Football

Go Cougars! Mountain West Champs 2006 with 1 conference game left to play. Sweeeeeet! Then it's VIVA LAS VEGAS!

Thanksgiving

Yesterday was a great day. It's also one of the most looked over holidays. I was happy that I got to help my mother-in-law cook some of the dinner, although I didn't get to help with everything that I wanted to. It was so nice just to know that she didn't have to do it all herself this year. I wanted her to relax. I don't really know if she did or not, because I had Carter that made me take a 3 hour timeout with him. He got into somethings that drove me to "punishing" him with putting toys away (he has fun helping to be a big boy though.) Then, some of us helped get everything else set up for those who don't live here. I felt bad for making Carter wait for a really late lunch and nap. He made it through a package of fruit snacks and 5 bites of real food before he did the 'I'm too tired to be awake' cry. But that was the only bad part about it. We all relaxed, enjoyed one another and had a good time. We played a couple of games. Everyone ate the bad for you snacks I made. We all got plump and felt soooo good! I'm grateful for having a good time.

Black Friday!

After a not too pleasant black Friday the year I was pregnant, I swore off shopping on it again. Well, as it turns out I not only had to work black Friday, but I had to open on it! At the Bombay Company though, it's not too bad. The store was slow for the first couple of hours. Then the crowds came. One lady was almost ready to put up a fight because she wanted to be the one to have the last of a certain nutcracker. Our computers crashed, so all transactions had to be done by hand. I didn't eat anything all day, but I did have a large Dr. Pepper to keep me awake. (For those of you who know me, I need caffeine pumped into my veins if I'm to be awake before 8:00 am.) I also stayed an extra hour, making my shift an 8 hour one. The best part was seeing a friend that I haven't seen in a couple of years. Really, it wasn't too bad. I like this job, and I have fun doing it. Afterwards, I went to another store to see what they had, but the crowds were so big that I went directly home. Then, we went out and spent more time with the family. When we were done, we actually did more shopping! I'm actually glad we did though. We got the Little Mermaid on dvd for only $8.88! Yeah, I said I didn't want to do it, but who couldn't resist getting a movie for more than 1/2 off! :D

Shopping

Jesse and I went to Ross at 8:30 pm. We were going to get a pair of shoes that Carter was going to get from us for Christmas. Well, we got to the registers where there was one lady helping a guy who was purchasing a full shopping cart of nothing but clothes. Well, there was a lady with her daughter and then two girls who were ahead of us. So, another girl opened a register where the two girls in front of us went to. Since there are no designated lines, we waited where we were standing figuring the one cashier would politely ask for the next person in line, the woman with her girl. Amazingly NO! She let people just come up to her even though there were others lining up behind us to form one line. It was kind of hard to make two lines because of the table that was in front of the registers. Finally, Jesse and I got sick of it after she rang up another 6 people who hadn't been waiting. (These are the people who just walked up to her as soon as the person got their receipt.) Jesse got the car, and I put the shoes back. I was so flabberghasted that on my way out, I went to the cashier who was so oblivious to others and told her, "Either you tell us where the line is, or you take the customers who have been waiting." Then I stormed out the doors. The look on her face was one of 'why are you so angry?', 'what did I do wrong?' It was just rediculous that we waited in line and got passed up for more than 10 minutes just for people to be not getting customer service at the customer service desk! If I were her, I would be so embarrassed about not doing my job properly.

Doctor's visit

Yesterday, Carter had his first doctor's visit since he turned one. We found out that his head is 46 cm round, finally back on the 5%, he's 32 3/4 in, which is more than 25%, and his weight is only 21 lbs 3 oz, still off the charts. He's almost 2 and just barely over 20 lbs! There's no wonder as to why though. While waiting for the doctor, Carter figured out how to open the door and escape. That sent his aunt, our nurse, running all over the office with Carter in nothing but his diaper. It was actually quite funny. After that, he got the doctor's stool, pushed it to the table where he's supposed to wait patiently, and started doing his laps of mini sprints. I got him down right before the doctor came in. As soon as I put Carter back on the floor, he was climbing the stool to the table. The only thing the doctor said when he saw that was, " Wow! He's quite the climber." I've always known this. I've also known that he's quite the helper. Throughout the entire time of me talking to the doctor, Carter was helping me get his clothes and paperwork 'organized'. The doctor was impressed. Later the doctor asked if he was born early. I wish that were the case, but no. I just have a child who is perfectly healthy, and very much active, who grows at the same rate a premature baby does.

