Michael
is proud to announce he will be having a ......

We couldn't be more excited!  We really wanted Michael to have a brother. Somehow we've always gotten what we've wanted.  We'll be hoping for a girl next. 

Add a splash of color here or there

I just learned how to add color to black & white pictures on Photobucket.com.  It's super easy & free.  I learned it here.  Go try it out.  I love learning new things.

Nursing cover

A friend of mine that is prego and due in a few months asked me if I'd help her make a nursing cover.  I've been wanting to make one so it was a great opportunity to do it.  While Michael was sleeping my friend came over and we made them.  I think they turned out so cute.  If you nurse or will be nursing soon you need one of these.  I truly believe they are a must.  I bought one soon after I had Michael when we were flying to visit his family.  I spent way too much on a very cute one but it was worth the money because I used it so much.  Now I'll have two.  Want to make on yourself?  Go here and follow the step by step directions.  I didn't get a picture of my friends but here is mine:

And while I'm taking pictures of myself.  Here I am at 17 weeks & 5 days.  On Monday the 26th I have an ultrasound and can't wait to find out what we're having. 

*On a side note my littlest brother McKenzie received his mission call to Pheonix, AZ and leaves for the MTC May 12th.

Easter 2010

We met a group of friends Saturday after morning session of Conference at an elementary school for an easter egg hunt.  Michael was excited.  He'd stop and open each egg to see what was inside.  Curious little guy

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Thanks for the cute easter outfit mom!

My child missing his neck & looking like he has a huge head!

I couldn't help but post this picture since they have the same smirk on their faces.

Crazy slide.  Michael looked super worried everytime he went down it but he still chose to slide down it again and again.

Flowers Michael picked for me.

Easter morning I didn't set out Michael's easter basket with his presents so I hurried while he ate breakfast and threw it all together.  When he came in the room he saw that I had my camera and smiled.  I took a picture of him and then of his gifts.  He looked at the picture but didn't get it.  So I pointed in the direction he needed to look.  He was sure glad he did.  He instantly had a huge smile on his face.

Testing out the bubble blower gun.

Sticker activity books sent by Grandma Shoemake.

Our dinner turned out pretty good except I over cooked the ham a tad.  Everything still tasted great and my favorite was the roasted asparagus.  I haven't had any in a long time & it was even more special having it for Easter.

Hope you all had a wonderful and Happy Easter!

What's been going on?

Michael helping  me make the topping to our Chocolate Mint Brownies. 

Eating lunch after church.  He stayed in nursery for more than an hour by himself.  I told him he's such big boy and he kept saying it.

Michael found Joe's BCGs. 

This one cracks me up.

Thank you to everyone for the congrats on the baby.  We are excited and I'm feeling great.  I haven't had any sickness this pregnancy.  Well I did get sick but that was food poisioning.  Not the best 24hours of my life.  Michael gets excited when I say there's a baby in mommy's belly.  He likes to lift or look down my shirt to "see" it. 

Joe's surgery went as planned.  He stayed two nights in the hospital and then we were able to bring him home.  The first week was rough for him but things only improved from there.  He seems to be doing pretty good and we try to get out daily for a walk around a store, he was advised to walk as much as possible to help with recovery.

Michael enjoyed visiting Joe at the hospital.  He really enjoyed having his own personal TV and Daddy letting him watch Disney videos on his phone.

Michael is the sweetest  little boy and I am so blessed to be his mother.  Even though he is two and has his moments of being dragged out of a store, throwing food on the floor and thinking everything is his- he really has the sweetest personality.  He doesn't mind being taught new things all the time.  He is very good at saying please & thank you, blessing those that sneeze and compliments like no other.  For example when I try on clothes out shopping he'll tell me it's cute.  It's hard not to want to buy everything with a compliment like that.  He's always been really good at taking naps 2-3 hours and sleeps well at night.  Last week I changed his crib into a toddler bed.  The first day he missed his nap because he wasn't wanting to lay down and stay in his room.  He has gotten much better during naps, taking about a half hour or less to get him to stay in bed & nap.  At night he was starting to wake up two to three times and come into our room.  Last night he didn't wake up at all!  He's adjusting quite well and is growing up so fast!  He's going to be the best big brother come September.

