Lookie What I Can Do!!

Dad's home

2012-02-09T12:49:00.002-07:00

My dad went home Monday night after we flew back home. Things are running smoothly and he's hoping to go back to work tomorrow.

We got a chance to meet the medics at the college who saved my dad's life. Neal (left) was first on scene and started CPR. Scott (right) used the AED. This was the first time either of them had used these procedures on a real person. They were quick and did everything right. I made them a cheesy card and taped 2 rolls of Lifesavers candy on the front - one for each of them. They loved it and said they were going to frame it - lol!! They were super nice guys and I'm so glad we got a chance to meet them and thank them in person.

Angiogram today

2012-02-06T04:20:00.002-07:00

Dad is having an angiogram today to check his heart. Another Uncle flew in last night. Dad doesn't know he's here. We'll all go to the hospital together and surprise him.

Hoping to get some answers as to what caused his heart attack last week.

Superbowl party at the hospital!!

2012-02-05T07:51:00.002-07:00

It's Superbowl Sunday!! I don't watch the game (or any football), but my Uncle is going to the hospital to watch the game with my dad - they are both excited.

My dad was moved out of ICU last night and into the cardiac unit. He's doing extremely well!! They're running a bunch of heart tests tomorrow to try to get some answers as to why this all happened and what can be done to prevent it from happening again. He's improving every day. The hospital won't let Preston upstairs so the nurse is going to bring my dad downstairs in a wheelchair so he can finally see his grandson. That's going to be wonderful! I brought a Harley outfit to put him in which I know will be a big hit :)

Teeth, Jello and a chair

2012-02-03T08:17:00.002-07:00

Things with my dad are improving! All the tubes came out of his mouth so we can understand him a lot better when he talks. He wears full dentures and was able to put his teeth in last night. I fed him a gourmet dinner of Cherry Jello and Chocolate Pudding - he loved both. The nurses got him out of bed and he walked to a chair and sat upright for awhile. He still has no short term memory, but his long term memory is fine. He knows that he had a heart attack, but doesn't remember anything. I told him he was brought to the hospital on a Harley - that made him laugh :)

He may be moved out of ICU today which would be a huge step forward!

Dad update

2012-02-02T10:22:00.003-07:00

We made it to Phoenix Tuesday night. Dad was still unresponsive and in an induced coma. We went to see him yesterday and he was conscious!! He opened his eyes and smiled at me. He was even able to squeeze my hand. It's confirmed that he had a heart attack, but thanks to the quick response of the people who were around him, things are looking pretty good! They're hoping to take out the breathing tube today and then he'll be able to talk. I'm sure we're in for an earful!

Support needed

2012-01-31T02:55:00.003-07:00

My dad collapsed at work today and was taken to the hospital by ambulance. He's been unresponsive ever since. The dr. called tonight and said we should get there as soon as possible so we're planning on flying out in a few hours.

This was all very sudden and we are all shaken up.

Rides at the Penny Arcade

2012-01-27T10:36:00.007-07:00

Our town has a fun penny arcade on the west side. It has a mix of super old games and brand new ones. Some of the games are still only a nickel. My dad used to take me there when I would come up and visit him for the weekend. We'd race each other in the horse derby and challenge each other on our favorite pinball machine. Some of the games are in buildings and some are outside by the river. We decided to take Preston there to ride some of the kiddie rides - he wasn't too sure of most of them, but he didn't seem scared. His favorites were the space shuttle and the firetruck. We had a blast and plan to go back when the weather is warmer. They had a TON of rides - here's pictures of a few of the ones he rode:

Electric Safari at the Zoo

2012-01-13T10:27:00.003-07:00

We took Preston to the zoo for the first time right after Christmas. They decorate the zoo with animated animals displays and lots and lots of lights. It's beautiful to see and we usually go every year. It was so much different to go as a family of 3. I was more excited about his reaction and loved watching him take it all in. For the first 30 minutes, he just stared at everything and didn't make a noise - very unlike him!! It was a wonderful night and not too cold which made the experience even better.

Preston got to ride his first carousel. He wasn't too sure of it at first, but I think he enjoyed it. This was our first time on it too - it went fast!! His favorites were seeing the giraffes and the stinky, loud hippos. We all had a good time and I can't wait to take him back to see all the other animals.

Christmas 2011

2012-01-05T13:05:00.004-07:00

We all enjoyed a wonderful Christmas. It was pretty low key this year - not a lot of gifts or stress and lots of time spent with family eating way too much food. Santa was very good to Preston though. He had fun opening gifts and ripping the paper into confetti sized pieces. His favorite present was a plush rocking horse. He figured out quickly that if you press the ear, the horse makes galloping noises.

He's started doing a lot of new things lately. He does a 'happy dance' after he takes a bite of food. I didn't teach him that, but it's really cute! He's also learning how to dance. Right now, it's just a foot stomp, but he's got rhythm. Out of the blue, he started twirling around in circles. He spins really fast and will get dizzy and fall down. He knows where his nose is and instead of pointing to it, he'll inhale and exhale quickly. If you ask him to do 'muscles', he'll squeeze his hands and flex his arms - and he has a muscleman face to go with it. He's such a ham! And he just started saying 'hi'. It's usually when he sees one of our kitties. He'll wave and give a high pitched 'hi'!!

Happy New Year!

Feeties!!!

2011-12-10T10:28:00.003-07:00

I love baby feet. I mean I really LOOOOVVVEEE baby feet! The little pudgy, rectangle, tiny, soft feet. And don't get me started on the little toes that look like corn niblits. I take his socks off all the time just to play with them, kiss them, squeeze them. I'll probably have to stop doing that when he becomes a teenager - lol!

Preston's first airplane ride!

2011-11-29T11:12:00.007-07:00

Preston got to go on his first airplane ride earlier this month. My mama, Preston and I flew back to Iowa to visit family for a week. All of our family live in the same area and nobody has met Preston in person. He did pretty good on the flight. He cried some, but mostly wasn't too happy about having to sit on our laps. If he could have run around inside the plane, I think he would have been fine. We left Colorado in a blizzard and left Iowa in a snowstorm - we know how to pick our travel dates! We flew into Chicago and drove 3 1/2 hours to Iowa. It was nice to see a part of the country that I've never been to. We had a great visit and it was so nice to be around family. The week went by way too fast.

Both of my parents grew up in the same city so there's a lot of memories there. We took Preston to the cemetery where his 2 great-grandpas are buried, drove by his great-grandma's house (she died in 1999 and is buried in Pennsylvania), played at the park and fed the ducks and went to the Mississippi River to watch the barges go through the locks.

I thought this billboard outside of Chicago was pretty funny and very clever:

Halloween Penguin

2011-11-14T12:45:00.005-07:00

Preston dressed up as a penguin for Halloween this year. I bought it it September and hoped he would be walking by Halloween so he could waddle in his costume - which he did!! He wore it all day as we drove around to visit Daddy and Grandma at work and then at night when we went trick-or-treating at the neighbor's houses. He was a good sport and didn't seem to mind wearing it - he wasn't too keen about the hat though, but it stayed on most of the time.

Preston's 1st Birthday Party

2011-11-11T05:41:00.006-07:00

Preston celebrated his first birthday with friends and family. We had the party at our house and almost everyone that was invited showed up. It was so fun to share the special day with so many people. Several of Preston's little friends came and it was so neat to watch them all interact. They played very nicely together! I made monkey cupcakes and had a blast decorating the house.

Preston wasn't too thrilled with eating his cupcake. We all sang 'Happy Birthday' and had blow-outs which scared him. He wasn't too sure of getting his hands dirty and digging into the cupcake. I helped him out and assured him it was ok. He ate the whole thing and made a big mess just like he was supposed to.

He has recently learned how to blow kisses and when I ask him where his nose is, he grabs his ear. Guess we need to work on that ;) He loves to give kisses and hugs. He can be crying and if you ask him for a kiss, he'll stop crying, give you a kiss and then resume crying. It's quite cute! He climbed our stairs all the way to the top by himself for the first time yesterday. He's getting to be such a big boy! I have so much fun playing with him and I sometimes just stop to look at him and to take it all in that he's MINE! What a blessing :)

Preston is 1!

2011-10-28T11:04:00.006-06:00

12 month picture. This was the best shot I could get - he was tired and hated the hat.

Birthday bath with Mohawk!

Preston turned 1 yesterday! Daddy took the day off so we enjoy the day as a family. We celebrated by taking him to the dr. for his on year check-up complete with shots (sorry buddy!). He got his first flu shot and several others. He's always done really good with shots so hopefully he doesn't have a reaction to any of these. It's been a wonderful first year and we're so blessed to have this little guy in our lives.

He's now walking really well and it's so fun to see him waddle around. He has now figured out how to crawl up the stairs, but hasn't figured out how to get down. He gets up a few steps, looks back and panics. He finally started clapping! I've tried teaching him how to do it for months and he would flap both arms, but couldn't clap them together. He just started doing it out of the blue about a week ago. He points at everything and says 'ssssssss'. Not sure what that means, but it's cute :) He loves to point at airplanes in the sky and kitties. He still only says 'mama', 'dada' and 'uh-oh' but mama is his favorite thing to say ♥ He tried pumpkin for the first time on his birthday and liked it and we're switching him from formula to whole milk. He noticed a difference so we're going to slowly wean him off the formula by mixing the two for a week or so. He drank that just fine.

