Our Monkey Is Three

I can't believe three years have gone by since Monkey joined our family.  It's hard to remember what life was like without him.  Well, I actually remember being able to sleep in sometimes...


Bryce can be a handful.  In fact, there are days when he makes me seriously question my parenting abilities.  But, he's also such a joy.  His smile is absolutely contagious and so, so sweet.  

He has such a kind heart and is very empathetic.  He always shows such genuine concern when someone gets hurt, is sick, or just upset.  He also loves watching over his little sister and constantly checks in to make sure she is ok.

He's a goofball!  Brian and I are always laughing at the silly things he says and does- we often wonder where the heck he comes up with that stuff!  

Oh how we've enjoyed the first three years of his life.  I love seeing him learn and grow every day.  It's amazing to think just three short years ago I was cuddling him and smelling that new baby smell in a hospital in Portland...

We love you, Bryce!  Happy 3rd Birthday to our Monkey, our Little Man.

Yes, we're still alive...

Gosh, I'm so behind.  When I get this behind it's difficult to catch up because I don't know where to begin.  What have I missed?  Bryce and Daddy attended our neighborhood "Pirate Day" in September.  Grandma Jeanne visited at the end of September.  Bryce and Daddy attended our neighborhood camp out/fishing day.  Brian had a birthday.  Aunt Devina visited in early October.  We went to Schnepf Farms for the chili/pumpkin festival. Bryce started a new preschool.  Aubrey is busy growing and sleeping (thankfully!).  I'll add details and pictures later.  Oh, and I made really yummy pumpkin soup for dinner last night :)

Until then, I leave you with this gem:

Aubrey's Birth Story

Aubrey made her grand appearance one week early (to the day) on August 26th at 4:25am.  She weighed in at 7lbs, 1 oz and was 19 inches long. Such a difference from Bryce's tiny five and a half pounds!  

I think most everyone has heard the story but I wanted to get it down here as well since I don't journal.  This silly little blog is where all of our memories get recorded.  Basically, I'm saying this is going to be a LONG, detailed post.  My apologies ahead of time...

I woke up at 2:30am on Thursday morning for my second nightly visit to the bathroom.  The minute I got out of bed I noticed some light cramping- not unlike what I had been dealing with for the last 6 weeks.  So I shrugged it off, made my trip to the bathroom and crawled back into bed.  Then I felt the cramping again. And again.  Uh, oh. I realized the cramps were coming in a pattern, about every 5 minutes.  I thought that was pretty odd, since the cramping was totally bearable and just like the ones I had with Bryce nine hours before he decided to show up.  I began to wonder if I simply didn't drink enough water that day (which can cause cramping).  I headed down to the kitchen and chugged a glass of water, got back into bed and laid on my left side (cuz that's the side they tell you to lay on).  When the cramps still didn't go away I figured I ought to pack my hospital bag (yeah, I hadn't done that yet.  I sorta figured I'd have HOURS again like I had with Bryce).  At that point I decided I should call mom and wake up Brian.  It was about 3am.  I wanted to really make sure I was really in labor before I woke anyone up at that time of the morning...

Brian has a habit of freaking out when he gets woken up in the middle of the night.  So I decided to approach the topic delicately and said "Um, don't freak out, but I think I'm in labor."  He seemed a bit dazed, replied with an "OK" and rolled over.  I guess I didn't sound serious.  "Um, that means you need to get ready to take me to the hospital."  He jumped up, started to get his gear together and I decided to take a shower.  Yup.  A shower  (hey, I did that with Bryce, too.  Remember, I had HOURS).  While enjoying the hot water I noticed the contractions were getting stronger.  You know, the kind where you have to stop doing whatever you're doing to breathe.  It was about 3:15am and I couldn't believe how fast things were progressing-not at all like when I was laboring with Bryce.  I quickly realized I better get my butt in gear and stop dilly-dallying.  By 3:30am I was downstairs, on all fours, trying to not wake up Bryce with my moaning/groaning.  At 3:45am I asked Brian to call my mom and figure out where she was.  I was starting to worry that Brian would be delivering our baby on the living room floor...

