Polk Family

Gigi is 3 and Terrific!

2012-02-04T23:19:00.000-08:00

I will explain more later but for now here are the pictures from her fabulous Princess Tea Party! Thanks Nana and Papa!

Coco Baby is 1!!!!

2012-01-11T21:36:00.000-08:00

Twelve Months of Coco Baby!!!

Blue baby in the NICU.Key to sleeping: Fisher Price Sleep and Play. I Love You!!!Big Sister and Little BrotherHappy Easter!Loves his MommaFirst trip to the pool. Loves water just like sister.
Summer fun. Relaxing and watching some t.v.Two handsome boys ready for church in their suits.Someone gave this boy some whip cream on mommies birthday.Favorite person: Georgia First Word: Georgia First thing he looks for when he wakes up: GeorgiaLearning to stand up: Happy Thanksgiving!First trip to the beach and the east coast.

That's our handsome little man!

My little Coco baby is now Carter boy! Well not quite but he is getting there. I can't believe our little man is already one. Since yesterday I have been thinking a lot about this time last year. It was a whirl wind. On Monday I went to the hospital for an amnio. On Tuesday the prepped me for the c-section. Then took Carter to the NICU immediately. Then he and I tried to get strong as quickly as possible from different hospital rooms. I hated it! I know the Lord has a plan and believe me I learned so much from this experience, but I hope we never have to go through that again. Some things I learned were that #1 The rain falls on both houses. Looking at the different moms and their babies I realized that trial come regardless of who we are but the way we live our lives prepares us for the rain. We can face the trials of life with clarity, support and faith when we follow the gospel principles that we find in the scriptures. #2 of those principles I was taught how important fasting is again. I don't fast very often because of my health but when I do it is usually from something not a full fast. I fasted from sweets for 24 hours. I knew through prayer and the faith of Stephen that Carter would be okay but I still felt so sad and worried. I fasted with the purpose of feeling closeness to the Lord. I know that the spirit was strong with me because of that effort I made to sacrifice. #3 How blessed I am to have my mom. She went through a loss of a baby when I was 11. I was so grateful to have her here to support us. She was able to understand my crazy that week I think because she new what I was feeling. #4 How much I love my children. I was so worried about Carter and wanted to do all I could to help him but I also worried about Gigi and her ability to understand why her mom was gone and couldn't come home with her. I know some moms who don't leave their babies sides but I felt a need to take care of both of my children. Luckily the nurses at the NICU were amazing. I had complete confidence in them and what they were able to provide for my baby boy. So when I left to take care of Gigi I knew he was in good hands. (But I was still pumping every two hours to make sure that I was providing him the nutrition he needed to get strong and come home.) #5 I have a wonderful husband. Bubba was so strong and supportive. He puts up with my crazy better than anyone. When I feel like I am falling apart he is always there picking up the pieces and keeping us all together. He doesn't show his fear because he knows I need him to be my rock.

Carter has come a very long way from the 5lb 15 oz baby in the NICU. He is so bid and strong. But he has always been a strong boy. Carter is just a happy, curious, loving boy. He is happiest when Georgia is in the same room as him or he is following her around the house. They play well together and G loves her Coco baby too. She calls him things like Coco baby or Coco boy and Son. I love when she calls him son it is too funny. He also gets really excited when he sees his Dad. I know he loves me so I think it is too cute how excited he gets to see his Dad.
Carter currently is walking, making talking noises, gives momma kisses, eats most things put in front of him especially protein like chicken, turkey, eggs and hot dogs. He loves doing Itsy Bitsy Spider and Patty Cake. Just today in church I noticed him trying to sing the hymns in Sacrament meeting and Primary. He likes t.v. for a few minutes and then he is off again. He likes some books with things that stick out of the pages like the fish counting book. He says Georgia, Hi Dad, Momma, sometimes it sounds like Nana and he loves to point at things. He doesn't like his car seat, diaper changes or sleeping through the night. He is a flirt and very social. Out with his Dad the other day he got a free balloon because he kept flirting with the people at the party store. Bubba thinks he might be more active than Gigi. Heaven help us! Carter smiles a lot and loves to show off all three (almost 4) of his teeth. He also just started learning how to color. He likes to try and color but then he gets hungry and tries to eat the crayons. He is in the process of switching over to cows milk which means we will miss out on some special bonding time. But we'll make it up somehow. On Carter's actual birthday we drove out to the hospital so that Carter to could make a donation of some clothes and blankets for other little baby boys. The nurses were excited to see us and thankful for our gift. They couldn't believe how bid Carter was and that he ever started out in their NICU. It does seem crazy to think. He really is such a big boy now. On Saturday after his birthday we through a little party and invited a few people for cake and ice cream to help us celebrate. I now there is so much more to say about Carter. He rocks! He has made such an amazing contribution to our family and we are so grateful to have him. He helps me be a better person. I am so glad that we figured out a way that I can work from home and be with him and Gigi.

I'm Nana!

2011-09-23T05:52:00.000-07:00

Gigi has started to enjoy the world of make believe. She will walk around the house all the time talking to herself and making her little play worlds. She sings "Once Upon a Dream" to her babies. She dresses up like a fairy with her costumes and just the other day she played a new game called I'm Nana. She pretends to be Nana and I get to be someone else in her life. Some days I am Amanda or Jayni or even once I think I was Grandma Marci (my mom's sister). It is too cute. She pretends she has money and goes shopping and on airplanes and changes into imaginary pants before she get's on the plane. Different rooms in the house are different people's houses. I got to be a bad fairy the other day, but I seemed to be very nice, I let her come to my house and she didn't want me to be mean. I am not quite sure why I was a fairy. I guess just because she watched too much Sleeping Beauty. It is her favorite I think because she wears the pink dress in most pictures you see here in. Pink is her favorite color. I love her little mind. It is amazing watching her grow and mature and develop new ideas and thoughts. The other day we tricked her on which body part was which and now she tries to do it to us. It's a little game I learned from my Grandpa Don. I love that she loves to play and be funny. She is great.

Andrew and Katherine's Wedding!!!

2011-09-23T04:32:00.000-07:00

Where to begin... First I would like to recognize that I need to take more pictures. I have become completely overwhelmed in this crazy life and I need to take more pictures. Well on my camera that is. I have tons of pictures on my cell phone, but let's be honest the quality is never as good. (At least not with my phone). Bubba and I have decided that time has come for us to get a fancy camera. So we are going to ask Santa for one.

Okay back to Andrew. Andrew and Katherine decided to get married in Navoo. Which though very romantic seemed like it would be quite the ordeal (more for us than for others, we are the only ones with small children) but I have to say it all went way smoother than I would ever have expected. My only regret of this trip is that we didn't have more time (and take more pictures). Andrew was so happy. I can't believe our little boy, "the boy" is married. I am so happy for him and Katherine. I think she will fit right in to this crazy family of ours. Even if she's a democrat. :)

We started out the trip in Chicago/Naperville. After Jayni and Amanda picked us up from the airport we drove out to a very nice suburb of Chicago called Naperville. I had been here before to visit friends including BFF Stephanie "HotRod" Rodriguez and her family years ago. But I guess I didn't realize through those visits how great this place is. Then again at those times in my life I really wasn't looking for a place to raise a family when I visited before. We all loved Chicago. The drive from the airport took at really long time. Someone in the car decided that she needed to eat Boston Market for lunch because they don't have it where she lives and somehow instead of stopping at the one in Napperville she led us on an almost hour detour to one if some town in some ghetto looking area that I can't even remember now. But once we got to the restaurant it was in a really cute little downtown. And she loved the food and everyone was mostly happy after that. So I don't think anyone is still holding it against me, I mean her.

Out flight got in just late enough that we missed getting to go to the Chicago temple with Katherine but early enough that we had plenty of time to make it to her shower that night. I was nice meeting her friends and her mom and getting to know more about Katherine. The next day we headed into to the city for some sight seeing. The Chamber's (my dad's sister's family) and Grandma Mary came from California to support Andrew. We got to spend the day with them and that was really nice. We went to Navy Pier and had other plans for after that but with the kids and the traffic and having to be back in Naperville for dinner at Katherine's families favorite deep dish pizza restaurant we headed back after walking around the pier. I think all of us girls were hoping to make it to a little more shopping but it happens. It wasn't our main priority. Gigi and Carter were really good. They are little troopers. They both had more attention than they knew what to do with. We didn't get to even do everything you would want to do while at the pier but Gigi did get to ride a train, we got some Garrett's Popcorn (a Chicago must, the Carmel/Cheddar Chesse mix is really good) and we sampled some of America's Hot Dogs. This place of course carried the Chicago Dog (hot dog, pickles, tomato, onion, mustard (I think) and jalapeno on a poppy seed bun), they also had about 20 other types of hot dogs from around the country. We tried the Memphis Dog (pulled bbq pork, fried onion and I think some slaw) and the Richmond Dog (mac n cheese and bacon crumbles, oh yah). Granted what did Bubba and I need three hot dogs for but they were so good. Beside, what would Quinn and Bubba have said if I came back without the Richmond dog. I think I would have been kicked out of the family.

That night we had some deep dish pizza (you eat it with a knife and fork). It was really good but I am not sold. I am still all about the New York style. Thin, dripping with cheese and delicousness, fold it up and allow it to melt in your mouth. I am getting hungry just thinking about it. But the Veggie pizza at this place was great. It was really fun sitting around visiting and enjoying each others company.

