Had my LAST doctor's appointment today and wanted to give the update and exciting news right away.
(PAUSE) I first have to
give a HUGE thank you shout-out to my sister-in-law Jenna because she has watched
Caitlin for me during my doctor's visit almost every single time I have been and it
has been such a life saver. It is SO nice to just be able to go to my
appointment and be able to sit and be quiet and alone for a little bit
and just concentrate on one baby (the one in my tummy). So anyways,
Jenna is such a gem and of course Caitlin loves it too.
Today however Paul and Caitlin both came with me and we met with the doctor and everything looks great is and moving right along. I am more dilated than last week so things are progressing and again he told me i would be a great candidate to get induced next week if i wanted to. Up to this point I had decided that i really wanted to wait toil my due date to try to go into labor on my own since I never have before. I wanted to give my body the full 40 weeks to do it but then after that i'm too impatient to go over. SO i told my doctor that originally i had wanted to go up til the 8th (my due date) and if i haen't had him I would get induced on the 8th. My doctor said that they can't schedule inductions on a Friday because it is considered a weekend. HMMMMM So he said i could wait until the following week or be induced on Wednesday or Thursday. That's when I sad "to heck with it, I'm close enough now i just want to have my baby.. and the sooner the better!" So we chose Wednesday.
translation: I will be having my baby a week from today! (if not before) We are extremely excited to have an actual end in sight and I feel really good about. Only one more week to go before we meet baby Nolan! (unless he decides to come before which would also be totally fine)
5.30.2012
5.29.2012
21 months
Caitlin is 21 months now. I cannot believe that she is almost two. She continues to change and learn and amaze me on a daily basis. Most of her accomplishments and antics are already pretty well documented on here but i wanted to do one more post before she turns two.
-I would say the top 5 words to describe Caitlin are: curious, sweet, funny, and cute and energetic.
She has always been very curious and this continues. She gets into things and climbs and explores all day long and makes all kinds of messes and gets herself into all sorts of predicaments. She is mischievous but the thing is she doesn't do it in a naughty type of way (most of the time). She really is just curious. So she will do something and drive me crazy but then she's so happy to have done it!
She is also sweet. She is still pretty selective as so who she wants to be sweet to but when she loves something, you know it. She makes me smile all the time with the little cuddles and kisses she gives me and how she always wants to be around Paul and I. It's the best feeling in the world.
She is just plain cute. I know i'm biased but i think she is the cutest thing ever and it honestly gets her out of things. Like when i find her in the toilet and decide to take a pic because she is so cute instead of getting mad. Or when she is eating and makes the biggest mess ever but I think its so cute how she tries to concentrate so hard on her ketchup or yogurt finger painting that i just let her. Or when she wakes up from a nap and has THE craziest hair ever, she is just so cute to me.
She is energetic. She just doesn't ever stop. Not in a frantic sort of way, but just in an endless energy sort of way. She could easily do without naps (so SHE thinks) and she is usually happy to stay up until any time if she is happily occupied. We definitely have calmer moments but it's hard to keep her attention for an extended amount of time. She likes to be on the go.
-She is talking a lot. She still has a lot of words that sound like each other but i feel like at least between her and I we have a pretty good communication system going. She tries to repeat things when i teach her new words and she also responds to questions and prompts well (like when i say "what do you say?" and she says "please" or "thank you") but what i love the most is when she just comes up with things on her own. Either her own babblings that i wish i could understand or when she pulls out a word that we've taught her all by herself. The other night when we were on the phone with Paul while he was out of town she stated saying "miss you! love you!" without being prompted and it melted my heart.
-She really is smart. She knows what she's doing most the time and that is a good and bad thing. Like when she knows she is doing something wrong but wants to do it anyways. But good when i tell her to do something and she knows what to do and follows directions. She surprises me sometimes with how she does with little jobs i give her or things that she remembers.
-We went through a little phase with her a while ago that got me worried that the "terrible twos" had come early and were here to stay. Tantrums and yelling and no naps, etc. it was bad. Luckily we moved past that ordeal and she is doing better now. (so i guess i'm still on the lookout for the terrible twos)
-She is hard for me to discipline. Time out works ok as far as a little break from the problem but i think she thinks it is just kind of fun. Sometimes ignoring her works but usually when i try to be forceful and say no, it is met with a twinkle in her eye and then her doing the exact thing i told her not to. I've also tried using positive phrases (ex: "keep your fishies in the bag" instead of "don't dump out your fishies" so she doesn't get a mental picture of dumping them out and want to do it) that works pretty well. Luckily I don't have to discipline her that often because she is usually pretty good and knows basically her boundaries.
-She has this weird thing about being messy ("meno" as she says) she hates being messy or if other people are messy yet it doesn't stop her from getting into things and getting messy. She will happily play in the dirt or paint or put food all over her until there comes a point and she realizes that she is messy and she doesn't like it. Then she wants to be cleaned off immediately but will usually go right back to whatever she was doing. Sometimes if we tell her that something is messy it keeps her away. She also really doesn't like it if other people are messy, like if I have paint on my hands or something. She wants you to clean it off right away. And sometimes she thinks things are messy that can't be cleaned... Like a scrape or cut or even a design on a shirt. It's really confusing and funny to me.
-Her current LOVES are: suckers, stickers, fishies and baby dolls. She's into lots of other things but she is REALLY into all of these. Whenever she sees suckers she has to have one.. there is a big bowl of them at my doctor's office and I'm pretty sure she had about 5. She doesn't suck them either, she just chomps right into them and they are gone in about 3 seconds. She loves stickers. Any kind. Whenever we are at the grocery store and walk past the fruit she freaks out until i give her a sticker from an orange or a banana. She sticks out her little hand and wants me to put it right there. We also have stickers at home (thanks grandmas!) and she comes and asks me to have one all the time. Whenever she sees a fish or something in the water she gets so excited and it's super cute the way she says fishy. She loves water and fishy crackers too so the overall love of underwater things doesn't really surprise me. She also loves her baby dolls. Her "bayBEES" as she calls them. She sleeps with two and the other day after she woke up from her nap we could see her on the monitor in her crib just sitting there talking to her baby saying "nigh nigh" and giving it loves and saying "baby" it was the cutest thing.
