the nap after. Ben had a quick birthday party to go to right after, but he's been napping soundly on the couch every since. I love a worn out boy!

The House

2010-04-20T12:46:00.007-06:00

I finally got some rooms clean enough to take a few pictures. But I feel like I need to do a warning before you look at the pictures. Especially for my friends who have recently bought big, new, fancy houses. This is not a new house, or a big one, or at all fancy. It's old. It's small. It's a fixer. So don't be expecting too much! Ok, I feel better now that I've got that out of the way.

But now I feel like I need to say that I really do love it. Mostly the neighborhood, but the house too.

Jeez. Ok, for real here are some pictures. Let's get the kids room out of the way first. Here's Ben's master bedroom. He has the biggest room in the house, because he has the most crap.

I eventually want to paint both of the kid's rooms. And decorate them. Just as soon as I figure out how...

Here's Jake's minty fresh room:

Here is the front room. This room and the basement family room are the only rooms I'm not going to repaint. This is looking in from the kitchen:

Those sliding doors open up to the kitchen. We usually leave them open except the kitchen is currently covered in paint samples and dirty dishes. I'm still trying to figure out how to decorate the front room. I don't know how. If you've got any great ideas, let me know. I need all the help I can get!

And here was the reason we bought the house. The backyard. The blue on the right is the detached garage. Two car! Which means we can actually part a car in it-maybe two if we're careful. This house might be fancy after all...

Here's the garden where John will do some serious tilling and planting. My only request was pumpkins. I don't care what he does with the rest of it.

And finally, here is some family chilling on the lawn after our first bbq on Sunday.

Notice the (super dirty) lime green house. Goes great with the blue garage. One of our many projects will be to match them up.

I know you're dying for the rest, but that's all I have clean for now. The rest of the house is pretty scary and needs some immediate TLC.

We Moved

2010-04-16T22:24:00.000-06:00

...and I am beat. This was our seventh move in the (almost) seven years we've been married and it was by far the most unorganized, drawn out move yet. I'm blaming the kids. Because I can.

I feel like we're getting settled in nicely though. I'm finally learning which switches go to which lights. The neighbors are nice, bringing over pizzas and homemade bread, welcoming us to the street. We turned the keys in for the duplex tonight. Now starts the To Do lists. The house was built in 1940 and while the kitchen and bathrooms have been "updated" (that was one of the selling points on the home flyer), it wasn't anytime recently. Without fail, every single family member or friend that comes over says something along the lines of, "For sure you need to fix _____ (fill in the blank) first." Something different is always named. There will never be a shortage of projects, that's for sure. But we love it. And I'm excited to finally be able to fix the things that bug me, rather than just live with them until we move again. Although I'm not sure we'll get to everything on our list. This isn't a forever home, it's just a for now place. But for now, it's perfect for us.

On a completely unrelated note, both of my kids are freaking hilarious lately. Ben has the funniest mix of grown-up and toddler language coming out of his mouth. Jake is desperate for table food but will gag dramatically whenever something larger than a nail head touches his tongue. Both of them make me laugh constantly, when they're not making me feel crazy.

Here's Jake with a cold pancake for dinner. Ben gave it to him. I don't think he actually ate any of it, he mostly just shredded it and gagged when a piece got in his mouth.

Here's an olive-fingered Ben being... a kid with a can of olives. Ben would eat olives for every meal if I let him. Eggs and olives. He could live off of them.

The background is the "updated" kitchen. My first project will be getting rid of the hideous yellow. I usually love yellow paint, but this color is exactly the wrong shade. So I thought I'd try a pale turquoise, but so far everything is looking blue. I think I'm going to have to just go with a blue because the guys at the paint counter at Home Dept are getting sick of me. That and Ben keeps pulling down his pants and showing the old ladies in line his Dash undies.

Pictures of the house will come soon. Just as soon as I get a room clean enough.

Growing, We Do It Everyday

2010-03-19T23:22:00.001-06:00

(Does anyone recognize that song from Barney or am I the only sucker mom who's forced to listen to it?)

Oh, my dear boy Ben. He's hit the terrible threes, big time. I'm tempted everyday to put up an ad on Craigslist for a wild three year old boy, but then I think, who in the hell wants an out of control three year old, and resign myself to nine more months of this crazy age. He's constantly fighting me to assert his independence and I swear most of the time he's deaf to my voice. Thankfully he balances being annoying (I'm only being honest) by being the sweetest and funniest boy you can imagine.

He's still majorly obsessed with baseball. He won't wear anything but baseball pajamas to bed. A few weeks back we tried to put him to sleep in other pajamas because all of his baseball ones were in the wash. A few minutes after John came upstairs from putting him down we heard his door creak open. John went to investigate and found Ben in the laundry room trying to find other jams. John asked what he was doing out of bed and he said, "I'm a baseball player, dad." John said ok but he still needed to get back in bed. Ben looked right at him and said, "I'm the greatest baseball player who ever lived" and then walked back into his room. He seriously kills us with the things that come out of his mouth.

Here he is, buck naked, enjoying a little light reading from his baseball stats book:

The other day we went to "the boys store" (Toys R Us) to waste some time before we needed to start dinner. We went to the movie section to look for Everybody's Hero. We couldn't find it so, naturally, he settled on the next best thing: a T-ball instruction video starring Ray Romano. I turned it on for him when we got home and had the misfortune of catching a couple minutes of it. It was the most boring thing I've ever seen. He sat and watched every minute of it. Seriously, obsessed.

He's also still watching The Sandlot almost daily and occasionally busts out a "What the shit?" during dinner or asks us to call him Bertram. A couple Sundays ago we were sitting quietly in church when I heard Ben start to mumble something. I leaned a little closer and realized he was saying, "Lotioning and oiling, oiling and lotioning." Then he sat forward and said in his regular voice, "I can't take it anymore!" and then sat back like nothing happened. I had the hardest time keeping my laughter quiet. He is the funniest person!

His other newest obsession is changing his clothes every half hour. He's pretty particular about his outfits. He'll only wear sports related clothes, mostly jerseys. And he changes for every sport he wants to play. So he'll wear a basketball outfit for awhile to shoots some hoops, then he'll change into a baseball outfit while he pretends to run some bases, then another outfit to practice hockey. His room is constantly covered in clothes. He's worse than a girl! The other day we went to my sister's for my nieces birthday party and the first thing Ben did was head to Zeke's room, pull open the drawers and started stripping.

Zeke has the best selection of jerseys and Ben is no fool. Thankfully, the boys are best of pals and Zeke doesn't mind sharing an outfit here and there. Here are the guys sharing a chair and enjoying some pizza after his wardrobe change.

I love the straight faces. They're very serious boys.

Ben's also still into cooking and cleaning. The other night I started pulling out some stuff to get dinner going when Ben walked in and said, "What are we making tonight?" and pulled up a chair to the counter. I'm always trying to find ways he can help. It's not always easy and I've gotten in the bad habit of buying the cheap boxes of mac and cheese and then handing Ben a box to "cook" while I make the real dinner. Whatever works, right? It keeps him busy and that keeps me happy.

Here he is wearing my apron to cook. He likes to keep his clothes clean (I swear I'm turning him into a crazy person) and won't cook or do dishes without an apron on, but his apron was in the room Jake was napping in so I had him to wear mine.

I love storing up photos I can one day use for blackmail.

I sure do love my Benny boo, boo, boo-boo-boo. Even if he is a rotten three year old.

Naked Boys!

2010-02-27T22:18:00.000-07:00

The month of February is all about love, right? And true love is all about being naked, right? I'm not sure how you celebrate your Valentine's Day, but in the Mann family, we strip our babies down, lay them on red blankets and try to make them laugh while we capture their first Valentine's Day on film.

Here is Jake and his best friend and cousin Luke. They started out in diapers while we had our fun making them laugh by tickling their chubby thighs.

(These boys are a month apart in age. The pale one, believe it or not, happens to be older. We make 'em tiny around here.)

The diapers didn't last long. We needed more rolly-polliness. Baby's bums are just too stinkin cute- the more cellulite, the better. I'd be pretty hot stuff if that were the case for adults. Babies are so lucky that way.

This is the most modest picture out of the bunch. I wasn't sure how much of Luke's skin my SIL wanted me showing the world. This picture doesn't really showcase their cellulite to the best advantage, but trust me. It's there, it's lumpy and bumpy and it's freaking adorable.

Last night we decided to reward the boys with rice cereal after they oh-so patiently waited for us to finish our dinner. Naturally, we stripped them down first.

Unfortunately, this was the best picture I got. It was hard getting a good shot of these guys; they were more into their spoons than they were the camera.

Last but not least, I have some exciting news to share. Are you ready? Look at this picture:

Do you see it? Look closely. Jake ALMOST has a faux hawk! Six months old and he almost has enough hair for a faux hawk. I'm so proud of him.

Oh, and what the hey, just because they're cute and it's in keeping with my naked theme. Jake started talking like crazy after I took the faux hawk picture. I couldn't exactly understand what he was saying, but judging by his facial expression:

He was also pretty excited about his impressive hair growth spurt. I totally understand, Jake. It's pretty awesome.

Then he did what he always does: looks drunk.

(Am I the meanest mom in the world for always posting drunk baby pictures? I think it's hilarious.)

After all the excitement over his hair, and the drunk celebrating, he got tired and laid down-all by himself!

Check out the cellulite thigh! Isn't it a beautiful thing. But only on babies. And their mothers.

Dear Hair,

2010-02-02T15:19:00.000-07:00

Will you please STOP FALLING OUT! I don't know if you realized this or not, but Jake is now five months old. Don't you think you've had your falling out fun for long enough? John and I are going to have matching hairlines in a minute if you don't stop with the shedding. Seriously.

And while you're not staying put on my head, you sure are turning up everywhere else. It'd be one thing if you'd contain yourself to just the bathroom, but no. You're EVERYWHERE. My babies diapers, twinned in my sheets, laying around on the couch. I even found you in a brownie the other day. Gross. Because of you I ended up eating an entire pan of brownies by myself. You think I need those extra calories? You think I need the extra junk in my trunk? I promise you I don't. If you're not going to stay on my head, please at least stay in the bathroom. You're grossing out my family and you're making me fat.

Is this some sick payback because I don't trim you often enough? Are you upset I let you grow two inches before I touch up the highlights? Listen to me, Hair. I am the boss of you. If I want to ignore you and let you be ugly, that is my choice. I own you.

It's time for you to grow up a little and stay put! Grow back or I swear I'll go Britney on you. I've got a pair of clippers and I'm not afraid to use them.

For Shauna and Friends

2010-01-18T22:11:00.000-07:00

I've been neglecting the blog. My mother-in-law said it's time to do an update. So here's for Shauna and her friends at work.

Jake finally graduated from sink baths to tub baths. We're all pretty excited about it.

Want to see how Ben entertains himself while I neglect my children to play on the internet? He messes with the baby. Because why not, right? It's not like Jake's going to do anything to stop him (or me for that matter).

Twinners!!

Are you ever given an outfit for your kid that's not really your style, but you feel like you need to have your child wear it anyway (at least once) so you don't feel guilty about that someone wasting their money? I do. This was one of those outfits:

I didn't love it before I put it on Jake, but I think he's cute in it. (John saw him and said, "Hey little girl!" but we'll pretend his opinion doesn't matter.)

And P.S., that picture also shows Jake's love of hands. Anyone's hands. Always in his mouth. He's going to be one of those kids-always putting everything in their mouth. Watch out future fellow nursery goers.

Just because it's funny, here's Jake looking drunk. Again. He always looks drunk.

So you don't think this post is all about Jake, here's a classic Ben and Dad picture.

Swear on my life, this was not posed. Ben is pretty much glued to John when he's home. I'll be honest, I sort of love it. I need the breaks.

Here's a picture from way back when. Christmas morning, 2009. Seems so long ago...

And Ben the day after Christmas on his third birthday.

I think that'll do for now. Now, get back to work, Shauna!

Two Jakes Are Better Than One

2009-12-23T20:06:00.002-07:00

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I'm Raising a Thief

2009-12-19T14:51:00.000-07:00

Dear friends of Ben,

I spent the morning sorting through Ben's toys today to make room for Santa's visit and a birthday next week. While going through the old stuff, I found a lot of really awesome toys. Awesome toys I don't remember buying Ben... They were all very different toys but they had one thing in common: they all happened to be pocket-sized.

I'm very sorry to say, my child is a kleptomaniac.

If you happen to be missing cars, mini flashlights and binoculars, or anything small enough to fit in a size 3T pants pocket, please give me a call.

Dear parents of friends of Ben,

If you noticed any money missing while my klepto child was playing at your house, just let me know and I'll return it. I find money in the washer pretty regularly when doing his laundry. Although I wish it was all money from my purse or John's wallet, I can't be 100% sure.

I would also like to issue a warning to all adults entering our home who happen to carry a wallet or purse with them. Many packets of gum, credit cards, keys and cash have gone missing from those willing to buy into his innocent request to look at your bag or wallet. Don't let that sweet face fool you. Behind those chocolate brown eyes, he's nothing but a pint-sized conman.

I apologize for my son. Please still be our friend.

Naps and Ruined Surprises

2009-12-14T19:53:00.001-07:00

Sometimes Ben thinks he's old enough to give up naps. Sometimes I think he could be, but I'm never quite sure. So today, after two hours of hearing him read in his room instead of sleep, I gave up and let him out to play. (That makes him sound like a caged animal. He kind of is during nap time.) He thought I was mad at him for not napping and kept apologizing, saying, "I'm sorry Ben wasn't tired today" and "Are you sad that Ben didn't nap today?"

He's really into talking in third person lately.

A couple hours later I needed to run a quick errand. A very fast errand. We weren't in the car for longer than 10 minutes. Both boys went out like a rock. This boy would not wake up:

Apparently he's not ready to give up naps yet. But we tried.

In other Ben news, I took the boys Christmas shopping this morning so they could pick out something for their dad. While I was at the store I decided to call John and see if he wanted to go to lunch later. John asked what we were up to and I told him we were shopping at a top secret location getting him surprises. Of course, at that very moment, Ben screams, "Let's go look at mowers!" giving away hints of where we were at (the Home Depot).

On the car ride over to pick up John, I told Ben he couldn't tell dad what we bought because it was a Christmas surprise. I had been debating whether or not I should even mention that to Ben, but I knew he'd tell John if I didn't say anything. It was a stretch to think Ben would keep quiet, but I had to give it a try.