On Friday morning we set off for Navoo. It was a four hour drive and the happy couple had to be in Carthage before close of business to get the marriage license. That drive was really long, not to mention the 2 year old who is now potty trained needed to stop and go. We decided to buy diapers when we got to Chicago but didn't need them until we were on our way to Navoo. Did you know there is nothing? I just figured there would be a Wal-Mart. But there was not no convenient Wal-Mart. It would have added another hour to our drive getting to the Wal-Mart once we left Carthage. So we went to the local Piggly Wiggly (or whatever it was called) and bought diapers. Note to self, know where you are going. I love small towns but you just never know what you are going to find.

In Carthage we went to the jail where Joseph Smith Jr. and his brother Hyrum were martyred. It was a need place and a good opportunity. I am glad we got to go and take the tour. Again, wish we had had more time to visit the church history sites. We finally made it to Navoo. I was getting pretty hungry and guess what they don't have in Navoo, fast food places. I am telling you, next time we go I am gonna be prepared. We checked into our hotel. It was darling. #1 We stayed in the Joseph and Emma suit. #2 We were able to share the suite with my whole family (parents and siblings and Polk's) #3 It was really nice. Three bedrooms, two full baths and little kitchenette and a huge balcony looking out at the back of the temple, gorgeous. I can say other than the distance the kids picked a really nice place to get married. We only had a couple hours before the church history sites closed for the night and before we had dinner with all the people who had come down for the wedding. My parent's friends the Lake's came out to support. It was really fun seeing them. They have been really good friends to my parents over the years. I know they are both really lucky to have each other. :)

In the morning we got ready for the wedding. Of course this can be dramatic trying to get that many people ready on time and out the door and leaving my children to get ready by my sisters while B and I went to the sealing was fine but of course I would have liked to be there to help. But when we all came out of the temple there everyone was ready and waiting. Andrew and Katherine looked so happy. It was so nice to be there and experience this with them. The Navoo temple is really just that wonderful inside and out. Gigi thinks this is where she will be getting married. She is so in love with the temple and getting married there to of course her boy ( a darling little boy from our ward named Matthew, who's parents and us have joked about them getting married since Gigi was born). It just melts my heart. I don't know who taught her that she could get married in the temple, I guess us talking about the temple and taking her up to the Las Vegas temple and walking around, she put it all together. She really is bright :). Any chance she got she would go out on the balcony to see the temple and tell anyone who would listen that she was going to get married there to her boy. Just lovely.

The temple has a waiting building across the street which was so nice. We changed after the wedding and pictures and headed back up to Naperville for the reception. We had already helped decorate on Thursday night so when we headed back things would be mostly ready to go. The four hour drive seemed to take so much longer. Again with the potty breaks. On the way down my Dad was very focused on getting Andrew and Katherine to the court house to get ther marriage license so we didn't stop for good, on the way back we stopped for every thing we saw. Not really, but I feel like we ate a lot. I just wish we had had one more day in Navoo, it was just lovely.

I swear she had shoes on at one point. That girl and her shoes.

Aunt Jayni and Carter in his suit.Big Cheese. I think this is the picture I bribed her with a lolly pop for. She doesn't mind pictures but once you take it let's move on. She is not a fan of sitting in front of the camera for hours trying to get the right shot.

I was trying to make the same face as Carter. I think I got it. :)

So here is a prime example of my lack of photography, where is my picture of the happy couple , no where to be found. Oh well, I will still some day from my mom.

At the reception Stephanie's parents came by to say hello. It was fun to see them and visit for a minute. Just made me miss my Steph. Then after the reception (well after the happy couple left) my family left. We stayed in a hotel in near the airport. Again wish we had stayed longer at the hotel. It was nice but the real reason was because when we got to the airport at 8 am we found out that our flight had been delayed until 2:30 pm. Awesome! I really thought I would cry. But I learned a valuable lesson that day. Life really is what you make it. If you have a bad attitude then life stinks, it you have a good one then you really can make the best out of a bad situation. The kids were exhausted from staying up late the night before. We got up really early to make it to the airport and then my parents flight was on time so there we were stuck. After waiting with my parents and sisters to get them on their plane we started to go for a walk. We had already checked our luggage and we thought about taking a cab to the city but what it something changed with our flight, we didn't want to be too far away. So we started to walk. It dawned on me that we needed to make the best of this situation. I turned to Bubba and said let's just pretend this is what we wanted to happen today. Let's have a good attitude about it and enjoy our day in the airport. We ended up getting to do some of the things we missed out on. We found a play area that was an extension of the Chicago's Children's Museum that we didn't get to go to but had wanted to. Gigi played there for a long time and loved it and even made some friends. I walked all around the airport terminals and did some souvenir shopping. Carter took a good nap. We ate lunch at my favorite restaurant Chili's with our meal vouchers from the airline. That's right Spirit you charge me for everything on you airline but I got lunch out of you. When we got back to the gate at about the time we would have anyway, Gigi passed out. We played on a blanket on the floor with Coco and it turned out to be a pretty nice morning. The flight home went smooth and the kids did great.

If it didn't snow if Chicago and get so cold in the winter we might think of going back. It was really nice and it seemed clean and fresh for some reason. It was lovely being with the family and sharing in this wonderful time in Andrew and Katherine's lives. We wish them the best and hope to someday live close enough to all our family to enjoy them more often. We did get of course that time with the Chamber's which as it turns out was our third visit with them just this summer. So even though we don't get to see our parents and siblings much we do get to build these great relationships with our extended family.

California!!!

2011-07-18T10:38:00.000-07:00

We all needed a family vacation. Stephen more than any of us. So in June we started planning a little family get away. We were looking at just spending a couple days on the beach, maybe go camping, visit some family, try a theme park. We really weren't sure what we wanted to do but we did know we wanted to get away and California always holds so many options for us. I thought it would be fun to take Gigi to Knott's Berry Farm. They have a lot of really cute activities for little kids and I have always been a fan of the Peanuts characters. However, Stephen wasn't overly impressed by Knott's (poor me) so he suggested Disney. (Of course I would have but I didn't think I could convince him to take us to Disney!) So I agreed to that wonderful idea. Only I have ever been to the Disneyland so I was really happy to get to share my childhood memories and love for Disney with my family. I know that Disneyland is not for everyone. I believe there are two ways to enjoy Disneyland. Either you go as a child and grow up loving it or you go as an adult and watch the excitement in your child's eyes. Stephen went to Disney World once for Grad Night. He wasn't that impressed. I knew this trip would change all of that for him. We also got to share our trip with my little sister Amanda who really wanted to come out and spend a little time with us this summer so it worked out great to have her come with us. Another set of hands is never a bad thing with two babies. It was a lot of fun to have her. I am glad she wanted to use her last summer of her high school year to spend time with me and my little family. We also meet up with my Aunt Margaret and my cousin Becca in Anaheim. It was really nice to get to spend time with them. Not only was it great to spend time with them they are the best tour guides we could ask for. They new where we were always, how to get to the next place, what we would like in each part of the park, where food and bathrooms were. It was great. They were great about doing all the little kid stuff. But we did make time to do a couple big kids rides. I was even more impressed with Disney now as an adult. The restrooms were clean with little lines (I personally never had to wait), the whole park was clean, and the staff was friendly and helpful. We got to the park a little after it opened and we were able to get on a bunch of rides with little or no lines. By 10 am we had done Dumbo, Casey Jr.'s Train, Tea Cups, Alice, Peter Pan, Carousel, met Princesses and we were on the big train. It was great. The big girls went off for a little while to ride Space Mt. .then we all met back up in Toon Town where Gigi finally got to meet Mini and Mickey Mouse and enjoy their houses. She loved it all. That took just a little bit longer. While we were waiting in line to meet Mini, Stephen decided to spoil the kids and bought Gigi and Amanda really cute Mini Mouse head bands and Carter a traditional Mickey hat with his named embroidered on the back. We took some pictures and then Gigi went on the roller coaster. She was a little scarred but she loved it, unlike the indoor rides. We learned they were too dark and scary. After a nice relaxing lunch I got to change Carter's clothes (thank you very much). Gigi even fell asleep for a little bit. Then Bubba and Margaret went on the pirate ship with the kids and the girls and I went on Big Thunder Mountain. This was my first Roller Coaster Post pregnancy. I know it isn't the most intense ride but it was great fun. Amanda and I tried to keep our arms up the whole time. It really does make things more fun. Oh and you also have to scream. Then we went and saw the Tiki Birds. I was pretty surprised that Gigi liked it because it is in a dark room but I tried to teach her that the animals were just toys and that they move because they have batteries. Then she wasn't scared of the birds. There is even a bird named Gigi. I told her that and she called all the birds that looked like that one Georgia birds. It was cute. She even stood up and danced along. We took a big group picture in front of the castle and then we split up for a little bit and Margaret and Becca went shopping with Amanda. We were told we should try the corn dogs on Main Street so we started making out way over there. By then it was close to Parade time so we found a good spot to sit and watch the parade. Gigi found some older boys to make friends with. They were really nice to her. While waiting Bubba and Gigi went and rode a rocket ride by where we were waiting. Then we got to enjoy the parade. It was really the highlight of my day. Ok I admit I really liked the parade, but Gigi did too. It was so cute watching her. During one of the floats the gorilla from Tarzan came over and gave Gigi high five. She was a little nervous at first but she did it and was so cute about it. We then met back up with the others for our fast pass for Indiana Jones. I didn't remember that ride being so intense. While we rode that Stephen took the kids on the Jungle Cruise. We really liked how many of the kids rides we could carry Carter on too. That was really nice. Carter didn't get scarred at all, he is so brave. :) We also did the the Winnie the Pooh ride which Gigi call Winnie the Poop and then the Monterrail. After that we looked our pictures from the day, Margaret and Becca left to start going home and we finished up some shopping and buying some food we wanted to try including a Turkey Leg. Yum! We really had such a great time. Maybe the Disney magic worked on me too. I loved Disney as a child but I think I love it even more now that I have experienced it with my own child. She woke up Sunday morning asking if we could go to Disney and ride the Tea Cups around and around. It makes me so happy to see my kids happy and learning new things.

