Chicagorillas

Pre-sleep Conversation with Reese

2012-01-05T10:31:00.003-06:00

Reese historically has been a good sleeper – easy to put down, albeit we have a routine. But recently, as she is growing smarter, she has decided she does not like going to bed. Every night she pulls every excuse out of the bag in an attempt to stay awake. This is an actual conversation we had last night, and, truth be told it’s quite similar to the one we have been having every night for the last few weeks.

*Note Reese has been placed in her crib at this point and the lights are off – routine is over. Oh, and her crib tent is zipped up - she is effectively locked in (she wouldn’t stay in her crib otherwise).

Me: Goodnight Reese, I love you.

Reese: No, don’t leave!

Me: What’s wrong Reese?

Reese: I have a big problem.

Me: What is your big problem?

Reese: I want to sleep on the floor.

Me: You don’t want to sleep on the floor, it’s too hard. Your bed is nice and soft.

Reese: My bed is not soft, it is hard.

Reese proceeds to “try” and jump, but has no luck because her “bed is too hard” to bounce. She has yet to actually lay down.

Me: Reese, your bed is soft. It’s late and you need to go to sleep. Good night, I love you.

Reese: No, don’t go! I have an owie!

Me: What hurts Reese?

Reese: My back hurts. Kiss it better.

I unzip her crib tent and kiss her back. I then zip her crib tent back up. She tries ferociously to climb out of her crib during the brief moment the tent is unzipped. I win this battle.

Me: All better. It’s time to go to sleep now. Good night.

Reese: I have another owie.

Me: No you don’t.

Reese: Yeah, I have another owie!

Me: Good night Reese, I love you.

Reese: THERE’S A BIG MONSTER! HE’S GOING TO GET ME!!!

Me: Reese, there is no monster. And if there was, monsters are nice so he wouldn’t “get you”. You are safe.

Reese: Sleep on the floor next to me.

Me: Okay, I will lie on the floor next to your crib for two minutes.

I lay on floor. Reese does a head stand.

Me: Reese, I need you to go to sleep. Your body needs to rest so you can have energy to be crazy tomorrow.

Reese babbles about all of the crazy things she will do tomorrow with her energy (e.g. wrestle daddy, jump on the moon, push daddy over, play games, pillow fight with daddy, etc.) I’m starting to think Reese doesn't love me; she loves seeing me in pain.

After two minutes I stand up to leave.

Reese: No daddy, don’t go!

Me: It’s time to go to sleep Reese, good night.

Brief moment of silence, I walk to the door.

Reese: I love you daddy.

I stop, walk back to her crib and lay down. Smiling and smitten.

Me: I love you too Reese!

Reese smiles, knowing she has just learned a new trick. Unable to contain her excitement about winning tonight's war, she starts to jump in her bed. I eventually sneak out, but the jumping goes on for hours.

Crib Tent

2011-10-06T17:40:00.000-05:00

Reese has randomly climbed out of her crib a few times over the last 6 months, but nothing consistent. A few weeks ago, she figured it out and it was impossible to keep her in. She also started waking up pretty regularly around 6:00 AM (she was waking up 7:30-8:00 AM). It was not a fun adjustment for Mom and Dad, but it was pretty funny (in retrospect) to get woken up your 2-year old staring at you. Or poking your feet. Or yelling at you "I wake up! Mommy and Daddy wake up!"

However, after nap time one day, I was done. She got out of her crib, climbed up the changing table, opened the baby powder, and poured it EVERYWHERE. Inside drawers, on all her clothes and blankets. In her toy drawers. On her diapers. The girl was thorough. Sigh. At least her room smelled nice for a couple of days. Here's the evidence:

I had been going back and forth over the idea of getting a crib tent for a few days. (Those suckers are kind of expensive!)This sealed the deal. Best $70 I've spent in a while. We got her excited about it by telling her she was going to be able to go camping in her tent every night! She doesn't mind it at all and we are all sleeping better!!

An Apple A Day...

2011-10-06T15:58:00.002-05:00

A couple of weeks ago we went to a nearby apple orchard with some friends. It was really fun. We had perfect weather, good company, and yummy food! We took a tractor ride out to the orchard and picked our apples. Gala and McIntosh were what were "on." Reese wasn't too sure about eating the apples straight off the tree. Don't worry, I ate enough for both of us! After that we ate our lunches and went to the petting zoo/kids area. Finally, we made a quick trip to the kitchen for some treats. There were so many delicious things to choose from, I went with the donuts. All I can say is that I am planning a return trip for nothing else but the pumpkin spice donuts with a pumpkin glaze. They were heavenly, especially with the fresh apple cider! Here are a couple of pictures from the day. I'm bummed I didn't get a picture with all the kids or all the ladies.

Reese's Birthday

2011-10-05T21:55:00.004-05:00

Yes, I know she turned 2 over a month and a half ago. Despite that fact, here are some details.

We had a mini-celebration toward the end of our Utah trip. My girl LOVES the song "Old McDonald," (you can often catch her screaming "E-I-E-I-O...sheep. E-I-E-I-O...cow. Etc, etc. at the top of her lungs) so I made her a barn cake complete with animal cupcakes. She was as excited about it as I had hoped she would be! She insisted on eating one of each kind, frosting only.

There were big plans for her actual birthday, (beach, pool) but the weather was not cooperative. She opened her gifts in the morning before taking a long afternoon nap. We now have a 53" teddy bear named Bruno in our house, totally Brady's idea. She loves it! We celebrated that night by walking to the ice cream shop and getting her birthday cake flavored ice cream. We sat next to a big mirror and she was totally amazed that the ice cream turned her tongue blue. (Yes, I realize these pictures are not in order. Blogger is making me really mad.) We also had a fun party with some of our friends.

At the end of August, we had some fun visitors! My good friend Erin and her little boy came to stay with us a for a few days on their way back to Puerto Rico. It was so fun to hang out with them and to meet her little guy! Unfortunately, Reese discovered she's not such a big fan of babies. Yeah, I know. Not good. We're working on it.

Reese at two:-24 pounds, 34 inches
-Talking non-stop! She cracks us up with the things she says. She also surprises us with the things she knows sometimes, too.
-LOVES to sing. One of her favorite books is the mini Children's Songbook. When she sees it, she'll bring it over to you and want you to sing EVERY song that has a picture. I have realized that I am seriously lacking in my knowledge of primary songs. Her favorite primary songs are: I am a Child of God, I Love to See the Temple, Nephi's Courage, and We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet. She can sing the words to 2 verses of I am a Child of God and most the words of Nephi's Courage and "The Prophet Song." It seriously melts my heart.
-Other favorite songs include: If You're Happy and You Know It, Old McDonald, Little Bunny Foo Foo, and Bingo.
-Knows all of her letters, most colors, and basic shapes.
-Loves to boss her toys around. Especially the farm animals and Big Bird and Elmo. It is really funny to listen to her have conversations with them.
-Definitely been experiencing some Terrible Two's with our girl. Most the time she is pretty good-natured and happy, but when she decides she is having a bad day, watch out. She is very stubborn and independent.
-Loves to eat: oatmeal/porridge, feta cheese, toast with jam, yogurt, bananas, waffles, fruit snacks, TJ's cheese crackers and Strawberry O's, rice and beans, and candy/ice cream/cookies (she's her mama's girl).
-Whenever I ask her what kind of baby she thinks I'm having, she responds with "a green one." Hmmm..
-Loves going to the beach. Ever since we went to Florida last spring whenever I put sunscreen on her, which is pretty frequently in the summer, she says "we go to beach!"
-Started preschool co-op with some of our friends. It's been fun so far, and she gets really excited to go to school. (I also enjoy having a couple days a week with some alone time. Heavenly.)

Utah Vacay

2011-08-29T15:08:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures of our trip to Utah. We had a lot of fun visiting with family and spending time doing some of the things we miss in Chicago (hiking, mountain biking, having babysitters, etc.). It was also a welcome break from the heat and humidity we had been experiencing in Chicago. Brady was able to stay for 10 days and Reese and I stayed for 3 weeks. We flew home just a couple days before she turned 2. It was officially the end of her days as a lap-flying child.

Reese LOVED being around family! She was really happy for the most part (and really UNhappy for about 5 days!). She had started talking a lot since our family had seen her last, so it was fun for them to see her goofy personality. It was nice to have a yard where she could go outside and run around. She constantly wanted to go outside. While we were there she started a new SUPER independent phase. She's always been independent, but her new favorite phrase is "my turn" and she won't let you help her do much of anything. She insists on climbing in and out of her highchair on her own, getting in and out of the car and car seat on her own. Basically, anything she needs help with, she refuses it. It's definitely been a test of our patience and things take a lot longer.

Brady was able to do some mountain biking and we took Reese on a hike. My extended family does a big camp out every year, so we went up one afternoon for the Dutch oven dinner. Yum! There was even some snow still around, so we made a snow man! It was so refreshing and relaxing to enjoy the fresh air and the mountains. We definitely miss them.

One of the more exciting things was sharing some big news with our families...Reese is going to be a big sister! Baby #2 is due February 15, 2012. We've known since mid-June but wanted to wait until we were with our families to tell them. I made Reese a "Big Sis" shirt to wear to announce it. It took both of our families about 5 minutes before they actually read what the shirt said. So far, this pregnancy has been very similar to Reese's. For about 4 weeks, I had felt crappy in the evenings, but never was actually sick. Now I'm feeling fine and trying to keep up with Reese. I'm 16 weeks along, so we will find out what we're having at the end of September!

Here are some pictures of Utah (and the 4th of July):

Big Sis shirt

She loves to close her eyes and scream when she's swinging.

Picking raspberries at Grandma's house

Birthday cake...she called it"E-I-E-I-O cake"

Summertime

2011-07-23T21:21:00.000-05:00

Grandma and Grandpa sent Reese this bike last month. She was really excited to try it out and wear her new helmet. She had a lot of fun riding it until she got distracted by other things, like ants. Or the ice cream shop around the corner. Oh, well.

It's been a miserable combination of heat + humidity lately. I'm a wuss, so I've been depriving my child of outdoor activities as of late. We have been staying cool by being indoors.

We're headed to Utah on Wednesday for some family time and looking forward to it!

Arlington Park

2011-06-28T14:25:00.000-05:00

Earlier this month, we went to Arlington Park Race Track for the horse races. This the summer event for Brady's firm. My parents were in town, and they were able to go with us. It was a fun day. We bet on a few races (no luck!) and Reese went to the petting zoo and on a pony ride.

Happy Birthday, Brady!

2011-06-28T14:07:00.000-05:00

Today is Brady's birthday. He spent an awesome morning at the DMV waiting in line to FINALLY get an Illinois driver's license. I think this was the third time he has made a trip there to try and get a license. Ask him to tell you about his experiences there, he really likes that place.

