[ the . nichols . family ]

Longest day of my life.

2012-01-25T21:12:00.002-07:00

1:35 a.m. - Oliver wakes up crying. Sean goes in to comfort him and he starts coughing really hard, can barely breathe, and throws up twice. Once we get him calmed down, I rock him in his room until I can get him back to sleep.

3:00 a.m. - I finally get him back to sleep in his bed.

3:05 a.m. - He wakes up again, screaming and coughing. Sean goes in and rocks him, can't get him to calm down.

3:40 a.m. - I call the night nurse at our pediatrician's office. She says if he's having trouble breathing to take him to InstaCare.

3:50 a.m. - Sean gets Ollie bundled up and takes him to InstaCare, only to find out that it's closed. Oliver falls asleep in the car, so Sean drives all over Utah County while he sleeps. I fall asleep on the sofa for a little while.

6:05 a.m. - Sean gets home with Oliver. I peel myself off the sofa and get Ollie some breakfast while Sean lays down for a while.

8:20 a.m. - Sean gets up and gets ready for work. Oliver is rapidly getting worse. I call his pediatrician and set up an appointment for 10:35 a.m.

9:00 a.m. - Sean leaves for work. Oliver is very upset, tired, and coughing like crazy.

9:15 a.m. - I pile both kids in the car and go for a long drive so Oliver can rest. Stop at McDonald's to get a Mocha Frappe so I can stay awake.

10:35 a.m. - Ollie's doctor's appointment. The doc says he has very severe croup. Suggests we give Oliver a steroid shot and says I have the option of taking him into the hospital for breathing treatments. Because Ollie is having such a hard time breathing I decide to go ahead and take him to the hospital.

11:00 a.m. - We start a breathing treatment with Ollie in the doctor's office because the hospital doesn't have a room for us yet. He screams almost the whole time.

11:30 a.m. - Nurse gives Oliver a steroid shot. Doctor says we can head over to the hospital.

11:50 a.m. - Checked into the Pediatric wing at Utah Valley Regional. Nurses take his vitals while he screams his guts out. We're told they'll have a room for us soon.

12:30 p.m. - Steroid shot is kicking in and Oliver is perking up a bit. Still waiting for a room.

1:00 p.m. - Ollie is getting restless. He drifts in and out of sleep, but wakes up coughing really hard and wheezing.

1:35 p.m. - They finally have a room for us. Oliver is insanely tired but likes wandering around the new room. Sean leaves to go back to work.

1:50 p.m. - Five nurses (yes, FIVE) come into our room in robes, masks, and gloves, scare the heck out of Oliver, and attach monitors all over his little body. When they leave I finally get him to relax and take a little nap while I rock him.

2:30 p.m. - Wakes up crying and coughing. I can't get him to calm down and I'm starting to get really frustrated about the fact that they haven't started breathing treatments yet.

2:45 p.m. - Get him back to sleep again.

3:15 p.m. - Wakes up and doesn't know where he is. Starts sobbing again. I try really hard to keep him happy, but he keeps pulling at the monitors on his body and pointing to the door.

4:00 p.m. - Still no breathing treatments. Oliver's breathing has improved a lot from the steroid shot. I know his croup is manageable and I just want to take him home. I finally work up the courage to talk to a nurse about getting discharged.

4:10 p.m. - The nurse comes in and says the resident doctor wants to talk with me before discharging Oliver.

4:50 p.m. - Resident doctor finally comes in, talks to me for a while and checks out Oliver. Ollie starts screaming hysterically again. He says he's sure Oliver is probably fine to go home and that he'll draw up discharge papers. He says we'll be out "very soon."

5:20 p.m. - Neither Ollie nor I can stand the monitors all over his body and I pull them off so he can walk around the room. He's happy about that for a while, but then goes over and starts banging on the door and screaming to be let out.

5:35 p.m. - The nurse finally comes in with discharge papers. I quickly sign whatever they push in front of me. He gives me a questionnaire to fill out to let them know what they can improve. I don't fill it out because they don't want to hear what I have to say.

5:45 p.m. - After six hours in the hospital for absolutely no reason, Ollie and I are finally on our way home.

6:05 p.m. - We're finally home. The house is clean (thanks to my mom) and there's lots of yummy Sonic for dinner (thanks to my hubby). I scarf down way too many onion rings and popcorn chicken then collapse on the sofa. Ollie eats almost an entire grilled cheese sandwich and fries and is still hungry.

6:30 p.m. - Ollie is really grouchy and tired. Sean tries to keep him entertained while I rest for a bit.

6:50 p.m. - We head upstairs to put Oliver in the tub. I set up a humidifier next to his crib.

7:15 p.m. - I get Ollie out of the tub, dried up, and into some footie pajamas. I slather his chest and nose with VapoRub and give him a dose of Infant's Tylenol. We read stories and he nurses before bed.

7:35 p.m. - Oliver is in bed asleep. I'm completely physically and mentally exhausted. I'd like to think that Ollie will just sleep the whole night, but I have a feeling he'll be up a lot tonight.

This was seriously the longest, most stressful day of my life. So glad it's over and that Oliver is at least feeling a little better. Now I'm off to take some cold medicine (oh, did I mention I'm sick too?) and zonk out. We'd all better get healthy soon or I'm going to lose it. I've had my fill of sickness for the entire year.

Still sick.

2012-01-14T21:22:00.001-07:00

Sorry I haven't been blogging much lately.

The boys and I are sick.

Still.

I'm starting to think I'll be stuffy and achy for the rest of my life.

But even though I'm doomed to an eternity of runny noses, humidifiers, and cough syrup, I thought I'd at least do a post to tell all you out there that read my blog (all two of you. Hi Mom and Dad.) what we've been up to while cooped up in our germ-infested house.

The Nichols clan has been busy

Making collages…

Drawing pictures of Angry Birds...

Waiting for snow…

Drinking healthy spinach smoothies…

Driving up Provo Canyon to get some fresh air and eating yummy dinner at Dairy Keen in Heber…

Singing in the tub…

Making messes…

Making fresh-squeezed orange juice...

And watching movies in a blanket fort.

I've also been going to Karve four to five times a week. It's been a great way for me to feel a bit better and start getting in shape. It's definitely working too; in two weeks I'm down six pounds! Woo!

I've also picked up a new hobby - crochet! I've been knitting for a few years now and decided to try my hand at something new. I've had so much fun making baby clothes for my aunt's soon-to-be new baby, and now I'm working on a couple of throw blankets.

Well time for me to load myself with vitamins and climb into bed. I'll post regularly again when we're all feeling better.

Seven Months: A Hair Update.

2012-01-06T11:38:00.000-07:00

It's been seven months since I buzzed my head, and since that time my hair has grown a lot! It's been an interesting process trying to grow my hair out and still make it look nice. My hope is that by late summer it'll be long enough that I can cut it into a cute a-line and then continue to grow it out from there.

Here's my hair today.

Not bad considering that a little over half a year ago it was nothing but stubble, eh?

I plan to keep growing it until it's at least down to my shoulder blades. I know taking care of long hair is a pain, but I really miss having long locks! I'm sure it'll be a few years until I reach my goal, but in the meantime I'll keep taking good care of it; I only use salon products, get trims regularly, and I don't dye it anymore (although I'm not sure how long I'll be able to keep that up; I keep finding grey hairs! Yikes!).

I'll post another hair update at my one-year mark, along with the pictures I've taken along the way!

The maiden voyage of Big Red

2012-01-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

For Christmas the boys got a humongous, fancy shmancy two-seater Radio Flyer wagon, and since then the wagon has been sitting in our storage closet, awaiting the warmer Spring weather. Well, turns out we didn't have to wait quite so long! The weather here has been oddly warm and sunny, so this past weekend we took Big Red out on her first voyage to the park!

Mommy pulled the kiddos while they enjoyed the view and the fresh air.

Once at the park, Mommy laid the seats down and made herself a little bed (The boys got me sick and I wasn't feeling so hot).

Then the fun commenced with climbing..

sliding...

tunneling...

swinging...

and muscle-flexing.

We were there for quite a while and had lots of fun getting our wiggles out after being cooped up in the house for so long.

As much as I love this weather, we need some SNOW! Hopefully we'll get some soon!

Anyone in need of a slobbery baby kiss?

2012-01-05T13:37:00.002-07:00

Well alright, here you go:

He's so cute I almost can't stand it. Seriously.

Karve: Week 1

2012-01-05T13:34:00.001-07:00

This is my first week of Karve classes, and what a week it's been so far! As I mentioned in my New Year's post, Karve is a low-impact, one hour workout that combines ballet barre work, pilates, and yoga. Because it's so low-impact, I wasn't expecting it to be super difficult; boy was I wrong!

The very first class I was dripping with sweat by the end, completely worn out and feeling - frankly - out of shape. I knew I'd let myself go a bit since my knee finally gave up on me (or I finally gave up on my knee), but I didn't think I was in horrible shape either. Add the difficulty level to the fact that every woman in my class looked like they stepped off a supermodel runway, and I was feeling more than a little out of place. I'm one of those people who gets really intimidated by exercise classes anyway, so it took all my energy just to focus on myself and not think about the other people in the room.

That said, I absolutely, positively LOVE this class. It's challenging, creative, and every class is slightly different. It targets practically every muscle in my body and every set of exercises is then followed by intense and deep stretching, aiding soreness and allowing those muscles to become long and lean instead of bulky. I've only gone to three classes so far, and I'm already seeing a difference in my muscle definition, particularly on my thighs and stomach. Gotta love that!

I've committed to going 4-5 times in the month of January, and at that point I'll decide if I want to continue for the rest of the year. I definitely think I'll stick with this class though. It's pricey, but it offers the kind of intense, body sculpting workout I need without damaging my joints and killing my knees. And if I'm already seeing results on day three, I can't imagine what changes I'll see come swimsuit season!

I love that January is a time for reflection, change, and a chance to start over. Here's to a healthier, happier year!

Ringing in the new year with runny noses.

2011-12-31T20:01:00.001-07:00

Looks like we're going to be starting off the new year with a heaping helping of sickness. Both boys are sick and my day has been full of whining, screaming, and excessive amounts of mucous. The kids aren't doing so well either.

Hah! I slay me.

Anyhoo, I'll be spending the evening hoping that all the medicine and nose-snot-sucking-out-with-the-blue-bulb-syringe-thingie work on both kiddos so they can get to sleep. Sean and I will also be drinking sparkling cider, eating excessive amounts of those little mini mint chocolate chip things with white sprinkles on the bottom (is there an official name for those?), and watching Season 2 of True Blood. 'Cause there's nothing like kicking off the new year with fake booze, junk food, and vampires. That's just how we roll.

I hope y'all have a very happy and safe evening and a very prosperous and fantastic 2012!

P.S. Y'know that whole diet I had planned for January? Yeah, so not gonna happen. I had a disastrous trial run today and nearly went out of my mind thinking about food non-stop. The whole idea was for me to set realistic goals, and I think that one was just a bit too much of a stretch for my level of self-discipline and willpower. I'm still going to eat better, just not like a starving, deprived rabbit. More on that later.

2012 Resolution: Create a new me!

2011-12-30T21:08:00.001-07:00

There is one day left of 2011, and this whole week I've been thinking about my resolutions for the new year. I'm usually not one to set resolutions because I tend to expect too much of myself, then by June I've pretty much forgotten the laundry list of things I was supposed to be working on through the year.

Well this year I've decided to set just one single goal, one that I'm sure most of you have made as well:

Take care of myself and get in shape.