-She is also award motivated. If i tell her i'll give her a treat, she will do something. I usually only do it when i need her to eat something because she is just not a great eater. She really doesn't eat a ton ad she's picky and wants to do it all herself and i feel like i could be WAY better about her nutrition. Thank goodness she is still healthy.
-As far as other little obsessions or funny stories, those are recorded elsewhere but overall i wanted to document her current growth because i know everything is about to change... a lot. It will be interesting to see how she changes when the baby comes and how she changes with just turning 2 and getting older and turning into a little girl. She is definitely our little princess and I'm sure that will never change. She makes me smile and laugh everyday.
-I would say the top 5 words to describe Caitlin are: curious, sweet, funny, and cute and energetic.
She has always been very curious and this continues. She gets into things and climbs and explores all day long and makes all kinds of messes and gets herself into all sorts of predicaments. She is mischievous but the thing is she doesn't do it in a naughty type of way (most of the time). She really is just curious. So she will do something and drive me crazy but then she's so happy to have done it!
She is also sweet. She is still pretty selective as so who she wants to be sweet to but when she loves something, you know it. She makes me smile all the time with the little cuddles and kisses she gives me and how she always wants to be around Paul and I. It's the best feeling in the world.
She is just plain cute. I know i'm biased but i think she is the cutest thing ever and it honestly gets her out of things. Like when i find her in the toilet and decide to take a pic because she is so cute instead of getting mad. Or when she is eating and makes the biggest mess ever but I think its so cute how she tries to concentrate so hard on her ketchup or yogurt finger painting that i just let her. Or when she wakes up from a nap and has THE craziest hair ever, she is just so cute to me.
She is energetic. She just doesn't ever stop. Not in a frantic sort of way, but just in an endless energy sort of way. She could easily do without naps (so SHE thinks) and she is usually happy to stay up until any time if she is happily occupied. We definitely have calmer moments but it's hard to keep her attention for an extended amount of time. She likes to be on the go.
-She is talking a lot. She still has a lot of words that sound like each other but i feel like at least between her and I we have a pretty good communication system going. She tries to repeat things when i teach her new words and she also responds to questions and prompts well (like when i say "what do you say?" and she says "please" or "thank you") but what i love the most is when she just comes up with things on her own. Either her own babblings that i wish i could understand or when she pulls out a word that we've taught her all by herself. The other night when we were on the phone with Paul while he was out of town she stated saying "miss you! love you!" without being prompted and it melted my heart.
-She really is smart. She knows what she's doing most the time and that is a good and bad thing. Like when she knows she is doing something wrong but wants to do it anyways. But good when i tell her to do something and she knows what to do and follows directions. She surprises me sometimes with how she does with little jobs i give her or things that she remembers.
-We went through a little phase with her a while ago that got me worried that the "terrible twos" had come early and were here to stay. Tantrums and yelling and no naps, etc. it was bad. Luckily we moved past that ordeal and she is doing better now. (so i guess i'm still on the lookout for the terrible twos)
-She is hard for me to discipline. Time out works ok as far as a little break from the problem but i think she thinks it is just kind of fun. Sometimes ignoring her works but usually when i try to be forceful and say no, it is met with a twinkle in her eye and then her doing the exact thing i told her not to. I've also tried using positive phrases (ex: "keep your fishies in the bag" instead of "don't dump out your fishies" so she doesn't get a mental picture of dumping them out and want to do it) that works pretty well. Luckily I don't have to discipline her that often because she is usually pretty good and knows basically her boundaries.
-She has this weird thing about being messy ("meno" as she says) she hates being messy or if other people are messy yet it doesn't stop her from getting into things and getting messy. She will happily play in the dirt or paint or put food all over her until there comes a point and she realizes that she is messy and she doesn't like it. Then she wants to be cleaned off immediately but will usually go right back to whatever she was doing. Sometimes if we tell her that something is messy it keeps her away. She also really doesn't like it if other people are messy, like if I have paint on my hands or something. She wants you to clean it off right away. And sometimes she thinks things are messy that can't be cleaned... Like a scrape or cut or even a design on a shirt. It's really confusing and funny to me.
-Her current LOVES are: suckers, stickers, fishies and baby dolls. She's into lots of other things but she is REALLY into all of these. Whenever she sees suckers she has to have one.. there is a big bowl of them at my doctor's office and I'm pretty sure she had about 5. She doesn't suck them either, she just chomps right into them and they are gone in about 3 seconds. She loves stickers. Any kind. Whenever we are at the grocery store and walk past the fruit she freaks out until i give her a sticker from an orange or a banana. She sticks out her little hand and wants me to put it right there. We also have stickers at home (thanks grandmas!) and she comes and asks me to have one all the time. Whenever she sees a fish or something in the water she gets so excited and it's super cute the way she says fishy. She loves water and fishy crackers too so the overall love of underwater things doesn't really surprise me. She also loves her baby dolls. Her "bayBEES" as she calls them. She sleeps with two and the other day after she woke up from her nap we could see her on the monitor in her crib just sitting there talking to her baby saying "nigh nigh" and giving it loves and saying "baby" it was the cutest thing.
-She is also award motivated. If i tell her i'll give her a treat, she will do something. I usually only do it when i need her to eat something because she is just not a great eater. She really doesn't eat a ton ad she's picky and wants to do it all herself and i feel like i could be WAY better about her nutrition. Thank goodness she is still healthy.
-As far as other little obsessions or funny stories, those are recorded elsewhere but overall i wanted to document her current growth because i know everything is about to change... a lot. It will be interesting to see how she changes when the baby comes and how she changes with just turning 2 and getting older and turning into a little girl. She is definitely our little princess and I'm sure that will never change. She makes me smile and laugh everyday.
5.26.2012
38 weeks
-Report from Dr.'s visit on Tuesday: I am strep B positive, probably not really a big deal but i don't think i was with Caitlin and i couldn't quite remember so i thought i would document it. Everything is looking good and I am about 1.5 dilated. He said i would be ready for induction for next week if I wanted (at about 39 weeks) but i've decided to keep holding out and see if I go into labor on my own. I've made it past this week at least... we'll see what the next one brings!
-I have had some contractions, but not super painful ones. Pretty big ones though where i can tell that it is a legitimate contraction. One night I had three that woke me up but not close together.
-I have had a nasty cold/allergies/sinus infection going on for about a week plus so i finally went and got on an antibiotic for it and hopefully it will go away soon! Nothing like wanting to hold a brand new baby when you're sick.
