tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34741317378221155812024-02-19T07:20:23.839-07:00Val's MusesValeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09672786487944172540noreply@blogger.comBlogger111125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474131737822115581.post-36095186549307842362014-01-25T14:30:00.000-07:002014-01-25T14:30:08.996-07:00Fweaking ConclusionsSome things Lily has said the last couple of days:<br />
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Violet kept crying in the car so I was imitating her and Lily said "Mom, you're not a baby. You're a big girl! Stop doing that, you're freaking me out!" Only she says it like "fweaking" and it is adorable!<br />
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Yesterday, she was drawing on her white board. She's been getting better and better, even after only a few days. She can draw a recognizable person now, still weird looking, but recognizable. And she loves to draw circles and spirals. Anyway, she would draw something on her white board and then point to it with the marker and be like "Mom, what conclusions can be make from this?" or "What do you think about these conclusions, Mom?" I believe she got that word from Phineas and Ferb and it was hilarious hearing her using it over and over.Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09672786487944172540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474131737822115581.post-25780408229336163442014-01-15T14:45:00.001-07:002014-01-15T14:45:51.114-07:00Things Lily SaysSo while skyping with my sister today, she reminded me that I should really write down what Lily says and does because she is one of a kind! So much sassiness and smartness rolled into one three year old should not be possible. I'm going to try to remember some fun things from the past few weeks and then hopefully update more so I can get things written down - even if no one reads them but me later on. Some might be repeats from Facebook but I want to keep them all together. <br />
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<i>Quotes:</i><br />
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Lily telling me about Daddy working in the kitchen:<br />
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(With pointer finger pointed) Don't go in there mommy. Daddy is working! So we can bother him right now, ok? I'm in charge. (then she stomped off).<br />
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When I was annoyed with her for doing something (can't remember what): Calm down, mommy. Just relax (in a soothing voice) it'll be ok.<br />
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She likes to say "nice and easy" about things a lot. Like if she's putting something together she'll say "this'll go together nice and easy."<br />
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Walking into my room before our Christmas trip: <br />
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Lily: Mom are we taking those socks with us? <br />
Me: What socks?<br />
Lily: The socks, mama.<br />
Me (realizing she means the stockings): Yes, we're taking the socks.<br />
Lily: They're called stockings, mom. - Totally set me up!<br />
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I took her to see her first movie in the theater: Frozen. She did awesome and one little girl came and sat by her for half of the movie and shared candy with her. So cute!<br />
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She loves to give me hugs and kisses for "being a good girl" because I took her places - like if I've taken her to Romp n Roll or to a store she likes that has toys to play with, etc. <br />
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She does a power stance before running which is her feet spread out and one of her arms straight out in a fist with the other one on her hip and then she runs as fast as she can.<br />
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She loves to watch the kindle in the dark bathroom with no windows or lights on. Her favorite stuffed animal is my pink bunny that my friend Kate gave me when I was little. This interchanges with a big bear we bought her at IKEA on Black Friday this year. But it's mostly bunny and has been for a few months. She loves to run and makes me run to and from the car when we go to the store. Loves to be in the spotlight. <br />
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That's all I can think of right now. I'll update as the sassiness continues or as I remember past things she's said. I'll have to wait until Brady is up from his nap which he is taking with Lily.<br />
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Tidbits about Violet: She is eating everything she can get her hands on. She takes it as a personal insult if I do not share everything I eat with her. She sleeps through the night - mostly - loves to play with Lily and Mommy. Giggles a lot and smiles a ton. Chews on everything! Is so close to crawling, she can do a knee or hand at a time. Has 6 teeth with two more coming in soon! And about the same amount of hair that she had when she was born! But we love her perfect, bald little head!</div>
Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09672786487944172540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474131737822115581.post-46109249648758612212013-06-16T15:37:00.000-06:002013-06-16T15:37:00.870-06:00A June UpdateWell, Violet will be six weeks old tomorrow! The time has absolutely flown by and we could not be more happy with our new addition. She eats great, she sleeps pretty good, especially for a newborn, and is just loving life. She is starting to be more awake everyday, which Lily is loving. Lily is always really excited with Violet wakes up and says "Baby sister's awake!!" because she wants to play with her. We do have to watch Lily closely with her because the few times we left them alone together in a room, Lily has picked Violet up. She has only dropped her once and from a very low angle but I guess I will need to take one, or both, of the girls to the bathroom from me until Lily is better able to hold her sister (because I doubt she'll just stop trying anytime soon). <br />
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Like I mentioned above, Violet will sleep pretty good stretches during the night which means we are not as sleep deprived as we could be! Lily is probably the hardest to deal with so far. She still gets a ton of attention from us but because there is someone else sharing the attention she acts up a little more to make sure we aren't forgetting she's there - like that could ever happen. But some of that is probably due to her age. Hopefully she can grow out of the toddler attitude soon! I'm practicing, and reading books about, my good parenting techniques because some days I just don't feel like I can be a good mother to her! But I love her so we'll keep figuring it out as we go. <br />