Since getting pregnant with Oliver I've been on a crazy roller coaster when it comes to my weight, my fitness, and my diet. I get these crazy rushes of motivation, overwork myself and set unrealistic goals, then self-sabotage when I don't meet those goals and eat everything in sight. The biggest problem with this scenario is that going back and forth from eating super healthy to eating garbage just wreaks havoc on my body, both physically and emotionally. When I'm not eating right I'm tired and depressed all the time, my skin breaks out, I'm winded just walking up the stairs, even my nails get brittle and break constantly. No bueno.

So here's my plan.

EXERCISE

I can control this much easier than I can my diet, but what I've struggled with in this area is constantly getting injured. I've got horrible knees and even when I wear braces I'm in moderate to severe pain through any form of exercise that requires any high-impact move (i.e. jumping jacks, skaters, and even lunges). And running? Forget it. So how do I get a high-intensity, calorie-burning workout without doing anything high-impact? I think I may have found my answer. I saw an ad for Karve Studio here in Lindon and looked it up online. They specialize in a body sculpting method that combines ballet barre work, pilates, and yoga. It's very low-impact, but incredibly effective at sculpting and toning your body. Do I sound like a commercial right now? I'm just really excited about this! I'm starting it next week and trying it out for a month to see how I like it. If it seems like it'll work for me, I'll continue to go four to five times per week. On days when I can't make it to class I'll work on my elliptical machine at home.

DIET

I'm going to take my diet month-by-month with the intention of detoxifying my system and reprogramming my brain to crave healthy foods rather than junk. January will probably be the hardest month because it's the most restrictive, but I look forward to breaking a lot of my bad eating habits and really focusing on treating food as fuel instead of something I turn to whenever I'm bored or depressed.

My diet for January will consist of the following:
- Vegetable soups and broth
- Fruit and vegetable smoothies (like the Detox smoothie on THIS site)
- Fresh fruit
- Fresh or steamed vegetables (no added salt or butter)
- Nuts and seeds (mostly almonds)
- At least two liters of water a day
- No dairy, meat, coffee, breads, pasta, rice, or alcohol

I know it'll be incredibly hard to be on such a restrictive diet. Food (particularly foods filled with carbs and sugar) becomes almost a drug of sorts, and the withdrawals from eliminating those foods from your diet can have a lot of negative side effects - mood swings, escalated cravings, a feeling of hunger when your body has already had enough to eat, even anger and depression. I'm prepared to experience all of those withdrawal symptoms, but I'm confident that at the end of the month my body will have re-regulated itself and I'll be much better off. At that point I'll decide what to re-introduce to my diet and in what quantity.

I'm really excited to start taking better care of myself and get in shape. I'll post some updates periodically to talk about my progress and challenges. Wish me luck!

Happy 2012 everyone!

"Lullabye for Me" by Michael McLean

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

This hasn't been a day that I would call my best
I'd give myself a failing grade if this had been a test
I did not comfort you when you were all alone
I was too busy crying through some problems of my own
Today I have not been the mom you needed me to be
And tonight I wish that you could sing
A lullaby for me

I'm glad that you can sleep, I wish that I could too
I'm sorry that today I wasn't really here for you
I must have slipped away to some far distant land
Where I'm the child who cries until her mother takes her hand
Today I have not been the mom you needed me to be
And tonight I wish that you could sing
A lullaby for me

Tomorrow I'll reclaim my proper place
I'll tuck you in and gently kiss your face
I'll do the things a mom's supposed to do
And I'll know what those things should be
Cause now I need them too

This hasn't been a day that I want to repeat
I'm sorry I could only say I'm sorry while you sleep
Today I have not been the mom you needed me to be
And tonight I wish that you could sing
A lullaby for me
Tonight I need someone to sing
A lullaby for me

Dear Taylor,

I know that I'm not anywhere near perfect. Sometimes I'm not the mommy you deserve.

I yell.

I lose my temper.

I don't listen.

But I hope you know how much I love you. I adore you. You are my sweet boy and my heart aches as I watch you grow and become more independent. I need you to need me, and it hurts when you don't. I think you are so amazingly intelligent, and you've taught me far more than I could ever teach you. You've helped me to learn what true love, compassion, and acceptance is. You've helped me see the world through your eyes, and in doing so have made me want to be a better person.

I'm sorry for all the days "I have not been the mom you needed me to be." I'm trying to be better. I want to be better. I need to be better.

I love you, sweet boy. Forever.

Love,
Mommy

Mini Tigs

2011-12-20T23:29:00.001-07:00

[Warning: Geeky, fangirl post ahead. You've been warned.]

Imagine for a moment one of your favorite bands/singers. I'm talking if you could pick your top ten favorites, they'd be second from the top. Who would it be? For me - hands down - it would be the Miniature Tigers. If you're not familiar with them, they're a small indie band based out of New York. And I absolutely, positively, LOVE their music. I've been listening to them for a few years now and everything they've come out with has been fantastic. But I digress.

Now picture for a moment meeting that favorite singer/band in person. Picture them being excited to see you, hugging you, hanging out with you, joking around with you, then seeing them perform live and sign your albums afterward. Got the picture in your head?

Well folks, that's what happened to me!

Sean and I went last weekend on a little getaway to Salt Lake where we were going to see the Mini Tigs in concert and then spend the night at a hotel. I was insanely nervous because they were performing at a small venue and because of that I was hoping to see them after the show and hoped they'd sign my copies of their albums.

Now to rewind a bit, I follow Charlie Brand (the lead singer of Miniature Tigers) on Twitter. He's also an artist, and a couple of months ago he'd mentioned that he was offering to paint portraits of people on his iPhone for a very small fee. I jumped at the chance and asked him to create a portrait of Sean and I. He obliged and has been working on it in between shows. I tell you this so that you know why it is that he recognized us when we walked up to the venue.

Okay, so we were walking up the sidewalk to the bar they were playing at and there were a bunch of people outside smoking. One of them turns around, opens his arms, and yells, "You're here!" then walks up and hugs both of us. Yep, it was Charlie. Charlie Brand. Charlie Brand the lead singer of Miniature Tigers. I about had a heart attack.

We stood outside talking to him for a bit about their tour and about the portrait he was working on for us. Then we went inside where we met the rest of the band and basically just stood back and watched them joke around with each other just feet away from us.

Yes, I'm a total nerd. But just hang in there with me, m'kay?

After listening to the several [awful] opening bands, the Mini Tigs took the stage. It was amazing to finally see them perform live and I was so excited that they played some of my very favorite songs.

Afterward Charlie came up and thanked us for coming, promising they'd return to Salt Lake some time in the spring after their next album comes out. Then he and the rest of the band members signed our copies of their albums. They are honestly some of the nicest people I've EVER met.

As we left the bar I think I was floating about five feet off the ground. I swooned about it all night and was still swooning days later. It was such an amazing experience, and I can't wait to see them again in a few months.

Best.
Night.
Ever.

[If you're still reading this, thanks for hanging in there with me. Go have a snack or something. You deserve it.]

North Pole Express

2011-12-12T09:53:00.003-07:00

Last week Sean and I took Taylor and my cousin Laura on the North Pole Express at Heber Valley Railroad. We left the babe with my mom since we didn't think he'd have very much fun on a long train ride in the cold. This was our third year going (L's first) and we all had so much fun!

We packed up the kiddos a little early so we could go to Dairy Keen in Heber and get some dinner first. Anytime we're in Heber (or even just passing through to Park City) we always stop for a bite to eat at the "train restaurant."

This is kind of a random side note, but have any of you seen these soda dispensers? They're amazing! The entire thing is touch screen and I think I could've spent an hour playing with it. Guess I'm easily amused.

After a yummy dinner we headed to the railroad, bundled the kids up, and stood in line for the train. The kids got their wiggles out while we waited. They're so silly!

We boarded the train and were really excited about the train car we got; it was super cushy and warm, unlike some of the cars we've had in the past. In fact before the train left we all un-bundled ourselves because it was so comfortable in the car.

As we started the train ride Santa's elves came around and gave everyone hot chocolate and a cookie. This was what both Taylor and Laura told us they were looking forward to the most. Not hard to please a four-year-old and a seven-year-old!

As the train chugged along the edge of Deer Creek Reservoir and the sun set we played games and sung carols with the elves and some high school choir students. Tay has some weird issue with singing and just sat and grumpily plugged his ears the whole time.

Tay just got more and more ornery with all the singing and finally went over, crawled up on Sean's lap, and almost fell asleep.

Meanwhile Laura was loving every second of the carol singing and tried her hardest to get Taylor into it too.

Luckily Tay perked right up when Santa came aboard our train car! He talked with each of the kiddos individually and asked them both what they wanted most for Christmas. Taylor's request: a Batman cave set (luckily Santa's already got it hidden in our coat closet). Laura's request: a desk. He said it was just about as great as a girl in the last train car who asked for a pencil sharpener. I remember being that age though and dreaming about having a desk. Is that weird? I don't think so.

Anyhoo, then Santa gave each of them a jingle bell as a souvenir and they were both so excited they laughed and rang their bells all the way back to Orem.

It was a really great night and I was happy we could take Laura with us. Hopefully next year we can take Oliver with us so we can experience the North Pole Express as a family.

A Fun Fishy First!

2011-12-06T07:36:00.001-07:00

We had Oliver's birthday party at my aunt and uncle's house on Sunday evening. I decided to go with a fish theme because Ollie's very favorite book is "Friendly Floppy Fishy, What Do You Wish For?" I've spent the last couple of weeks making decorations and collecting serving platters for the party. I'll post more details about the items I made on my other blog.

I decided this year to make all the food myself, rather than giving assignments. This is partly because I didn't want to trouble anyone, and mostly because I'm a major control freak. Here's the spread, perfect for a one-year-old party: deli and pb&j sammies cut in the shape of fish, clementine oranges, veggies, goldfish crackers, and bowtie pasta chicken salad.

I made Ollie a little "smash cake" and then made cupcakes for everyone else. I wanted the cake and cupcakes to be really simple, so I just frosted them with light blue cream cheese frosting, added some sprinkles, and some honey graham goldfish crackers.

The decor was simple as well: blue balloons, streamers on the ceiling, and a felt birthday banner on the mirror above the mantle.

We had quite the turn-out! I think if we'd had one more person there people would have to start sitting on laps. I think next year we may try to reserve a room at Noah's so we have more room.

Oliver was a little confused with all the people there, but he was really social and even showed off his new walking skills for everyone.

Opening presents was a bit overwhelming for him. He hated opening a toy and then having it immediately taken away so he could open another gift. Plus it was pretty loud and there were lots of people taking pictures and videos. By the time we got to the last present he was done with the whole thing.

What on earth is up with this doofy expression on my face? It makes me laugh every time I look at it.

I opened a few of the small gifts so he could play a while and then it was time for cake! He cried when everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to him because it was so loud, but was excited when I put the cake in front of him. This was the most hilarious part because he'd happily dig right in to the cake, then look down at his messy hand and start crying. We'd finally get him to have a bite, then he'd get excited, dig into the cake again, and cry about his messy hand. It was hilarious!

Trying to feed Aunt Kristi:

Once people started heading home Oliver seemed to relax a little and had fun crawling around the house while Sean, my mom, and I cleaned up afterward. It was a really fun night and it was amazing to celebrate my little munchkin's birthday. And now to plan for Christmas! (I think I'm going to need to sleep for about a month after December is over.)

One!

2011-12-03T19:51:00.001-07:00

My little Ollie Bean is officially one year old today! It's taken me until tonight to make a blog post because my day has been consumed with decorating, baking, frosting, and cooking for his birthday party tomorrow.

I have really mixed feelings about my baby turning one. I love that he's so big and is learning new things every day, but I'm sad that my baby is growing up.