On Saturday we headed down to San Diego to spend time at the zoo. That was really fun too. We didn't get to the zoo as early as I had hoped so by the time we did it was pretty busy. Not to mention that there were some other events taking place in San Diego that weekend that made things even more crowded. One of the best parts of our trip to the zoo was getting together with the Coopers, Tommy, Brittany and little baby Kennedy. We haven't seen them in some time so it was really nice to catch up while we all walked around the zoo. Gigi and Carter were a little spent from their big Disney adventure and so were not as well behaved at the zoo as they had been the day before. We learned that in the future we plan a lazy day in between fun days. I think they were just tired. Gigi fell asleep in the stroller at one point and slept for a long time. It was okay we still go to see a lot of neat animals and spend time with friends. Apparently Amanda has never been to ta zoo before. I was surprised by this but she loved it too. After the zoo we went and got dinner at Wahoo's Fish Tacos. They were pretty yummy. Then we went our separate ways. It was so good seeing the Coopers I can't get over it. I missed them a lot and playing meeting sweet Kennedy was such a treat. After that we headed over to the beach to watch the sunset. That was of course beautiful and there was a big grassy park there too so we let Gigi run around and get some energy out before heading to the hotel. Sunday we woke up slow and got breakfast which was even slower and then headed home. I don't know how relaxed Bubba was at the end of the trip but I think all in all we had a great time. I am sure he could use a couple days uninterrupted to just sleep but we have two kids. I don't know it that will ever happen.

Carter's Blessing

2011-06-20T07:29:00.000-07:00

Carter was blessed by his father on March 6, 2011. Carter was had a lot of family come into town to support him and his parents in this special event. Grandpa Polk (FL) and Uncle David (UT), Papa and Nana came with Aunt Jayni and Aunt Amanda (FL), Uncle Andrew and Katherine (who will soon become Aunt Katherine) came from Utah, Aunt Julie and Aunt Marce came from Arizona and brought our young cousin Trenton, and Quinn and Cymri, Dameon and Ryssa (who live in town) were with us too. It was a very nice weekend. We set up for Current Family pictures one morning and then spent some time shopping in the afternoon. We ate pizza and wings that night and were able to enjoy a relaxing Sunday afternoon with sandwiches, chips and my favorite Layered Strawberry Cheesecake dessert. It was really fun, at one point just about all of the ladies in the family were in my room laying on the bed or in the rocking chair just visiting and telling special stories. It was really nice bonding time for us. I know my mom loved having her sisters their to visit with. With my mom living in Florida she really doesn't get to see them as much as she would like. I know the feeling. But the love of sisters I will save for another post. Everyone but my parents and sisters left sometime on Sunday. Stephen's Dad had a hard time getting out here and ended up only being here in Vegas for about 24 hours. His visit was definitely too short. We are planning a trip for later in the year to go and see his family. Carter was just as sweet as always. My mom did a little photo shoot for Carter before she left so that we could get some pictures of him in his blessing clothes. I spent weeks looking for what I wanted him to wear. I am so much more picky about how to dress a boy then I am with Georgia. I finally found a little overall's outfit that I thought looked just darling.

Things they are a changin!

2011-06-12T23:15:00.000-07:00

Last year as the end of soccer season approached I seriously analyzed my life and what I wanted to get out of it. I knew that Georgia was the most important thing to me and I knew I hated leaving her everyday and I knew that I needed to make some serious changes. I started praying. I attended church meetings and looked for answers. All of the different meetings I attended and conversations I had with the Lord led me to one conclusion. I needed to be at home with my baby girl. I told Stephen, and though he loves us and wants what's best for us, sometimes we don't necessarily agree on what is best. At this time he was a month off the unemployment line and wasn't quite on the same page with me about leaving my career to stay home and raise our baby. Understandably so. I have a fairly secure job with benefits in a very insecure benefit-less time. But I knew that this was the right path for us. So first I decided to give up my coaching position. I really enjoyed coaching soccer but my priorities had changed and I know I was not what was best for those girls anymore. Next, I started looking into ways I could stay home and keep our family secure. That led me to the option of working for an online school. I know a girl at church who does it. She had suggested looking into her school after G was born, but at that time Stephen was out of work. I was not about to rock any boats at that time. But now... I contacted the girl and got contact information for the people at the school. Turns out that the principal was my mentor teacher when I was student teaching. Luckily, he and I had a great learning experience and when I contacted him he was interested in using me in the future. All summer I waited for a call that might lead in this direction. However I also found out that I was pregnant and again not sure it was time to leave my great teacher benefits (including my access to Family Medical Leave, you have to work a certain amount of time to qualify for it). When the call didn't come I returned to my job at LVHS. I love teaching at Vegas so if I have to work this is the place I want to be. I also decided that without coaching I would only have to work until 2pm and then I could spend the rest of the day with G. It was working just fine, but I still hated leaving my girl. I also still felt very strong that I needed to make the move home. So I again contacted the online school and offered myself for part-time work. I hoped that if I got my foot in the door I would be able to find myself a permanent place in the future. Sure enough. They did need part-time work and so by the end of October I began a second job. It is a great school. I love the technology and the different approach to teaching. I miss the contact and the performance that teaching in a classroom is but it is definitely something I can do from home. I hated working two jobs though. The point was to get more time for my kid and now I wasn't picking her up until almost 5pm. But all the hard work paid off because last week I was offered a full-time position. Yeah!!! I resigned from LVHS in March and have been hoping and praying that everything will work out. Now I know that working from home and having TWO babies will not be easy. I don't intend for it to be. But I know that being home with them will be better than where we have been. I have two of the best babies around. They are amazing. I need them and they need me and so the change begins. I now am a stay at home mom and a work from home teacher. But most importantly I am a mom. I love my kids and I am so thankful for the Lord's hand in my life and for the blessings I am provided. Stephen and I talk about it often, how lucky we are. We are truly blessed.

One of my many goals of summer will be to catch up on this blog. So stay tuned, pictures and stories to come...

Gigi Turns 2!!!!

2011-02-24T19:21:00.000-08:00

(sorry so dark, phone camera has it's moments)

Time has flown by. I am ecstatic at the wonderful little person that she is becoming. I know that she has changed me dramatically. My priorities in life are so different now. It is wonderful. After coaching for five years I decided that I wasn't spending my time the way I wanted or needed it to be. So I resigned. I have missed coaching from time to time but I have loved having this last year to spend with Georgia. Now that she is two and her baby brother is here I am even more glad with my choice. Gigi and I spent a day together to practice potty training and to spend time together. It was a really good day. Carter went to the baby sitter and Gigi and I got pancakes and a movie, went to story time and just enjoyed being together. When I asked her later if we had a good day, she said "Yeah Momma good day!" She is talking so much these days. I almost understand everything she says. Accept daba daba daba, her occasional gibberish. If you ask her she will tell you she is three. We were practicing responses on the way to the doctors the other day and she told me me her nose was sick and that she is three. She is too funny.
We planned a birthday party for Gigi. I think all that was important to her was that she had an Elmo cake. Who knows why she decided that. She doesn't even like to watch it at home. But maybe she does at her babysitters. So that was the main theme for this year. As I began discussing all of my plans for this party, it was very interesting to hear Stephen's take on planning parties in general but more importantly parties for a two-year old. We talked about times for the party and I suggested doing it a little earlier so I wouldn't have to do a lunch but could just have snacks. Bubba said let's do 10-12. I said that is lunch time. He said no 12 is lunch time. I said not for a 2 year-old who get up at 6 am. Then he said we could just have hot dogs. True most kids love hot dogs. So then I said I would need to get a small table for the kids to sit at. Stephen then (and this was my favorite part) suggested that I just put the food out for them and let them eat when they are hungry. Have you ever seen two-year olds go through a buffet line and then go sit themselves down and eat? Me neither! I told him I would have to have a table for them, fix their plates, sit them down and make sure they ate their food and then help them throw out their plates. Even though Bubba didn't quite buy into it he said he was glad I was in charge and he would cook the food. He also decided that he would help me out by making me a table for the kids to sit at. I thought we could just barrow from the church but admittedly, his table was way more fun. We also decided to rent a bounce house. That was too much fun. I had no idea that they were so affordable. Gigi loved it. Of course, what kid doesn't like to bounce. We had Elmo coloring pages, playdoh, fruit snacks. We tried to play a game but the kids mostly wanted to color and bounce. So I let them. I can't remember the order for everything but I know we opened presents ate lunch, had cake and played some more. It was pretty casual but I think everyone had a nice time. I know I didn't feel too stressed out so that was good. Gigi played to her hearts content. All the kids got a balloon, bubbles and a Thank you Rice Crispy treat on their way out the door. My first real little kids birthday party down, only who knows how many to go.
The issue of parties was raised while planning this. Stephen and I agreed that we wouldn't have one every year. And when they did have a big party like this one then we didn't need to buy them presents. It makes sense. So we are still undecided on how often but what we do for one we will do for the other, so I don't want to set the bar too high. The first and second to me are a must. Then maybe not again until 5. By then they could be in school and then we will have to figure things out. I know I really have fun throwing the parties. But for now I think Gigi is happy as long as there is cake. Me too!