Brady hates his birthday. He doesn't like to celebrate much. No friends over, no big special meal, nothing. (Which is completely opposite of me. I would like to celebrate my birthday over the course of multiple days.) To "celebrate", we are going to get hot dogs for dinner (yes, hot dogs) and ice cream for dessert.

Reese has been walking around all day saying "Happy Birthday, Daddy!" She loves her dad, and they are two of a kind.

Happy Birthday, Brady!

2011-05-17T16:46:00.001-05:00

We've been staying busy around here. We had a visit from Grandma & Grandpa Ahlstrom over Easter weekend. Reese was very excited for them to come visit and had so much fun with them! We went to the zoo and the aquarium and ate lots of yummy food. (If you love cinnamon rolls, you must try Ann Sather. I'm a cinnamon roll lover, and these were really, really good.)

Minnie Mouse Easter Basket

While they were here, Brady and I spent an entire day searching for a new place. Luckily, we found a place and nabbed it! I've been looking for weeks, and hadn't been having much luck finding something that fit our list of requirements. (We're semi-picky...and cheap!)

Reese is still obsessed with all things Elmo, Mickey Mouse, and shoes. The other day we were at the indoor playground near our house and I looked over and saw that Reese had found another kid's shoes with Elmo on them, and had proceeded to put them on and was running around in them. If you leave your shoes around Reese, she will wear them.

She has also developed a sweet tooth over the last couple weeks. She got some Easter candy and occasionally we'll give her a piece of it after she eats her dinner. However, now when you ask her what she wants for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, she'll reply with "candy!" If we make another, more reasonable suggestion we get "Noooooooooooo!" Good times.

She still has as much energy as ever, and is such a happy little girl. But if you ask her, she will try and tell you she is a "baby." She loves her dad, and gets very excited when he comes home at night. We're having a lot of fun with her right now, but she definitely keeps us on our toes.

Last week, we FINALLY had some really nice (even hot) weather in Chicago. I loved it! We spend lots of time outside. Unfortunately, the weather has reverted back to chilly and windy. I'm not sure if it will ever warm up. Sigh.

Here are some pictures from the park and the beach. The girl loves water and sand! Even though the water was pretty cold, I had a hard time keeping her away from it.

Ari & Reese....I love this picture!

Other than that, we're in the process of packing up our condo and getting ready to move! We're sad to be leaving the South Loop, but excited for our new place and to be closer to Brady's work so he can spend less time driving. We're not moving far, our new place is only about 10 miles west of where we are now.

Here are some pictures to enjoy!

First time eating cotton candy. Wasn't crazy about it.

Daddy's Goggles

Thunderstorm rolling in.

Sunshine!

2011-04-13T17:13:00.004-05:00

We had a fabulous time on our trip to Florida. Brady was attending a conference for work in Miami for a few days, so we decided to take advantage of that and make it a family affair. I mean, who passes up 3 free nights at a Fairmont resort? Not me!

We left Chicago REALLY early. Our flight left at 6:00 AM, which equates to me waking up at 3:40 AM, Reese waking up at 4:15 AM, and getting a cab at 4:30 AM. Reese did a great job travelling considering she woke up so early. She napped for about 45 minutes on the second leg of our flight.

(Side Story: We did almost get in a fight on the rental car shuttle (OK, not really, but I DID want to punch this lady in the face). We were on the shuttle and Reese was really excited to A) not be strapped in a car seat and B) be able to see airplanes landing/taking off. An older woman got on the shuttle and sat next to us. Reese started whining a little because I moved her to a position where she couldn't see the planes. She wasn't crying, she wasn't screaming, she was making "uhhh uhhh uhhhh" noises and trying to see the planes. I'll be the first to admit when my kid is being a brat. This was not one of those times. Within 30 seconds of sitting next to us, the woman stands up and is clearly upset. She starts saying things like "I should not have to deal with that. I am too good for this. Etc, etc, etc." and acting really put out. Apparently she was making a huge deal about having to sit next to Reese. Luckily, I was too absorbed in caring for child to notice this, but Brady told me about it when we got off the shuttle. I honestly wanted to track the lady down and say some really nice things to her. )

After a long day, we arrived at our hotel. It was insanely nice. And we felt really out of place. As we pull up in our rental car, a Hyundai Sonata, we realize that every car in sight is a really expensive luxury car. Think, Rolls Royce, Mercedes, Bently, Maserati, etc. It was awesome.

We check into our room and are in awe. This ties for the top honor of nicest hotel we've ever stayed at. I mean, there was a TV in the bathroom so you could watch it while you were in the bath tub. And, if you're wondering, yes, Brady did watch the BYU basketball game while soaking in the jacuzzi tub. This is the view of the pool from our room.

{Sleeping in the car}

A few days later, we drive from Miami across the state to Clearwater Beach. We stay at a more "affordable" hotel. Traveling tip....always end your trip at the 4-star resort. Never at the Best Western. Basically, we got spoiled at the Fairmont and when we arrived at the Best Western "Resort," I wanted to cry. I have no problems with Best Westerns, seeing as how Brady and I are really cheap travelers, we stay at them sometimes. Let's just say that Reese cried whenever we would come back to the hotel room and broke 3 things in the first 5 minutes we were there (not joking). The plus side of the hotel was that it was directly on the beach, which was really convenient with a toddler.

Since Brady served his mission in Clearwater, he knew a great spot to go see alligators. We got to see this mama gator with her babies. (If you look closely, you can see them in the picture above her head and swimming in the water.)

Mainly, we spend our time at the pool or the beach. We had perfect weather, mid-80's and sunny, the entire time. It was a perfect break from the cold, gray, Chicago weather.

Reese was in heaven. She learned how to say "beach," which for the first few days sounded naughty. There were tons of seashells and she loved collecting them. She calls them "see sees." She also loved chasing the birds up and down the beach. Taking her to the beach was really, really fun, but not at all relaxing. She was on the go the entire time (not a surprise, right?!).

And, like the last two out of state trips, we made a trip to an urgent care clinic. Reese developed a painful yeast rash while we were there. Not a big deal, but we had no idea what it was. We got a prescription, and we were good.

We spent our last evening in Florida at the beach. There was a little cafe that had ice cream, so we got ourselves ice cream cones and watched the sunset. It was a good night. We were sad to go, but as always a part of us was ready to get back to our own beds.

Catch Up

2011-03-10T17:00:00.000-06:00

So, the blog has suffered the consequences of a long, cold, boring Chicago winter. In an attempt to redeem myself, here is a brief synopsis of what has happened since....Halloween.

November: Um....I have 5 pictures from this month. They are all of Reese watching Sesame Street holding her Elmo doll. Brady and I celebrate our 6th anniversary. Brady's parents are in town, and we celebrate by going out for sushi. We hosted Thanksgiving dinner and had our friends Juan and Whitney over. We met up with other friends later for pie. Brady, Reese and I exchange colds.

Reese's 15-month stats: 20 lbs 6 oz, 30 1/4 in. She recognizes the nurse at the office and freaks out immediately upon seeing her.

December: Late night trip to ER for Reese. Diagnosis: Croup. She recovers quickly. We fly to Utah for Christmas. Reese loves being outside in the snow. Me and Reese get sick around December 23rd. Have a great Christmas with family. Late night trip to Urgent Care for Reese. Diagnosis: Bronchiolitis. A nurse and I basically have to lay on top of her to get a couple of chest X-rays. Not an easy task. Reese's dislike for women dressed in scrubs is in full force at this point. (Note to self: do not get sick in Utah on Sunday night after Christmas. There will be no pharmacies open within 30 miles.)

January: Reese and I fly home to Chicago with Reese in her very own seat. Not much happening. Reese becomes obsessed with snacking, bead necklaces, and dressing herself. Cold.

February: Reese climbs out of her crib. We took the bumpers out and it has not happened again. I give Reese a hair cut. Brady and I have 3 date nights(!!): Chinese hot pot, Les Mis, and a Blackhawks game. We extend our lease until June 1st. Come visit us before we move!! And, most importantly,

WE SURVIVE THE BLIZZARD OF 2011.

March: Reese learns how to say "toot" and "excuse me" and thinks it's pretty funny. Has fallen in love with Mickey Mouse. 18-month check-up: 22 lbs 4 oz, 32 1/4 inches. Still hates the nurse at the doctor's office. She can say lots of little words and is really, really funny (at least Brady and I think so). Looking forward to our trip to Florida next week. We're heading to Miami then Clearwater Beach for a week of sunshine and beach. Cannot wait. Reese goes crazy for water, so it'll be fun to see what she thinks of the ocean.

Boo!

2010-10-31T20:11:00.004-05:00

Happy Halloween!

Reese dressed up as a dog this year. She loves dogs, and will tell you what the dog says (sometimes...but of course not when she's in her costume). We took pictures of Reese in her costume at the park the day before. It went pretty well other than eating flowers and rocks. We took Reese out on Halloween mostly to just walk around and visit a couple friends. She had fun watching all the people and would point and say "kids" when a big group of kids would go by. She got a few pieces of candy, but true to her nature, instead of putting it in her pumpkin she insisted on carrying as much of it in her hands as she would manage.

Starved Rock State Park

2010-10-20T13:20:00.005-05:00

(Click on collage to enlarge)

We had been wanting to go to Starved Rock State Park, so we packed up a couple weekends ago and made the trip. We had a great time! The drive there was nice and relaxing (Reese slept!) and it was a warm fall weekend. We stayed in Ottawa, IL at a brand new Fairfield Inn courtesy of my former life as a traveling business lady (ha ha ha). We called ahead to see if they had a fridge in the room so we could keep milk around for Reese and they upgraded our room for free! Something about our hotel room really appealed to Reese...she loved it and was very happy whenever we were there.

The park itself was fantastic! I was not expecting this place to be as crowded as it was, but it was packed! Tons and tons of people. There were a lot of hiking trails and once you got away from the main lodge and visitor center, the crowd thinned out significantly. The other unexpected thing? Ladybugs. TONS of them. They were mostly on the wooden elevated pathways, I thought they were really annoying (I swear they were biting me), but Reese liked when they would land on her.

All in all, we had a fun, quick getaway. Reese enjoyed hiking and even FELL ASLEEP in the backpack. If you know our child, you know that is not to be expected. Unfortunately we had to wake her up because her head was flopping around.

It is definitely somewhere I'd go back to check out in all the different seasons. In the spring and late fall, the waterfalls are going in the canyons and in the winter they get icefalls (?not sure if that is a word).

Oh, Canada!

