Impromptu Potty Training

When we moved back to DBop's parents house, I set Teeny Bug's cute little pink potty in the bathroom so she could get used to seeing it. I thought I would give her a few weeks to get used to a new routine and get over her cold, but she had other plans.

Last week, while getting her and Monkey ready for their bath, she decided to sit down on it. I said, "Oh, are you going to try to go pee pee?" and nothing. So I left the room, and when I came back, she looked up at me and said, "Like that?" She had gone to the bathroom! I threw some underwear on her and started potty training. By the next day, she was telling me when she had to go and was potty trained from there. I was so nervous to potty train too, but it has been one of the funnest things I've done with her. It's so awesome to see how excited she gets when she gets a little bit more independent.

She is seriously so cute and growing up too fast, but I sure am glad that I only have to buy diapers for Monkey now. And I'd say that 27 months is a perfect time for her to be out of diapers. Whew!

So much has changed..... yet again!

I love how the last post was, "We are in Maryland." This one really should be, "Now we're in Idaho." DBop and I have up and moved back to the West. Yes, it's crazy, but I'll sum it up below.

While we were living out in Maryland, we were a little behind from DBop not having a job for 4 months. Not to mention it was extremely expensive out there. DBop was working down in Arlington, VA, which was about a 2 hour commute each way. We were spending half of his hard earned money on gas, and the rest was just covering the minimum on our other bills. We tried to get an apartment closer to his work so we wouldn't be spending so much on gas, and we thought we had one, but things just didn't look good for us financially, and backed out last minute.

We struggled and prayed for a while and we decided to fly myself and the kids back to my mother's house to be with my family. DBop would then drive our things back whenever he found a job back west.

Once we had made that decision, things fell into place. We were blessed financially when we went to buy the plane tickets, and DBop got a job in Idaho that very same week working on a farm. So, we knew that it was the right decision.

While I flew with 2 children, which I NEVER suggest doing, DBop drove our poor mini van 35 hours to his parents house, which I also never suggest doing. ;) Most of our things are still in Maryland until we figure out how to bring it back.

For right now, we are back with DBop's parents and our kiddos are loving it. Our family is the main reason why we came back and we are so happy to be near them. I sometimes wonder why it is that we went out there, just to come back to the same thing, but I know that experience was something we needed to go through. We have been through a lot this year, our marriage has been tested beyond what I thought possible, our faith has been tried to its limit, but I feel so much better knowing that DBop and I were able to get through it together. Not to mention we have the 2 most beautiful, smart, and wonderful children I could have ever asked for. Heavenly Father really has put us through the refiner's fire and what a crazy time our little family has had. It's been tough, but I know we will be able to look back and be grateful for this experience.

Thanks to all of our friends and family who have blessed us with so much and we are extremely grateful for everything.

***I will post some recent pictures of the little ones as soon as I get them!***

We are in Maryland!!

DBop has been blessed with a job! He was interviewed by phone and in the middle of June, he was offered a job with a government contracting company based out of DC. So, we packed up the UHaul, yet again, and drove 40 hours across the country, with two kids under 2. Luckily we had DBop's mom on the ride with us. She was so wonderful. I was able to drive the whole way, while she entertained the kids. We were able to stop along a couple church history sites, which made our new adventure seem worth while. We drove all day Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and at the end of Friday we ended up in Maryland, the final destination. We were BEAT! I never want to make that trip again, at least with a UHaul, which had a tire blown out the third day and overheated like crazy. But we are so glad to be able to be here, safe, and with no rent payment to help get us back on our feet after a little while of no paychecks.

DBop started his job 3 days after we arrived, which was a shock for him. He has always lived in small towns, and here he was, having to drive an hour and a half each way to work. He loves his job and we are going to look for an apartment we can move to hopefully at the beginning of September, down in Virginia where the commute won't be as long.