Luckily, my mom was pretty close to our house.  Brian packed up the car and I waited by the front door.  In lots of pain.  Trying to be quiet.  When mom got there I barely said two words to her and rushed out to the car.  Sitting in the passenger seat was not comfortable.  At all.  It was the longest 4.4 mile drive of my life (and Brian's).  That was with Brian running 2 red lights and driving about 20 miles over the speed limit.  We actually passed a cop driving the opposite direction.  We both nervously watched our rear view mirrors to see if he was going to turn around and chase us down.  I don't know what we would have done if he had pulled us over...

During the drive, my contractions increased in frequency.  They were now coming about 2 minutes apart.  Crap.  When we got to the hospital I was in the middle of a contraction, so I sent Brian in ahead of me.  When I got out of the car I was met by, I dunno, the ER greeter?  Who so nicely asked if my water had broken.  When I said no, she said (in a sickeningly sweet voice), "Oh then you just need to RELAX.  You have LOTS of time if your water hasn't broken."  At that moment I wished I was Cyclops (from X-Men) so I could shoot my laser beam eyes at her.  I had to check in and was having contractions in the middle of spelling my name and giving them my address.  I honestly can't believe they didn't just rush me to Labor and Delivery, especially since I had pre-registered.  Isn't that why you do that???

Finally, they sent me upstairs.  In a wheelchair.  Yeah, like sitting in a wheelchair works when you're having contractions.  Bad contractions.  Like, I'm ready to push contractions.  Plus, the lady pushing me was taking her sweet time.  I wanted to yell, "let my super-fit, sub 6 minute-mile running husband run my upstairs lady.  I am not interested in taking a Sunday stroll.  I'M IN LABOR AND ON FIRE."  Did you know that it feels like you're on fire?  I had an epidural with Bryce so this was all new to me.   She rolled me right into OB triage and asked me if I wanted to go to the bathroom.  No, I want to push this baby out, though.  I'm pretty sure I was moaning/groaning/screaming loudly enough for the whole L&D wing to hear me.  Oh, the poor women in early labor getting an earful of what was about to come...The charge nurse rushed in and said "Get her into a room!"  Thank goodness somebody could tell I meant business.  This baby was on her way!

I crawled up on the bed and had a hard time cooperating with getting the fetal monitor around my belly.  I was too squirmy.  My contractions felt like the were coming nonstop and I told the nurse I felt like I wanted to push.  She took a quick look and said, "You're at a 9! And you're water just broke."  She then yelled down the hall to my midwife (who was laboring with another momma-thank goodness or she never would have made it to catch my baby!).  Ramona (midwife) came in and told me the baby would be here in less than 10 minutes.  She and the other nurses started to glove up and I heard "I can see her head Doreen!  It'll just be a couple of pushes and she'll be here!"  I'm pretty sure I said, "What??!!?!?!?!"  I couldn't believe it. Brian couldn't believe it.  We had just gotten to the hospital!  There was no time for any kind of drugs or even an IV for hydration.  And man. Oh man. Did I want drugs!  First push.  Head was out.  Push #2.  Out came the shoulders.  Third push.  She was out and in my arms.  

Wow.  Wow.  Wow!  I honestly couldn't believe how fast it happened.  I also couldn't believe how great I felt when it was over.  I gotta say, a natural birth hurts like you-know-what, but it is pretty darn amazing to be so lucid and feel so great when it's over.  Just before 9am Brian headed home to take Bryce to preschool and then have a nap.  After preschool, he brought Bryce to the hospital to meet his sister.  When he saw her for the first time, the look on his face was so sweet.  He seemed genuinely happy and I was so happy to give him a big hug and kiss (that was the first time I had been away from him overnight!).  Aubrey gave him a really cool fire engine that goes with his Thomas trains.  He was ecstatic!  I think that sealed the deal and he decided his new sister was pretty darn cool.

