What was that?!?

Lately the boys have been blowing Zach and I away with the words and phrases that have been coming out of their mouths. They just seem to be growing up so quickly and understanding things that I really didn't think they could possibly comprehend. So without further ado.... I bring you the latest addition of "isms".

XANDER-ISMS:



A few days ago while riding in the car I was telling Zach my latest uncomfortable pregnancy moment. I had been with the boys when a lady approached me, began asking me questions about my pregnancy, and then with BOTH HANDS began rubbing my belly. Zach gave a chuckle and replied: "You're kidding me! She actually did that?" Me: "Yes, can you believe it?" Then from the back of the car came a little voice that said "Uhh.. Awkward!" Shocked and surprised, Zach and I turned to each other mouths gaping wide and began laughing. Yep, my little Xander had just said the word awkward, and actually used it correctly. Apparently mommy has been using that word a little too much lately, but let's be honest... people do and say some really awkward and strange things to pregnant ladies.

Then a day later as we sat talking at the table after dinner Xander climbed up into Zach's lap and I made the comment about how interesting it is that we have two boys who are basically miniature carbon copies of each of us. Zach turned to Xander and asked "Are you a little mini version of me?" to which he received the reply "Yes, but if I keep eating and sleeping, then I will wake up and be as BIG as you some day daddy." To which Zach replied "You mean you'll be as tall as daddy right 'cause daddy isn't BIG is he?" "Well, if you don't eat your 'vegebles' and 'ex-ersize' then you will be BIG daddy." Let's just say that Zach and I both skipped out on dessert that night.


BLAYNE-ISMS:



Blayne's "isms" may not have been as shocking as Xander's but they sure have been heart melting.

On Saturday morning Zach came walking into the kitchen for breakfast and received quite the warm welcome...
Blayne: "Oh Daddy, you look so handsome!"
Then on Sunday morning when I came into the front room I was met with....
Blayne: "Aww... that dress so cute." and "Your hair so pretty mommy."
Basically, giving us the best start to a day anyone could ask for. Who wouldn't want their own personal affirmation specialist?

So, our little boys are growing up and taking our breath away daily. They continually surprise me with their intelligence, their compassion, their wit, and imaginations (they currently have a slight obsession with cowboys- thanks Feifel goes West).

I can't wait to hear the "isms" that will come out of their mouths when this little girl finally decides to make her appearance.

39 weeks....

AND NO END IN SIGHT. UGH.......


We have come to the conclusion that I had better get used to looking at this large belly because apparently this little girl has decided to stay in as long as possible. For the last few weeks I continue to have long, strong contractions that get my hopes up and then quickly come to an abrupt end. It's like she's playing a never ending game of "Psych!!" just to mess with me. All morning long and throughout church I was having contraction after contraction. Then, as soon as we got home, they became very sparse and our hopes were dashed once again.
They boys are even beginning to get frustrated as the time when Nana and Papa will be coming keeps getting further and further away. They have even begun praying that "Nana and Papa will get here soon." or that they can "go to Nana and Papa's house instead." Last night while talking on the phone with my parents I believe they asked when they were coming about 15 times. (I hear you boys... I can hardly wait myself!!)
Basically Zach and I have decided that these last few weeks have been just a very large lesson in Patience and Trust in the Lord for the both of us, but to be honest.... Zach is handling this lesson with much more grace than I am. He has been absolutely fabulous and mega supportive. He not only listens to my whining and complaining, but then asks what he can do to help or simply does something like begins rubbing my feet/legs. He doesn't complain that the house is gross, or that the meals have been a little lacking, and even though he may be tired after a long day of work.... he is always ready and willing to do anything for or with the boys.
Yeah, HE'S THE BEST!!

The countdown...

We are officially down to 25 days and counting!!!

Yep, pretty soon we'll be able to meet our newest little bundle of joy! While the countdown slowly makes progress we've done a few things to get ourselves ready for her arrival....

** A BABY SHOWER!! **
Yep, thanks to some fabulous friends of mine here, I was treated to a baby shower at the fabulous Cherry Berry Yogurt Bar!
The day was beautiful and the set up out on the patio was adorable! We had some great food, some delicious Yogurt, and a great time! Thanks ladies for all the lovely gifts and for taking such great care of me and my little family!!




~ Also, a BIG thanks to all of my wonderful family and friends in other states who have gone out of their way to send some sweet gifts for our precious little lady!! We can't wait to see her in all of the adorable little outfits, and use all of the wonderful little "mommy helpers" (slings, boppy covers, etc...). ~

** SPEAKING OF GIFTS **
I don't know how... but I am blessed to have amazingly talented siblings and friends who can make and do just about anything! So... I have decided to highlight two of these talented people who have sent me some amazing hand made baby items for our little sweetheart!

