NEW MOON

So I DID NOT go see the midnight showing of New Moon last night, but Sam went out and had a guys night and brought me home tickets for tonight. So Sam is on his way to get the babysitter and is going to go watch it with me. I think he is more excited than I am. He has mentioned how excited he is to see it more than me! I have seen him for 2 hours the past 24 hours and he has said it about 3 times! Hopefully he doesn't mind me drooling over the guys in the show? It has made over 26 million dollars in 24 hours! OUTRAGEOUS! I really wanted to go last night but it didn't work out. It has been killing me to have it out for a whole day and I haven't seen it! What kind of fan am I?

after the movie..............

OK so Sam and I went and saw New Moon and of course we loved it, and I did say WE! Everytime Jacob came on the screen, Sam got all excited. He wants to look like Jacob. Abs and all! After the movie was over he turned to me and said. I am team Jacob. I am a werewolve. I almost slapped him! I told him that I was all for Edward and he could sleep on the couch from now on!! hahahahaha He wants to go see it agian! So do I but I knew I would want to!

Why I never get a shower.....

Piper and Thad just wait at the door and knock on it, stick their tiny fingers under the door, and their toys, etc etc... Yelling at me to get out and to hurry, etc etc..... But when I do open the door about 7 minutes later, (Yes I used to take a very relaxing 20 minute hot shower daily, now it is a 7 minute fast shower every 3 to 4 days -if I am lucky. Please tell me I am not the only mommy that only showers once every 4 days!?) I get tons of hugs and kisses! It makes me feel loved, not always clean, but always loved!

I don't think I leave them enough?

NAMES

We still don't know what we are having yet. I have a doctors appointment on Wednesday and will ask my doctor about it then, but Sam and I have our names for either sex. Once we hear a name, we know instantly that, that is the name we want. I am glad that Sam is open to non-traditional names.

I give him lots of names and he shuts down many of the them, but the ones that I know he wont like, he actually ends up loving and we name our children the names. Luckily, they are the ones that I LOVE the most!

Here are some of the names that I love, but we aren't using. Well at least for this child.

Girl

1. Aspen
2. Dolly - ABSOLUETELY LOVE THIS NAME
3. Darcy
4. Paisley

Boy

1. Aspen
2. Guy
3. Oliver
4. Grayson

Piper's choice for names (Don't ask, she is 2!)

1. Barney
2. Strawberry Shortcake
3. Thaddeus
4. Pookee

People say not to tell people your names cause someone will steal it. I never worry about someone stealing our names. When we first announce our names, EVERYONE hates them. But eventually they grow on people and if they don't, I don't care, they are my kids. If you don't like that name, have a kid and name it what you want! OK, rant over! If someone does like our names, then use it. Then they can get beat up together!! =o)

Are you wondering what names we have choosen? Well you'll have to wait, if I haven't already told you. What name do you think we should name our bundle of joy? Remember we don't know the sex yet, so you can suggest boy or girl or both! Also remember we don't like"normal" names, but we do like names that are real names. Can't wait to see what crazy names you can come up with!

update on how great I am....

So the other day, Piper told me I was the best mommy ever. Well today Sam said I was the best wife ever. So it is official,

I AM GREAT!

I went to the store today to get a few things (milk, cheez-it's, pickles - I went hungry) And saw.....

WHITE FUDGE COVERED OREO'S

These just happen to be Sam's favorite cookies and they only sell them during the holidays. But the past few years we haven't been able to find them. I made him some last year, but they weren't the same. I bought him two boxes. Each box only had 12 in it and for the price they should have had about 3 dozen, but nonetheless, I bought them and he loves them and now I am the best wife ever. (Just don't ask my ex-husband)

Sam of course looked at the calories and each cookie has 100 calories. So I guess it is also my little way of keeping him fatter than he would like. Only for 17 more weeks!!!!

Piper does FHE

I asked Piper earlier in the day what she wanted to learn/do for Family Home Evening today. She didn't know and I let it go and went on with my day. Well we got some Christmas cookies cutters the other day and we tried them out this morning. Then we were in her room after naps playing and she said........

"Mommy, can we have dinner at my Elmo table tonight?" I said sure. Then she said, "Then we can eat my cookies." "Good idea Piper, that sounds great!" Piper said, "Then we can watch my new Strawberry Shortcake movie! That is what we should do for Family Night Mommy!"