I had hoped we would get to go home Friday afternoon.  My bubble burst when Aubrey failed her bilirubin test.  Just like Bryce, she had to spend time under the blue lights in the nursery.  It seems like no big deal, but it really sucks.  They whisk her away and she can only come out to eat every three hours, for just 30 minutes at a time.  Only getting to love on your baby for 30 minutes at a time, so quickly after giving birth, really sucks.  Unfortunately, we had to stay at the hospital until Sunday.  Honestly, we should have stayed longer.  The visit to our pediatrician on Monday delivered the news that she would have to have light therapy at home since her levels had actually increased since being off the lights.  Urgh.  It was back to feeding every three hours and holding for only 30 minutes.  At least we were at home so I was more comfortable and could spend time with Bryce, too.  We had the "bili-blanket" for a whole week and although she's still a bit yellow, she's doing well.  

Wow.  That was the longest blog post ever...


At least I warned you...

Stinky Cows

My wonderful momma graciously offered to take Bryce off my hands yesterday.  She had him ALL day.  It was so nice to get some shopping done and then have an adult dinner with Brian sans the crazy Monkey.  It was my first "day off" in a really long time and it was much appreciated.  Love you, Mom!!!

We headed home from her place around 8:00, which is normally Bryce's bed time.  If you've been around him at this time you know he is a combination of crankiness and utter goofiness.  Silly things tend to just slip out of his mouth and we find ourselves wondering, "Where the heck does he come up with this stuff???"

So....There is a portion of the drive between our house and my mom's where we pass several dairy farms and it is super, super stinky.  Just imagine, cow poop cooking in 100+ degrees.  Ew.  Anyway, Bryce says "I don't like the stinky cows.  I don't want the cows to poop."  To which I reply, "Well, everyone has to poop, Bryce."  He's quiet for just a moment and then says, "I just need to wipe their bum-bums, mom."  I asked him to repeat himself thinking, did he really just say he's going to wipe their "bum-bums?"  Yup.  He did.  Goofball.

You've Been Asking...

and we haven't been telling.  Not because we don't want to share, but because this little girl has been super hard to name.  We think we're finally down to three possibilities.  However, we probably won't be able to settle on one until she arrives.  Even then, the final choice might be left up to Bryce when he meets her at the hospital (daddy thinks he has the power to veto).  So here's what we're thinking, in no particular order:

Amelia Grace - possible nicknames would be Mia or Millie

Camille Grace - possible nicknames would be Cammie or Millie

Aubrey Grace - possible nickname would be Bree

Feel free to leave a comment about any of the names and let us know if you have a favorite :)

We're getting super excited to meet this little angel.  Can't believe it's only a few short weeks away...

The Happiest Place On Earth

We've been home for three weeks and I'm just now getting around to this post.  I think I kept putting it off because going through the hundreds of pictures we took was a bit overwhelming...So be warned, this is a lengthy post with lots of pictures (at least I put them in slideshows at the end).

Brian's family is made up of Disney fanatics.  Seriously.  I'm not even sure how many Disney vacations they've been on, but it's been quite a few.  Since I met Brian I've gone with them to Disneyland three times (counting this trip) and even Disney World once.  This vacation was sort of last minute.  Not exactly the day before or anything but only a few weeks of planning went into it.  That was a good thing, I didn't have enough time to think about how hard it would be to be there so pregnant, with a very energetic toddler.  All in all, we had a great time with family and really enjoyed seeing Bryce take it all in.  Experiencing Disneyland with your child is just a whole new level of awesome.  Thanks so much to Auntie Jane for thinking of the trip and getting us all to go :)  We're so happy Bryce was able to spend more time with his Pasero side of the family and his great-grandparents Bonnie and Dick.  We're just sad Grandpa John wasn't able to make it, but we understand.  There's always next time, right?!?!?!