His big birthday party is tomorrow so I'll post pictures from that soon.

Happy 1st Birthday to our
lil' pumpkin!

Colorado aspens

2011-10-11T08:51:00.005-06:00

Last weekend, we drove up into the mountains to see the beautiful changing aspen trees. I love all the different colors - most are golden yellow, but some are orange and red. They are mixed in with the lime green aspens that haven't changed yet and the dark green evergreens. Makes for great pictures :)

We always stop at the mine pit on our way home to see the HUGE mining trucks.

Mini-vacation

2011-09-27T11:12:00.007-06:00

(Double click on picture for a MUCH bigger view)

We recently had a weekend road trip for the beginning of Brandon's Fall school semester. My mama and I joined him and got to play while he was in class.

Here's a collage of our trip:

We went swimming, toured the Budweiser beer factory and ate at The Cheesecake Factory (which has now become a tradition).

Labor Day weekend

2011-09-07T13:50:00.006-06:00

We had a fun 'Labor Free' weekend.

The city has a hot air balloon show every year and it's one of the only times I enjoy getting up before the sunrise. We went Saturday morning, but it was too windy and the balloons didn't lift off. We went again Sunday morning and the weather was perfect - coolish and not a cloud in the sky.

We headed out of town to take Preston on his first train ride. It's near the Royal Gorge Bridge which is the world's highest suspension bridge. I used to live close by and have been there a million times. Every family or friend that visited took a trip there. It's quite a breathtaking experience. I love trains and saw this one advertised (heavily!) on tv recently. I'd driven by, but never ridden this train. It's a scenic 3 mile trip that gives you a view of the bridge. The weather was cool and it was sunny and beautiful. Days like that you never want to end. Preston enjoyed the ride and so did we.

*You can click on the pictures for a larger image*

Crispy Green Beans

2011-08-22T14:37:00.002-06:00

The crispy green bean appetizer at PF Changs is probably my all-time favorite food. We never go there without ordering it. They're crispy and salty and battered with a very light coating and served with a creamy spicy dipping sauce *DROOL* I don't feel so bad eating these because it's almost like eating a side of veggies - if it weren't for the crispy fried part :)

Preston was eyeing mama's beans. I let him smell one, but he'll have to wait a few years until I share my coveted green beans.

Preston is 9 months old!

2011-08-04T22:09:00.009-06:00

My baby is turning into such a fun little boy. He has a very sweet, but curious personality and is always on the move. He's sooo close to being able to walk on his own. He can stand holding on with one hand and today I caught him standing next to the bathtub and he was leaning against it, not holding on with either hand. He can also now stand up in his crib. I love watching him figure things out - he loves to open and shut doors/drawers, flush the toilet, rip apart Kleenex or napkins, throw things into the bathtub and his favorite thing to do is play with electrical cords. He will go straight for a cord over any toy. Fans, lamps, computer, vacuum - he loves them all. I always have to watch him so he doesn't get hurt.

He now has 6 teeth - 4 on top and 2 on the bottom. He's tried more new foods and has liked everything so far. He's now had applesauce, avocado, bananas, carrots, green beans, peaches, pears, peas, squash (butternut) and sweet potatoes. He's been eating brown rice cereal and oatmeal for a few months and I just introduced plain yogurt and tofu. I have so much fun making new combinations. He loves oatmeal/yogurt/peaches - it's like baby peach cobbler :) I'm going to try adding spices next and then we'll move onto all the other fruits and veggies. I like to do them in alphabetical order so next up will be apricots. He now sits in a big boy highchair to eat and loves to bang on the tray while waiting for his food.

My dad just flew in from Phoenix for a visit. He hasn't seen Preston since he was 5 weeks old. He was only here for a few days, but we were able to go to the park and play on the swings and do some other 'Grandpa' things. I was able to get the 2 grandpa's together and get a picture of them with Preston. That will be a special memory for all of them (notice how similar their shirts are - that wasn't even planned!).

Preston had his 9 month check-up on Wednesday and he's doing great. Growing, happy and healthy.

First Father's Day...and peas!

2011-06-22T11:26:00.006-06:00

We enjoyed a relaxing, fun first Father's Day. We met up with my inlaws for a Sunday brunch and then back to the family house for some playtime with the cousins. Then, we got to come home, take a nap and go out to dinner and do some shopping. That's my idea of a pretty perfect day. Preston was SO tired by the time we got home, but mama had to get some pictures of him and his Papa. Pictures are not optional, especially on holidays :)

He also tried homemade peas for the first time and LOVED them! They were bright green and so pretty - very different from the watery, olive colored jarred peas. I'm still enjoying making all of his food. He's a very good eater! *Notice the appropriate "I Love Daddy" jammies he's wearing*

Father's Day - then and now

2011-06-16T08:21:00.003-06:00

Here's the gift I made for my dad for Father's Day this year.

The top picture is of the 2 of us when I was 11 days old exactly 37 years ago today. The bottom picture is of me and Preston in the same location 37 years later - he's 33 weeks old. The trees by the lake have really grown in that time! But overall, it looks very similar. The park now has more plaques/statues in the area (the one by us is a Veteran's Memorial), an added recreation court and a big parking lot - you can see our new car in the bottom picture at the left :)

Hope he likes it!

Preston can crawl!!

2011-05-20T06:54:00.005-06:00

Preston is now on the move. He crawled for the first time on Wednesday May 18th - the day he turned 29 weeks old. We got home from grocery shopping and I put him on the floor so I could go fix his bottle and he immediately scooted toward a toy. I couldn't believe my eyes! He had figured it out quickly and was moving around like a champ. I got his big milestone on camera and video - which wasn't easy because he was following me wherever I moved :) I'm so proud of my lil' buddy!

I also found tooth #2 the same day. I've been checking in his mouth but haven't seen anything. We were outside doing yard work and I got a good peek into his mouth and saw the tooth. He's been a great teether so far - I hope we continue to be lucky. I can't wait to see his big toothy grin in a few weeks.

That night, he tried green beans for the first time. I couldn't find fresh ones that looked good, so I ended up using frozen ones. He seemed to like them ok. I don't know if he wasn't too fond of them or if he was just too tired to eat. I'll try again today. Fresh green beans are my favorite veggie.

Mother's Day

2011-05-17T17:03:00.005-06:00

Here's some pictures from my first Mother's Day as a Mother :)

We went to the park and Preston got to play on the swings. It was a beautiful day and I am so thankful to have this sweet little boy in my life.

^Ignore the super dirty swing!^

^You're right, Mommy loves you!!^

^He fell asleep in the stroller at the park. I love this picture of his feeties sticking out ^

^The 2 of us with the pretty tulips sent by my dad^

Big news!

2011-05-10T09:38:00.002-06:00

Preston's getting to be such a big boy!!

(Click on the picture for a bigger view)

Mmmmm, bananas!

2011-05-05T15:19:00.003-06:00

Preston tried bananas for the first time yesterday - they were a hit!

He's now 27 weeks old. He's getting very close to crawling! He can get up on his hands and knees and rocks back and forth. It won't be long before I'll be chasing him around the house!

Dr.'s and avocados

2011-05-03T11:14:00.005-06:00

Preston had his 6 month check up at the dr. last Friday. He's 14.3 pounds and 24 inches. A little on the smallish side for his age, but he's healthy and doing well. He loved stomping on the crackly paper that was on the table. Next appointment isn't until the end of July when he's 9 months old.

We introduced him to avocado on Sunday. He loved it! Mama loves avocado too, but I prefer it with jalapeno, lime, salt, pepper, chips and a margarita! It's so much fun making his food. Next up is bananas - mmmmmm!

^MuShu had to make her rounds and check on the baby^

^Yummy!^

6 months old!

2011-04-28T11:55:00.004-06:00

Preston turned 6 months old yesterday. He's turning into a fun little boy with a sweet personality. He's such a flirt and smiles at anyone who looks at him, especially the pretty ladies. He has the cutest laugh which always gets attention from anyone within earshot. I get comments on him every time I take him out which makes my heart melt. I'm so thankful to be his mommy.

He can now flip over from his back to his tummy. He doesn't like being on his back and rolls over immediately. Makes changing his diaper quite a challenge! He now will only sleep on his tummy - just like mama. And, we don't swaddle him anymore at night and he sleeps for about 11 hours straight. That's nice for all of us!

I made homemade applesauce for him to try on his big day. He really liked it. I'm sure that's a nice change from the drab rice cereal and milk he's used to. I'm loving making his food from scratch - it's fun for me and I know it's good for him. I bought a food mill recently and used it the first time on the apples. It worked great. I'm looking forward to watching him try new foods.

YUMMY!