-Most of my otherphysical ailments pregnancy symptoms have stayed the same, or gotten worse so instead let's talk about FEELINGS... (feel free to skip down to my belly pic now, i'm kinda emotional)
I'm not really nervous. For anything... delivery, having two kids, Caitlin's reaction... i have a good feeling about everything. Which actually just that fact alone makes me a little nervous because that makes me think that i am forgetting so many things about delivery and having a newborn that are hard that i just don't remember them to be nervous about them. (that was confusing i know) Overall I am ready to have this baby. I feel like i am ready to NOT be pregnant anymore and ready to put my body through the amazing thing we call the birthing process and ready to see what this little boy looks like and ready to snuggle a little newborn bundle. However with all that being said: I'm ready but i'm still clinging a little to this family-of-three life that i know and love.
I heard a talk one time at a church thing from a couple that had been through a lot in their lives, lots of changes and different stages of life and they said that an important thing is that once you get into a new stage, you realize that it is your "new normal" and you make it that way. Things that once were normal and everyday will change when there is something new in the mix and it is our chance to embrace those new things and make them normal and realize that life ebbs and flows and moves along and if we don't embrace and accept the new things that life throws at us, then we will never allow ourselves to progress. That idea has really helped me through the stages that i have experienced so far. It has given me courage to look at my circumstances and make the most of different points in my life and adapt and make them my "new normal" opposed to just waiting it out or clinging to the past or wishing for something else.
So, if change and a new normal mean getting to hold a precious little boy in my arms and snuggle him and feel his softest baby skin and feel the amazing connection that mom and baby have and see how cute Paul is with him and go back to swaddles and baby smell and spit up and tiny wrinkly feet... then I'm in. And I will embrace it whole-heartedly because knowing what to expect is definitely a blessing, because i know it just keeps getting better and better.
-I have had some contractions, but not super painful ones. Pretty big ones though where i can tell that it is a legitimate contraction. One night I had three that woke me up but not close together.
-I have had a nasty cold/allergies/sinus infection going on for about a week plus so i finally went and got on an antibiotic for it and hopefully it will go away soon! Nothing like wanting to hold a brand new baby when you're sick.
-Most of my other
I'm not really nervous. For anything... delivery, having two kids, Caitlin's reaction... i have a good feeling about everything. Which actually just that fact alone makes me a little nervous because that makes me think that i am forgetting so many things about delivery and having a newborn that are hard that i just don't remember them to be nervous about them. (that was confusing i know) Overall I am ready to have this baby. I feel like i am ready to NOT be pregnant anymore and ready to put my body through the amazing thing we call the birthing process and ready to see what this little boy looks like and ready to snuggle a little newborn bundle. However with all that being said: I'm ready but i'm still clinging a little to this family-of-three life that i know and love.
I heard a talk one time at a church thing from a couple that had been through a lot in their lives, lots of changes and different stages of life and they said that an important thing is that once you get into a new stage, you realize that it is your "new normal" and you make it that way. Things that once were normal and everyday will change when there is something new in the mix and it is our chance to embrace those new things and make them normal and realize that life ebbs and flows and moves along and if we don't embrace and accept the new things that life throws at us, then we will never allow ourselves to progress. That idea has really helped me through the stages that i have experienced so far. It has given me courage to look at my circumstances and make the most of different points in my life and adapt and make them my "new normal" opposed to just waiting it out or clinging to the past or wishing for something else.
So, if change and a new normal mean getting to hold a precious little boy in my arms and snuggle him and feel his softest baby skin and feel the amazing connection that mom and baby have and see how cute Paul is with him and go back to swaddles and baby smell and spit up and tiny wrinkly feet... then I'm in. And I will embrace it whole-heartedly because knowing what to expect is definitely a blessing, because i know it just keeps getting better and better.
5.25.2012
Paul's birthday
For Paul's birthday, I made him breakfast in the morning then he went to work. Caitlin and I came and met up with him for lunch and we went to "Communal" in Provo. For some reason unbeknownst to anyone Caitlin decided to be a total stinker all day for Paul's birthday. So unfortunately lunch wasn't the cute leisurely family affair that we were both hoping for. This is Paul's annoyed face:
After lunch i took Caitlin home to try to get her to regroup and take a nap and Paul went back to work. Later he went swimming with Taylor and then came home...
(PAUSE) This year Paul hasn't been that excited for his birthday because he is now entering his "late twenties" i know it's ridiculous but you can't help how you feel. So, i wanted to do something fun and different to make his day special. I decided to throw a little surprise BBQ in our back yard. I told Paul that I was going to make him a special dinner and we could hang out just us and since i usually make such a big deal about birthdays i think he was a little disappointed by our plans (or lack of). Pair that with the fact that our lunch outing didn't go great and i'm pretty sure Paul thought he was having a lame birthday. LUCKILY: i think i redeemed myself.
Taylor was clutch in getting him home at the right time and he walked in and i made him close his eyes and walk through the house to the backyard where everyone was waiting. The surprise was a success! He said he had some suspicions but at the end decided it wasn't going to happen. (Which i almost decided myself.. it was so stressful trying to plan it and not tell him and get a hold of people, and work out the timing, way harder than just throwing a normal party!) So anyway, we had our little party and ate lots of food and had lots of fun. Of course we ended up having to move everything inside because Paul and I have had the worst luck with weather on our birthday parties this year but that's ok. We all just chatted and played with the kids and let them go crazy. I made Paul his chocolate pudding cake that he requested. Afterward he opened presents and got some new shoes, games for the backyard, a new swimsuit, some gift cards, a rangefinder and a camelbak, and a few other things too.
These candids crack me up.. like how crazy and cute all the kids are and how messy my floor got with toys in about 2.5 seconds and how no one even minds and how disgusted me and Lindsay look about whatever we were talking about...
After lunch i took Caitlin home to try to get her to regroup and take a nap and Paul went back to work. Later he went swimming with Taylor and then came home...
(PAUSE) This year Paul hasn't been that excited for his birthday because he is now entering his "late twenties" i know it's ridiculous but you can't help how you feel. So, i wanted to do something fun and different to make his day special. I decided to throw a little surprise BBQ in our back yard. I told Paul that I was going to make him a special dinner and we could hang out just us and since i usually make such a big deal about birthdays i think he was a little disappointed by our plans (or lack of). Pair that with the fact that our lunch outing didn't go great and i'm pretty sure Paul thought he was having a lame birthday. LUCKILY: i think i redeemed myself.