Some little facts about my bitty one-year-old:

- He is adventurous. He's always getting into mischief and looking for something new to explore.

- He's a good sleeper (for the most part). Ollie typically goes down to bed around 7:30pm and wakes up between 6 and 7 in the morning. He also takes two naps during the day, typically two hours long each.

- He thinks he's funny. He's already got this hilarious little fake laugh that he does whenever he does something that he thinks is funny. He cracks me up!

- Ollie loves playing with Taylor. He'll crawl right up to Tay and tackle him to the ground, laughing and squealing. Tay usually likes it, but sometimes it gets on his nerves.

- Oliver loves books. He's absolutely obsessed with them. He spends most of his day either sitting in a corner looking at books by himself or making one of us read him the same book again and again.

- He officially took his first steps a few days ago! He's already standing up on his own without any support and will take a few steps forward before he flops over. When he wants to go further he'll grab his walker and cruise across the room as fast as he can go.

- Ollie loves to eat. If he's grumpy all you have to do is offer him something to eat and he's happy as a chubby little clam. If you ever say the words "breakfast," "lunch," or "dinner," he'll make a beeline for the kitchen.

- Oliver's most common words/expressions: uh-oh, all done, dada, brother, hot dog, banana ("ana"), cracker, here you go ("her-doe"). Instead of calling me "mama," he calls me "da-do." Don't ask me why.

I know I sound like a broken record, but I really can't believe how fast times flies. It's amazing to me that one year ago today I was holding my little newborn baby in the hospital. He's grown so much and I wish I could slow down time and enjoy my little munchkin forever.

I could probably sit here for an hour and write about how much I love my little Ollie, but I've got to get back to baking cupcakes. I'm excited to celebrate with him tomorrow and watch him open presents and eat cake. Happy birthday, little one!

Dancing With Ellen

2011-11-30T21:44:00.001-07:00

I watch Ellen every day, and Oliver loves dancing with her at the beginning of each of her shows. Here's a little clip of his most recent dance moves.

Instagram anyone?

2011-11-30T21:22:00.001-07:00

I absolutely love Instagram. For those who don't know what on earth I'm talking about, Instagram is a phone app similar to Twitter, but instead of "tweets" you post pictures. I love it because I can quickly snap a picture while I'm going about my day and share it with friends and family.

My Instagram username is Mariebee1309. Do you Instagram? If so let me know, I'd love to follow you (but not in a creepy stalker way)!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'd like to wish all of our family and friends a very Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm so grateful for so much in my life, and I like to take this time each year to count my blessings and make a list of those things that I am most happy to have in my life. Here is my 2011 list.

1. My three boys. Life wouldn't be worth living without them.

2. My parents. They give me so much that I can never repay them for.

3. Friends. No matter how long it's been since we've seen one another, I keep you close to my heart.

4. Orem. I complain a lot about living here, but I think it's also one of the most beautiful places ever. The mountains are mesmerizing and call to me often.

5. My health. I've worked hard, made many sacrifices, and am almost back to my pre-pregnancy weight. It's wonderful to have a fit, healthy body that can carry me throughout the day.

6. Self-acceptance. This has been a year of reflection, and I feel I've come out the other end feeling a lot of love for myself. I've finally accepted the things I've always fought against, and it feels great. Peaceful.

7. Creativity. It's incredibly therapeutic when I can break out the sewing machine or knitting needles or hot glue gun and let my imagination run wild.

8. Sleep. I don't get nearly enough of it, but it's one of the simple things in this life I cherish most. There's just nothing quite like getting good sleep.

9. Hot showers. Another simple pleasure that I take advantage of as much as possible.

10. Love in all forms. The love I have for my husband, for my children, my extended family, my friends; for those I've lost, for those who've forgotten me, for my fellow mothers, fellow women with one common goal of raising the next generation. I just love feeling love.

I hope you all have a fantastic day with your loved ones surrounding you and that you take the time to think about those things in your life you are particularly grateful for. We are blessed.

Mommy the Marshmallow Monster

2011-11-22T10:22:00.001-07:00

Pretty much sums up how crazy this whole family is. I apologize in advance.

Down Dog

2011-11-14T08:34:00.001-07:00

Oliver has officially mastered the yoga art of downward dog.

Reminds me of another little boy when he was this age.

Namaste.

Ten Year Journal-In-A-Box

2011-11-08T14:48:00.000-07:00

I just listed these journals in my Etsy shop and I'm really excited about it!

This is such a simple, easy way to keep a journal! Every day of the year has one line to write whatever you'd like - what you did that day, how you were feeling, who you talked to, etc. When you've gone through the entire year, simply start again on the next line down. Once complete, you'll have a full ten-year record of something you did every day of each year!

For more information click HERE to go to my {jill of all trades} blog!

How my morning has gone so far.

2011-11-07T08:55:00.003-07:00

1. Set Oliver on the living room floor.
2. Oliver immediately crawls over and climbs into his toy box.
3. Oliver realizes he's stuck and starts crying.
4. I walk over and take Oliver out of his toy box.
5. Repeat. Again and again and again.

You're Still the One

2011-11-05T06:00:00.000-06:00

Looks like we made it
Look how far we've come, my baby
We might of took the long way
We knew we'd get there someday

They said, "I bet they'll never make it"
But just look at us holding on
We're still together, still going strong

And you're still the one

You're still the one I run to
The one that I belong to
You're still the one I want for life
You're still the one that I love
The only one I dream of
You're still the one I kiss good night

Ain't nothin' better
We beat the odds together
I'm glad we didn't listen
Look at what we would be missin'

They said, "I bet they'll never make it"
But just look at us holding on
We're still together still going strong

And you're still the one

You're still the one I run to
The one that I belong to
You're still the one I want for life
You're still the one that I love
The only one I dream of
You're still the one I kiss good night

(Lyrics by Shania Twain)

2011 Family Pictures

2011-11-04T06:00:00.000-06:00

My friend Heather Mildenstein has taken our family photos every year since 2008, and I was so excited to have her take them again this year. We've always had them taken at Sundance, so this year we decided we'd try something new and went to Lehi Roller Mills. The boys were pretty good (I worried most about Ollie, but it was Taylor who had the hard time) and we got some amazing shots! Here are just a few of my favorites (sorry, picture overload!).

Thanks, Heather! You're the best!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-03T10:00:00.004-06:00

The Nichols family takes Halloween very seriously, and we had an absolute blast on the 31st!

Monday morning I helped Sean get dressed up for work. He went as a pirate (and if you know Sean at all, you can see the irony in that costume). Unfortunately he was one of the only people dressed up at work. I don't think he minded much though.

After Sean left I got the kids dressed up and headed to my mom's work to go trick-or-treating around the office. Taylor dressed as Optimus Prime and Ollie was a monkey. I was really surprised that Oliver kept the little headpiece on the entire time we were there.

Me and my boys. I had a hard time convincing Taylor to keep the mask on for a picture. It was bugging him the whole day so he hardly ever wore it.

That afternoon Sean came home and we headed straight up to Park City. You can trick-or-treat at all the businesses up and down Main Street and it is so fun to see all the great costumes people are wearing!

We had fun and made it pretty far before Oliver was done with the whole thing.

We got some fast food on the way home, and as soon as we got back Tay and Sean headed out again to go trick-or-treating with my cousins Laura and Marie. Taylor didn't make it very far before he was completely pooped out.

By the time we got all cleaned up and got the kids in bed Sean and I were completely exhausted. It was a really long, really fun day. I'm excited for next year when Ollie can go trick-or-treating with his big brother. We love Halloween!

11 Months

2011-11-03T09:07:00.001-06:00

Oliver is only one month away from his first birthday! This month has been pretty eventful for our little Ollie bean.

Oliver has started pulling up to a stand more easily and has started showing interest in his little baby walker. In fact last night he walked back and forth across the living room with it until he literally couldn't go anymore. I think he'll be taking his first steps close to his birthday!

We all went through about two solid weeks of the flu here in the Nichols household. It was miserable and awful and completely messed up Oliver's wonderful sleep schedule. We're finally getting back to a regular routine, but he's definitely not sleeping the 10-11 hours he was last month. The most frustrating thing about it is that we switched rooms with the boys to put them in the same room just before everyone got sick, so there were lots of late night re-arranging of sleeping quarters so that poor Tay didn't have the baby keeping him awake all night.

Ollie is right on par with Taylor at this age as far as communication skills go. He can now say the following words and phrases:
- Mama and Dada
- Grandma (when he really, really wants to say it)
- All done
- Bye-bye
- Hot dog
- Cracker

He also understands a lot of the words we say. For example, if I ever say the word, "breakfast," "lunch," or "dinner," Oliver takes off for the kitchen. This little chunker takes his food very seriously.

Speaking of food, Ollie is an absolute garbage disposal when it comes to eating. He eats just as much if not more than Taylor does! I don't know where all that food goes, but he's definitely been chunking up lately and is most happy when he's got a full tummy.

Oliver and Taylor have started playing together more this month. Ollie will tackle Tay and they'll roll around on the floor laughing and screaming at each other. I love watching them interact and goof around together.

Now that Halloween is over I'm in full party-planning mode! Oliver's first birthday party will be fish themed (his very favorite book is "Friendly Floppy Fishy") and I'm just finishing the invites to send out soon. I can't believe my baby will be a year old in one month!

Halloween Cookies

2011-10-29T07:00:00.000-06:00

Two nights ago Tay and I made some Halloween sugar cookies together. I love that he's big enough to actually help me make them. He loved cutting out shapes and helping me frost the cookies once they were baked. I love my little man so much!

Up and Running!

2011-10-28T08:13:00.000-06:00

My {jill of all trades} blog is officially up and running! I'll start posting to it later today, so be sure to check back often for projects and tips as well as information about the items I'm posting in my Etsy shop!

Pizza Face

2011-10-27T07:00:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I ran some errands with the boys, and one of our stops was Roberts craft store. Tay was begging me to buy something, so I told him he could pick any sticker pack he wanted; in true Taylor fashion he chose the strangest stickers they had: pepperoni pizza.

When we got home I put the baby down for a nap, and when I came downstairs this is what Tay looked like.

Apparently as soon as he saw the pizza stickers he came up with the crazy plan to stick them all over his face as soon as we got home. He's so weird and hilarious and adorable.

New Project!

2011-10-26T21:15:00.000-06:00

I'll be starting a new blog soon called {jill of all trades} and I'm super excited about it! I've always complained about never having a skill that I've mastered, but instead know a little bit about a lot of different things. Lately though I've decided that it's actually really fun (and useful!) to dabble in a bit of everything, and I'd like to start sharing these little tidbits of information I have with all of you!

The new blog will feature projects and tips on everything from organization to cooking, interior design to crafting. Once a week I'll also have posts from guest bloggers so you don't get sick of hearing from me all the time (p.s., if you're interested in guest blogging, let me know!).

I'll post a link to the new blog as soon as it's ready to go! And don't worry, I'll still keep this blog updated with all of the Nichols family happenings and cute pics of the boys.

Punkin Carving

2011-10-24T07:45:00.000-06:00

Yesterday afternoon we spread out newspaper on our front porch, got out the carving kit, and started turning our pumpkins into masterpieces. I know I've mentioned this before, but pumpkin carving is NOT my favorite thing, mostly because just the smell of the pumpkin "guts" makes me gag. After years of just forcing myself to deal with it, I decided that Sean is now the official "Pumpkin-Gut-Scooper-Outer." I just get to do the fun part of cutting out designs and faces.

Taylor really, really wanted to help Sean scoop out the insides of the pumpkins until he actually saw them. Then he agreed with me - Daddy can do it.