2010-10-12T20:30:00.000-05:00

We went on vacation to Whistler and Vancouver at the end of August. It was awesome! The first awesome thing was that our flights (MDW to MSP and MSP to YVR) had enough empty seats that we were able to take Reese's carseat on the plane with us. She slept for almost the entirety of both flights. I was in heaven. It was amazing...

We drove straight to Whistler when we got there. It is a beautiful drive. It was so nice to have mountains around...it kind of felt like home. Whistler was really fun, we wished we would've stayed another day or so there. Brady went downhill biking at the Whistler Bike Park. He had tons of fun and was bummed he only got to go once.

We spent the rest of the time in Vancouver. The weather was awesome. Mid 60's to low 70's during the day and 40's at night. Very refreshing and such a nice change from the heat and humidity of the Chicago summer. It was perfect!

Highlights of the trip include:
-Biking at Whistler
-Fish and chips at Go Fish!
-Granville Island Public Market, especially the fresh Lee's Donuts
-Getting to spend an entire week together as a family
-Biking around Stanley Park
-Beautiful view from our rental home in North Vancouver. The deck looked directly over the city...the sunsets were awesome!
-Getting together with my cousin Sarah for breakfast
-Hiking
-The beautiful scenery

-Watching Reese play with the goats at the farm

All in all, it was a great vacation. It is different vacationing with a toddler, but Reese was very good. The last bit of awesomeness was that we got to take Reese's carseat on both planes on the way home, as well. Again, amazing. She is much easier to fly with when she's sleeping!

LOTS of pictures below. You've been warned.

Family Picture Attempt

Whistler MTB park AKA Brady's second love

Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge

Biking the seawall at Stanley Park

Peek-a-Boo

2010-09-30T16:45:00.002-05:00

My goofball child.

A few days ago in the afternoon she entertained herself by making a new friend, her shadow. I was surprised how long she did it. Of course by the time I got the video camera out, she was finishing up.

Man, I love this girl and all the crazy things she does to make me smile.

Reese Turns One!

2010-09-29T08:41:00.000-05:00

Yes, the blogging has taken a back seat to chasing my child around. Oh, well. Here's a catch up.

Reese's birthday was August 20th. I made some cupcakes and we invited a few friends over to go swimming. It was a fun day, but a little cold for the swim. We waited until Brady got home for Reese to dive into her cupcake. She liked it and ate the whole thing. She pretty much ate the frosting off the top, then broke it into two halves, shoving each half into her mouth. That's kind of her eating style. Here are the pictures...

On a side note, at Reese's one-year check up she weighed 18 lbs 6 oz and was 29 inches long. She has jumped into the 10th percentile weight-wise and is holding steady in the 50th percentile for height.

More boring stuff about Reese:
-Has 4 teeth: 2 top, 2 bottom
-Has discovered toilets. Not so fun (or sanitary).
-Has fun laughing at herself when she walks backwards or spins in circles.
-Cannot resist eating sand and/or dirt.
-Loves looking at pictures of people she knows.
-Knows how to comb her hair (and mom's, too).
-Can find belly buttons
-Likes to hide in small places like cupboards, closets, etc.

Utah

2010-09-29T08:32:00.001-05:00

Reese and I headed to Utah a few days after we returned from Vancouver. We basically had a 3-week long vacation. No complaints here! Not to sound like a broken record, but I got to take Reese's car seat on our flight to and from Salt Lake City. Again, nothing short of amazing-ness. I actually got to listen to my iPod and read a book.

I didn't take a whole lot of pictures in Utah. We had a great time spending time with family and friends. Reese LOVED the dogs at my parents house. She generally likes dogs, but her and Max had a good time chasing each other around and sharing toys (gross, I know.)

We had a more official birthday party for Reese with family. I went with an owl theme and I had lots of fun planning it! My mom and I stayed up late the night before putting her owl cake together. I was excited, it looked really good! However, my mom woke me up the next morning by saying, "Meg, your cake tipped over." Yep. The owl slowly hunched forward in the night. Grrrr. We saved the head and it became Reese's smash cake. We started over and it turned out fine.

The owl cake!

The smash cake

I'm glad that I am able to go to Utah frequently and spend time with our family there. It always amazes me how fast 2 weeks goes by, though. It feels like I'm going to be there for a long time, but it always is over before I know it.

New Tricks!

2010-07-20T16:58:00.049-05:00

Reese's repertoire of antics has increased over the past couple weeks. Her new favorite activities include:

-Climbing into the dishwasher.

-Opening cupboards and pulling food off the lazy Susan.

-Opening drawers and emptying them of their contents.

-Going into rooms and closing herself in.

-Pulling diapers out of her diaper stacker.

-Standing by herself from sitting! She just pops right up. She's tried to take steps a couple of times. I'm afraid. Once she starts, she'll NEVER stop.

-Trying to climb out of her playpen.

-Running from one end of the house to the other with her new push toy.

I also recently had to try and get a passport photo of Reese for our upcoming trip to Canada. It took days and countless attempts to get a picture where: she was looking at the camera, not crying, had her eyes open, wasn't blurry, didn't have her hand in her mouth, didn't have her hand(s) waving, couldn't see our hands while trying to hold her...etc, etc. I finally got a good shot, pulled it up on the computer and she had a huge piece of food on her tongue. I had to use a little Photoshop magic to bring it up to US State Department standards. Let's hope they accept it. Here are the reject pictures:

The Taste...

2010-07-20T16:47:00.001-05:00

We headed to the Taste of Chicago on July 3rd. Eeehhhhh....we weren't too impressed. We're glad we went, but for the money we spent, I could have had a much better "meal." This is going to make me sound old and lame, but it was hot and crowded. Had it not been (hot and crowded) we may have enjoyed it more. Oh, and then I read this story and have decided I won't feel bad if that was my first and last time. We were planning on heading to the beach afterwards, but due to sore feet/new shoes, we settled for the pool.

Gaycation

2010-06-23T14:41:00.010-05:00

I recently took a trip for work to Phoenix, AZ. In an attempt to save my company some money I opted to fly Southwest. As many of you know, you are not assigned a seat on Southwest. Seats are first come first serve. So, everybody has their own strategy to get the seats they want.

My strategy is to act disgusting and obnoxious before boarding the flight – altering everybody else’s strategy to “I don’t care where I sit as long as it’s not by that guy”.

As I was walking around blowing snot rockets, smelling my armpit while wincing, and generally trying to be as disgusting as possible – I notice a group of five homosexual men. Yes, I judged them and assumed they were gay. Was it right of me? Probably not. But sometimes tight fitting clothes, makeup, and talking with lots of body and hand movements sends a certain signal. Anyway, I didn’t think much of it except every time I looked in their direction they would be staring at me. When we’d make eye contact they wouldn’t look away, they just kept staring. This quickly made me lose focus on being disgusting. I found myself trying to casually hide outside of their line of vision. When I would peek my head around the object obstructing their line of vision I’d find them still staring at me!

I figured they somehow knew that I was LDS and had a personal vendetta against me thanks to what happened in California. I was outnumbered and didn’t know what to do. I began praying that we would quickly board the flight and I wouldn’t have to sit by them. Then I thought, maybe they don’t think I’m LDS because I’m flying on Sunday – and a good Mormon wouldn’t fly on Sunday, right? Maybe, I thought, they don’t know I’m LDS….maybe they just find my outfit atrocious. Or, maybe when I glanced at them initially they thought I was staring at them! Maybe they’re thinking the same thing I am – why is he staring at us?!?

Well, this changed my strategy from trying to be the guy nobody wants to sit by to “I don’t care where I sit as long as it’s not by those guys” (I should note that personally I would have no problem sitting next to a gay person on a plane, my feelings would have been the same if they were a group of terrorists………wait, bad analogy – I would have felt the same if they were a group of Boy Scouts).

When I booked my ticket I thought I booked it with Southwest’s “Business Select” feature that allows you priority boarding. I soon realized I neglected to do so and would be one of the last passengers to board. Once on the plane I began walking towards the back where the open seats were. There were two seats together that were open. With a sigh of relief I sat down knowing I wouldn't be sitting by "those guys". Soon enough I noticed a couple with a look of disappointment that they weren’t going to be able to sit together – only single seats were left. So I grudgingly offered them my seat so they could sit together (they happened to be an LDS couple from Cali). By that point every seat on the plane had been taken…..except for one. The one seat open was on the very back row next to the guys I was trying to avoid.

I took my seat and was immediately entrenched in conversation with the guys sitting next to me. They were very nice - and odd enough, 4 of the 5 were LDS. They were in Chicago for the weekend bar hopping in Boystown. I knew it! So, the whole LDS thing wasn’t practiced – but they spoke highly of the church.

Luckily these guys were quite flamboyant, because anybody who knows me knows that I like my drinks cold, my TV loud, and my homosexuals flaming! It made for a more entertaining flight. I soon learned that a lot of that hand talking I noticed them doing in the airport was real life hand talking...they all knew sign language and kept signing to each other while we were talking. I have a hard time carrying on one conversation, let alone two.

The gentleman sitting next to me was very touchy-feely. He was constantly brushing the back of my arm. I didn’t think too much of it, although it kept happening in more frequent intervals. Halfway through our flight I mentioned that I had a beautiful wife and baby at home. The two guys to my left both gasped, one bringing his hand to his mouth in a very non-yawning way. They went silent, signed to each other, and then informed me that they thought I was gay. I smiled and nodded…..then I realized what he just said – what the what?!? I had a brief awkward moment not knowing how to respond. I didn’t want to offend them by responding in a WTF way, but I didn’t want to lead them on that I was an “in-the-closet” gay.

So, I faked a seizure.

Okay, maybe I didn’t…..I just chuckled a fake chuckle and our conversation died. I opened my book and pretended to read while they put in their ear phones. There was no more touchy-feely gay guy next to me. I spent the remainder of my flight alone.

Once we landed we had some light conversation and bid adieu. Several weeks have passed and I still don’t know what to think about that experience. I’ve never had a gay man flirt with me. Had an attractive women flirted with me I could have bragged to my wife about it – making sure she realizes how lucky she is *sarcasm*! But I’m not sure bragging about a gay man hitting on me has the same effect.

What about me made them think I was gay? Is it the way I dress? The way I talk? Do I talk with my hands too much? If you know please tell me!

Now I want to say that people thinking I’m gay doesn’t bother me, because it shouldn’t. The way I live my life shouldn’t be influenced by what others might think of me. And even if somebody does think I’m gay, so what? What’s the difference if they think I’m straight? We’re all humans, we’re all God’s children, and we’re all different in our own ways.

