Happy Birthday to Us!

Cassie has been my best friend since my Junior year in HS. Neither of us could tell you exactly why we became such good friends. But it is a blessing to me that we did. Cassie is so much like me in so many ways. We could NEVER live together cause we'd undoubtedly KILL each other! But she is absolutely my best friend (other than my hubby and my mom)! Cassie's birthday is today, the 24th, and mine was yesterday. We have always made a point of going to lunch or dinner - just the 2 of us every year. I don't remember why, but I think I was in Vegas last year and we got to have our annual lunch together. This is honestly the first year since we became friends that we haven't been able to do something together on either hers or my birthday. I'm not tearing up or anything, but I do miss you more today Cass. She's turning 25 today so...

Here are 25 reasons why I LOVE Cassie...

1. She is an example to me in SOOO many ways
2. She's a great Mom to adorable kids
3. We share the same opinion on most parenting topics
4. Therefore we can VENT to each other about other parents views
5. But she still knows I love the other parents regardless
6. She waits 13 WEEKS to tell me she is pregnant!!!
7. And she knows I will call her names for doing it and then laugh and tell her Congrats!
8. She is a loyal friend
9. She loves the gospel
10. We talk on the phone once in a blue moon
11. When we talk, it is usually for WAY to long
12. She called me yesterday and almost forgot to say "Happy Birthday"
13. She's never held a grudge against me
14. Its impossible to get mad at her (but like I said - we would never have survived living together)
15. She loves her Mom, Dad & brother so much
16. She is very invested in her hubby's family and cares very much about them
17. She acts on the promptings of the spirit with faith that inspires me
18. She's humble enough that she is probably a little confused by #17
19. Her kids are always CLEAN and dressed cute
20. She apoligizes for a messy house even though mine is just as bad and she has twice as many kids messing it up.
21. She won't let me catch up with her on baby making - she'll always have one more than me!
22. At least until she's done... then I'll probably have 2 more! (But don't hold me to that!)
23. She will eventually break down and start her very own blog instead of living vicariously thru all of us who already have one
24. She's now laughing and doubting that statement
25. She loves me inspite of me

Cass, I hope you have a great birthday. I'm blessed to have such an amazing friend in you. Thanks for being there for the last 10 years!
Love you!

New Pediatrician

I have been very disappointed in the pediatrician I've gone to for the past year. So I have been asking around for weeks with only ONE doctor that got a good review from anyone. Not surprisingly, this ONE doctor was recommended several times. When I learned that he is on my insurance, I was thrilled. I called for an appointment and was told that he was booked out two & a half months for a new-well-patient visit. I told them that Aiden's great grandma & grandpa Benson (who are personal friends with Dr. Guthrie's parents) had recommended him to us and that we would take the first available appointment with him in 2 months. I received a call the next day saying that Dr. Guthrie would be happy to schedule me for an appointment in one week. WOW!!! It really is WHO you know sometimes!
Our appointment was today and I can now attest to why everyone has been recommending him. A pediatrician seems like such a "not that big of a deal" thing, until you have a kid. Not only do you want to have a decent doctor for your kid, but it is SOOO nice to have a doc that lets you be a first time parent. One who will listen to you, talk to you and not just rush in and out of the room. Plus, he carried on a cute little conversation with Aiden (and Teddy, who Aiden won't go to the doctor without) instead of just pushing on his tummy and leaving. He even "checked" Teddy and said he is healthy too. I was also pleasantly surprised when he started asking me questions about this pregnancy and he wanted to make sure that I knew to make an appointment with him to see the baby within the first week after he's born. I would have asked him all about that kind of thing, but it was refreshing to have him asking/telling me! I am SOOO happy to have found Dr. Guthrie! And I appreciate all those who told me to go see him, but I especially appreciate G&G Benson for letting me drop their names! For any of you here in AZ, I definately recommend him. And he's close - at Baseline and Greenfield.