Sure enough, the second John opened the car door, Ben yells, at the top of his lungs, "SURPRISE! We got you a -" At that very second John yells over him, "HI BEN!" trying to block out what Ben was saying. It was so funny. John loves Christmas surprises-unlike me-so he was trying not to hear what Ben was saying. Unfortunately, Ben wasn't giving up. Right after John got the words out of his mouth, Ben was saying again, "We got you a -" and John said "HEY!" over him again. They did that a few times before John gave up laughing while Ben spilled the beans that he bought him a special tool belt. It was pretty stinking funny.

Thankfully, Jake didn't spill the beans on what he got his daddy. But only because he can't talk. It's only a matter of time before he will though and then John will never get another surprise again. Sad for him.

Wasting Time

2009-12-07T15:24:00.001-07:00

Some days I can get both of the boys napping at the same time. Other days I can't. On those days, we sit on the couch with the camera and go a little picture crazy.

Jake usually starts out looking very serious. He's a very serious baby.

Until I start playing peek-a-boo. Then he gets a little excited.

Then he stops to show me his tricks. He just learned how to blow bubbles.

Then I really get him laughing with the How Big is Jake game.

I love how his eyes squint up so tight when he smiles. They've got a little twinkle in them, don't they? The bit of them you can see...

We do this over and over for a good half hour until both of our cheeks hurt and he's finally ready for his nap. Just in time for Ben to wake up.

Big Red, Rusty, Peaches and Cream

2009-11-30T14:32:00.001-07:00

Dear Jake,

How in the world are you already almost three months old? Seems like just yesterday when I very, very, very painfully pushed you out of my body. How is it that you've already doubled your birth weight and can fit into big boy 3-6 months clothes? How did you get so big so fast?!

You are still my baby though and I'm glad for that. You're probably (most definitely) my last baby, so I'm enjoying every moment. Every cuddle and hug. You don't give them out very often. You're only three months old, but boy do you know what you like and don't like. You don't like to cuddle. You also don't like to be ignored. You're preferred position is sitting on the end of my knee, looking out, knowing I'm right behind you. Not ignoring you.

You're a killer nighttime sleeper and a horrible daytime napper. You love your family so much. You smile your big, goofy grin every time you see one of us. But let's be completely honest- you love me the most. You know where your next meal is coming from. You seek me out in a room when you hear my voice. You cry for me to hold you- but not for a snuggle. I sneak in snuggles anyway.

You're skin is the exact definition of baby skin: smooth and creamy and slightly translucent. I can't stop kissing those chubby cheeks of yours. You're feet are just as irresistible. You love when we kiss your toes. You giggle and laugh like it's the funniest game invented. You adore playing peek-a-boo. You love all toys that sing or squeak. You don't see the appeal of toys that rattle. (I don't either.)

You're hair is orange. Both your eyelashes and eyebrows are orange. I laugh every time the light hits you. Whenever people notice your hair color for the first time, they always look at my face to see my reaction, to see if I'll be offended that they noticed you're a redhead. I love it. I love that somehow we ended up with a fire orange baby. It makes me so happy. It also gives us a wide variety of funny and endearing nicknames to call you (see blog title (I promise we'll stop calling you Peaches and Cream when you start preschool)).

You're a little pill sometimes. You have the best mad-dog glare and you use it often. Every evening, to be exact. You and evenings don't mix well. That's when bath time intervenes. You loves baths. The warmer the water, the better. You could sit and soak for hours, I'm sure. You also love the baby massage that comes after bath. You lay on your changing table and stare at me, so, so quietly while I lotion you down. I take extra time, just to keep you happy and content. The second the lotion is rubbed in and the clothes come back on, you're back to your fussy ways. I live for bath time. It's one of my favorite moments of the day.

Ben loves you just as much as John and I do. You love him equally as much. I always get frustrated and annoyed when he tries to climb in your swing or bouncy while you're in it. I tell him over and over that he's going to squish you, but judging by the face-splitting smile you have when he does this, you don't seem to mind. He always talks about the many baseball games you guys will play when you grow up. He points out all the office buildings you work in when we're driving in the car. He insists on helping me change your diapers. He yells for me every time you smile so I can see it too. He just loves you to pieces.

We all love you, Jake!

Ghost of Christmas Past

2009-11-09T13:41:00.000-07:00

We blessed Jake yesterday. It was a very sweet day. The prayer was beautiful, my baby was beautiful. I decided to go with white this time around. When we blessed Ben, we didn't do it in a church so we just dressed him up in a nice, spiffy outfit. I thought that since Jake was being blessed during church, and since I didn't get to dress Ben in white, I wanted something special for Jake. I know, it's not really a big deal, but it was to me! John didn't want white, he wanted something Jake would be able to wear again. I have to admit, after it was all said and done, I was sort of regretting spending so much on an outfit he wore for an hour. Oh well.

The other thing I wanted to do this time around was take some pictures. I only have one picture of Ben when he was blessed. One! And he was my first! How did that happen? I meant to make up for that yesterday, but things got busy and it didn't happen. Thankfully, I took some pictures before church.

This is my favorite. Both boys are smiling! Jake sort of looks like Popeye, but still, I'll take it.

I couldn't believe Ben was sitting still and smiling for these pictures. He was super crazy yesterday morning, so it's extra unbelievable. I love it though.

Ben giving a little love to his brother. Precious.

Me, with the second human I grew in my body and then pushed out.

I'm sad we didn't take any family pictures. Let's not think about that.

Isn't Jake getting so big? Doesn't he look like the Ghost of Christmas Past? You almost can't tell where his face ends and his clothes begin. I love it. He was blessed with my pasty-white genes. You're welcome, Jake.

In true Mormon style, after the blessing we skipped the rest of church and threw a party. It was great fun. My dad was extra entertaining (he's a little nuts). I didn't take any pictures of that either. Funny that I take pictures of everything unimportant, but I get too busy to take pictures of what really matters: my dad going after the cheesecake with a hint of crazy in his eyes. Good times.

I love my little family (my big one too, I guess) and I'm thankful we were able to bless Jake. It really was a great day.

Fall Pictures

2009-10-30T15:47:00.000-06:00

What is this, my week to blog? Sorry for the post overload. But like a lot of other moms, this is sort of my journal/scrapbook. Blogging is about as scrapbooky as I get. Feel free to not read this. Although you'll miss some killer cute pictures...

A couple of weeks ago my sister, sister-in-law and I headed to the farm to do (what's turning out to be) our annual fall pictures. I love Wheeler's Farm in the fall. It is beautiful. And the day we went the weather was perfect: warm and crisp and very fall-like.

These are my favorite pictures from the day (these are the unedited version-I was too impatient to wait for the edited ones). There are a ton!

My nephew and niece, Zeke and Lucy. Also known as Ben's other siblings.

My buddies and me.

No trip to the farm is complete without feeding the ducks.

Or showing a little affection.

Trying for a pose.

We got him to sit still and we got him to look at the camera. Asking him to smile would have been too much.

Sometimes it's a good idea to check out what's on the bottom of your shoe.

You know I always save my favorite for last.

Thanks for the great pictures, Jeanette!

Comparing the Kids

2009-10-29T16:47:00.001-06:00

Every couple of weeks or so I look through my pictures of Ben as a baby and put them side by side with pictures of Jake. I love doing this. I love seeing the differences and similarities in the boys. John was worried when I first started doing this because he thought I was comparing and having one child come up ahead. I promise that's not what's going on. I just love seeing how two kids coming from the same two people can be nothing alike.

Knowing Jake's 8 week birthday was today, I looked through Ben's pictures last night to see if I had any good ones of him at 8 weeks. I found the two below and told John that Jake was wearing the blue striped jumper tomorrow. Being indulged in my crazy ways, I woke up to Jake dressed and ready to go in the jumper. At first glance I could already see a big difference from when Ben wore it- it was two inches too short on Jake! Taking after his mom's side of the family (I've got tall brothers), Jake is a bit longer than Ben was.

I set up shop on the couch and tried to do a little recreating. Didn't seem all that difficult at first, but I quickly realized another big difference between the boys. We could not get Jake to smile! He's usually at his smiling peak in the mornings (which isn't saying much), but he must have known something was going on. Ben, on the other hand, always gave away smiles at the drop of a hat. You've got to really work them out of Jake. And even then, he usually reserves them for mom and mom only.

Here's what we ended up with:

(That top right picture with the fingers is of Ben and me working tirelessly to get Jake to smile. We weren't trying to poke holes in him, promise.)

I can see some similarities. They've got the same chin and hairline (courtesy of their dad). They also almost have the same nose; Ben's is just a big pointier, Jake's a big more round. If you get really nit-picky, they have the same bottom lip, but Jake seems to be missing a top lip. Other than that, they look so different to me. The biggest difference, I think, is their eyes and coloring. You're seeing things right- Jake is a redhead. We like to call him Big Red and Rusty (we come up with such flattering nicknames at our house). I do not know where the red came from, although I'm giving John credit; his facial hair tends to look more auburn than brown in the right light.

Another big difference to note is the amount of bleach I use when washing clothes. I should probably invest in better laundry detergent...

Anyway, I do love comparing my kids. They both seem to come up winners with me. (Ahhh...)

Cowboys and Indians

2009-10-26T13:23:00.001-06:00

Halloween is my very favorite!

Friday night we carved pumpkins. Ben loved it. And by loved it, I mean LOVED IT. He has never in his almost three years of life sat in one spot for so long (almost two hours!). All it took was a knife for bribing and a small amount of supervision. I'm going to use knives to bribe him from here on out. "If you clean up your toys, I'll pull out the knives." Maybe not...

The finished pumpkins. Ben was so proud of them.

Saturday was the neighborhood Trick or Trunk. My mother-in-law and I have been planning costumes since July. We ended up deciding on Cowboys and Indians and once again she outdid herself making them. I tried to do a little photoshoot at home before we left, but Ben wouldn't look at the camera and the more I asked, the further he'd move his head to the side, so the pictures are what they are.

(I'm the mom so I probably shouldn't say this, but... doesn't Jake sort of looked stoned in these pictures? We laughed so hard when we uploaded them to the computer. He looks so out of it, but still smiling and awake. I think it's funny.)

Here is Ben at the event. They had games and a small parade. It was good times. When we got in the car to go home he said, "I was maybe a little too scared." We asked what he was scared of and he said, "My friends." It's understandable; baby elephants and clowns can be a little spooky.

Here's my favorite picture from the day. The backside of Ben with his gallon-sized hat and butt-less chaps. I love those chaps maybe a little too much.

My other favorite part is that I get to dress them all up again this weekend. I wish Halloween would last forever!

Family Resemblance

2009-10-15T14:20:00.000-06:00

Today is Jake's six week birthday! Six weeks and I'm just now starting to feel like things are calming down. I've got the hormones under control, Jake's been sleeping great at night (knock on wood), he smiles all the time and cooed for the first time today, and I think we finally got the right medicine for his acid reflux. I think I might be able to handle two kids. Thank goodness, too, because neither one is going anywhere.

One thing is for sure about my little Jake. He is his mother's child-in both looks and personality. It's crazy to have two completely opposite children. Ben is exactly like his dad, Jake is exactly like me. Ben was so easy going and mellow. Jake is more demanding and fussy. Ben was always busy exploring his surroundings and learning. Jake is good to sit and watch tv for an hour (at six weeks!). Ben hated sleeping. The only thing Jake loves more than sleeping is eating. That boy is so my child! I'm loving being able to experience both personalities.

Jake also looks exactly like me. Or exactly like my mom, anyway. Which, I'll admit, I was a little sad about at first. Not that I don't think he's handsome or anything, but during my pregnancy I was picturing another little John Mann. That's not what we got. We got a Grandma Lois (as we affectionately called him) instead. But he's rather grown on me, I must say.

I decided to break out some baby pictures to see the resemblances. Then I realized I don't have any baby pictures. I was child #6. The only pictures I'm in are family pictures (thanks, mom). I do have a killer family picture though. First, here is Jake:

He always looks like he's carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

And here is a picture of me when I was younger (not a baby-couldn't find one). I'm the boy sitting on my dad's lap.

Is this picture not the best? Being poor builds character. Being poor builds character. Being poor builds character...

Does Jake not look exactly like me? He does in real life, I promise.

While I'm at it... Here's Ben at about a year:

Here's John in a another killer family photo (he's the middle child):

They are so twins. I loved having a mini-John and I love having a mini-me. It's pretty fun. Even if he does come with my personality... (He's going to my challenging child.)

Jake also has a new cousin. My SIL (John's brother and his wife) had a baby September 30th. Amber and I were due 4 days apart. The boys ended up being born 4 weeks apart, with a three pound difference! Here's Luke and Jake a couple weeks ago:

Jake had a bad case of jaundice-don't mind the yellow face.

I can't wait for these boys to grow up so they can play a little more. And doesn't little Luke look a lot like his dad (the baby is John's family picture)? I love it!

Happy six weeks, Jake. I'm so glad we survived. Here's to six more. (We'll start small and work our way up.)

My Newborn

2009-09-30T14:06:00.002-06:00

Let me just be frank here. This mother of two business is kicking my butt. Don't get me wrong, I love my boys to bits, but it's been an adjustment to say the least. Things were going so great Jake's first week of life. Then the stinker had the nerve to wake up. And I headed straight toward Meltdown City. I'm almost embarrassed to admit how much this second baby has thrown me for a loop. Millions of moms everywhere have multiple kids and handle it with ease. Why can't I? But between a temperamental milk supply, possible postpartum depressions (I know, TMI), reflux, and a busy two year old, it's taking me some time to adjust. I guess the important thing is that I still love all my boys. I haven't yet given the baby back to the hospital or posted an ad on Craigslist for an almost three year old. Not yet.

Anyway, here are the little one's two week pictures. Thanks to Jeanette for coming to my house during my biggest-to-date meltdown and calming me down with your camera. I think the pictures turned out more than great! And I'm sorry to every friend and neighbor who has caught me on a teary day. I swear I'm seeking professional help.

(I'm in love with is butt rolls in this picture.)

(My favorite.)

Details, Details

2009-09-11T13:52:00.001-06:00

I had a baby, and you know I can't just push a human being out of my body and not share all the gory details, right? Well, here is Jake the Snake's birth story. It will involve a lot of TMI and way too much use of the word "blood". Be prepared.

But first I have to mention Ben's birth. Ben's birth was a dream. A very easy, surprisingly funny experience. I went in, I was given petocin, I was given an epidural, I pushed the epidural button a thousand times too many and couldn't feel the majority of my body, I pretended to push anyway (making the infamous face) and then I gave birth. A perfect labor if you ask me.