Okay, enough of the boring stuff. Let's get to the fun. We have been able to see the Washington Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and the VeitNam, and World War II Memorials. Not to mention DBop works in the Pentagon half of the time too. (Did you know there is a DMV inside the Pentagon? And a Best Buy? I didn't!) We have also gone up to Palmyra, New York and have been able to see Joseph Smith's house, the Sacred Grove, and the Hill Cumorah. Around here, we have been kayaking in the creek off of DBop's uncle's property, I've been able to go on nightly runs at the local high school track, we have seen the Antietam Battlefield, and we even spent 4th of July watching the fireworks and cannons go off over the battlefield as well. It's been so crazy around here, and we long to have a place of our own as a family again. But in the mean time, we sure are trying to make the best of it. Here are a few pictures of Teeny Bug and Monkey, they just make everything seem easier.

Life Changes

A lot has happened in our lives the past couple months. I won't waste any time and just get started with it all....

First off, DBop lost his job about 2 months ago. He worked for the company for about 2 1/2 years. He loved working for them, and we now know that it wasn't something he was supposed to do for the rest of his life, but a stepping stone to where we are really supposed to be.

After DBop lost his job, we stayed in North Dakota for about another month. He was looking for jobs around there because we both really didn't want to leave. It was the place where we were dependent on each other, it was the place where we had our first two children, and it was the place we thought we would call home. As money got tighter and tighter, we prayed one night about whether we should move to Idaho and live with his parents, or if we should stick things out in North Dakota for the time being. We wrote a list of things that would be beneficial to us in North Dakota overall, and in Idaho overall. When we looked at the things that meant the most to us, our families, going to the temple, and a few other things, we knew that moving to Idaho would be the best choice.

So we packed up within a week, flew my mom out to North Dakota, cleaned and packed like crazy, and left the town we loved so much.

We are now here in Idaho, near the area where DBop and I first met. We are so grateful for our families and friends who have helped us in this trial and we know that the Lord has something in store for us we ourselves couldn't have imagined. We are so blessed to be given this trial, for our scriptures are constantly being read, and our knees are sore from all the prayers. We can do nothing but remember the Lord at this time and I feel much closer to Him because of it. DBop and I have even been able to do temple work at least once a week for our own ancestors. It truly is a blessing to have these trials, even though we still have bad days. DBop has yet to find a job, but we know that if we continue to do the right things, we will be given that blessing in the Lord's time.

Thanks to all who have helped, it means more than you know. We are so grateful, more than words can say.

I do have to say though, we are blessed to have our wonderful children, because they make this difficult time seem so much easier.

Teeny Bug and Her New Bed

A few weeks ago, Monkey started rolling over. Which means he needed a new crib.



He was in a Play-Pen, with a raised up section, and it was beginning to be too small for a little mover. He would always be pushed up against the side and have marks on his head from the netting on the crib. Now, Teeny Bug had to give up her crib for Monkey. Which means she was able to get this:

And is now able to do this:

She loves her room...

Little Teeny could NOT sit still while I was taking these. Too busy jumping on the bed

Next Stop: potty training!

Blog Changes

Recently, I've been neglecting my blog because I have turned it private. I feel like I wasn't posting enough because I hated signing in, although not that hard, I was just lazy. People weren't reading it when I did, and it was a snowball affect. So I did something about it! As you can already tell, I've made pictures to where nobody can copy and paste them, I've decided to use "nicknames" for family and initials for other people, and I've changed what type of information I've put on here.

Yes, it was a LOT of work! But I've missed being able to share what is going on in mine and my family's lives. Alas! We now have a new and improved blog. Posts of the family will come tomorrow, seeing as how I need to start taking pictures now too!

DBop's Car Accident

As many of you know, a week and a half ago, DBop was in a car accident. He was traveling from here to MN (which is about 30 minutes). He was going from one work plant to the other. The weather wasn't terrible that day, but it had just thawed a little and went back down to freezing, so there was a lot of black ice on the roads. He was driving about 55 in a 65 in our Suzuki and he hit some black ice and perhaps some wind caught the back tires at the same time, he's not really sure what happened. All he knew was that the car flipped twice and he landed upright in the center median.