I also bought him a sippy cup to try out. I spent half an hour at the store looking at all the different styles and colors - there's a lot to chose from! Don't let the cute smile fool you, he didn't like the cup one bit! I tried water at first, but that didn't go over well so I tried milk and he took one look at it and tossed it on the floor - LOL! I'll keep trying.

He has his 6 month check-up at the dr. tomorrow. I can't wait to see how much he's grown :)

First Easter

2011-04-25T11:27:00.005-06:00

We celebrated Preston's first Easter yesterday. I know he's still too little to know the meaning of the holiday and can't eat the candy (mama will help him out!), but we still had fun buying goodies for him and spending time together as a family. Next Easter will be really fun for us and him! I bought him a new outfit for Easter - new shoes, new overalls (it had a picture of a bunny on the front and said "Somebunny Loves Me"), and a new bunny hat. We also drew whiskers on his cheeks for added cuteness :)

Bird's nests for Easter

2011-04-23T15:29:00.004-06:00

I made these bird's nests for my hubby's co-workers. They were very easy to make and they taste really good!

Bird Nests

Butterscotch chips
Coconut
Chow Mein Noodles
Jelly Beans
Peeps

In a large bowl, melt a bag of butterscotch chips, add some coconut and about 3 cups of Chow Mein Noodles. Mix it all together and form into nests (I used gloves). Add jelly beans before the nests harden so they stick. I like how the Chow Mein noodles look like sticks....and the coconut looks like grass.

HAPPY EASTER!!!

My little fishy

2011-04-21T11:40:00.006-06:00

We went out of town last weekend and Preston went swimming for the first time in the hotel pool. He LOVES taking a bath - his feet kick like crazy and his hands slap the water so I was hoping he'd enjoy the pool experience which he did! I bought him a pool floatie, swim diapers (duh!), swim trunks and a sun hat. The pool was indoors, but he needed to look dapper for the ladies :) He wasn't too sure what to do at first but then started kicking and splashing and laughing. He got lots of attention from the hotel guests.

We stayed at a new place this time and were most unimpressed. It's a big name hotel (starts with an 'H'), but we prefer our usual place (Best Western). Our usual place was booked full so we had to find something else that was close to the college campus and the 'H' looked nice online. It did have some good features. We were on the 8th floor (there were 9 total) and had a good view out of our floor to ceiling window. I dread elevators, but I wasn't going to walk up and down 8 flights of stairs multiple times a day carrying a baby and 5 bags. The lobby was gorgeous though - there were white lights in the trees and water fountains all around. The best part was the Starbucks on site - they offered any grande drink for $1.50 with a student ID. We took them up on that offer - yum! We won't be staying there again, but we'll definitely go back for another caffeine fix. I'm not a coffee drinker, but I do love froo-froo sugary liquid in a clear cup with a green straw....especially at a killer price! :)

BRAND NEW CAR!!!!!!

2011-04-13T09:04:00.004-06:00

I went to Home Depot to look at refrigerators and came home with a brand new car....not from HD though ;)

The car dealership was across the street so I impulsively drove through the lot on my way home to just 'see what they had'. Next thing I knew, I was test driving a new car. The smooth ride, the new car smell, the barely driven 16 miles, the leather seats, the shiny exterior, the fancy dashboard....I fell in love. We got a great deal on it. I turn into another person when I'm buying a car - I don't know who she is or where she comes from, but she gets the job done and gets what she wants!

We got a 2011 Mazda CX-7 Touring. I still need to go refrigerator shopping though :)

Hamburger cookies

2011-04-01T07:45:00.004-06:00

I made these hamburger cookies for April Fool's Day. They were so easy and so fun to make....and they're vegetarian!

Hamburger Cookies

Nilla wafers

Mint cookies (I used Keebler)

Coconut

Red and yellow frosting

Green food coloring

Water

Corn syrup

Sesame seeds

Place Nilla wafer flat side up on cookie sheet. Add mint cookie and put in oven for a minute just to soften the chocolate and adhere it to the Nilla wafer. Tint coconut green with food coloring and a few drops of water. Sprinkle on chocolate cookie while still warm to make 'lettuce'. Add red and yellow frosting for 'ketchup and mustard'. Brush top of Nilla wafer with corn syrup and sprinkle on sesame seeds for the top bun. Press onto frosting.

5 months old

2011-03-28T04:16:00.006-06:00

Our little buddy is now 5 months old! We decided to do 2 big events on his big day.

#1 - we gave him his first bites of rice cereal. I made it myself using whole grain brown rice. He seemed to like it ok, but he was more fascinated with the spoon.

Yummy! Spoons are cool!Oops! Stuck the spoon in too far! ((GAG))

#2 - we started a sleep learning method called "The Sleepeasy Solution". We've been rocking him to sleep every night and we decided to teach him how to fall asleep on his own. I have a friend that used this with her son and it worked like a charm so she let me borrow her book so we could try it. It was also approved by our pediatrician at our last visit. We put him in his crib at 8:40pm (yes, I know that's too late!) and he cried off and on for 3 hours - yikes!!! It wasn't a frantic cry, more of a wimper. We've always swaddled him when he goes to sleep so we think he'd fall asleep and then move his arms and wake himself up and start crying again. After 3 long hours of this, we decided to quickly swaddle him and put him back in his crib. It worked and he didn't make a peep after that. I wish we'd done that earlier! We'll slowly start to unswaddle him as the days go on so he doesn't become dependent on that to fall asleep. Hopefully tonight will go smoother :)

Here's a cute picture of him playing with his feets. He's just started grabbing them and he can almost get them in his mouth.

Mega blister

2011-03-24T08:44:00.008-06:00

I went for a walk with a friend a little over a week ago for the first time. I was excited about getting out in the beautiful weather, chatting with another adult and spending time with our 2 babies that are about the same age. I decided to wear a new pair of socks because they looked extra cushy and I thought that might be beneficial on a long walk. I won them several years ago at a healthclub and have never worn them. They were low-cut but were higher in the back which is supposed to prevent the sock from sliding down into the shoe. We started our walk and all was good. Then a few minutes later, it felt like I got a small rock in the back of my sock. I causually tried to shake my foot as we were walking but it wasn't going away. A little fact you may not know about me: I don't like to show that anything's wrong. I will hide pain. And this time was no different. I never said anything to my friend, but when we stopped to cross a street, I reached down and tried to brush away whatever was in my sock. For the next hour, I was in pain, a lot of pain. We talked and walked and she never knew anything was wrong (I'm good like that!). We went back to her place and I drove home. I took off my shoe and sock and found the mega blister. I've never had a blister this bad and have never seen one this big. It HURT!! I threw the cushy, new socks in the trash and got bandaged up my my army medic husband.

This was the blister a few days later. The fluid inside turned blackish/purple. I taped a quarter above it just as a size reference. I put a special blister band-aid on it and when I took it off, it broke the blister open. It's much better now and I can wear tennis shoes again as long as I keep a band-aid covering the raw, open hole.

I'm going for a walk today with a different friend and different socks :)

Irish Dinner

2011-03-18T10:58:00.007-06:00

This is the dinner I made for St. Patrick's Day this year. I just love making themed meals. We had a little leprechaun as the centerpiece :)

Shepherd's Pie
Steamed cabbage
Irish soda bread

I've never had or made Shepherd's Pie before so I looked up several recipes and then combined several of them to make something that sounded good. It's basically ground beef (I used soy), veggies like carrots, peas, onion and celery and then potatoes on top. We all liked it! I used a pastry bag to pipe the mashed potatoes on top to make it fancy and then put it under the broiler to give it color.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T16:08:00.004-06:00

Preston got all dressed up in green for St. Patrick's Day. I bought this outfit way before he was even born - we're not Irish, but we like to celebrate the holiday.

Talking of Irish...

I made homemade Irish Cream Brownies with Irish Cream Frosting (http://www.littleshamrocks.com/Irish-Cookie-Recipes.html#IrishCreamBrownies) and delivered them to my hubby's work today. They were yummy! I'm making an Irish dinner for tonight. Shepherd's Pie (never had it or made it), steamed cabbage, Irish Soda Bread and some of the brownies I kept for us.

Preston cracking up

2011-03-05T07:23:00.001-07:00

Video of Preston cracking up as I was making funny faces at him. I love hearing that little laugh :)

17 weeks!

2011-02-24T16:49:00.008-07:00

Preston turned 17 weeks yesterday. He'll be 4 months old in just a few days. He's getting to be a lot more fun now - he loves to smile and laugh and we do everything we can to make him do both. He's very ticklish too which is fun for all of us. He rolled over from his tummy to his back for the first time on February 16th. Some days he'll do it over and over and some days his arm gets stuck and he can't quite get all the way over. That's his first big milestone! Here's some pictures from our photo session yesterday:

A special dinner

2011-02-21T08:41:00.006-07:00

One year ago today I told my hubby that I was pregnant. It was one of the most wonderful days of my life and I will never forget it. I made him a special dinner with 'baby' foods to see if he would pick up on the clues. He didn't.