At the beginning of my pregnancy with Jake I told my doctor all about my first birthing experience (minus the part about lying to push) and said I'd love if we could do it all just the same. She said she'd do her best and, thankfully, wasn't against inducing.

A couple of weeks before Jake came I started dilating. I started at a 3.5, the next week went to a 4 and was 70% effaced. My doctor decided to strip my membrane. The next day I was out talking with my neighbor, telling her this baby wasn't coming until November, when John got home from work. We went inside and did the normal get-home-from-work routine (which involves tons of smooching-just kidding). After a minute I went to the bathroom and saw that I was bleeding. A lot. I ran into the hall, with my pants still down (I told you there'd be TMI) and said we needed to go the hospital. We grabbed everything we thought we'd need and called my sister to drop Ben off and almost 45 minutes later got to the hospital. We were laughing about how long it took to get there and saying it was a good thing it wasn't real labor.

I'd started contracting regularly on the ride over so they hooked me up and monitored me for a few hours. Around 11pm they said the baby sounded fine, the blood hadn't stopped but wasn't hurting either of us, and the contractions weren't dilating me further so I could stay or go-it was up to me. Ben was at our house by this time with my MIL, saying he wouldn't go to bed until I got home. So I decided I'd just go home and call my doctor in the morning if I was still bleeding. Plus, my back had really started hurting and I thought it was because of the super uncomfortable bed I'd been laying on.

So we got home, I put Ben down (sometime after midnight), barely brushed my teeth and went to bed. My contractions were getting worse and worse and I was slowly turning into one of those women who moan and say things like "You did this to me!" with every contraction. John thought I was being way over dramatic and offered to draw me a bath just to get me out of the bed. The bath helped a ton and I told John I was just going to stay on the couch so I didn't annoy him all night with my dramatics. He told me to call him if I needed him. So thoughtful...

(Did I mention this story might run a tad bit long? It will.)

I tried to sleep a little on the couch but knew I'd be up for the night. It felt like my contractions were slowly going away only to be replaced by the worse back pain I have ever felt-and I've felt my share of back pain. It hurt so much I started throwing up, barely making it to the bathroom, not quite making it to the toilet. So I call John and said we're going back to the hospital. He calls his mom while I'm still on the bathroom floor moaning and he's cleaning up barf looking at me like I'm insane. It was a good moment for us.

The second my MIL showed up I was out the door. Two seconds later I felt the sudden urge to pee. I ran back inside hoping to make it the bathroom. Once I sat down I heard a huge "pop" and felt my water break.

The second time around, we made it to the hospital in record time and I'd started feeling so much better. I wasn't feeling any contractions and it felt like my back pain was going away. When we rolled into Labor and Delivery they were all frantic to get a room ready. I sat on the bed for a few minutes and said I'd really like an epidural. The nurse said the anesthesiologist was with another patient but he'd get there as soon as he could. The back pain was coming back at this point and so was the vomiting. Then the nurse told me to lay on my side so she could check me and that's when the pain was taken to a whole new level. It was crazy bad. I was dilated to an 8 and 100% effaced.

I laid there for a few more minutes while the room became packed full of people setting up the baby's corner and getting me an IV, when I felt the worse pain ever and screamed out, "I HAVE TO PUSH!" The nurse freaked out and got right in my face and told me not to push. After the contraction was over she checked me and I was fully dilated and the baby was crowned. She got on her little phone necklace thing and I heard her say, "She wants an epidural but she's not going to make it." I swear I almost started crying. After that I'm not sure how many contractions I had, but every single one was the worst pain of my life and the nurse was in my face yelling at me not to push.

Then I was suddenly rolled over and I heard a man say, "I'm just going to go by her scar" and I thought, I don't care if I'm paralyzed for life, just make this pain go away. A little dramatic. In the next second my left leg was completely numb and I was feeling a million times better. After that I heard the anesthesiologist say "hey, come look at her scar, it's the entire length of her back" and my backside was viewed by a room full of people, I was rolled back over and the rest of me numbed up nicely. Seriously, if I knew the name of the man who did that to me, I'd send him a Thank You card with a plate of warm cookies.

Three contractions later, little Jake was born. He was born head up which explained all the back labor. It was definitely not my favorite labor out of the two, but it was so short lived and Jake is so cute that it's all been forgotten. But not really.

He's now a week old and he's the sweetest little guy ever. He nurses like a pro, sleeps great and is giving Ben a run for his money on being the perfect infant.

I don't think Ben is 100% sure how he feels about "the babes" (that's what he calls him) yet. He'll give him hugs and kisses, but for the most part stays out of his way. Which is better than the smothering I'd thought he do. I did find the boys like this the other day, so I guess he must like him a little:

I'm now way outnumbered by boys, but I happen to like them all so things couldn't be better.

Number Two

2009-09-05T12:46:00.000-06:00

Meet Jacob Zachary Mann, aka Baby Jake. He came fast and early at 4am Thursday morning, weighing 6 pounds, 1 ounce and measuring 20 1/2 inches long.

He is as sweet as can be and we're just in love with him.

The Home Stretch

2009-08-14T14:05:00.000-06:00

Next Monday I'll be exactly one month away from birth. Only four more weeks left. Maybe three, if my doctor remembers her promise to induce a week early (I'm not getting my hopes up, just in case). After being pregnant for what seems like seven years, four, maybe three, weeks seems really close and way too far away. I'm definitely more scared this time around than I was the last. Ignorance is bliss and while I've only had one kid and don't know everything that can happen, I feel like I know too much (or have heard too much). I just keep telling myself that as long as I get a good epidural like I did with Ben, things will go smoothly. Honestly, birthing out Ben was a breeze. My body loves being heavily medicated. So as long as I get some good stuff, I think I'll be ok. I'm trying not to think about what it'll be like if I don't.

I'm also really excited to finally get this little guy here. I'm excited to see Ben's reaction to the baby. That boy has a thing for babies. I have no doubt he's going to smother the poor guy. He's been so sweet during my whole pregnancy. I think he picks up on how John acts and treats me the same way. He's always asking if I feel ok, do I need to sit down, am I sad? (I am so freakishly hormonal, I've been crying way too much.) He loves talking to the baby and asks to snuggle him all the time. I think he's going to go through withdrawals when I lose this watermelon of a belly (let's hope I lose it!). He always pulls up my shirt and lays his head on my stomach so he can nap with the baby. It's pretty stinking cute-so cute that I tried to capture the sweetness on camera. What I mostly got was a big scary belly and a picture of Ben looking terrified. I'd be terrified too if I was laying my head on that thing...

I'm so ready to just be done being pregnant. I'm going to sound like a broken record saying this, but there is nothing I like about pregnancy-other than the baby at the end. Some women find pregnancy a miracle of life. I think it's gross. I'm growing a human being inside my body. I can feel him moving around inside of me. I have to push him out. AFTER he gets big. Then I have to feed him with my body. It's a little sick. I get pretty grossed out if I think too much about it.

I've also decided that being almost 8 months pregnant must be a lot like being really, really old. You develop weird skin issues (veins and, in my case, tiny red dots sprinkled all over my stomach), you pee your pants over a sneeze or any sudden movements. I now need to eat small, frequent meals and always get heartburn after. I can't roll over, bend over or get off the couch easily. My arms and legs fall asleep for no reason and without warning. I'm super paranoid and always complain about the heat. I need my daily nap to function because I get worn out so easily. I've been saying since I was little that I never wanted to get old and being pregnant just reaffirms that for me. At least there's an end and a reward to pregnancy. Being old, it's only going to get worse and worse. Until you die.

Anyway, I'm ready for this baby to get here. He's got a very excited, slightly terrified (and terrifying) family waiting for him. So, Baby, don't feel like you need to wait the full four weeks. You're welcome to come any time (hint, hint).

I'm Free!

2009-08-04T14:35:00.000-06:00

Starting tomorrow I'm free as a bird! This aliment I call bed rest will be put to rest for good. I'm pretty excited about it. But if there's one person more excited than I am, it's John. Not because he can't handle doing everything all by himself. I learned something while on bed rest, and it's that my family can totally survive and be just fine without me. John has proven he's more than capable of being mom and dad. But I know he's really, really happy not to have to wake up at the butt crack of dawn anymore to go to work. Although I will miss him coming home at 3:30 everyday.

Bed rest was pretty boring stuff, but thanks to family, friends and a little creativity, I managed to stay occupied. I:

Broke in the new recliner/rocker we bought for the nursery. It now has my butt indented in it for life. That's comfort.
Made a whole lot of lists: To do lists, to buy for baby lists, grocery lists, cleaning lists- all of which I handed over to John to take care of.
Thanks to my ghetto lawn chair, worked on my tan. I'm now a rather fetching shade of off-white.
Made the acquaintance of each and every McDonald's employee working the breakfast shift on 21st and 23rd.
Started a serious Creamy addiction. I average 3 a day.
Folded hundreds of 0-3 month white onsies. Seriously, did I use all of those with Ben?
Took weekend drives up the canyon for much needed changes of scenery.
Had way too many nice people bring over snacks, treats, fountain drinks and, much to John's delight, weekly meals. Thank you!!
Played approximately 354,976 games of Suduko. I'm almost not exaggerating.
Watched a whole lot of Baby Story. I learn so much from that show. (Like how to trick your doctor into thinking you're actually pushing.)
Had an emotional breakdown or two. Like the time I sat in front on an open closet and cried because I wanted to clean it out. Or the time I sat on the carpet outside the kitchen and cried because I wanted to scrub the floors. Or the time... You get the idea. What does it say about me that every breakdown I had was over wanting to clean?
Thanks to my sisters who kept me supplied with crafts and material, I spent a lot of time making a lot of cute crap. I made bookmarks, fridge magnets, knitted matching winter hats for the boys, sewed multiple nursing covers, made coasters (or, to be honest, watched as my sister made them for me), and last but not least, with the help of my mother-in-law (who did most of the work), made Ben a quilt.

(Ben's taking a nap in his bed right now or I would have modeled it there. It still needs to be washed before he can use it.)

That about sums up the last 9 weeks. Thanks to every single person who helped take care of our family and keep us entertained. You're the best! I promise this was the last time. We'll be adopting from here on out...

Better Than A Tanning Bed

2009-06-30T13:42:00.000-06:00

I did it. I had the baby. Just kidding.

I found a way to lay out while pregnant. A while back I blogged about how I was going to cut a hole in a lawn chair so I could tan the back of my body while pregnant. I stole some really, really old lawn chairs from my mom's house but when I got home to cut them up, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Not because the chairs were too good looking to cut up (they were so ugly they were begging me to take the scissors to them), but because it just seemed too ghetto for even me.

But, today, I finally got bored enough and desperate enough to make it happen. I headed to my sister's house so she could watch the little ones (and her backyard is sunny, mine is shady) and while the boys played:

I cut:

I was really doing that beauty a favor by cutting it up. The only problem was that I guessed my belly would go in the center, but I really should have cut it a little more towards the top; my feet hung off the end a bit. It was still great to lay on my stomach. The baby thought it was fun too, he was going nuts kicking around.

We were laughing pretty hard once I tried it out. This is the only picture I'm posting because it's a close up. The others show too much of my white and whaleish body to be showing off to the general public. I like to keep my scariness for family and friends only.

I have to admit, while extremely white trash, it's a pretty good solution. It also makes for some good laughs. Plus, I now have another place to lay while on bedrest. I may be getting fatter and fatter, but at least it'll be a tan fat, right?

The Big Move

2009-06-16T22:30:00.000-06:00

I wish this was a post about us moving to a new house. It's not. But it is about my little guy moving to a new bed. That's just about as exciting, right?

My goal was to have Ben in a big boy bed by the end of May. The planner in me wanted him to get used to a bed before the baby came and stole his crib. May didn't happen so I pushed it back to the end of June. It's how things roll around here. After John caught Ben swinging in and out of the crib like a monkey, we decided the sooner the better. Knowing that tonight was the night, and because I'm abnormally cheesy and sentimental these days, I had to take a picture of Ben's last morning in his crib. Plus, his hair was looking exceptionally good this morning. What can I say, he gets his bedhead from me. (That and he's about two months too late for a haircut. Gotta get on that...)

Ben's been dying to cut open the bed box for weeks (we didn't get the bed put together until June, but it's been sitting in a box in the playroom since May). He was super excited to help dad put it together, but he had even more fun taking the crib apart. The whole time he was helping he kept saying, "I'm a worker guy." He's really going through a manual labor phase right now...

After we got it all set up and the bed made, we did a little reading...

And then it was time for bed. He seemed a little nervous when we tucked him in, but he went right down.

I can't believe my little baby is in a big boy bed. It seems like such a big step to me. Plus, I'm worried that because he's not caged in anymore it'll be the end of naps. I guess we'll see tomorrow. Cross your fingers for me!

My Pity Party

2009-06-02T13:25:00.001-06:00

Are you so sick of hearing about this pregnancy? It seems like it's all I blog about. I would say I'm just as sick of actually being pregnant, but given yesterday's news, everyday I continue to be pregnant, I'm happy.

I went to the doctor's a couple weeks ago because I'd been having some contractions. I'm crampy almost daily, which I wasn't too concerned about, but I'd had a few episodes of really distinct contractions that lasted for a couple hours so I thought I'd go in just to be safe. My doctor checked me and assured me I was fine, wasn't dilating and that the progesterone injections were and should do their job. But, because I keep having contractions, and because the injections aren't 100% guaranteed, she wanted to start fetal fibronectin tests (a test that will tell you if you have a chance of going into labor in the next two weeks) at 24 weeks.

Yesterday was my appointment and I got the test done. I haven't been nearly as crampy in the last couple weeks and I haven't had any serious contractions, so I was expecting good results. It came back positive though (which for this test is bad news) and my doctor put me on "moderate" bedrest. When I asked what things I shouldn't be doing, she pretty much named everything: cooking, cleaning, sex, walking, lifting. Sounds just like regular bedrest to me.

I've been having some major mom guilt over this. So far through this pregnancy, Ben has been my first priority. Even with cramps and contractions, I've felt like I need to take care of Ben first. He's real and alive and standing right in front of me, and I need to take care of him. I've just assumed that the baby will be fine and if I can take it, he can take it. I thought we'd just been sucking it up together. So now I'm having mom guilt over not taking better care of myself to ensure nothing would go wrong with the baby. Add to that the guilt of now not being able to take care of Ben like I feel like I should. I'm a big ball of hormonal guilt.

