Ian's first tooth!

Ian's first tooth arrived! It's on the bottom and it's just barely showing, but it is so cute!! Little mancub is a little fussy about the pain, but thankfully he likes the flavor of his baby tylenol. He chews and chews on his binkies and teething rings and I think he drools more than Duke (the great dane). I can't wait until the tooth is visible enough for a super cute picture.

I need help!

LOL, ok so "I" don't actually need help, but rather this is Wyatt's new phrase. I am guessing he picked it up at school. He's quite articulate and is now expressing he needs help. The funny part is he says "I need help" when he's not getting his way. For example, when he's in the booster chair and I am wiping his face, he yells "I need help" because he doesn't want his face wiped clean. I have to laugh, he's so smart and he outsmarts Brian and I every day. I want to say "that's sad" but actually I am so proud of how smart he is, so I love it when he does outsmart us because that means the big mancub's brain is getting more wrinkles every second. Recently one of Wyatt's 2 year molars arrived. He's doing pretty well with it and not being too cranky about the pain. It was cute, I said "open your mouth wide so mommy can see your new tooth!" and like a trooper he did. Unfortunately he's like a crocodile, you stick your finger in his mouth and he bites down......so you have to be quick with it LOL.

Surreal

That's the only word I can think of as I sit here in the waiting area at the physical therapy clinic. Servicemember after servicemember comes in and out of here in a wheelchair, missing one or more limbs. Sometimes they are alone, sometimes they are with a loved one. I just saw a very young wife drop off her husband at the clinic, told him she loves him, an in to the clinic he went for his appointment. Their lives are changed forever. This young wife probably never imagined this would ever happen to them, but she lovingly drops him off and says she will be back when the appointment is over. There's this awful feeling in me, a feeling of sadness for these men and women. You may see them out in town but what you don't see is HOW MANY of them there are. So many servicemembers who are missing limbs, and they are so young! Sitting here at Bethesda makes me realize just how lucky I really am.

Wyatt cracks me up!

On Saturday we went to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in DC so Wyatt could see the "Dinosaur Bones". We walked into the room with the fossils and as soon as he saw the giant T-rex, he hollers out "Whooooaaaa!! Big!!" I couldn't help but laugh, it was too cute. He was so excited to see all the dinosaur bones. We went into the room about the oceans, and once he saw the giant blue whale suspended from the ceiling, same thing....."Whhooooaaaa!!!" AWESOME =) Mission accomplished, we've entertained the mancub. He loved the Natural History Museum.  After the NHM we wanted lunch, only to discover there aren't many food options down at "The Mall" (crappy name, there are no stores at all!! LOL)  so we headed over to the Air and Space Museum because it has a McDonald's.  Wyatt was in heaven.  He went on and on about the "spaceshipths".....it's adorable how he says it.  The TH sound at the end is super cute and funny.  He also told us all about the astronauts.  I'm glad we are at this point in his age where everything is very new and exciting.

I am going to get this right......

It would appear once again I have commitment issues with my blog. That's ok, it's the same with my journal. I guess this is why I never got a tattoo, I can't commit to something like that because I don't know what I'll like 10 years from now. BUT I know what you're thinking.....how can you be married if you have commitment issues? It's not like that. I can commit to a person, just not "things". Life has been going pretty lately. Ian is getting so big! He is 4 1/2 months old now, and Wyatt turned 2 last month. Wyatt said his first sentence to me the other day without my help. We were in the car and he asked "Can I have lemonade please?" WOW!!!! My response: "Of course! Thank you for asking so nicely!" I am totally impressed. Ian began rolling from his back to his tummy a few days before hitting 4 months and has been rolling tummy to back since he was 13 days old. He didn't like tummy time at all and now he wants to be on his tummy all the time.......perhaps he'll take after me....unable to decide what he wants LOL. I went to my first Ren Fair last weekend. I took Wyatt with me and had a blast! We met up with our friends Michele and Dave and really enjoyed the afternoon. Wyatt rode his first pony and elephant! He absolutely loved it. On the way home he was so tired he passed out immediately. Such a cute little mancub, even if he is entering the "terrible twos". My friend Heidi warns me "it's not 2 you have to worry about, it's 3". In the meantime we share our little moments together and I love them. I have introduced Wyatt to "The Black Eyed Peas" and he's hooked. Yep, I did that. I have to say I don't mind, except he now repeats the word "DAAAMMMMNNN" from the song "pump it" so I am quickly trying to implant the word "BAM" in its place. We'll see how that goes. Anyhow, so those are my thoughts for today. I am going to think about trying to be a better blogger. That's all I can promise.