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Not much has been happening since my parents left a few weeks ago. Just getting through each day. Tomorrow we start swim lessons for Lily for two weeks. That'll be fun, I think! Although getting into a swim suit 6 weeks after having a baby isn't ideal, it's worth it because I know she'll have a ton of fun. More updates to come on here later in the summer. We're going on a few big trips - one to northern VA for a Redfearn Family Reunion and then about a month out to California for my baby sister Wendy's wedding. I think we'll also be driving out to Utah during that trip so I look forward to walking around BYU again and showing it to Lily (because I'm sure she doesn't remember living there for a year and a half before we moved). I think I'll have to get both Lily and Violet some BYU gear. This Hokie stuff just isn't cutting it!<br />
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Here's the pictures we did for Brady for Father's Day:<br />
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I love my cuties!!</div>
<br />Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09672786487944172540noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474131737822115581.post-50083083535665819872013-05-09T17:17:00.002-06:002013-05-09T17:21:42.479-06:00Violet's Birth StoryWell, Grandma (my mother in law) has taken the girls on a walk so I thought I'd write up a quick birth story post. We woke up on May 6th around 4:45 am (after a super restful night of sleep - NOT) to get ready to go into the hospital. My friend Holly came to stay at the house until Lily woke up and then took her back with her to her house to play for the day. We had a lovely drive in the rain and got to the hospital around 6:15 am. They checked me in and got the antibiotics going as I was positive for group B strep. <br />
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That process took a while and they didn't really do much else until the doctor came in to check me (I was at a 6, 50% and Violet was still way up: -2 station for anyone who knows what that means). The doc slightly broke my water - meaning it would leak for a while instead of gushing out all at once - to get things going. (That was fun). I can't remember when that was but around 8:30 am they started the pitocin to get the contractions I was already having a little closer together and more intense. I labored for a while and when they started getting really bad I let my nurse know I wanted my epidural. Well, that took forever for the anesthesiologist to come in and do it and when she did finally do it I think it was more painful than some of the contractions. It worked for a while - maybe an hour - and then I started to feel all the contractions in my pelvis. I tried using the button to add more medicine and it worked a little bit but it was still hurting quite a lot. I told my nurse I was feeling tons of pressure and she thought it just might be a full bladder (I'll skip the next part but it ends with me having a much emptier bladder).<br />
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I was still feeling the pressure after that so she checked me and I was at an 8 dilated and still 80% effaced but Violet had come down a lot. She said the doctor was in the room next to mine so she'd go get him and see what he thought. 20 minutes later (just after 2 pm) they both came in and the nurse checked me and told the doctor that she thought it was time for me to have the baby. He wasn't sure and was going to go back to his office that is right next to the hospital and have the nurse give him a call when I was really ready. After some prodding from the nurse, though, she had me push once and see what happened. Well, in the 20 minutes she was gone to the doc, I apparently dilated the rest of the way and Violet was ready to come out. It all happened so quickly that I can't really remember all of the specifics but it basically happened like that. After some crazy intense pushing for about 15 minutes(of which I could feel most of it - dang epidural!) Violet was born at 2:32 pm after about 6 hrs of active labor - not too shabby! They put her right on my chest, all goopy, and she was amazing. Barely cried at all. Just hung out on me while the nurse cleared her out and wiped her off with some towels. They let her stay with me for about an hour and then they came in to weigh and measure her. She was 8 lbs 1.8 oz and 22 inches long! That's a pound lighter than Lily was an 1.5 inches longer. So she is our tall and skinny girl! The new born clothes we've put on her are short in the arms but super baggy everywhere else.<br />
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I felt bad for Brady because once Violet was born, they put her on my chest and I was surrounded by the doctor and nurses so he couldn't really see her for a while after she was born. He was just off standing in the corner trying to look over at us. But he got to hold her soon enough and held her a ton in the hospital. We had to stay a full 48 hours because of the group B strep thing and I was not enjoying it. They were actually really good about only checking on us when they had to but I just wanted to be home. When we had Lily, I never wanted to leave the hospital but with Violet, I wanted to get out of there! Hospitals are super uncomfortable. Why is that not more known? My bed and all the seating available in the whole room was awful. But now we're home and much more comfortable! Most of my good pictures of the events have been posted on FB already but here's one of our sweet girl:<br />
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And one of our girls together for the first time:</div>
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So far Lily is doing ok with the new person in our house. She is acting out a little more than usual and gets pretty jealous especially when I'm feeding the baby. I'm sure it'll just take some getting used to and it's only been on day of us all being home together so I'm not too worried. I think the hardest part so far has been making sure I'm giving Lily enough attention. It's hard to explain to a 2 year old why mommy has to take care of the baby so much. My parents get here tomorrow and we are very excited for that! We haven't seen them since Christmas so I'm sure Lily will have a great time. That's all for now. We are so glad to be all together at home!</div>
<br />Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09672786487944172540noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474131737822115581.post-79985987010900987742013-04-29T10:00:00.001-06:002013-04-29T10:00:18.261-06:00Who wants to have a baby?So I'm 38 weeks and 2 days today and I had my weekly doctor's appointment. Because of my GD, the doctor said he didn't want me going past my due date simply because GD means bigger babies which means higher chance of c-section. So today we talked about when we might induce and his options were Monday May 6th or Thursday May 9th. I originally said the 9th, since Brady doesn't have class on Thursdays but, after talking with Brady, we decided that we would do it Monday. Next week is Virginia Tech's last week of class and finals start on Saturday. So Brady has some review classes he has to go to Wednesday and then his two finals are on Saturday, the 11th (my due date). We figured it might be better to have her on Monday so that we're home and he can get <i>some </i>studying done for his finals by Saturday. So, in a week's time we will have a baby!<br />