Thankfully, there were no other cars involved, and a car was traveling just behind him and saw the entire thing. He landed with his top half in the passenger's seat and his feet were up on his seat under his seat belt. The windows and the sunroof all broke and he was covered in snow. He jumped out of the car so people knew he was okay and he saw the two guys standing beside his car. He had no cuts from the windows breaking and he hit his head on the side door and the ceiling, so he had a pretty bad headache.

He had forgotten his phone that day and I got a call from a 218 (MN). Usually, I don't answer the phone if I don't know who it is, but I decided to answer it this time. He was calling from the other car's cell phone that witnessed everything, and all he said was, "Hey. Uh... I just rolled the Suzuki. Do you want to come get me?" It kind of caught me off guard, so I said, "What?!?" And he explained that he was okay and what had happened. So I jumped in the car with both kids and drove out to get him.

It was not a fun ride, by any means. All I could think was, "What am I about to see? I hope DBop really is okay and not in worse shape than he said he is." But thankfully, I got to his car and it didn't look too bad from what I could see. The doors were dented and wouldn't shut, and the inside was filled with snow. DBop was with a police officer and they pulled up just behind me. We then had to sit there and wait for the state patrol officer to get there to file a police report.

DBop filed the report and got things out of the car that he needed and we headed back home. He took a shower because he was freezing from all the snow in the car and standing outside to file the police report. I took Teeny Bug over to DBop's brother's house and when I came back, we were going to head to the hospital to get him checked. DBop, however, did not want to move. He had fallen asleep and he was really out of it. He started saying strange things, so I really tried not to let him go back to sleep. I drove over to the hospital with DBop and Monkey and he was there for about 5 1/2 getting xrays and CT scans.

I didn't stay the entire time because I had to take care of the kiddos, but the end result was that DBop had a concussion. We don't have to pay for the hospital bills because DBop was traveling for work. We also didn't have to pay for towing or the car that was totaled because of insurance, so we really didn't lose too much as far as the accident goes. Just a car, which is fine with me.

DBop went to get more things out of his car the next day, and the man at the car shop told DBop that he shouldn't have walked away from that accident. We are so lucky DBop only got the injuries that he did. He didn't realize until then that it should have been a lot worse.

We have been blessed with his good health (even though he has been really sore from it), and friends and family that have helped us through it all. I realize how much Heavenly Father looks after us and He has made things very comforting for us. I know He cares and looks after us and knows exactly what we need in life.

On a lighter note... he got to feel like what it was like to be in a human dryer.... I'm a little jealous ;)

AeroGarden

DBop and I got this for each other for our anniversary this year and we LOVE it! We planted the seeds on the 4th of January - and some of them have already grown to where we can use them. I never thought that in less than a month we would be able to use our own fresh herbs. Especially in the middle of winter.

We planed cilantro, basil, parsley, mint, chives, thyme, and dill. We are ready to use the cilantro and the basil. The others I'm sure we won't have to wait long.

Old People and Technology

I have smart parents - is what I used to think. However, now that technology has gotten better, they have yet to jump on board. I love it though, it gives me a good laugh. But does it really have to take 20 minutes to get Skype to work? Or ten minutes before I get a text answering "yes" or "no"? I guess I should give my mom more credit, though. She does send me picture messages and knows how to use email. That's a pretty good start.

It got me thinking though. What am I going to be like when my kids are in their teens? Will I be able to know how to use the crazy, "blow your mind" pieces of technology that have yet to be invented? I sure hope so. David said that this was the reason he bought this....

I'm pretty sure that "keeping up with the times" was not the only reason for this purchase ;)

(Disclaimer: Mom and Dad - I still love you)

I LOVE my Children!

I have been reading a book called "What the Scriptures Teach Us About Raising a Child" and it has made me look at my children in a totally different light. Each page I read makes me realize how important they really are and how to be a better parent. I've never read anything like it. One chapter I read about was Praise and Validation and how we need to appreciate our children even for the little things. I look at these sweet little people and wonder how I could ever complained about them at any point. I've realized my words and actions affect them and I don't ever want them to think I didn't appreciate them.