But this experience has left me with a slight homo-complex. I went shopping with Megan last weekend (I know what you’re thinking – Brady spent his weekend shopping, yep he’s gay…..I promise you that’s not the case, I just…..eeehhhh….needed some work clothes, you know – the non gay kind). While browsing, If I saw a clothing item I liked I’d step back and think, wait….will this make me look gay? I couldn’t bring myself to step into Banana Republic or J. Crew. I felt everything I looked at would just make me look gay. Suffice to say I will never be able to buy new clothes again; I will just go on looking gay with my current wardrobe.

9 months

2010-06-18T08:49:00.003-05:00

Reese had her 9-month (almost 10) check-up this week. It was quite the adventure! Her appointment was at 3:45 PM. The weather was fine for most the day, but they were predicting heavy rain to start between 3-4. Niiiice. Normally we take the train to her doctor's appointments, but I didn't really feel like walking to/from the train station in the rain and both of us getting soaked. So, I put Reese in the Baby Bjorn, packed an umbrella, and we hopped on the bus. I wasn't sure how she'd do, but she LOVED it. The bus got pretty crowded as we got to Grant & Millennium Park, but that meant there were even more people to look at and smile at! It wasn't as crowded on the way home, but Reese decided that our fellow passengers needed some serenading and did her happy scream for part of the way home. Oh, and it started pouring about 2 blocks before our stop. Good thing I brought that umbrella!

Here are her 9 1/2 month stats:

Weight: 15 lbs 8 oz (0-5 percentile)

Height: 28 inches (50 percentile)

Our doctor said she's small, but he's not concerned because she is growing steadily and meeting her milestones.

This is one of her current favorite "toys"

One of her 2 pairs of sunglasses. It's not obvious in this picture, but she won't wear them for more than 5 seconds. She'd rather squint into the sun.

We've been enjoying the warm weather (when it's not raining!) and going to the pool a lot. Reese loves the water. She is starting to get a little more cuddly and is learning how to give "loves" which Brady and I have been enjoying. Basically, she pushes her head into you, says "oooohhhh" and loves you. She has also started to love the pictures in her book and her stuffed animals. I can't believe how fast she is at crawling around and pulling herself up on things. Last week she started walking along the couch and sometimes she'll let go of what she's holding on to and stand by herself for a few seconds.

Looking Out

2010-06-14T11:18:00.001-05:00

This is what today looks like.

It's a weird feeling to look out your windows (in mid-June) and see nothing but white.

I'm craving some summer-time weather.

9 months

2010-06-01T21:16:00.001-05:00

Now that I'm 9 months old (ok, it's more like 9 1/2, mom is just behind), here's what I've been up to:

-Crawling like a crazy woman! I am getting very fast.
-Standing up on anything and everything. Sometimes I try to stand by myself...not usually very successful.
-I love watching kids (especially older kids) play. I had fun in Utah playing with my cousins Sophia & Jazmin. Hopefully next time, Jazmin will like me more!
-Dogs are fun. Especially little dogs that bark a lot. I like to laugh at them!
-Pulling books off the book shelf. Not just my books, but Mom's and Dad's too.
-I love to eat. I'm not a big fan of the boring baby food, I'd much rather feed myself. My favorites are black beans, bananas, avocados, and whatever it is that you're eating, I want some.
-Sometimes I'll wave at you if I'm feeling it. If not, I'll just look at you like you're crazy.
-Learning how to dance. Give me something with a beat and I'll move (a little)!
-Exploring the outdoors. I love to try to eat sticks, leaves, and dirt. I also try to crawl after birds if I see them.
-Finding cords (computer, vacuum, cell phone chargers, blow dryers) is a hobby of mine.
-I can say "uh oh," "dada," and "mama." I think I kind of understand what "uh oh" means. I say it when I throw things on the floor.
-Had my first fever. I was hot and my temperature was 103. Thankfully that was my only symptom and it only lasted about 2 days. I was still happy, it just slowed me down a little. I actually cuddled with Mom and Dad.

8 Months....

2010-04-20T21:20:00.004-05:00

Wow! 8 months. I cannot believe how fast time is going by! I know I say the same thing every month, but it is crazy that I have an 8 month old. It feels like we were just sitting at home timing contractions, bringing her home, giving her her first bath, etc.

It also amazes me how fast they learn things. I've loved watching Reese figure things out. From how her hands work, to rolling over, scooting, sitting, how to catch her balance when she starts to tip over, and her latest, how to pull herself up on EVERYTHING.

Here's the scoop:

-Weighs around 14.5 lbs...However, she still fits in the outfit we brought her home from the hospital in!
-Loves being outside, but hates the sun in her eyes.
-Started crawling about a week ago. Now she is everywhere!
-She has finally perfected moving from laying down to sitting up on her own.
-Pulling herself up. Loves to do this in her crib and suck on the bars. We love going in her room and seeing her cute face peering over the top. However, it was a sad day lowering the mattress.
-Loves cords, playing with mom’s hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes.
-Has become quite the mama's girl.
-She's still a super happy baby. (With the exception of a few days last week when she was extra clingy and whiny. Let's just say I had a minor meltdown, but have since recovered. Seriously, I told Brady I didn't know if I could have any more children.)
-Likes feeding herself. It's so funny to watch, she usually gets about 1/4 of the food in her mouth. The rest of it goes in her highchair and bib.
-Likes to give herself "kisses" in mirrors, glass, the oven door....anything smooth or that she can see her reflection in.
-Eats everything! Most recently the bow in her hair. It came out in her diaper several days later.
-L-O-V-E-S when Dad comes home at night. When she hears the door, she's looking everywhere for him. When she can finally see him, she gets a HUGE smile and starts kicking her legs like crazy!
-Food she goes crazy for: Avocado and Rice Krispies

More Spring...

2010-04-20T21:00:00.004-05:00

Here are some spring shots from around the neighborhood.

Warm Weather!

2010-04-20T20:09:00.008-05:00

Thankfully, spring came earlier to Chicago than it did last year. We've had some great weather (a few days in the 80's!) and we've been outside taking advantage of it! Hence the lack of blogging.

Reese and I strolled down to Grant Park one afternoon and she experienced grass for the first time. There was some hesitation, but after the initial feel, she loved it. And by loved it, I mean she wanted to eat it. Now every time we go to a park and put the blanket out, she crawls right over to the grass and tries to pick it.

We headed to the Garfield Park Conservatory back in March. It was a fun way to spend a cold, spring day. Plus, it's free, which is always a plus, and there is an El stop right outside.

advice?

2010-03-23T19:15:00.002-05:00

So...I'm thinking about trying to make my own baby food for the kidlet. Anyone out there have any advice?

Just Keep Swimming....

2010-03-17T21:02:00.004-05:00

I took Reese swimming for the first time today. Our friend has an indoor pool in her building, so a few of our friends got together for a swim play date. Reese loves taking baths, so I thought she'd like the pool. Initially, she was a little unsure. I think the water felt a little cold. But once she got used to it, she had fun. She was kicking her legs and liked to be on her stomach. She only lasted about 20 minutes, but we had fun. Thanks Morgan!

Also, I'm grateful for all the friends we've made since we moved to Chicago. I was nervous about moving here, having a baby, and not knowing anyone. Luckily, we've met some great people and it's been so nice having friends to get together with during the week. It definitely adds to my day to have some adult conversation!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T20:35:00.011-05:00

We had our first glimpse of Chicago's St. Patrick's Day celebration last weekend. St. Pat's is a pretty big deal here. There are a couple of big parades, various cultural celebrations, and of course the dyeing of the Chicago River. My mom was in town, so we headed out to go check out the river.

The river was very cool to see. It's amazing how green they get it! I knew it was a big day for partying...but it was pure craziness. Everyone was decked out in green. (I'm festive! Check out my coat!) At 2 pm we saw TONS of people completely drunk, barely able to walk down the street. Pretty much every garbage can was overflowing with beer cartons, cans, bottles, etc. Every bar we walked past was packed!

While my mom was here, Reese figured out the army crawl. The girl is fast! And determined. If she sees something she wants, she goes after it and nothing will stop her. She can get up on her hands and knees and rock back and forth. She can't quite figure out the arm thing though, but I'm sure she'll figure it out soon enough. And I'm scared. I told Brady we're getting some sort of cage/fence apparatus.

The last pictures are of Reese last Sunday. She is wearing my blessing dress.

Six Months

2010-03-09T19:56:00.004-06:00

We took Reese in for her 6 month check-up today. Here's the latest stats on our little lady:

13 lbs 2 oz (5-10th percentile)

26 1/2 inches (75th percentile)

This is definitely such a fun age. She is so much fun to interact with and is generally all smiles. Naps are still short and unpredictable, but we're working on it. To make up for the lack of sleep, we've started putting her to bed between 7 and 7:30 pm. For the struggle she puts up to stay awake during the day, nights are a breeze. Sleeping at night is definitely her thing...she lays right down and we generally don't hear her until 6-7 AM.

She has really started scooting around the last couple weeks. She has the feet part figured out, it's just the arms that she hasn't quite got the hang of yet. It's pretty funny to watch her push herself forward with her head on the ground. She has also figured how to push her self up onto her toes and hands into plank position. We're going to be doing yoga together before soon! The sitting is coming along as well. She'll go 10-20 seconds of sitting on her own before she gets distracted by something and leans forward to grab it.

We started solids a few weeks ago and she is digging it (mostly). Once we had the cereal thing down, we advanced to veggies. Sweet potatoes and carrots were a success. The first time we attempted peas, she literally gagged. Sad, but funny. We tried again the next night and she was much better. You can tell she doesn't love them, but she'll eat them.

I can't believe that half a year has already gone by! I feel like she is still so little, but looking at pictures and seeing newborns makes me realize that she is quite (relatively speaking) grown up! It's amazing all the learning and growing that goes on in the first several months. Even though we have our rough days, I feel very blessed to be able to spend my days with Reese.

To Do List....

2010-02-23T11:31:00.002-06:00

Clean the floor.

Enough said.
The spit up has resurfaced with a vengence. True story.

At least she was having fun, right?

love

2010-02-19T18:55:00.002-06:00

This is why my husband rocks!

He brought me home sushi for dinner!

(I think he felt bad he was ditching me on a Friday night...)

Sleepless in Chicago

2010-02-12T09:41:00.005-06:00

Here's the background....

Reese typically sleeps pretty well at night (for a 5 month old). Obviously she has her crazy nights where she wakes up at 1:30 AM and will NOT go back to sleep. But, for the most part, she sleeps from about 8-8:30 PM until 6:30-7:30 AM. Not bad. She wakes up happy and making cute baby noises.

For a while, Brady and I have been curious about what time she really wakes up, because she likes to hang out quietly in her crib before she lets us know she's awake. I figure she is usually awake for about 30 minutes before the squealing begins. Also, recently she has been waking up at all hours of the night, jabbers away for up to 30 minutes, then goes back to sleep.