First off.... my fabulous sister Kim. Having Kim as a sister has always been a blessing and now she's blessing the life of my little one with a beautiful bird mobile.


It initially came looking a little different, but sadly someone got their naughty little hands on it and almost ruined it. Thankfully, my amazingly wonderful husband came to the rescue and we were able to save the beautiful birds. Check out her Etsy site, Peekaboo monkey, to see all of her amazingly adorable hand made items!

Secondly... my great friend Bekah. Bekah reminds me a lot of my sister Kim. They are both beautiful, intelligent, talented women who can make just about anything they see or put their minds to. Seriously while living next to Bekah in Oklahoma I think I felt my "woman points" melting away every time I stood next to her. Thankfully though my little girl is being blessed by Bekah's talents with these adorable items.
#1: An adorable reversible car seat cover:

#2: And a fabulously convenient diaper changing pad:

Check out her adorable Etsy site, Humble Pie Originals, to get your own fabulous baby gifts!

** NURSERY SET UP **
Last, but not least, we are making the finishing touches to our little ones nursery. We've still got a little left to do, but this is how it's going so far.....







Well, that's all I have to share for now. Hopefully, the countdown will pass quickly and we'll be able to show you pictures of our newest addition soon!
Thanks again everyone for everything! It's greatly appreciated!!

Daddy's Birthday Weekend!!

For Daddy's Birthday this year we headed down to Allen, Texas to celebrate with his family for the weekend.

While there......

we had a yummy birthday breakfast at Mimi's Cafe, went to the outlet stores, took the boys on a few adventures, ate at a delicious restaurant for dinner, and ended the night with singing, gifts, and cupcakes!





The boys had a great time jumping on the tramp with Papa and Daddy, playing in the park, and spending time with their cousins.





They also loved watching Disney movies they had never seen before,



taking "naps" on Nana and Papa's stairs,



and meeting their new cousin Brooke Celine Garland.



All in all we had a great time and were even lucky enough to get away one afternoon to have a little lunch date together (thanks Nana and Papa for watching the boys, it's been a long time since we were able to just have a nice quiet lunch together). Thanks again everyone for a great time!

HOPE YOU HAD A FABULOUS BIRTHDAY HONEY!! WE LOVE YOU AND ARE SO LUCKY TO HAVE YOU AS OUR HUBBY AND DADDY!!!

Mother's Day

So basically I'm the luckiest girl in the world! I have three wonderful men in my life who love and spoil me rotten!
The day started off with me sleeping in for an extra 5 minutes (better than nothing at all) then being awoken by the sound of voices singing Happy Mother's Day to the tune of Happy Birthday. In they came bearing a delicious breakfast of Cinnamon rolls, scrambled eggs, fruit and juice. They brought it to me so I could have breakfast in bed but my current tummy situation made that a little uncomfortable. So I opted to eat with them at the table instead.
As I walked into the front room I was greeted with these lovelies hanging from the ceiling...



This was Blayne's. It says 'Mommy, I love you this much!'



This was Xander's. It says 'Mommy, I love you this much more!'


*If you look closely you'll see something circled above Xander's right shoulder, apparently he cried while being traced and some tears made it onto the paper.*

This was Zach's. It says 'But I love you the most!'




Those signs made my day!! In fact, I didn't want to take them down for days. They'd probably still be hanging if it were up to me. Hee hee! Then as I sat down for breakfast I was treated to another little surprise....



Little Chocolate Ducks!!
Xander quickly informed me that I was the Momma Duck, he was the first Chocolate Duck, Blayne was the other Chocolate Duck, and that our Baby Girl was the little Yellow Duck. The funniest part came when I ate one of the ducks and Xander's reaction was "Oh no! What happened to the Xander Chocolate Duck? It's gone!" I replied, "I ate the duck, and boy was it delicious!!" To which he replied "Oh, that wasn't Chocolate Xander it was Chocolate Blayne. Blayne! Mommy ate you!"

After a lovely time at church we came home and I was treated to a delicious dinner prepared by Zach. The rest of the day was spent just relaxing and spending time with my wonderful men! All in all, it was a fabulous day!!

Thanks so much Zach, Xander, and Blayne!!
I LOVE YOU!!!!

The new do!