Welcome Carter Stephen Polk

2011-02-11T10:02:00.000-08:00

Gigi couldn't go into the NICU to visit so she met Carter for the first time through the glass.
Our first picture as a new family.
Our blue baby getting his tan on!
Look no tubes. Making progress.
Waiting for his ride home!
Our little family ready to go home!
In Daddy's Hand, so tiny.
Favorite thing she says when she holds him is "Coco getting me." Like he is doing it on purpose.
My mom was able to come out for a week. It was so nice to have her here to help.

Ok now that he is a month old I will announce him. Getting the blog up to date will be even more difficult for me now that I have two. But we are so excited to have our little Coco baby! We started calling him Coco months ago because of my Dad. When he was growing up he thought that he when he became a professional baseball player he would change his name to Coco Curriente. So somewhere along the pregnancy we gave the name Coco to Carter. Of course the whole pregnancy we referred to him as Carter. But since he was born we seem to call him Coco a lot more. Probably his sisters fault. She is really good at saying Coco.

Carter was born on January 11, 2011 at 7:59 am. He weighed 5lbs. 15 oz and was 19 1/4 inches long. Coco had a rocky start. Right after he was born his breathing seemed shallow so he was taken to the NICU. He was put on oxygen for the next day or so. Then there seemed to be one excuse after another of him getting strong enough to leave with us. After almost 6 days in the NICU we finally were able to bring our handsome little man home. Leaving the hospital without your baby has to be one of the worst feeling in the world. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn knew things with this new member of our family. He is a sweet baby and has been really good for us. We couldn't be happier to have him home with us.

Gigi has had an adjustment to make with him. But she loves him! She is always talking about him and trying to help us take care of him. It is really darling. She'll say things like "Coco in my bed" when she wants him to sleep in her bed. It is too cute. I love her even more everyday. I have had to change the way I interact with her though and become more attentive and affective with my discipline.

Bubba and I both win!

2011-01-23T16:01:00.000-08:00

When I was pregnant with Gigi, Stephen and I made a bet over her gender. She was sure she was a girl and I was sure she was a boy. In the bet we agreed that if I was right I would get a Coach diaper bag and if Stephen was right he would get a new big screen t.v.. Well this Christmas season I got the bag for Christmas and Stephen and I agreed there may be no better time for our family than now to buy a new t.v.. So it took us two years longer than we thought it would and we now have one of each children but we finally both won!

Christmas in Las Vegas

2011-01-20T23:47:00.000-08:00

Daddy and Gigi on a camp out in the downstairs living room. They needed camp out food so we went and got Wendy's. They played and watched movies for awhile and I wrapped presents upstairs. Then Gigi missed her momma and came home early from the camp out and we all ended up having a sleepover in mommy's bed.
I could not have been more thrilled to stay home this Christmas. I was worn out and the thought of celebrating the holidays at my own home sounded lovely. Of course it is never Christmas without our families to share it with and 75-80 degree weather. It looks like Christmas on t.v. when I watch movies in snowy places but if I want that really Christmas feeling it needs to be warms and sunny with palm trees wrapped in lights. So we put up our tree and decorated the house and played Christmas with out little family. Gigi's favorite things this year include the choo choo on our tree. She loves trains and so she watches Polar Express daily, we took her to the Magical Forest so that she could ride a train, she wants to watch her train on the tree (luckily we found one that mounts into the tree so I got to determine how often it is turned on, it is a little loud.). She also learned how to say Santa and recognizes him and his hat. She kept saying "tanta hurry!" It was too cute. She also will put on Santa hats and then say "ho ho ho!" I figured out that came from the Polar Express. These babies are so impressionable. Well Santa did hurry and brought her a great kitchen and a stocking full of candy that she loved emptying out and putting in her kitchen. She also received very nice gifts from her relatives and by the time we were almost finishing opening gifts she had met her limit. So it was good that Stephen and I decided not to over do the whole gift thing. She acts like such a big girl that I have to remind myself that she is still a baby. Stephen and I did pretty good this year too. :) It was a great Christmas and we were very blessed this year. What a different year 2010 was compared to 2009. We have truly seen miracles in our life.

Thanksgiving in Florida.

2011-01-20T23:31:00.000-08:00

In November we decided to fly back to Florida to join with the rest of Stephen's family as they welcomed home David. David had been serving faithfully in the Monterrey Mexico Mission. We knew that with my pregnancy it would be pushing it to fly during Christmas so this seemed like a great opportunity to visit family and be a part of David's homecoming. We flew in on Tuesday before Thanksgiving and then spent the night with my parents. The next day we drove the big van that had been rented up to Stephen's parents and helped them get ready for the drive to Orlando. The only real problem we faced at this point in the trip was my swelling feet and ankles. Gigi did great on the flight out and the drive up. We had a seat for her on the plane and we brought her carseat with us. That was the best decision EVER! After Gigi and I took a trip to New Jersey in the summer I vowed I would never fly with her again unless...she had her own seat and another adult was with me. We met David at the airport and then we went to a Vietnamese restaurant in Orlando. It is kinda a family tradition to go to eat Vietnamese whenever we are in Orlando. It is delicious so I don't mind. We spent all day on Thursday at the Polk's helping put together our Thanksgiving feast. Stephen's mom is a great cook and she teaches me knew things about cooking every time we visit. This trip I learned about cloves and ham and how to catch carrots from the pot so they don't get too mushy. Beside all the great food and company my biggest highlight from this day was having good blood sugar and getting to go to the movies with my sweet husband. Stephen's mom got a babysitter for Quy and Gigi. I was very Thankful for that. Then on Friday we drove back down to my parents for the day. We had a big dinner with them and just kinda hung out. Stephen and I took advantage of babysitters again and went and saw Harry Potter that night. It was the 10:30 showing so granted I was exhausted but I took a nap during the first 15 minutes of the movie and apparently didn't miss too much. We stayed with my parents until Saturday afternoon and then drove back up to Vero Beach. David's homecoming was the next day and as it turned out we all played a part. David did very well with his talk as did Stephen, Myhoa and Big Stephen. It was really a blessing to be able to share in this special family time. It was also neat to hear David talk of his mission and watch as he struggled to speak English. After church we headed back down to my parents where we spent the next couple hours before we had to head to the airport. The flight home was not as good as the ones out but Gigi was such a trooper. She had a great time and though her schedule was off she stayed relatively pleasant the whole trip. Once we were back in Vegas it only took a couple days for my feet to go back to near the right size.

Halloweeen!

2010-11-06T16:38:00.000-07:00

Gigi found her wings from her bee costume from last year when I was decorationg for Halloween and had so much fun being a little bee again.
Gigi and her buddy Matthew.
The bounce house.
Gigi and her crazy eye. That will be one for her boyfriends.
I got this cute idea from the Martha Stewart magazine. I didn't think to take a picture until the game was almost over. You fill the balloons with treats and confetti and the kids get blindfolded and get to pop the balloons. I have to say it was a hit. The kids loved this game. Next year I need to have way more balloons because there were so many kids that didn't get a chance to play.
Quick break for a family picture. Happy Halloween!!
Pumpkin carving.

We had fun teaching Gigi about Halloween. I have always loved Halloween. When Bubba and I first go married I would tap my fingers together like Mr. Burns and say Halloweeen with an exaggerated ee. Gigi will say ha ween and scrunch her fingers when she sees anything Halloween. She also learned trick or treat. Now if she wants a candy from her bucket she has to say trick or treat first. It is darling.

Bubba came up with our costume idea. It was a pretty good one and easy. We both had assignments at the ward harvest festival the Saturday night before Halloween so that is pretty much the extent of the energy I had for celebrating Halloween weekend. The Mason's came with us to play. Cymri was a great helper with the balloon popping game that I did for the primary kids.

October Visitors

2010-11-06T16:27:00.000-07:00

My Dad had a business trip here in Vegas. Yet another perk to Vegas. So he decided to bring my mom and come out a few days earlier to spend some time with us. This brought my Grandma, Aunt Margaret and Uncle Gary into town also. How fun to have a weekend to spend with all of them. Gigi loves her Grandpapa. It was really cute to see the two of them playing together. We also got to hang out at some of the touristy areas here in town.

Playing Chess with Daddy

2010-10-10T22:28:00.000-07:00

So after I got two "requests" for blog updating I feel I have now successfully updated the blog. There are more cute pictures on my phone but we will get to those some day. Myhoa came for a visit this weekend and we had fun playing downtown. It was so nice. Hopefully when we go to Florida next month Gigi will remember her Aunt. Here are a couple more pictures of Gigi and her Dad playin Chess!

Cheer Buddy Chickened out!

2010-10-10T22:20:00.001-07:00

I signed Gigi up for being a Cheer Buddy this year. I though it would be fun for her and she got to ride on the homecoming float. She did great at the first game and went with her buddy and everything. However she was not all about the float when that time came. So we watched the parade from the street with mommy and daddy. Which was fun too and she got candy that the floats tossed/threw as they passed by.

September

2010-10-10T21:42:00.000-07:00

Back to School! Back to School! I ended up going back to full-time teaching at Vegas this school year. However without all the extras of coaching and advising hopefully it will make for more time with my family. Bubba and I have been working well together to get all three of us out the door by 6:30. Some mornings are easier than other. Gigi has a good time at her baby-sitters and even has a good friend. This year most of the other kids are in school at least part of the day so it makes for a very nice peaceful day for the two girls. The first day of school they both took a 3 hour nap. Even if she likes going she is always excited to see me when I come to get her.