In addition, daytime sleep is...eh. An average Reese nap is 30-45 minutes 3x a day. If she wakes up earlier (6 AM) then sometimes she'll take a longer nap. Sometimes.

So last night, I had a typical Megan dream. This one was really scary and I woke up at 3 AM all freaked out. I couldn't go back to sleep, so I thought I'd go check on Reese since she's been rolling over at night and sleeping on her stomach. (Makes me very nervous!) I walk quietly into her room, so as to not wake her, and peek over her crib. What the WHAT?!? She is wide awake playing with her hands and feet. I dropped the ground as fast as I could so she couldn't see me and start crying. As I'm laying there wondering how I got such a crazy child, I decide to get another look at her and make sure she's really awake. Yep, WIDE awake. I head back to bed and try to sleep. Around 3:30 AM she starts making cute sounds. I eventually fall asleep. Brady wakes up around 4:30 AM, and she is STILL awake. I'm not sure what time she actually went back to sleep.

So, basically I wonder if my child sleeps at night? OK, yes, I know she sleeps. I guess I wonder how much sleep she is getting at night? She doesn't sleep much during the day, so maybe she has some abnormal ability to function without sleeping?

Here's a picture of how she likes to sleep. She no longer gets to sleep with a blanket (see stomach sleeping comment above).

yeah, i'm lazy...

2010-02-10T14:54:00.012-06:00

Soooo....I realize my blogging has fallen by the wayside lately. I'm not sure why, considering my days aren't too busy. We spend the majority of our time indoors avoiding the frigid Chicago weather. Maybe it's because of that reason that I have nothing interesting or exciting to blog about. All the weird, living in a big city stories happen to Brady, not me. I could post lots of pictures of the wee child (trust me, I have PLENTY), which is probably what I'll do today, since I have nothing else for you.

We really haven't been up to anything exciting since we got back from Utah. It seems like every winter I get in a baking mood, and this one is no exception. I've been having the urge to make things and I've been trying to resist (baked goods + me being home all day = BAD). The Food Network and the Travel Channel have been very appealing to me lately. I've been scoping out restaurants to try around Chicago once we dare leave our house.

My goals for this year are to learn more about my camera and become a better photographer. I'm hoping to take a good photo class to get me started. Also, Brady got me Photoshop Elements for my birthday and I got how-to book for Christmas, so I've been reading/learning that. The end product of those two goals is to start digital scrapbooking. I have a tendency to get excited about things, and get started on them, only to leave them half-way done. Hopefully I can find a little more motivation with this one!

Here are some pictures from Reese's blessing day (12.20.09) and some other random ones I've taken recently.

2010-01-14T19:19:00.000-06:00

::4 1/2 months::

12 lbs 2 oz {10-25th percentile}
26 inches {50th percentile}

petite, happy, alert.

loves to roll over to her tummy. also enjoys eating her feet. giggling, spitting, and lots of 'talking.'

still catnapping during the day.

never sits still...loves to party!

wishing....

2009-12-11T12:52:00.001-06:00

for a little of this weather, so i could do a little of this! sigh.....

our daugher, the contortionist

2009-11-27T13:40:00.004-06:00

I think maybe she got some of her mom's "flexy" genes....

{she'll do this arch-the-back move and push with her feet and turn herself around in circles, it's crazy}

da bears

2009-11-24T18:02:00.004-06:00

Brady's work has season tickets to the Chicago Bears, and we had tickets for Sunday night's game. Brady, Brent, and I were able to go and Reese stayed home with Grandma G. We had great weather over the weekend and had fun at the game. It would have been more fun to watch if they had played better, but it was still a good time just being there.

This picture shows our building in the top left corner poking out from the top of the stadium, with the blue lights. It was nice to be able to walk to and from the game.

three months

2009-11-24T17:59:00.000-06:00

Reese hit her three month mark on the 20th of November. I think she weighs around 11 pounds. She's a little girl...long and skinny. Grandma and Grandpa Ahlstrom were in town so we celebrated by going out for Greek food!

She has changed SO much over the past 2 weeks. I can't believe all the new skills she has learned so quickly. A couple weeks ago I felt bad because she didn't have any toys, so I made a very ghetto toy for her to play with. It's a tin foil ball suspended with dental floss. I told you it was ghetto. No worries, though, because she LOVES this thing. When I initially made it, she would stare at it and every once in a while, she'd swat at it. Over the past 2 weeks, she has become a tinfoil grabbing pro. Now once you put it over her, she immediately grabs for it with both hands. It is so fun to watch. In other hand/eye coordination news, she has almost mastered her thumb sucking skills, as well. For a while, she would have to search around for her thumb. Now she can usually stick her thumb right where she wants it. There are still times when she just sticks every finger she can manage in there and ends up with slobber all over her face. I'm her mom, so I think it's really cute.

And now the big news, she ROLLED OVER. Not once, but THREE times. And, of course all of this happened minutes after I left, so I didn't get to see it. I left to go do my visiting teaching, and she decided it was time to roll. Brady and Grandma Gail were the lucky spectators. And of course I haven't been able to get her to do it again. But seriously, I cannot believe that she is old enough to be doing these sort of tricks! sigh...

Sorry about the lack of better pictures, I broke the lens on my camera a few weeks ago, and haven't been able to replace it yet....

other fun facts:
-Loves to "talk" to Dad when he comes home from work at night. He is able to get her making lots of noises.
-Has discovered her screaming voice and loves to hear herself make funny, cute screeching noises. (We'll see how long they're cute!)
-Getting better and better at tummy time. This is obvious as she has rolled over.
-Will grab toys placed in front of her. Today she was laying on the floor while I was eating breakfast and I looked over and she had picked up a toy in each hand.
-Has fun looking at herself in the mirror. She'll smile at herself and watch her hands and feet move around.
-Still a generally good sleeper. She had a short stretch of sleeping 9-10 hours at night. She got a little mixed up with G & G in town, so hopefully she'll get back to her routine soon. She is napping about 3 times a day (around 10:30am, 2 pm, and 5 pm...give or take) for 45 minutes to an hour.

Kyle Korver is Carrot Top

2009-11-24T14:00:00.004-06:00

I know many of you ladies will be upset by this post, but the fact of the matter is Kyle Korver is a splitting image of Carrot Top. Maybe they're the same person - Carrot Top is the offseason job? Maybe they're just brothers. Who knows. Either way, you can't deny the fact that they look alike.

I'm sorry if I've ruined your fantasies of this man. But not that sorry, because I don't think Korver likes girls.

Happy Anniversary!

2009-11-19T17:49:00.001-06:00

Today is our 5 year anniversary! I can't believe how fast the time has gone by! It's been fun, crazy, and amazing! We've had the opportunity to do a lot of fun things with one another over the years. Happy Anniversary Brady! Thanks for being my best friend, a great husband, and an awesome dad! I love you.

This picture was taken right after we got engaged. We hiked up to this overlook of Phelps Lake outside of Jackson Hole, WY. Even though we had ordered my ring, Brady still managed to surprise me with it. Everytime we go back to Jackson, we make it a point to hike up here and enjoy the view. On a side note, we look young in this picture, don't we?! Gotta love Brady's long hair!

Halloween

2009-11-12T13:33:00.003-06:00

Here are some (late) Halloween pictures! We had a fun Halloween weekend. My mom, Heidi, Kevin, and Sophia came to spend the weekend with us. They got in late Thursday night and stayed until Sunday evening. Brady and I were blown away by how much Sophia has changed since we saw her in July. She was talking a little bit then, but still kind of shy about it. Now she is a chatterbox! She is a funny girl. The funniest thing she did was to practice her fake cry in the hallway mirror. Reese was crying and my mom was holding her, and I think Soph wanted some attention. She walked over to the mirror and watched herself do a fake cry. Then she would whisper 'baby, baby, baby' to herself and fake cry some more. She would then proceed to come in the living room and perform her fake cry. Heidi...I think you may have a drama queen on your hands!

We ate breakfast at the Bongo Room. This time I had brown sugar brioche french toast with vanilla bean and caramel sauce, candied pears, dried cherries, and oatmeal streusel on top. Yes, it was good. Heidi got pumpkin and zucchini flapjacks with white chocolate and caramel sauce. They were delicious as well. This picture is Brady's chocolate banana french toast.

Brady's work has season tickets to the Blackhawks and he was able to get 4 tickets to the game. They were great seats and the game was awesome.

We dressed up the kidlets for Halloween and trick-or-treated at the front desk. Soph was a bee and Reese was a skeleton. I love the picture above of them together. Soph will hold her for just a second then she starts pushing her away.

NBA - where amazing happens

2009-11-03T08:57:00.003-06:00

I've been meaning to post this but haven't got around to it - so if you've already seen this I apologize for wasting your time.

Manu Ginobili is the man, I love his game and watching him play. Maybe it's because he looks like somebody I'd play against in a pickup game at the local YMCA and not somebody playing in the NBA, the fact that I can relate to his suffering through male pattern baldness, or simply he's got skills that can translate into his own show on the animal planet.

Now, what you're about to see is purely amazing - and the fact that it happened on halloween increases the whole amazing factor.

2009-10-23T14:58:00.008-05:00

Tattoo Mugshots

because what else am i supposed to do while my daughter pretends to take a nap?

(( that's right, she's pretending to nap. she acts tired, so i put her in her crib and she closes her eyes. after about 45 of "napping" i go in to check on her. she's wide awake, just looking around. it's actually very funny until about 8:30 pm when she has a tired meltdown. but, on the bright side, she slept from 10:30'ish until 5:30 am, and from 6 am until 9:45 am. i love her.))

anyway, check out the crazy tats. happy weekend.

8 weeks

2009-10-19T15:29:00.005-05:00

we took reese to the doctor last thursday for her 2-month appointment. she got her first round of immunizations and had to get a little silver nitrate on her belly button. (she had an umbilical granuloma...part of the umbilical tissue that stayed around after her cord fell off.)

she weighed in at 9 lbs 8 oz, and was 22 inches long. she's in the 25th percentile for weight and 50th for length.

it's crazy that she's been here for 2 months. it's flown by, but at the same time, it feels like we've always had her.

she was quite upset after getting her shots, but fell asleep on the ride home. brady's family got into town thursday afternoon and she welcomed them with quite the screaming/crying show. after we gave her some tylenol and she got some sleep, she was back to her happy self and kept everyone entertained all weekend long.

here's what she is up to these days:
+ loves her hands, especially her thumb. she'll spend hours trying to get her little thumb in her mouth. it's hilarious. if she can't get her thumb, she's happy with any other finger, or she'll just put her whole fist in there.