Portabella burgers
BABY portabella mushrooms
BABY swiss cheese
BABY carrots
BABY spinach salad
Ice cream with pickles (we didn't eat them together)
BABY Ruth candy bars
Decaf iced tea

And I rented the movie 'Baby on Board'

I gave him a box to open after dinner - it was filled with 4 positive pregnancy tests and a due date calendar. I had all the tests upside down and he had no idea what they were until he started turning them over. It was so much fun to watch him finally realize what was going on. It was a great night.

To celebrate our 1 year baby anniversary, I'm recreating this same dinner for tonight. And, no, I'm not pregnant :)

A very special day

2011-02-20T14:09:00.005-07:00

^^^This is what I was doing one year ago today ^^^

What an amazing year it's been :)

15 weeks old

2011-02-09T16:40:00.002-07:00

Preston is 15 weeks old today! I'm taking a picture of him every Wednesday in the same chair for his first year to see how much he changes and grows. It's fun to look back at the pictures - he's such a big boy now! I weighed him this morning and he's up to 13 pounds. He got this puppy dog outfit as a baby shower gift and it finally fits him. The booties are little puppy faces and sooo cute! I love dressing up my lil' man :)

Superbowl Sunday

2011-02-07T14:36:00.003-07:00

Preston got all ready for Superbowl Sunday. He had everything he needed - milk, Doritos, a comfy chair and a cute football outfit. It was all staged though, neither one of us watched it.

Preston is 3 months old!

2011-01-28T12:55:00.004-07:00

Preston turned 3 months old yesterday. Our little buddy is growing up fast! He doesn't look like a newborn anymore and he's starting to figure out that there's a big world around him filled with exciting things. He just found his hands and is constantly sucking on them....which makes him a drool monster! He's now sporting a bib at all times to catch the slobber (except when I'm taking a picture of him in a cute outfit). He wore his first pair of overalls yesterday which won't fit him much longer!

First road trip

2011-01-26T14:54:00.009-07:00

We took Preston on his first road trip this past weekend. It was filled with many firsts:

First car ride - he did so good!

First restaurant - Noodles and Company (Yum!)

First hotel room

First time holding a bottle by himself

First time in a big bathtub - he loved splashing the water.

First time sleeping in a hotel - he did great!

First changing table (Cheesecake Factory - LOVE that place!)

I can't wait to take many more trips with our little guy!! It's so fun to be a family of 3 ♥

Birthday suit

2011-01-13T09:31:00.003-07:00

I realized that I don't have any pictures of Preston in his birthday suit so I got out the camera and we had a photo session a few days ago. I also don't have any pictures of him on his tummy. Well, 86 pictures later, we now have pictures of him in his birthday suit on his tummy. He was a good sport and gave me lots of smiles. He's growing so fast and is getting so big!

(Thank you Anna for the adorable blanket!!!)

1-11-11

2011-01-11T18:12:00.003-07:00

A year ago today is when I learned that our final fertility treatment failed and lost all hope of ever becoming a mommy. Such a hard day, but what a difference a year makes!! Here's an updated picture of our little miracle taken on January 5, 2011 - Preston was 10 weeks old:

One year ago today...

2010-12-30T13:39:00.006-07:00

Last year on December 30th, Brandon and I did our last IUI fertility treatment. It was our 6th attempt and we decided this would be our last. It was just too expensive and emotionally draining and the dr. told us we should move onto something else if this didn't work. It was by far the most painful procedure out of the 6 and I was hopeful that if we 'gave up', this time would be successful. I found out on January 12th that this time had failed also. One of the worst moments in my life. It was a start of thinking a different way - we looked up information on adoption even though that path never felt right to me. I had given up hope on ever becoming pregnant. Little did I know that 17 days later, little Preston would start growing. Oh man, - it still brings me to tears thinking of all we went through and where we are now.

Here's some Christmas pictures of our little miracle man:

^Santa Baby^

^Love this face!^

^"Stop kissing me!!!"^

2 months old!!

2010-12-23T10:53:00.002-07:00

Preston turned 2 months old yesterday - that sounds so much older than 8 weeks. He's such a cutie pie and doesn't look like a newborn anymore. He recently found his tongue which is so funny to watch. He's slept through the night several times now and that's such a treat for mom and dad!!

Bad mommy!!!

2010-12-19T13:47:00.002-07:00

In a desperate attempt to get my sweet little Preston to stop crying and to go to sleep, I plopped him down on the bed, tightly wrapped a blanket around his wiggly arms, propped pillows around him so he wouldn't fall over, stuffed a pacifier in his mouth (he hates them!) and turned the radio on and started signing loudly - and badly! - while I folded laundry. He immediately quieted down and while sucking on the pacifier, fell asleep. I know this was wrong of me, but it worked and I may be onto something. Bad mommy!!!

Preston is 1 month old!

2010-11-27T19:44:00.003-07:00

My sweet baby is 1 month old today! We have a dr. appointment on Tuesday to have his weight checked and to make sure he's still healthy and doing well. We sure love the new addition to our family ♥

Pictures of Preston

2010-11-03T16:05:00.003-06:00

Here's pictures of our new love:

Me, Preston and Dr. Weary

Snuggle time

1st Halloween

Preston Robert King has arrived!

2010-11-01T05:46:00.006-06:00

Our little pumpkin is finally here. He was born via c-section and we're all doing great and loving our new family of 3. I'm the happiest I've ever been and still can't believe I've been blessed with such a wonderful baby and an amazing husband.

Name: Preston Robert King
Date: October 27, 2010
Time: 4:03pm
Weight: 7 pounds, 8 ounces
Length: 20 inches

Our little pumpkin is almost here!!!!!

2010-10-26T22:51:00.003-06:00

I was induced this morning at 11am - we're at the hospital waiting for labor to start so we can meet our little pumpkin. Tomorrow will be the big day :)

Still cookin' the pumpkin...

2010-10-25T12:09:00.006-06:00

I'm now officially 1 week past my due date. I feel great but I haven't felt any signs of labor. I'm getting very anxious to meet our baby! We have an ultrasound, a non-stress test and a dr. appointment tomorrow morning to make sure our little buddy is doing ok and is just really comfy where he's at. I'm feeling him move a lot so that's a good thing!

Here's some recent pictures of my baby belly:

Brandon painted the pumpkin on my belly with Halloween paint. The little guy was moving like crazy the whole time - it was really fun!

Baby shower

2010-10-04T09:03:00.003-06:00

My friend Evangeline threw me a baby shower this weekend. She's a great hostess and we played fun games and ate yummy food. One of the activities was painting onesies with fabric paint and stencils - I've never done this, but it was really fun! Our little guy now has a bunch of personalized clothes to wear that were made with love by my friends. This is some of the gang with the finished products: Me, Mama, Tiffany, Katy.

^Big monkey balloon bouquet^

^Big Belly at 37 weeks^

I'm now 38 weeks pregnant. I'm due 2 weeks from today....14 days.....336 hours. It's getting so real and I'm getting so excited about meeting my belly buddy. Keep cookin' little guy! ♥

Baby Shower #1

2010-09-07T16:34:00.003-06:00

Both of my pregnant friends had their babies over Labor Day weekend. One girl, one boy. Everyone is doing well and I can't wait to see both babies. We had a baby shower together in August - lots of good food and fun. I have always wanted to make a baby carriage out of a watermelon and this was the perfect occasion. I used a full sized melon and filled it with melon balls, blueberries, strawberries and grapes. I used a white nectarine for the baby head and drew on a face with a sharpie and then wrapped it in a lettuce leaf blanket. It was pretty easy to carve and super fun to make!

^ Me, Amber and Gracie ^

The 3 baby bellies

3D/4D pictures of our little pumpkin

2010-08-31T10:06:00.005-06:00

^ Pouty face ^

^Daddy's mouth^

^'Baby taco' - love those little toes!^

My hubby's birthday was this past Saturday and I surprised him with a 3D/4D ultrasound session. We had talked about doing this and I thought it would make a perfect gift. For the first half of the session, our little guy had his arm covering his face and we couldn't see much - little stinker!! After some gentle probing from daddy, he finally moved his arm and we got to see his whole face for the first time. He's definitely got his daddy's mouth!! He opened his eyes a few times and yawned twice (so cute!). I had 2 glasses of orange juice before our appointment to make him move around but our little pumpkin was too comfy and slept almost the whole time. He's in a Frank Breech position with his arms and legs fully extended in front of his face. I sure hope he turns around over the next 7 weeks! Our package came with a CD with 47 pictures and a DVD of our whole session so we can watch it over and over. It was a great bonding experience and I'm so glad we did this. 48 days to go :)

Chubby cheeks and my big belly

2010-08-23T09:09:00.007-06:00

We had a 3D ultrasound on August 13th and got a good, clear picture of our pumpkin's little face. His cheeks are getting chubby and he's looking so much more like an actual baby! He was sleeping and sucking on his wrist - SO CUTE!!!

Here's a picture of my big belly at 31 weeks. I'm finally starting to feel pregnant and I'm loving it! The baby is kicking and rolling around a lot and I find myself rubbing my belly all the time. It's a wonderful feeling and I feel great!

