Self proclaimed night owl...

So I can no longer fall asleep before like 2 Am - blame it on wanting a few hours of peace and quiet to myself or my addiction to caffeine. Reese is also still sick and I'm pretty sure she'll be waking up again anytime soon. Last night was a nightmare. She kept having these coughing fits (which during the day hardly ever coughs), and she would wake herself up crying like every hour. So I am extra frazzled today due to the lack of sleep. Oh and did I mention it was also -25 degrees that night - I'm sure that didn't help her cough at all... even with the heater on it was chilly. I would so rather wish her sickness upon myself I feel so helpless when I'm trying to do everything to comfort her and I know she just feels like crud.

Yesterday was Todd's birthday and after he was done with work and homework (what a way to celebrate a birthday) we went out to eat at the Hard hat grill or something like that. Everything in the restaurant was construction themed. I believe even some meals are even served to you in a dump truck. Only in Idaho, right? Todd's brother Thomas came up from Idaho Falls and came out to eat with us. We'll continue to celebration during the Superbowl when we are home with the rest of Todd's family and actually have some cake.
Reese had a nice vapor bath tonight. What bathroom is complete without it's own basket ball hoop? Reese uses the loofa to 'slam dunk.'

Reese helping mommy make dinner. She was stirring up her own little concoction.

Kiss anyone? Mmmm lasagna face!

Meow...

Ok this is kind of random but I was watching The Soup tonight and I forgot how much I heart spaghetti cat. It really is quite stupid but it cracks me up every time I see the stupid clip. I figured since spaghetti cat brings me so much joy I would share him with all of you. If any of you are wondering what the crap I'm talking about just watch the soup or find the clip on you tube... it may be more of an accustomed taste but I heart the cat in spaghetti.

Reese's first picture. We got her some of those color wonder markers that only color on the special paper and she loved to color but one she started eating the marker tips her coloring was done. Ok I helped a little on the picture... I obviously wrote her name but she really did do most of the rest. I look forward to when she really starts getting into drawing pictures I'm curious to know what her little mind will come up with.

So not much else going on... Todd's birthday is this weekend (the big 25)... hopefully we will be able to get some friends up here to help celebrate. It kind of stinks being so far away from everyone. We are planning to make a trip to see our families during the Superbowl... and I think we are going to re-celebrate then.

I'm so exhausted after this week... I haven't been able to sleep well so my days have kind of slurred into one long drowsy day. Reese woke up yesterday morning with a cold -- gosh I hate having sick kids, more than I hate having a cold myself. She has been so moody too, no doubt due to the fact she doesn't get a good nights rest because she is so stuffed up. She wakes up every few hours and I pump her nose full of saline drops (which I might add should be an Olympic event because it is almost impossible to get her to hold still) but after all that she drifts back to sleep until she's plugged up again and wakes herself up. Fun Fun!! I love the Johnson and Johnson vapor bath...I've even used it for myself. I love the smell of eucalyptus and it clears the congestion up so well! So Reese takes a couple more baths during the day to help her feel better. She doesn't mind at all she loves to take baths!

Well tomorrow Thomas will be coming up to watch Reese while we go to the temple. It's been few months and hopefully my dress still fits... so I'll see y'all another day.

Just a little free time...

So I am feeling slightly more productive today... I've got all the laundry in washing, went for a walk and Reese is taking a nap. I won't mention that I slept in until 10:30... oh whoops I just did. These are just a couple pictures from yesterday... I'm trying to get Reese to play in her room more so she doesn't drag everything out into the living room so when people randomly stop by (like the upstairs neighbors did last night) my house doesn't look like toy land has taken over. She is starting to get into dolls a little bit - which she doesn't get that from me I played with boy toys growing up. However, I believe Todd did own a few my little ponies growing up. She knows how to give the baby loves and kisses but she totes the baby around like a football and literally throws the baby in the stroller. Can you imagine how she would treat her little brothers and sisters? Well we found her toothbrush that she got for Christmas now maybe she'll stop taking ours all over the house. She knows exactly what to do when you tell her to "brush, brush, brush."

No big plans for the rest of the week. Maybe we will try and make it to the temple this weekend.. we don't have an excuse since a temple is so close now... I can see it right outside our window. We've been really bad at making it a priority lately. So I should have also listed that as one of my new years resolutions. Once a month is not too much at all to ask for... well I better go switch the laundry so people don't get mad.

Too many Dr. Peppers in my system to go to bed...