So that is exactly what we did. It was a lot of work for mommy, but Piper absolutely LOVED it! Lucky for you I was behind the camera and also you get to see another one of Piper's outfits.

Ranch Rolls and Rice in Piper and Thad's room on her Elmo table (Thank you Papa for the table).

Thad didn't know what was going on, but he didn't care. He just looked around the room like, "This isn't right?"

I LOVE HIS LITTLE FACE!

Dinner is so good!

Piper's yummy cookies! She put sprinkles on them all by herself!

Thaddeus even got one. Most of it was in his lap and and on the floor, but he loved his first allowed cookie!

The family watching her new Strawberry Shortcake movie. It is a Berry Merry Christmas after all!!

IT'S OFFICIAL........

Piper just told me that I was the best mommy she ever had!!

********************************************************

And I tend to agree with her! The best and hopefully the only one she ever has!

random whateverness.....

It is no secret that our kids names aren't typical, and Sam and I pride ourselves in not having "normal" names. Our kids names are not made up names, they are real, just not common. Well we move to Valpo and their is a store named "PIPER". An expensive clothing store for kids. Then we are on our way to South Bend the other day to look for housing, on a window of a store in LaPorte (a town on the way) we see this. I guess our names aren't as "crazy" as everyone thinks they are!! SO THERE!!!!

Piper found the camera last night and wanted a photo shoot. She even drug daddy into it.

She was posing in this one, till Daddy started talking to her, then she lost focus and looked down at the wrong moment! Still a little bit of attitude shinning thru though!

Laundry day has always been a favorite at our house. It is the day that laundry baskets are emptied and they are our favorite toy! Kinda like when you get a big box and that is all the kids want to play in for the next 3 days. Piper has always loved the empty basket and today she got Thaddeus into and he played in there with her for a long time. Piper was pretending it was a boat and Thaddeus was driving it with the remote and she was the passenger and she would tell me everything she saw as they past by! It was cute and Piper loved having a driver, and I loved that I wasn't that driver for once!! It seemed Thaddeus loved it. He loves any attention Piper will give to him, good or bad!

Halloween

It isn't Halloween till tomorrow, but we wont be going trick or treating and tonight was the ward Trunk or Treat. We had fun and Piper got to play and eat candy and play some more! She loved it and she loved her costume. She was so excited she made me put it on her and do her hair at 3 and we didn't leave till 6! Thaddeus was in a Duck costume that Piper wore her first Halloween, but it was like 2 sizes to small and we broke the zipper trying to get it on him. He was a roasted duck in the costume so we just took it off. He had a monster on his shirt so we went with that!

I LOVE this picture! You don't get more Piper than in this picture!We don't call it attitude, we call it FLAIR!

This is Piper doing her ballerina moves!

Checking out the goods!

Her best friend Brooklyn.

Connor, Brooklyn, and Piper exchanging candy in the middle of the hall.

Best friends again!

I had talked myself out of dressing up, but Piper asked me where my costume was and I didn't have the heart not to wear it after that. So yes, that is what a 21 week pregnant lady in a ballerina costume looks like!

Family that dresses up together, stays together. Piper wanted Sam to be a doctor and luckily Sam's brother is a doctor and Sam got scrubs from him a few years ago, well I guess stole, but whatever.

After the party I HAD TO HAVE a DQ Pumpkin Pie Blizzard, (If you haven't had one yet, GO GET ONE!) So Piper also got a dilly bar. She just didn't have enough sugar yet?

After we got home, Thad laid like that in the bean bag for about 10 minutes! Parties are hard on little guys!

We went outside for the trunk or treat and we hit one trunk and Piper was done. It was so cold and the wind was blowing so hard that I agreed. We didn't have enough candy for Sam and I yet, so I picked her up run to all my friends cars and ran inside. After that I was worn out. It took me 10 minutes to catch my breath but we got some good candy!!!

The things you wont do for your kids!

First HAIRCUT!!!!

So Thaddeus never lost the hair on the back of his head, so he had the beginnings of a mullet. I was cutting Sam's hair this afternoon, and Thaddeus crawls in. So we snatch him up and cut his hair. He held really still actually, which was something I was worried about, but he did GREAT! I cried. I have never had to cut my children's hair before and it is emotional! My baby had enough hair to cut!!! I blame it on pregnancy hormones! He had litle curls in back and when I cut them, that is when I got teary eyed. What if his little curls don't grow back??