30 weeks pregnant

2010-08-09T08:31:00.003-06:00

Here's the latest picture of our lil' pumpkin taken last month. This was the first time we got to see his little face in 3D - love that little squishy mouth and button nose. He's still bent in half with his legs and arms in front of his face, so this was the best picture we could get. Our next ultrasound is this Friday the 13th. Can't wait to see him again :)

I had a rough few weeks of severe back and hip pain. I went to physical therapy a few times and now I'm back to feeling normal. Thank goodness! I can handle a lot of pain, but I was miserable.

Garden fresh produce

2010-08-06T09:54:00.004-06:00

I planted my garden late (June 1st) and have been waiting and waiting for some fresh produce. I went out to water the other day and lookie what I found!! I planted some different veggies this year and this picture shows two of them - purple green beans (which turn green when cooked) and a Fooled You pepper. It tastes like a jalapeno, but without the heat. I ended up stuffing it with herb cream cheese and eating it raw - it was really good! The tomato was amazing - nothing like growing it yourself and eating it right after it's picked. The zucchini and green beans were really good too. This was our dinner along with steamed Yukon gold potatoes and a mango-nectarine that I found at the grocery store. It was like a small, juicy peach with a hint of mango. Loved it! I can't wait for the rest of my garden to ripen :)

Strange storm clouds

2010-07-21T09:08:00.004-06:00

I live in Colorado. It rarely rains here. Sometimes it gets cloudy and looks like it will rain, but then the sun comes out and the clouds blow away. It's all a big tease. Yesterday was no different. I was outside and it started sprinkling and then POURING rain. We got a good soaking for more than an hour. It was very exciting. Watching the news last night they said this was a storm of 'great proportions' - which I guess meant because we got more than a few drops. There were flash flood warnings all over and a tornado warning to the East. There was even reports of a car floating down a main street. We got some more light rain off and on throughout the night. Wonderful sleeping weather with the windows open :)

This morning I woke up to strange storm clouds over the mountains. There was a big white cloud bank at the foothills and a big dark cloud hanging above. Between the 2 was beautiful blue sky and the tops of the mountain peaks were barely visible. Hope everyone has a great day whether it's cloudy or sunny, rainy or dry.

Birthday Monkey and Posole Soup

2010-07-17T10:13:00.004-06:00

I love monkeys - they make me smile. I found this digital freebie on Dustin Pike's blog http://dustinpike.blogspot.com/ and had to have it. His images have such a cute personality. I colored the monkey and vines with Copic markers, added some brown grosgrain ribbon and cuttlebugged the bottom layer.

I made Posole Soup for dinner the other night and it was YUMMY!!! I love mexican food and I love soup. I've had Posole at restaurants, but I've never made it at home. I think the recipe came from a Family Circle magazine. I altered the recipe slightly since I don't eat meat - changes are in parenthesis. It was a slow cooker recipe, but I cooked it on the stove and it worked out fine.

Chicken Posole
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken cut into 1-inch pieces (I used Quorn Chick'n Tenders)
2 cans (15 ounce each) white hominy, drained and rinsed
1 medium-size onion, chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. dried red pepper flakes
2 large chicken flavored bouillon cubes (I used vegetarian chicken broth powder)
4 cups water
1 can (14.5 ounce) petite cut diced tomatoes with jalapenos, drained
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Lime slices
*I also added a small can of roasted green chilies, drained

Combine all ingredients except lime slices and cook on HIGH for 3 hours or LOW for 5 hours. Serve in bowls with lime on the side.

(I sauteed the garlic and onion in a big pot until soft and then added the rest of the ingredients and simmered, covered, for about 15 minutes. The lime juice really added a nice tang.)

Stamps: Dustin Pike digital image, Hero Arts message
Accessories: Grosgrain ribbon, cuttlebug, Copic Markers
Paper: SU! Handsome hunter, chocolate chip, white

Fella and his Bella

2010-07-14T06:57:00.006-06:00

My cousin got married over the weekend and I needed to make him a card. I didn't go to the wedding as it was in California. I found this Bella image that someone had sent me. It's called 'Fella and his Bella'. The Bella looks like the bride (especially the hair!) so I used it even though it's technically not a "wedding image". Close enough, right? The card matches their wedding colors - hunter green, lime green and chocolate brown. I made the card mostly white and just added a touch of the colors so it didn't look too gaudy.

I'm now 26 weeks pregnant and things are starting to change! I've had a very smooth pregnancy so far but these past 2 weeks have been a challenge. I injured my lower back several years ago and the pain has come back a few times since then. It's a sharp, shooting pain that feels like I'm being electrocuted and it HURTS! It's not just a backache, it's much more. This pain came back 2 weeks ago and I was miserable. I've been getting a monthly prenatal massage and the therapist thinks it might be sciatica although the pain doesn't shoot down my leg, it goes up my back. I finally went to the dr. and they recommended Vicodin and muscle relaxers and offered to give me a referral to physical therapy. I'm too scared to take the Vicodin, but I've been taking the muscle relaxers and Tylenol and it's helped a little. I hate taking anything while I'm pregnant, but I'm miserable without anything. Some days I'll start to feel better and then the pain comes back. I've been putting moist heat on it several times a day and that feels pretty good. I think I may just have to wait this out. Another symptom that's shown up recently is both of my hands are numb and tingly all the time. It's worse in the mornings when I wake up. I've read that this is caused by pregnancy and is called carpel tunnel syndrome. The swelling in the body causes the nerves in the hands to be pinched and go numb. Never heard of that before! Other than those 2 minor setbacks, I'm loving being pregnant and everything is going well :)

Stamps: Stamping Bella 'Fella and his Bella'
Accessories: Ribbon, Cuttlebug, brads, SU word window punch, nestabilities, Copic markers
Paper: SU green galore, handsome hunter, chocolate chip, white

My belly is growing!!

2010-07-08T09:38:00.005-06:00

This picture was taken at 24 weeks.

We've been taking a picture of my belly every 4 weeks since I was 16 weeks. I'm now 25 weeks along and I'm amazed at how much bigger I'm getting! I don't really feel any different, but the picture sure shows how much I'm growing. I'm trying to wear the same outfit in each picture so it shows my progress - so far, the button still buttons on the pants, but they are getting tighter! :)

I've started feeling the lil' pumpkin kicking. It's the best experience and I'm loving it. 2 more weeks until our next ultrasound. 102 days until my due date - LOL!!!

Our Gift

2010-07-01T08:26:00.005-06:00

I saw this Willow Tree statue at a Hallmark store and thought it would be the perfect anniversary gift for my hubby. We were going out of town for the weekend, but I wanted to get him a little something to open on Sunday morning. This figurine is called 'Our Gift' and it's my first Willow Tree. I love how they are both holding the baby and each other. Our baby is definitely a gift that we have been wanting for a long time.

I also made him this card. It's pretty simple - the 2 birds and heart are a rub-on (I LOVE RUB-ONS!). I cut out the main image with my nestabilities die, added a mat and a few brads and stamped the message.

Stamps: $1 stamp from Michael's (Kolette Hall)

Accessories: Rub-on from Luxe, Nestabilities die, brads

Paper: SU! Real Red, white

♥ 12th Wedding Anniversary ♥

2010-06-29T16:04:00.004-06:00

This past Sunday was our 12th wedding anniversary. I love being married to my best friend. I wish we could spend every second of every day with each other. He promised me this would be possible if we win the lottery :) Darn money always gets in the way.

We went out of town for a few days to celebrate. We stayed in Idaho Springs, CO which is about a 2 hour drive into the mountains. The weather was beautiful and we had a great time. We stayed at the Indian Springs Resort which has a big indoor hot springs pool that feels fabulous to soak in. It isn't too hot so me and the lil' pumpkin were able to enjoy it. We spent A LOT of time in the pool! We've been there before and we plan to go back next year for our anniversary with our little guy. We highly recommend this place: http://indianhotsprings.com// We ate lots of good food, relaxed, enjoyed our time together and took some scenic drives. One was to the top of Mt. Evans which has the highest paved road in North America. It's paved, but drops off on the sides with no guardrails. Luckily Brandon is a good driver :) The summit is 14,130 feet and it was only 33* at the top. It was a clear day and the drive was beautiful. We saw a herd of billy goats with 4 teeny-tiny babies. Soooo cute!!

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband and thanks for such a fun weekend ♥

Road up to Mt. Evans

Mama and baby billy goat - the park ranger said the baby was only a few weeks old.
Me and Brandon at the summit - it was windy, can you tell?!

Echo Lake

Waterfall and Waterwheel in Idaho Springs

23 week ultrasound in 3-D!

2010-06-25T08:38:00.006-06:00

We had our 23 week ultrasound yesterday. Our little pumpkin looks great - he weighs 1 pound, 4oz and is breech right now. He has both arms and both legs curled up by his face. Silly guy! The technician switched the ultrasound over to 3-D and we got to see him in a whole new way. It was so neat to watch. It was hard to get a good picture of his face because all of his limbs are in the way :) He better not be camera shy when he arrives because I LOVE to take pictures and he'll have his picture taken a lot!