Life as a family of four

Ian was born May 2, 2011 at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda Maryland. If you had told me 6 years ago Brian and I would be married and have 2 adorable little boys, I would have laughed and called you crazy. Now I can't imagine what my life would be like without all my boys. Wyatt cracks us up every single day with the new things he is learning to say and do and today he held Ian for the first time. I look forward to each and every day with my family and can honestly say I am truly blessed.

Life without coffee.....day 23

I have to say I have made it 23 days, and I know this hard work has paid off in full. Brian and I found out on Monday August 16th we are expecting our second baby. We couldn't be more happy! I made a commitment to my faith and was obedient, and for that we have been richly rewarded. Our new addition to our family is due around April 27, 2011 and we are so excited!! Now comes the long wait. We feel incredibly blessed know Wyatt will be an awesome big brother!!

Life without coffee.......day 5

Today is Tuesday. Tuesdays are typically rough on me because of many meetings I must attend. Wyatt woke us up around 2:30am, had a bottle and went back to sleep. It took me a while to finally get back to sleep, but I finally did and then the alarm went off at 5am on the dot....lucky me. I felt groggy in the shower and hoped it would wear off. I felt ok though, and eventually my pep kicked in and I was good to go. Nothing like some Guns N'Roses and Janes Addiction while stuck in traffic to get the blood pumping. Honestly, the song "Been Caught Stealing" really gets me going with it's peppy beat and catchy lyrics. I really love that song! Anyhow, so I made it through day 5 without coffee, 25 days and this habit is kicked!!

Life without coffee......day 4

Hello Monday!! Today was rough, especially since Brian and I didn't get much sleep last night. Wyatt woke up 4 times last night and I knew this was a test of my willpower. I found myself in Wyatt's room again as he was back in bed....again....so I knelt to pray to ask the Lord to help me get through Monday without coffee. I also reminded Him that it was really unfair to give me such little sleep and then have me survive a Monday with no coffee.....He wasn't really listening, and was more than likely laughing at me. BUT.....I did it!! I survived Monday with no coffee. I kept drinking water all day, trying to stay refreshed, it seemed to help. Around 2pm I felt the "holy crap I'm tired" but got up from my desk and walked around a bit. 4 days down, 26 to go until this habit is changed. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.........

Life without coffee.....day 3.

So I have given up coffee. Today was supposed to be my absolute last day of coffee, but instead I foolishly didn't have any on Friday (and Friday was evil last week....so much crap to do at work, so little time....zero energy) and I didn't have any on Saturday either. Our Chaplain told me 30 days and a habit is broken....ok, so 27 to go. I feel completely zapped of energy and I pray this will get better. Brian's mom is here, so at least she's drinking down my coffee supply in a hurry. Once it's gone, I'll pack up the coffee pot and put it away for when we have visitors. I guess I have to find new favorite drinks at starbucks that are not coffee based....that will be very difficult because I love the Java Chip Frappuccino......too bad it's main ingredient is java LOL!! Ok, positive thoughts, I know I can do this and I know this is what I am supposed to be doing. Pray pray pray and pray some more, I will be ok.