This is only the back of his neck. So long and so mullety! I don't care how cute you are,

NO ONE CAN PULL OFF A MULLET!!!

I should have taken a before shot so you could see the mullet, but it was a spontaneous thing, that I didn't know I was going to do. If I did, I could have prepared and maybe not got teary about it. I didn't want it to look like he got his first hair cut so I tried to make it look "not perfect". Which I think helped me more than anything else.

My handsome, happy, doesn't care he just got his first hair cut, little guy! What a handsome little man I have!! I could just eat him up!!!

Piper saw the camera out and you can't get out the camera w/o taking pictures her! She had to take pictures of me, but I wont post those! She posed for the picture. She is turning into a little girl/PRINCESS! The attitude that comes with it is challenging but I love having a little girl!!

People like Halloween again because......

Why do I HATE Halloween? Let me count the ways....

1. Everything has to be scary.
2. Every female thinks it is OK to leave their standards at home and be in a competition with every other slutty nurse and maid, to see who can be the sluttiest.
3. People are RUDE.
4. You spend to much money on costumes. Costumes they tear up and in some places have to cover up with a coat anyway.
5. October is the start of freezing cold weather and what better than to celebrate 9 months of cold than with a nasty goblin at every entrance to every store.
6. My 2 year old daughter is now terrified to do most things cause she is afraid of what will be there. She asks me every day if she is going to get scared by the TV or by something in the store, etc etc....
7. All the dumb vampire movies, and zombie movies, and if they make one more "Saw" movie.........
8. Parents don't let you eat a third of the candy you take home anyway.
9. Everywhere you look there is gore, and blood, and murder, and death. Who wants to be constantly reminded of such horrible things for weeks!
10. You have to spend tons of money on candy that some rude, greedy kid takes (more than his fair share mind you) .

One reason to like Halloween....

1. One step closer to family for the happier, jollier, friendlier, more hunger statisfiying holidays!

20 weeks

So I am half way! ALREADY!!! I had a doctors appointment the other day. No talk of an ultrasound in the next month. My doc does two ultrasounds during the pregnancy. One at the beginning, around 15 to 20 weeks, then one around the 30 to 35 week point. I had one at week 14 to see how far along I was so I don't think he plans on me getting another one for about 10 more weeks. If we wait that long to have one we might as well wait to find out the gender! We are also still pending on our insurance. So if we end up being denied coverage we wont get another one cause we cant afford the one we already had.

At my appointment, it is routine to have the doctor hear for the heartbeat. Well he puts the wand on my belly and we hear silence. He doesn't seem worried, he just keeps wondering around my belly looking for the heartbeat. About 3 minutes later and no luck, he starts to get concerned and checking his charts and asking me questions. So I start to get worried. I freak out about losing the baby ALL THE TIME! I thought, this is it. I lost another baby at 20 weeks! I had Piper with me so I was trying to smile at her. She was already worried cause he was touching me (she doesn't like people to touch me) but inside I was screaming and freaking out. Finally he said, "lets check lower on your tummy before I send you to the hospital." As soon as he put the wand on the lowest part of my uterus HE FOUND IT!! She/he is buried deep down all snug! The heartbeat was 150. Strong and loud and healthy. So after the heart attack, my baby is still kicking! I don't know why I was freaking out so bad, OK I do, cause that nightmare came true once, but I felt the baby move when I was waiting for the doctor to come in the room. I think the concern on his face, started my concern. Usually when the doctor gets worried, it is time you start to worry! She has moved a lot today, so I think it is her way of telling her mommy "It's OK mommy, I'm here, relax already!"

I did gain 6 pounds in a month. I had only gained 4 up till my 16th week. Darn you Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies!!!

Update.....

So far today she is still excited about the suckers, stickers, and the future surprise. She has peed and pooped all by herself. I don't have to help, but I am sure when she gets the hang of it and can wear panties she will need help with those for a little while.

She is doing so good and we are so excited! I tell her that it makes me so happy when she uses the potty, so later out of the blue she will say "Mommy I like when I make you happy when I pee in the potty." What a sweet girl I have!!

I don't want to get my hopes up that this will stick, but so far I haven't changed any diapers on Piper for 2 days now!!!!!