One of those days

Last night we left Carter home with his cousins and grandparents while we double dated with Jesse's older sister and brother-in-law. When we got home, we found Carter's cousins playing with him when he was supposed to be sleeping. Not only that, but we also found a mass of crayons laying around our bedroom door. Carter and Kason had been feeding Piston crayons. Thankfully they are nontoxic. That's all that Piston was excreting today.
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Tonight we came home from watching another great BYU game to find our son just as rambunctious as ever. Well, someone left the bathroom door open downstairs where Carter plays. In the bathroom there is a basket where the extra toilet paper rolls go. He loves playing with the basket. Apparently, he loves playing with the toilet paper too. He pulled the basket to the door of the bathroom and took each roll one-by-one down to the end of this long hallway. That is where he took one roll out of the wrapper and ran it back to the bathroom. He unrolled it until it was half way down the hall. That's when he started running his "red carpet." It was hilarious! There was no way that Jesse and I could keep our composure to discipline him for it, because he kept running from end to end and laughing his little head off. I think Jesse may have gotten a picture of it just to show his dates in 15 years what kind of trouble we had to go through. :D

The odd things in life

As we know, Carter has quite the personality. Sometimes I refer to him as my genetically improbable child or my nonhuman child, due to him wanting to take bathes over eating candy and cookies. Well, now I just call him my weird child.

Today, started out as any normal day. I fed Carter breakfast, cleaned up, put Carter and Piston in the bedroom with cartoons, and took my shower. When I got out, Carter was wanting me to hold him. No big deal, because he sometimes does when I leave him alone, even for 10 minutes. Well, I was still in my robe when I laid down with him. After a few minutes of just laying there, I sat up and Carter wiped his fingers on my knee. On those fingers was a nice layer of goober from him sucking on them. So, I did what any other parent would do. I went, "Eeeewwww!" and wiped it off my knee. Not more than 5 sec. had gone by when he proceeded to finish putting the rest of the goober on my knee. So, I wiped his fingers off and tried to pull my knee length robe down over my knee. Carter wasn't going to leave it at that. He threw my robe away from my knee and pulled the goober on his face and put it on my knee. By this time it was a super fun game we were playing according to him. I wiped his face and told him that was enough. Instead of doing the smart thing in getting up and putting on clothes right away, I decided to let him know he's not supposed to do that. So, as funny as it was to him, he curled up on my lap and LICKED my knee! He didn't just do this once, he did it twice! The second one was done while I was picking him up off my lap. To him that was the funny retaliation he had on mommy. According to Jesse, his sister, and her husband that was hilarious. Why is that sooooo funny??? It's just plain gross!

Tis the season

Awhile ago I was reading a comic where a little girl was in school and was asked to name the four seasons. Her reply was simple, "Cold season, flu season..." The teacher stood in astonishment while above read, "how to tell the children of doctors."

This is the season of sickness. Our family is not immuned. We've got the humidifier out with the vicks vapor liquid to go in it. That way we don't smell like it, our room does. Poor Carter was hit the worst though. His first day of sickness was last Thursday. He ran a high fever which had turned into a runny nose and massive congestion in his chest that is getting better. Thankfully, we have all hit our worst (I'm pretty sure we have.)
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Well, at the Bombay Company, we have had all of our Christmas items out for quite some time. Our nutcrackers were put out when I had my interview in September. Everything else came out around Halloween. Well, we've started our Christmas shopping. We've gotten Carter a couple of things. Last night I got some ornaments for the family and a most precious teddy bear that is extremely soft for Carter.
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So, I'm on my way to finishing school! YAY!!! I have officially registered for classes. I'm taking 5 classes for 14 credit hours. Take that into account with the 20 hours a week I will work and my calling as an activites leader, I will never see Jesse. These are the sacrafices of life they always talk about. :(

The Weekend (super long story)

I know the weekend isn't over, but I thought I needed to just write about it. It's been a pretty good one for me, which means that it wasn't that great for Jesse. That's a whole other story. I'll start with the worst part, Carter got sick this week. Not just the sniffles or a little fever, but the full out, 102 degrees with congestion in his chest and sinuses. As I type he is awake and coughing in the bedroom across the way. He's been like this since Wednesday night.