I'm lucky I have family nearby and so many people that love Ben; I know he'll be well taken care of for however long I'm on bedrest. But I'm his mom and I want to be the one taking care of him. Today is the first day he's been gone and I just know he's having the time of his life. And I know he'll have the best summer having playdates every single day, but I miss him. I'm selfish and I hate the thought of just sitting here doing nothing while he's out there having fun. I want to watch him have fun.

I'm sorry this sounds like such pathetic melodrama. I go back in next week and I'm hoping she'll redo the test. I'm not really sure how the test works, but I'm crossing my fingers it'll come back negative. In the meantime, John's rearranged his work schedule so he'll be home in the afternoons and I have family to watch Ben in the mornings. Plus, it's only temporary; it's just one summer. It's really not so bad. I'm just freakishly hormonal right now and I'm gonna miss not having my little buddy around.

I don't know what I'm going to do when he starts preschool. I'll just know I'll have a nervous breakdown.

Grossed Out

2009-05-29T14:18:00.000-06:00

I got home a few minutes ago and while I was taking my sleeping boy out of the car to put him down for a nap, my neighbor came over to share some news. I could tell by the look on his face it wasn't going to be good. He said he and my other neighbor were both outside and saw something that looked like a giant squirrel run out of my backyard and across the street to where he lives. When the thing got closer to his house they both realized it wasn't a squirrel but a huge rat. This is where the story takes a dire turn. The disgusting rat then turned around and ran back into my yard, under my car and disappeared.

My skin is crawling. There is a monster-sized rodent living in my yard, possibly my garage. My yard and garage that my two-year old plays in daily. HOURLY! I'm freaking just a bit. But it's totally justifiable. When we were living in our last apartment, I woke up one night to nurse Ben (he was still little) and on my way to the couch, I felt something soft brush against my BAREFOOT, so I kicked it out the way. At first I thought I'd just missed picking up all the toys the night before. But I don't forget to pick up toys. At least not the toys I know I could step on in the dark on my way to the couch. So I turned on the light and it was a DEAD MOUSE. I screamed bloody murder, naturally. I freaked both Ben and John out and both were extremely pissed. Ben was crying because I was crying and John was freaking because he thought Ben had died during the night or something. It was pretty bad. It still gives me nightmares.

But back to today. After I put Ben down I got online asap and told John. While I was talking to him, my active imagination really started to wander to where this monster's been and where in the yard he lives. I'm sure his fat ratty body has touched all of Ben's toys. And what if he can get into our house? We all sleep in the basement! What if in a few months I get up to nurse #2 and I sit on a squirrel-sized rat?! I told John this, but unfortunately, he wasn't feeling my horror. This was his exact quote: "There is no way there are rats in our house, you're just freaking out to freak out. You love that stuff."

Pretty sure I'm freaking out because I DON'T love that stuff. It's gross.

He assured me we'd find where the little sucker lives and then take care of him and his little ratty family (where there's a mama rat, baby rats are sure to be). Then he said, "There are rats all over sugarhouse if that makes you feel any better."

Um, no, John, that doesn't make me feel better. And then to add insult to injury, and because he can't resist grossing me out, he sent me this:

Why do bad rodents always happen to good people? I'm a really clean person! This should not keep happening to me. Rodents do not have a reason or my permission to be living in or on my property!

Married to the Mann

2009-05-22T13:42:00.000-06:00

It's John and my sixth anniversary today. Yay us! To celebrate, I'd like to share a conversation we had late, late at night.

John: Do you ever feel like that transgender man that keeps having babies is stealing your thunder?

Me: No. Why would I think that?

John: Because he's not really a man. You are a Mann having a baby.

Me: (I stop to look at him. I see that he's dead serious. I start laughing really hard-it was VERY late at night.)

John: (Pauses to think.) You're not the first Mann to ever have a baby; there was my mom, and my grandma. But you're still a real Mann having a baby.

Here's hoping we have many more conversations that make absolutely no sense like this in the future. I love you, John Mann!

Where Is My Mind?

2009-05-18T22:40:00.000-06:00

Do you think a two year old who can change his own poopy diaper is ready to be potty trained?

Why has my uterus been acting so messed up towards me? I have a uterus that doesn't like having anything inside of it. That was the official diagnosis my doctor gave me.

Speaking of uteruses, they have these new tests you can take starting at 24 weeks that will tell you if you'll be going into preterm labor within the next two weeks. Isn't that the craziest thing you've ever heard? I start the tests at my next appointment.

You know those woman who have terrible pregnancies and are either sick to death the whole time or are on bedrest the whole time, but they keep having kids anyway because pregnancy is temporary but kids last forever? I'm not one of those woman. Pretty sure I'm done after this.

I keep having sniper dreams. I'm usually at my parent's house in the dream and my dad is usually going after the bad guy in his undies. Obviously they're nightmares for more than one reason.

It's my anniversary on Friday (the big S-I-X). This year John gave me an envelope full of cash and told me it was my year to plan. He usually takes care of things and does a mighty fine job of it. I'm horrible at planning special occasions. We're gonna end up bowling, I just know it.

I stole an old lawn lounge chair from my mom's house with the intention of cutting a hole in the middle so I can lay on my stomach to tan this summer (swear on my life I didn't come up with that idea on my own). I just don't think I can bring myself to do it. Me, the girl born and raised as white trash as they come. But how else am I suppose to tan the back of my body?

I've got the restless legs. I think it's because my hips are starting to spread. Wonderful. I need to go walk around now.

The Half Way Mark

2009-04-30T13:30:00.001-06:00

Yay, I am finally 20 weeks! This baby is officially half cooked. We had the 20 week ultrasound today and both the nurse and doctor started laughing when they were greeted with this on the screen:

I was given a pretty good promise it's a boy. A boy more than willing to give mommy and daddy the money shot. (Sorry if you're offended by the thereness of the picture; there wasn't a more discreet one available. I also kinda think it's funny.) He was not very willing to sit still for measuring, which meant I got to chill on the bed and watch my little one wiggle on the big screen for almost an hour. It was really starting to annoy the nurse and doctor, who got a bit rough with the belly trying to get him to cooperate. He's a little on the small side, but other than that, he's just perfect.

I did my second progesterone shot the other day and it didn't hurt nearly as bad as the first one. I had it injected in my bum and I think the meatier area helps a lot. I knew that extra junk in my trunk would someday come in handy.

Since I have a total of four pictures of myself pregnant with Ben, I wanted to document the pregnancy more this time around. I'm half way done, and I've taken a whooping three pictures. Better than last time though. Here's the belly a couple of days ago:

I've decided the further back you put the camera, the better off you feel about yourself. I'll be taking all my pictures this way from now on.

There you have it. Ben gets a little buddy and I don't have to buy much. Win-win all around!

Dear 17 Alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone,

2009-04-21T22:12:00.000-06:00

Thank you for almost making my arm fall off.

My doctor highly recommended I inject you into my body to prevent a preterm labor I may or may not have. I'm glad I have a doctor who is concerned about the condition of a past pregnancy and is taking action against possible bedrest. I like that in a doctor. I did my own research on your product, and with no bigger warnings than "pain at the injection site," thought, I'll give it a try.

I grew a little concerned when I was told I'd be given two different needle sizes, a larger one for sucking up the medicine and a smaller one for injecting the medicine. I was instructed not to use the injection needle to suck up the medicine because it was so thick it'd dull the needle (this is with using new needles for every injection).

Sounded bad, but I wasn't too worried. I'm not exactly a stranger to needles; I don't love them, but I can handle them. I think most women who have given birth can handle them, whether they want to or not. Add to giving birth a serious surgery and all the blood donating and needles that goes with it and you could say I've been poked a time or two. But nothing in my previous needle-loving history has come close to pain of this shot. It has now been four hours and I'm just barely regaining the mobility of my arm (with the help of a heating pad).

Thank you for strengthening my uterus walls so I won't again start dilating at 30 weeks. But seriously, could your oil based product be any thicker? I'll answer that for you. No, because if it was any thicker, it'd be mashed potatoes.

You hurt my heart and you hurt my arm,
Liz

Fabulous Fun Finds

2009-04-17T13:22:00.007-06:00

I was blog stalking today and found the cutest website, Fabulous Fun Finds. I was going to send the link just to my sisters, with what I'm going to talk them into making me, but I thought I'd share it with the world instead (or the 5 of you who read this blog). There is too much cute stuff on there. A lot of it looks almost easy to try to do yourself, too. Or if you have really crafty sisters, you could see if they'd make it for you...

If this next baby is a girl, I really want this dress:

Either gender would look so cute in a knit hat like this for the winter:

And don't you think I could get away with using this handbag as a diaper bag??

There was so much other cute stuff, including pillowcase dresses and wall decals. It's a great place to get DIY ideas. For sure if you have kids, you have to check it out. Way too cute. How do people come up with this stuff?

My Favorite Little Mann

2009-04-13T16:24:00.000-06:00

Feels like it's been a while since I did a post on Ben, so I'm doing one now. I know I've said this at every stage so far, but seriously, two year olds are my favorite. They're just the funniest little creatures.

Ben has one major passion in life. Lawn mowers. This passion began last summer when John taught him how to mow lawns at his mom's house. It's a passion that is continually being fueled by a dad who will spend hours of his free time watching youtube videos with Ben of people mowing lawns. If that isn't a patient and loving dad, I don't know what is. He also takes Ben to the Home Depot or Sears every weekend so Ben can indulge in his favorite pastime. That boy could spend every waking second next to a lawn mower. It kills me.

Thankfully, he also has some backup passions. He's really into sports, babies, motorcycles and cleaning (turns out he does have a bit of me in him after all).

I've always been one of those people who prefers to clean by myself. I'd rather the boys get lost (hence the Saturday morning lawn mowers addiction) so I can do things my way and clean in peace. But because of that I was always afraid my kids wouldn't learn how to pick up after themselves. Apparently I do enough everyday chores for Ben to catch on. He loves to help with the dishes, vacuum, dust, fold laundry and sweep. He's quite the little helper.

He likes to clean with his shirt off. It makes him feel manly.

Ben's love of sports is another passion that is fueled by John. I'm always so glad I married someone who genuinely loves being a dad. I don't know what I would do without him! I might just be forced to watch youtube or play endless rounds of catch. The horror. Just kidding. But I am so thankful for John. Last night the Cubs were playing (or so I heard, I wasn't watching) so John dressed Ben for bed accordingly. Ben added his favorite hat as a special touch.

Ben has such a soft spot for babies. He's really excited to get his own this fall. For now, he's making do with his little cousin Macy. He loves to feed her bottles or just sit and cuddle. I hope he still loves them this much when he's forced to share mommy and daddy.

I wouldn't have guessed that two year old boys care what they wear, but this one does. He has a favorite outfit that he insists on wearing. It's a sweatshirt with the sleeves pushed all the way to his elbows and snow boots that are a size too small. The snow boots he puts on himself, on the wrong feet, the sides wide open, with his pants scrunched on top. It's the ugliest outfit and he looks so homeless in it, but the boy loves it. I still cringe when he grabs for it, but I stopped fighting him on it months ago.

That Benny really is my favorite kid. He's hilarious, he's energetic, cuddly, caring. He's the very best!

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

2009-04-06T17:27:00.001-06:00

(Does that title make anyone else laugh out loud? I'm so easily entertained.)

Sorry it took me a bit to pick the winners for the giveaway. I sort of forgot about it. But I promise not to forget to make you something gorgeous and wonderful and most likely life-altering.

The winners are... Shawna, Megan and Jamie!! Hooray for you! You get more junk to put out at your next yard sale. Just kidding. Sort of.

So, you three lucky winners, email me your most favorite colors (lizmann00 at hotmail dot com) and I'll whip you up something precious and get it to you sometime this summer. Megs, include your address so I can mail it; Shawna and Jamie, I will just deliver it to you in person.

Thanks for playing!!

Pay It Forward

2009-03-31T14:02:00.000-06:00

I love giveaway blogs, but I love them even more when I WIN! And I did on my friend Molly's blog a couple of weeks ago, so I'm paying it forward.

What will you win? Something homemade. The options are endless, but it'll probably be something tole painted, made out of raffia or a type of glass blown figurine. Just something you'll for sure be wanting to place in a prominent spot in your house.

When will you receive it? Sometime before the end of summer. It'll be a wonderful summer surprise!

How many winners will there be? Three (that increases your chances of winning!!).

I'll give ya until the end of Saturday before I draw the winners. If you win, I'll give you my email address so you can give me a clue as to what you like (colors, decor, letters in the alphabet, things like that) so I can think up something special just for you. Hopefully it will be something that won't end up in your garbage 30 seconds after you open it, but I can't make any promises. It should be fun either way though, right?

Enter NOW!

Penny For Your Thoughts

2009-03-18T13:05:00.000-06:00

Sometimes this blog is a chore. I feel like I have to get something posted at least once a week, whether I have something to say or not. It's all I can do to keep the blog afloat. So here are some thoughts for this week. They're almost all related to pregnancy. Sorry, it's my life now.

When I first got pregnant I had this issue-some of you know what I'm talking about. My doctor gave me some medicine that has caused me to have an opposite issue. I don't know which side of the issue is worse. Pregnancy is a beautiful thing.

When I tell Ben I have a baby in my belly, he always says, "Me too, mama! I have a baby in my belly!" Then he lifts his shirt and pats his stomach and says, "Oh, that would be fun" (his newest phrase he says for everything). He kills me.

Do you have a favorite salad dressing? Will you share it with me? I'm generally a blue cheese or ranch kind of girl, but I hear soft cheeses during pregnancies are a no-no and lately ranch has been making me barf in my mouth (classy, I know). On the other hand, I've been really craving salads, but I can't eat an undressed salad. Have you ever heard of something so ridiculous? So will ya help a girl out and tell me what your favorite dressing is? And then please tell me you can buy it at the store.

Speaking of food, I don't fit in my clothes anymore. I'm down to two pairs of pants, only one of which I can button. I got fat fast with Ben, but this is a little insane. You know it's bad when at SIX WEEKS your husband is wondering if there are twins in there. And when you tell people you're pregnant the first thing out of their mouth is, "I was wondering..." It's sad. It's depressing. It's only temporary (I have to keep telling myself that).

Ben has this new thing where he loves to introduce us. The other day at the dinner table he said, while pointing us out, "Hi John, this is Liz." He introduces us to each other almost daily. He also likes to introduce us to grandmas and animals. I think he likes to make sure everyone feels welcome and comfortable.

I think that'll do for this week. I'm out!