So I'm the type of person who is VERY PICKY about who cuts and styles my hair. Due to some horrible incidents I will no longer just go to anyone who has a license to cut hair. **Just because someone has one, that does not mean they know what they are doing.** Maybe it's because I was so spoiled in Utah that I never had to worry when it came to my hair. All I had to do was call up one of my two fabulous friends Jessica Fillmore, or Cynthia Dean and say "do whatever"(P.S. For those of you still in the Utah area... you need to go to Cynthia's salon! It's called Studio Enizio and they do both hair and makeup. They are fabulous!!). I knew I could trust them and their judgement and not have to worry one bit. My luck got even greater when my brother Jeremy married Lindsay who just happens to be a fabulous hairdresser herself! Really, my options in Utah were endless.
However...
after marrying the fabulous Zachary he decided to take me out of my "Hair Haven" and throw me to the "Hair Wolves" all over the South. I had a few greats that I was lucky enough to find, but shortly after finding them Zachary would be promoted at work and we would be moved to a new location, causing me to start the whole 'search for a good stylist' routine once again.
When we moved here to Arkansas I was bored, and frustrated with my hair and decided to make a fabulous decision...

I would dye my own hair!! Great idea right? WRONG.

I'm sure we all remember my red phase....


Personally, the first few days were pretty fun. After that however... the red quickly faded and eventually turned this pinky Strawberry Shortcake color that was not flattering in the least.
To rectify the problem I went to this Salon that a few of the girls at Zach's work had said was good and was thoroughly disappointed. The first try at getting me back to blonde my hair looked like a striped wig. It was hideous. I called the salon immediately and told them my concerns and frustrations. I usually don't do things like that because I don't like confrontation or to cause problems, especially when I feel that speaking up might create an awkward situation. However, if you knew how much they had charged, you would have asked that it at least look like real hair as well. When I went in for the free correction the stylist was rude, giving me attitude and even said to me "If you thought that going from red to blonde would be an easy fix then you're delusional". She and I are best friends to this day. Psych. Needless to say.... I would never recommend that salon to anyone.

So there I was back to Square One of looking for a stylist.

Lucky for me between then and now we visited my family in Utah and I was able to have the fabulous Lindsay update my locks. That however was about 5 to 6 months ago and I have been in desperate need of a new do.

While on-line a few weeks ago I came across this picture on the internet and fell in love with the cut/style.


Granted she's a model, and a whole lot prettier/thinner than me but I thought I might be able to pull it off. Now I just needed to find a good hair dresser. UGH. Thankfully, the stars aligned and the fabulous Joy Bogart came to my rescue!! (*insert Huzzah here*) She gave me the name and number of her stylist and watched my two boys so that I could go see the fabulous Shauna on Wednesday afternoon.
Pulling up to the Salon - Salon LMC - I was still nervous. Even though I had many tell me she was fabulous, and even though I knew/had a picture of exactly what I wanted.... I had been disappointed before. You've all been there. You bring a picture of exactly what you want and when it's done you think to yourself "Did she even look at the picture I brought in?". I'm pleased to say that YES SHE DID!! Shauna is as amazing as everyone said!!! She was fun, fabulous, and did exactly as I asked! At the end, she even showed me three different ways I could style my new do! Now, that's a great hair dresser! The best part is that she has hair similar to my own, knows the difficulties that come with it and how to combat them. I was and am completely thrilled!!
So without further ado.....

INTRODUCING..... MY NEW DO!!



Hooray for Shauna!!

The Bump...

For all those who have made requests....

Here is the latest prego belly picture.






I am officially 33 weeks, and just counting down the days until we can finally meet this little lady. My amazing Zachary blew me away once again by reorganizing, cleaning, vacuuming, and setting up the crib to get her room all ready. The most amazing part.... he did it all in about an hour. Ugh. "Anything I can do, he can do faster..." seriously, the guy blows me away with his ability to clean and organize the whole house in a matter of hours. It takes me hours just to clean and organize one room. **Partially because I am a little obsessive, and partially because I am indecisive.**
I must say though that the new crib set is absolutely dreamy!! I am in love with it, and can't wait to put our sweet little one in her beautiful new crib!





I LOVE the yellow! It just makes everything so bright and sunny. Besides, although I like the color pink, I didn't want to have an overload of pink invading my home.

I seem to be at a weird crossroads in this pregnancy as far as the time is concerned. When it comes to the physical aspect of this pregnancy... time can not pass quickly enough! I feel as though I've been pregnant forever and it is never going to end!! But when I think about the other aspects... getting everything organized and ready, having three little ones, raising a GIRL... I start to get a little nervous and think there's not enough time.

Thankfully, I know that I have the best support group and helpers available to me 24/7.