My belly is measuring 25cm and things are going well. I can't wait to watch my belly get bigger and bigger. This is the best experience of my life ♥

Baby legs - baby knees, baby feets and baby toes

Profile - his feet are above his forehead and you can see the shadow of his legs at the top of the picture.

Birthday Dragon

2010-06-23T07:21:00.005-06:00

I stumbled upon the Dustin Pike blog awhile ago. He draws the cutest images and even gives away digital freebies from time to time. Most of the cards I make are for birthdays so this was a free image I grabbed immediately and knew I'd use over and over. I colored the whole thing with Copic Markers and popped up his hat and muzzle (is that what it's called on a dragon?!). I used crystal effects on the balloon to make it shiny and covered the cake with stickles. I cut the base of this card a little different than usual - I cut off about 2 inches on the right so the card opens closer to the middle. I just love this designer paper by DCWV - I'm really into stars right now :)

I'm 23 weeks pregnant now and we have our next ultrasound tomorrow! We invited my mama to come with us to experience seeing the pumpkin in action. I'll be sharing pictures on Friday :)

Stamps - Dustin Pike
Accessories - Copic Markers, Stickles, crystal effects, grosgrain ribbon, MS scallop circle punch, Nestabilities, pop-dots, 'Wish' rub-on
Paper - DCWV, SU!

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T07:45:00.005-06:00

Happy Father's Day to all the dad's. This is a very special day for us since it's the first Father's Day since we became pregnant. It's always been a difficult day for us, but this year we have a reason to celebrate!! Brandon talks to my belly everyday and I just know he's going to be the best daddy! I'm so looking forward to our future and our changing roles as parents. I loved making this Father's Day card. The image is called 'Miracle from Above' from H & M Stamps. It was the perfect image because we are constantly amazed at our little miracle. And I have a strong feeling we'll be staring at the baby a lot ♥ On the inside I printed "Happy 1st Pre-Father, Father's Day."

We're going to the park today to celebrate Springspree - a festival that's held every summer. He hasn't gotten to go for a few years so we're excited to go. Afterwards, we're heading over to my mama's house for dinner. The weather is beautiful today so it should be a lot of fun.

Time to wake daddy :)

Stamps: Miracle from Above (H & M Stamps)

Paper: DCWV, SU!

Accessories: Cuttlebug, Nestabilities, oval punch, copic markers, grograin ribbon, brads, pop-dots

Ped Egg

2010-06-19T04:37:00.002-06:00

I admit it. I am an infomercial junkie. I want everything I see - even if it looks too good to be true or sounds ridiculous. I'm usually pretty good about not buying everything I see...usually. I saw the commercial for the Ped Egg awhile ago and was intrigued by the "cheese grater for feet". I take care of my feet and get regular pedicures, but I wanted something I could use at home that would really work. I bought my Ped Egg at Bed Bath and Beyond and used a 20% off coupon - my total cost was $7 and some change. I came home and immediately tried it out. I WAS IN LOVE ♥ This product really works and it was easy and painless. My heels do not look dry or cracked and I was amazed at the amount of dead skin it removed. The design of the Egg is supposed to catch all of the shavings in the lid - I found this to be a bit faulty because you have to keep it upside down while using and that's not always easy. It does catch most of it though. I just use it over the bathtub and problem solved. I give this product 5 stars.

I also bought the Heel Tastic Foot Therapy to go with my Egg. It works pretty well even though I can't stand the smell. I do love the deodorant-style applicator though.

Other infomercial products I've bought:

Sobakowa Pillow (love)
Sham-Wow (pretty good)
Nads Hair Remover (no likey!)
Tap Light (too dim)
Tan Perfect (worked ok)
Dual-Action Cleanse (eh)
Dryer Balls (love)
Debbie Meyers Green Bags (love)
Topsy Tail (loved this when I had long hair)
Oxiclean (not impressed)
Furminator (didn't work on my kitties)

(all these products can be found here: http://www.asseenontv.com/)

Father's Day/Grandpa's Day

2010-06-17T06:19:00.006-06:00

This is my dad's last year as just a 'dad' before he becomes a first time Grandpa. He's super excited about his new status so I decided to make him a Father's Day/Grandpa's Day gift. I was looking for a cute picture frame that said something with Grandpa, but couldn't find one I liked. I found a plain frame at Michael's and decided to get crafty instead. He likes homemade stuff and I thought he'd appreciate something unique. I covered the frame in designer paper, spray painted the letters white, and added a few sparkly foam stars and a matching ribbon. I sealed the whole thing with Mod Podge so it won't rip or tear. I used clear acetate to cover the window and added a picture from our last ultrasound.

Someone had sent me the goofy old man image and I thought he looked like a perfect Grandpa. I colored him with Copic Markers and added Crystal Effects to his glasses. I added designer paper and foam stars to match the picture frame.

I found the cute onesie at JCPenney's. My dad's coming to visit us shortly after the baby is born and I think he'll enjoy holding him in this outfit :)

Stamps: Old Man (unknown)
Accessories: Cuttlebug, foam stars, wooden letters, spray paint, mod podge, ribbon, Copics
Paper: SU, DCWV designer paper

Wedding card

2010-06-16T10:29:00.003-06:00

We recently went to a wedding for one of my husband's co-workers. She had just graduated college 6 days earlier and her hubby-to-be had graduated from the Air Force Academy the night before. It was a beautiful outdoor wedding and the weather was perfect. Her colors were turquoise, ivory and black. I made her this matching card to go with the gift we bought. It was very fun to make :)

Stamps: Whipper Snapper, Stampin' Up!
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Stickles, ribbon, Copic markers
Paper: SU Black, SU ivory and turquoise paper from the wedding invitation

IT'S A BOY!!!!!!

2010-06-07T09:05:00.007-06:00

We found out last Thursday that our lil' pumpkin is a BOY!! What an exciting day. I started crying (happy tears!) the minute we walked in the ultrasound room and didn't stop until about 5 hours later. The suspense, the excitement, the amazement, the relief that everything was ok - all of it was overwhelming in a wonderful way! It's so much fun to know we are going to have a BOY! The shopping has already begun :) He looks great and is weighing in at 11 ounces and is 10 inches long. I'm still waiting to feel him move which the dr. said should be in the next week or so. Our next ultrasound is on June 24th - can't wait to see him again!

His little foot and toes - I LOVE baby feets.

Profile - can't wait to kiss those lips! ♥

Arms covering the face - this was our favorite picture.

Boy or girl, pink or blue?

2010-06-03T08:00:00.006-06:00

Today's the BIG day we find out if we have a girl pumpkin or a boy pumpkin :)

We can finally stop calling the baby 'IT' and most importantly, START SHOPPING!!!!! I'm itching to paint the nursery and start decorating. I've never been so excited to go to the dr. - I'm loving every minute of this experience.

Here's a picture of my baby bump last month at 16 weeks:

Remember the heroes

2010-05-31T05:54:00.003-06:00

Hope everyone is enjoying their Memorial Day weekend. Please pause to say thanks to our military and remember the fallen heroes.

First Mother's Day

2010-05-12T06:11:00.005-06:00

This was my first Mother's Day as an official Mother. I'm looking so forward to next year when I'll be with my little blessing on this special holiday.

I woke up to a bouquet of pink carnations (my favorite!), a sweet card and this beautiful diamond necklace. The kite-shaped square matches the diamond on my wedding ring. I love it and will be wearing it often - it's so 'ME' :)

My husband had to go to school to work on his Master's final so I got to spend the day with my mama. I made us a picnic lunch of Dilled Gazpacho, Egg Salad on Croissants, Almond Tea and homemade toffee. Very girly. We ate at a local park and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. People were flying kites and enjoying the day. After lunch, we went for a walk on the path that runs along the river in the park. It's a pretty area with lots of trees and mini-waterfalls. Just a few months ago, the shores of this area were lined with homeless camps, hundreds of them. We had driven by a few times and it was quite a sight to see. It looked like small villages. The city has made camping there illegal now and it's completely cleaned up. The only remaining evidence we saw was a small fire pit. We wandered around for 2 hours and we only walked a small part of the trail. We'll definitely have to go back for more exploring.

The park has a huge circular fountain that pours a shower of water and also rotates 360*. It hasn't been turned on for the season yet, but it's still a neat sculpture to see.

Hope all my mommy friends had a great day with their family :)

May Day!!

2010-05-01T10:32:00.004-06:00

Happy May Day! I have sweet memories of making May Day baskets as a child and leaving them on neighbors porches. We always had a Maypole celebration at our elementary school too.

History of May Day: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Day

Enjoy this first day of May and do something nice for someone who is special to you ♥

Happy Earth Day 2010

2010-04-22T16:37:00.004-06:00

Love your Mother....Earth ♥

I'M FINALLY PREGNANT!!!