So one of my new years resolutions should have been to drink less pop... So I'm wide awake thanks to the bubbly goodness that is Dr. Pepper and I also took a late nap after dinner so here I am surfing the web and I thought maybe I would just gab a minute about the nonsense that makes up my existence. So I would like to note the getting to Reese to bed has been going a lot better this week. I've written down a schedule that I would like her to be on and I'm going to do my best to get her to fall into that schedule. I know I should have done this eons ago but it was so hard before we move up here because Todd and my schedules were so all over the place. It was especially hard when he was working over nights... as I have mentioned on previous posts. So Todd is back working on an overnight shift for the next month to help prepare the store for inventory coming up- which is bummer since I hate sleeping alone, on a positive note he is home at noon. So this also adds to me staying up later because it feels like my only free time to just do whatever... if it's reading a book or refreshing my photoshop skills. I just don't have the time it seems like during the day. In an ideal world I could do whatever I want while Reese naps during the day but it seems like something else always creeps into those few hours like cleaning or straightening up something that is a lot easier to do when I don't have my little miniature shadow. I really want to spend more time sitting and playing with her since I missed out on a lot of that while I was working full time. I already feel guilty the times I turn on Elmo's world to divert her attention for a few moments. I don't want her to grow up and be a couch potato.

Sorry to who ever may be reading this it's kind of my only chance to vent or blabber on about what's going on since I can't at the moment find my journal.

I am excited about a recent purchase off of Ebay. I bought 3 of the LDS file folder activity books that I'm excited to put together for Reese. My mom had these same books and I thought they were way cute to have for church. Plus in combines teaching Reese about the gospel. I'm having the strangest feeling of de javu (I'm sure that is spelled wrong) so if I've mentioned these things before just go along with it.

So back to the New Years Resolutions I mentioned in passing... things I would like to expand further on this year would include: 1-being more serious with announcement projects. I really need to get a portfolio put together or something, it's definitely something I have a passion for and it's just on the back burner at the moment. 2- take a cake decorating class. I always watch the Ace of Cakes show on the food network and I would kill to be able to learn how to do that (ok maybe not quite to the magnitude that they do... but on a much smaller scale). 3- Get more organized in everything! House cleaning especially I feel like the only time I get my house really clean is when someone is coming over... it needs to be on a more regular basis, not that I'm a pig but it's something I could improve on. 4- cook new food! We are most definitely in a rut! I've got tons of recipes from friends in books, not to mention what is available online -- and I cook the same things week after week. Lunch is something I struggle with the most I'm sure Todd is sick of me telling him to fix a sandwich. He deserves a little variety. 5-Ok I better wrap this up with Exercise. I cringe at the thought! Gone are the days when I could eat whatever and never exercise and still have a trim body (not that I was ever a twig but I wasn't so dissatisfied with my shape). I don't care for the "softness" that makes up majority of my body between my rib cage and knees... it just has to go. So if anyone has any exercise routines that works well for them.. feel free to divulge. It's too cold most days for a walk and I just don't know what to do. I've been thinking about buying a step. When I took Aerobics at ISU we used these quite often and I thought they could be quite fun without taking up hardly any space... anyways I need to take action instead of just talking about it and putting it off for the next day.

Ok really sorry this ended up being a lot longer than expected... there is a glimpse into the craziness that swirls around in my brain. Enjoy!

Just hanging out at home...

Just a lazy day... sitting at home playing with mama, while daddy does his homework. So for those of you who don't know Reese loves her pooh bear. She saw this one into JC Penney -- and my mother let her hold it while we shopped around the store (big mistake Grandma)... she screamed her head off when we took away so we could leave the store. She honestly would not stop crying until Grandma Nan went back and bought it for her and she was all smiles after that. Don't worry I don't plan to make a habit of buying her whatever she cries about not getting. You could really see how much she loved the Pooh bear. She still hugs and loves him at home and it is probably one of her favorite toys. She demonstrates her affection in this photo with a kiss. She loves to give kisses.

Playing with the ball popper Uncle Justin gave her for her birthday... it's hilarious when she first turns it on she acts almost more stressed out that the balls are going everywhere. She flaps her arms like a bird and scurries around trying to pick up all the balls. It's a toy that gets shut off by mom and dad when it gets late at night...

Reese being a naughty little girl ripping the owl out of her pop up book. Some of her books we have to keep out of reach and she can only read with adult supervision. Somehow she got a hold of this one and let er' rip.

Picture found...

So I mentioned previously that Reese didn't enjoy the birthday cake part of her Bday --- here is proof. The pictures of her crying her eyes out were on my mom's camera so I had to wait for her to send them to me. She was all fine and dandy until she started digging her fingers into the cake and then the crocodile tears started... here she is trying to reach for her muuma with cake covered hands. It's her party and she can cry if she wants to...

Not much... but I'll blog anyway...

She nearly wore us out pulling her around in this laundry basket. Needless to say we've hid the basket for now so she won't see it and want to be pulled around for hours again. She loved it but boy it wears you out running up and down the hall... plus in our little apartment there are just too many obstacles.