Things I love about Teeny Bug:
1) She is ALWAYS smiling (except in the picture above, haha).
2) She loves figuring out how things work.
3) She helps me with Monkey by handing me his blankets, burp clothes, and binkies.
4) She sings and dances all the time.
5) She is starting to talk a lot and understands what we're saying.
6) She loves closing doors.
7) Any time she is not tired but is supposed to go to sleep, she will stay and talk in her crib until she is tired.
8) She wakes up in a good mood every day.
9) She runs over to DBop when he gets home from work.
10) She is always doing something silly.
11) She knows how to roll her belly like a belly dancer.
12) She thinks it's funny when she walks around with a blanket over her head.
13) She loves hats and shoes.
14) She loves trying new things and copies mommy and daddy.
15) Her big, blue eyes.
16) And much, MUCH more!





Things I love about Monkey:
1) He wakes up with a huge smile.
2) He always giggles when we come and get him out of bed.
3) He lets Teeny Bug do whatever she wants to him and doesn't cry if it hurts (I swear I'm not a bad mom, but Teeny Bug sure is quick!).
4) He is such a snuggle bug.
5) He loves being pulled into bed with me in the morning for another hour of sleep before I have to get up.
6) He's got such cute little, chunky legs.
7) He is so calm and goes with the flow.
8) His eyes are gorgeous.
9) He loves watching the ceiling fan.
10) He smiles when he takes a bath or when he gets his diaper changed.
11) And much, MUCH more!





I am so blessed to have these wonderful little spirits in my home and they make my life so full. My life is wonderful.

Recent Pictures

While DBop and I were in Utah, we got some pictures taken of Teeny Bug by our sister-in-law. They turned out so cute!

I just love how she puts her tongue in between her teeth when she smiles.

She looks so mature in this one

With cousin M ;)

And here are some more pictures of Monkey from when he was first born:

What would I do without these two beautiful kids?

The Arrival of Our New Little One!

Monkey was born on Oct. 18th. He looks just like DBop and he is such a good baby. He eats, sleeps, and poops, and that's about it so far. He only cries when he's hungry and he is such a good addition to our little family! Teeny Bug loves her brother, but she isn't quite used to not having all of the attention. She pats his head, gives him kisses, and runs over to him when he cries. She says, "Baby" all the time. I'll show some pictures now, but for those who care, I'll tell my labor story below.

Too bad somebody wasn't there to take the family picture... but I LOVE Teeny Bug's smile in this one.

Some cute newborn pics

I went into the hospital at around 7:00pm Sunday night. They gave me some Cytotec, which would soften the cervix, throughout that whole night. The reason being was because I was being induced 10 days before my due date because of how large Teeny was. Not to mention I had lost a lot of blood, and my doctor didn't want that happening again. So that whole night, I had to just lie in the hospital bed and tried to get some rest, which is impossible in hospitals.

I started having contractions sometime early in the morning, and they started me on Pitocin at around 7:30am, Monday morning. I was dilated to a 3 when they started the Pitocin. For the next 10 hours.... absolutely nothing! Except for some really strong contractions which weren't doing anything. I had gotten some Stadol because I started having back labor and I just needed to try to sleep a little bit, considering I didn't get that much rest the night before.

At around 5:00 pm, I had two or three contractions that felt like nothing I'd ever felt before. They were sharp and I was getting annoyed because I wasn't progressing at all. All at once, my water broke... Finally! Something was happening! DBop was not in the room, so I called him and told him what happened. I was finally dilated to a four, and a half hour later, they brought my best friend.... the epidural. ;)

I finally felt some relief for a couple of hours until at around 7:30, the nurse kept having me switch sides because the baby's heart rate was dropping. About 5 other nurses came in and they put the heart monitor on the baby's head because they couldn't get it with the monitor strapped to me. My body started shaking uncontrollably and they put the oxygen mask on me. They told me that everything was alright, they just needed me to breathe deep.

I knew what was going on though. I've had friends in the past get emergency C sections because of the baby's heart rate dropping and I just kept praying that I wouldn't need one too. DBop was freaked out too, but the nurses just kept telling us everything was fine. I started feeling a lot of pressure too, like the baby was about to come out, and my doctor wasn't even there yet.