So, here are some details of our adventure.  After a super long drive (hello pregnant pee breaks and diaper changing breaks) we made it to Anaheim around 5ish and headed to the park for dinner and a few rides.  I just stared at Bryce looking all around Main Street.  I wish I knew what was going through his head at the time.  I can't imagine what Disneyland looks like through a 2 year old's eyes.  I still remember the first time I saw it as a teenager and was in awe...

We were so eager to get Bryce on a ride we just looked for anything with a short line. Silly us.  We ended up on the Mr. Toad ride.  Needless to say, Bryce hated it.  Of course he did.  It was scary. And dark. And loud.  We didn't do much better on the next one.  Again, we made a bad call and took him on Pinocchio. Seriously, we weren't thinking.  Another dark, loud, scary ride.  Way to introduce your toddler to Disneyland folks.  He talked about those two rides the rest of vacation.  Even now he'll mutter out a "I didn't like the Pinocchio ride mommy," or "The cars (you ride in little buggies on Mr. Toad) ride was too scary for me, mommy."  I feel terrible every time he mentions them.  After that things got better- we got on the Dumbo ride and he was happy at last.  If I talked about every ride we went on for the week, this would be an insanely long blog post.  I'll spare you all the details and just mention some of the highlights.  

Pirates- A classic.  He was a bit scared during the two drops, but seemed to enjoy the rest.  He even sang along with the "Yo ho, yo ho, a pirates life for me."  That song followed us around for the rest of the vacation. He would break it out randomly while walking around the park.  Heck, the other day he busted it out during story time at the library.  That was fun.

The train-  You know, the one that goes around the park.  Of course he would love the train.  

Toy Story Mania- I don't think he loved it, but Brian and I sure did.  It's too bad there's no fast pass.  We waited in line for it once for 40 minutes and couldn't bear to put Bryce through that kind of wait again.  It was super fun though- even better than Buzz.

The Fireworks- Ok, not a ride, but Bryce loved them.  They had a fireworks show each night, so we caught bits and pieces each time.  I'm pretty sure this is what got him hooked on Dumbo.  At one point in the show Dumbo flies on the same line Tinkerbell flies on between the castle and the Matterhorn.  He fell so hard for Dumbo it was the one stuffed animal he really wanted us to buy.  We had to borrow the movie from my sister when we got home so he could actually watch it.  It's the first movie he has sat through beginning to end.  I find it all funny because I never liked Dumbo as a kid.  In fact, the first time I watched it all the way through was with Bryce...

Nemo- The first part of the ride is pretty lame but then it gets better.  Bryce loved seeing the Nemo characters.  The first time Dory appeared he said, "Look, it's mommy." (not because I have short term memory loss, but because I share a nickname with the adorable fish- though she spells it wrong).

Small World- This one surprised me.  Mostly because I've never been a fan of the ride but I guess it's pretty cool to a toddler.  There's definitely a lot to look at and nothing even remotely scary.  It's also not as loud as some of the rides.  Am I getting old or what?  Some of the rides seriously made my head hurt they were so loud.

The Carousel- He loved them both.  I think he preferred the aquatic theme in California Adventure, though :)

My favorite part of the trip was brunch at Goofy's Kitchen.  You'll be hard pressed to find a meal in Disneyland that isn't overpriced with decent a menu.  This is different.  It's expensive, but it's worth it.  Bryce loved meeting all the characters and meeting them while eating is so much better than standing in lines!  He even got to get up and dance with Goofy a couple of times.  Plus, it's all-you-can-eat, which made this preggo momma super happy.  It was also great to be able to pick things I thought Bryce would actually eat and then be able to choose something else if he didn't, without worrying about wasting money.