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It still has not hit me at all. She'll be early but only by about 5 days and it still seems so far away. And for those of you interested, and know what these numbers mean, I was checked today and I was 3cm dilated, 50% effaced but my cervix is still high - meaning baby hasn't "dropped" yet. So things are already looking better than they were for Lily's induction (I was <i>barely</i> 2cm a week overdue with her). I think I'm going to try and be a lot more active and moving around to see if I can get her to come on her own but, if not, we'll still have a baby in a week! Here's a new picture. I don't look much different from the one two weeks ago.<br />
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Oh, and in case you're curious, we have decided on Violet Jane as her name. We can't wait to bring her home!</div>
<br />Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09672786487944172540noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474131737822115581.post-53842838629202763202013-03-24T20:52:00.003-06:002013-03-24T20:52:44.966-06:0033 Weeks and Potty TrainingSo I'm 33 weeks and 1 day, about. Here's what I'm looking like these days:<br />
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Lily wanted to show her belly off too.</div>
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As you can imagine, I am having trouble moving around and am having some braxton hicks contractions, I think. I've never had them before so I'm not sure what they feel like but I've been having lots of belly pain. I am HUGE as you can tell. I look 9 months pregnant already. But, enough about me.</div>
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We have been trying to tackle the infamous potty training. I'm not sure why this is such a hard thing and yet every kid must learn how to do it eventually. Lily did great for a few hours, she went on the potty the two times I took her early on, both 1 and 2, but then when I would take her later she wouldn't go 1 and then 20 minutes later she would go in her pants. We'll just have to keep at it. I think she's ready, she just has to decide she is. She likes wearing big girl underwear so hopefully that'll motivate her. She did go number 2 twice in the toilet so I didn't have to change a poopy diaper today! Yay! That might be worth cleaning up a few number 1 accidents during the day. I'm trying to do this before the baby comes - we'll see if that happens. I'm just not too keen on having to change two children's diapers at once. If anyone has any suggestions for potty training a kid when nothing usual works (sticker charts, treats, shopping for underwear, etc.) I'm up for hearing it!</div>
<br />Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09672786487944172540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474131737822115581.post-44911934962533593752013-03-20T16:41:00.002-06:002013-03-20T16:41:57.343-06:0032 Weeks 4 DaysI'm almost to the 33 week point in this pregnancy. I feel like she is getting huge and kicking the heck out of me all the time. I'm also starting to get stretching pains (that I got with Lily) and other pains (that I did NOT have with Lily) so I'm pretty uncomfortable all the time. I kind of want her to come but also want her to wait so we don't have any problems with her health. I know it'll be easier to just be uncomfortable than to have a new baby but I still wish she was here already or that the time would go more quickly! Granted, the next two months will certainly FLY by but it only appears that way from some future point in time so for now, I'll wish it was May! I do have my birthday coming up in a little over a week. That'll be fun - it's also Easter so Lily will love that. I got her some great things for her Easter basket. <br />
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As for my Master's Degree - I have a capstone class, which is what I'm doing instead of a thesis, that ends on April 15th. So that'll be over soon and a big weight off of my if I can get my advisor to pass off everything. I still have two classes to finish before that but those won't be hard and I'll be ready to have the baby! Plus, the final assignments in each class revolve around research papers which will not be hard to do so if I can finish early and have my assignments ready to turn in on their due dates I'll be all set and stress-free. Minus the stress of adding another little baby to our family. Still unsure of names - I think we'll wait until we see her to decide. My gestational diabetes is well in hand - my numbers are way below the limit of what they can be (which makes me wonder if I have it at all) - and my belly is measuring a little bit big but not big enough that they are worrying yet. We'll see what my doc says the closer we get! I seriously think we need to invent a way to see into the future and give pregnant women a date that actually means something. Due dates are so arbitrary. I'd love to know the date I'm ACTUALLY going to have her. Whether it's late or early, I don't care. I just want to know! Just one more thing a pregnant woman has to worry about. Because even when you try not to worry about it and realize she'll come when she's ready, you still worry about it. Not much else going on. Just trying to make days fun for Lily when all I do is feel like sleeping - and, in reality, she won't even remember this time in her life but she remembers it now, at least for a little bit, and I don't want her remembering her mommy in a ton of pain from little sister. The most recent pregger pic:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJcJMJGF3m7WQyMVjReADPAeRDOIImOznssK4CCW3uyzIJv8SLJ_YMcnMugDQaqrHeaazpZQsVvTOXXoMrsf0i4uRTtemF9zWppnjzg5PBDN-gdApjCGKs8lJLtomPDf5H6XdFEtbCVo/s1600/IMG_2314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJcJMJGF3m7WQyMVjReADPAeRDOIImOznssK4CCW3uyzIJv8SLJ_YMcnMugDQaqrHeaazpZQsVvTOXXoMrsf0i4uRTtemF9zWppnjzg5PBDN-gdApjCGKs8lJLtomPDf5H6XdFEtbCVo/s320/IMG_2314.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqEbKgHKjtiz7_TyJWuxMO9BGniE6WgiXHblIdiTi_zOdUB_5MxE3qsTtZbNMdOYkweacK64C0Lpl21qmw6CumQCJh6CvMSIXcbfi36yevKWF6qVth8somhyphenhyphenfdnHxC2vIe_-hlTtT9t98/s1600/IMG_2500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqEbKgHKjtiz7_TyJWuxMO9BGniE6WgiXHblIdiTi_zOdUB_5MxE3qsTtZbNMdOYkweacK64C0Lpl21qmw6CumQCJh6CvMSIXcbfi36yevKWF6qVth8somhyphenhyphenfdnHxC2vIe_-hlTtT9t98/s320/IMG_2500.JPG" width="228" /></a></div>
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I think I was just under 31 weeks. I thought I was huge but when I look back at Lily pregnancy pics I look about the same, except carrying way lower, which I already knew because of the pain. Current pregnancy is the blue shirt. </div>
<br />Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09672786487944172540noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474131737822115581.post-66694702582153071952013-02-21T17:17:00.004-07:002013-02-21T17:17:46.074-07:00Baby Names<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: start;">So Brady and I are debating between a few names and can't seem to decide on any of them. The top two contenders are Olivia or Violet. We've liked Olivia since we had Lily - it has a lot of options for nicknames, it's just plain cute. But it's also very common and many syllables. Violet we love because it is less common but still really cute and not too weird. The only thing holding me back is that there is not a good nickname for it. We are not a fan of the obvious "Vie" but we don't necessarily need a shorter name. I think I would commit to the name but Brady, I think, likes Olivia a little more but just won't come out and say it. We'll probably wait until the baby comes out to decide but if anyone who reads this blog has an opinion, let me know!</span></div>