Potty training is exhausting

We tried potty training Piper a few months ago, and although she got it and could do it, she just one day stopped and refused. I tried everything, stickers, candy, chocolate, and nothing would get her to potty in the potty. So for her safety and my sanity, we took a couple of months vacation. I regrouped, got my game face on, and decided to tackle my stubborn personality inside my two year old's body. I made a new sticker rewards chart and set some new rules.

• If she goes potty for 5 days in the potty then she gets a surprise of her choice.

• We will do that 4 times then she gets a party where she can invite all her friends to the

"Piper's Potty Party"

(I DOUBLE DOG DARE YOU TO SAY THAT 5 TIMES FAST)

She loved that idea. She loved that she got to pick out her own surprise and have a party just for her. She has already made a guest list, including Kaylee (her cousin who lives in Arizona). That and I follow her around with her little potty chair, and she doesn't wear any panties. I started out the day with Elmo undies on, but she would just pee her panties. But if she is commando, she just runs and sits on the potty whenever she feels it coming. She had one mistake this morning and that was it. There is 6 stickers on her board for today and only 1 accident. When I was putting her to bed she was telling me all about being a big girl and going pee and poop in the potty tomorrow so she could get stickers, suckers, surprises, and a party. I wasn't sure if this "new plan" would work, but after I introduced the new chart and rules to her not 10 minutes later she came to me and said "Mom, I put my poop in the potty." I ran to her potty chair and sure enough, PEE AND POOP! AAH!!! Hopefully it works and I only have to buy diapers for one, for a few months anyway.

***Sorry Piper for the embarrassing photo!***

**Only a Mommy, who's life revolves around her kids, would have a long, boring blog about the ups and downs of potty training.

Thaddeus loves to chew on things lately (he just broke thru his two top teeth!!!) This is how we see him lately! It is really cute when he looks at you and smiles with them in his mouth! How could you not love this little boy!?

The best cookies I've ever had!

I have been so excited for this Thanksgiving season this year. Sam makes his awesome Banana Sweet Potatoes. My mother in law makes insanely good pumpkin rolls (which I miss dearly and can't wait to move back home to enjoy), and I have found the most awesomest recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies. They are so good I had to share the recipe. You have to make them and try them for yourself! You wont believe how super delicous they are. The batter makes 60 cookies! And there still wont be enough to satisfy the hunger, says the 5 month pregnant lady! anyway, try them!

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 2 cups (12-ounce bag) milk chocolate chips, not semisweet
• nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper

Directions Heat over to 350 degrees F. Spray cookie sheets with non-stick spray or line them with parchment paper. Using mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Stir in chocolate chips. Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies or browned around the edges. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes. Take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire rack.

( The only thing I did differently is I didn't add Ginger or Cloves. )

They are a perfect blend of pumpkin and regular chocolate chip cookies! My new obsession has been born!

Haircut

I cut Sam's hair, Pipers hair, when she needs a trim, and I have cut my sisters and my moms hair, and nothing to bad has come out of it. Well we are dirt poor, being students and all, and I just couldn't take my terrible, long, super straight, black hair anymore. So this morning I got out the proper utensils and started cutting. I actually like it better than the last few hair cuts I have had the past 3 years. And the fact that I did it all myself with 2 kids bothering me in the bathroom the whole time says something! Sam was even amazed at how well I did. He usually hates my haircuts more than I do cause he likes my long, super straight long hair. But his exact words were it looks "really great". I was just going for not terrible! I wish I had a before picture. Picture me the same way I have looked since I was 18, I haven't changed much. I wish the picture showed all the layers and around the face, and bangs and etc etc better, but it does look really good. I don't know if I will do it myself again, (depends on how desperate I get) but right now it looks good! YAY ME!!!

Who needs to match all the time.....

I hate hate hate when I do not match, and I hate hate hate when Sam does not match, but sometimes he doesn't match his clothes ON PURPOSE. He says " You don't have to match all the time!" OH HECK YES YOU DO! I don't know who told him that, but they should be shot! anyway, I have learned with a two year old you pick your battles, and having her match her clothes is not one of them. She loves to pick out her own clothes and does every morning (except Sunday's. I still make sure we all look nice on Sunday's) Sometimes she matches and others, like today, not so much.

I don't know how much you can tell, but today she had on a polka dotted shirt, with a heart skirt. It was 40 degrees outside and she wouldn't put on pants so I convinced her to put on tights underneath then she wanted to wear her sneakers. Not her worst, but she has done better!