Another memorable moment took place during dinner at Hook's Pointe.  If you've been there, you know that it's a nice, quiet restaurant.  We were enjoying ourselves with Brian's grandparents and mom when suddenly Bryce began making some weird noises in his high chair.  Those weird noises suddenly morphed into blood curdling screams.  Our kid got stuck.  So impressive.  You know those wooden restaurant high chairs that have the bar across the front?  He wedged his bent legs up behind them.  Brian couldn't pull him out or push him back in.  After a few seconds of the entire restaurant looking at us, Bryce screaming, two waiters offering assistance, I just pushed his legs down.  Hard.  It was that or try to saw him out of the highchair.  Unfortunately, no one had a saw on them so pushing was my only option.  Of course, it hurt.  Our waiter was really, really nice and brought a napkin full of ice for Bryce's legs.  He also gave Bryce a small Buzz Lightyear toy that lights up to help take his mind off of what just happened.  

I think that pretty much sums it up.  If you  made it this far, good job.  If you skimmed through it, nice- that's what I would have done :)  I've created three albums for your viewing pleasure.  I figured that was better than having 100+ together?  Dunno.  It's still a lot of photos.  Oh, and don't forget you can click on them to see the big versions :)

These are random Disneyland shots.  It includes some family photos:

These are shots of Bryce meeting various Disney characters:

This one's short.  Just a couple of belly shots for those of you who want to see me looking like a whale...

Father's Day

I think Brian enjoyed his Father's Day weekend.  It started on Saturday morning with a round of golf at the course just a couple of blocks from our home.  That was the first time he's gone golfing since we moved!  It sounded like he really enjoyed the course so I imagine he'll be going more often.  That evening mom and dad were nice enough to come over and watch Bryce so we could go and enjoy a movie (The A-Team and yes, I really liked it!).  Another first since we moved...Hopefully we'll get a couple more in before baby girl arrives.

Sunday morning was spent with a few chores around the house and Brian actually let ME sleep in on HIS day.  What a guy!  I really needed it though, with Bryce thinking 5am is a pretty cool time to wake up lately, I'm pretty much running on empty.  After nap time we decided to check out a museum in Mesa that I had heard about at our neighborhood Mom's Club.  It didn't look like much from the outside, but we were pleasantly surprised.  Bryce had a blast testing out some of the hands on exhibits, checking out the enormous dinosaurs, and panning for gold.  I think we'll invest in a yearly membership here as it's a great place to spend those HOT summer days. We grabbed dinner on the way home and the ended our fun day with a daddy-Bryce photo shoot at the lake by our community pool.  I think we got some super cute shots.  I love my boys!

Happy Father's Day Brian!  Bryce, baby girl and I are so lucky to have you!

Mother's Day

I'm lucky.  Brian is fabulous about birthdays/Mother's Day/all holidays, really.  I slept in, we enjoyed a lovely family brunch, I went out for a pedicure while Brian tended to Bryce and was given a gift certificate for a much needed massage.  He planned on making me dinner, but my lovely mom invited us over to their place.  So, we celebrated the rest of the evening with her.  It was a great day!

We captured the moment at the park just before brunch.  I can't believe how big our little man is getting.  As challenging as motherhood is, I wouldn't trade it for anything.  For all the stress and frustration we experience, Bryce gives us three times as much love, laughs and memorable moments.  I can't wait for baby girl to arrive, completing our little family.  How blessed are we!

Our Backyard

There are many perks to buying a new home.  New toilet seats for instance.  Showers free of soap scum build up (they were, anway).  New carpet so you don't have to wonder if someone puked/peed/pooped on it.  Then there are the drawbacks...dirt for the backyard and only dirt, is perhaps the biggest. 

The dirt didn't bother Bryce one bit.  In fact, he loved it.  I didn't really enjoy him coming inside a filthy mess, though.  Landscaping is no cheap endeavor, so it took a couple of months to get things done.  We, and by we I mean Brian, had to do things in stages.  He started with the garden so the plants would be set before the intense heat arrived.  Next were the citrus trees, ash and olive tree.  We had some help with the grass, pavers, and irrigation system.  Once the irrigation was worked out Brian was able to plant various ground covers and shrubs around the yard. The final step happened last weekend when my amazing husband hauled 10 tons of rock, by himself.  Wow.  We still have a small space we want to create an uncovered patio in so there is a bit of dirt left, but the overall transformation is amazing.  We were as economically minded as possible and started with small plants, but you get the idea.  Next year, things will look even better when things have filled out a bit.