2010-04-19T07:52:00.006-06:00

Meet our lil' pumpkin. Due to arrive 10-23-10

We have been trying to start a family for 8 years. The past 2 years we've done 6 fertility treatments that all failed. Our last one was on December 30, 2009. It also failed. We were devastated. We told the dr. it was our last try, it was just too emotionally draining. Imagine our surprise when I got a positive pregnancy test on February 20, 2010!! I saw the 2 pink lines, but still didn't believe it. I ended up taking 8 tests altogether and they were all instantly positive :) I told my hubby the next day. We are beyond thrilled!!

I am 14 weeks today. For the most part, I feel great. I never had morning sickness, thank goodness! Our last ultrasound (above) was taken on April 6th. We got to hear the hearbeat for the first time - what a wonderful sound ♥ The baby was moving all around and the dr. had a hard time getting a good picture. The head is on the right looking down with the hand under the chin. It's amazing how much it's grown since last month!

It still doesn't seem real and I cry happy tears all the time, especially when my hubby talks to my belly. I'm just so thankful we're finally blessed with a little one of our own.

My tennis shoe obsession

2010-04-12T11:41:00.003-06:00

I have a small obsession with tennis shoes - I can pass up regular shoes, but I have a shoe fetish with the comfortable, stylish, new-on-the-market tennis shoe.

I discovered the Reebok EasyTone through a friend at Curves. They were so cute and claim to "firm you up so you never have to workout ever again". OK, maybe that's not exactly their motto, but I liked the idea of a shoe that had a dual purpose. They have 2 stability balls on the bottom and make you balance while you walk so that you're working more muscles than a flat shoe. Sounded cool. I needed new shoes anyway, well, WANTED new shoes, so I set out to find these. Every store in the mall carried a different color - some stores were even sold out because they were such a good seller. I found a silver/pink pair that begged to come home with me. They are really cute, they are comfy and I was happy with my purchase. However....if I wear them on a walk, or for too long at a time, it feels like I have a clump of mud stuck to the bottom of my shoe. But they are cute.

The Sketcher Shape-ups have intrigued me for awhile and it seems like everyone around here has a pair, so they must be good, right? I always thought they looked like orthopedic old-people shoes, but I had a coupon (sort-of, I'll get to that in a minute) and decided to go to the store and try them on. They were comfy and worked in a different way than my Reebok shoes. These shoes rock back and forth, front to back, like you're standing on a rocking chair. They had a cute silver/white pair so I decided to adopt them. I figured between these 2 pairs of shoes, I may never have to workout ever again!! I don't really believe that, but it's a nice thought. They do claim to "burn more calories, tone muscles and improve posture". Turns out, my 'coupon' didn't apply to these shoes (grrr!), but I already had my mind set on getting these shoes so I did what any logical person would do. I looked around and found another pair of tennis shoes that I could use my coupon on - couldn't let it go to waste!! I bought a regular pair of cute Asics. I got a $75 pair of shoes for $32 - I love good coupons :) I've only worn my Shape-ups around the house, but they are very comfy.

Maybe wearing these shoes will help me burn off the 8,000 calories I've been eating from my Easter Candy shopping spree (see previous post)

Don't be like me

2010-04-05T16:59:00.003-06:00

I highly recommend NOT going to Walmart the day after Easter. If you must go, avoid the reduced priced candy aisle!! There was still plenty of the good candy left - well, there was before I got there ;) We may be eating Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs for breakfast, lunch and dinner! And I discovered SweeTart Jelly Beans - I don't even like jelly beans, but these are fruity and yummy and not waxy like regular ones. I was good and only bought one bag....so far. And then there's the Snickers Eggs. Please don't be like me and buy enough candy to put you in a sugar coma. I feel a little guilty (as I eat another jelly bean...).

HAPPY EASTER!

2010-04-04T10:44:00.005-06:00

This cartoon cracks me up!!

My favorite Easter candy is the Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs - YUMM!! We're having 2 dinners today - one with each of our families. Should be full and happy by tonight!

I hope you all have a blessed Easter with the ones you love ♥

How To Cut A Fresh Pineapple

2010-03-20T15:54:00.004-06:00

I just bought my first fresh pineapple and I wasn't sure how to cut it up. I found this video and the whole process was actually pretty easy! I had never heard the tip about turning it upside down so the sugars re-distribute. I didn't do that (I wanted to eat it NOW) but the bottom was much sweeter than the top. I'll be buying these more often :)

Homemade Carrot Cake

2010-03-08T16:20:00.004-07:00

I made this cake for my mama's birthday yesterday. She's been talking about carrot cake for awhile so I decided to attempt to make one from scratch. I'm not a big fan of this kind of cake, but it turned out really well (it's not my favorite, but I'll still eat it!). I made it into 2 rounds and frosted it with a maple cream cheese frosting. I tinted part of it orange and green and decorated the top. Please excuse the soggy carrots - the frosting was really soft even after adding a ton of extra powdered sugar. I liked the frosting :)

These are the 2 recipes I used:

Sam's Famous Carrot Cake

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Moon over the mountains

2010-03-02T08:45:00.003-07:00

I snapped this picture early this morning as the sun was coming up. I looked outside and saw the moon just above the mountains. A few minutes later, the moon was gone! The snowy covered peak to the right is Pike's Peak (14,110 feet). There's not a cloud in the sky and it's supposed to be 50* today. Sounds like a good day for a walk :)

Today's date is 3,2,1,0 (3-2-10). I like nerdy stuff like that!

Happy Valentine's Day (+ a week and a half)

2010-02-25T05:04:00.006-07:00

I've been meaning to post the Valentine card I made for my hubby - how does life fly by so fast sometimes?!?!

I bought this cute 'Juggle Monkey' digital stamp image from dustinpike.blogspot.com. He has great stuff and it's really cheap, sometimes even FREE!! I bought my hubby Valentine boxer shorts that look just like this only in reverse colors many, many years ago - one of the reasons I wanted this image.

The 4 hearts and the monkey's face and bowtie are cut out and raised with pop-dots. The whole image is colored with Copic markers. I printed the 'Wild Thing' background on the computer and then cut it out with a Nestabilities die. I Cuttlebugged the embossed hearts, added a ribbon, a rub-on message and some heart brads. I had so much fun making this card. I also added 5 'Monkey Money' scratch off tickets inside - we hit the mega jackpot and won $1. We have decided to go all out and blow the whole thing at once. We're risky like that.

Hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day.....if you can remember back that far!! :)

Stamps: Dustin Pike digital image 'Juggle Monkey'
Paper: SU! Chocolate Chip, Real Red, White
Accessories: Red grosgrain ribbon, rub-on message, heart brads, pop-dots, crystal effects, Copic markers, printer, Nestabilities Labels One, Cuttlebug hearts folder

Superbowl snacks

2010-02-08T12:01:00.008-07:00

This is the only way I get involved in anything football - fun shaped food.

I made these goodies for my hubby to take to his army unit during Superbowl weekend. I found football shaped pretzels and knew I wanted put them in Chex Mix (I love that stuff!!). I also made boiled cookies and shaped and decorated them like footballs. They are made from dark chocolate, oatmeal and peanut butter so they are practically health food :)

Boiled Cookies

4 Tbsp. butter

2 cups sugar

3 Tbsp. cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark)

1/2 cup milk

Heat in large pot over medium heat until boiling. Boil for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and add:

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup peanut butter

3 cups quick oats

Stir until combined and drop Tablespoon sized cookies onto foil. Cool until firm.

*These are a favorite cookie from my childhood. I turn 8 years old everytime I taste one :)

Pumpkin Chili and Pumpkin Cornbread

2010-01-28T08:41:00.004-07:00

I LOVE pumpkin. Like, really, really LOVE it! I've been hoarding the cans that I got late last year because all the stores around here are out! I got these recipes from my friend Kim (thanks Kim!!) and I'm so glad she shared them with me!! The pumpkin in the chili just made it rich and gave a depth of flavor - it didn't taste or look pumpkin-y. I left out the ground beef and added a can of drained and rinsed dark red kidney beans and black beans to give it some protein. I also used the full can of pumpkin (small can) and added more water. We always eat our chili over rice. Something I had never done until a chili cook-off at work. I added sour cream, shredded cheese, green onion and black olives on top.

The chili was good, but the Pumpkin Cornbread was AWESOME!!! It was more like pumpkin cake with cornmeal :) It was moist and sweet and slightly crunchy. I ate some of the pieces straight from the oven while still warm and some I spread on raw honey. Both were wonderful.

Pumpkin Chili

Pumpkin Cornbread

What's wrong with this picture?!?

2010-01-26T12:32:00.004-07:00

We went out of town for the weekend and these table and chairs were outside of our hotel room. I thought it would make for a funny picture. It was only about 30* (if that!) and it was very windy. After the picture was taken, I went back inside and changed into warmer clothes so we could go shopping. Dorky stuff like this makes me happy :)

Stay warm!!

Quilting Forever, Housework, Whenever!

2010-01-21T09:05:00.004-07:00

This saying made me laugh because I am not a quilter, but I LOVE to clean the house!! These sweet little cherries make me smile. They remind me of a slot machine :) I used my new Tartan Cuttlebug folder - it came in a pack with 5 other folders and I wasn't sure I'd like this one, but I do! I added the faux stitching around the message panel. That's about the extent of my sewing ability - LOL!! I covered the cherries with crystal effects so they're nice and juicy.