I'm a terrible blogger....it's been almost a year

Last week Brian, Wyatt, and I went to Maui with my parents for a fun-filled vacation. We left on Tuesday and flew to Kahului airport. Wyatt was really good on the flight, he fell asleep in my arms after staring out the window during taxi and takeoff. We arrived in Maui in the early afternoon, and drove to the Hotel Wailea. BEAUTIFUL!!! We enjoyed the evening around the hotel and took Wyatt swimming in the pool. The little man LOVES to swim!
On Wednesday, we were going to head out to the Surfing Goat Dairy but realized we didn't have much room in our fridge in the hotel so we'd have to wait until Saturday to go. Instead we drove to Lahaina and did some sightseeing and had lunch at the Lahaina Fish Co.....don't waste your time if you're ever there, it wasn't very good. Next we stopped by the Ono Gelato Company www.onogelatocompany.com which is awesome!!! I recommend Ono Gelato Company to everyone. We left Lahaina and drove all around the north west coast. The view was spectacular!! Not too long into our drive the road narrowed to 1 lane and it was pretty scary. Honestly, I don't do well in cars to begin with, so you add heights and narrow roads and I was much happier staring at my feet. We finished up our drive and returned to Wailea to play in the pool again with Wyatt. Wednesday night we went to the movies to see Despicable Me in 3D....so funny!!! I can't wait until Wyatt is old enough to appreciate it.
On Thursday we had an awesome lunch at Mama's Fish House in Paia....A MUST!!! The meal was divine, just a little pricey so it's one of those places you budget for. After lunch we drove up to Haleakala. I love the top of Haleakala, you can see so far! The sky is so blue up there and the air is so fresh. You can see the Big Island, Lanai, and Molokai from the summit. At the top you are above 10,000 feet and it is actually cold up there!! (wear jeans, a sweatshirt, and real shoes.....no flipflops unless you want cold toes!) We drove to the visitor center and there was a group loading up their horses in the trailer. They let Wyatt and I pet one of the horses so that was Wyatt's first time seeing a horse!! Thursday night Brian and I went to the movies to see The Sorcerer's Apprentice...we thought it was awesome! I don't care what the critics say, I loved it.
On Friday we went to the pool early in the day because we went on a helicopter ride Friday afternoon. I have to admit i was nervous about the ride, I'd never been in a helicopter before. We flew over western Maui and Molokai. The sights were amazing!!! If you get the chance to take a helicopter ride while in Hawaii, I recommend Blue Hawaiian Helicopters.
Friday night we went to dinner at Kai (a Japanese restaurant) at the Shops at Wailea. We love Japanese food and they have pretty good eats!
Saturday we headed to the Surfing Goat Dairy for a tour of the farm and then for some cheese. They have the best cheese....I swear!! www.surfinggoatdairy.com If you get the chance, go! I am quite fond of the "Ole" goat cheese...it has artichokes and jalepenos in it....yum! After the dairy we went to the aquarium and Wyatt loved it. He loves fish! He's so cute, pointing at all the fish and yelling at the tanks.
Sadly our trip came to an end and we flew back to Honolulu. My parents stayed at the airport to catch their connecting flight back to Las Vegas. Poor Wyatt was pretty tired and slept the entire way home. It was a great vacation and we look forward to the next one.

Welcoming Baby Wyatt

Our son has arrived! It was a long time coming but our little angel has finally arrived and we couldn't be more thrilled. Brian and I have been very blessed throughout all this because not only is Wyatt here, but both our moms were here for his birth. Wyatt was born on Saturday, August 8th, at 9:05pm. I spent most of Friday in "early labor" until the contractions kicked in much stronger Friday evening. My water broke at about 2:30am Saturday morning and around 8pm Saturday night it was decided to have a C-section since Wyatt was not coming out on his own. It was a tough decision to make, and I was upset I wasn't going to be able to have him naturally, but all in all it was for the best and now I am so very thankful for our perfect little boy. Our dear friend Kristen arrived at this hospital sometime after 3am to join Brian in being a labor coach. I was so thankful to have them both there to help me through labor and they both were amazing! Throughout the stay at the hospital Wyatt was greeted by our friends and all his new "aunties" and "uncles". It was so wonderful to have so much support from our friends. Brian and I truly feel lucky to have so many good friends. Now we are just so grateful for every single moment with baby Wyatt and look forward to many many more!