Taylor was clutch in getting him home at the right time and he walked in and i made him close his eyes and walk through the house to the backyard where everyone was waiting. The surprise was a success! He said he had some suspicions but at the end decided it wasn't going to happen. (Which i almost decided myself.. it was so stressful trying to plan it and not tell him and get a hold of people, and work out the timing, way harder than just throwing a normal party!) So anyway, we had our little party and ate lots of food and had lots of fun. Of course we ended up having to move everything inside because Paul and I have had the worst luck with weather on our birthday parties this year but that's ok. We all just chatted and played with the kids and let them go crazy. I made Paul his chocolate pudding cake that he requested. Afterward he opened presents and got some new shoes, games for the backyard, a new swimsuit, some gift cards, a rangefinder and a camelbak, and a few other things too.
Turns out maybe 27 won't be such a bad year after all...
foto friday
Caitlin's "nigh nigh" by the numbers:
1 sippy cup of milk
3 blankets (small, medium, large)
2 binkies
1 "RAR"(lion stuffed animal)
2 babies
1 "woof woof" (pink poodle stuffed animal)
1-2 book readings (usually Spot)
3-5 songs (lately it's been "how much is that doggy in the window?" about 4 times)
Get through all of that and she sleeps like a champ:
5.23.2012
Paul's 27
Happy Birthday to the love of my life!! Even though it's not his "golden birthday" I thought it would still be fun to make a list of 27 things you may or may not know about Paul, in honor if him turning 27! Keep in mind these are facts that I wrote about him, so they are at least interesting to me, i doubt he would have compiled the same list. But, that's the perk of being the only blogger in the fam, so here you are:
1. Paul was a big wrestler in high school. Most people would think that football was his main sport in high school but it was actually wrestling. He was an all-state wrestler and captain of his team and he was really good.
2. He went to Alaska while we were engaged and he shot a black bear. Right after he shot his bear, when the camera came up to him, he said "That's for you Cortney!" His first thought after he shot this huge mammal that now hangs as a rug in our office was that he was so proud and that it would impress me and I would love it. Sweet thought, although I will say he had some things to learn.
3. Paul does NOT grow good facial hair. He's actually not a very hairy person to begin with, which i appreciate but when it comes to his facial hair all the grows is a slight mustache and a "Brigham Beard" as we call it (just a strip around his chin) I think he would like to grow a better beard but i'm ok with it.
4. Paul served his mission in West Africa and he LOVES Africa and the people there. He is still very involved with what goes on there and the members and the area. The members in Ghana will still call him on the phone to say hi sometimes and you can always tell if he is talking to one of them because usually it will be at kind of a weird time and immediately he reverts back to his "Ghanian accent" of talking. They only talk for a few minutes because it is so expensive to call but i think it it so sweet that they keep in touch.
5. His favorite movie is Man From Snowy River. So random, and i don't know when the last time he watched it was but he maintains that as his favorite.
6. When Paul was little for the first like 4-5 years of his life he was a cowboy. He only wanted to wear cowboy clothes... plaid shirts, jeans, cowboy hats, boots, chaps. Even when it was super hot in the summer he wore his cowboy clothes.
7. I have only seen him cry once. It was the day before we were married when i went to the temple for the first time. It was a really sweet and spiritual experience and that is the only time i have ever seen him cry. (Technically he has cried twice though because he cried in the hospital when he broke his back but i wasn't in the room at the time.)
8. Paul knows A LOT about working out and fitness. He really enjoys being active but he would also be such a good personal trainer. He likes working out with people better than alone and whenever he works out with someone he is really helpful and encouraging. He knows a lot about what workouts would be good to do and supplements to take and stuff like that. He is a really good athlete and coach.
9. He is becoming quite the handyman. I wouldn't say that this has always been a strong suit for him but he has been improving a ton. He does electrical stuff and building and painting and all kinds of things and he is really good at figuring out how to do and fix things around the house.
10. He is the biggest softie for his girls... namely me, Caitlin and his mom. He has a very tender heart inside of his manly man exterior and he is so sweet.
11. He is colorblind. A lot of people forget this about him. But he is REALLY colorblind. He can see red and yellow all the time but the other ones look different to him and get all jumbled up.
12. His favorite candy is Charleston Chews. He especially likes the old chewy ones and also freezing them.
13. He hardly ever drinks soda because it is so bad for you. It's pretty rare that he would ever choose to buy a soda at a restaurant or anything.
14. He loves listening to instrumental piano music. I wish I could play better for him, and that we had a piano i guess.
15. Paul would prefer that I pick out his outfit everyday. He blames it on the colorblindness but really I think he just likes me to do it.
16. Paul makes up songs all the time. He doesn't like to sing for reals or in church or anything but he makes up little songs to sing to Caitlin and stuff and they are actually really good. He can also throw down some pretty mad rhymes while he's freestyle rapping (i've been told).
17. When Paul was around 1, his family was getting ready to go for a trip and packing the car so the keys were left in the ignition. Paul hopped in the front seat and somehow managed to crash their car into the garage!
18. Paul is actually a really good cook. I usually always put him in charge of the meat for dinners if he is helping but he can make a mean wedge salad and a bunch of other stuff. I know i'm going to eat well whenever I get to have him cook for me!
19. When Paul was in high school he had what he still says is THE coolest car. It was named Trivette. And he paid for it and put a lot of work into it and almost all his crazy high school shenanigans took place with the help of Trivette. He says he wants to find it and buy it back. He also really wants an old muscle car and wants to restore it. Or an old jeep to tool around in.
20. He hates olives.
21. He is very meticulous about car maintenance. He loves to clean his car and is awesome about always getting timely oil changes and stuff like that. He has certain car mats that he likes and he has always taken great pride in keeping his cars looking nice.
22. He has pretty sensitive skin. He blames it on a weakened immune system since after his mission but he gets rashes or reactions so easily to things. He has to use a certain type of soap and stuff. He probably wouldn't want anyone to know that about him though.
23. He has the most amazing willpower. If he says he is going to do something, he will do it and usually will get started right then and there. When he broke his back, they told him he would have to wear a brace for 3-6 months and he promised me he would have it off in 3. And he did.