Then next big thing that happened this month is that we found out for sure that we are having a boy!!! We are really excited to have a little man. We are still debating his name. It is so much harder for me to name a boy then it was to name a girl. Boys have to be men with their name. They have to get jobs that will support their families, they will serve in the church, they will honor their family with this name. It feels very important. I know I read a lot more into things than I should but I feel a lot of pressure in having a boy.

Last big thing about September is that I turned 30! I feel pretty good about it. I did have a great 10 years of twenties. I did really everything I would have wanted to. I didn't travel the world but I don't know if I really needed to do that before I was 30. When I was 17 I decided what I wanted to do with my life. I set out a play for it. Really I only planned out my life from then until 35. In my goals I decided I wanted to become a girls soccer coach and to teach history. I wanted to serve a mission and then get married and start my family. I decided then that I would have five kids all two years apart and be finished by the time I was 35. So far I am on track. I may not have as many kids as I planned but I didn't have diabetes when I was 17. I am really happy with the way my life is turning out so coming up to this milestone I am not afraid to turn thirty but excited to see where my life will go from here. I guess I better make out another 10 year goal so I can feel as satisfied with turning 40 someday. I know that I am very blessed when I look at my life and see how much more I have than goals checked off a list. I also have fabulous relationships with important people both friends and family.

Bubba spoiled me very well. I got great gifts, lunch in one of my favorite restaurants, a delicious cake that only took 10 units of insulin to eat and great time spent with him, Gigi and the Masons. I have had a very blessed 30 years. My parents also really spoiled me too. It was funny to me that in the box there was more for the baby than me but I got a beautiful Pandora bracelet with darling little charms. It makes me feel special every time I wear it. I was even able to combine the charm G got me on the bracelet.

Our friends the Smith's decorated our drive way so cute so share their birthday wishes!

August

2010-10-10T21:19:00.000-07:00

So tired after church one Sunday she laid down for a minute and she was out!
We tried to lower our carbs so that I can eat better and keep my blood sugar under control. One of my favorite meals is sheppard's pie. However mashed potatoes send my blood sugar to the moon. So we tried to make it with cauliflower mashed potatoes. It turned out pretty good even Gigi liked it. She sat on the counter and I think would have ate the whole bowl if I hadn't stopped her.
Our sleepy girl played too hard again. Fell asleep watching t.v. in Daddy's arms.

One of our favorite activities this summer was to go to the pool. Gigi loves to play in water. The only thing she loved more than the pool was the splash park. I have never seen her more happy then when she was in water. We also got to go the the library for story time a few times. Gigi an sitting still aren't a great combination just yet. But we are working on it. She played with her friend Paisley a couple times and we are really lucky that G's cousin Damien moved down here. We all get along really well and G loves D!
Happy Girl!

July

2010-10-10T21:01:00.000-07:00

Gigi's Nana and Aunt Amanda came for a visit and brought G a tea set. She loved waking up to a tea party.

We took a trip up to Utah for a week and had a really nice time visiting with family and friends. Gigi loved getting to play with all the cousins and even held her first baby.
Before Nana's visit she sent Gigi out a little box of things she had picked up for her. She sent a purse and some headbands and clips. Grandpa Bill had picked out an excellent outfit inviting G on to his little All-Stars. Also there was a darling hula outfit.

Summer time was really fun for the two of us. Gigi was such a good sport. Her Momma got pretty tired at certain points trying to get her little brother on his way and she helped me to enjoy every minute. Even if we were just watching cartoons and laying around the house.
Hula Gigi

Georgia and Mommy's Trip to New Jersey!!!

2010-07-01T10:32:00.001-07:00

Gigi and I started our adventure on Thursday night the 24th. Months ago I decided that it would be so fun to take Gigi and visit my best friend Marisa for her son's 1st birthday in June. So Bubba gave the green light and I put the trip together. I have to admit I had some severe anxiety over the trip. Gigi is not the most quiet peaceful baby. She is happy but not peaceful. She is way too curious and busy. So I was nervous for the long flight cross country. We took the red eye which wasn't too bad. Gigi slept about three of the four hour flight. The flight left on time and got us in early. Then they closed the terminal that we were in in Newark because there was some security issue with an unclaimed bag. So we hung out for about 45 minutes. Then we finally were able to go and meet Mickey! Mickey took us to Marisa's because she lives closer to the airport and as early as we were getting in it didn't make sense to drag poor Mason out of bed.
I had forgotten just how beautiful back east is. Marisa lives in a cute town with lots of trees. Here house backs to a big county park with walking paths and a play ground and streams. It was beautiful. Nothing like we have in Vegas. These following pictures are of Marisa's property. So nice. Marisa and Andrew want to tear out all the bushes and shrubs and make it all open. I love all the growth. I guess I get that from my mom.
Here is Gigi playing in the backyard. This is from the farthest corner of the backyard looking back toward the house. On Saturday we helped get ready for a big party in Mason's honor. They held a backyard bar-b-que. It was really nice and even the little drops of rain didn't ruin the nice time. Mason enjoyed his first cake and Gigi helped him eat it.
Marisa's family has two pets a cat and a dog. Gigi was fascinated by both. The dog was always around and so Gigi's curiosity wore off quick and even became a little afraid of the dog. But the cat kept a safe distance away from Gigi and so she was curiouser and curiouser. She got pretty good at saying cat without the c and making a meow noise anytime she would see the cat.
The most beautiful shadey tree in the backyard also had a fun swing that Gigi loved to take turns in. She loves swings. Especially if the person pushing her pretends that she is knocking them over when she swings close to them.
Central Park.
On Monday we went into the city. We didn't let the 70% chance of rain deter us. It was so hot in the city. But New York is one of my favorites so I didn't mind too much. We just made excuses to stop when needed to get out of the heat. We drove in with Marisa, Andrew, Me and the two babies. Then we walked a few blocks to time square. We found a deli to eat lunch in and then we went on over to FAO Schwartz. Gigi loved all the toys. I let her out of her chair for a little bit and she ran wild. She loved the toys and everything there was to look at and play with.

Time Square.
Harry Potter section. Gigi looks great as a witch.
Downstairs on the bottom floor they have tons of younger toys and puppets. It was really fun. And these awesome Sesame Street characters that are bigger than the babies.Cut shot of the Gonzalez family waiting for us while we paid for our goodies. Gigi got a new book and some candy. She is so spoiled. After the toy store we went across the street to central park. There we found a great playground where the kids swang and tried the slides and then Gigi cooled off.All the other kids were in bathing suits but not mine. She was the winner of the wet t-shirt contest. Too bad Mason isn't walking on his own yet or we would have had to soaking wet babies.

Mason I think still isn't sure what he thinks of Gigi. I think though that we has warmed up to her. He got really good at saying Georgia. That was darling. G would give him hugs and kisses and steal his toys. Poor guy he is probably happy to have his space back.

Mason is in the building. My mom and I fell in love with an Elvis costume sometime last year and we have been wanting to give it to Mason ever since. This is the more practical still adorable version. I think Mason has a future as an Elvis impersonator. All the more reason for the Gonzalez family to move to Vegas.Gigi and Mommy with her cake. We started Mason's birthday celebration on the Saturday before his actual birthday on Tuesday. There was a lot of cake eatin over those several days.
Thanks Marisa for another great time! I am sad we live so far from each other. I love you lots and look forward to our next visit.

June

2010-06-23T11:34:00.000-07:00

I love being at home with my little lady!!! So the school year ended and it opened up almost three entire months of Mommy and Gigi time. So I have figured out some things that we can do. We don't have a set routine yet. Except that Gigi really needs to take a nap at around 11am and I don't mind either. We have gone to the gym, the park, library and accidentally stumbled upon story time, shopping (running errands), the pool and anything else that I can think of. Next week we will try the movies. At home we read stories, play with toys, look at books that teach Gigi how to read, eat food, play in the blow up pool in the back yard, run and play with the rocks in the front yard, watch cartoons and of course take long naps. Which I am skipping apparently today because I am updating my blog. So far so good. I love the activities that don't cost money because I think they are truly genuine. I introduced Gigi to Slurpee's yesterday and then we had to change her clothes. She is good at drinking from a straw but she still has to touch everything. We went to California a couple weeks ago to visit my cousin for her graduation party. It was so nice to visit family and relax for the weekend. Then on our way out of town we went to the beach which was really fun but a little chilly. Florida beaches are never this cool, ever! Unfortunately on our way out of the beach we got in a car accident and it ended up totalling our car. So my aunt and uncle drove out to the beach and picked us up. We got to spend another night in California which is always nice to have more family time and then rented a car and drove up the next day. We are still in the middle of that drama because now we'll have to buy a new car and have the hassle of the car payment which we did not have with both our other cars being payed off. Oh well! Gigi and I are headed to New Jersey tomorrow to visit Marisa and her family and to meet her little man Mason for the first time. Can' wait! I am nervous of the 5 hour flight with my little busy little lady but I have lots of supplies ready to go. Wish me luck!!!

Let me just say she loved this fountain. She will try every time she goes outside to get in it.

Catching Up!

2010-06-23T10:55:00.000-07:00

We have been pretty busy these past couple months so here are a few pictures to show you what we have been up to.