So not much going on like I said. Todd just recently switched to working over nights again for the next couple weeks and it kind of stinks... except that he is off by noon - so that gives us some more time to see him during the day. Reese has adjusted well to the new place... except last night when she decided her bedtime was 1 am. As much as I love her I was quite angry with her last night. It was so frustrating when she would come over numerous times during the night with binkie in mouth and blankie in hand and lift her arms up to be picked up and numerous times after this happened I thought "finally this child wants to sleep," boy was I wrong. She would lay in my arms for a few minutes then poke her little head up and point at something in the room and start a little conversation about whatever she was pointing at. My mother always advised to just force her to sit and rock and eventually she will give in and go to sleep. Well as I tried to do that she would scream bloody murder! I would get so frazzled that my neighbors above, across, and behind would think I was murdering my child that I would give in. A major disadvantage to living in an apartment... I feel bad about letting her sit and cry for the sake of my neighbors. I know I'm probably overly paranoid, but in the moment I can't handle it. So we'll see how tonight goes. It just stinks when I know she is tired and I'm very tired and that doesn't help with the patience. I enjoy my sleep -- I'm not one of those people that can get by on less than 8 hours of sleep... no matter how hard I try to condition my body to survive on less it just makes me more irritable to everyone around me. This lady needs her sleep. Reese has been enjoying the high speed internet... especially when her daddy is hogging the TV to watch the jazz. She is able to see some new Elmo clips besides the DVDs that she has seen over and over again in our personal collection. It cracks me up when he comes on the screen and he says hello to the audience and she says "hi" and waves. Reese's vocabulary thus far consists of Da Da, Mum, Taa (she always yells this one too, I think it's Todd - not sure why she yells it... certainly didn't pick that up from her mother), she woofs when she sees a puppy and on occasion she will say kitty -- or "icshy" well it doesn't exactly sound like kitty but you get the idea. Lately everything is "pid" or pretty, she points at the lights or when her hair is done and says pretty.

Greeting from the North Pole... (Rexburg)

We made it... we are now living in Rexburg! Well we've actually been here for a week I just haven't really written much about it. It has been pretty much freezing cold everyday we have been here. Of course the day we moved in was the coldest of all -- the wind didn't help. So we are pretty settled I still haven't found a home for everything we own yet... our old apartment had a ton of storage and this one just doesn't. We are getting there though. Our new apartment is a lot bigger everywhere but our living room and our furniture kind of fits. We can pretty much count out having any sort of party at our place (I suppose it is good that this place has amenities like a clubhouse - for such occasions). My favorite things about the new place:
1-huge kitchen and bathroom
2-walk-in closet in our bedroom
3-internet and cable included
4-bathtub (with slanted back so I don't have to sit straight up -- I am definitely a tub girl).
5-DISHWASHER (how glorious is this!!!)

Reese loved her beef stew last night (well it was more like potato and carrot mush - when she got her hands on it). She is trying to figure out this whole utensil thing... she knows what they are for but hasn't quite got the holding it right side up yet to scoop things on to her fork or spoon.

I am amazed that she ended up scarfing down that hole pile! I know it looks kind of gross but she absolutely loved it -- she had originally started with a plate, but when she very first grabbed the plate and almost dumped it on the floor we had to make a few changes.

For the moment I'm not working which has been wonderful. I'm just a fill in when ever they might need me at the Downeast up here. I'm not missing working full time at all. This won't be permanent just for a the semester or so... but it is so nice to be able to just be at home with Reese and play with her. Lately she thinks people who can roll their tongue are just the coolest. She tries so hard to do it too -- I'm sure she'll get it one of these days.

Birthday Party

Once again these pictures are not in the order I intended... so hopefully it's not too confusing. Tired baby after all the partying... check out the new jammies Grandma Z made and of course the elmo slippers. For those of you who didn't know that little fleece bronco blanket is her absolute favorite and won't go anywhere without it. She has so many cute blankets that friends and family made and she likes this stupid one the best (just a little piece of fleece I picked up so she could have a blankie like daddy's when they are watching the game).

Licking the beaters of her first birthday cake. Since Reese doesn't have an opinion on the matter yet she had my favorite Rainbow chip!

Check out the new stroller from her Uncle Jason and Aunt Alisha. Dylan (who is a few months older than her) fought over this the rest of the day. They loved to push it around -- Dylan's dad wasn't too happy to find out that his big boy was playing with a doll stroller (he should want to play with trucks and trains right?)

Brooklynn helping Reese open her presents, a ball popper from Uncle Justin.

Ok we just sang happy birthday and Reese is looking around wondering what she is supposed to do with this cake. I have the picture on my mom's camera... but after she started digging into her cake she just cried and cried... I don't know if she like the cake on her hands or didn't like everyone staring at her but she didn't care for any of it.