I am so thankful for Brian's interest in gardening.  I don't lift a finger and yet I get to enjoy the fruits of his labor.  I'm one lucky gal (I did not pick up a green thumb from my mom)!  I am also so thankful to have a yard that Bryce loves to explore.  He uses his dumptrucks to haul rocks around and loves to help Brian with whatever he is working on.  I love watching him follow his dad around the yard.  It's pretty stinking cute.  I love the men in my life!

Here are some pictures showing the transformation.  The only shot I don't have is of the backyard from day one, just dirt.  But, I'm sure you can use your imagination :)

I'm a Sucker

It's funny.  I am really good at talking myself out of buying things for myself.  I'll look at a shirt in the store and then reason my way out of the purchase- we don't have the money right now, I already have a shirt that color, it's 5 dollars more than I want to spend, etc.  But when it comes Bryce, I like it, I buy it (ok, to a certain extent- I definitely don't behave like we're made of money).

We were in Costco the other day and they had a dumptruck and excavator set cleverly placed near the front door so every little boy would see it and have to have it.  Bryce saw it.  He had to have it.  I walked by it, made it about 30 steps and then spun around to pick it up.  I'm a goober.  Just for fun and because I think he's adorable, here's a few pictures of him enjoying it in the park across the street from our house.  I actually labeled our house (what you can see of it) in one of the pics...

Peach Pickin'

Bryce loved going berry picking last summer.  Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, it didn't matter.  The kid loves berries.  Honestly, Brian and I loved it as well and it is one of the things that we really, truly miss about Oregon.  Since there are no berry farms around here (I'm guessing the sun would fry them to pieces) we settled for peach picking at Schnepf's.

The farm is actually quite cool.  They've built a mini amusement park in one area, there's a petting zoo, a train, carousel, hayrides, u-pick veggies and a farm store.  They're known for their peaches and this weekend and next there is a huge peach festival.  I think we'll have to go back for that :)



Here's a few belly pictures taken at the farm.  I didn't let Brian take nearly enough during my first pregnancy.  I felt like such a whale!  This time I'm sucking it up.  I want this pregnancy better documented, especially since it will be my last.  I can't guarantee you'll see anymore of those pics, though :)  I'm just over 22 weeks in these.

He's giving her a tiny flower that he picked in this last one.  I hope he stays this sweet after she arrives :)

Wildlife World Zoo and Aquarium

We've been wanting to visit the Wildlife World Zoo and Aquarium since we got here.  Two weekends ago we decided we better get to it before it got too hot to enjoy.  If it were closer to our house and less expensive, we'd go all the time.  Bryce really enjoyed himself.  So did Brian!  Actually, I'm not sure which one had more fun :)  I couldn't believe how close you could get to the animals.  We of course took a million pictures (ok, just over 100) and I managed to get it down to just over 30 for your viewing pleasure.  There are a couple of pictures at the end of Bryce enjoying the Hanchett's new trampoline.  We ended up at their house after the zoo...

A Few Weeks Ago...

we were lucky enough to have Donna's family come and stay the weekend with us.  Our houses are just over an hour away and with little ones it's sometimes easier to make a weekend out of the drive.  So, we did just that.  We also celebrated mom's birthday that weekend (celebrating her actual birthday in the hospital alone was not going to fly) and the Pearson's were able to join us as well.  It turned out to be a great weekend.  Bryce's face just lights up when he gets to see his cousins.  He loves to chase the older boys around and make Sarah play trains.  After everyone left, he kept asking where they were.  It took three or four days before I stopped hearing "Where'd Zachary go?  Where's Jake?  Where's Sarah?  Where's baby Luke?  Where's Tristan?  Where's Britton?  Where's Camden?"  As much as we miss Oregon, this move was worth it for Bryce.  Just look at his face in the pictures.  He loves his cousins so, so much :)




While the Hanchett's were here, Brian took some pictures of them around our neighborhood.  I thought I'd post some of them (Donna and Mike made some cute kids!).