24. Paul used to eat the neighbor's cat food when he was little. He and Jeff would go eat it and their mom kept telling them not too. So one morning for breakfast she put dried cat food in their bowls and told them if they were going to be going over and eating it then they might as well just eat it for breakfast. Of course they were both repulsed and it stopped their nasty habit (Lorraine is such a smart mom). Paul also ate A LOT of chapstick as a child. He was known for this by all his relatives. They would hide it when he came to visit and he could always sniff it out. (Caitlin gets it from him).
25. Paul is super into food storage and emergency preparedness. At least lately he has been. You would think that I would be the one pushing this since i am the one who makes our meals and i am such a planner but it's Paul. He made us go out and buy a huge shelving system and hundreds of canned foods and we have cereal and water and whatever else we thought would be handy to have in case of emergency. I'm grateful that he is looking out for us but it is so overwhelming to me!
26. Paul is incredibly... "passionate". I tell him he's dramatic but he prefers passionate. He puts his heart and soul into everything he does and he has a big reaction for everything that happens. He has such a dynamic personality and keeps me laughing all the time. I love this about him.
27. He has had a really hard time with this year's birthday. He feels like he is getting old. He totally has a Peter Pan mentality... the boy who never ages. He loves life and playing and having fun, but i'm positive that mentality will never go away. So HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANYWAYS! LOVE YOU!
1. Paul was a big wrestler in high school. Most people would think that football was his main sport in high school but it was actually wrestling. He was an all-state wrestler and captain of his team and he was really good.
2. He went to Alaska while we were engaged and he shot a black bear. Right after he shot his bear, when the camera came up to him, he said "That's for you Cortney!" His first thought after he shot this huge mammal that now hangs as a rug in our office was that he was so proud and that it would impress me and I would love it. Sweet thought, although I will say he had some things to learn.
4. Paul served his mission in West Africa and he LOVES Africa and the people there. He is still very involved with what goes on there and the members and the area. The members in Ghana will still call him on the phone to say hi sometimes and you can always tell if he is talking to one of them because usually it will be at kind of a weird time and immediately he reverts back to his "Ghanian accent" of talking. They only talk for a few minutes because it is so expensive to call but i think it it so sweet that they keep in touch.
5. His favorite movie is Man From Snowy River. So random, and i don't know when the last time he watched it was but he maintains that as his favorite.
6. When Paul was little for the first like 4-5 years of his life he was a cowboy. He only wanted to wear cowboy clothes... plaid shirts, jeans, cowboy hats, boots, chaps. Even when it was super hot in the summer he wore his cowboy clothes.
7. I have only seen him cry once. It was the day before we were married when i went to the temple for the first time. It was a really sweet and spiritual experience and that is the only time i have ever seen him cry. (Technically he has cried twice though because he cried in the hospital when he broke his back but i wasn't in the room at the time.)
8. Paul knows A LOT about working out and fitness. He really enjoys being active but he would also be such a good personal trainer. He likes working out with people better than alone and whenever he works out with someone he is really helpful and encouraging. He knows a lot about what workouts would be good to do and supplements to take and stuff like that. He is a really good athlete and coach.
9. He is becoming quite the handyman. I wouldn't say that this has always been a strong suit for him but he has been improving a ton. He does electrical stuff and building and painting and all kinds of things and he is really good at figuring out how to do and fix things around the house.
10. He is the biggest softie for his girls... namely me, Caitlin and his mom. He has a very tender heart inside of his manly man exterior and he is so sweet.
12. His favorite candy is Charleston Chews. He especially likes the old chewy ones and also freezing them.
13. He hardly ever drinks soda because it is so bad for you. It's pretty rare that he would ever choose to buy a soda at a restaurant or anything.
14. He loves listening to instrumental piano music. I wish I could play better for him, and that we had a piano i guess.
15. Paul would prefer that I pick out his outfit everyday. He blames it on the colorblindness but really I think he just likes me to do it.
16. Paul makes up songs all the time. He doesn't like to sing for reals or in church or anything but he makes up little songs to sing to Caitlin and stuff and they are actually really good. He can also throw down some pretty mad rhymes while he's freestyle rapping (i've been told).
17. When Paul was around 1, his family was getting ready to go for a trip and packing the car so the keys were left in the ignition. Paul hopped in the front seat and somehow managed to crash their car into the garage!
18. Paul is actually a really good cook. I usually always put him in charge of the meat for dinners if he is helping but he can make a mean wedge salad and a bunch of other stuff. I know i'm going to eat well whenever I get to have him cook for me!
19. When Paul was in high school he had what he still says is THE coolest car. It was named Trivette. And he paid for it and put a lot of work into it and almost all his crazy high school shenanigans took place with the help of Trivette. He says he wants to find it and buy it back. He also really wants an old muscle car and wants to restore it. Or an old jeep to tool around in.
20. He hates olives.
21. He is very meticulous about car maintenance. He loves to clean his car and is awesome about always getting timely oil changes and stuff like that. He has certain car mats that he likes and he has always taken great pride in keeping his cars looking nice.
22. He has pretty sensitive skin. He blames it on a weakened immune system since after his mission but he gets rashes or reactions so easily to things. He has to use a certain type of soap and stuff. He probably wouldn't want anyone to know that about him though.
23. He has the most amazing willpower. If he says he is going to do something, he will do it and usually will get started right then and there. When he broke his back, they told him he would have to wear a brace for 3-6 months and he promised me he would have it off in 3. And he did.
24. Paul used to eat the neighbor's cat food when he was little. He and Jeff would go eat it and their mom kept telling them not too. So one morning for breakfast she put dried cat food in their bowls and told them if they were going to be going over and eating it then they might as well just eat it for breakfast. Of course they were both repulsed and it stopped their nasty habit (Lorraine is such a smart mom). Paul also ate A LOT of chapstick as a child. He was known for this by all his relatives. They would hide it when he came to visit and he could always sniff it out. (Caitlin gets it from him).
25. Paul is super into food storage and emergency preparedness. At least lately he has been. You would think that I would be the one pushing this since i am the one who makes our meals and i am such a planner but it's Paul. He made us go out and buy a huge shelving system and hundreds of canned foods and we have cereal and water and whatever else we thought would be handy to have in case of emergency. I'm grateful that he is looking out for us but it is so overwhelming to me!