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<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/Purpleflower_Violet_.JPG/220px-Purpleflower_Violet_.JPG" /> <span style="font-size: large;">OR </span> <img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTcvI8jCTYRhbBMb9tozf-sGJmvKbHpZ1v5b-5JrcrcP1s1ZtAUFg" /></div>
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<br />Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09672786487944172540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474131737822115581.post-10506177660624031102013-02-21T17:11:00.003-07:002013-02-21T17:11:24.964-07:00Pregnancy UpdateWell, I'm almost 29 weeks now. I don't have an updated photo. I usually take them on Sundays when I dress up but we've been sick the last couple of weeks so I haven't taken one. But I'll be going this Sunday, hopefully, so I can do another pic. I feel like she is already huge and I can barely breathe. So onto some fun stuff (sarcasm should be detected). I took the one hour glucose tolerance test around 27 weeks and the results came back a little high so my doctor said I had to go in and do the 3 hour one at the hospital. I felt really gross most of the time but I brought my laptop and Gilmore Girls and it went by fairly quickly. Although I arrived at the hospital at 7:30, as per my doctor's instructions, only to discover that no order for my test had been sent over so we had to wait until they opened at 8 and then had to wait some more for them to fax it over. So I basically spent an extra hour in the awesome hospital lobby waiting for the test to start. But they had a reclining chair set up just for expectant mothers so I set myself up nice and comfy. <br />
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Well, that three hour test was a week ago and I hadn't gotten any call from my doctor so I was going to call today when he finally called this morning. It was a little annoying that the first thing he said was 'I've been trying to get a hold of you' when I had had my phone glued to my side for a week with no calls. So whatever, doc! Anyway, my test results we abnormal so now I guess I technically have gestational diabetes. Yay! Not. What that basically means is that I have to limit carbs, especially the type of carb, and take blood sugar measurements four times a day. Here's my kind of cute blood sugar reader thing:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkEHoVr685H8VlN0OSq73W0bnQdrI9Bze6YrEgy_J2wVWn0QqeA9eEGxWoidVVouityrZjYP0xvm4dtj72GFqOlTxvY163SGCBIAviQVFKhbE2d1vvPDIW7MdD-qGJ-zaFz7W0YrNCIIo/s1600/IMG_20130221_185410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkEHoVr685H8VlN0OSq73W0bnQdrI9Bze6YrEgy_J2wVWn0QqeA9eEGxWoidVVouityrZjYP0xvm4dtj72GFqOlTxvY163SGCBIAviQVFKhbE2d1vvPDIW7MdD-qGJ-zaFz7W0YrNCIIo/s320/IMG_20130221_185410.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
The thought of having to prick my finger four times a day is not great but I have a feeling I'll get real comfortable with it real soon. I'm going in tomorrow so the nurse can show me how to use it but I think already know after reading the instructions. <br />
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My numbers are not too far off the normal range so my doctor is optimistic that I'll be able to control it just by diet changes. If I can't, then we'll have to talk about early delivery, etc. because the main problem with having gestational diabetes is that the baby will be huge and it'll increase the chances of having a c-section and going into preterm labor. I don't think the diet changes should be too hard - once I found out I failed the first glucose test I've already been trying to modify my diet. It's just combining carbs and protein and fat in all the right amounts. And I'm not a huge fan of meat so I'll have to get creative on what to cook for protein.<br />
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Huge babies already run in my family so I'm not sure how this condition will affect that. Brady is freaking out that the baby is going to be super early while he's still doing class (I probably will be too, for that matter) so he is all for he new diet. But my doc already likes to induce at 39 weeks, as long as your favorable, so this baby might be coming early. Of course, she'll probably be late but we'll see.Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09672786487944172540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474131737822115581.post-12422834676259414082013-02-06T07:44:00.002-07:002013-02-06T07:44:25.940-07:00Bangelina (Think Angelina with a B)Lily really likes to pretend she is Angelina Ballerina. And she adds a B at the beginning of her name, for some reason. She doesn't actually watch the show very much (she prefers Kipper and Curious George) but she found her Halloween tutu a week ago and has been loving playing around in it. It's a little more scrunched up now but she has fun with it, so it's ok. And it was super easy and cheap to make. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1NnqpZWdhQzdkg32EvNAlwfVPjexoQeDOcaUO0dT59gxrlaydKTKzG2oZ9e8YBotkkVpZJcHh3u9AsgcU7ukEchr1PH1QANrgaB9QT4arCSU_6boYesaBDD1jpgDIvNqBx59tf9zqODc/s1600/IMG_4241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1NnqpZWdhQzdkg32EvNAlwfVPjexoQeDOcaUO0dT59gxrlaydKTKzG2oZ9e8YBotkkVpZJcHh3u9AsgcU7ukEchr1PH1QANrgaB9QT4arCSU_6boYesaBDD1jpgDIvNqBx59tf9zqODc/s320/IMG_4241.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Tutu on Halloween</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVShcZBCopV7tif-N_webcwO2mAJEkmqjeIXFElq1rVPOB2Yx4aSMhZVCQP0jpB8FtJzgnEEPjYORHB7fRghWJI-drpWII5EADPgrjQ_0y9EE_bTlnP291nU6FFQEYLShpo-ixcvFMqY/s1600/IMG_2479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVShcZBCopV7tif-N_webcwO2mAJEkmqjeIXFElq1rVPOB2Yx4aSMhZVCQP0jpB8FtJzgnEEPjYORHB7fRghWJI-drpWII5EADPgrjQ_0y9EE_bTlnP291nU6FFQEYLShpo-ixcvFMqY/s320/IMG_2479.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Performing some "Bangelina" moves</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZBVOYnv40kFSirf1k5SL9ckP2NsswqyKBaS1iK9ynRhLJSEmbcg3ctBpQiiZdYOzf7_KlvnlkT2yPLCRT59GlU6BK-mjPXcdz7KNSt6QiSXNZS1cLkG4b4AewSnsBrsYyOCClyQZY5SQ/s1600/IMG_2478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZBVOYnv40kFSirf1k5SL9ckP2NsswqyKBaS1iK9ynRhLJSEmbcg3ctBpQiiZdYOzf7_KlvnlkT2yPLCRT59GlU6BK-mjPXcdz7KNSt6QiSXNZS1cLkG4b4AewSnsBrsYyOCClyQZY5SQ/s320/IMG_2478.JPG" width="228" /></a></div>