Babyshower for a beautiful friend

I threw a babyshower for a friend last Saturday and it was so much fun!  I loved decorating for a girl babyshower!  I had lots of help from friends with the games and food, which always makes things easier.

One game was to take baby magazines and get into groups of three.  Their challenge was to put together, with baby pictures out of the magazines, a picture of what Zoila's baby girl would look like.  Zoila choose the winner.

  I took a few maternity pictures of Zoila a couple weeks before the shower but didn't show them to her.  I surprised her with a few in frames I decorated at the shower.  She loved them and was happy to see that they turned out great.  She seemed to think they didn't turn out good since I hadn't sent them to her.  :)

We all had a lot of fun and the food was great!

Her baby girl is due the first week of March.  Can't wait to meet her!

Good News!

:: Joe had his final surgery consult this morning. 

:: A surgery date set for March 2nd!  Victory!  (It's also my mother in-law's B-day) 

:: He will be having cervical spinal fusion surgery.

US Army All American Bowl

2009

2010

Did you see us on TV? 

Michael cheeks were a little flushed because we were sitting right under the heaters, plus he was just getting a cold.  We had fun at the Alamodome again this year.  Since it's an Army sponsored game we were able to get free tickets for us and we even snagged some for some friends. 

I have to explain how we got our seats...

Our tickets were apparently for general admission, meaning the 5th floor and top of the dome.  I was surprised at this since last year we had free tickets and they were assigned.  We arrived at kick off since parking was crazy and we didn't leave as early as we should have in the first place.  We found seats up top but Joe's nose was being bothered by a smell in the air so I decided we should find other seats.  Looking down I could see several empty seats. I became determined to get us closer.  We headed back down, thankfully taking the elevator and avoiding the three massive flight of stairs.  Arriving at the second floor we made our way out of the elevators.  Spotting an entrance where it looked like there were several empty seats, I tried to get us in there.  But we were stopped by an employee with a special blue jacket and told we were to go up to general admission- on the 5th floor.  I was bummed.  No one was sitting where she was guarding.  Joe was more than frustrated since we waisted time from the game and still didn't have a seat.  I was still determined to find us good seats.  We went a little closer towards the center of the dome, about the 10 yard line.  No one was guarding the entrance.  Joe and I discussed going in for a min.  He wasn't so sure about it.  I didn't care.  I knew Joe wanted to watch this game in a decent seat and not have a discusting smell bothering him.  So we walked in & up and sat down.  Joe asked the people around us if they walked in and sat down too.  They had.  This doesn't make it right but the seats were not being used so might as well make the best of what we could.  Plus I could argue that Joe would have been straining his neck to look down at the game instead of at eye level. 

Before & After

I first painted our half bath a while back, which I first mentioned here.  I also improved the light fixture too.    I hated the color pretty much once I finished it.  I knew it wasn't the look I was going for.  It was way too much color.  Here it is with it's previous color and some primer.  Ahh the miracles of primer.  I love being able to start all over from a clean slate.

I think I actually finished repainting the half bath sometime before Easter.  I just never posted my finished project.  I actually added a few accessories this past weekend to give it more of a complete look.  We used to have cans of bathroom spray on the shelf, not so attractive.  Here it is in all it's glory.  The color actually looks a bit duller than in real life so you'll just have to believe me when I say it looks good.

Sunday baking

I've been wanting to practice decorating onesie shaped cookies since I bought my cookie cutter several months back.  I'll be throwing a babyshower for a friend soon, so now was the perfect time to get in some practice.  Plus I love baking on Sunday's.  I think it's because it reminds me of home.  I'd usually be the one in the kitchen at night making treats for everyone since they wanted some and I'd give in easily to make them.

Michael loves to help me in the kitchen whenever he can.  I showed him how to flood the frosting on the cookie and he took right to it. Want to see how to do it?  Or how cute these onesie cookies can be?

 Look at that concentration.

 I think he enjoyed decorating them as much as I did. It really is quite fun and relaxing.

The only incident we encountered

Two I completed, ignore the flower.  I need more practice.

I set the timer to take this pic since Joe was busy watching football(can't wait for the season to end!).  Michel loves to take pictures using the timer.  As soon as it goes off he wants to take another.  This was our 5th try at a good pic.  I think he got more excited in each picture the more we took.