+ has discovered her tongue. loves to stick her tongue out and make licking motions. the show gets even better if there is something around to lick. blankets, clothes, people, etc.

+ sleeping. she sleeps pretty well. we have a bedtime routine of getting a bath, putting on pjs, eating, then going to bed. she usually goes to bed around 10 PM and will sleep until 4/430 AM and then go right back to sleep until about 730 am. she's been sleeping in her crib since she was born and she has slept through the night 3 times, but nothing consistent. but, she has been slowly been sleeping longer and longer. also, she is great about taking naps. if i can tell she's getting sleepy, i can usually go lay her in her crib and she'll put herself to sleep.

+very alert and likes to interact with people. she can pick out who is talking to her and will make eye contact and play with them.

+she lost some of her hair a couple weeks after she was born and had this weird, old man receding hairline. it's been growing back in the past week or so and you can see her cowlicks again.

+is starting to 'talk' and make all sorts of noises. if you start talking or singing to her, she'll usually start making noises right back at you. she especially likes if you mimic the types of noise she is making.

+happy, happy, happy. reese is so sweet and happy. we're lucky that she has such a happy personality and is so much fun.
she had fun hanging out with brady's family and i think she enjoyed all the attention.

first celebrity spotting

2009-10-07T13:37:00.003-05:00

ooohhh.

ok, it wasn't really that cool. mainly because: 1) i was far away, and 2) i didn't even know who or what movie it was until later.

reese and i went on a walk down to grant park to enjoy the weather while it lasts. as we got closer, you could tell something big was going on. turns out they were filming a movie, "LFZ" and if i chose to walk in that area, they could use my likeness in their film. they had lots of video production stuff, food for the actors, fake street vendors, etc. i had to stand around waiting on the sidewalk forever because they were shooting and didn't want random people in the background. all i could see was an older guy walking with a little girl.

later that day, i was reading this blog, which keeps my up to date on all the happenings in my hood. turns out they were filming "Little Fockers" and the guy i saw was robert de niro. ben stiller and jessica alba were also around, but i didn't see them.

basically, this is what i saw:

unfortunately, i didn't think i'd encounter any excitement, so i left the camera at home. (photo from here.) that's about it. so, when "Little Fockers" comes out, look for the scene at the Agora Statues. then look for me in the background, pushing a stroller.

2009-09-30T07:43:00.008-05:00

dear nice person who stole my american express account number:

you suck. thanks for racking up $1200 on my card. awfully nice of you! who spends $115 on movie tickets? did you take everyone you know? luckily you were stupid enough to buy an airplane ticket. you gotta put your NAME on those, friend. and they know where and when you're travelling. so, i hope my peeps at AmEx were telling the truth when they said they'd contact the authorities and have them meet you at the airport and apprehend you. too bad i can't be there!

as much as i'd like to know who you are and how you got my account information, it's nice that i know your name...it's listed on the ticket you bought and i can see it on my AmEx account. i'm currently accepting ideas of what i can do with that information. if you see this man on the street have him call me, he's the smart guy who used my credit card:

thanks to the nice folks at AmEx for being vigilant enough to catch this the day it happened. even if it was due to the fact that a former employee of yours had recently stolen our account information and therefore you were placing additional fraud monitoring on our account. kind of random, assuming the two incidents are unrelated, as you are telling us. anyway, kudos. keep up the good work. also, thanks for not making me responsible for the fraudulent charges.

again, you suck.

p.s. what were the 9 $5 charges at craigslist? also, when you use the greyhound bus ticket you bought, i hope you sit by the craziest, stinkiest, grossest person on the bus. and that they give you the swine flu.

p.p.s. $200 on flowers? and ANOTHER plane ticket?? now i know who you're friends with. nice.

thanks for listening, i feel a little better.

megan

reese smiles

2009-09-29T09:04:00.001-05:00

this makes all those late nights and crying jags totally worth it.

One Month Stats

2009-09-22T18:42:00.006-05:00

reese had her one-month check-up today. here are the numbers:

8 lbs 8 oz - 25 percentile

21 inches - 50 percentile

37 cm head - 25-50 percentile

we also found out she has a medium sized umbilical hernia (which i already knew/guessed thanks to google. who needs doctors?). the doctor assured us it is purely cosmetic and it will probably remedy itself within 18 months. if not, she'll have a funny belly button. also, if you're bored and search google images for 'umbilical hernia' you'll find some pretty frightening pictures. don't worry, hers doesn't look scary.

lastly, she had her HepB one-month booster. sad, sad baby. she screamed and held her breath, but calmed down pretty quickly.

here's a couple pre-doctor appt pics (p.s. brady got her dressed today! good job, eh?)

4 Weeks of Smiles

2009-09-22T08:34:00.004-05:00

As time goes by Reese continues to smile more and more. I’m surprised that she has smiled as much as she has in her first month. We have been blessed with a very happy and content baby. Reese is very aware of what is going on around her and will usually respond with eye contact when you talk to her. These pictures were taken last Saturday. She was smiling a lot and big when I was trying to make monkey noises. Sometimes, like in these pictures, Reese looks like she might be a red head!

Reese @ 3 Weeks

2009-09-22T08:31:00.003-05:00

These pictures of Reese were taken almost two weeks ago, but they are too cute not to post. Props to Megan for taking such amazing photos!

last year at this time....

2009-09-06T18:43:00.004-05:00

a year ago we were finishing up our 2-week trip to Costa Rica. good times (mostly...). i still crave food from the little columbian soda we stumbled across in jaco. brady craves the coke in bottles. we stayed at quite the wide variety of places: the most disgusting hostel, relaxing rainforest hotels, posh marriott resorts, and some other fun places.

lots of changes have happened over the last year! here are some pics from our trip...CR was a good time and we're looking forward to more fun vacations!

2 weeks!

2009-09-03T21:02:00.001-05:00

can't believe she is 2 weeks old today! time has flown by, i have a hard time believeing it's been that long. she's a pretty happy little girl. here's some info about her:

-loves her hands! especially when she's trying to eat.
-makes the funniest faces. smiles, pouts, looks amazed, confused, mad - all in a couple of seconds.
-has been sleeping well at night. i've had to wake her up after about 4 1/2 hours to eat. we'll see how long that lasts, though.
-loves to look out our windows at all the city lights. she also loves to look at the stark white ceiling and grey couch....???
-good cuddler. has figured out how to work her way up your chest and nuzzle up in your neck. this has inspired dad to shave daily.

we love our little munchkin!!

And more Baby Pics!

2009-08-27T20:07:00.003-05:00

NorthWestern Hospital has photographers come in and take pictures of your newborn baby when they are 1 day old. These are some of the pictures they took. If you want copies of the pictures you have to pay for them. They call this a "service", but I call it an easy way to make money. Who wouldn't pay for these pics? These beauties should be on the cover of a baby magazine!

More Baby Pics

2009-08-27T19:57:00.002-05:00

::reese dawn::

2009-08-23T09:17:00.008-05:00

august 20, 2009

9:34 am

7 lbs - 19 3/4 in

here are a few pictures. we'll post more later. everyone is doing well and happy to be home!! she is perfect and we're so excited that she is here!

what's new

2009-08-19T17:04:00.004-05:00

Not much.

I'm a week away from my due date, which means we WILL have a baby 2 weeks from tomorrow. Or, we could have her before then. As of today, I'm dilated to a 1+ and 50% effaced...so nothing too telling. I'm just hoping when I go in it's not crowded so I can get a room with a lake view at the hospital!

No name picked out...I'm pretty sure we won't decide until she's actually here. Brady's pretty proud that so many of you voted for Elliott (even though I know about about the cheating that occurred with a few of those votes).

AND....guess what? I WON SOMETHING! I generally am not a lucky person. Things I have won include:

1) a contest in 6th grade for coming up with an anti-drug slogan. Mine was "Cats have 9 lives, you have 1, don't waste it on drugs." Yep, I had to go around to every classroom and hand out the pencils they had made with my clever little saying on it. I was really embarrassed.

2) A pair of shoes. I entered a contest online to win a pair of shoes. 4 months later I came home and there was a box on my porch with my cool, new, all-white ryka walking shoes. Not really my style, but hey, I WON them. They are actually pretty comfy.

3) A blog giveaway. Now that I have more spare time, I sometimes enter blog giveaways if I'd dig the prize. Today I got an e-mail that I won. I was excited, because this time it was something actually cool. I won a gift certificate to The Noble Gnome's etsy store from down and out chic!! I'm excited to pick out what I want...I'm thinking some earrings. This definitely made my day.

for real?

2009-08-19T16:34:00.004-05:00

Brady and I were driving to my doctor's appointment this morning and had the radio on NPR. We were talking and not really paying attention to the story. Eventually we heard something about dumpsters, and diving and thought it sounded interesting so we turned it up.

Turns out, there's a company out there (Macro Sea), that wanted to try their hand at transforming used dumpsters into swimming pools. What?! Sounds weird to me. They created a private, by-invitation-only "lo-fi urban country club" in an industrial section of Brooklyn to test their concept with the hipsters. Basically, they erected a few dumpster pools and added some patio furniture and grills. Because who wouldn't want to go swim in dumpster?? From what I can tell, the pools are part of their bigger plans to take defunct strip malls and transform them into hip places where people want to hang out. Wouldn't you want to hang out at a strip mall and swim in a pool made from an old dumpster?

So, I came home and did a little research about this because I was a semi-curious. Here are the articles I came across. Apparently, the pools have created quite the buzz online. The pictures are pretty interesting.

((NPR, Gawker, New York Times, Cool Hunting))

I will admit, after seeing some of pictures (mainly at Cool Hunting), the pools are actually better that I was imagining. I'll give them credit for a unique idea, but not sure it will ever really catch on. Who knows, though.

Look for them soon in an abandoned strip mall near you!!

Fatman Junk

2009-08-11T11:18:00.005-05:00

Last night after work I made a quick stop at Pep Boys to have my tires aligned. After waiting for roughly an hour in a waiting room with old auto magazines and a small TV stuck on the Hollywood gossip channel, I quickly found myself watching the clock wishing I had something to entertain me. In walks “fatman”.

Now this is not a picture of the “fatman” that walked into the Pep Boys waiting lounge, but there are a lot of similarities. The major difference being everything you don’t see on this man, well, you saw it on the man at Pep Boys. His shorts had a major hole in the crotch, and apparently he didn’t enjoy wearing underwear. Not only could you see his package – it was partially hanging out of the hole! I thought about taking a picture of this dude and his exposed junk to post on the blog, but found more than one reason not to (what if he caught me taking a picture of his manhood, what would my mom think when she read my blog, etc.). Although I didn’t necessarily enjoy seeing this, it definitely put a smile on my face. It was even funnier to watch other people’s reactions to it.