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<br />Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09672786487944172540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474131737822115581.post-44279399038333371122013-02-06T07:37:00.004-07:002013-02-06T07:37:53.970-07:00New (to us) CouchesSo a couple weeks ago we decided we need more seating in our living room. We've only had one couch since we moved in in August but as I'm getting wider I kept wanting more and more of the couch space. So we started looking around Craigslist to try and find something decent. Brady really wanted a recliner, and so did I really, because it was great when we had one with Lily. I felt like we needed another couch, too, for laying out purposes. We found a few choices and emailed them but then, for a week, no one responded. (Sometimes I feel like people on craigslist don't really want to sell their stuff - they just want to tease people with it). Anyway, one of the ladies contacted us, finally, after I sent a second message and went to see the couches. They were in West Virginia, about an hour away, so we rented a U-Haul (just in case) and drove out there. It was both of our first times to West Virginia so we can cross that state off our list. The lady was wanting to sell her microfiber recliner and couch (with a recliner on each end) for $300 originally, lowered the price to $250 when she emailed back and then when Brady asked her if $250 was her best price, she lowered it to $200 because we'd drive so far for them. We brought them home and have been loving the extra space! And the recliners! I looked up how to clean microfiber on Pinterest so I gave them a scrubbing and a fabreeze-ing and they are good to go. Here are pictures of them:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEB4QiQgDQktOPyxHZvuW1FZHsfTDodBcPfIZ083lbUneKWxO7yyWGKIrIhsvnSDXtmQW-eDSxuJjrryZG24VRMouBUgp_CBOTTc7q-gHYp8Dhi65H3vxd6ToQz60k70KqSw9R1dosx6o/s1600/IMG_2477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEB4QiQgDQktOPyxHZvuW1FZHsfTDodBcPfIZ083lbUneKWxO7yyWGKIrIhsvnSDXtmQW-eDSxuJjrryZG24VRMouBUgp_CBOTTc7q-gHYp8Dhi65H3vxd6ToQz60k70KqSw9R1dosx6o/s320/IMG_2477.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The recliner</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC02A9uvdzSsQqRz9OjNjr8G-Emkgt6bSxFrL8dwfHuANRLGfjsxk543VGfhUjfCT5Ay2KQKtGUFqv03nz6Lgx-myHbivSKP6rhfjGBbRwddmBZ_yRNXtcaCpypMqGDmOqRIsqT_3sNzs/s1600/IMG_2476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC02A9uvdzSsQqRz9OjNjr8G-Emkgt6bSxFrL8dwfHuANRLGfjsxk543VGfhUjfCT5Ay2KQKtGUFqv03nz6Lgx-myHbivSKP6rhfjGBbRwddmBZ_yRNXtcaCpypMqGDmOqRIsqT_3sNzs/s320/IMG_2476.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The couch that has two recliners.</div>
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It has been really great, too, since I've been sick that I can lean back without being completely horizontal because I'm at the stage in pregnancy where breathing air gives me heartburn. It also helps stretch out my stomach and baby bump so they aren't so cramped, thus worsening the heartburn/acid reflux feeling. I think we'll be keeping these for a while!</div>
<br />Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09672786487944172540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474131737822115581.post-89488220036581833412013-02-06T07:30:00.002-07:002013-02-06T07:30:41.288-07:00FluWell, I have experienced something new in the past month. Twice. When we got back from California (I'm talking the day we got back) I got sick with some kind of stomach bug/flu that wiped me out for several days. The actual gross part only lasted a few hours but then I was weak, achy and had no appetite for days afterward. But, I got over it and considered myself done with flu season. Apparently my body, and the rest of the world around me, decided I should get whatever that bug was again! So, almost a month later, I am sick with a stomach bug again! I am on day 3 of feeling yucky. I'm hoping I'll feel almost better today. Being sick normally just stinks but when I have to take care of Lily too it is just the worst! But luckily Brady has been able to be home most of the time while I've been feeling sick. He only has classes two days a week so he was able to stay home the rest of the day. I am just going to have to stay away from people now and use sanitizer a ton until this baby is born (which incidentally marks the end of flu season). I do not want to get more sick on top of already being pregnant anymore! (And, of course, there are no pictures to document this incident. I'm sure you understand why).Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09672786487944172540noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474131737822115581.post-17227737640046117802013-02-03T20:32:00.001-07:002013-02-03T20:32:26.630-07:00Christmas 2012We went to California for Christmas. It was a really awesome trip especially since we weren't sure we were going to be able to go but we did and since we live in Virginia now, it was really great for Lily to spend time with her cousins. She has 6 cousins on that side all under 10 so she had a great time. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrA80c5V8Y3Mr94GbPeQRLT9aA9Y0zdbEifpspK8EY8KIsklw41RoeKYYi0-qQwe3zXtpyL2CUpuHfRBGT79xX9xuV1mtr_OvQZc5DnzvFPIgoWNHDn9xtlFgQJRvob-EphBevFU2roE/s1600/P1020116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrA80c5V8Y3Mr94GbPeQRLT9aA9Y0zdbEifpspK8EY8KIsklw41RoeKYYi0-qQwe3zXtpyL2CUpuHfRBGT79xX9xuV1mtr_OvQZc5DnzvFPIgoWNHDn9xtlFgQJRvob-EphBevFU2roE/s320/P1020116.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This was the best picture we could get of all of them. And soon there will be another one! We are definitely girl heavy on the Duitsman side. Both my sister Stacey and I will have two girls and then my older brother has the other four, including the two boys. We'll see if we can get some more boys in the future! Lily already misses her California family. She asks all the time to go to Grandma/Grandpa Duitsman's house and sometimes even asks if we can go on the plane again (since that's how we got to Cali). It kind of breaks my heart but just cements in me that we will move back West as soon as we're done here! Even Brady's brother who is having a baby this month (a boy) lives in Utah so we'd be closer to cousins on the Redfearn side, too.Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09672786487944172540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474131737822115581.post-61252852629311749582013-02-03T18:08:00.001-07:002013-02-03T18:08:18.597-07:00Baby Girl #2So we're pregnant again! Obviously, everyone who reads this blog probably already knows this but I'll do a post on it anyway. I'm due on May 11th, so I have about 3 months left. During those 3 months I'll be finishing up my final semester of my Master's program. The semester technically ends on May 13th but I'm hoping to be done earlier in May so it won't interfere with the baby delivering. Since Lily was 6 days late and they had to force her out of me (via induction) I'm guessing this one will be the same. Maybe she'll surprise us and come early but probably not. <br />
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The first trimester was incredibly easy. I could hardly believe I was pregnant, except for the fact that my pants stopped fitting way faster this time than with Lily. I felt sick a few times but nothing to really complain about. It was good I could go and hear the heartbeat because otherwise I wasn't sure I actually was pregnant. The second trimester, which is almost over (I'm just over 26 weeks), has been much worse. And it is supposed to be the easy trimester! I have had almost a constant headache and the heartburn is really bad. But I figure that I had a ton of headaches with Lily too, I just didn't have a toddler to look after that time. I'm already feeling huge and uncomfortable but when I compared my current bump to my bump with Lily I'm about the same size now. I got big much more quickly but it's kind of tapered off now. <br />