Tay designed his very own pumpkin face this year and then Sean cut it out. He was so proud of his very own special pumpkin!

Now our porch is all decked out in spooky pumpkins. One week until Halloween!

Vineyard Garden Center

2011-10-22T22:55:00.002-06:00

Today we took the boys to the Vineyard Garden Center here in Provo. We weren't planning on doing anything today because we're all still getting over our colds, but we were just so cooped up in the house and couldn't take it anymore. During October the garden center has a Pumpkinland set up for younger kids and we had an absolute blast there!

They've got a smaller, more kid-friendly corn maze that keeps kids entertained with little signs that have jokes you can read along the way, plus a secret hidden room that you can try to find in order to get a special treat. Tay loved it, even though there was quite a lot of walking involved.

Ollie got the "prince" treatment - Sean carried him around in the Kokopax the whole time.

Once you finish the maze they've got a petting zoo and fun houses and tunnels for the kiddies to play in.

They also had some big bounce houses set up, and this four-year-old cannot resist a bounce house under any circumstance.

I snapped some pics of the hubby and I while Taylor was playing. I love the second one with Ollie pulling my hair.

After our adventures we walked around with a big wagon and picked out our pumpkins. Taylor rode in the cart since he was tuckered out from all the walking.

We all had such a great time together as a family and will definitely be coming back every year. I love fall!

How To: Make puzzles from coloring pages!

2011-10-21T06:00:00.000-06:00

We've all been sick this week, and because of that we've all been cooped up in the house for way too long. Taylor especially has had a hard time dealing with a sad, screaming baby brother and a very sleepy, ornery mommy. So today I thought we'd do a little project together. Tay is obsessed with puzzles right now, so I thought we'd make some out of coloring pages. It turned out so well I'd like to share it!

Here are the materials you'll need:

Cereal/oatmeal/popcorn/cracker box (yay for recycling!)
Coloring pages or art drawn by your kiddo
Cutting board
Exacto knife
Scissors
Spray adhesive
Ruler

First, cut out the section of your box you'd like to use for your puzzle. I used a popcorn box and it was just the perfect size.

Next, color! Tay colored a Transformers picture, and Mommy had to get in on the action and colored a Super Why page.

If your cardboard is smaller than your coloring page, figure out what section of the page you want to be your puzzle. The easiest way for me to do this was to hold the cardboard behind the page and put it up to a light source. Trace the cardboard on the backside of your coloring page. Don't cut it out until you've glued the pieces together. It'll be much easier that way.

Using spray adhesive in a well-ventilated area, lightly spray both the cardboard and back of the coloring page, paying special attention to the corners. Allow pieces to sit for a few seconds, and then glue together using the outline you traced as a guide. Press well to ensure they're bonded completely.

Using an exacto knife and straight edge, cut off the extra pieces of your coloring page.

Now you should have a nice page glued well to the cardboard.

Next you need to draw out your puzzle pieces. I actually looked at another puzzle of Taylor's to get an idea of what puzzle pieces look like and how they go together. You could also make it easier on yourself and cut out simple squares. But of course I have to make everything difficult.

Again using your exacto knife, cut out all your pieces.

Now let the kids have at 'em! Taylor loved his little custom puzzles so much and after he finished both of them he was begging me to make more. I've created a monster! This was a pretty simple project and is a great way to reuse boxes that would normally just get thrown away, plus it's a fun way to preserve your child's artwork.

If you make one of these, please let me know how it turned out!

How cute is this?

2011-10-20T07:00:00.000-06:00

I mean really.

The cuteness level is completely off the charts.

My Little Monster

2011-10-19T07:00:00.000-06:00

My mom bought Taylor this hat last week and he wears it all the time. I think it's just about the cutest thing ever! The first night he had it he actually slept with it on and had the worse bed-head ever the next day. I just love this kid to death.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

2011-10-18T07:00:00.000-06:00

This is one of my very favorite dinners to make. It's so easy and SO yummy, and I thought I'd share it with everyone!

Ingredients

1 head iceburg lettuce (you can use Boston Bibb or butter lettuce leaves, but iceburg works just as well)
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
Asian chile pepper sauce (optional, but I'd highly recommend)
1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil

Directions

1. Separate individual lettuce leaves, trying not to tear them. Rinse and pat dry. Set aside.

1. Heat cooking oil in skillet. Add ground beef and cook, stirring frequently, until meat is cooked through. Drain and set aside.

2. In same skillet, cook onion, stirring frequently.

3. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, vinegar, and chile pepper sauce to the onions, and stir

4. Stir in chopped water chestnuts, sesame oil, and cooked beef; continue cooking about 2 minutes.

5. Arrange lettuce leaves on a serving platter or plate, and pile meat mixture in a serving bowl. To serve, allow each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito, and enjoy!

Candy Land

2011-10-17T07:00:00.000-06:00

The perfect game for chilly fall mornings.

Wonder what a really angry, tired baby looks like?

2011-10-16T07:00:00.000-06:00

Something like this.

Hee Haw Farms

2011-10-15T20:33:00.000-06:00

Since Tay's first Halloween we've made it a tradition in our family to visit Hee Haw Farms in Pleasant Grove every year. They've got tons of fun things for the kiddos to do and see, plus a huge pumpkin patch and corn maze. This was the first year we got to take Oliver along with us, and we all had lots of fun!

We started our adventure at the farm in the corn maze. Taylor is obsessed with mazes and was begging us to go inside. Unfortunately the fun wore off pretty quickly when we realized we were hopelessly lost with a thirsty kid and an impatient baby. So we did what any parent would do: we retraced our steps and went out the way we came in! Problem solved. Maze not solved.

One of the things I love doing every year we go to the farm is see how Tay (and now Ollie) measures up against their pumpkin sign. Unfortunately we weren't able to go last year because it rained every weekend in October, so we can't compare Tay's height last year to his height this year, but HERE are his pumpkin pictures from 2008 and 2009. He's just growing like a weed!

And here's our little Ollie bean's first picture with the pumpkin.

Sean took Tay to a huge hay bale trampoline while Oliver and I hung out in the shade. It wasn't super hot, but the sun was just beating down on us and my poor pasty self just couldn't take it anymore.

Right after that picture was taken Sean carried Tay over to me crying. He'd jumped off a high stack of hay onto the trampoline and landed on his face. He was bleeding out his nose and his mouth, and to say it was traumatizing is a huge understatement. It took us about 15 minutes to get him cleaned up and convinced that we should stay and do more fun things. We got him to go on the tractor ride, but as you can see he wasn't too happy about it.

As soon as he got back from the tractor ride I took him down the huge slide and he immediately perked up and was begging to go on it again and again. This was the first time he could go down by himself. He's such a big boy!

Taylor's very favorite thing at the farm was their huge corn pit. Yep, you read that right. They take a bunch of dried corn, fill a big sandbox-type structure to the brim, and let the kids go nuts. I jumped in with him for a little bit too. It was actually pretty fun playing in it, aside from the beating my legs took (I won't go into too much detail, but let's just say my recently-shaved-legs have never been so red and bumpy and painful).

We were going to take a hayride to their pumpkin patch to buy our pumpkins for the season, but Oliver was tired and ornery and was done with everything. So we decided we'd head home and buy our pumpkins somewhere else. On our way out there was a stand selling fresh cinnamon sugar donuts so we bought a bag to share. These were the BEST things I've ever tasted in. my. life. Imagine a donut and a funnel cake put together into the most delectable, warm, chewy, sweet, yumminess you've ever had ever. My mouth is watering just thinking about them!

All in all it was a really great evening. I love getting out in this gorgeous fall weather and enjoying the season as a family! Can't wait to go next year, if only to get my hands on some more of those donuts! Did I mention how good they were??

Blankie: Lost & Found

2011-10-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

Last Friday I took the kiddies into the pediatrician so Ollie could get his flu shot booster and a weight check. Everything went fine and we had a great remainder of the day, but when bedtime came we couldn't find Taylor's super-special-had-it-since-he-was-a-baby-can't-sleep-without-it blanket. Sean and I turned the house and car upside-down three times and ran through the day's events again and again before we finally broke it to Taylor that blankie was lost and most likely got left at the doctor's office. Unfortunately because it was Friday we had to wait through the weekend to get it back. It was a rough, traumatic couple of days, but Sean drove to the pediatrician's office first thing Monday morning, picked up the blanket, and brought it straight home to Tay. The reunion was precious and all is once again peaceful (for the most part) here at the Nichols household.

Super Chicken

2011-10-13T17:23:00.000-06:00

Living with Taylor is like having permanent, hilarious comic relief 24 hours a day. He just never ceases to make me laugh, even when I'm having a bad day.

With that in mind, I give you....

(pause for dramatic effect)....

Super Chicken:

More Halloween Decorations

2011-10-12T21:17:00.003-06:00

Yesterday Tay and I added some finishing touches to our Halloween decorating. We added some bats to the walls, and turned our lamps into Jack-O-Lamps. I just love this time of year!

Halloween in the garden

2011-10-06T08:00:00.000-06:00

So maybe I got a little carried away.

But I sure love it.

Horseback Riding

2011-10-05T08:00:00.000-06:00

Sean's mom has a couple of horses and occasionally we take the kids up to see them. Up until now Taylor has been pretty scared of them, and then that fear slowly turned into indifference, which finally turned into curiosity and interest. After seeing the horses several times on other occasions, he finally decided this last weekend that he wanted to get up in the saddle and ride with Grandma. From the first second he was up on the horse, he was completely hooked. They rode around the arena several times and each time they came back around Taylor would beg to go around just one more time. At one point as they galloped away all we heard was Tay whooping and "yee-hawing." He had an absolute blast, and I'm sure it won't be the last time he'll get up in the saddle.

My son is a little bit crazy.

2011-10-04T08:00:00.000-06:00

But that's what I love about him.

10 Months

2011-10-03T22:26:00.001-06:00

Yep, another month has gone by, and I can't help but wonder where on earth the time has gone! In a matter of weeks my little one will be a year old, and that just blows my mind.

In going over the pictures from this past month I had a really hard time finding any of Oliver that were in focus. I was a little disappointed at first, but then realized that the reason behind it is one of the biggest things I love about Ollie - he never sits still! This baby is so curious and brave and adventurous, which is awesome and also makes Mama insanely nervous.

Oliver typically spends his days doing the following:
- Peeking over all the baby gates we put up to contain him and screaming at us.
- Trying to get to all of Taylor's toys.
- Crawling after Tay as fast as he can even though he can never catch up to him.
- Eating absolutely everything in sight and then begging for more food.
- Turning the BluRay player on over and over again.
- Turning the tv volume up over and over again.
- Messing with the tv remote over and over again.
- Being told "no" by me over and over again.
- Laughing and shaking his head at me every time I tell him "no" and then continuing to do whatever it was I told him to stop doing.
- Dancing like crazy every time he hears a song.
- Crawling all over me and Tay every time we sit on the floor with him.
- Babbling and squealing and yodeling at the top of his lungs.

Oliver's sleep has improved ten fold since we started sleep training him at the beginning of last month. He's now sleeping 10-11 hours through the night, typically going down at about seven and waking up at six in the morning. It's been so nice to get some real sleep at night, and I think all of us are in a better mood in the morning because of it. As soon as we're sure that he's going to keep up this sleep schedule we'll move the boys into the same room.

Ollie is just a little ray of sunshine in my life and I'm so absolutely in love with both of my boys. Life is so good!

Random September Happenings

2011-09-30T12:19:00.003-06:00

This month has been a little hectic and I've slacked off a bit in the blogging department. So I've decided to post all the random pictures we took this month of different things that happened and consolidate them into one post. Here goes...