Moral of the story, be careful what you wish for.

Bobo the Baboon

2009-08-07T10:47:00.006-05:00

Brady spotted these the first time we went looking at baby stuff and was determined that his daughter was going to have one. Lucky for him, they were the featured item on BabySteals today. It was a tough decision between the Orangutan and the Baboon. Brady and daughter (who is still pretty nameless) will soon be the proud owners of a Bobo the Baboon Zoobie Pet. Lucky.

thirty-six....is a big number!

2009-07-29T14:48:00.005-05:00

and it means baby is getting closer!

here are some pictures for family members who want to see them. i apologize to the rest of you. maybe brady will have a funny story so you can read about something other than me??

From July 2009

one month to go!

2009-07-28T09:46:00.005-05:00

yep. 28 days to go.

I'm getting a little bit nervous about this whole thing...I am definitely excited to meet this little girl who loves to snuggle up on my right side. I think most the nervousness/anxiety comes from being the kind of person who likes to have things planned out and organized and be in control. Luckily, Brady is not having any anxiety (at least that's what he tells me) which makes me feel better.

The crazy baby dreams have officially started. If you know me, you know I have weird, weird dreams on a regular basis and remember them in perfect detail. So, it's surprised me that I haven't had many baby dreams. Until now. Last night's dream involved me deciding to keep my daughter (who was really, really small) in my dresser drawer and forgetting about her. We'll see what else my brain can come up with.

Last night, I needed milk and Brady was feeling some ice cream, so we drove to the grocery store. Luckily, they had ice cream on sale. FYI, ice cream is seriously expensive here...I'm talking $6.50+ for 1.5 quarts. We ended up buying FIVE cartons of ice cream. We probably looked like huge pigs. At least being pregnant can be my excuse, right? I ended up finding a tart frozen yogurt and was very excited.

I'm a fan of that whole flavor (Red Mango, SpoonMe, etc) so I was happy to find it at the store. I tried the plain vanilla kind, and it's pretty good. I think I'm definitely going to have to stock up while it's $2.88. Yum.

one-stop shopping

2009-07-20T10:41:00.004-05:00

Here's what our car looked like when we got home on Saturday afternoon. We spent the day buying literally everything we needed for Yut. We had a crib, changing table and some clothes. So we bought A LOT of baby stuff. (Now, I'm noticing that the Crock Pot is front and center. Ours got broken during the move and the moving company reimbursed us, so I figured I might as well pick one up while at Wally World. And I wanted to have it for easy meals post-baby.)

Brady and I were both expecting a long, tiring day. We actually were a lot quicker than we though we would be and it was kind of fun! Now it's just getting everything organized and put away. Our crib bedding should get here this week and we'll be ready (ha ha)!! I'll get some nursery pictures up once it's not a disorganized mess.

We're getting excited (I'm a little nervous) to meet this little girl. We've got about 5 1/2 weeks to go!! That is absolutely crazy to me. Our last ultrasound a couple weeks ago showed her size in the 50th percentile and everything looked good. My doctor wants to do another scan this week to check her size because she says I "hide this baby very well."

utah!

2009-07-20T10:11:00.010-05:00

We got to spend some time in Utah over the 4th of July. Our flight got in late on the 2nd and we headed up to Huntsville for the annual Ahlstrom celebration (sorry, no exciting pictures) complete with hot dog roast, firework displays, and a homemade scone breakfast. Brady got to do some mountain biking at Snowbasin, which he had been waiting all summer for. We didn't do a whole lot, but it was great to spend time with our families and enjoy the nice weather. We both realized how much we miss the mountains!
Brady had to head back to Chicago a few days before I did. My family had a great baby shower for me before I left (again no pictures!). Thanks to everyone who came to the shower and especially to my mom, grandma, and sisters for all their work! We got some cute baby stuff, along with lots of gift cards to buy all the practical stuff (Stay tuned for pics of that!).

Other highlights:
-Visiting with friends we miss!
-Going to Farr's for our favorite ice cream (chocolate peanut butter), only to find out they were OUT!! What?!?
-Good Mexican food (haven't found a place here, yet)
-Sunshine! It hasn't felt like summer to us here in Chicago
-Spending time with our nieces

We were sad to have to head back; our visit went by too fast! Here are some more random pictures of our trip in Utah, including a 32-week belly picture (click to enlarge).

From Collages

More Boozer?

2009-07-01T09:11:00.001-05:00

WTF! I thought he guaranteed he would get a raise this summer! Boozer’s decision to opt-in yesterday was horrible news. His lack of heart and overall physical instability is disheartening for Utah’s success this season. Although there may be some hope, being that this will be a contract year for him following a humbling summer (he may be motivated to work for that “raise” next summer). Despite his potential and capabilities, I’m still praying the Jazz will trade him. If not, at least we know he can make the highlight reel:

happy birthday!

2009-06-28T11:08:00.005-05:00

Today is Brady's birthday...and he keeps telling me that this birthday is making him feel really old. I don't know if it's the age or the fact he'll be a dad in a couple months, or what. I think he is glad his birthday is on a Sunday this year so we can't go do anything. Seriously. I'm a birthday person, so every year I ask what he wants to do on his birthday, what he wants to eat for breakfast/dinner, and what kind of dessert he wants. For some reason, he doesn't like attention on his birthday, so he usually ends up being grumpy. So this year, we're having cheesy potatoes and banana pudding with Nilla wafers after church. Sounds easy to me!

On a side note, we went out to brunch from some friends from church yesterday and it was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. We went to the Bongo Room. I had heard of this place before, they're known for their very decadent, sweet breakfast dishes. I was worried it would be a little much and I'd end up feeling kind of sick afterward. Not so. We decided to get one sweet dish and one savory dish and share. Next time, we're definitely going with 2 sweet dishes. Here's an example dish:

"White Chocolate & Caramel Covered Pretzel Pancakes: crushed pretzel coated pancakes topped with warm white chocolate cream and topped with buttery caramel"

And a picture to get a better idea.

Chocolate Tower French Toast:

We didn't get either of these...um, but I'm pretty sure we'll be going back and trying the entire menu. Maybe this is a little motivation to get someone to come visit us???

Happy Birthday babe! I love you and hope that you have a great day!

i heart free stuff....

2009-06-26T09:47:00.003-05:00

I like to get things for free.

So, I was excited when I came across a blog post for a quart of free paint! For some reason, our landlord thought that it would be a good idea to paint our condo in stark white, flat paint. Yuck. First of all, it's really, really white. Second, it's a flat finish, so if you barely touch the wall it leaves a scratch mark. When you try to get rid of the scratch mark it leaves another weird mark on the wall. Why would you do that in a condo you were going to rent? Anyway, I truly hate it. So...I told Brady that we are painting the nursery. (OK, I told him he's doing it while I'm in Utah.) I figure that if we can both get a quart of free paint, maybe we'll have enough to paint the room (or maybe that amount won't even come close and we'll just have 2 quarts of random paint sitting around. I know nothing about painting). Either way, it's free and I'm not passing this up. Here's the link: Free Paint. Note: I just did my research, and a quart of paint will not go very far...but maybe an accent wall??

Next up: Real Chocolate Relief Act. Every Friday Mars gives away 250,000 coupons for a free candy bar. I first heard about this from my friend Allison and got my coupon last week. Today I discovered that they do it every Friday!! Free Chocolate Friday.

Google knows...

2009-06-19T14:27:00.005-05:00

I love technology! I love that it makes things so easy! I love that it knows what I want/need. The other day I found myself in an unusual and rather uncomfortable situation, one in which you would not call your mother for advice. Never before have I been in this sort of a predicament. In lieu of calling my mother or trying to figure out myself how to remedy the situation, I decided to Google a solution. In typical Google fashion, as I started to type my search a drop down menu appeared with suggested searches. Oddly enough, Google knew exactly what I was looking for:

How did Google know that strawberries, which were supposed to be in the fruit salad, were stuck on my nipples? I may never know. But I’m glad Google was there, because I was able to get those strawberries off my nipples and back into the fruit salad before the missionaries came over for dinner.

2009-06-17T13:39:00.008-05:00

Here is my craftiness for the week. Since I've had some extra time on my hands, I decided to pull out the old sewing machine. I found a Sewing 101 class at a cute shop in Bucktown. So last Friday I found my way north (Red Line-to Blue Line-to #50 Damen bus!!) and took the class. Most of it was pretty basic, and some of it a review, but it was nice to learn some pointers and correct some bad habits. And, I made this pillow. I'll be honest, I was kind of proud of it, especially the zipper!

It's been nice being able to actually have time to things like this that I've always wanted to, but never got around to doing. I also picked up some fabric remnants and cloth diapers and made a few cute burp cloths for the Yut. Still haven't decided on how to decorate her room, but we did make some progress this week by buying a crib and dresser/changing table. We found a good deal online (free shipping!) with good reviews and went with it. I think we were both sick of looking.

Last weekend we had pretty decent weather considering what's been the norm here. Cool, overcast, and rainy. We walked down to the Chicago Blues Fest at Grant/Millenium Park and listened for a while. I didn't last long because we didn't bring chairs to sit on and the ground was soaking wet. Unfortunately we missed out on 'Naked Bike Ride Chicago.' Maybe next year? It has warmed up this week, but it's still rainy, which means it's humid...and that my hair is really ugly.

Hopefully we get some more summer-like weather in the next couple weeks. We headed up to the roof to check out the progress on the pool and patio and it's looking good. It looks like it will be done soon. Here are some pictures from the rooftop (that's Soldier Field in the background, there was a Kenny Chesney concert going on that we could kind of hear. It was kind of weird seeing lots of people walking through our neighborhood wearing cowboy hats). You can also get a glimpse of the 29-week preggo belly...

True Story about Free Doughnuts!

2009-06-04T22:00:00.001-05:00

Here's the story: (from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Doughnut_Day)

"Donut Day is on the first Friday of June each year. The holiday celebrates the doughnut — an edible, ring-shaped piece of dough which is deep-fried and sweetened. Although the day typically involves the celebration of doughnuts, due to the common misconception of being unhealthy, many celebrate the National Doughnut and Bagel Day. National Doughnut Day started in 1938 as a fund raiser for the Chicago Salvation Army. Their goal was to help the needy during the Great Depression, and to honor the Salvation Army "Lassies" of World War I, who served doughnuts to soldiers behind the front lines in France."

Free Doughnuts! In reverence and honor of this day, Krispy Kreme is giving out free doughnuts, no purchase necessary. Dunkin Doughnuts will give out free doughnuts with the purchase of any beverage. Nice. Since there are about 25 DD's within walking distance of us, I think I may have something to do on Friday. Plus, since this occasion was started here in Chicago, I kind of feel obligated to celebrate.