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We found out it was another girl just before Christmas and we are really excited. It means I will not have to do anything but unpack and wash all of Lily's old clothes/toys and that'll be that. We already have another dresser so each of the girls can have one and her bassinet is already set up in Lily's room. Lily is excited for her little sister as much as a 2 year old can be. She knows there's a baby in mommy's tummy and she has heard the heartbeat and saw the ultrasound but it won't really set in until we bring baby #2 home. I hope these next three months go by quickly - mainly because that means I'll be done with school forever but also because pregnancy gets weird in those last three months. At the same time, though, I want to try to make it the best three months Lily has had since she will no longer be our only little girl and will have to share us with another little person. Granted, she'll be the only sibling that will ever get us all to herself but she'll also have a bunch of other responsibilities because she'll be the oldest. It's weird having my parental love extend towards another person. I love Lily so much and couldn't imagine having another baby but, now that she is kicking the heck out of me, Baby Girl #2 has just been brought into the parental love bubble. I think my girls will have so much fun together and there is nothing quite like a sister to be a life long friend. Here's a grid of pictures of my two pregnancies. I was curious what the comparison was. It can clearly be seen that I got huge early but now the difference is not so much.<br />
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<br />Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09672786487944172540noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474131737822115581.post-55669883148468333642012-10-05T19:44:00.001-06:002012-10-05T19:44:13.810-06:00Lily Turns 2Lily is now officially two years old! I can't believe how big she is getting. She talks all the time. Basically non-stop. She loves to go outside or on walks. And she begs to go to the park - which is hard sometimes because it has been rainy a bit making the park not so ideal. She has found two shows she likes to watch: Barney and Blue's Clues (which she calls "clues"). We don't have cable so she has to watch whatever is online, so that's why she likes the older shows. She recently learned to count to 10 and it's probably because of Barney and then us counting with her a little. She also has started singing a lot. She knows most of the words to twinkle twinkle little star and a few others. <br />
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A huge milestone that I didn't think would happen so soon was the end of the paci (pacifier). She has loved that thing since birth, and I mean it - since she was less than a day old she has loved her paci and I thought it would be horrible taking it away from her. It actually could not have been easier. One night Brady had the pacifier in his pocket and when he put her down, she didn't ask for it and she fell right asleep. When he came out and showed it to me we were like "this is it." So we hid it away and decided to be strong. The next day she asked for it maybe twice and only when she was tired. But I got her to nap without it and without a fight, even. The few subsequent days she would occassionally ask for it but we would just say "oh paci is sleeping" or if we were out of the house we would say "oh, paci is at home, sorry" and she would accept that and move on. So now her front teeth are straightening out and not looking so paci-fied. I was very happy with that because getting rid of it before 2 years old is definitely good. Now we just have to potty train (I doubt that will happen anytime soon).<br />
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Lily can be so sweet, and sour, too. She says "love you" now without being prompted and will just come up and give me a kiss sometimes. She's a pretty picky eater, basically a vegetarian because she won't try anything she doesn't like the look of and she doesn't like the way meat looks, so she eats a ton of fruit, a few types of veggies and then lots of rice and pasta. That's about it for now on Lily. I'll take her to her two year appointment sometime soon and we'll get to see how big she is. <br />
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<br />Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09672786487944172540noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474131737822115581.post-63296265024289025152012-10-05T19:33:00.001-06:002012-10-05T19:33:18.036-06:00Virginia!When we flew into Virginia we were about 4 hours away from Blacksburg, where we live, but we were near Brady's parents and they ended up giving us a ton of furniture to use in our new place! We got a couch, a dining room table and chairs, a large dresser for our room and a side table. We ended up not leaving for Blacksburg until late Friday night and didn't get to our new place until after midnight. The next day we had a few guys from our ward come help us unload our stuff. I made a floor plan for Brady's brother who is on a mission and wanted to know what our place looks like. Here it is:<br />
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Virginia so far is good. The one thing I hate is how big the bugs are. I had the unfortunate experience to discover a huge wolf spider in our bathroom our first week here and I still haven't recovered. I haven't seen one since (Brady has but not in the house) but I can't get it out of my mind. I despise spiders. And then there are just a ton of other new bugs I've never seen or heard of before and it makes for squeamish-ness on my part. But the people are all really nice and some of them even have southern accents. Our town is tiny - it has a grocery store but that's about it. Luckily, the town 10 minutes away has more, like a Walmart and Target and a small mall. Still, I am missing Provo where everything was all so close! The closest Costco is 3 hours away! And we love Costco! But we are surviving and probably saving a lot of money, too. </div>
<br />Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09672786487944172540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474131737822115581.post-58706345745019668972012-10-05T19:21:00.004-06:002012-10-05T19:25:01.681-06:00Time with the Duitsmans At the end of July/beginning of August Lily and I were able to go to the beach with my family. Brady had to work, and we needed the money, she he stayed behind. He also had to pack us up as we had to be out of our apartment the day after Lily and I would get home. The beach trip was a ton of fun although I will say, even with just one, I would never want to be a single parent. Lily definitely gave me a run for my money. She slept awesome every night, though, so that helped. In fact, the bed we slept on was my on the normal bed and her on a trundle bed beneath me and she would be so sound asleep that she would roll off the bed, despite my sturdy barrier of pillows, and be sleeping on top of clothes and books. I'd even pick her up and put her back and she'd still be asleep. Anyway, I put a ton of pictures up from that trip on facebook so you can go there and look. Here's a cute one of Lily and Chloe, though, because why not?<br />