 

What's in a Name?

Everything, really.  We had the boy name covered.  Evan Scott.  No doubts with that one, sounds good with Pasero and goes well with Bryce.  

A name for this baby girl?  Urgh.  Not so simple.  We thought we had settled on a name, but the more I think about it the less I like it.  I don't want anything that's too trendy, too crazy, or too common.  I subbed in a classroom with a Logan S, Logan N, and Logan V last week.  I don't want her last initial to be permanently glued to her first name...especially when it's a P.  I don't ever let students call me Mrs. P, because, um, hello.  Pee?

So, here's my plea.  Share any names you love with me.  I swear I've seen every name imaginable in the online databases, but maybe I've skipped over something?  I know we've got 18 weeks left, which sounds like a long time, but I have a feeling it just might take us that long!

Bryce Is Right

I don't know how he knew, but he did. During our ultrasound on Friday we were told that the baby is definitely a girl. I asked several times if she was sure. Seriously, several times. She assured me that the pictures show only girlie parts. For a lot of reasons, I had myself convinced that I was incubating another little boy. Needless to say, I was pretty shocked while Brian had more faith in Bryce and was completely confident the baby is a girl.

I am not a huge fan of pregnancy and Brian and I are more than happy being a small family of four. So, since this is our last little one, I am thankful that we are being blessed with one of each. I'm just a little overwhelmed by the world of hair bows, tutus and frilly dresses...

Yay! Just One More Day

Tomorrow is the big day! We find out if our little family is complete with another boy or a girl. If you haven't voted, please do so before tomorrow. It's super easy, just click over on your right :) Clearly, everyone is wishing a girl on me...

My belly gets a lot of this:



And every time he talks about/to the baby he uses a feminine pronoun. If we find out the baby is a boy, we're going to have one very confused toddler on our hands...

Easter

One of the things that drew us to Power Ranch is all of the family-friendly events they have right here in the community. Just one example is the Annual Easter Egg hunt held just outside the community clubhouse. Bryce had a fabulous time meeting the Easter Bunny, jumping in a couple of bounce houses, and collecting as many eggs as his Toy Story bucket could hold. Although, I think he had the most fun in the splash pad after the hunt.


I find it funny that Santa scares the crap out of him, but a dude in a bunny suit doesn't...


My 'lil bunny :)


Having a blast in the awesome Spider Man jumper.


Revving the engine before the hunt.


Where's Bryce? :)


So, it wasn't so much of a hunt. The eggs were just there, all over the soccer field. But, all the kids had a blast. The eggs were actually empty, so it didn't really matter how many you collected. Turning in your eggs earned you a goody bag, so everyone ended up with the same amount of treats. I thought that was pretty cool.



This isn't something you can do on Easter in Oregon...




Where'd the water go???



We hope you all enjoyed your Easter!

Grandma's Visit

Bryce was lucky enough to have a week long visit from his Grandma Jeanne. He kept her busy playing trains, coloring, watching Super Why and playing in the backyard. We even had time for a trip to the zoo and an exhibition game (mommy sat that one out- dad and grandma were brave enough to try it on their own). I know he really enjoyed having her here and misses her already. Here are a few shots of our fun:


Grandma Jeanne brought Bryce a suitcase full of gifts from the Pasero family. Bryce was lucky enough to have two Christmases this year. That's our very empty living/dining room. One day we'll have more furniture!


He loved watching his new hamster zoom around. Nice job, Uncle Scottie!


A fun giraffe toy from Grandma Jeanne.


He LOVES the super cool shaving kit from Auntie Jane.





Enjoying a grandma snuggle.


He really enjoyed the goats at the zoo. He would sit down right in front of them and try to have a conversation. It was pretty darn cute...