As a side note, as I was doing my research for this post, I found the gift for Brady's upcoming birthday, The Simpsons Doughnut Maker.

week in review

2009-06-04T12:31:00.009-05:00

Here are some random things that have been going on this last week...

28 weeks prego : Yes, it's officially the THIRD trimester. Very weird. Here are the latest shots of the ever-growing belly (plus other pictures from last weekend).
Had my appointment with my Chicago doc, didn't get to meet her because she was delivering a baby. I met her PA and really liked her. Rode the bus to-and-from. Drank yucky orange drink. Now I get to go back every 2 weeks.

Just for the record, Brady and I have not purchased ONE. SINGLE. THING. for this child. For real. OK, I lie, we bought one shirt in Hawaii, but it's a 12-month shirt.

As far as names go, there are a couple that we both like and a couple that one of us likes. In the meantime, we call her 'Yut' or 'Critter,' both monikers given by the hub.

Can't believe that we have less than 3 months!!

Mmm...
Last weekend we went to an Italian deli/market and then to a bakery. Got a very delicious Italian sub and cannoli (M) and eclairs (B) for dessert. The cannoli was amazing. I'm making Brady go back this weekend to get another.

I also discovered this pretzel loaf they sell at Trader Joe's. Basically, it's a soft pretzel baked like a little loaf of bread. And I really, really like them. As an added feature, they are only .99!! I've had 2 since last Saturday.

Other:
We both got callings in church last week. Brady is the 2nd counselor in Young Men's and I am the visiting teaching coordinator in Relief Society. Pretty exciting...

Mr. T

2009-05-29T11:17:00.010-05:00

Our avid blog readers already know that we went to the Cubs game on Memorial Day. Unfortunately it was freezing and the Cubs lost. Luckily there was a saving grace - Mr. mo-freakin’ T! He was invited to throw the first pitch then led the crowd in singing “Take me out to the ball game…..” in the 7th inning. Quality!

I love Mr. T! I love him so much that I wish he would have kicked Rocky’s @ss, and I’m a big Rocky fan! Needless to say, I went to bed with a smile on my face that night.

Meg mentioned that I had a funny story from the game. Well, I don’t. I almost had a funny story to tell – but luckily there was a big black security guard that made me think twice about something I was contemplating.

First, I should give a little background to those of you who don’t know me well – those who do can skip to the next paragraph. For some unknown reason I find not only humor, but actual joy in making people uncomfortable. Nothing too crazy, just little things like bumping into somebody in the locker room when I’m naked…..sometimes more than once. Friends most likely have experienced this. Thanks to the creepy factor, family members probably have not. Now that you know this about me you can read on.

The men’s restrooms at Wrigley Field have trough urinals. I have provided a picture for those who don’t know what those are.

Now these toilets do not reflect the setup of what is found at Wrigley Field. There you have troughs facing each other with a 4 foot barrier wall in between. At the tip of the troughs is another round trough. I commissioned a highly regarded artist to create the following diagram, which will give you an idea of the layout.

---Toliet--- l---\

======= l---- <---sink

---Toliet--- l---/

It is important to note that the round trough, which is the sink, is an exact replica of the toilets with the exception of the round shape. It is the same height and color. In order to turn the water on there is a foot pedal which confuses most. Note that I was unaware this trough was the sink, not a toilet.

Well when I walked into the bathroom I noticed groups of people on both side troughs but nobody at the round one at the point. I figured nobody was peeing there because they didn’t want everybody walking away from the urinals to get a first hand visual of their manhood. Perfect I thought, first Mr. T now this! I could capitalize on making a large group of people uncomfortable with one act! All I had to do was pee in the vacant trough and try to make eye contact with everybody that passed. I approached the rounded trough and started to unzip my pants. As I was doing so I noticed Wrigley Field had stationed a security guard in the bathroom, a security guard that was big, black, and standing really close to me. I looked back and he gave me a funny look. I quickly side stepped to one of the side troughs and relieved myself there. In my mind I felt a feeling of defeat. Why did I allow somebody else to make me feel awkward in my attempt to do the same to others? Why should he care where I peed? So I finished my business and was off to wash my hands – but I couldn’t find a sink. It was then that I noticed somebody washing their hands in the toilet.….WTF? Immediately I realized why the security guard was eyeballing me, this trough was not a toilet – it was the sink!

That day I was grateful to learn that not only do I have a guardian angel who wants to keep me from doing stupid things, but he’s big and black!

...room with a view

2009-05-26T15:24:00.008-05:00

Here was the view from our condo on Friday night. There have been some nice sunsets, (we have west-facing windows) but this is the best one I've seen.

It was a nice long weekend. Half-relaxing, half-running around. We were able to be productive, though. I'm happy to announce that after today we will have seating in our home. Yep, we got couches. I'm excited, but I think Brady is beyond excited. You can't blame the guy, he's going on 7+ weeks of not having somewhere soft to sit and watch SportsCenter. Also, we were one of the lucky Monday morning IKEA customers standing in line to get a great deal on a futon AND free breakfast. So...now you all can come sleep in my den and sit on my couches. Sound fun?

The weather was nice Friday and Saturday and got cooler and rainy on Monday. Too bad that's the day we had tickets to the Cubs game. It was still fun, though, even though we were freezing at the game. I'm talking wishing-I-would-have-worn-beanie+scarf+gloves-cold.

Brady will fill you in with details on the game...trust me, you'll want to read this. (At least I think it's a funny story...)

As far as baby stuff goes....all is well. I'm feeling great and have my first appointment with my new doctor next week.

Real Life....

2009-05-20T21:57:00.006-05:00

After some long flights, we're back from Hawaii and I'm finally in Chicago. Apparently I am getting back to work as an online hustler/Nigerian Princess. It's not easy.

We had a GREAT time in Hawaii, we had nice weather and it was super relaxing. It was nice to be able to spend 10 uninterrupted days with Brado after not seeing him for a while. Being 5 1/2 months pregnant was not the most fun part, but honestly, it wasn't bad, and I think I did pretty well.

Here is a picture of me in my glorious maternity swimsuit.

Mmm...one of the best parts, shave ice. I have been craving it since I got back.

Brado enjoying his second love, the ocean.

I've been attempting to get settled/organized, but we need some furniture before that can happen. So basically I sit here and look at piles of stuff and make mental lists of what we need to buy. We are definitely doing some shopping this weekend so our place can feel a little more welcoming. Luckily, the weather has been great the couple days I've been here, so I've done a little exploring. I've walked around our neighborhood and down to Grant Park and the lake; it's really beautiful here right now.

On a side note, the day I got out here I found out that my dad had to be life flighted from his work site in Alaska to Anchorage. He got a serious infection that entered his bloodstream and did quite a number on him...He's been in the ICU since Monday. He's been pretty steady; making a few small improvements, but still has a long way to go. It's a stressful situation in the first place, but it's been harder since I'm here and he's in AK. Luckily, my mom was able to fly up there and be at the hospital with him.

Last Day!

2009-05-01T17:57:00.002-05:00

Today was my last day at work! It was kind of weird...I've been working at the same company for 3 1/2 years, my only "real" job after graduation. However, I am excited to not have to work for a little while before the baby comes and the real work begins. We (my coworkers and I) went to Andy's for lunch today and had some delicious Greek food.

Brady gets in tonight for Chicago. I'm very excited to see him! We leave for Hawaii tomorrow afternoon. I'm excited to be able to relax and take it easy after the craziness of our life the past couple months. Hopefully I don't catch the swine flu on the airplane.

Sleepless Night

2009-04-29T13:05:00.000-05:00

Last night I was awoken at 2AM by two drunken hooligans fighting in the street. I quickly jumped out of bed and ran to the window. No punches were being thrown, but they were all up in each other’s grills. Being a dude I was quite entertained and excited by the prospect that I might witness a fight. As time went on the two became less violent, a kiss and make up seemed imminent. As not to be awoken without good cause, I decided to “stir the pot”. I made a beeline to the fridge and grabbed a handful of eggs. I crept out onto my balcony, staying in the shadows, and started hurling eggs at them. Just in case they had some crazy ability to scale walls, I retained to the shadows. After the third egg was thrown they realized what was happening. They yelled some quick obscenities then awkwardly began to run away. As they were fleeing I stepped out of the shadows and threw two more eggs for good measure. Then, with as tough as a look as I could muster, I flexed and looked down upon them in my newfound glory! Those shadows quickly became a distant memory to me. The 1600 block of South Prairie Avenue won’t be seeing them anytime soon.

Now, I don’t want to say what I did was heroic – but, it was pretty damn close!

Chicagorillas

2009-04-22T20:50:00.000-05:00

All I'm going to say is that you'll have to ask Brady about the name and image. It's all his.

Not much new going on with us. Brady got his picture taken for work the other day. Unfortunately, the make-up lady called in sick. Yep, they were going to have a make-up lady come in and do some touching up. We finally got cable hooked up in our condo. So now Brady has something to do in the evenings...watch NBA playoffs and eat black beans and potatoes. I'm pretty sure he thinks he's died and gone to heaven. Except that we don't have a couch yet, so he has to watch TV on our IKEA chair.

I'm counting down the days left at work (6 1/2!!) and getting excited for some time in Hawaii. Luckily we've had some beautiful weather this week and I've been able to get some sun (meaning freckles and red) the past few days.

Post Numero Uno

2009-04-19T12:32:00.000-05:00

Well....here it is folks. It's been a long time coming, but I finally got harassed enough to do it. I've been reading everyone else's blogs for a long time, but never felt I had anything exciting enough to blog about. Apparently moving to Chicago and being pregnant qualify as being things you guys want to hear about.

Rest assured, Brady has assured me he will contribute to the blog with his wit and humor and that this will not be a cheesy, cutesy blog. (However, there may be some of those posts from time to time for the grandparents out there. They'll eat that stuff up...right mom??)

For now, I'm still here in Utah, staying at my parent's house. My last day at work is May 1st. Brady moved out to our condo on April 30th and has been working out there. He'll fly back to Utah on May 1st, then we'll be in Hawaii until May 12th. I'll head out to Chicago around May 15th. It's been crazy figuring out the logistics of it all, but things have worked out. Luckily, time has gone by pretty quickly. Brady will have to fill you in on all the fun stuff he's been doing with out me!

I've got the camera here with me, so no Chicago pictures for now. They'll come I promise...it's not very exciting right now anyway. Lots of boxes and clutter in the condo still. If anyone wants to offer their interior decorating skills, we'd be happy to accept....

Hopefully I can use all my upcoming spare time to learn how to actually make our blog look decent. Until then, you'll all have to deal with this plain-jane template I carefully selected. Anyone got any good resources for this? Let me know.