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After we packed up and moved all of our stuff out of the apartment, Brady and his dad (who flew in to drive the van/u-haul across the country) left for the four day trek to Virginia while Lily and I got picked up by my parents to spend 4 more days with the family before we eventually flew out to meet Brady. We had lots of fun with cousins and family and it was very sad to leave. But Lily missed Brady, not as much as me though, so we were happy to be reunited with him. Our flight went great. Lily was awesome. She ran around and said hello to everyone before the flight and then once we were in the air she fell right asleep and stayed asleep the whole flight. It did help that the flight was a red eye. She did get a little upset near the end but as soon as I took her out of her seat and held her, she went right to sleep and slept on me until we landed. We made it to Virginia Friday morning around 7 on August 10th!</div>
Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09672786487944172540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474131737822115581.post-61306127181848432752012-10-05T19:15:00.000-06:002012-10-05T19:15:43.217-06:00Monterrey Bay AquariumWe also happened to be very close to the Monterrey Bay Aquarium so we went there too. Lily made the day almost impossible to enjoy but we ended up having a ok time. Hindsight makes it seem not so bad but at one point she was throwing such a huge fit that her little umbrella stroller fell backwards and she hit her head on the ground. Anyway, here are a few from the Aquarium and then a few when we met up with Brady's Aunt and played at Dennis the Menace Park.<br />
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This was taken after Lily fell asleep in the stroller and we got a little time to ourselves!</div>
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Watching the ducks.</div>
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OK, I thought there were more pictures but I guess that's it!</div>
<br />Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09672786487944172540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474131737822115581.post-66924144166121778372012-10-05T19:09:00.001-06:002012-10-05T19:09:05.047-06:00Santa Cruz BoardwalkFrom our position in Morgan Hill we were only about an hour away from the Santa Cruz boardwalk. So we just had to go before we left the area, even though we knew Lily probably wouldn't be awesome. It turned out pretty well and she even enjoyed some of the rides. Although I will say that she HATED the carousel. The workers even came over and asked me if I wanted to stop the ride. I reluctantly said yes...<br />
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From the fisherman's wharf - you can see the boardwalk in the background.</div>
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Right before we left.</div>
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On the carousel - don't let her fool you. This was before it started.</div>
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She liked this ride.</div>
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She LOVED this ride - we went on it with her 3 or 4 times.</div>
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Driving the Pepsi truck.</div>
<br />Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09672786487944172540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474131737822115581.post-34423868516595923342012-10-05T19:01:00.002-06:002012-10-05T19:01:36.071-06:00Around Morgan Hill<br />
So for all of June basically we just hung around town and played outside a lot. Here are a few random pictures of our time there.<br />
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She loved taking her ball outside and running around.</div>
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Some much needed sunscreen for the California summer.</div>
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One night before we went to dinner with a bunch of Brady's old friends.</div>
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I posted this on Facebook but it's too cute not to post again.</div>
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Lily LOVES popcorn - but only if she can hold the whole bowl.</div>
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Wearing my hat around town.</div>
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She has a thing for my clothes.</div>
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We were actually able to visit my campus.</div>
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Just reading and enjoying a snack.</div>
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Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09672786487944172540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474131737822115581.post-83781892024596037982012-10-05T18:56:00.001-06:002012-10-05T18:56:03.510-06:00I could have had a baby in the time since my last post!<br />
So I'm not awesome and blogging but I'll try to be better, at least once a month or so. So since Christmas a lot has happened! In April we found out that we would be moving from Provo to Morgan Hill, CA because Brady got a job working for IBM. So, with three weeks to pack, find a place to live, and set up all the moving stuff we were off to live in California - both of our home states, by the way. We lived in a two bedroom apartment that was pretty nice but super pricey - dang California! But it was the perfect place to spend 3 months because the grounds were really pretty and it was close enough for Lily and I to walk to the library several times a week. Here are some photos from that time:<br />
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The view from our sliding glass window (yes we had a pool!)</div>
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This serves as a shot of our living room/dining room/a little bit of the kitchen. And also a shot of Lily "running errands"</div>
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Playing outside.</div>
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More outside.</div>
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I have a lot more from summer but I'll write more in subsequent posts. Gotta keep it tidy and not too much in one post!</div>
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Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09672786487944172540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474131737822115581.post-24163699480638867932012-01-23T20:00:00.002-07:002012-01-23T20:00:32.778-07:00ChristmasWell, it's been a while but I'll be writing some posts to update! We spent Christmas in Virginia with Brady's parents. It was a fun trip! We spent the first week helping his parents do some things in their kitchen. They are remodeling it and needed Brady's strapping muscles for some projects. We went to an art gallery that first week too. Christmas was really fun. We went to Church for an hour and then came home and opened the presents. Lily kind of got into opening them, but she still didn't really know what she was doing. I got Brady a really cool techie jacket and the big present I got is a food processor! I LOVE it. I also borrowed a book from my mother-in-law called the Sneaky Chef. It just gives you ways to incorporate veggies and healthy stuff into everyday recipes. The food processor has helped a ton with making the things for that! <br />