The Business of Being Born

http://www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com/trailer.php

So this is by far one of the most enlightening documentaries I have watched thus far. I recommend it to every woman out there who is pregnant, thinking about getting pregnant or just wants to learn something. Check out the trailer, rent the DVD, make your own decisions, but be informed.

The nursery......before putting away all the gifts

So this is what the nursery looks like now, I haven't yet unpacked all the gifts from the shower, and from the looks of things, I have my work cut out for me! Mom was so nice to take everything upstairs while I was at work so I didn't have to haul it all myself. All those trips upstairs would have really done me in! I will post more pics once I get everything put away, but I can say this, his room really does look like a nursery!

The Baby Shower

I have to say this was one of the most fun days I've had in a while with just "the girls". We did have our token men there, my boss Chief Torres and his son Julian, and I have to say they were awesome sports about being in a house full of women! Brian was out of town for work so we women had a party! Mom cooked the most amazing food, I swear I was so stuffed by the end of the day! I honestly couldn't have done all this without her help, a true lifesaver! My girls Emily and Abby helped with the decorating, cake, games, prizes, and managing the flow of the shower, it was just awesome! I feel truly blessed by all the friends that made it and the fun we had together at the shower. One of the games we played was "guess how fat Jen is?" where you have to take a roll of string and cut off how much you think it will take to go around my belly. Abby won by being the closest, but my mom and friend Cathy went hog wild and just wrapped that string around me a good 7 or 8 times. It was so much fun!

32 weeks down, 8 weeks to go!

32 Weeks today! My mom arrived this afternoon so it was fun to see her reaction when she saw the belly in person. She already felt Wyatt kick which was fun. This week will be a lot of fun with her here and we have a lot to do to get ready for the baby shower. It's crazy to think that Wyatt's due date is in 8 weeks but at the same time I am really ready to not be pregnant anymore. It's not that I don't like being pregnant, it's that I don't like how awkward I am starting to feel. I have to be careful when I turn a corner or try to squeeze past something, my belly gets in the way. Otherwise, pregnancy has gone relatively well.

30 weeks!

So this is what a preggo Jen looks like at 30 weeks. I don't feel too bad, but I still have 10 weeks to go (if I'm lucky, only 7 weeks). We have been working on Wyatt's nursery and bit by bit it really does look like a baby's room and thankfully no longer a storage room. Hopefully soon I'll take some pictures of his room, probably after the baby shower. I am attempting to exercise as much as Wyatt will allow, but lately he's been practicing his escape route and the Braxton Hicks don't feel great. I love how the experts say "they aren't painful" yea right, they lie. It's not that they hurt, it's that he puts soooo much pressure on me that I just don't want to move! Oh well, we are in the homeward stretch, I can make it!

Wyatt 29 weeks

We went in for a follow up ultrasound, the docs were worried about my placenta being too low but thankfully all is well. Wyatt was un-cooperative as usual for the ultrasound and we couldn't get great pics like we'd hoped. We also couldn't get an accurate weight either....LOL, my stubborn little boy....he takes after his father I'm sure. My belly is getting bigger and he's very active, we are just so excited and happy to meet him!!

Third trimester here we come!!!

Today I am at 28 weeks, officially in the third trimester! There are only 12 weeks left until Wyatt's due date and I am so excited!! The baby shower invitations finally arrived and I've been working on labeling them and getting them ready to hand out. My mom arrives on June 7th and the shower is on the 14th. Brian and I put together Wyatt's basinette and put it in our room, next is the pack and play. Still there is a lot to do and we're slowly getting through it all. We have classes coming up to prepare Brian and I for delivery and life with a newborn. Wow, that's really all I can say about that!!

Glucose screening test day

Today after work I went to the lab to have my glucose screening test. I had to drink this super sugary orange drink and sit there for an hour. After the hour was up I gave a blood sample and then next week my doc will let me know if I am needing a second test for gestational diabetes. So I sat there in the office experiencing the sugar high from the 50g of glucose and then the subsequent crash and oh was it painful! I sat there and then I got this raging headache from the crash. Not a fun time at all!!! I came home from this test feeling super drained and praying that I don't have to go through this one again for a very very long time.