Thursday night was a BYU football game. We left Carter with his grandparents, which they enjoy spending time with him. Well, we got to see BYU womp Wyoming trash sitting from our 12th row seats.

Well, I decided Friday that I've done my time. Carter is quite the mama's boy, and worse when he's sick. So, I went out with Jesse's older sisters that night, and we had dinner and went to one's friend's house where we made holiday cards. It was so nice to just go have a girl's night out. I didn't worry about Carter, because I know he's in capable hands. After we were done making cards, we went back to that sister's house and just hung out for a little bit. I felt bad and left a little early, because I didn't want to get the kids sick, esp. now that they have a newborn! I know it's odd that I would feel that way, but if I'm around Carter all day and he's clinging to me, I don't want to spread those germs around to a family with kids.

Today, Jesse cleaned while I cuddled Carter. Then, I went to work. Let me just say, yes, I'm underemployed, but I love this job. I stand and talk to people all day. Yes, I'm a 'sales associate,' but I don't really have to "sell." I don't have to be a pushy person trying to get others to buy our products. I just have to greet the people and tell them about our sales. If they want to talk, we can talk! I'm not at a sit down job where I'm going to eat and get an even bigger butt! I climb up and down ladders getting stuff, I walk, and if it's really slow, I can read a magazine while doing some leg excerises behind the register! How great of a job is that!?! Yeah, I deal with dumb people, but who doesn't??? I was having so much fun talking tonight that I didn't even know what time it was. I got home late, but then again I sort of wanted to stay to close.

When I got home, our niece and nephews were over. It shouldn't be that bad, but when they step foot in the doors here, all hell breaks loose. At grandma and grandpa's they just go crazy. Well, it's nice to know that Carter can play with his cousins and not end up with brain damage or worse. They play pretty well, or one or two will go and watch tv. So, it's not too bad. Then, Jesse and I went out to dinner, where we were seated as soon as we asked how long a wait for 2 would be. No more than 10 minutes after we ordered, our food was sitting in front of us! What a great weekend this has been for me!

Jesse's weekend

He's super excited about BYU's record and ability to play this year that he loses his voice for almost every home game we go to. Thursday was no different.

Well, like I've said, Carter's sick and a SUPER clingy mama's boy. Not too good for Jess. I left, and Carter screamed. Friday, Carter didn't want to eat dinner with Jesse. That's not too unusual though. However, he also didn't want to take his medicine. That's pretty unusual, because he loves the sweet flavors we have. So, Jess dealt with a sick, screaming toddler Friday night. He wasn't too excited for that.

Today was no different. Carter was just as honary as all get up. He threw fits, bit, hit, and screamed until his little voice couldn't take it anymore. So, he snuggled up to me, until he was ready to let me go. Then, I left for work. Not too long after I left Carter's cousins came over. Jesse can handle them, but he's not a very patient person when it comes to the same rules being disobeyed multiple times in less than an hour. He's not too big of a fan of trying to keep some peace when no one else that is around will help. Don't get me wrong, we love our neice and nephews, it's just that when you live in a house that's not childproof, it's hard to keep 4 kids, ages 2-7 occupied without them getting into something they're not supposed to. (To me, it's too many rules for children that young to obey, esp. if they can't go outstide.) Also, if the kids are around, Carter doesn't eat, unless it's something small and can be taken on the go. So, yet again, Carter fought eating dinner with Jesse. So, Jesse was at his wits end.

Then, we went out, just the two of us. He relaxed and enjoyed himself. He was able to escape the perils that come with a sick child.

Exercise

I bought a pilates set back in the summer. I finally decided to workout with that pilates dvd yesterday while Carter was awake. I locked the two of us in our room, because that way I would know he wouldn't be getting into any trouble. Dumb me! It's not that he got into trouble. It's just that I had to double the work. It was only a 20 min workout but it felt like an hour! The worst part about it was when you're supposed to lift your shoulders and head off the ground while lying down. That part doesn't bother me. It's when Carter sat on my face for 2 of the exercises that I had to do like that. He would also turn, look at me and laugh! Not too long after that I was using my resistance circle between my knees. It started off with Carter jumping through it, like you see acrobats at a circus. Then, he followed that by sitting on my stomach trying to pull it out from my legs. I don't know whether to be frustrated by it or grateful that he helped me work a little harder.