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Lily's first plane ride!</div>
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There were these cute little carts at one of the grocery stores.</div>
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Nap time!</div>
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Christmas!</div>
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Brady's techie jacket.</div>
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We went to the National Zoo the day after Christmas</div>
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Lily really liked the small mammal house because their cages were lower so she could see them really well. </div>
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Brady and I were able to go on a date while we were there. We saw the new Sherlock Holmes (awesome!) and went to this cool restaurant that had great chicken sandwiches. We also got a present from his parents for Christmas to go to Much Ado About Nothing - a play that was going on in DC and set in Cuba. It was actually really awesome!</div>
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It was a great vacation! We spent a lot of nights watching recorded Christmas movies (which I love) and just hanging out. </div>Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09672786487944172540noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474131737822115581.post-52500489661407945732011-12-01T00:51:00.001-07:002011-12-01T00:59:26.135-07:00We've Got a Climber on Our Hands!!Lily has recently acquired the skill to climb things. And she couldn't be prouder! Even if it is a lid to a plastic tub, she stands on it as if she couldn't be cooler. Unfortunately, she also likes to get on higher things too. Here are some photos of what she has climbed up lately:<br />
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A cart at IKEA (She was treated to a trip around the store which ended in her just rolling off onto the ground...)</div>
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The ladder - She's very helpful.</div>
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She got on top of this empty box and then fell into it.</div>
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She loves to get on her strollers and "ride" them like a chariot. </div>
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The wagon she got for her birthday. She gets in it and then rocks back and forth to move it. So dangerous. Luckily she's never fallen off.</div>
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This is a little blurry but she loves to get up on the couch now. She'll run from one end to the other.</div>
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Her high chair - minus the tray.</div>
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And finally, with a little help from her older cousins, she was able to climb onto Grandma and Grandpa Duitsman's chair.</div>
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So far she hasn't really hurt herself - she is one tough cookie. I just hope she learns how to get off of things once she's up there instead of just walking off the edge, or rolling off. </div>
<br />Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09672786487944172540noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474131737822115581.post-64978636885165085202011-10-31T22:02:00.002-06:002011-10-31T22:02:59.057-06:00Some Fun FactsWell, Lily is over 13 months now. She's getting so big!! A few fun things she has been doing lately:<br />
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-Blowing on everything she eats - whether it's hot or not. <br />
-Dancing to any and every kind of music.<br />
-She wants to get chased all the time. I'll get on the floor to pick things up and she'll start walking away and then turn back and smile as if I'm chasing her. <br />
-She now runs up to mine, and Brady's, legs and wraps her arms around them - this usually means she wants to be picked up.<br />
-When I go into the bedroom to work on schoolwork, if we open the gate that lets her into the kitchen, she comes immediately to knock on my door. She's a smarty and always knows where mama is!<br />
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I know she does more funny things. If I can remember any more I'll post them. <br />
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Halloween was a great success. We dressed up as '50s people. Lily was a ladybug. We stopped by one of the places Brady does some work for for their Halloween party. We didn't stay very long. After that, we went trick or treating in down town in Provo. Then we went to our single's ward Halloween party for trunk or treat and the making of candy apples. We did a lot of walking but it was really fun! I'm excited for the holidays this year, but even more for next year when Lily will actually know what's going on! But she loved seeing all the other kids dressed up today.Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09672786487944172540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474131737822115581.post-62154778475412828352011-10-31T14:53:00.001-06:002011-10-31T14:53:30.872-06:00You Know You Want To<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I'm not sure if this is lame or not but I am good at making all sorts of things so perhaps someone wants a surprise from me?? </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Here are the tagging instructions: The first 3 people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: left;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: left;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">2. What I create will be just for you.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: left;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">3. It'll be done by the end of the year if you're local, I'll give myself til the end of January 2012 if I need to mail it.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: left;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">4. You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a story. It may be poetry or an article on properly cleaning your face before a masque. I may draw or paint something. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: left;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">5. I reserve the right to do something unusual.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: left;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must re-post this on your blog and offer the same to the first 3 people who do the same on your blog. OR, since I know there are some people who read my blog who don't have a blog of their own, you can win if you are willing to make something for three random people. The first 3 people to leave a comment telling me they will win it forward get a fabulous homemade gift by me! Oh, and if you have a blog, be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it.</span>Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09672786487944172540noreply@blogger.com1