The remnants of her cake. A bite anyone?

Grandma and Grandpa (and Uncle Thomas) came down even though the weather was bad.

The birthday girl and her daddy. Yes this is how she smiles when you put a camera in her face.

Mommy helping her open her presents.

My masterpiece of a cake... as you can tell Elmo was the theme and she loved all of the decorations she ooooed and awwwed all night while we set up. Notice her trick or treating bucket that doubled as a vase... creepy that there are flowers poking out of Elmo's head.

The decorations, nothing too fancy, she is only one after all!

You've got to have a pretty poofy skirt for your birthday! I couldn't capture of her smiling so this will have to do.

She loved harassing Dylan... she kept trying to open up his vest to look at the bears on his shirt -- the followed him around all day trying to talk and play with him... and he was quite frightened of this strange girl pulling and grabbing at him.

A few days late... but Happy Birthday to Reese!!!

This was her birthday announcement... sorry to those who recieved theirs way late... they got lost in the mayhem of moving -- P.S. it was a nightmare trying to get her birthday picture taken for her announcement. She would not sit still, nor would she look at the camera. She had to keep standing up and point at the camera lense while saying Oooo! If she wasn't doing that she was pulling her tutu up to her neck or pulling on her hair... it was quite a struggle and this was the best picture I got. Also a little side note I couldn't find anything to use as a backdrop (not one white sheet in our whole house) so I used our tree skirt (the snow looking kind).

Hard to imagine this was us one year ago... man I look pretty worn out for only pushing for 2o minutes. I know I sound like everyone else who has every had a child... but I still can't believe what a wonderful, beautiful child she has grown into! Naturally she is the most wonderful and beautiful child there is! She brings us so much joy and chaos to our lives but I don't know what we would do without her and I can't remember what we did before she was here. It seems like every second of the day revolves around her in some way and she undoubtedly knows that too. One year down... many, many more to go!

Christmas Day...

After a breakfast in Downey we went down my mom's for the remainder of the day (usually we open presents and have dinner at my Grandma's but there is getting to be too many of us so we broke our usual tradition and had it at my mom's). We had a nice ham dinner with all my brothers and their families, Grandma Nan, and my Uncle Kent and his family also came.

Check out that Christmas morning hair!!!

So we had a "little" snow storm all Christmas day. We barely made it to Preston (picture taken from my mom's front porch). We had the worst time trying to get out of Downey. It is sooo windy there that snow just blew into huge drifts that caused us to get stuck twice on the same road.

The snow ended up being so deep that we had to delay our trip home until the next morning (bummer that Todd didn't have to go to to work Christmas night-sarcasm). It wouldn't have been a problem if we had taken our jeep but we took the Altima and it's not so much of a winter vehicle especially when the roads haven't been plowed , so it parked in it's snow trench until the snow plow was able to come the next morning.

All the grand kids got matching pj's from Grandma. This is the best of about 7 photographs... the youngsters had a hard time sitting still and all looking at the camera at the same time.

Reese and Daddy opening up their presents.

Christmas morning...

Thanks Annagrace for Reese's present... she loved playing with the stacker toys.

Chillin' in her chair with her care bear Santa left her checking out the remaining items in her stocking.

Opening up her stocking. She was more excited to see she had a small package of goldfish crackers than any of her movies or other toys.

We didn't wrap her tent or the giggling Elmo chair inside. She loves Elmo in case some of you didn't know. Just a side note before Christmas we had the Elmo chair sitting in our storage closet every once in a while we would catch her in the closet pointing up at the Elmo (she wasn't supposed to see) and Ooooing and smiling.

Ok so these are in reverse order... Reese setting her eyes for the first time on all the goods Santa left for her. Last year she was still snuggled up inside mommy's tummy (in no hurry to come out might I add - even being 5 days late at Christmas). We are definitely glad she didn't come while we were traveling for Christmas.

It's a Christmas miracle (me posting)...

Christmas Eve...
So after I got off work we headed down to Downey to start the holiday celebration off at Todd's Parent's house. We had a nice little Christmas dinner, played a few games and read the Christmas story from Luke.

We all sat around the table and enjoyed a few rounds of scum. There was just Todd's Parent's, his brother Thomas and ourselves.

Grandma wasn't able to use all her antique ornaments on her tree this year - since some little girl likes to take them off and haul them around the house. So instead she used plastic child friendly ornaments that were ok to disappear or play with.

We did have plans to send out a Christmas card this year but it didn't quite happen. I'm horrible when it comes to sending things out (especially when there is a deadline involved). We tried to take some cute family pictures but the only day where the sun was actually shining was frickin freezing so our pictures didn't turn out as well as I had hoped. So this picture was the best of the bunch. Reese's hair is all wind blown and Todd isn't even looking at the camera, but trust me it was the best.