Gigi loves to swim but not look at the camera. I guess you can't win them all. I am sure there will me more of these pictures to come. This cute shot of her in her bathing suit here Great aunt bought her.
Memorial Day we headed over to Red Rock to go for a little hike. We found an "Medium" course for a little walk. For some reason we didn't think we needed water so we didn't last too long. It was fun though to hang out as a little family. Gigi like the rock climbing and being outside but she over heated first and then was ready to go and only wanted Mommy to hold her at that point.
Nana came for a quick visit. We met her down in Arizona for my aunt's 60'th birthday. It was great to see family and Mom. Only problem was the 2 hours we got stuck on the high way while there was an accident. Gigi and Nana love to do noses. It has also helped G to learn where her nose is.
Sitting on the toy box Daddy made her for her birthday.
At the race tracks! We all lasted about an hour and then were ready to move on. It was interesting but apparently you can't wear open toed shoes in the pit so we missed the tour that would've explained what was going on. Better luck next time.

In April we took Gigi to her first county fair. She loved the chickies and the pigs. She tried out a saddle, looked at a lot of scary animals, played fair games that regardless of the out come she won a prize every time and tried funnel cake for the first time. Which she decided I would like more that she did.

Easter Fun

2010-04-05T20:41:00.000-07:00

This years Easter was really peaceful. I didn't get out of my pj's until about 3 pm. It was fabulous. At first I thought it was weird that conference and Easter Sunday would be the same this year. I missed the idea of getting dressed up and going to church to worship our Savior. I love Easter Sunday. But as I sat down for the first session of conference Sunday morning the realization came of how amazing it was to have the Prophet and other leaders of the church teach us and bring light to the gospel of Jesus Christ this Easter. I think that was even more special than if we had gone to church. Maybe even a little more reverent. I was also glad that we decided not to go to Utah for conference this year. I get so much more out of the meetings when I can listen in the comfort of my own home and with the available toys and what not to keep my little lady busy. Rather than me being out in the hall during sacrament meeting or trying desperately to keep her quiet in the chapel. She is after all her mother's daughter and exhibits more of my social characteristics than I would like sometimes.

Easter morning was also accompanied by a traditional Easter basket, nice breakfast and a break down. We ended up putting Gigi in three time outs during the day while she learned the hard way that we don't get to eat all the candy in the house. It was sad and really cute all at the same time. Gigi loved her chocolate bunny most and then moved on to her new toys. Even with the fits she was such a joy to watch. We played bubbles and Thomas the Train, ate french toast, watched conference, took naps, watched more conference, made bbq ribs and went out back to fly a kite. It was are very nice day.

Gigi's First Dodger Game

2010-04-01T07:22:00.000-07:00

We tried to go to the Spring Training game when we were in Arizona but as I said in a previous blog it did not work out. So we then decided that we would buy tickets early and watch the boys when they came to Las Vegas for Major League Weekend. The weather here has been so nice until yesterday. The winds picked up and blew in some cold air. But that didn't deter us or the other couple thousand people that were there. We have never seen so many people at Cashman. It was really fun.

March Update

2010-03-31T16:52:00.000-07:00

March flew by. I thought that I would get so much more done than I did. I still have a ton on my to do list and very few checks. The biggest news for us is that I resigned from coaching. It was a very difficult decision for me. I just feel like my priorities have changed. That is okay with me. I want more time with Gigi and if I keep coaching she'll be trying out for the Varsity soccer team and I will wonder where our time went. So I am very pleased with my decision. Now if I would only resign from teaching then little miss and I could be together everyday all day. I am sure she is would get tired of me. She loves day care. She goes to the nicest lady who does a great job with them. Gigi loves the kids and really likes Amy (the babysitter). She get excited to go and knows exactly where we are when we pull up.

So my big goal for March was to loose the last 15 lbs. that I have been hating on myself. Several reasons that I would like to get rid of the extra weight include health along with appearance and the biggest reason...baby #2. No I am not pregnant but I would like to be in the next few months and I want to be as healthy this next time as I was for Gigi, even more so. So Bubba and I committed ourselves to the South Beach diet for one month. What's a month we can do that right!?! Wrong! We lasted four days. I did loose 5 lbs in those four days but that's it. So I have been disappointed with myself for that but what can you do. So I reanalyzed and decided that I would continue to eat more healthy which we did improve on and I would exercise. I love to run and do aerobic classes but I have so much trouble finding the time. So that is my new goal. A couple days a week I take the jogging stroller and jog to the babysitter and then Gigi and I job back. Then I will take an aerobic class or two. I eventually want to be back to 5 days a week. I know that will really help with my crazy health and with the unwanted lbs.

Other happenings in March: G learned how to fold her arms for the prayer. They don't stay folded the whole time but at least she is getting the point. Gigi now has 10 teeth. This month she has been cutting two big ones on the right side. One top and one bottom. She is such a trooper. This 10th bottom one has really been a beast for her. She has thrown some real fits these last couple days. I feel so sad for her. She is talking all the time and is just a really happy baby as long as those teeth don't get in her way.

We took a trip down to Arizona at the end of the month to kick off my Spring Break. That was a really nice trip. We visited cousins and aunts and uncles. And Gigi got to meet more family. We were supposed to see the Dodgers Spring Training game but luck would have it it was sold out. That was crazy. So we tried to go and see the Padres and low and behold they were sold out too. Then we went to the Zoo but it was too crowded. Apparently it was Spring Break in AZ too. So when all else fails go shopping. Gigi had her first run in with cactus too. She was walking through my Aunt and Uncles back yard when she tripped into a spiky plant and got very scratched up. But my tough little lady didn't even cry. She was too busy getting back up and exploring. On our way out of town we stopped at the Visitor Center and the Mesa Temple so Gigi could see the Cristus statue. It was of course beautiful and Gigi recognized Jesus immediately. It really was precious to see how much see new that was Jesus.

Stephen is keeping busy at work and is getting complements from colleagues. It was not the plan for Stephen to be an estimator but I am glad he found this job. He really is happy there. It keeps him busy and he loves what he is doing.

Wow!!! Our baby girl is one year old!

2010-02-14T21:50:00.001-08:00

What a difference a year makes. Main focus is the flower in her hair. It was too cute not to dress up our little new born in a totally girly dress and ridiculous flower. Now a year later it doesn't seem as silly but I still think it is darling.

Gigi has changed so much in the last year. (Of course) It is just stunning to see this little toddler take the place of my tiny little baby.

Here are a few highlights from Georgia's first year:

Moving into her new home with Mom and Dad
Visits from almost all of her aunts, uncles (David is on a mission so I guess that can't count against either of them) and grandparents, and even some cousins
Visits to the Las Vegas Strip, California, Utah, and twice to Florida
Playing in the pool all summer
Reading books while laying next to Daddy
Reading scriptures
Listening to us sing and has started to make her own kind of singing
Favorite song still Itsy Bitsy Spider
Loves to play Pee U Stinky
Making new friends
Going to the park for walks and to play on the slide and swing
Learning to eat like a big girl (Loves green beans, peas and bananas, bread and anything we are eating that we are not sharing with her)
Gives great open mouth kisses
Crawls up stairs pretty good but not down
Rides in her car seat forward like a big girl
Started at a sitter and is really good about going
LOVES kids esp. boys
Making her Daddy the best Mr. Mom anyone could have asked for
Photo shoots!
Being a total Daddy's girl and then right at the end switching to a Momma's girl
Talking up a storm
Walking at 10 months
Learning to shake her booty any time she hears music, esp. her favorite song Boom Boom Pow, Black Eyed Peas
Learning to blow kisses on her first birthday
Coming to Mommy's soccer games and practicing her own soccer moves (she kicks the ball great)
Six Teeth

There is soo much more but I don't think I can remember right now. So here are a few more pictures of my little lady's big 1st birthday weekend:

At Mommy's soccer game in the rain. Grandpa Bill and Nana came out to help celebrate. Too bad Gigi got sick the week before with an ear infection and then the morning after my parents got to town she started throwing up. Apparently not related but we still felt bad for the little girl. She didn't stay too long just long enough to bring some good karma and help my other girls pull off a win.

Daddy made Gigi her very own toy box for her birthday. Now all he has to do is paint it and then Mommy will decorate it Gigi style. He is so good with this kind o f stuff. I am a lucky girl.

She didn't quite get the opening presents concept but she did get the eating cake idea after a little help.
What a doll baby we have.
Our lives could not have been more blessed. We love this little girl and we know she loves us!!!

January: New Job, New Routine, NewToys

2010-01-23T16:51:00.000-08:00

Ok so I realize now that I have failed to mention one the most important change that has happened to our family. Gigi is walking. She had been pulling herself up on things and moving along hold ing on since sometime in November but then in December right before we left for Florida she got all brave and let go. From then on she has been getting more and more confident with her walking skills. I don't know where this energy comes from but her balance is getting really good so we have had to buy her some good shoes (Converse) so she can practice walking and balance. I don't know where I am going to get the energy to keep up with her and I am only with her half the day. Church is done. She just won't sit still. My mom says that this sounds very familiar but I am still trying to figure out what that means. :)

Bubba started his new job as a Senior Estimator for HD Supply. He seems to really like his new job. He uses all the knowledge that he has gained from working with his Dad, college, engineering etc. It seems to be a great fit for him. He went to Arizona for a week to do training which left Gigi and I alone for 5 days. That was a big adjustment for all of us. Gigi is used to being with Daddy all day. So since he has started working she has started going to a babysitter. She stayed out our friend Kristin's for the first little bit. I think it was nice for her to go to a familiar place. Kristin's daughter Lily wasn't as excited about Gigi spending her days there. But of course right when Lily was getting used to the idea we switched her over to an in home day care. She seems to really like going over to Ms. Amy's house. There are boys there which Gigi loves. She is such a flirt.