I'm Procrastinating

2009-03-11T11:38:00.001-06:00

I'm going out of town tomorrow. Back to St. George, this time with my boys for the Utah Bar convention. I've got a boat load of crap to do today: laundry, house cleaning, car cleaning, packing for me and the boy, visiting my sister who I haven't seen all week and who will be out of town next week. I can't not see her for two weeks in a row, I will die. I need to try to apply some self tanner if I'm gonna be putting on a swim suit. Boy oh boy, if you could see my winter glow; the whiteness of my skin would blind you.

But what have I done today? Not a single thing. I've sat around the house watching Troy Bolton sing and play basketball. Again. I did that yesterday, too. I'm just so freaking lazy, you guys. The longer my list gets, the more procrastinating I do. Which is why I'm blogging.

But now I'm bored with this, too. Wish me luck for the four hour car ride with a two year old! Or rather, wish John luck. I'll be taking Dramamine and that always knocks me out cold. I'm a good wife and mom.

Do You Love Lost?

2009-03-04T21:36:00.001-07:00

Are you freaking out as much as I am over tonight's episode? Seriously, I don't know if it's these pregnancy hormones or what, but I was almost in tears over my love of Lost tonight.

You know I'm Sawyer's biggest fan. I've been his fan since Day One. I like him a little bit more than my husband is comfortable with. So to watch an episode pretty much devoted to him (ok, and the guys with him), was just heaven on earth for me. I was dying, DYING, when he saw Freckles (which is how I pathetically think of Kate when Sawyer is near her) get out of the van.

I was freaking out (out loud) when he was telling that red headed guy about the girl he once loved and how he forgot her face. John had to calm me down by telling me Sawyer is a con artist and he was only lying. But did he look like he was lying? I think he really did forget her face. Maybe not her freckles, but her face. (I really am so pathetic.) But when he saw her at the end... there were almost tears. From me and from Sawyer.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm glad Juliette and Sawyer could find some love and laughter together. But I'm sorry, this is TV, not real life, and I ultimately need Sawyer and Kate to be together. In my heart and in my head I know they are meant to be. Jack and Juliette can pick up where they left off. You know Kate was never really serious about Jack. She's so wishy-washy with him. Her feeling for Sawyer are true.

This obsession is worse than the whole Pam and Jim thing when Pam was still engaged to Roy. Those TV writers and their stupid love triangles. They hook me every time.

P.S. Any guesses on who the baby boy was/is??

My (Not So New) News!

2009-03-03T12:59:00.001-07:00

The Mann family is expanding and so is my stomach (and every other part of my body). We've got another one of these coming in September:

I went to the doctor this morning and was surprised with a new due date! She took a week off my original due date, which was the 24th but is now the 17th. I love shortened pregnancies, even if it is only a week less. Here's what the little alien looks like today:

This is the side body shot. He's got a big old head and a little button nose.

This is his profile (I think... it looks like a monkey's face to me) with his arm up by his head.

I feel so nerdy posting ultrasound pictures, but, well, I am nerdy. I'll give you further proof of that when you hear what we named the fetus. But that's for another post...

Something To Look Forward To

2009-02-26T12:21:00.001-07:00

John and I have a special ambition in life. When we get to looking like this (and that day is coming fast):

We're both going to get one of these, his and hers style:

While at the Costco the other day, we saw an old timer flip a fast 360 on his and it just made me really anxious for the next 30 years to go by. I gotta get me one of those. With a bedazzled front basket, an attached umbrella and a license plate that says, "Jealous?"

The Oregon Girls

2009-02-24T13:25:00.000-07:00

I got together with my Oregon friends over the weekend. Can I just tell you how much I love them! I'm so lucky I had the chance to go through the law school experience. Not that I actually went through the trouble of law school, but being a "law wife" wasn't all that easy either. It got tough with John studying long hours or traveling long distances for summer internships. And don't get me started on final's time. But it was made so much easier with great friends who understood and were also going through the same pains. Not only did they make it bearable, they made it fun. And I made some lifelong friends out of the experience.

I see some of the girls every once in a while, but this was the first time in a couple of years where most of us were able to get together, husband and kid free (minus little Alice, who is an angel). We did a lot of catching up, eating, shopping and a little Idol karaoke.

Filling our faces. Again and again and again.

Karaoke was great, even without the second working microphone for duets. I think Katie stole the show with her version of Madonna. Some of those girls are really good singers, I was surprised. I wasn't one of them...

While shopping Emily told me she found a shirt for me to try on and threw this beauty over the door. And because I can't pass up an opportunity to embarrass myself, I tried it on and modeled it. Over my clothes, of course. You wouldn't want to see that sexy thong body suit without anything under it, I promise!

I had so much fun! Although, I'm not gonna lie, the drive down and back was a little long. But when I walked in the door after getting home, I was greeted with my favorite smell in the whole wide world: bleach. John cleaned. He really must have missed me. I asked Ben if he missed me and he shrugged his shoulders and shook his head no. Oh well, can't win them all.

Thanks for the trip, girls. Let's do it again in another couple of years!

The Baby Tag

2009-02-17T21:08:00.002-07:00

I stole this from Alison's blog. She's much braver than I am and posted pictures of her and the babies after delivery. She also looks freakishly normal right after giving birth. I do not so I will not be posting pictures. But I will give you a warning: Some of these answers contain material that might make you barf. Especially if you're a guy.

Where were you when you first found out you were pregnant?
At my house. In the bathroom.

How did you find out that you were pregnant?
Peed on a stick. I was going walking with my friends that morning but I was a day late so I took a test just to see if I should go prepared on my walk. Good thing I did, right?!

What was your first reaction to finding out you were pregnant?
FINALLY!! Holy crap that took forever.

Who was the first person you told?
John. He was still asleep so after I waited about 20 minutes to make sure the positive sign didn't disappear (I wanted to be SURE), I jumped on the bed and woke him up to tell him.

Did you plan to get pregnant?
Yes. The kid took 11 months to make.

Was everybody happy for you?
Yes! My sister was pregnant (5 months ahead) so it was exciting to have someone to be fat bellied with.

Did you want to find out the sex?
Much to the disapproval of every single person at my work, yes. Every one thought it was so weird.

What was the sex?
80% boy (that was what the nurse told us). I knew it was a boy from the very beginning. John said he thought it was a girl. Later he said he only said that to play devil's advocate. He's such a sore loser.

Did anyone throw you a baby shower?
Yeah, I had one from my friends in Oregon, one from my family in Utah.

How much weight did you gain?
I tell people only 30, but truth be told... I was a fatty.

Did you lose all of the weight that you gained?
Thankfully, yes.

What did you crave the most?
McDonald's breakfast (which I never actually stopped craving...).

Did you have any complications during your pregnancy?
I was having contractions and dilated to a 3 at 30 weeks so my overcautious doctor put me on bedrest. But, it wasn't really a complication so much as it was hell on earth. Especially because John can get pretty overprotective. The one time I tried to do my hair and get ready he told me to get on the couch before I killed our unborn child. In his defense, it was only my second day on bedrest.

Where were you when you went into labor?
After being told by my doctor from 30 weeks on that I could go into labor at any second (she seriously gave me a complex), I ended up being induced. So, at the hospital.

Did your water break?
The doctor broke it for me.

Did you go early or late?
Ten day early. At my insistence. And because they gave me those butt shots that develop the baby's lungs early. I didn't want that shot to go to waste; it hurt.

Who was in the room with you when you gave birth (besides Dr/nurse)?
John.

Did you have any drugs for the pain?
Oh yeah. My body enjoys being medicated. I had pitocin to induce labor, which I loved. It kind of made my hyper. And then an epidural that pretty much numbed me from boobs to toes. It was nice.

Did you go vaginal or have a c-section?
As Alison so eloquently put it, I went Vag. Although my doctor told me if Ben's head was any bigger, he would have come cesarean. He's got a soccer ball sized head.

What was your first reaction after giving birth?
It didn't feel real. I was expecting to burst into tears or something, but I really was just tired. I held him for a few minutes before I fell asleep while the lactation nurse took charge and taught him how to eat (gotta love Eugene). I tried to stay awake, honestly I did, but I couldn't keep my eyes open.

What did you name the baby(s)?
John Benjamin.

Did the name have any significance to you?
Yes. John (the husband) was named after his grandpa. Long story short, John ended up being raised by his grandpa and mom. John's grandpa passed away while I was still pregnant so we wanted John in there somewhere. We were going to use John as a middle name, but the only boy name we could agree on was Benjamin and we were nervous about possible nicknames for the kid with those initials and our last name, so we went with JB and he goes by his middle name.

Does the baby's name fit?
I think so. As long as no one starts calling him Benji.

Did the baby(s) have any complications?
Nope. He's an angel sent straight from Heaven (skip to 1:15).

How old is your baby today?
2 years and almost 2 months.

When is the next one(s) coming?
Stay tuned...

Like Sand Through the Hour Glass...

2009-02-09T14:10:00.000-07:00

20 years ago...
1. I was almost 7 years old. When the clock hit 8pm, I fell asleep, no matter where I was (in the car, on my moms lap, on the stairs on my way up to bed).
2. I loved dolls and Barbies more than anything else in life. Next to Romancing and the Stone.
3. I hated my brothers almost as much. They picked on me constantly. But in their defense, I was the most annoying child ever.

10 years ago...
1. I was obsessed with aerobics. I sometimes subbed for my teacher when she was out.
2. I was working at ZCMI and had a crush on the older (he was in his late 20's) security guy. He told me I was very animated.
3. I was coming up on my year anniversary from having back surgery.

5 years ago...
1. I was still in my first year of marriage.
2. We lived in the tiniest apartment (500 sq ft) with cinder block walls, a kitchenette (with a toy oven) and tiled carpet. It was classy. I hated living there so much.
3. We were starting to hear back from law schools and making plans for the future.

3 years ago...
1. I was working on campus so John could get staff rates on tuition. I blogged, emailed, IMed and read celebrity gossip all day.
2. We were going on month 10 of trying to get pregnant.
3. I got an elliptical trainer for my birthday. It went unused for a long time.

1 year ago...
1. We'd finally left apartment managing behind. We only lasted 6 months. It wasn't worth the free rent.
2. I had a silly one year old who would spend all day in the toy drawer.
3. We started buying new furniture (desks, chairs, tv stands) from when John decided to sell everything we owned in Oregon instead of having to pack and move it.

This year so far...
1. I've been dreaming of summer and making all sorts of fun plans. Exciting things like leaving the house once in a while.
2. Been planning a girl's weekend (next weekend!!) to St. George with my friends.
3. Watched way to much TV. It's all I do, really.

Yesterday...
1. Took a two hour nap on the couch.
2. Had a yummy steak dinner at my MIL's house.
3. Watched all three and a half hours of the Grammys. I'm lame like that.

Today...
1. Played all morning with my sister.
2. Went to the library
3. Blogged.

Tomorrow...
1. My birthday!! The big 27.
2. Get a little baby-free time with my mann.
3. Hopefully open tons of super awesome presents.

Next year...
1. Get Ben a sibling.
2. Buy a house! Please, buy a house!!
3. Take some cooking classes. (That keeps getting pushed back, but it'll happen some day.)

That Boy

2009-02-04T21:26:00.000-07:00

Ben has a very simple nightly routine. John bathes him (every other night now because it's such a chore and we're lazy), changes him into his jammies, brushes his teeth, we say our prayers and then I put him in bed. Tonight, I gave him his usual hugs and kisses, laid him down, wished him good dreams, closed his door and started up the stairs when I heard him yell out, "Love you, mama!"

I'd forgotten to tell him I loved him. He didn't forget. How cute is that? I do love that little boy!

I Heart TV

2009-01-28T21:53:00.000-07:00

TV makes me so happy. Wednesday and Thursday TV specifically. Tonight, American Idol was in Salt Lake City, the friendliest place on earth. Or so Ryan Seacrest kept saying, over and over. Is this something that's always been said about Utah? I've never heard that before and I was kind of getting bugged about it. Not that it isn't nice to say, and I know we're pretty awesome around these parts, but I'm pretty sure he made it up. I wonder if he did it in an attempt to repair his image after high fiving that blind guy. I must say, he won me over, in spite of me. Don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet. Don't be surprised if I love you, for all.... You get the picture.

Then there was Lost. Last week I was feeling frustrated with my growing list of unanswered questions, but this week I just sat back and enjoyed the show. I'm so happy Desmond and Penny aren't giving up. John Locke will bother me to the very end. How has Richard never aged? I still can't decide if I trust Daniel; he's so intense and mysterious. How is he connected to Widmore? I was shocked to see a young Widmore on the island, and with a huge chip on his shoulder. This is getting gooooooood.

I'm so anxious for everyone to get back together. I need Kate and Sawyer to be reunited. I love Jack, but let's face it, Kate and Sawyer belong together. Jack can have the very serious, weird facial-expressioned Juliet. She needs a man to help calm down her out of control eyebrow twitching.

TV makes me happy. Especially in a cold and dreary January.

Giveaway!

2009-01-19T21:28:00.003-07:00

My sister Jeanette is doing a card giveaway on her blog. Go check it out (and leave a comment to enter), she is crazy talented. And I don't just say that because she's family. She's really got some skillz!

I Changed My Mind and Other Random Thoughts

2009-01-14T13:39:00.000-07:00

Forget what I said about January biting the big one, I've changed my mind. Thank you Alison for reminding me about American Idol. And thank you Idol for turning my January frown upside down. I knew there was a reason this month existed. The second I started watching, it was like the skies cleared and the birds started chirping. I don't know if I like anything more than truly terrible singers thinking they're honestly great singers. It just makes my heart sing. In tune, of course. I get so into it that John had to remind me the TV can't talk back. I love it so much. Although I swear some of those kids trying out must not watch the show as religiously as I do. I'm talking, of course, about the ones who dance. Every regular watcher knows that the second you start dancing during try outs, you're out of there. They never let the dancers through. Come on! Pay attention, people. If you're serious about winning, maybe you should think about doing a little research. Just a suggestion from one fantastic singer to another.

Speaking of singing, I have got to get Rock Band. You know those nerds at Best Buy who spend their lunch hour playing the demo they have set out? That was me today. Only it was John's lunch hour I was wasting. I've got to me some of that Rock Band. Or friends who have it. That would work, too.

On my drive home from wasting John's lunch break playing Rock Band, I saw a Smart Car. (That was a great lead into a new subject sentence, wasn't it?) I've been seeing quite a few Smart Cars around lately. Here's the thing about them, and I'm sorry if you have one or wish to someday have one. They are ugly. They're just not cute cars. Not that that's the reason you should buy a car, but they're also not very practical for a Utah winter. I saw an old timer driving one around a few weeks ago during a snow storm. That man was off his rocker, driving that thing through two feet of snow! He was all over the road. I was scared just driving next to him. If you're gonna be acting crazy, driving something that tiny and light through snow, at least get some sand sacks to weigh it down and some tire chains. I don't want you causing any accidents, especially when I'm also driving around, packing precious cargo (just like my window sticker says... just kidding).