We're looking forward to your next visit, Grandma! Anyone else interested in taking a trip to the valley? We've got a guest room :)

Questionable Haircut

I've always left Bryce's haircuts to the pros. Well, until last week anyway. In an effort to save some money I figured we could do it ourselves. We decided to go short, since it's about to get super hot down here in the valley. I figure we'll let it grow back out in the winter (we LOVE his longer locks). I'm not crazy about it, but it saved $20 bucks! Maybe we'll get better at it the more we do it...



What do you think? Anyone have any tips???

You Can't Turn Your Back for a Second!

Ok, ok. So it's sunny here in Arizona Bryce. But, really. I think that's plenty of sunscreen!

This is what happens when we turn our backs on our crazy munchkin. The masterpiece only took about 5 seconds to create. Seriously. Here's a few more shots of the fun:







I think he was quite pleased with himself.

And then. The very next day. We find him in our bathroom looking like this:





He's so lucky I only use washable mascara...

And, yes. Our bedroom door is now always locked...

My Favorite Summer Salad

Ok, this is seriously yummy and super easy. You HAVE to try it. I think this serves as a perfect introduction to quinoa (for those of you crazies who haven't given it a try yet). I got the recipe here: allrecipes.com. Since it's so simple, I'll cut and paste it for your viewing pleasure:



Ingredients

* 1 cup quinoa
* 2 cups chicken broth
* 2 avocados
* 2 tablespoons lemon juice
* 1 large tomato, diced
* 1/2 cucumber, diced
* 2 stalks celery, diced
* Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In medium saucepan, cook quinoa according to package directions, using chicken broth in place of water. Let cool. Cut avocados in half, remove pit and peel. Cut into chunks. Toss with lemon juice. Add avocado and all remaining ingredients to quinoa and toss gently to mix. Chill until ready to serve.

There you go. Enjoy!

Oh, and I promise I'll post some adorable pics of Bryce soon. This move has knocked me off the blogging train...again...

Between phone calls, e-mail, and Facebook, I think pretty much everyone knows...

Bryce is a big brother! I'm 13 weeks along now. The little one is scheduled to make an appearance on September 2nd, but we all know how due dates go. Yes, I'm crazy for going through my first Arizona summer pregnant. But hey, if I live through it, next year will be a piece of cake!

Bryce has been so cute about it. He loves his Big Brother shirt and gives my tummy hugs and kisses all the time. Sometimes he even talks to the baby. I love it!

The first trimester went OK. I was much more tired, achy, and nauseous than I remember being with Bryce. The exhaustion probably had a lot to do with the fact I was not only preggo, but had to keep up with my little Energizer Rabbit. I wish I could sleep in everyday, but Bryce has different ideas. I'm so thankful for Brian. He is kind enough to occupy Bryce in the morning on the weekends so I can get some much needed rest.

Oh, and we found out on Christmas Day. How cool is that? Best Christmas present, ever!

Christmas

Yeah, I know. Christmas was nearly two months ago. I don't know why it's so hard for me to keep up on these posts. I can't say it's going to get any better, since we'll be moving into our home (finally!) next week...

We enjoyed a family filled Christmas this year. On Christmas Eve we took my mom to Zoolights. It was amazing to be out and not be freezing- we always froze at Zoolights in Oregon. When we got home we continued our Christmas Eve tradition of opening up a gift. Which is always pajamas. Bryce LOVED it this year. I couldn't believe how darn excited he was when he pulled out his new Thomas pj's. Of course, when he's older, pajamas will be pretty lame. But for now, it's a great tradition.

After we tucked him in Brian and I went to work wrapping all the gifts and getting them under the tree. I was so excited for Bryce, it was hard for ME to sleep that night! We had been singing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" for weeks, so I knew this year he actually understood what was happening.

After opening gifts in the morning, we headed up to Donna's house for the evening. It was great to again be with so much family for the holiday. I just wish it was easier for all of our family to travel so we could all be together during the holidays. Thanks again to Donna for her hospitality. We promise we'll host it next year :)

Here are a few pictures of our fun...