26. Paul is incredibly... "passionate". I tell him he's dramatic but he prefers passionate. He puts his heart and soul into everything he does and he has a big reaction for everything that happens. He has such a dynamic personality and keeps me laughing all the time. I love this about him.
27. He has had a really hard time with this year's birthday. He feels like he is getting old. He totally has a Peter Pan mentality... the boy who never ages. He loves life and playing and having fun, but i'm positive that mentality will never go away. So HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANYWAYS! LOVE YOU!
surprise shower
Tuesday night is our activity night with the youth. We decided to have a little campfire with our girls at Heidi (the other leader's) house. When i got there, turns out it was more than just a campfire... it was a baby shower for me! I was so shocked and touched! It was all decorated and all the girls were so sweet to bring me gifts! Heidi was so sweet to put it together and make it a surprise, she is so fun I'm so grateful to be together with her and our girls. I couldn't believe that they had gone to so much effort for me and the baby. We played games and talked and roasted mallows and i opened gifts and it was so much fun. These girls are all so sweet and funny and really every single one has such a good heart. I love being able to get to know them and work with them at church. And they are the BEST babysitters! Can't wait for all of them to meet baby Nolan!
(i only had my phone so my pictures aren't that great but oh well. Also in the group pic we have blue dots on our foreheads from one of the games)
(i only had my phone so my pictures aren't that great but oh well. Also in the group pic we have blue dots on our foreheads from one of the games)
wordy wednesday
5.21.2012
home tour: Nolan's room
Ta-da! The big baby room reveal. I love this room. I wanted it to be a mixture of preppy/eclectic and it turned out pretty funky.. in a good way for me. I didn't want a specific theme, but I got really into colors, maps and animals. I found the rug online and it kinda of set the tone for the rest of the room, then i thought of the idea for the argyle wall and i could not get it out of my head so i had to do it as a focal wall. My dad helped us out so much in this room: building the shelf, planning and executing that argyle wall (!!!), refinishing the dresser... what an excellent grandpa! My mom also helped: she worked her magic yet again with crib bedding and made the bumpers and crib sheets. I had a lot of fun finding the little accessories and making a few things. I cross-stitched the ABC art hanging on the wall... I started that cross-stitch when I was literally 10 years old (which consequently was the last time i was even into cross stitching.. or probably that ANYONE was into cross stitching) but anyways i found it like 1/4 of the way done when i was going through a bunch of my crafting stuff and i worked so hard to finish it. I felt like such a grandma using all my spare time to cross stitch of all things but I'm proud of it and I think it turned out really cute and i just had to use it in the room, whether we had a boy or a girl. We weren't sure what we were going to do about the crib since we weren't ready to move Caitlin out of hers but then our friends offered us their old one because they were moving! We did a little sanding and re-staining and it works perfectly. Now all we need is this little boy!
credits= rug: lil mo whimsy rug by momeni, dresser: refinished from existing paint color is KWAL "vivint orange" with high gloss polyurethane finish and knobs are from Lowe's, crib bedding and sheets: made by Lori Pelton sheet fabric is Ann Kelle for Robert Kaufman Fabrics, accessories > floating frames: JoAnn's, all other frames are repurposed, alligator puzzle: local artisan (bought at Bijou Boutique), ceramic elephant: Urban Outfitters, letter N's all from Hobby Lobby except for yarn one (made by me), 1960's world map: etsy, animal prints: found online, ask if there's anything I've missed!
5.20.2012
a BABY BOY shower
Some of my friends threw a shower for me and our little baby boy. It was so much fun with delicious brunch and the cutest gifts and wonderful company. I'll admit it was weird to walk in and have all this blue stuff be for me! I'm so used to being so girl-identified and I've been buying boy things for myself but just until recently i had kind of just felt like i was buying them as a gift or something. But no.. after having my shower and getting all these fun things it finally hit me they are for MY little boy! So crazy and exciting. I am so grateful to these girls for hosting a shower for me they are so sweet.
When we got back from the shower we went to my house and found that Paul had made a little picnic for Caitlin and London and they were so cute just sitting at the little picnic table eating their bologna sandwiches.
That afternoon Paul and I got to go shopping by ourselves while Jenna watched Caitlin to get the last of the items that we needed. It was so fun to get out with Paul and focus on just this baby. Paul is BEYOND excited to meet his little boy so luckily i caught him in a "spendy" mood and we got lots of fun stuff!! Definitely more than we even needed but now i feel like we are officially ready to have this little one in our home!
When we got back from the shower we went to my house and found that Paul had made a little picnic for Caitlin and London and they were so cute just sitting at the little picnic table eating their bologna sandwiches.
That afternoon Paul and I got to go shopping by ourselves while Jenna watched Caitlin to get the last of the items that we needed. It was so fun to get out with Paul and focus on just this baby. Paul is BEYOND excited to meet his little boy so luckily i caught him in a "spendy" mood and we got lots of fun stuff!! Definitely more than we even needed but now i feel like we are officially ready to have this little one in our home!
5.18.2012
37 weeks
FULL TERM. what a good feeling. Well, good and scary. It's like now I've entered the "could be anytime and it's ok" phase while somehow still being at the "you never know when and it feels like everyday is the longest day" phase. Regardless, I'm glad to have made it!
-Everything from my belly button down hurts/aches at some or all points of the day. Especially during the night. Rolling over is a complete CHORE.
-I have had some new... symptoms pop up as of late that i haven't ever experienced during pregnancy. We'll leave it at that but still happy to say that stretch marks aren't one of them!
-My legs and ankles are starting to look a little swollen to me, and the warmer weather hasn't helped. Therefore sticking with the maxi skirts and dresses not only because they are incredibly comfy and fit better than my pants at the current moment but also because they cover up said possibly swollen parts.
-I was talking to Paul at church the other day and we were standing by two of the teenage girls and i heard one say to the other "Wow she's getting really big." I know she didn't mean it in a rude way because it is indeed a fact, but it still stung a little. It's like: I know i am big and its ok if i'm the one saying that i am but at the same time i don't want anyone else to point it out, i like to pretend like people don't notice (ha!)
-I am thirsty ALL THE TIME. I think I probably drink about 5 liters of water a day. Not exaggerating.