We call her look eclectic!

18 weeks

So I am 18 weeks today. The weeks are just flying by! I still have a hard time believing that I am really pregnant but then I just look down and the evidence is right there.

********I still don't fell the baby move a whole lot. Like maybe 3 times altogether. With Piper I felt her move every day all day from week 14. She would jump, kick, roll, somersault. She moved like that till about 35 weeks then it started to slow but that was cause she was huge and there just wasn't space anymore. Although she tried and it killed! But with Thaddeus, he moved maybe once every other day. But when he did move it was just a stretch then he would curl back up. I had feet and hands trying to tear out of my tummy with Piper and Thaddeus never tried escaping. But that is kinda there personalities now to.

********Every pregnant lady has thoughts that something is wrong cause I don't feel the baby move, or I'm not big enough, or whatever it is. Well I had all of those concerns the first time and then they all came true! It is hard for me to forget that and feel like all the babies that I have grown are safe. I know the experience of losing a baby has left a scar and I am not sure how to heal myself? I have two kids jumping on me all day everyday, so that makes my worries even more so. I know it is all irrational, but how can I not be that way?

********I go to the doctor on the 21st. (My 6th wedding anniversary with Warren, and my sister-in-law Alyssa's birthday - she is due 11 days before me.) Maybe by then I will know if I have insurance to cover this pregnancy and hopefully he lets me get a second ultrasound. I really want another little girl. I loved having a little girl and now Piper is the biggest helper and sweetest little thing - when she wants to be. But then again, this baby and Thad will be so close it would be nice to have them the same gender. We have names for both that we are very excited to use, and honestly I just want a healthy, slightly smaller than my others, beautiful baby!

Anyway, I found this cute picture of Piper on my camera and wanted to share it!

Being a mommy is a thankless job!

Piper is 2 1/2 and has my attitude. Not a combination any body should have, but I deserve. She was horrible yesterday. Just screaming and crying and throwing fits just for the heck of it! Sam was gone all day and I think that makes it worse, but it was 5:30 and Thad, Piper, and I were having dinner. After about 10 minutes of fighting with her telling her it was dinner time not computer time, she finally come and sat down and she saw it was Ranch Rolls. She loves ranch rolls and rice so it helped the tantrum. anyway.... she was fighting with me telling me she wanted the Elmo fork instead of the Big Bird fork, or she wanted chocolate milk to drink and not juice, etc etc, anything and everything she could find to fight about (Yes, she is a mini clone of myself)! I had been patient with her all day and tried to discipline her and tell her what was right without putting her in time out. Time out is affective but I want her to be good without having to find a corner. So, anyway, I had had so much patience with her all day, never raising me voice, or getting stern, or making a mad mom face. SO we are eating dinner, almost to the end (she did eat 2 rolls and 3 helpings of rice and 2 cups of juice) she turns to me and says......

"Mommy, thank you for being nice to me."

I was shocked. I wanted to cry! She acknowledged how hard I was trying to be nice and thanked me for it. Most of the time being a Mommy is a thankless job, but yesterday, that one little "thank you for being nice to me" made every other thankless day worth it and more.

General Conference Sunday

On General Conference Sunday, Sam's family has a tradition of making Abel Skivers. They are little round buttermilk pancakes. SO delicious. Well anything dipped in butter then sugar is bound to be awesome! It really makes you look forward to General Conference and excited to get out of bed! This year Piper really wanted to help Dady make the batter. She has really been into helping me do things, especially if it involves something in the kitchen. Sometimes I can't believe how big she is getting! Helping Daddy mix the eggs. She wanted to hold it by herself but it was a little to much for her to handle! SHe loved pouring in the sugar. She did an awesome job to! After we made the batter, we got ready and since we dont have Conference at our house, we went to a friends house. The Flinders are also a law school family. This is Rebecca and their son Camden enjoying the yummy skivers. Me and my pregnant self slaving over the hot stove. OK so it isn't that bad, but I have never made them on a gas stove before and the flame only covered half the pan so half the skivers wouldn't cook as fast but the others would cook to fast and the inside wouldn't get done, etc etc.. so it was hard work to make good skivers but they were all eaten so couldn't have been to bad! I almost got to listen to the first session this morning. With 2 small babies I don't get to listen much, to anything really, but Sam did and he told me the gist of the talks. What great leaders we have in the chruch! You can tell they love us and our Heavenly Father.