Cousins

Carter loves his cousins! He absolutely adores the one who is a year and a half older than him, Kason. They are two peas in a pod. They are constantly falling and running into things. They look like they could be brothers, and they both are finding ways to get into mischief with one another. We are all scared to see how they grow up, mainly due to last night. That is when we found the two of them with Jesse's cake next to the edge of the table. Carter was on a chair and Kason was next to him. Both had frosting on their fingers that had just come out of their mouths. It was adorable to see them like that, but as parents, we are terrified to see what else they'll be getting into together.

My thoughts for the day

In Relief Society today, we had a lesson on "what makes a home." When asked that question, people gave those cliche answers. The only thought I had in my head was a quote from Pumbaa in the Lion King. "Home is where your rump rests."

On that note, I hope we can all make everywhere we go a little piece of home no matter where we originated from.

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The holiday season has snuck up on Jesse and I quite fast this year. We remember trying to figure out all sorts of things to get for Carter last year. Now a full year has quickly come and gone. With all of the Christmas music that is playing, I get a feeling of sadness. All because Carter's a year older and has so much personality. And yet with this great blessing of a child, we as parents don't fully enjoy him as much, esp. in his 'terrible toddler' stage, and we feel that we can't provide for him (and hopefully some siblings soon). I know we're young, but time goes by way too fast.

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What do you get for someone who has everything? My sister-in-law and her husband were out shopping for his family. They were able to get most of the family presents. The biggest troubles they have are for the dad, brother-in-law, and one nephew. This nephew is 14 going on 30. He has his own cell phone, plays in his own band with his half brother, and has 3 bedrooms all his own. He has two sets of parents, who both do EXTREMELY well, and his 3rd bedroom is at the lake house the grandparents own. Everything is top of the line and meant to be in a museum of some sort. She has no idea what to do, because he's not a true kid. Unfortunately, we can relate. What do we get for my sister and her husband??? They don't have kids, and both are making way more than Jesse and I ever made the whole time we've been married. The same goes for that sister-in-law. We are the ones who drew her husband's name for the Christmas swap. His hobby is his career, and he's in need of nothing. What does one do in a situation like this?

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YAY! GO BYU!

Birthday!

Yesterday was a day that I had been waiting a long time for. Jesse's birthday! I was so excited to buy him things that he wanted this year. I got him our generic gift of picture frames (we get them for each other every year), because who couldn't use more picture frames!?! Then, I picked up X-men, Happy Gilmore and Ocean's 11. Fun dvds, and he really wanted X-men. Since he's obsessed with Halloween, I got him quite a few decorations from the Bombay Co: a mummy statue, a spiderweb table runner (it's pretty kewl), candles, and a couple of tealight lanterns.

Since he made my birthday this year really special, I wanted to do the same for him. I planned on getting him a Giordano's pizza, because that's his fave, then picking up a couple of Chicago dogs from this new place that opened up down the street, and finishing off the night with dessert from the melting pot.

Unfortunately, I spent so much on his birthday gifts and extra Halloween decorations that I had to cut out the $60 pizza. I had worked myself up so much about how great this night was going to be, that I blew it (at least the money). It doesn't help that the night I went to order it was the night that I started my monthly visit from a good friend, mother nature. So, I was so bummed that all I could do was cry, because in my mind it was going to be this big surprise that he would love and remember forever.

Well, last night came, and we did 2 of the 3 things originally planned. We left about 1/2 hour late, which was fine. We got to the Hot Dog King and ordered. Well, we waited. It took almost 1/2 hour to make the hot dogs and then eat them. The price was good, and the length wasn't that long. All in all, it wasn't too bad, except that there was only one person working. ON A FRIDAY NIGHT!!!! That's why it took so long to make and eat. We then headed up to Salt Lake. As we were leaving Utah County, The freeway boards read "Crash, Left Lanes Closed at 10600 S." So, instead of only taking 30-45 min to get there it took over an hour. Everything was not going as planned (at least time wise.) It wouldn't have been so bad if we had reservations. I figured there would be a wait, but if we got there early enough, it wouldn't be too bad. Well, we got to the melting pot, but it was at 8:15 on a Friday night. What more can I say? The wait was supposed to be 2 1/2 hours. Actually, it was 1 1/2. I know we're crazy for waiting, but Jesse said it would be okay. So, we got seated around 10 pm. Good thing we were only there for dessert. It was so good though. I'd wait again!

For what it's worth, Jesse had a good time, and it was nice to go out and do something just for ourselves.