Gigi and I have enjoyed our increase amount of time we spend together. I get to take her and pick her up from daycare most days. On game days Bubba picks her up and then they have some time together. I think I hate daycare more than she does. The soccer team is doing well and I am constantly having to stretch my mind to find ways that I can better meet their needs as players and students. Teaching is going well. We are getting into my favorite part of the year. The 20th century. I am such a dork.

My cousins Quinn, Cymri and Damien came down to visit. Gigi and I had a great time playing with them. Especially because Bubba was out of town for half of the time. We went shopping, to the Bellagio dancing water show, Paris, Tiffany's, New York New York, Cesar's Palace, T.I., Mirage, Shark Reef, MGM, M&M store and the Cocoa Cola store (wow that was some crazy touring). We even planned an adult night out and got a babysitter. I love kids but sometimes adult time is so nice. It is always so much fun to hang out Quinn and his family. We are glad that we all for now live close enough to plan little trips together.

I know that January is not quite over yet but I figure since I am logged on I may as well update. Other wise it may be another 4 months before I do this again.

Pictures of this month to come...

Christmas back to Thanksgiving!

2010-01-23T15:32:00.000-08:00

Finally I am taking the time to update the last four months. (It is a little long) So much has happened and changed since the last time I posted anything. Since Halloween we went to a UNLV basketball game, Thanksgiving at Aunt Margaret's in California, Soccer season in full swing, a 12 hour black-out, Gigi's first Christmas, a trip to Florida, and finally Stephen got a job, and I cut 10 inches off my hair. So I'll recap our events starting with Christmas and working our way back...

Family Christmas pictures at the atrium at Bellagio. It was beautiful. Despite Gigi's expression she thought so too. So much to take in all at once I guess.The Hair Cut!!! I have had long hair most of my life. So this is a pretty big change for me. I was really worried that Gigi would be weirded out because she loves to play with my hair. But she didn't seem to notice the difference.Gigi in her darling Christmas dress. I went out all by myself on Black Friday and found some great deals. I just happened to wake up at 6a.m. and everyone else was sleeping so I decided to get up and go play. It was great. I would shop at that time of day any day. It is like jogging in the morning. Peaceful, relaxing, energizing and helped me get in touch with nature/natural impulses to shop.
We kept it simple this year. Which helped make this Christmas amazing. We borrowed a tree from friends and decorated it with red and silver. We bought each other just a couple inexpensive gifts. Wrapped everything up and celebrated Christmas in our own little home with our new little family. Truly grateful this year for the Lord's hand in our lives. It will always be one of the most memorable and treasured for years to come.Gigi relaxing with her Aunt Jayni and Aunt Amanda. We flew into Ft. Lauderdale and spent a couple days with my parents and siblings. It was awesome to have the whole family together this year for the first time in two years. I know some families go longer than that. But we never have. It was great. When I get a copy of our family picture I'll share that.We drove up north to spend a few days with Stephen's side of the family. It was a really nice time to see his parents, Quy and Dayne and Myhoa. Next year we will get to enjoy David reunited with us. But since he couldn't be there we tried to have a much fun as possible to make sure we had plenty of "No Sally" stories to tell him and make him feel really jealous. We went to Orlando and stayed in a condo with the family and did some site seeing. We went to the Temple which was really cool for us and Myhoa and Dayne. Neither of us had been back since our weddings and it was neat to track down our sealing room. We ate a lot of really good food and played in the snow. Yep snow in Florida! (Well bubbles that looked like snow... it actually turned out to be pretty gross but was nice to see "snow" and still be warm enough to wear flip flops.)Gigi is helping Aunt Myhoa make dinner reservations. I guess she wants to make sure there is a good kids menu. I just think this is a funny picture.Then we went back to my parents to celebrate the actual Christmas morning. It was fun to see Gigi play with her new gifts and most importantly the trash and dogs.
Gigi met her favorite person yet. Of course Uncle Andrew and Gigi met in April at her blessing but she was 2 1/2 months she may have forgot how cool he was. But when he came down for Thanksgiving she was in love. She held his hand and cuddled with him. Yep she thinks he is super cool. As tradition would have it we went to spend the long weekend with Aunt Margaret, Uncle Gary, Rebecca and Grandma Mary. Sometimes we have others come an sometimes it's just us. Either way we have a great time. We drove down on Wednesday afternoon and helped get ready for the big feast on Thursday. We went walking in the morning which is one of the traditions. They have a great park by their house. Then we watched movies and vegged most of the day. Dinner was late this year which was fine. I snacked too much earlier and needed to make room. Then on Friday the kids who could walk (that means not Gigi) went to Magic Mountain. It was a great day and not too crowded. I don't know how we didn't take any pictures that day. Then sometime on Saturday we headed back to Vegas. It was a great trip. Gigi got to spend the day we went to the park with her "Great's". Great Grandma Mary and Great Aunt Margaret and Great Uncle Gary. And from what we could tell when we got back they all had a great day.Great-grandma Mary and her Great-granddaughter Gigi.
Free tickets for teachers got us to go watch UNLV baskteball. Our seats were pretty high but it's college basketball so it doesn't really make a difference where you sit. It reminded Bubba and I of our college days. We also hosted the annual teacher making night. At the beginning of each soccer season we make dinner for the girls and they come over and make spray paint t-shirts. This year to make things a little more exciting it rained all night. That wouldn't make a difference but then some how a transformer near our house blew and the power went out from 4:30 pm right when the girls were getting there until the next day at 10:00 am. We found all the candles and camping lanterns we had and made the best of it. Luckily we have a gas stove that was already on heating the Tortilla soup when the power went out so the girls still got a hot meal and a fun night. We on the other hand had to figure out how we were going to survive a power out in December in Las Vegas with a little 10 month old baby. All I can say is flannel sheets and cuddling.

It was a different kind of year. But even with our lows this year they don't compare to the ups. Gigi is the greatest thing that has ever happened to either of us aside from getting married to each other in the temple. We have learned a lot about how to save money and communicate and work together and about the other ones roles. I think it will help up to more understanding in the coming years as our roles in the family seem to be now getting a little closer to what we had originally planned. Stephen got a job offer while we were in Florida from a company here in Vegas that we felt really good about. A week later he got his test result back from the Engineering test that he passed. Things seem to be falling back into place. We know that nothing comes without the help of our Father in Heaven and we are so grateful to Him for the trials of 2009 and know that we will continue to be faithful to Him.

Happy Halloween!!!

2009-11-01T16:46:00.000-08:00

Gigi's first Halloween was a hit. She loved all the people dressed up. Except for people in masks but that is to be expected. Gigi and I were Bumble Bees and Bubba was the bee catcher. I guess he is good at catching bees because he has two. We went up to the church Harvest Festival where families signed up to decorate classrooms and doors and pass out candy. Trying to make a safer environment for kids to go trick or treating. There was a costume parade, chili cookoff, cake walk, haunted room. It was a great turn out and most importantly the kids had lots of fun, especially our little bee.

After the ward party we went home and handed out candy. Our friends the Campbell's came over to help. Then we went out for a snack. After that we were all really tired and someone (Gigi) was really dirty. So we cleaned up and went to bed. Not a bad night for a first Halloween.

Fresh and Ready to Perform

2009-11-01T07:39:00.000-08:00

Shark Reef

2009-09-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

Being a teacher has lots of benefits. We took Gigi to the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay. Bubba and I love this place and we get in for free. That's right free!!! We have gone before and though still rather young to fully appreciate such a cool place, she seemed to get the idea just a little big. She loved looking through the glass at all the different fish and sharks. She even wore her fishy dress for the big occasion. It was soo much fun. It was a great activity for us to do right before I had to go back to work.

I was really impressed with the Shark swimming over our head. It was so cool. Thus the dumbfounded expression on my face. And no Gigi doesn't do much with shoes.

Cool fish.

Here you can pet the fish.

Yeah we love Fish!

A Half Birthday!

2009-09-13T22:16:00.000-07:00

Wow I am not very good at keeping up on this whole blogging thing. Georgia is already 7 months now but here are the pictures from her half birthday.
Bubba thought I was being silly wanting to celebrate Gigi's half birthday but when we received a package that day from my mom I think he started to by into the idea. She got a cute new dress she is wearing in her pictures and a new bathing suit. We had a couple friends over and some cake. Gigi had shots that day too and did great. She is such a happy little lady.

Playing catch at 5 months. So talented!!!

2009-07-31T08:20:00.000-07:00

More Summer Fun

2009-07-18T12:57:00.000-07:00

Summer is going by too fast. I can't believe July is half over. I will be back at school in no time. I love teaching but I love this little girl more. Someday we will be home together all the time. Fingers crossed. This week we had fun going to the library, running errands, going for walks and swimming with friends. She has summer goals to sleep in her own bed (check), settle herself to sleep (getting better but not consistent), and sleep through the night (not even close). But a little at a time. I am the worst cuz I love to cuddle her and make her feel all better. I know I am enabling her but I am weak. Regardless we are having a great time.
Georgia had a little photo shoot yesterday. She was given a bunch of headbands and bow/flower clips from her prospective mother-in-law to be so I finished making her the flowers I bought for her headbands and we decided to try them out. Our camera is no where near what Nana or Myhoa's cameras are but we had fun playing around. Hopefully she will get a real photo shoot in August. Georgia is growing so quickly it makes me excited and sad at the same time. She is rolling over and laughing more. She tries to pick her head up when she is laying on her back, holding her own bottle, eating some solids like cereal, carrots and cookies. I feel like she'll be asking to barrow the car in no time. It is really nice to have family time together.

Gigi loves to look at herself in the mirror. I have no idea where she gets that from. Wink! Wink!