At 29 wks 4 days

For my journals sake, I thought I would put some things down about this pregnancy. It has been so different (in my mind) than when I was pregnant with Aiden.
Emotions & Such
I know I still have 8-10 weeks left but I notice I am much more ready to have this baby than I was with Aiden. I think with him I had a more real sence of time. I still have 2 months left and I am getting closer and closer to the "any day now" mode. I don't mean to complain. I'm not miserable. Uncomfortable at times, but nowhere near miserable. I think that because I know how much I love the newborn stage, I am just super excited for it to be here.
I also am finding myself fighting off feelings of panic about the baby's health. I know they are unfounded feelings because the doctors say everything is right where it should be and the baby is healthy, growing, and normal. But because of my miscarriages, I think I get myself worked up at much smaller things than I need to.
Complains about Aches & Pains
This time around I feel much bigger. With Aiden I had a false sence of how enormous I was. I thought I looked a lot better than I did. Which is probably a good thing or I would have been super depressed. But this time, although I am in much better shape and weigh about 20 lbs less, I am very aware of how far out this tummy of mine is.
I've had crummy heartburn the last few nights. I don't know what it is that I eat or don't eat that causes it, but its there.
With Aiden, even in the beginning of my pregnancy, I had terrible leg cramps that would wake me up every night in agony. My doc said to increase my calcium and potasium, which I had already done, but nothing seemed to help. I am so happy that I haven't had that problem this time. Not even once. I have been taking a calcium supplement along with my prenatals since last February and I think that it has helped this time.
I think I have relatively good energy levels right now. I still nap when Aiden naps most days, but that's mostly cause I just love my sleep. I am able to accomplish the things I want to usually. Jeremy is helping to pick up the slack on things like sweeping and vaccuming that I can't bring myself to do. I appreciate him so much for that.
My Little Monkey
I try to remind myself that this is the last 2 months that Aiden is my only concern. I have tried to focus on that in the past few weeks. He is so good to play on his own, so sometimes I tend to take advantage of that. But I've been trying to take him to the park, play with him, read to him more and do whatever I can to make the most of this time where he is my one and only. I'm still amazed sometimes how easily he has become our everything. I am so excited for Aiden to have a little brother. I'm so excited for our family to grow over the next few years. But there is a part of me, right now (I'm SURE this will change as SOON as this baby is born), that will be sad to leave this stage of my life where it is just him.
Lastly
I am so unbelievably grateful for this little one we are going to have. I know that somethings can't be fully appreciated until we can't have them in our own time. Having the 2 miscarriages has helped me to be grateful for this pregnancy and for Aiden more than I think I could have been without experiencing that pain and sorrow. I don't wish it on anyone but I thank Heavenly Father for my own trials because I know they have made me stronger. I love my little family!

Four Things

Here's a little bit of random info about me...
Four Jobs I've Had
1. Day Care
2. Sonic
3. Lifeguard
4. Secretary

Four Places I've Lived
1. Vegas
2. Cedar City
3. Vegas
4. Mesa

Four TV Shows I Watch
1. Psych
2. Criminal Minds
3. NCIS
4. House

Four Places I've Visited
1. Salt Lake City
2. Chicago
3. San Diego
4. Los Angeles
(super exciting, I know!)

Four of my Favorite Foods
1. Cafe Rio
2. Smoothies
3. Strawberries
4. Pizza

Four Places I'd Like to Travel to
1. New Zealand
2. Hawaii
3. Washington DC
4. Anywhere Church History

Four Things I Look Forward to This Year
1. Having a new baby
2. Buying a house
3. All the fun milestones of the new baby
4. Jake's Mission Homecoming (my brother)

Four people I tag to do this next
1. Amber Cruz
2. Brooke Bleazard
3. Megan Bleazard
4. Monica McDowell

A Belly Blog

I thought I would post a couple of pics of my belly. Mostly cause I love to see all of your pregnant bellies and also because I have ONE pic of me pregnant with Aiden and I wish I had a few more. It would be fun to compare them with this pregnancy.

I know I hardly look pregnant in this pic. I was 16 weeks and I thought I was showing quite a bit. Haha! Don't worry, things have definately changed and I have popped out a lot more. I still have almost 2+ months to go and I had a lady at the grocery store ask me if I was "ever going to have this baby!" Luckily it didn't hit the wrong emotional cord and I was able to laugh instead of cry. At the moment I wasn't feeling huge. But I still made sure she knew that I have a long way to go before she can ask that again.