He got there about 5 minutes later and the nurses already had me in the pushing position. He told me to push, and I did once. He told me to stop, and said, "Alright everyone, we don't have much time." I've never seen people move so fast to get their robes on in my life. A nurse was standing below me with a blanket in case the baby came out too. Then my doctor came back and I pushed one more time and Monkey was out. I couldn't believe it, I almost started laughing at how quickly the last three hours just went. Considering I pushed for 2 hours with Teeny Bug, I was shocked.

Monkey was born at that night, and they didn't put him on my stomach because they had to make sure his heart rate was okay. His face was black and blue and he had the biggest swollen lip I've ever seen on a baby. The nurses told me that it was because he came out so fast and that it will go away shortly.

I couldn't stop smiling and looking over at him, especially since this time I could actually understand what was going on. I didn't bleed nearly as bad as last time and the recovery has been so much better. He is again, such a wonderful little person, and he really makes me so happy whenever I see his cute little face. I wonder what life would be like had I not decided to have children and I don't think I would be as happy. DBop is such a wonderful father and I just love my little family!

Utah Trip

At the end of September, I was able to go to Utah to see my family. DBop was out in Pittsburgh for a business trip and wanted me to be with my family so I wasn't at home alone. So I got up at 3:00 in the morning, showered, got everything ready, and drove Teeny Bug and myself to Fargo to catch a 6:00 flight to Salt Lake. As good as Teeny Bug was, I was so exhausted by the end of the flight. Luckily, I handed her over to my mother and got some R&R for the next week and a half.

When we first got to my mom's house, Teeny Bug noticed a life size pumpkin decoration my mom had... and she just stared at it, not knowing what to do.


She eventually got used to it and started poking it. She also loved climbing the ridiculously steep stairs and pushing the loud kitchen chairs around the tile. She really cracks us up. My mom could not get enough of her! And the fact that my mom would give her meals and change diapers WILLINGLY was a plus too!

My sister and I were able to go to the temple and do some work while I was there too. She has the same due date as I do, but the only difference is I've gained twice as much weight (thanks mom, for some awesome genes!).


After a few days of being there, DBop surprised me by coming to Salt Lake after his trip got cut short. I love that he can't stand being away from us for that long. ;) We were only apart for 4 days, and we aren't very good at it.

The second night he was there, we let my mom babysit for a night and got to stay at the Anniversary Inn. My parents gave us a gift certificate and we were able to have a whole 24 hours to ourselves. That was probably the most time I've ever spent away from Teeny Bug, but my mom had lots of fun with her. My sister's boys went to grandma's house too, and they had a ball with Teeny Bug!

I just love this picture....

DBop and I were able to eat at the Melting Pot, sleep in the next morning, and go to the Salt Lake Temple the next morning. It was definitely a much needed date.

We were able to see more family, on DBop's side, and had a great weekend with all of them. I'm so glad I was able to go and I seriously have the best husband EVER!

You Know You're Ready to Have A Baby When.....

1) You can't pick anything up without exerting every muscle in your body, along with a few grunts.

2) Doing the dishes kicks the crap out of your back.
3) You wake up at least 3 times during the night to go to the bathroom.
4) You have the same dream where your baby turns out to look like a not-so-attractive family member.
5) You can't get the house clean enough.
6) You have had a different sewing project completed each day for the past 3 weeks.
7) You call your mom at least twice a day to keep your mind off of it.
8) You pull every plant from the garden, sweep the garage, and clean the entire yard because you can't sit still.
9) Everything makes you tear up (okay, maybe that has happened the whole time, and for the few weeks after the baby, but it's really annoying now, right?)
10) When you lay down to sleep, you realize you have done way too much that day, yet continue to do it over again the next.
11) Every move the baby makes is so forceful you feel like an alien is about tear through.
12) You find yourself longingly staring at your pre-maternity clothes.
13) You are disgusted when you see yourself naked.
14) You spend as much time as you possibly can loving your other kid, because you know you won't have that precious time with them soon.
15) You just can't stop thinking about how much you are going to love the little guy ;)

Both my older, yet smaller sister and I at 36 weeks ;)


And my beautiful little Teeny Bug at 15 months