I guess on days like today you can do without the tires and sand, because it is so nice outside! Forty five degrees, and if you're a true Utahan, you know what that means. We're five degrees away from breaking out the shorts! Oh, I have vivid elementary school memories of walking to school in the morning with shorts and a coat on. It was still cold enough you could see your breath in the morning, so of course we'd pretend to be smoking all the way to school. Good times...

That's all I've got for today. So....

Here's to a killer January, the 12th best month in the year!!

The Fear

2009-01-12T15:03:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's only January 12th. Talk about a slow year. January is lame and boring and sucks. I'm feeling pretty Debbie Downer about it. But instead of rattling on about that exciting subject, here is a song and video I'm loving right now.

I love using music videos as cop-out posts. I love music videos in general.

Calendar Making

2009-01-08T11:08:00.003-07:00

Every year around October, I start looking for a calendar for the upcoming year. I usually have a pretty easy time finding one I like, but this time around I was looking for something a little different and I just wasn't finding anything I loved. So I decided to make my own thinking how hard can it be? I searched through Etsy to find some inspiration and found a couple I liked and wanted to copy. Cause, honestly, I can't come up with anything on my own when it comes to crafts. I'm just not that creative.

I started the calendar back in October and had most of it finished until my printer died. I swear, every electronic in my house died last fall. It was a sad season of electrical death. Instead of just buying a new printer, I got sidetrack with the holidays and didn't think much about my calendar until January 1st when I needed it. So, I went out, bought a new printer and finished that sucker up. Here is what the top parts of the calendar looked like before I had it put together:

I did the letters using the printer. Once I had the font and size I wanted, I printed the outline of the letter directly onto my paper and just cut it out. That was my little sister's good idea. So super easy.

Here is my favorite month. It's the month I started with and it turned out to be the one I like the most.

I did the actual calendar part by just drawing on the chart and then using some sticker vellum paper I found at Office Max for the month and days of the week.

Here are a couple of the other months, finished.

It's very obviously homemade and was a hundred times cuter in my head than on paper, but I'm still proud of it.

Relapse

2009-01-01T22:34:00.000-07:00

I know I must sound like a broken record saying this, but I'm obsessed. Again. I think I need to seek some professional help (to save me from the enemy, myself). This happens more than I think is normal or healthy. This week's obsession is a repeat obsession. Every time a new album or song comes out by the Killers, it's like fuel is being added to the fire in my heart that burns for them. The fire that can only grow and grow. I'm totally joking. But I'm also totally obsessed. They're kind of the musical love of my life. Along with every other band. I'm in love with every band.

Here's my current favorite song.

I've mentioned before that Brandon Flowers's dancing sort of looks like a pee dance, but have you ever noticed that the guitar player kind of looks like Jason Lee? I just keep waiting for Randy to walk out or Catalina to start jumping across the stage. That would be funny.

It's My Party And I'll Cry If I Want To

2008-12-28T14:17:00.002-07:00

We went sledding for Ben's birthday party on Saturday. Ben got snow in his face on the first ride down, so right off he didn't like it. I was also screaming (out of sheer joy) the whole way down, which I think scared (and possibly scarred) him. He spent the rest of the time at the park looking like this:

What a sad little face. But other than Ben, everyone was having just the best time! We really hope next year he'll like it a little, because we had so much fun, we've decided that's how we want to celebrate all his birthdays. It sure would be too bad if he hated every year we went... Just kidding.

After sledding we went back to our house for pizza and hot chocolate and to open presents. Ben had a lot of little helpers to unwrap his gifts, but the close proximity of all the kids overwhelmed him and he kept trying to bolt. I had to hold him down to open his presents. You don't see that happen much.

After presents, we did the cake. Cake back story: Every Saturday morning before Ben and I wake up, John runs out and picks up donuts for breakfast. It's our only tradition. Because we have donuts a lot, and Daddy is the hero who delivers them, Ben is in love with them. So for his cake this year, in honor of Ben and his love of donuts, I did a donut cake. It wasn't as pretty as I thought it'd be (I should have used a variety of donuts, instead of just glazed, to make it colorful), but he still loved it.

Once all the party goers left we did nothing but nap and play with toys the rest of the day. Having a birthday the day after Christmas can wear a mom and dad out. I think in the coming years we'll do birthday parties a week or two after his actual birthday. John and I are still so tired from the busy week. But it sure was fun!

Happy Birthday, Ben!

2008-12-26T09:56:00.000-07:00

This is the first picture taken of my beautiful six pound baby boy. Check out his sweet cone head. He was crowned for an hour while I took a nap between (fake) pushing. TMI?

This is the picture we sent out to family and friends, just minutes after his birth. We put a hat on to cover his cone head.

Ben at about six months, when he was affectionately called Fat JB (his real name is John Benjamin), for obvious, rolly-polly reasons.

One year old, already walking, talking and in serious need of a haircut.

A haircut at last, at almost a year and a half. It officially marked his change from baby to toddler.

Here he is at two. With food on his face because that's how big boy two year olds roll. And I might have not noticed...

I can't believe it's already been two years. Happy Birthday, Benny. I love your guts!!!

Lights at Temple Square

2008-12-12T21:34:00.000-07:00

We rode the trax train downtown tonight to see the lights at Temple Square. I'd been working all day trying to get Ben excited to ride the train and see the Christmas lights, but every time I mentioned the train, he'd say, "and see the animals?" He thought we were going on the train at the zoo. I don't know if he was shocked or just really unimpressed by riding a real train, but here's what he looked like before we got on the train:

So excited to ride that train! Here he was on the train:

Thankfully, he had a lot more fun once we got to Temple Square and he was freed from the stroller. Believe it or not, this was the best family picture we got. I chose the wrong time to take a picture and we had to stop for a group to walk by. At least Ben was looking at the camera.

Me and my boy:

I took, or had John take (despite his complaining about how I only wanted pictures for the blog) a thousand more pictures, but you get the gist of it. Then it was back on trax to ride home. Ben was pretty worn out by this time so, again, trax wasn't very exciting. At least that's what I'm telling myself because I just can't believe he wouldn't love riding on a train. He loves the train at the zoo (and kept asking when we were gonna see the animals). John thinks he's unimpressed with public transportation.

(I'm an awesome mom and made sure to clean his face off entirely after dinner. Not.)

But my theory sticks because here he is on the car ride home:

That is the face of a tuckered out little boy. He was such a great kid all night and we had such a fun time. I love this time of year!

Just For Fun...

2008-12-11T13:18:00.001-07:00

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Family Pics 2008

2008-12-08T21:14:00.000-07:00

Get ready for a picture overload! My sister took my family pictures a couple of weeks ago. It's been SO long since we've had our family pictures taken (if ever we've had them done). She did such a great job. She clearly has talent considering what she was working with: freezing weather, two not very photogenic parents, a two year old who can't sit still, doesn't understand the importance of smiling and is incapable of looking at the camera. And still there are so many pictures I love. Here are a few:

Now there's nothing but my procrastination holding me back from sending out Christmas cards this year. Thanks, Jeanette!

Forward Turned Tag

2008-12-04T19:43:00.000-07:00

I was going to write a real blog today, inspired from reading about everyone's fun and festive Thanksgiving weekends. I even uploaded five billion pictures from the long weekend, but I'm just not up to it. I think I waited too long and now Thanksgiving seems like old news. So instead, here's a Getting to Know You, Christmas Edition, that is really an email forward, but I'm turning it into a tag. Because I'm a lazy blogger like that.

Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both. Depends on the gift.

Real tree or artificial? I think our first year we had a real tree and killed it. We've been doing artificial ever since. But every year when I smell the real trees I think about getting one. That should count for something.

When do you put up the tree? Day after Thanksgiving.

When do you take the tree down? Day after Christmas. Sometimes Christmas day. I get sick of all the decorations after a while.

Do you like eggnog? Blah. Gross. Make me barf. Sicko, sickie, sick drink.

Favorite gift received as a child? Fran, a toddler-sized doll. She was a ripped off version of Kid Sister, only way more lifelike and with black hair. I loved her more than anything in the world.

Hardest person to buy for? My mother-in-law. Got any good ideas?

Easiest person to buy for? Benners. He's too easy to shop for.

Do you have a nativity scene? No. I should get one.

Mail or email Christmas cards? The times I've done them, I've mailed them.

Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A lava lamp from John the first year we were dating. I thought he was trying to give me the brush off. He thought it was a killer gift. It was not. He gave me lava lamps for years after just to tease me. I've got quite the collection sitting in the back of a closet in their original packaging.

Favorite Christmas Movie? I don't really have one. I like the Grinch. And I can sometimes make it through A Christmas Story.

When do you start shopping for Christmas? This year I started in October but ended up giving Ben all his gifts early. Like, right when we got home from the store. We started round two the day after Thanksgiving.

Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No, but it's never too late. Anyone want a lava lamp??

Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Toffee and hot chocolate.

Lights on the tree? Yes, white for the big tree, colored for the little tree.

Favorite Christmas song? All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey and Last Christmas by Wham. Don't laugh at me. I get ridiculed over this enough at home.

Travel at Christmas or stay home? Now that we live near family, we stay home.

Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vinson, Donnet and Dooper and Comet and Blitson... and Rudolph. I made up some of those names, so, no.

Angel on the tree top or a star? I have a bow.

Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? I usually sneak into my presents as soon as I know they're purchased. I'm famous for getting in and out of wrapping paper without leaving a trace. John's outsmarted me this year though and is storing them at work. He said he gave his secretary strict orders to not let me in his office until after Christmas. I bet I can get around the secretary though...

Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Husbands who hide gifts from their wives. I'm telling you, I hate surprises. It's just better that I know what I'm getting. Plus, I'm really good at faking a surprised face. I've had years of practice.

Favorite ornament theme or color? I went with red and white with a touch of green theme this year. I told my sister that and she said, "So, you went with Christmas colors. Creative."

Favorite for Christmas dinner? Ham and cheesy potatoes.

What do you want for Christmas this year? I want Curtis Stone from Take Home Chef to find me at the grocery store and come home with me to "cook an amazing meal." I'm pretty sure he doesn't go to Super Walmarts to find contestants for the show though.

List a family tradition that you have implemented in your own family: I'm terrible at starting and sticking to traditions. Every year I start a new one that I'm for sure going to carry on for the rest of my life, but somehow it always ends up forgotten.

Who is most likely to respond to this? It's a blog, so... I tag you all!

Busy November

2008-11-25T18:43:00.000-07:00

(I'm losing my will to blog, so this post is going to be lame-o. So sorry.)

This month has just flown by. I can't believe it's almost December, but I'm so glad it is. I can't wait for Christmas! But before we get to December, here's what's been happening in November...

First of all, there was Twilight. I had pretty low (none at all) expectations going in to see this, but I actually liked it. It was pretty badly made and there were some seriously awkward parts, parts that had me cringing in my chair and covering my eyes from embarrassment, but overall, I really did love it. I was totally one of those nerds clapping when the Cullens walked into the lunch room. And I've been listening to this song every day since seeing it because it was my favorite part of the movie. I'm such a loser. Here's even more proof of that... we took pictures.

We filled up a whole row.

My sisters and me

Ben got beat up for the first (and hopefully, the last!) time last week. We went to the park for playdate and Ben was standing around, minding his own business, when a three year old came charging at him and knocked him flat on his back. It scared him pretty bad and he cried for a minute, but I think it was worse for me than him. My motherly, protective instincts came out quick and it took a few minutes for me to calm down. The boy's mom told him to apologize but he wouldn't because he thought it was funny. Ben was over it in a second, but I still get upset thinking about it. I hate bully kids.

Last night, the cutest girl, Shawna, had an advent calendar making party. The calendars were fun and easy to make. Mine was the handicap calendar in the group because I struggle with scrapbooking-ish stuff, but I'm still excited to use it.
It needs a little ribbon to hang it with and some candy for the tins, and then it's ready to go. Thanks for sharing your creativeness (and blog stalking finds), Shawna.

We had our family pictures taken last weekend (thanks Jean!). I know you're not going to believe this, but there wasn't a single infamous go-to smile in the bunch. (The go-to smile is John's smile in his law school student ID. If you've seen it, you know how funny-in a totally awkward way-it is.) Jeanette tried to get him to bring the go-to smile out, but apparently you can't plan it, it just has to happen. I'll post some of the family pictures when I get them.

I've already told this story to a few, so sorry if it's a repeat, but it's too funny not to blog. I was changing Ben's diaper the other day and I had his legs pulled up to wipe his bum and he pointed down and said, "Is that a corndog?"

And last, but not least, thanks Jeanette for reminding me how funny this is:

Little Of This, Little Of That

2008-11-10T20:57:00.001-07:00

The other day I noticed the pockets on Ben's pants were slightly untucked, so I went to push them back in and pulled out a five dollar bill. It was crisp like it'd be through the wash so it must have been stuffed in there the last time he wore those jeans. Someone has starting stealing money from his parents a little early on in life.

I've been suffering from a new (to me) band obsession for a little while. Stars. How did I not know about this band sooner? I feel like I've been deprived. Here are three of their songs so you don't feel that way too.
Heart
Your Ex-Lover Is Dead
Elevator Love Letter

Speaking of music, have you heard the new Killers song, Human? I swear he's saying dancer in that song, but I feel like it should be denser. But neither one actually makes any sense to me. Does it make sense to you?

I made a winter resolution to not gain any weight this season. I decided this at the end of September and so far, so good. I had a rough couple of weeks when I tried to win McDonald's Monopoly game and ate a super-sized big mac meal three times a week (I wish I were exaggerating), but I somehow (exercising after every McD's meal) made it through. I'm still pissed I didn't win though...

I'm going through a serious case of the I Wants. I want another baby, preferably without having to actually be pregnant. I want a house, preferably in this neighborhood. I want new hair. I want straight teeth. I want new winter clothes. I want new shoes. I want a big, huge, plasma tv. I want new couches. I want new Christmas decorations. I want everything.

Speaking of Christmas, I'm just so excited for it. John said this year he wants to do a family Christmas letter, only not just a letter, but a book. And not just any book, but a choose your own adventure book. He's got it all worked out. He pretty much just wants to make up crap, like, to see what happened after John had a nasty run in with Dog the Bounty Hunter, turn to page 20. Stuff like that. Watch your mailboxes, it's going to be exciting. (It's not going to happen.)