I am between 28 and 29 weeks in this pic. And for comparison, this is the one and only pic of me carrying Aiden... it was taken at little closer to the end... at 33 weeks.

We Love Cafe Rio!

Jeremy and I LOVE Cafe Rio. We would eat there twice a week if we could. And I go every couple of weeks with my friend Monica & our kids. The kids love it too. So I was on my way to the grocery store today when I drove past Cafe Rio. And from the back seat, I hear Aiden say "Cafe Rio Mama!" I just had to laugh. The best part is that in the same parking lot is a McDonalds and he has no idea what the Golden Arches stand for... but he can pick out the Cafe Rio sign! I think I am proud of that fact. :)

28 Week Ultrasound

I had an ultrasound this afternoon. I was sort of disappointed in the u/s tech. She seemed to be in a BIG hurry. I think I was her last patient of the day. But we still got a few cool shots. Everything looks great and he apparently weighs about 2lb. 10oz. ... according to his femur. Who knew!?!? That is amazing to me that they can measure a bone and tell you the weight! This little guy kicks and squirms most of the day and night. I love it. Even when it keeps me awake. I pretend like it is annoying, but the truth is that I love to just lay in bed and play with him.
After the ultrasound Aiden kept trying to go back in the u/s room to "see the baby". I hope somewhere in that little head of his he is starting to comprehend this in some way. He is so great.
This is so adorable.This is a pic of his hand up against his face. His eye and nose are at the right of the frame.

This is why I was so disappointed...we were supposed to get a 3D u/s, but they only took 3 frames of 3D pics. He had his hands right in front of his face which is why we didn't get a great pic of his face.
I love the profile shots. They are always so cute.

I know, I know....post already!

I have been meaning to post something since Christmas. Now I have a couple of weeks to make up for...so here we go.

We had a great Christmas. We spent it in Vegas with our families. Jeremy got to spend time in the garage with his dad and some time flying RC planes with my dad and Josh. I was able to RELAX! My mom and I (ok, mostly my mom) worked in the kitchen to get Christmas breakfast ready and I got to see Cassie for a few minutes before we left town. We all got spoiled this year. I got a new camera (even more reason for me to have already posted something!) and I LOVE it! Jeremy got lots of RC plane stuff and continues to 'research' what he wants/needs to get next. Aiden got a small bike with training wheels, a GeoTrax set, CARS - everything for his bedroom, the list goes on and on... lucky kid.

This is a video of Aiden playing with my mom's collection of Hallmark Christmas sing along toys. She started the collection while Jeremy and I were dating in '03 and has always said that her grandkids will LOVE them. This was the first year that Aiden enjoyed them. Last year the scared him and the year before that, he was 2 weeks old. This video doesn't do justice but it is the best one I got. He would get them all going and then squeal when the bells would jingle. We had a riot watching him laugh at them this year...

I am sad to say that my old camera hid out in my suitcase all weekend and this is the only documentation that I have of our Christmas. No Christmas morning pics or anything! What was I thinking :{

Here is one when we were on the way to my Uncle Scott's house for a Bleazard family Christmas Eve dinner. Cute, but not very Christmasy.

When we got back from Vegas, Jeremy got right to work building and playing with his new airplanes. We have gone flying several times in the last week. Aiden loves to "fied agin da airpane wid daddy" - translation "fly again the airplane with daddy". There are many variations on this jumbled sentence, but this is the most common. He gets so excited that it just all runs out as fast as his lips can possibly move.

Our New Year's was mostly uneventful. We found a babysitter at 5:15 on New Year's eve, picked her up at 5:20 and made a 5:30 movie. When Jeremy gets an idea there is no stopping him. We saw National Treasure and loved it. We were home by 8:30 and in bed by 9. We are old! And we SO don't care. It was so great to have Jeremy all to ourselves for 3 whole days. He worked Saturday, but was off Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. The 3 of us had a great time together.

Here are a few other adorable pics I have caught of my boys recently. I just love them!

More flying

Watching a movie at the bottom of the stairs

Jeremy couldn't resist joining him

Love this face!