-I fell! I totally fell down the other day. Don't worry it wasn't in a super dangerous crush-my-baby kind of way, it was in a super embarrassing loss-of-balance-beached-whale type of way. After church i was walking outside with two other ladies and i had two bags with me and i was trying to sling one over my shoulder and i guess lost balance and then tried to catch myself and ended up falling off the curb. I was fine but i hit my knee on the way down and scraped it and to be honest it hurts. But more bruised was my pride... here i thought i could still rock my 3 inch tall wedges while at church being 36 weeks pregnant and apparently not. I mean how do you recover from that?!
-I went to the doctor on Tuesday (kind of annoying how my appointments aren't exactly in sync with my weeks but i guess no one else is bothered by it). I am hanging on by a thread (i.e. ONE pound) below my goal weight that i wanted to stay under. But he said everything looks good! Baby is a good size, I'm a good size, my blood pressure is good.. etc etc. He started laughing when i pulled my shirt up for him to check my belly because he could see the little baby's nubby foot sticking out to the side (he always swings his feet over to my right side so i almost always have a weird nub over there). He said most of the time you can't tell so much detail in someone's stomach so to just see a little nub sticking out was funny. I go back in a week and he will start checking to see if i am dilated or anything.
-Thought it was time for another comparison picture, same week, same shirt:
-Everything from my belly button down hurts/aches at some or all points of the day. Especially during the night. Rolling over is a complete CHORE.
-I have had some new... symptoms pop up as of late that i haven't ever experienced during pregnancy. We'll leave it at that but still happy to say that stretch marks aren't one of them!
-My legs and ankles are starting to look a little swollen to me, and the warmer weather hasn't helped. Therefore sticking with the maxi skirts and dresses not only because they are incredibly comfy and fit better than my pants at the current moment but also because they cover up said possibly swollen parts.
-I was talking to Paul at church the other day and we were standing by two of the teenage girls and i heard one say to the other "Wow she's getting really big." I know she didn't mean it in a rude way because it is indeed a fact, but it still stung a little. It's like: I know i am big and its ok if i'm the one saying that i am but at the same time i don't want anyone else to point it out, i like to pretend like people don't notice (ha!)
-I am thirsty ALL THE TIME. I think I probably drink about 5 liters of water a day. Not exaggerating.
-I fell! I totally fell down the other day. Don't worry it wasn't in a super dangerous crush-my-baby kind of way, it was in a super embarrassing loss-of-balance-beached-whale type of way. After church i was walking outside with two other ladies and i had two bags with me and i was trying to sling one over my shoulder and i guess lost balance and then tried to catch myself and ended up falling off the curb. I was fine but i hit my knee on the way down and scraped it and to be honest it hurts. But more bruised was my pride... here i thought i could still rock my 3 inch tall wedges while at church being 36 weeks pregnant and apparently not. I mean how do you recover from that?!
-I went to the doctor on Tuesday (kind of annoying how my appointments aren't exactly in sync with my weeks but i guess no one else is bothered by it). I am hanging on by a thread (i.e. ONE pound) below my goal weight that i wanted to stay under. But he said everything looks good! Baby is a good size, I'm a good size, my blood pressure is good.. etc etc. He started laughing when i pulled my shirt up for him to check my belly because he could see the little baby's nubby foot sticking out to the side (he always swings his feet over to my right side so i almost always have a weird nub over there). He said most of the time you can't tell so much detail in someone's stomach so to just see a little nub sticking out was funny. I go back in a week and he will start checking to see if i am dilated or anything.
-Thought it was time for another comparison picture, same week, same shirt:
5.16.2012
home tour: the loft
We've been busy around here! Getting the baby's room ready has led to lots of other projects, like a domino effect. So, the baby will now be in what WAS the guest room. Therefore our guest room has moved to our loft.. and it's a full-on guest suite up there. But also still my craft room and playroom. Good thing it's big. The loft is above the garage. Before the bedroom furniture move it just had toys, the little day bed and all the crafting shelves. The day bed will eventually be Caitlin's "big girl bed" but we aren't ready for that yet! So now our guests will stay up there, as well as having the other functions. I think it's a good solution for now until we start refinishing our basement (don't even get me started on how huge THAT project will be). One funny thing that happened though was that we couldn't fit the box spring for the bed up the stairs because there is a sharp turn so Paul and my dad ended up taking apart and somehow rebuilding the box spring so we cold get it up there! Nothing is ever as easy as it seems right? So it's still comfy as ever and guests are still very welcome and encouraged!! Here are some pictures of the loft, used at full capacity:
credits= most furniture/accessories stayed the same from my previous guest room post, so the additional items are... daybed: garage sale, cubicle shelves and desk: IKEA, storage bins and organizational items: mostly IKEA and some re-purposed, desk chair: Sam Moore furniture via Gatehouse, armoire: got from my parents
5.15.2012
"nastics"
Monday was our last day of our little mom-and-tot gymnastics class... very sad for both of us. I have loved having this little class with her and watching her progress and be so cute and get excited about things. I've loved having our little mommy daughter thing that we do together and I'm so glad i snuck it in before i have the baby. She's very unpredictable and some weeks have definitely been better than others but overall I think she has loved it. She gets so excited when i tell her we are going to "nastics class" and get her little tutu out. She loves to put it on and says "NA NA" the whole way there and then when we pull up to the building she starts yelling louder and knows exactly where we are. Sometimes she is very independent and sometimes she wants me to help her with everything. But overall she has definitely improved since her first class and she is stronger and more coordinated and pretty good at following directions. Her teacher was so cute and patient with her and the other kids and all
the other kids were so cute too. Everyone is at really different levels
but it's fun to see all the kids progress and do things.
She is actually really good at walking on the beam.. she walks on the tall ones with just a little support from me and she is also good at hanging on the bars.. she can hang for almost 10 seconds. She can do front rolls almost all by herself and likes doing back rolls with help and loves doing them on the wedge mats. She's also good at staying in a handstand for about 5 seconds (with help) and her favorite is the tramp. Which is a little ironic because she still hasn't learned how to actually jump and leave the ground, but she stomps her feet and thinks she is jumping and she loves just running around on them. Her other favorite part was getting stamps on the tops of her feet at the end of class.
I definitely think we will be making a return to the gym or some other sort of class after we figure out life with a mom-and tot- ...and infant. I tried to take some pictures today while I wasn't helping her. She is still the only one to wear a tutu in her class, but she rocks it.