While we were up in Salt Lake my grandma took Sean and Taylor to the State Fair. I absolutely LOVE this picture of the two of them. This was the first time Tay has been to the fair and he had a total blast.

I started decorating for Halloween almost two weeks ago. I know, I'm weird. It's our very favorite holiday and I just couldn't wait any longer. Oh, and yeah, that's a skull made from Legos. Once again, I know I'm weird.

Oliver is obsessed with wipes. Not sure why, but he's made it his life's mission to track down any wipes in the room and pull them all out of the container. Good times.

I gave Ollie his first haircut a couple of weeks ago. He was pretty good and patient with me, and I'm so happy his hair is all one length now.

I was playing on the floor with Taylor and we were trying to keep stuffed animals away from each other. I got a little too competitive and dove for an animal, bending my toenail back. It hurt so bad and I was afraid the nail was going to fall off. Luckily it didn't. Yuck.

Not sure why we give Ollie toys when he's perfectly happy to play with the junk mail. Silly kid!

I'm just blown away that September is almost over. Tomorrow is the first day of October and I just can't wrap my head around it. I hope everyone had a great month and is enjoying this beautiful Fall season!

29!

2011-09-23T09:02:00.001-06:00

Mr. Nichols has officially entered the last year of his twenties today! I think he's feeling a little old this morning, but I've assured him that 29 is not even close to "old" and that it wouldn't matter if it was because men age so much better than women.

I'm so incredibly in love with this man. He is honestly, sincerely the very best husband and father. I just couldn't have asked for a better man. He listens to me whine and complain on practically a daily basis, he's the only person in this world who understands how my poor little sensitive brain works, and he adores me through every breakdown and mood swing. And if that weren't enough, he's pretty easy on the eyes as well.

So far he's had a pretty good day (aside from the baby waking us up at 5:15 a.m.); I gave him a few Blu-Ray movies and a card and Tay gave him a framed letter that he wrote to Sean. Then we had a yummy breakfast of fresh, warm cinnamon rolls and breakfast sausage.

I hope you have a great day, Sean! I love you baby!

"In My Mind" by Amanda Palmer

2011-09-21T09:21:00.000-06:00

In my mind
In a future five years from now
I'm a hundred and twenty pounds
And I never get hungover
Because I will be the picture of discipline
Never minding what state I'm in
And I will be someone I admire

And it's funny how I imagined
That I would be that person now
But it does not seem to have happened
Maybe I've just forgotten how to see
That I'm not exactly the person that I thought I'd be.

And in my mind
In the far-away here-and-now
I've become in-control somehow
And I never lose my wallet
Because I will be the picture of discipline
Never fucking up anything
And I'll be a good defensive driver

And it's funny how I imagined
That I would be that person now
But it does not seem to have happened
Maybe I've just forgotten how to see
That I'll never be the person that I thought I'd be.

And in my mind
When I'm old I am beautiful,
Planting tulips and vegetables
Which I will mindfully watch over
Not like me now
I'm so busy with everything
That I don't look at anything

But I'm sure I'll look when I am older.

And it's funny how I imagined
That I could be that person now
That that's not what I want
But that's what I wanted
That I'd be giving up somehow
How strange to see
That I don't want to be the person that I want to be.

And in my mind
I imagine so many things
Things that aren't really happening
And when they put me in the ground
I'll start pounding the lid,
Saying, "I haven't finished yet,
I still have a tattoo to get,
It says, 'I'm living in the moment.'"

And it's funny how I imagined
That I could win this win-less fight
Maybe it isn't all that funny
That I've been fighting all my life
But maybe I have to think it's funny
If I want to live before I die
And maybe it's funniest of all
To think I'll die before I actually see
That I am exactly the person that I want to be.

I am exactly the person that I want to be.

It's silly how giddy I am right now.

2011-09-16T20:15:00.001-06:00

Do the handles and sides of your glass baking dishes look like mine?

Gross, right? I've been trying for a long time to figure out how to get this nasty baked-on cooking spray off my dishes, but nothing has worked.

Well while I was washing my broiler pan with an SOS pad after dinner tonight I had an epiphany. If steel wool can get all that baked-on food off a broiler pan, why couldn't it clean my glass baking dishes? So I pulled out the worst pan and went to work. It took quite a bit of elbow grease (I've had this pan since we were married, so there was almost a decade's worth of cooking spray stuck to the thing) but it was TOTALLY worth the work.

Isn't that amazing?? I must not get out of the house enough or something, because this is making me so insanely happy right now. Unfortunately I ran out of SOS pads before I could finish, but they're on my shopping list and I will definitely be attacking all my other glassware in the very near future.

It's the simple things in life that bring the most joy, right?

Either that or I'm just losing my marbles.

Dancin' Cutie

2011-09-16T14:56:00.000-06:00

As most of you know Taylor is quite the dancer. He's got some pretty sweet moves and loves showing them off to anyone who'll watch him.

Well, it looks like Ollie is following in his big brother's foosteps:

Dancing Ollie from Anne Nichols on Vimeo.

Chompers!

2011-09-15T21:58:00.004-06:00

A couple of nights ago little Ollie had a pretty rough time trying to sleep. It was frustrating because since sleep training him he's been sleeping really well through the night, usually only waking once for 10-15 minutes. Well this particular night he woke up and cried for over an hour straight. We were so frustrated that we nearly gave up on the whole sleep training thing altogether. Luckily we held out, and in the morning we discovered why Oliver had such a difficult time sleeping:

He cut both bottom teeth.

Together.

In one night.

I think that would keep anyone awake. In any case he's back to sleeping well and I'm excited to see those two little pearly whites grow in.

(P.S. - I tried to get a picture of the little teeth to post here, but Oliver would have absolutely none of that. So enjoy the random cute picture of Ollie I posted instead.)

Too cool for school.

2011-09-12T09:58:00.002-06:00

At the beginning of this year I found out that the elementary school a couple of blocks from our house offers preschool for four-year-olds for free. I was really excited about this because all the private preschools I'd found were at least $100 a month - not something we could afford. So since then we've been getting Tay psyched up to start school; he'd be on the same schedule as the Kindergarteners (three hours a day) and it would give him a chance to learn and make friends. He was hesitant about the idea at first, but slowly started getting more and more excited about it.

A few days after we got back from our Seattle trip last month I took him in for his preschool testing. In a word it was incredibly comical. The teacher sat him down at a little preschooler-sized table and asked him questions like, "Are you a boy or a girl?" and, "Can you count to ten?" and, "What color is this crayon?" Taylor answered every question correctly, but would constantly glance over his shoulder and look at me like, "Is she serious?" (keep in mind that just the other day he counted to 50 on his own).

She then had him do a bit more challenging activities like writing his name, drawing a person, and repeating long sentences back to her verbatim. He did everything she asked him to do and then some. She'd say, "What is the name of a friend you play with?" His response: "Well, I had a good friend that lived a few doors down from me but she had to move away. Her name was Emma and I'm sad that we can't play anymore. But we'll go visit her soon, I think." I was trying so hard not to laugh.

So at the end of the test, she had another teacher come in and they talked about all that he'd said and how his fine motor skills are (he doesn't hold a pencil or scissors the correct way), and they concluded that they wouldn't accept him into preschool. Why? Because he is....

...wait for it...

...too SMART.

Yep. Their words exactly.

They said that they want to allow children into preschool who are behind so that they can make sure they're caught up for Kindergarten and that Taylor already knows everything they would teach him. They also commended him on his communication skills, which have always been pretty advanced for a boy his age. They told him good job and said, "We'll see you next year for Kindergarten!"

So after getting him all psyched up for school for months, it turns out he's not going after all. I think we may try to put him in a tumbling or karate class at the beginning of next year, but for now I suppose we'll just keep working on his fine motor skills and have fun at home through the upcoming holidays.

My kid is just too cool for school. And I'm so incredibly proud of him.

He sleeps!

2011-09-10T08:32:00.000-06:00

Sean and I had finally had enough of this little munchkin waking up every 45-90 minutes all night long (yes, really) and we decided to start sleep training him. We've been using the 'ole cry-it-out method, and people can knock it as much as they want - it WORKS.

I'll post his sleep schedule for the last five nights and you'll see what I mean.

Night 1: 9/5/11
In bed 8:45 p.m.
Asleep 9:30 p.m.
Awake 12:50 p.m.
Asleep 1:10 a.m.
Awake 3:45 a.m.
Asleep 4:30 a.m.
Awake 7:00 a.m.
Total times he woke up during the night: 2 (pretty good for the first night!)
Total time asleep: 8 hr., 25 min.

Night 2: 9/6/11
In bed 7:00 p.m.
Asleep 7:00 p.m. (fell asleep right as I left the room)
Awake 1:10 a.m.
Asleep 1:15 a.m.
Awake 6:00 a.m.
Asleep 6:15 a.m.
Awake 6:30 a.m.
Total times he woke up during the night: 2
Total time asleep: 11 hr., 10 min.

Night 3: 9/7/11
In bed 8:00 p.m.
Asleep 8:15 p.m.
Awake 2:45 a.m.
Asleep 3:20 a.m.
Awake 6:45 a.m.
Total times he woke up during the night: 1
Total time asleep: 9 hr., 55 min.

Night 4: 9/8/11
In bed 6:45 p.m.
Asleep 7:00 p.m.
Awake 11:00 p.m.
Asleep 11:15 p.m.
Awake 6:30 a.m.
Total times he woke up during the night: 1
Total time asleep: 11 hr., 15 min.

Night 5: 9/9/11
In bed: 7:20 p.m.
Asleep 7:30 p.m.
Awake 7:00 a.m.
Total times he woke up during the night: ZERO!
Total time asleep: 11 hr., 30 min.

That's right, folks. After five nights of sleep training Oliver slept 11 and a half hours STRAIGHT! I'm so happy I could cry. It was so amazing to get a solid night's sleep for the first time since Ollie was born. We'll keep him in our room for another week or so, and if he continues to sleep through the night we'll be able to move Oliver into Tay's room and we can finally have our bedroom back! Yay!

An afternoon at the playground.

2011-09-06T18:29:00.001-06:00

The weather is quickly cooling down and our pool and playground days are numbered, so Tay and I packed up a bag, a blanket, and baby brother and headed over to the playground at our apartment complex. It was nice and cool and we spent a couple of hours playing on slides, eating snacks, and looking for shapes in the puffy clouds. We had a fun time.

Meet Lola.

2011-09-06T11:21:00.000-06:00

We went up to Salt Lake last weekend and on our way home we took a little detour to Gardner Village. It's one of my favorite places, especially in the fall (and I can pretend it's fall now, right?).

I had told myself that there was no way, under any circumstance, I was going to allow myself to buy anything. We were insanely short on money and Sean didn't get paid for another week. Time to exercise some self-control and be content to browse and look. That's it.

Well all that self-control went out the window when we went into a store called "Wild About the West" that was having a massive clearance sale because they were closing their doors permanently. They were selling all their remaining inventory as well as all their fixtures and display racks. There was some cool stuff, but nothing I was genuinely interested in; a country girl I am not. But then my sweet husband - who in retrospect probably regrets it now - pointed to a small side room and said, "Oh Annie, look in there!" I glanced over and noticed a small closet-sized room packed with dress forms. It took all the strength I had not to run for them.

If my strange giddiness in seeing dress forms is confusing, you must understand something about me. I LOVE dress forms. LOVE them.

L-O-V-E.

I've wanted one since I don't when, but they're so expensive that I just could never justify it. But here was an entire room of them. On sale. Eighty bones each. Eight-zero.

Still out of my price range? Yes.

Still expensive? Sure.