Ben has been really into calling us by our names lately. It's pretty funny to hear him call out Lizzy or John. He even called me Sunshine a couple times today. It was cute.

I think that's plenty for now. Sorry to bore ya! Wish I had something more exciting to blog about.

B-A-N-A-N-A-S

2008-11-05T21:41:00.001-07:00

My Johners needs new glasses. He asked me to help him pick out the new frames. We went looking yesterday and made the mistake of taking Ben with us. A two year old and a room full of glasses don't mix well. Especially when it's a two year old who loves accessories. Although I did have fun trying them on him once I found the kid section. Tonight we planned ahead and dropped him off at my sister's house for a couple of hours so we could shop in peace. Unfortunately, John didn't find any frames he loved and instead of settling on ones he only likes, we'll end up going to every eyewear store in the state of Utah until he finds the perfect frames for the perfect price. He's an annoying deal hunter like that.

So for tonight went home empty handed, again, but we weren't too disappointed because we still had a whole hour before we needed to pick Ben up. A whole hour with no kid. While I was thinking up something awesome to spend an hour doing, I noticed the bananas were brown and picked them up to chuck them in the garbage. John saw and said we should make banana bread. I said that sounded good except I don't bake. So he said, in a Hallmark card kind of way, "Then we'll make it together."

And we did. And it was really fun. And super easy, who'da thought? I didn't even break any bones. That happened the last time I tried baking. Baking can be dangerous.

That's my beautiful banana bread loaf, with pecans. I think I'm ready for the next step. Opening up my own bakery.

TeenyBopper

2008-11-02T23:22:00.000-07:00

Does blogging ever feel like a chore to you? Not just writing them, but reading and commenting, too? Don't get me wrong, most of the time I like it, but there are some days where I have to force myself to blog because if I skip this week chances are I'll skip again next week, and then the next, and then where will I be? I'll tell you where. Buried in the dirt. Again. And if there's one thing I've learned from blogging it's that it's easier to keep a blog alive than it is to bring one back from the dead. Plus, I'm trying so hard to keep this blog going until I hit my four year mark. That's this month. I'm so close!

Here's another thing I don't like. People who blog about how they don't like blogging. Yet here I am doing it. But I'm going to stop that right now.

On a completely different note, over the last few weeks I have become such a teenybopper. Musically speaking, that is. I mean, it's not as cool as new wave but it's a lot better than preteen! (It's been way too long since I've watch Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.) I swear my taste in music has just plummeted. But I sort of love it. To prove my point, here are my three favorite pop songs right now. You know they're going to be bad because I just used the word "pop" to describe them.

Hot N Cold by Katy Perry. I think it's pretty fair to say I don't have very high standards when it comes to music videos. I have to like the song and I have to think someone in the video is cute and that's about all it takes for me to love it. This one passes. Go watch it.

Womanizer by Britney Spears. This song gets stuck in my head like you wouldn't believe. It's almost like it was written with that intention... I had the chorus stuck in my head for three straight days last week. And amazingly enough, I still like it.

You Don't Know Me by Ben Folds Five and Regina Spektor. I don't really know why I like this song, but I do. I don't like Ben Folds (the lead singer sounds like Kermit the Frog) and I only like one of Regina Spektor's songs. And I really only like that song because it played over and over on VH1 while I was pregnant and on bed rest and trapped on the couch. The strange thing was, my OB/GYN happened to look exactly like her. But other than going to the doctor's office, I didn't leave the house for a good solid month so there's a slight chance I might have been imagining it.

That's only three of the songs. I could on, but you're probably already thinking about how 15 I am. And you're right. But in my own defense, at least I don't like the new Christina Aguilera, so I've got that going for me.

Trunk or Treat

2008-10-25T22:48:00.000-06:00

Having a kid during the Halloween season is so much fun. I've always been a fan of Halloween, but having a kid you can dress up to your heart's content and cart off to get candy for you just makes it that much better.

Our neighborhood did a trunk or treat this afternoon. As of last night I didn't have Ben's costume completely finished so when he started wandering around the house in nothing but a diaper and his cowboy boots, I was tempted to have him go as the Naked Cowboy.

Cute, but not as good as his real costume. My mother in law made his costume again this year. That woman has some serious costume making talent. And I love taking advantage of it! Here is the dracula outfit she made him last year (just because it's adorable):

Looking at those satin pants never gets old. Seriously, we have never laughed so hard as when we tried those pants on Ben. They were too funny.

This year's costume also came out great. She worked her magic and made him into a ball player. She made the actual costume and I did the embroidering. Which is why the embroidering looks like hell.

(I woke him up from his nap to go trunk or treating which is why he looks grumpy.)

Here are some more pictures of the actual event.

It was his first time trick or treating so he didn't understand that you're only suppose to take candy from the cars. He kept walking up to other kids and trying to snatch their treats. But he caught on quickly. I think he liked seeing all the kids dressed up and he liked picking the perfect piece of candy, but he mostly loved to just run around. The boy loves the great outdoors. Even if it is just a small church parking lot. And I loved eating all his candy when we got home. I can't wait until Friday to send him off for some more!

Fall Farm Pictures

2008-10-19T13:44:00.001-06:00

My sister and I took the kids to the farm the other day. I know I've done a gazillion posts about the farm before but what can I say, I kind of live there. It's one of my favorite go-to spots to let Ben run wild and free. He loves everything about it, the animals, the farmers, the tractors, the dirt and rocks, the huge treehouse. And I, usually, just get to sit back and drink a diet coke while I shoot the shiz with Jeanette. You just can't beat it. Anyway, we went again this week and turned our visit into a photo shoot. If I would have known Jeanette was bringing her camera, I would have at least combed Ben's hair, but I guess these pictures just depict the kind of mother I really am. Not having to comb hair is one of the perks of having a boy, isn't it? Except he looks homeless and uncared for most of the time... Sorry, Benny.

Ben and Zeke at the pumpkin patch. I love that him and Zeke are so close in age (Zeke is 5 months older). They act more like brothers than cousins.

He's really into walking with his hands behind his back lately.

Ben and Zeke just happy to be sitting next to each other.

His newest thing is biting his bottom lip. I'm surprised he's not doing it in all the pictures. He does it constantly.

My favorite picture. I'm in love with his big, dark eyes.

A Letter From Jessica

2008-10-16T22:38:00.001-06:00

You are never going to believe the gem I just unearthed in my basement. I'm making a 2009 calender (long story) and I was downstairs going through my paper stash. I don't scrapbook and I only occasionally use any of the paper and supplies I have so I keep everything in a storage closet. I was going through it to see if I could find anything good. Oh, and did I ever. Amidst piles of cardstock and stencils I found a letter my little sister wrote me years ago (my sisters used to send me care packages and letters in the mail when I first moved out of state). It made me laugh so hard and it's just too funny not to share. I'll take out all the serious stuff and just leave you with the gems. This may only be funny to me, but I'm sharing it anyway. Please don't kill me Jess.

Just a note, I come from a very affectionate family. We also like to break out in song. And the dots mean I'm skipping the boring stuff.

Lizzy,

If you vote for me, all your wildest dreams will come true! I just realized that we had the right love at the wrong time and that up until now I haven't sent you ANY mail since you've been gone! ....
.... I miss you dear sister. Oh, by the way, I love that cd you made for me before you left- every time I listen to it I think of you. Some of those songs are pretty dirty. Kinda like you. Kinda like me.
Awesome. I'm listening to Kozy at the moment -yes, that's right, with Delilah . You jealous? You miss Delilah? I know you do, don't deny it Liz. I know you adore Delilah mind, body, soul! Plus, I'm hypoglycemic and I have only one leg. You jealous? Ya, that's right, I farted. Can you smell it from there? Well, if you can't, just know it smells like roses (ya, that's right, just like Wendy Walden's)....
....I'll try to be more random.
Oh, last Friday on my way to class I was on trax and someone had left their briefcase on the train I was on and the trax police took it. .... Apparently they "denoted" it twice but turns out it was just a briefcase. Oh wait, did I already tell you this story in an email? Sorry if I did. Come to think of it I did, didn't I? Don't hate me because I'm an airhead or because I'm beautiful!
"I knew I loved you before I met you, I've been waiting for you all my life!" I'm still listening to Kozy. Can you tell what song is on?
Yesterday, Grandma Adams called and I answered the phone and she started telling me about her ideas for Christmas and then she finally realized (after I kindly interrupted her) that I wasn't mom. It was hilarious! I totally could have kept her going and gotten the thrilling 411 on this year's Christmas food storage. I think it was just too exciting for me to handle and if I would have kept listening I'd have probably soiled myself. Gross.
I wonder how long I can make this letter. Maybe if it's really long I can call it an epistle- for fun's sake. Heck, let's call it an epistle anyway.
I think I've mastered the art of rambling. At least in letter format. Now if only I could take that art/skill and apply it to my verbal/social skills to strangers or the less well known. But maybe that wouldn't be a good thing because weirdos already seem to come my way. I hate when older, creepy-looking men wink at me. Totally gives me the freaks. Are there as many Chester the Molesters in Eugene as there are in Salt Lake? Do you have a vest or something I could wear?
Well, I think I've exhausted my thoughts for now. Love ya sugar baby doll sista mann
P.S. Try singing American the Beautiful to the tune of Gilligan's Island. It's phenomenal!

That was longer than I thought it'd be (and I took out a page and a half) but you got to admit she's got some good lines in there. Thanks for the letters, Jess! They will live on in my heart and my blog forever!

The Husband Tag

2008-10-13T14:11:00.000-06:00

I stole this from Mardi. I probably talk way to much about John already on this blog, but I thought this tag was too cute so I'm about to do it some more.

1. Where did you meet? The Admissions Office where we both worked. It was not an office romance though, just for the record.

2. How long did you date before you were married? Uh, around three years.

3. How long have you been married? Almost five and a half!

4. What does he do that surprises you? He still always makes me laugh and smile. And I'm always surprised how much he loves his family. He would do anything for us. Even something as dumb as coming home from work at 10am so I can shower if I'm having a rough morning. He does anything he can to take care of us and make us happy.

5. What's your favorite feature about him? His mouth. He's got a great real smile (his go-to smile is another story) and perfect, straight teeth.

6. What's your favorite quality about him? He's extremely loyal and caring. And he's smart and witty. He has the driest sense of humor of any person I know.

7. Does he have a nickname for you? What is it? Too many. Little One, Tiny Dancer, Elizabeth (when he's frustrated with me), Sunshine. There are more I'm forgetting.

8. What is his favorite color? I don't know. Gray? He wears a lot of that.

9. What is his favorite food? Mexican? He pretty much loves all food.

10. What is his favorite sport? Baseball and football with a little side of golf.

11. Who said I love you first? I did. Thankfully he said it right back.

12. When and where was your first kiss? Our first kiss was the day he quit the Admissions Office (it WASN'T an office romance), and the day before he left to go to school in Germany. And it was on a hot pink leather sofa.

13. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? TV and walks. We've pretty boring.

14. Do you have kids? Just one, Benny-boo-boo-boo-boo-boo.

15. What is a hidden talent he has? You know, he can pretty much do anything. Plumbing, house remodeling, fixing cars, cooking, he can do it all. He also has a secret desire to own a landscaping business. While keeping his day job, of course.

16. How old is he? Almost 31.

17. What's his favorite type of music? Grunge (Nirvana, Metallica, Rage Against the Machine, Pearl Jam, any and all bands featuring Chris Cornell)

18. What do you admire most about him? He's got that ambition baby, look in his eyes. He takes taking care of his family very seriously.

19. What's his favorite past time? Me. Our family. Sports.

20. Do you think he's going to read this? He will when I text and tell him to!

My Snuggler

2008-10-10T14:55:00.000-06:00

My little boy is growing up and I need that to stop right this second. For some reason it's been hitting me hard that Ben is going to be two in just a couple months. I wish I could freeze time and keep him little forever. I'm being overly emotional about it. Today during nap time I started looking through all my pictures of him. I've been getting baby hungry lately but I'm not quite ready for Nathan Jr, Jr, so I thought looking through my pictures of Ben as a baby would help hold me over for a little while longer. It's only made it worse. Looking through all those pictures just brings back so many memories. My favorite pictures to look at are the ones of him sleeping. Seriously, is there anything more precious than a sleeping baby? I'm such a sucker for cuddly, cozy babies and I had the cuddliest, coziest one of all. He came out ready for snuggling and almost two years later he still loves it.

Since I'm already being a sappy mom I might as go all the way and show you my favorite sleeping pictures. Get the tissues ready, it's going to melt your heart.

My Move Sountrack

2008-10-09T15:20:00.002-06:00

1. Open your music library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, Etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press Play
4. For every question, Type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button

Just a warning, I haven't updated my ipod in months so this might be super lame!

My opening Credits: Heaven by Angels & Airwaves

Waking Up: Keep Em Coming by Alkaline Trio

First Day At School: Radio by Alkaline Trio

Falling In Love: Is it Just Me? by the Darkness

Breaking Up: Romeo & Juliet by The Killers

Prom: Clark Gable by The Postal Service (that is a perfect Prom song, I love it!)

Life's Ok: Sirens by Angels & Airwaves

Mental Breakdown: Fidelity by Regina Spektor (this is what I meant by I haven't updated my ipod... this song wouldn't be on here if I had...)

Driving: Your Neck by Alkaline Trio

Flashback: Getchoo by Weezer

Getting Back Together: Talk Dirty to Me by Poison

Wedding Scene: Anybody Else But You by The Moldy Peaches (this song works for a wedding, too!)

Birth of Child: My Favourite (their spelling, not mine) Chords by The Weakerthans

Final Battle: The Reasons by The Weakerthans

Death Scene: Sam's Town by The Killers

Funeral Song: Girlfriend by The Darkness

End Credits: Good Life by Kanye West (this is good ending song)

That was fun. I'm sort of embarrassed most of the songs are by the same three bands. What can I say, some obsessions last a lifetime. And apparently I'm obsessed with boy music LOL.

Bad Photos

2008-10-08T20:16:00.001-06:00

Have you seen this segment Ellen does, Bad Pictures That You Paid For? You are really missing out if you haven't. You've got to see some of these. Here are a couple of clips.

That horse picture kills me. You know the photographer told the parent to have her son bring along his favorite toy. And then once he got to the studio the photographer was thinking, what do I do with a toy horse? Sit him next to it and have him gaze longingly toward it? Hang it from the ceiling? That'll work. I've only got 30 minutes until the next appointment.

I'm not going to mention what that last lady looks like. It's better left unsaid.