I'm off to mop the floors (one of my favorite chores!).

Stamps: Whipper Snapper - Quilting Forever
Accessories: Scallop scissors, Cuttlebug - Tartan, grosgrain ribbon, crystal effects, Copic markers
Paper: SU Real Red, Bella Rose, white

Sew the Seeds of Spring

2010-01-19T10:44:00.003-07:00

Another card using my Whipper Snapper set "Springtime Quilt" by Anna Wight. I glued 4 squares of paper together and then cut them out with a Spellbinder die (label 1) in my Cuttlebug. Since it was 2 pieces of paper instead of one, it cut it out and embossed it in one step - cool!! I also embossed the background using my new Cuttlebug Folder "Tartan". The main images were colored and cut out. The bird and tree are raised with pop-dots. I 'threaded' the button with a strip of paper - a tip I learned from Anna! I do not sew so this is a perfect solution for me. I also don't like the look of nekkid buttons on my card. I didn't have a leaf that was the right green so I made my own. I cut out a piece of green paper and added veins with a Copic marker. I curled the leaf slightly so it didn't look so flat.

Stamps: Whipper Snapper - Springtime Quilt
Accessories: Prima flower, button, Spellbinder die, Cuttlebug, paper piercer, pop-dots, stickles
Paper: SU

Tea Bag holder

2010-01-15T08:49:00.010-07:00

I made this tea bag holder with my new Whipper Snapper stamp sets. I knew I wanted to make something with a tea bag when I first saw this tea pot image. I LOVE tea and it just goes with a warm, cozy quilt. The tea pot is cut out and covered with crystal effects to make it shiny like ceramic. I added the zig-zag 'stitching' to the borders - I am not a sewer and do not own a sewing machine, but the card needed something to finish it off. I'm happy with how it turned out!

The ribbon and tea pot image are on a belly band keeping the card closed. It slips off easily so the card can be opened.

I added a 'quilt' to the inside left and the message on the right. This brand of Earl Grey is my favorite!

Stamps: Whipper Snapper - Springtime Quilt and Quilting Forever

Accessories: Brads, grosgrain ribbon, Copic markers, crystal effects, tea bag :)

Paper: SU Kraft, night of navy

WHIPPER SNAPPER DECEMBER RELEASE!

2009-12-28T08:06:00.007-07:00

2 new Anna Wight cling sets are being released today - Quilting Forever and Springtime Quilt. They each have 12 1-inch size quilting block stamps along with several themed messages. I'm not a quilter or a sewer, but these stamps are really fun to play with! This cuppiecake image is my favorite :)

Check out the other November/December featured designers:

Amy RohlSCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/rohla

Blog: http://inkaboutme.blogspot.com/

Carla MurphySCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/cardsbycarla

Blog: http://cardsbycarla.blogspot.com/

Gabriela DivineSCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/gabydee

Blog: http://gabiwithaneye.blogspot.com/

Randee ElsingSCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/Randee_E

Blog: http://www.mystampingground.blogspot.com/

Anna WightSCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/sweetmissdaisy

Blog: http://sweetmissdaisy.typepad.com/

Stamps: Whipper Snapper - Quilting Forever

Accessories: Heart button, paper piercer, nesties, corner rounder, stickles, pop-dots, copics

Paper: SU red riding hood, pink pirouette, chocolate chip, white

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-26T01:09:00.003-07:00

Merry Christmas to all my friends and family! It's officially over here in Colorado, but this is the first chance I've had to get online. My dad flew in from Phoenix and we've been busy, busy.

Hope everyone had a very wonderful holiday with loved ones. I'll be back soon to post new cards :)

Ice skating chicken

2009-12-23T15:13:00.005-07:00

I'm busy running around at the last minute getting Christmas stuff done. I'm going out later tonight to brave the mall to get 2 gift cards. I refuse to go out tomorrow!! My hubby is already aware of this plan ;)

This is the first card I made with the new Whipper Snapper stamp sets that I got last month. For some reason, that chicken looked like he wanted to skate at night under a full moon. I sponged the moon on the card stock with white craft ink and then embossed it with clear embossing powder. I love how it made 'craters'. I used the Martha Stewart icicle punch and added stickles for some sparkle. The chicken is cut out and raised with pop-dots. I used the reflection technique. I've never tried it before but it was really fun and easy! Poor Mr. Chicken doesn't look too steady on his skates!!

Hope everyone is ready for Christmas - it's almost here!!

Stamps: Whipper Snapper - Think Snow

Paper: SU Night of Navy, white, yellow

Accessories: Martha Stewart icicle punch, stickles, snowflake stickers, clear embossing powder, white craft ink

4:00am Post Office Run....and a card

2009-12-15T04:45:00.007-07:00

I just got back from the post office. I had a VIP package to mail and it needed to go out ASAP! (I'm such a procrastinator!! *Hi, I'm Jennifer and I like the adrenaline rush of waiting until the last minute because this month isn't stressful enough!*) Luckily, the line was short ;) I could hear people working in the back though. I have a huge crush on the APC - Automated Postal Center. IT ROCKS!!!! It took me all of 5 minutes to park, mail the package and get back in my car. Sweeeeet! Yesterday was the busiest mailing day of the month and I feel like I just cheated all those people who had to wait in line.

Here's another card I made for the new Whipper Snapper release. I followed this tutorial on SCS - very easy and very fun! I used my new Polar White Flower Soft - love it! It really looks like fluffy snow. The snowman and the snowballs are cut out and raised on dimensionals. I figured the front was busy enough so I added the message on the inside.

Stamps: Whipper Snapper - Gardening Snowman and Think Snow

Paper: SU! Night of Navy, white, light blue from Archivers

Accessories: Martha Stewart icicle punch, MS snowflake punch, brad, clear embossing powder, Flower Soft, Navy grosgrain ribbon, Stickles, Copics.

Stubble or Chicken Pox?!

2009-12-11T04:20:00.010-07:00

I made this card for my dad's birthday. I thought it would be cute to add 'morning stubble' to the monkey's face, but it looked more like poor monkey had chicken pox! I only added a few spots under his mouth at first and that really didn't look right so I kept adding more. Hopefully my dad thinks it's stubble and not a contagious disease - maybe I'm just over analyzing it. I used Karen Foster snap stamps to add the 'dad' to the green mug. I used my argyle Cuttlebug embossing folder again - I love the way it looks! (Don't tell my hubby, but he just ordered 6 new Cuttlebug folders from HSN for me for Christmas. Wasn't that nice of him? *wink* I love it when he gets me exactly what I want. Here's the link: 6 pack holiday emboss folders)

Stamps: Stampendous - Changito, Stampendous - Happy Birthday, Karen Foster Snap Stamps

Paper: SU! Chocolate chip, buckaroo blue, white, designer paper from Hobby Lobby

Accessories: Brads, Nestabilities (Labels Three), argyle Cuttlebug folder, SU! grosgrain ribbon, Copics, pop-dots

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!!

2009-12-07T11:36:00.008-07:00

It snowed ALL day yesterday and it's snowing again now! As soon as I shovel the sidewalk, it's covered over again. I'm sure getting a good upper body workout though! I love living in Colorado and I love sitting inside with a cup of hot tea watching the snowfall. I'm working on Christmas cards and projects for my Secret Santa - only 17 days until Christmas!!

I made this snowman card using the Whipper Snapper set 'Gardening Snowman'. I love the cute little bird sitting in the flowerpot. I used my heart Cuttlebug folder to tie in the heart theme. I don't usually do blocking on my cards, but it was really fun!

Stamps: Whipper Snapper - Gardening Snowman

Paper: SU! Real red, black, white

Accessories: Cuttlebug (hearts, snowflake and swiss dots), red grosgrain ribbon, brads, Copic markers, stickles glitter, Spellbinders Oval Nestabilities Dies

Happy Tofurkey Day!!

2009-11-26T00:22:00.006-07:00

May your stuffing be tasty

May your tofurkey be plump,

May your potatoes and gravy

Have never a lump.

May your yams be delicious

And your pies take the prize,

And may your Thanksgiving dinner

Stay off your thighs!!!

*Happy Thanksgiving Everyone*

Warm Greetings on a snowy day!

2009-11-23T10:18:00.003-07:00

I woke up to snow today! I thought it was appropriate that I post one of my Whipper Snapper cards using the snowman image from 'Think Snow'. I am usually drawn toward round, chunky snowmen, but I love this slimmed down version. I punched 3 snowflakes and layered them with pop-dots for a 3-D effect. I did the same thing with the main image panels. This is the first time I've used my new argyle Cuttlebug embossing folder. I love the look!! It reminds me of a warm, cozy sweater.

I have more projects that I'll be posting in the next few days.

Stamps: Whipper Snapper - Think Snow
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Martha Stewart snowflake punch, SU real red grosgrain ribbon, red brads, pop-dots, Copic markers
Paper: SU chocolate chip, real red, kraft