Probably should've just walked away? Definitely.

But instead I rushed outside and called my mom. And although I know she thinks I'm completely crazy, she loaned me the money until Sean gets paid next. Bless her heart.

So here she is, folks. Her name is Lola and I adore her.

(they threw in the cute four-year-old for free.)

She currently lives in my kitchen (mostly because I have absolutely nowhere else for her) and she's currently sporting a little navy cocktail dress that will be my first alteration project I do with her help. No more turning clothes inside out, putting them on, pinning them where I want to bring them in/up/out, and then gingerly attempting to remove said garment without becoming a human pincushion.

No more. Now that I have Lola. Sigh...

P.S. - If you still think I'm completely out of my mind, read THIS amazing story about an amazing woman and an amazing red dress. Lola is my current red dress. Read the story. You'll understand. And hopefully you'll bawl your eyes out like I did. That'll make me feel less silly, too.

Song Lyrics

2011-09-03T23:00:00.001-06:00

Maybe I'm just strange, but music has always spoken to me in a way nothing else has. I love lyrics that put perfectly into words how I'm feeling at any given time. If you've ever had regular in-depth conversations with me about life you know you'll inevitably hear me say something like, "There's a song by so-and-so that explains exactly what we're talking about," followed by me quoting some random lines from said song.

I'm not sure why I've always been so drawn to music, but it's something that's always come naturally to me and it's something few people seem to really understand.

My love of song is so great that my one and only tattoo is the Weezer symbol. I think most would consider a band tattoo a mistake ("What if they start making music you hate?" "What if the band breaks up?" "What if you get tired of their music?"), but the symbolism behind it is so much deeper than that. Their music shaped the person I became, and many of their songs have memories, feelings, attachments to them that I will always treasure. That symbol represents so much more to me than just "some band."

That said, I'm going to start regularly posting lyrics to songs I've been listening to that represent how I'm feeling or what I'm thinking about at the time. I used to do the same in my hand-written journals and in a way it was a form of therapy for me. I love hearing music that helps me describe feelings that I would otherwise have a hard time articulating.

As for the song I'm thinking of tonight, it's one that has had deep meaning to me recently. Y'see folks, I haven't been the greatest wife lately. I've been in a bit of a funk (that I am thankfully finally pulling myself out of) and I've taken a lot of my frustrations out on my husband. But Sean - bless his heart - has taken everything so well and somehow continues to love and adore me despite it all. He's such an amazing guy and he is seriously the world's greatest father to our boys. In fact at this very moment he's downstairs on the sofa having his monthly "sleepover" with Tay - sweaty and uncomfortable and probably getting kicked in the crotch repeatedly by a sleeping, fidgety, lanky four-year-old.

I love Sean so much, and all day I've had this song stuck in my head that I'd like to dedicate to him. So without further introduction (since it seems I've already written a short novel), an excerpt from "Viking Heart" by Miniature Tigers:

Darlin', look how young we are
Wishing on the stars
Sleeping in your arms
We fit like a pair of beat up shoes
With nothin' left to prove
We can be ourselves

Darlin', you're the one
Please be good to me
No one loves you like I do
And until death do us part
You can have my viking heart

I love you, Mr. Nichols.

Nine Months

2011-09-03T07:00:00.000-06:00

Our Ollie Bear is nine months old today! It's been so much fun this past month watching him grow and learn new things. He gets more fun every day!

Oliver is now in full-on crawling mode. He's so fast that sometimes it scares me. I'll set him down in the living room, walk into the kitchen, turn around and he's right behind me.

The day we arrived in Seattle for our vacation Oliver pulled himself up to a stand for the first time. He does it all the time now against the sofa and ottoman; the only problem is sometimes he can't figure out how to sit back down. On the agenda this weekend: lower the crib so he doesn't stand up and tumble out of bed!

Every morning when Ollie wakes up I bring him into bed with me and he immediately crawls to the head of our bed and tugs on the curtains. I open the curtains and he laughs and coos at the sky and trees outside. It's his little baby way of saying, "Good morning, world!"

Oliver now calls me "mama" and Sean "dada." He's also said his first official word aside from those: he says "grandma," or rather the baby version of the word that sounds more like "a-ma." To say my mom is thrilled is an extreme understatement.

Ollie has a voracious appetite and is hungry almost constantly. He eats at least six stage-two baby food jars a day, plus nurses every few hours and has tons of snacks. He's almost perfected the "pincer-grab," making it a lot easier to feed himself finger foods.

We're still struggling really bad with Oliver's sleep. He wakes up at least a handful of times every night, and will usually only sleep 2-3 hours at a time, if that. It's frustrating, but at the same time I feel like my body is so used to the lack of sleep that it doesn't really interfere with me being able to function during the day.

Ollie is spending more and more time with his daddy and big brother and he's LOVING it. He'll actually get jealous if Sean is playing with Tay and he's not somehow involved too. The other night Sean was holding Tay in his lap and they were snuggling and laughing and the baby went crawling over and climbed up on Sean too. It was so cute!

Oliver has started "dancing" when he hears music he likes. He'll rock back and forth on his bum and if he's really into it he'll wave his arms in the air too. It's adorable.

I'm just loving watching this little pumpkin grow!

Nutella Croissants

2011-09-02T14:30:00.002-06:00

I really need to stop finding such amazing dessert recipes on Pinterest.

Seriously.

My mouth loves me; my waistline not so much.

That said, I HAD to share this recipe. It's simple, delicious, and you just can't go wrong with Nutella! I made a batch of these the other night and Sean and I may or may not have eaten them all in one sitting while watching Twister. True or possibly not true story. But most likely true.

So without further ado, the next dessert you should make for your family. Or maybe just yourself. Maybe make them and then hide in the bathroom and eat them so no one begs you for any. Can you tell I'm a mom?

Nutella Croissants (via Handle the Heat)

8 tablespoons Nutella
One package Pillsbury Butter Flake Crescent Rolls

Preheat oven to 375. Open package and carefully spread dough out onto a flat surface. Cut apart dough following the pre-cut lines into 8 triangles.

Place one tablespoon (more or less, depending on your preference) of Nutella onto the base of each triangle. Carefully roll the dough up to form a crescent shape.

Place rolls onto ungreased baking sheet and bake for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown.

*When I made these I also whipped up a little basic icing (powdered sugar, milk, softened butter, and vanilla) to spread on top. Perrrrrrrrrrfection.

Please tell me...

2011-08-31T08:00:00.000-06:00

...that other houses look this awful during the day:

An afternoon at Deer Creek

2011-08-30T08:00:00.001-06:00

Sunday afternoon we packed up the Element with towels, sunscreen, and snacks and headed up Provo Canyon to Deer Creek Reservoir.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day at the lake and I loved just watching the water and boats. Taylor and Sean built sandcastles together and had fun swimming in the water. We were both really surprised that Taylor was so willing to jump in and swim.

Ollie and I made a little makeshift tent by putting the Pack-N-Play on it's side and covering it with a blanket. It was really hot and there was no shade, so we just hid out in there and played with toys while the boys explored.

Don't I look lovely, all sweaty and overheated? It really wasn't THAT bad, but I honestly believe that something about me being super pasty white prevents me from being able to survive in the sun for any extended period of time.

I love when we go on spontaneous adventures as a family. It was a really great afternoon and it was nice to get out of the house for a while.

Cooking Frenzy!

2011-08-29T15:52:00.004-06:00

Because we'd been saving up every penny we could for our Seattle trip, our food budget has been teeny tiny. This means that for the past few months we've been living on almost nothing but macaroni, hot dogs, and tuna sandwiches. I decided I'd had enough of that and wanted to cook my family a yummy Sunday dinner.

I searched my computer and my Pinterest boards for some recipes I wanted to try and came up with a menu: Creamy Tortellini Soup, fresh homemade Artisan Bread, and for dessert some Peach Apple Cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream.

I absolutely LOVE cooking from scratch as much as possible, and I think I enjoyed making this meal as much as we enjoyed eating it. Here are the recipes for everything I made.

(and sorry for the formatting; I can't get Blogger to cooperate.)

Creamy Tortellini Soup (via Better Homes & Gardens)

Ingredients:

1 1.8-ounce envelope white sauce mix
4 cups water
1 14-ounce can vegetable broth
1-1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 7- to 8-ounce package dried cheese tortellini (about 2 cups)
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
6 cups fresh baby spinach leaves or torn spinach6
Ground black pepper (optional)
Finely shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Place dry white sauce mix in a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker. Gradually add the water to the white sauce mix, stirring until smooth. Stir in broth, mushrooms, onion, garlic, basil, salt, oregano, and cayenne pepper.

2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting for 2-1/2 to 3 hours.

3. Stir in dried tortellini. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 1 hour more or high-heat setting for 45 minutes more.

4. Stir in evaporated milk and fresh spinach. If desired, sprinkle individual servings with black pepper and Parmesan cheese (I would STRONGLY suggest this). Makes 4 servings.

Four Ingredient Artisan Bread (via Something Edible)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt heaping

1 tsp rapid-rise yeast heaping

2/3 cup water tepid

Directions:

Into a 1 gallon zip-top bag, add flour, yeast & salt. Seal the bag, and shake up good. Open the bag, add the water and then close the bag to gently knead the whole mess into a dough.

Open the bag and let it sit at room temperature for two-ish hours to proof. When it's time to bake, cut open the bag and sprinkle the dough with as much flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to everything so you can [attempt to] shape the dough into a ball. Place the ball on a parchment-lined sheet pan and preheat the oven to 450F. When the oven's hot, dust the dough with a bit more flour, slash the top a couple of times with a serrated knife and bake for 25-30 minutes. Let the loaf cool at least 15 minutes before slicing with a serrated knife.

Peach & Apple Crisp

(not sure where I got this recipe. If I stole it from your blog, let me know!)

Ingredients:

20 oz. can sliced peaches, light-syrup pack, drained

2 medium tart apples, peeled, sliced

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

3 tablespoons margarine, chilled

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 9x9x2-inch casserole dish.

2. Combine peaches, apples, vanilla, and cinnamon in a bowl. Toss well and spread evenly in greased casserole dish.

3. Combine flour and sugar in small bowl. Cut in margarine with two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

4. Sprinkle flour mixture evenly over fruit.

5. Bake until lightly browned and bubbly, about 20-25 minutes.

Everything was so delicious and it was probably the best meal I've cooked in... well.. a long time. I'm looking forward to cooking more meals like this now that we're not trying to save for a vacation.

Anyone else notice a problem here?

2011-08-24T11:50:00.003-06:00

Apparently correct spelling isn't necessary on clothing meant for babies...?

Home at last!

2011-08-22T18:14:00.002-06:00

We left Seattle yesterday at about noon, stayed overnight in Boise, and made the rest of the drive today. I am happy to say that we are finally home! The trip was fun, exciting, stressful, and exhausting all at once. It was great to finally explore a city I've been wanting to visit for over a decade, and it was also amazing to see my favorite band and meet some of my California and Oregon friends there.

It was a great trip, but I am SOOOOOO glad to be home. I've already unpacked everything and started laundry so that hopefully tomorrow I will be doing a whole lot of nothing.

Seattle: Day 5 in pictures

2011-08-20T19:14:00.007-06:00

Seattle: Day 4 in pictures

2011-08-20T19:00:00.006-06:00

Seattle: Day 3 in pictures

2011-08-18T20:46:00.006-06:00

Seattle: Day 1 and 2 in pictures

2011-08-18T09:18:00.006-06:00

Hogle Zoo

2011-08-12T22:29:00.005-06:00

Last weekend Sean and Taylor went with my Uncle Bubba and cousin Laura to the zoo. Tay was super excited to see the animals, but was more interested in the animatronic dinosaurs they had set up for the summer. Here are some pictures from their fun day.