I couldn't find a clip from today's episode, but it was my favorite. I laughed so hard I was crying. How does Ellen come up with this stuff? (That's a rhetorical question, don't answer.)

Hidden Toy Closet

2008-10-07T13:20:00.003-06:00

I went to put some towels away today and it struck me as I opened the linen closet that it's slowing becoming the hidden toy closet.

Ben has a few toys that he goes crazy over, but not crazy in a cute way. He has a pair of boots he got from...somewhere or someone... but they're a size and a half too big and they're slick on the kitchen floor, so he's always falling and tripping. He still insists on wearing them but gets mad and frustrated when he falls. And when he gets mad and frustrated he starts kicking. I don't know where this kid got his temper. Certainly not from me. Anyway, I had to hide the boots to prevent bruises on my shins from the few times I got in the way of his kicking fit. So I put them up in the closet where he couldn't find them. Problem solved. Until I open the closet to give him a vitamin and he sees the boots and starts screaming for the boots so I give him the boots and the cycle begins again.

John's mitt is up there for the same reason as the boots are. It's too big and too heavy but he insists on wearing it and then gets mad... you know the rest. There's also a bucket handle and a wooden bat in there I had to hide for other reasons. I don't want to get rid of the toys completely because at some point he'll be old enough to play with them without a problem. Hopefully. But I think it's time to find a less used closet to hide the toys.

And The Winner Is...

2008-09-28T19:59:00.001-06:00

...Not me.

The infamous Race of '08 (aka, the Race of the Century) finally happened. I don't really want to talk about it.

But... since I keep getting razzed to blog about it by those who participated (John and his ENTIRE extended family), here are the results. I unfairly came in second (to last) place.

We had the race at a family reunion a couple of weeks ago. The race started out with me at a disadvantage. We'd all just downed buckets (and I do mean buckets) of food, so while those weren't ideal racing conditions, it was at least fair. The unfair part was that some of the guys racing were wearing shoes they could run in, while the rest of us ran barefoot. Why those individuals wearing shoes weren't automatically disqualified, I'm still not sure. Then there was the full bladder issue. I'd drank 32 ounces of diet coke within 20 minutes, 20 minutes prior to running. You could say I had a very, very full bladder. And while we were at the starting line stretching, I was telling my SIL how I was sure I was going to pee my pants once I started moving, I heard some smart-A heckler saying that should just make me run faster. While I was coming up with a killer comeback to that one, someone shouted "Go!" while I wasn't paying attention and I was the last to leave the starting line. If my other SIL wouldn't have tripped and landed flat on her face, I would have come in dead last. (Thanks, Kristin, for being a pal.)

But I'll still blog about it, unfair and all. I mean, it's not like I'm being a poor sport about it or anything. Although I am contesting the results, filing grievances and demanding a rematch. Nothing poor sportish about that.

Future Blackmail

2008-09-24T23:25:00.004-06:00

Ben doesn't look happy in this picture and there's a reason why. He knows this picture is going to help me win a lot of arguments with him during his teenage years.

Boutique Time

2008-09-21T14:44:00.000-06:00

My sister, Jeanette, is having an Everything Kids and Baby Boutique at her home this coming Friday, September 26th, from 10-7. The boutique has been some months in the making and I'm very excited for it. I've been working on three different projects to sell and just recently finished them.

My first project was Hooter Hiders. You can't have a baby boutique without Hooter Hiders (or as my mature husband refers them, Titty Tarps and Booby Blockers). I was originally only going to make 4 or 5 but we have this local fabric store called Whimsy Cottage that sells so many gorgeous fabrics and it was impossible to go in without buying more than I intended. Who knew I'd love shopping for fabric so much?

I also made birth announcements. This was one of my favorite gifts I received when I had Ben. Once you've birthed your baby (how eloquent), you print up your baby's name, date and stats using some cute font and then slip the paper in under the ribbon along with a 4x6 of your little bundle of joy. The cards come in packs of 16 with envelopes included. I tried to make them boy, girl and non-gender, but I'm hearing the non-gender ones look a little girlie. You can decide for yourself.

Last but not least, I made fabric covered bulletin boards. I totally ripped this idea off of Ilene (hope you don't mind!). The two larger frames have coordinating pushpins and I'm debating if I should add some to the smaller boards. What do you think?

Those are my three projects. I'm only one in a dozen people contributing to the boutique so there's sure to be a variety of things. Everyone is invited so if you live in the area and are interested, email me at lizmann00 @ hotmail for the address and directions.

Reno 911

2008-09-17T22:30:00.000-06:00

The other day one of John's classmates from law school said his firm in Reno is hiring and he thought he should apply since he's thinking about taking the Nevada bar. Although he wouldn't mind working in Vegas, he joked there was no way they'd pay him enough to move to Reno. (Some might say that same thing about Salt Lake.) I say if only Officer Trudy were a real person I'd be there in a heartbeat. And I'd be doing something to disturb the peace trying to meet her. She's at the top of my list of characters I wish were real so I could meet them. Yes, I'm pathetic enough to have a list like that.

Here's a funny video from Reno 911. It doesn't have Trudy in it, but it's still a good one.

Tag Time

2008-09-11T13:49:00.001-06:00

The Rules:
1. Link to the person who has tagged you: Tara
2. Post the rules on your blog
3. Write six random things about yourself
4. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment

1. I love reality TV. I don't like the game type reality shows (Amazing Race, Big Brother, Rock of Love) but I love the family type reality shows ((Tori and Dean, Keeping up with the Kardashians, Girls Next Door, Jon & Kate Plus 8, The Hills). It's the nosiness in me. I love seeing how people live and how they think and act. I swear I'm the nosiest person in the entire world. My husband would agree.

2. Maybe that should be number two. I'm so unbelievably nosy. I really, really try to keep my curiosity under control, but deep down inside I'm dying to ask questions that are probably not socially polite. Sometimes I wish I were Oprah just so I would have an excuse to dig into people's personal lives.

3. I'm addicted to The Dave Ramsey Show. Again, it's the nosiness in me. I love hearing people spill their financial guts. And I love his accent and how he talks. He doesn't swallow often enough when he's talking so by the time he gets around to doing it you can tell that he has too much saliva in his mouth. It sounds gross and should probably be annoying but I secretly kind of like it.

4. Unlike Tara, I hate making the bed. I do it only once a week, tops. I just don't see the point really. Plus, made up and tucked in beds make me feel confined. Any time I'm staying in a hotel or at someone's house, I have to mess up the bed and untuck the sheets before I get in so I don't feel trapped.

5. I think naturally long finger nails are gross. I also don't really like acrylic nails although they don't bother me as much as natural finger nails. I have no problem with a sporty length, but really long nails always seem gross. And I always notice uneven nail lengths and chipped polish.

6. I really only blog so I don't feel so weird about blog stalking and commenting. Because I'll be honest with you, I'd rather read other people's blog than write on my own. I swear this blog is always a post away from death. That's why more than half my posts are pictures of Ben; they're my cheat posts. For some reason I think I'd feel strange if I didn't have my own blog but still read your blogs. Is that weird?

I tag Michelle, Lisa and Jeanette.

Five Sucky Song I Love

2008-09-03T22:32:00.000-06:00

I'm going to admit something I don't normally like to admit. Sometimes I listen to really crappy music. The kind of crappy that can only be heard on the radio because I'd never be brave enough to actually buy it for fear someone might find out. But when it comes on the radio, I go totally crazy and way overboard with my singing and car dancing. You know what I'm talking about, right? Well, here are five songs I feel that way about. But be warned, they're pretty awful.

Shake It by Metro Station

This song is so unbelievably stupid and so unbelievably catchy. I mean, come on. You can't help but shake, shake, a-shake it when you hear it. Plus it's got all that sexual innuendo and you know I can't help but love a little (or a lot) of that.

Can't Stop Loving You by Phil Collins

I was in the car with John the other day when this song came on. Naturally I cranked up the volume and started belting out the lyrics passionately and at the top of my lungs. John looked over and said, "I bet you're the only person other than Phil Collins who actually knows all the words to this song." And then he paused and said, "Actually, I bet he doesn't even remember them." Which is just garbage. Any artist who sings an entire song with his eyes closed must feel pretty strongly about it. At least enough to never forget it. I know I'll never be able to. Why should IIIII-uhh-IIIII?

Unskinny Bop by Poison

I know what you're thinking, Poison is in no way a crappy band. And you're right, Poison is great. Poison was actually the third reason I started dating John. The first was that he owned Barry Manilow's box collection (and let me borrow it the day I met him), the second was his sexed-up Bronco (that's the only way to accurately describe it) and the third was the Poison cd he had blaring from said sexed-up Bronco. So, yes, Poison is good. The song Unskinny bop, is not. It's pretty sucky. But sucky in the best way possible! It's got not-so-subtle sexual innuendo (we've already covered I like that in a song) and it's catchy (again, covered that I like a catchy song) and it's Poison. It's a triple threat. It's also one of those songs that's fun to get stuck in your head. And that happens every time I hear it. Only I don't know all the words, so for months and months I'll sing the first verse over and over. That's not annoying at all.

Fantasy by Mariah Carey

I always feel like a junior higher again when I hear this song. Because that's when I first heard it and LOVED it. My then best friend, Tara, and I choreographed our own dance for the required dance recitals to this song. It was an amazing moment in time. I'm a killer dancer, that goes without saying, but let me tell you, I shined that night. The song, the moves... it was magical. I still remember most of the dance and you can bet I start busting it out when this beauty comes on the radio.

So What by Pink

This song was up against another crappy song as the fifth and final song to go in this post, so to narrow it down I asked John which of the two songs sucked more. He said, "Pink is always worse." He's got a good point, but I still like this song. Plus, Carey Hart is in the video and, minus the soul patch, I think he's hot. Even if he can't control his cheatin' ways.

Those are five of my sucky songs, what are five of yours?

Craftastic

2008-08-28T12:41:00.001-06:00

I've been slacking on the blog lately. In an effort to find a new hobby I've been using all my blogging time for crafts. I'm doing this because my sister is having an All Things Baby boutique at her house at the end of September. She's extremely talented and can make just about anything. I'm not. But I told her I want to help out anyway. So I've been trying to come up with things to make and items to sell. I've discovered I love buying stuff to make but I don't actually like making anything. I've also discovered buying stuff to make and then not wanting to make it is kind of expensive. So instead of spending naptime blogging, I've been spending naptime crafting it up. Once I finish all my crafts, I'm going to do a craft post. And you can laugh at how I'm actually going to try to sell the crap I'm making. It'll be a good time.

In the meantime, here's some super exciting pictures of Ben over the last couple weeks.

This is Ben on the countertop. He climbed up by himself. Well, with the help of a chair he pushed over. All while I was out of the room. The picture is super dark (I've yet to replace the Dino), but if you squint you can see in his face he's pretty surprised (and kind of scared) he actually made it up there himself.

Next to climbing, accessories are Ben's favorite thing. Hats, shoes, jewelry, sunglasses, he loves it all. I don't know if this is something I should be worried about or not. He is constantly taking off and putting on shoes, all day long. Mine, Johns, the cousins, his own. He's an equal opportunity shoe-wearer. Same with all accessories. He'll take what he can get.

He's also discovered chapstick. Every once in a while I'll make the mistake of leaving my purse on the stairs by the door. He will take every single item out of my bag and then gather up all the chapsticks and lipglosses (and the tube of sunscreen that looks like a large chapstick) and then go through each stick one by one and lick it. It's so gross.

His newest trick is watching TV. Up until about two weeks ago the only thing Ben would watch was baseball and golf and only if he was cuddled up with dad on the couch. That's cute and all, but why can't he have some down time while I'm watching him?! After searching and searching I finally found a show he'll watch. Barney. I know, I was kind of worried at first, too. But John assures me he'll turn out just fine. And frankly, at this point, I'll take whatever I can get. It's worth the half hour every morning of quiet time to get ready. Here he is chilling out watching his show. He, by the way, got all situated on the coffee table by himself. Notice the sunglasses next to him. He's never without an accessory.

He's so weird. But I love it.

My Own Olympic Feat

2008-08-13T18:36:00.000-06:00

I am not normally a competitive person. I'm also not athletic. But something about the Olympic games always brings out a competitive and athletic side of me I always forget I have. I watched a bunch of the opening ceremony and have since been watching bits and pieces of the games, mostly swimming and gymnastics. Watching swimming doesn't do anything for me except make my arms and legs tired. But watching gymnastics seems to make me want to go out and do something physical. Example: Since the start of the games, I have gotten on the elliptical trainer twice. Once for 15 straight minutes! Barefoot! And in regular clothes! On a Saturday afternoon! That never happens. Before those two times, I hadn't touched that thing in over a year.

I don't know what it is about the games, but they trigger this competitive beast in me that's been all but hibernating for two years. Remember that post I wrote months ago about the Race of '08? Well, we never actually got around to racing. The trash talking did die down a bit, although it never stopped entirely. That was up until a few weeks ago. Since then it's only escalated. We came seconds away from an all out war-race last Saturday at John's brother's birthday party. The once simple John and Liz Race of '08 nearly turned into an entire Mann family bloodbath. The only thing that stopped us was the hamburgers and hotdogs we'd just eaten and the fact that everyone was wearing flip-flops. Everyone is just so sure they're faster than everyone else. But they're all wrong. I know I'm faster than all of them. And I'm ready to prove it, whenever, wherever. And I'll sing the Shakira song while I'm doing it. We also almost raced again last night. The only thing stopping us then was the fact that it was 10:30 at night and too late to call a babysitter. I'm telling ya people, the tension in our home is palpable. It ain't pretty. We've got to get this race out of the way before it destroys our family.

It's not just the urge to compete with others that's brought to the surface by the Olympics. It's also the need to compete with myself. To prove to myself I can do something I've always thought impossible. To set my own personal record. And I have. I am happy to share that up until today, I had gone 12 long, consecutive days without eating Wendy's. My personal best. I'm not going to lie to you, it was hard. It was emotionally and physically draining. I put in a lot of blood, sweat and tears going without Wendy's day after day after day. But the joy and happiness I feel by accomplishing this goal is my reward. Not to mention the money I've saved. Eight dollars a day starts to add up after a while. I finally ended my Wendy's fast today at lunch with a chicken sandwich with cheese and a medium diet coke, and let me tell you, it was sooo good. I really just feel like I can do anything now, you know. I feel like if I can go without Wendy's for twelve days, surely I can concur the world. At the very least I can kick some trash racing family members. And kick some trash I'll do. This weekend. Highland High race track. I'll be taking home the gold.