So happy for about two hours and then nap time. She is also getting a lot stronger at sitting up on her own. We have a bumbo chair that a friend has loaned us that is fabulous. But she is doing good without it too. She still will lean and fall over but she is getting so much better.

She holds herself up so well.

Her favorite pillow that she thinks is mommy when she is sleeping.

She has discovered that we have faces and that she needs to touch them and feel our mouths and noses. Sometimes gentle like this picture, sometimes not so gentle.

Still a chub chub, but I love it!!!

Happy 4th of July!!!

2009-07-07T16:43:00.000-07:00

Gigi goes to Florida!!!

2009-06-27T11:43:00.000-07:00

We just returned from our trip to see the grandparents in Florida. How cliche! We had a nice time in Coral Springs and in Vero Beach visiting both sets of grandparents. Gigi is growing up so fast. While in Florida she got really good at laughing, settled herself to sleep and learned what a cute reflection she has in the mirror. She loves to laugh and smile at herself in the mirror with Grandpa Bill holding her saying "hello". It was so funny to watch her get excited to see herself. She also met Dodger and Blanca my parents dogs. She cracked up listening to them bark and was very curious of what those things were almost as curious as they were of her. She got to go to the beach and to swim in Nana's pool almost everyday. Bubba and I miss that a ton too. It was really nice to visit family and relax for a couple weeks after a very busy school year.

Georgia's blessing weekend!!!

2009-04-21T18:47:00.000-07:00

First time meeting Uncle Andrew and Aunt Jayni

The boys racing around the corner.

Here come the girls on Bubba's tail.

Bubba and I crashed. That's what he gets
for getting in my way.

Having fun!

Georgia and I at the game!

Our little famly.

Everyone who come our for the blessing. Becca, Margaret
and Gary, Jayni, Grandpa Stephen, Great Grandma Mary,
Bubba, Me, Gigi, Andrew, Amanda, Grandpa Bill and Nana

Daddy and Gigi

Momma and her girl.

Thumbs up for Gigi!

The little family.

Sleepy girl.

We welcomed my parents, siblings, aunt, uncle, cousin, grandmother and father-in-law for Georgia's blessing. My parents and siblings came in Thursday afternoon and Aunt Margaret and her family with Grandma Mary rolled in later that evening. Stephen's dad came in later on Friday night. It was so much fun to have everyone here to support us and meet Gigi. We got some great play time in before Sunday. I think Stephen and I really needed some cut loose time. We have been under a considerable amount of stress in these last couple months and Gigi is the least of it. Thursday we started our good times and excessive eating with tacos from Jack in the Box. When my family visits from Florida we have quite a bit of west coast eating to do. When Aunt Margaret and them arrived we went out to dinner. Friday we went to the temple, shopping, to Cafe Rio and Go Carts at Grand Prix and finished up the evening with Memphis Bar-b-q. Saturday we split up. Bubba took the under 27's to the Adventure Dome and Sahara for more excitement on the rides and roller coaster. The over 27's and Gigi went to the Spring Preserve to observe desert landscaping and enjoy the out doors. That is when I think it started to get hot. I had never been over the the spring preserve but I really liked it. The two groups met back up that afternoon for some long anticipated In-N-Out. They never cease to amaze me. That food is too good. We decided after lunch that we needed some time off from all the go go go and went home for naps and down time. Stephen and my Dad went over the the ball field to get tickets for the 51's. Then my mom and I ran all over town getting grocerys, meat and presents for Stephen. His birthday was also on Saturday. Then we all met back up again and headed over to Cashmen Field for the 51's game. That was what Stephen wanted to do for his birthday. After learning that the 51's are not an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, filling up on ballpark food and watching the Colorado Sky Sox whoop up on the 51's we decided to take off after the 7th inning stretch and go to the Bellagio for the water show and spring atrium. We all forgot that Las Vegas is one of the biggest party towns in the world and that it was 9:00 pm on a Saturday. The traffic was horrindous and trying to manuver 12 people and two cars through Saturday night was a joke so we bailed on that idea and headed home. When we got home we celebrated Stephen's birthday with cake and presents. Stephen got some new legos, a video game and bolt. I am not sure why my husband gets the same birthday presents as a 6 year old but that is okay with me. Sunday we had a nice breakfast or brunch to the rest of the world. Then we got all dolled up (especially Gigi) and headed to church. Stephen was nervous to bless Gigi but he did a great job. After that we went outside where it was just getting hotter and took pictures. We went back to the house and finished eating the brunch food. Stephen tooks his Dad back to the airport and then had to be at church for awhile. Later that evening we grilled carne asada and made tacos. It was to me the best meal of the whole weekend. Aunt Margaret, Uncle Gary, Rebecca and Grandma left after dinner and Marie Calendar pie and drove back to California. The rest of us finised out the everning with some Psych episodes and spending time together. Some time that night, despite our feelings of being stuffed to the brink of explosion just about all of us headed back to the kitchen for some more pie. Monday came and we got Dad, Jayni and Amanda ready to fly back to Florida later that day. Andrew and I got hair cuts and the other girls went shopping. We ate lunch at an old family favorite Schlotsky's Deli. Then went to get snacks and Dad's must stop Desseret Book before taking them back to the airport. After we dropped everyone off Mom, Andrew, Stephen, Gigi and I went to Fry's and some other places to look for a laptop for Andrew to help him get ready to go back up to college next week. We came back home and ate left overs and relaxed. It was a great weekend. I didn't have to work Friday or Monday so I could spend time with everyone. Gigi got passed around a lot but she seemed to tolerate it well. She really made some progress with her smiling and noises. She is getting so big and grown up. If you lay her on her tummy and put your hands behind her feet she will push off them and move away from you. That is crazy to me, she will be crawling in no time at all. I can't believe my girl is changing so quick. It was a great weekend and we all really had a nice time. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the weekend. It was great!

Happy Easter!!!

2009-04-12T17:15:00.000-07:00

Of course this is Gigi's first Easter. It has been fun dressing her up and playing Easter bunny with her. She is starting to respond to us when we talk to her and smile and coo at us. It is so much fun to play with her. We had a great week spending time together. After two long weeks of work I got rewarded with a week off for Spring Break. We ran errands and played together as a family. Gigi loves to go for walks and be outside. She just discovered how much fun her swing is and will stay in there for long periods of time. Finally we can get some things done. She also loves taking naps with Mommy even if I don't feel like sleeping. But I have been able to make some progress reading this week during our nap time together. We are looking forward to having some our our family visit this week for Gigi's blessing next Sunday. We can't wait to see everyone.

Her Special Story

2009-03-27T17:38:00.000-07:00

I had to go back to work this week. So I decided to show the students what I have been up to while I was out for the last six weeks. Stephen helped me to put this little slide show together. I think some of the pictures are repeated but it shows from prebirth until now.

Having Fun with Georgia!!!

2009-03-16T22:53:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures of the fun things that we get to do with our new family.

Eat Vietnamese food.

Look at pretty flowers.

Waiting for the water show at the Bellagio.

Show off my new clothes.

Thanks Aunt Myhoa for my cute dress.

Hang out with new friends.

Go out in my car seat.

Watch T.V. with Daddy.

Take Baths!!!

Visiting Georgia

2009-03-16T22:22:00.000-07:00

Georgia is the first grandchild on both sides of the family so she has been very popular. We have really enjoyed all of our company. Georgia has enjoyed meeting her new family too. We have learned a lot from everyone that has come to visit. There are so many different ways to love a baby. We are also happy to just be our little family for the next month until we get to see family again for her blessing in April.

Welcoming Aunt Marisa with some spit up.

Aunt Myhoa taking a turn with Gigi.

Damien loves giving Gigi kisses

The Mason's got to visit us twice during their trip to California.

Grandpa Bill and Aunt Amanda

Grandpa Stephen

Grandma Myhoa

Daddy and Gigi with Aunt Quy

The Petersen kids

Georgia's first visit her Nana.

Welcome Georgia Thi Polk!

2009-02-15T17:07:00.000-08:00

Fabulous, Precious, Darling, Lovely, Wonderful, Amazing, Elated, Awed!

Georgia was born February 6, 2009. She was born 6 lbs. 11 oz. and 18 inches long. She is so tiny. I can't even believe that Stephen and I are parents. It wows me every time I look at her that we made such an amazing creature. God has smiled down upon us and given us the most amazing gift. We are so happy to have her. She is fabulous!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

2008-12-28T16:12:00.000-08:00

We celebrated our very first Christmas at home this year. It is the first time that either of us has not been home for Christmas since our missions. It took us a little while to get the holiday spirit but we finally did and had a very nice quiet Christmas.

Welcome to Blogging!!!

2008-12-28T15:51:00.000-08:00

With a new baby on the way I guess it is time that I too joined the world of blogging. I have no clue what I am doing here. But I am told that once you have kids you have to have a blog. I don't know who will look at our blog but I guess it doesn't matter.

Making the Nursery!!!

2008-12-28T15:46:00.000-08:00

Our big project for the winter break is to get the nursery ready. We figure it will be the only time that we have to get things ready before the baby comes. Our lives just are too hectic. We moved Stephen's office down stairs and opened up the spare room upstairs for the nursery. The biggest project for us was putting in a closet. Stephen wowed me with his carpentry ability. It looks fabulous. Then we (and when I say we I actually mean Stephen) picked our a paint and painted the room. Then he added a chair rail around the room in white. I love it. I can't wait for the furniture to come and to be able to continue the decorating process. It gets us even more excited to have la petite (as my brother Andrew calls her) come to our family.

Final product of Stephen's hard work.