They all had such a great afternoon, and I'm looking forward to taking Taylor to the Woodland Park Zoo while we're on vacation in Seattle next week!

Y'know what I love?

2011-08-10T14:17:00.000-06:00

This smile.

Welcome home, Greg!

2011-08-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

My cousin Nikki's husband Greg was deployed to Afganistan for the Army Reserves, and while there he was shot in the head just below his helmet. Through what I can only describe as an absolute miracle he survived the injury and returned to Utah just a few days ago. Here is the KSL news clip covering his return:

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

I'm so happy for Greg, Nikki, and their daughter McKenna. They've all been so strong through this whole ordeal and I'm so happy Greg finally gets to be home with his family.

Creative Towel Solution

2011-08-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

Now that both boys are taking baths every night, we've got a lot of wet towels to deal with every day. With only one towel rack in our bathroom, there's no way we could hang four separate towels without squishing them so much that they don't dry off. So I came up with a solution!

I took down the towel bar and put it in the closet (to be put back up whenever we end up moving) and I spackled over the holes. Then I hung up four silver Command hooks with those awesome removable strips so it doesn't damage the holes. Using those same Command strips I hung up house numbers that I spray painted black, one above each hook.

Now we've each got our own hook for our towel and I won't have to wash an entire load of towels every other day!

Family Traditions

2011-08-08T13:33:00.003-06:00

Sean and I have started a few traditions in our family that we hope to continue as our kids get older. I think it will help them make and keep great memories from their childhoods and will give them ideas of things they can do with their own families when they're grown. Here are a couple of things we do with the kiddos regularly.

Sunday Doughnut Day - Every Sunday morning Sean gets the boys dressed and packed into the car and they head off to Krispy Kreme for doughnuts. On his way home he also stops to pick the two of us up some English Toffee cappuccinos (Mommy's favorite part of the day). Taylor just loves that he gets a treat every Sunday morning and it's a fun way for all of us to start the day.

Daddy Sleepovers - The first Saturday of every month Sean and Taylor have a sleepover downstairs in the living room. I push the ottoman against the sofa and make them a little bed and pop some popcorn for them, then I head upstairs to put Ollie to bed and have a little "me" time. Sean and Tay usually spend the evening playing games on the iPad and watching a boy movie. Taylor just thinks it's the greatest thing ever, and it'll be fun when Oliver can join the boys' sleepover night.

I think it's so important to make little traditions with our kids. It gives them fun things to look forward to, and helps us make great family memories!

It's a growin'

2011-08-06T08:00:00.001-06:00

It's been eight weeks since the last time I buzzed my head, and it's been growing pretty quickly since then. I've been taking a headshot of myself every Friday and plan to continue it for at least a year so I can see visually how my hair grows. I'll occasionally post progress pictures and then I'll compile all the photos into a video after the year is through.

So here's what I look like today:

I think it's officially long enough now that it looks like a super short pixie cut, and I can no longer be mistaken for a boy or a cancer patient.

In all honesty I really liked buzzing my head; it was incredibly therapeutic somehow. I guess it's a bit hard to explain, but it felt almost as though I was wiping the slate clean, starting anew. There were certainly days when I'd wake up and see myself in the mirror and wonder what on earth I had done, but mostly I just enjoyed the process and surprisingly learned a lot about myself along the way.

Obviously I still have a long way to go before I have long hair again; I'm guessing it'll take me at least half a decade to get it to the length I'd like it to be, and I look forward to recording the progress and having fun with each new hairstyle as it grows.

Summer Garden

2011-08-05T08:00:00.000-06:00

I'm pretty proud of my wildflower garden this year. I've had a hard time keeping it nice because we've had some little neighbors (that luckily are moving) who's parents haven't taught them not to stomp through flowerbeds. Of the 10 or so sunflowers I planted, only two have survived. I was really excited to peek out yesterday morning and see that my sunflowers have finally bloomed!

Here are some pictures of my garden so far. In another month or so I should have more of the wildflowers blooming. I also recently put in a little picket fence around my flowers to protect them (thanks Mom!).

There's just something so gratifying about planting something from a seed and watching it grow!

My quirky kid

2011-08-04T08:00:00.001-06:00

Taylor cracks me up on a daily basis. I just love watching the gears turn in his head when he's got an idea or something he's trying to figure out. I also think his logic is so hilarious sometimes. Here are a few of the funny things he's done lately...

He's currently addicted to Angry Birds on the iPad, and apparently he decided the most comfortable place to play it is in baby brother's carseat.

We went to In-N-Out a couple of weeks ago to get milkshakes, and Taylor took his with much trepidation because apparently the shakes there are "sour." Here's his explanation:

A couple of days ago I was trying to take some pictures of Tay, but he wouldn't stop running around, so I took some silly action shots of him:

I just love my Tay Bug so much!

Eight Months

2011-08-02T20:26:00.003-06:00

Oliver is eight months old today, and oh what a month it has been!

It seems the theme for this month was MOBILITY. Oliver is now sorta crawling; and by that I mean the majority of the time it's more like an inchworm locomotion rather than up on his hands and knees. He's getting the hang of it though, and we've definitely got to invest in some baby gates soon to keep him contained.

Ollie can also get from hands and knees back to a sitting position, which is WONDERFUL because sometimes he'll wiggle over to a toy he wants, but can't play with it unless he's sitting up. He's just getting so big!

Oliver has also started finger foods this month. He loves Cheerios, goldfish crackers, and Gerber cereal puffs. He's still trying to figure out the whole pincer-grab thing with his thumb and forefinger, so it's pretty amusing sometimes to watch him grab a fist full of cereal and then try to figure out how to get it in his mouth.

Taylor has been able to slowly start interacting with his baby brother more, and Oliver loves when Tay plays with him. I'm so glad that they love each other so much!

Oliver has had a hard time getting used to the big bathtub (it's pretty intimidating and scares him), so to get him used to it I've been putting him in the bath with Taylor. It makes him a lot more comfortable and he has fun splashing and playing with the bubbles.

The only really difficult issue we're having with Ollie right now is sleep, or lack thereof. He's typically awake every 1-2 hours all night long, and sometimes will be awake and restless for 2-3 hours straight in the middle of the night. It's incredibly frustrating, especially because we went through this with Taylor for almost two years before he was regularly sleeping through the night. I think once we get back from our vacation in a couple of weeks we'll start trying to figure out a sleep-training routine. Mommy desperately needs some sleep.

Oliver just keeps getting bigger by the day, and it's so exciting to watch him grow. I'm having a hard time believing that four months from now I'll be planning his first birthday party. Time flies when you're having fun (and sleep deprived)!

Physical Therapy.

2011-07-16T20:33:00.003-06:00

As many of you know, my knees have been giving me trouble on and off for several years now. Because of my knee pain I've had to give up running altogether and switch to the elliptical machine. That worked for a while, but gradually even working on the elliptical machine absolutely killed. The pain gradually got worse and worse, and my knee would bother me after simple activities like walking up the stairs or pushing a cart around the grocery store.

Well I finally decided I'd had enough and went to see an orthopedic surgeon. He took some x-rays, did a few tests, and asked me about a million questions about when, where, and how badly the pain is in my knee. He diagnosed me with IT Band Syndrome (commonly referred to as "Runner's Knee") and prescribed six weeks of physical therapy. I wasn't particularly happy about this, but hey it's better than surgery, right?

I started therapy at Timpanogos Hospital this past Wednesday and it's going pretty well. I really like my therapist and although my knee is pretty sore after my therapy sessions, it does seem to be working. I feel like the muscles around my knee are getting stronger every day, and I'm really hoping that I come out of this stronger and better able to handle daily cardio workouts without pain.

My little screamer

2011-07-13T08:57:00.002-06:00

Oliver has recently found his voice, and although he occasionally coos and babbles his main form of communication is screams and screeches. Sometimes it's cute, and sometimes it's not so cute.

Here's a (cute) video of Ollie screaming at Taylor in the tub:

Oliver screaming at Tay from Anne Nichols on Vimeo.

Impromptu Robot Costume

2011-07-12T08:00:00.000-06:00

I cut up a car window shade to fit in the moon roof of our Element, and Taylor and I decided we'd make him a robot costume from the scrap pieces. He was so excited about dressing up like a robot! Not bad for a $3 shade and some electrical tape, eh?

Long-Sleeved Tee Makeover

2011-07-11T11:08:00.002-06:00

I absolutely love Target's Mossimo Tissue Tees and wear them almost daily in the fall and winter. I had a grey long-sleeve tissue tee that was still in decent condition, but the tips of the sleeves had holes in them from the last two years of wear. Rather than toss it out I thought I'd give it a little summer makeover.

I started by cutting the sleeves short and refinishing the hem. Because I didn't have grey thread on hand I went with a pretty teal. I then opened the neckline a bit, again finishing the hem in teal. Then I got a bit crafty and cut strips from the parts of the leftover sleeve that were still in good condition, as well as some teal faux suede fabric I've had for several years now. I basted the edges of the teal fabric and the center of the grey fabric, then pulled tight to form ruffles. I then positioned the ruffles down the front of the shirt, pinned, and zigzag stitched them into place permanently.

What do you think? I really love the way it came out, and it's now got me on a sewing frenzy. I'm sure I'll post some more projects soon!

My funny little cowboy

2011-07-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

Last week Taylor decided to don his cowboy hat and rain boots to ride the range on his stick horse.

Is this not the most adorable little cowboy you've ever seen? Now if he'd just wear some clothes...

My birthday gift to me

2011-07-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

I really, really, really wanted a pair of Doc Marten boots for my birthday this year, so I bought them for myself!

I love them so much I think I may wear them to bed.

A rainy 4th

2011-07-08T08:00:00.000-06:00

We loved seeing the firework show at Pleasant Grove Junior High on the 4th of July last year, so we decided to go again this year. When we got there it was really cloudy and soon after getting all our stuff set up it started raining. Luckily in one of our bags was the cover for our camping tent, and we found a section of fence and fashioned ourselves a little shelter from the storm.

Taylor absolutely loved our little makeshift tent.

So did Mommy and Ollie.

It took me almost a whole box of matches to finally get one that would stay burning long enough to light a sparkler, but it was worth it to see how excited Taylor got when we finally gave him one to play with.

My mom was nice enough to take Oliver home when he was ready for bed so that I could stay with Sean and Tay to watch the fireworks. This was the first year that Taylor was really into the show, and watching his little face light up was more fun than actually watching the show.

Even with the rain we had a lot of fun. I hope everyone had a great 4th!

A day with the Cunninghams

2011-07-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

One of my very best friends Nicole and her family live in Iowa right now while her hubby is going to chiropractic school. They've been gone for a couple of years now, and the only time we can visit with them is when they come to visit for a few days every summer. Last night was our once-a-year visit, and it was so nice to see them again!

Nicole and the boys came over so Tay could play with them and us girls could visit for a while, and then when the hubbies got home we took the kiddos for dinner at Zupas. It was great to visit with them and I was so sad when they had to hit the road again.

These kiddos are so cute together, and I'm already looking forward to next summer when we get to see them again!

Chillin' in the shade

2011-07-06T20:43:00.003-06:00

We spent Sunday morning cleaning out the car, and while we did Ollie relaxed in Tay's carseat in the shade. It was super hot so we let Oliver have a few sips from my water mug. He loved it and was really good at drinking from a straw. He's so cute!

Seven Months

2011-07-03T20:49:00.002-06:00

Oliver is seven months old today, and what a month this has been! Ollie has been super busy growing and learning and he just gets more fun by the second.