She is actually really good at walking on the beam.. she walks on the tall ones with just a little support from me and she is also good at hanging on the bars.. she can hang for almost 10 seconds. She can do front rolls almost all by herself and likes doing back rolls with help and loves doing them on the wedge mats. She's also good at staying in a handstand for about 5 seconds (with help) and her favorite is the tramp. Which is a little ironic because she still hasn't learned how to actually jump and leave the ground, but she stomps her feet and thinks she is jumping and she loves just running around on them. Her other favorite part was getting stamps on the tops of her feet at the end of class.
I definitely think we will be making a return to the gym or some other sort of class after we figure out life with a mom-and tot- ...and infant. I tried to take some pictures today while I wasn't helping her. She is still the only one to wear a tutu in her class, but she rocks it.
5.14.2012
mother's day
Happy Mother's Day to everyone. Not just mothers and grandmothers but women, wives, and everyone who has been blessed my having a mom. I am eternally grateful for my mom and mother-in-law in my life and the things they do for our family on a regular basis. I am also eternally grateful for the amazing blessing that i have to be a mom. It is the greatest joy in my life and has taught me the most out of any experience i have ever been through... and continues everyday.
I had a wonderful mother's day.
-It really started on Saturday when I went out while Paul watched Caitlin and got to go to Target completely by myself for as long as I wanted. I know that sounds weird but seriously just being able to wander around and not have to hurry or fish for more snacks from your purse and have time to try things on is SO nice. I needed it. And you better believe i picked out some good stuff for my mother's day presents!
-On Sunday i got breakfast in bed and i will never forget how cute Paul and Caitlin were when they brought it to me. I was already awake but stayed in bed because i could hear them and knew they were up to something (plus i didn't want to get out of bed anyways). Then Paul opened the door and Caitlin came running in in her little Hello Kitty pajamas yelling "mama! mama!" and i knew it was going to be a good time. I love my sweeties. Caitlin snuggled with me all during breakfast and i know i looks gross in the pic but it was just so sweet. Breakfast was awesome.. complete with a card and flowers and a Diet DP also, which i am saving for a very special occasion since i try not to drink caffeine while i'm pregnant. But oh how i love my Dr. Pepper.
-After we ate breakfast together we got ready for church and went. Church was good.. good talks and Caitlin was really good so i actually felt like i got to listen to them. Then i taught the lesson to the young women and then we came home. We put Caitlin down for a nap and I rested and wrote my special mother's day letters (an idea i got from HERE (#4) that i am super excited about) while Paul made me dinner. We had delicious fajitas and then we all went for a walk around the block and spent some time outside.
-When we came back in Paul sat Caitlin by the sink to wash off her feet and that led to her hopping in and playing with the cold sink water -- fully clothed-- for a good 30 minutes. She makes me laugh.
-After that we got in comfies and watched a movie together. We also got to talk to both our moms and watched the season finale of Once Upon a Time.
I couldn't have asked for more. The perfect balance of being with my family and also having time to myself. I absolutely love being a mom. I love Paul for making me a mom and i love Caitlin for being my firstborn child to learn how to be a mom with. I also love our new little baby that will be coming soon and can't wait to learn more being a mom to him! I am so glad that i have so much support and love in my life that allows me to be a full-time mom because i wouldn't want to be doing anything else.
...could i have used the word "mom" any more?
-It really started on Saturday when I went out while Paul watched Caitlin and got to go to Target completely by myself for as long as I wanted. I know that sounds weird but seriously just being able to wander around and not have to hurry or fish for more snacks from your purse and have time to try things on is SO nice. I needed it. And you better believe i picked out some good stuff for my mother's day presents!
-On Sunday i got breakfast in bed and i will never forget how cute Paul and Caitlin were when they brought it to me. I was already awake but stayed in bed because i could hear them and knew they were up to something (plus i didn't want to get out of bed anyways). Then Paul opened the door and Caitlin came running in in her little Hello Kitty pajamas yelling "mama! mama!" and i knew it was going to be a good time. I love my sweeties. Caitlin snuggled with me all during breakfast and i know i looks gross in the pic but it was just so sweet. Breakfast was awesome.. complete with a card and flowers and a Diet DP also, which i am saving for a very special occasion since i try not to drink caffeine while i'm pregnant. But oh how i love my Dr. Pepper.
-After we ate breakfast together we got ready for church and went. Church was good.. good talks and Caitlin was really good so i actually felt like i got to listen to them. Then i taught the lesson to the young women and then we came home. We put Caitlin down for a nap and I rested and wrote my special mother's day letters (an idea i got from HERE (#4) that i am super excited about) while Paul made me dinner. We had delicious fajitas and then we all went for a walk around the block and spent some time outside.
-When we came back in Paul sat Caitlin by the sink to wash off her feet and that led to her hopping in and playing with the cold sink water -- fully clothed-- for a good 30 minutes. She makes me laugh.
-After that we got in comfies and watched a movie together. We also got to talk to both our moms and watched the season finale of Once Upon a Time.
I couldn't have asked for more. The perfect balance of being with my family and also having time to myself. I absolutely love being a mom. I love Paul for making me a mom and i love Caitlin for being my firstborn child to learn how to be a mom with. I also love our new little baby that will be coming soon and can't wait to learn more being a mom to him! I am so glad that i have so much support and love in my life that allows me to be a full-time mom because i wouldn't want to be doing anything else.
...could i have used the word "mom" any more?
planted
Saturday we finished planting our garden and getting flowers and food in to get ready for our (hopefully) bountiful summer harvest! We did lots of yummy ones this year, some same as last year and some new ones to try. With how warm its already been I'm a little nervous things won't do as well but we can only wait and see! I LOVE having a planted garden, i really just like the way it makes our yard look.
We went to the Linden Nursery in the morning and stocked up on our last minute things we needed and Caitlin loved looking at the little chicks!
Also our trees are still back there. We have had to stake almost all of them because of crazy wind storms and we've had some major flooding with our sprinklers back there so i'm just hoping they survive. We need to do a little more to finish the area: put in a concrete border and mulch and more plants so we'll see where we get to.
Also our trees are still back there. We have had to stake almost all of them because of crazy wind storms and we've had some major flooding with our sprinklers back there so i'm just hoping they survive. We need to do a little more to finish the area: put in a concrete border and mulch and more plants so we'll see where we get to.
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