Some tidbits about our little one this month:

Oliver is an eating machine. He eats three times a day and has a fruit and veggie at every meal. His favorite fruit is pears and his favorite veggie is squash.

He is now sitting up on his own, though he still has a tumble every once in a while. He loves being able to sit and play with toys, and he also uses it to launch himself toward toys that are just a bit out of his reach. I have a feeling this curious little man will be crawling very soon.

Ollie is petrified of taking baths in the tub. I'm not sure if the room itself is scary or if the tub is just really big and intimidating, but every time I put him in it he screams his head off. So we decided to try something new - the kitchen sink! He really loved it. He was obsessed with the faucet and loved splashing and moving his hands around under the water. I think we'll do sink baths for a while, at least until he gets too big for it.

Taylor and Oliver have started hanging out more together. They obviously can't play together for long periods of time, but Taylor loves to sit with his baby brother and give him toys and read him books. I just love that my boys love each other.

I've been taking biotin supplements to help my hair grow faster, and I think that it's also been affecting Ollie's hair growth as well. You wouldn't know it because his hair looks so fine, but it's super long on top. The other night I brushed it into a little mohawk. So cute!

Like most babies (and kids for that matter), Oliver is more interested in playing with things that aren't toys. His favorites: a tv remote, the wipe container, and his tube of diaper rash ointment.

Oliver has the sweetest smile and an absolutely contagious laugh. He's also constantly babbling in his own little language that I'm sure he thinks we understand.

I love my little Ollie!

Patterns.

2011-07-03T08:00:00.000-06:00

Taylor has been obsessed with patterns lately. He likes to make patterns with his toys, crayons, and anything else he can get his little paws on. I decided yesterday that I'd use some of his new sidewalk chalk to make a cool pattern for him. Sean took Tay to Maverik to get some treats for their sleepover (yep, they had a sleepover in the living room. Isn't that sweet?) and I went to work.

They got back just before I was finished. Taylor looked out the car window as he and Sean pulled up and said, "Mommy is out of control. She needs to be stopped."

Oh I love having a four-year-old going on forty.

I think I'm in love.

2011-07-02T17:19:00.004-06:00

How sweet are these pumps?
I'm just absolutely, positively in love with them.
I love the color, the little scallop detail, the heels.. everything.

Oh, and the best part about these babies?
They cost me $3.00.
Yep, three bucks.
Three bones.
One. Two. Three.
That's it.

I am now I true convert to shopping at thrift stores.

Oh how I love my chubba-lub.

2011-07-01T23:20:00.001-06:00

This face just kills me.

Kills. Me.

Sidewalk Paint

2011-06-26T08:00:00.000-06:00

I've been trying to find some fun, inexpensive activities to do with Taylor on these fantastic, sunny days before the weather gets so hot that we end up hibernating again. While scanning Pinterest I found a simple recipe for homemade sidewalk paint and I just had to try it.

Basically all you do is mix water with cornstarch to make a watery white mixture. Then you divide the "paint" into small plastic containers or a muffin tin and dye each one using basic food coloring. Break out the foam brushes and go to town!

Taylor had lots of fun, and Mommy did too! It was neat to draw shapes with sidewalk chalk and then fill them in with paint. We'll definitely be doing this again.

27!

2011-06-24T08:00:00.001-06:00

Yes ladies and gentlemen, today I am 27 years old.
And every time I think about it I laugh because this clip runs through my mind:

I'm not like most women in that my age doesn't bother me. I've never had an issue with getting older and I actually look forward to getting older and (hopefully!) wiser. We're not doing much for my birthday this year because we're saving for our Seattle trip in August, but that'll be a great belated birthday present!

Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes! Love you all!

I dare you...

2011-06-23T08:00:00.000-06:00

...not to smile at these pictures.

Sometimes I have the
Best.
Life.
Ever.

Nine Years!

2011-06-22T08:00:00.000-06:00

Nine years ago today I married the most amazing man in the world.

In the past nine years we've had...

Two adorable children.
Three months of chemotherapy.
Four years of college.
Five road trips.
Five speeding tickets.
Eight cars.
Nine moves.

And too many adventures to count!

Sean, I love you more than I can possibly put into words.
We've had our ups and downs but I know that I wouldn't want to
spend my life with anyone else but you.
You are the most
amazing, loving, devoted, loyal, kind, sexy, compassionate man I know
and I absolutely, positively adore you.
I love you, sweetheart!

S'mores Cookie Bars

2011-06-21T08:00:00.001-06:00

I hesitated to join Pinterest because I knew it would be severely addicting, and I was most definitely right. I really love it though - it allows me to organize potential craft projects, yummy looking recipes, and inspirational pictures.

One of the recipes I found last week: S'mores Cookie Bars. If there's one dessert that epitomizes Summer it's s'mores, and I was so super excited to try out this recipe. I definitely wasn't disappointed! These bars are so delicious, super rich, and simple to make. I thought I'd share the recipe and spread the yumminess.

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 king-sized milk chocolate bars (e.g. Hershey’s)

1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.

Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Things I love about Summer.

2011-06-20T08:00:00.000-06:00

1. Puddle Jumping

2. Sidewalk Chalk

3. Muddy Hands

4. Messy Faces

5. Swings

6. Dirty Feet

7. Flip Flops

8. Happy Chubby Babies

9. Wildflowers

10. Carnival Rides

11. Snowcones

12. Dirt Digging

13. Stroller Rides

14. Summer Love

15. Slides

16. Sunglasses

17. Naked Babies

18. Playing with Friends

...and more to come!
What I'm looking forward to in the next couple of months:
fireworks, barbecues, visiting with old friends, parades, and road trips.

I love Summer!!

Happy Daddy's Day!

2011-06-19T11:11:00.003-06:00

I just love Father's Day and today I'd like to send my appreciation and love to three very important fathers in my life.

The first is my daddy. My dad means so much to me and I am so indebted to him for all the invaluable advice and support he has given me. He and I are so much alike (which can be good and bad) and I absolutely adore him. Love you, Papa!

Next I'd like to thank the father of my husband. John is such an incredible man and one of the nicest guys I know. I'm so grateful to him for raising such a great son and for his love and devotion to our family.

(This is John with Sean when he was about Tay's age.
Doesn't Taylor look so much like him??)

And last (but certainly not least), I'd like to thank my sweet husband for being such an incredible father to our children. Sean is the greatest father on the face of this planet, hands down. The second he walks in the door after a hard day's work, Taylor immediately jumps up and runs to him. Without getting even a minute to rest, Sean instantly switches to "play mode" and the wrestling, tickling, and running around commence. He has more patience and energy than I think I could ever muster, and he never answers Taylor's questions with the typical parent response of, "Because I said so." He really takes time to explain things to Tay Bug and build up his trust and confidence. Sean also loves playing and tickling Ollie, and both Taylor and Oliver absolutely adore their daddy. I can never repay Sean for all he's done to help me raise our brood.

I hope you all have a very Happy Father's Day!

So relaxed.

2011-06-12T11:25:00.002-06:00

A few days ago we took the boys swimming for the first time this year. One of the things I love the most about renting is that we've got access to a nice swimming pool and playground in the summer. I thought Oliver would hate the water (Taylor sure did the first time we took him swimming), but instead he was the exact opposite. Little Ollie was so relaxed in his little floaty that he almost fell asleep! So cute..

First Meal

2011-06-11T08:00:00.000-06:00

At Oliver's six-month doctor's appointment on Monday his pediatrician was a little concerned about his weight. Looking at him you wouldn't think he needs to gain anything, but in the past two months his weight and height have both gone from the 80th-ish percentiles down to the 30th. I know that part of the reason why is that we've had a hard time giving him cereal; it seems to really upset his stomach and makes him super cranky. So for a while we just gave up giving him solids at all. Well now that he's six months old we can give him pureed fruits and veggies, so I've started him on a twice-a-day feeding schedule that will hopefully catch him up to where he was before.

His very first meal: peas and a sippy cup of prune juice. YUM-O.

He did the typical make-a-yucky-face-not-so-sure-about-this expression, but he ate it pretty well. Since then we've also tried peaches, pears, prunes, and squash. He absolutely hates peaches, but he's pretty good with the other foods.

Since Sean bought me an awesome food processor for Christmas I've decided to make a lot of my own baby food. There is something so rewarding about making your own baby food. Plus it's a super money saver! I bought one squash for less than $2.00 and it made 14 servings. Can't beat that!

I just can't believe my munchkin is already big enough for solid foods. He's growing too fast!

Best. Lunch. Ever.

2011-06-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

This is my lunch of choice lately. It's an avocado and roma tomato panini with a little mayo (I use veganaise), salt, and pepper. I grill it in my George Foreman for just a couple of minutes and it is so YUMMY.

I think I could eat one of these babies every day for the rest of my life. Mmm!

Day Out With Thomas

2011-06-09T09:32:00.007-06:00

Memorial Day weekend we took the boys up to Heber Valley Railroad to see Thomas. This was our last gift to Taylor for his birthday. Do you think he was a bit excited to go?

I'll admit I was in a bit of a bad mood that day (Mom can't be happy all the time, right?) but we still had some good times. The boys loved riding on the train. Oliver looked more confused than anything, but we all had a fun time.

Afterward Taylor got a (temporary, of course) Thomas tattoo and a big balloon that surprisingly still has enough helium in it to keep it floating around on my living room ceiling.

I think the highlight of the day was the hay bale maze that Tay wanted to go through over and over again.

Whenever we go up to Heber Valley Railroad I have to take some pictures of the old train cars. I just think they're so neat looking. I may have some large prints made and hang some of the beauties in my house.

All in all it was a great way to end this cute four-year-old's birthday celebrations!

Six Months

2011-06-03T08:12:00.004-06:00

Oliver is officially half a year old today! This month has been so much fun; his personality is really starting to come out and he's just such a cute little butterball. Here are some little tidbits about my six month old.

He is obsessed with sticking out his tongue. There are some days when it seems like his tongue is too big for his mouth because he's sticking it out constantly. It's so stinkin' adorable!

He's started babbling more and says "mamama" and "bababa." Sometimes I think he thinks he's really talking to us.

Oliver is our little squealer. If he gets frustrated or wants attention he'll scream at the top of his lungs. Sometimes it's really cute, and sometimes it really isn't.

He wants to eat real food so bad. He's constantly leaning toward our food or trying to swipe something off our plates. Unfortunately we've had a hard time introducing cereal to him; it really upsets his tummy and makes him super constipated. This month we'll be able to introduce other pureed baby foods so I'm hoping we'll be able to get his little digestive system regulated soon.

Ollie is following in his big brother's footsteps when it comes to sleep. As in he doesn't sleep. I'm lucky if he takes a long enough nap during the day or sleeps for any significant amount of time at night. It drives me and Sean completely crazy and I'm hoping we can get him sleeping better soon.

Oliver loves his daddy and big brother, and he gets so upset if they're playing without him. He just can't wait to be able to roughhouse and play with toys.

He has recently discovered his feet and is always playing with them and trying to shove them in his mouth.

Oliver absolutely loves his grandma and gets so excited when she comes to see him after work every day.

He really likes the Kokopax carrier I bought last month. I can put him in it if he's super fussy and I need to get stuff done around the house. A few weeks ago he even fell asleep in it while I was cleaning the house.

Ollie is really into textures. He loves to run his fingers over things that feel interesting to him. His two favorites: our ottoman and the brick wall outside our apartment. Silly kid!

He's getting close to being able to sit up on his own. He still needs a little assistance from Mommy or the sofa, but he's getting there!

I love my little Oliver and it's been so much fun watching him grow!