Lately

Things have been so busy lately our blog has really taken a hit. I just feel like I can't keep up with everything that's going on. So that you don't have to read 15 blogs (and I don't have to write them!) I decided to just give a quick little summary of what's been going on in our lives.

-We spent a week visiting my parents in Colorado. Chase had such a blast with Grandma & Grandpa, playing in the backyard, playing with the dog, and going to the Denver Children's Museum.
-Tim graduated with his Masters from BYU. He is actually still working on his thesis but for all intents and purposes- he's finished! Also Tim got a promotion and now is not only the Marketing Director, but the General Manager of his company. He workload is about doubled; but he's managing it so well and we are really proud of him.
-I turned 23. Tim and I had planned a couples camping trip in Arches but I was really sick. We ended up staying home and Tim MADE me an ice cream cake. I was so impressed and it was fantastic!
-Our condo is up for sale. And I HATE deep cleaning it every single day! It is so hard to keep it clean with a toddler running around! Also I hate people who make an appointment to come over, and then reschedule like half an hour AFTER they were supposed to come over. Grrrrr. If you know anyone who wants a 3 bed/2 bath in Orem... let me know. We have a killer view of Mt. Timpanogos.
-We're building a house. It will be in Eagle Mountain and I just love it. It has been really fun picking carpet/tile/cabinets/counters/etc. But it is kind of stressful trying to make sure everything matches, and also having to get babysitters for the thousands of meetings we have to go to.
-We've been doing some fun random summer activities- Summerfest, Saratoga Splash, Kelly Clarkson concert (yes, Tim came and even danced! I so love him!), Farm Days, swim parks, etc. Tim and I went down to Salt Lake to go to Bruges Waffles & Frites because I grew up in Belgium and haven't had a gaufre in years! It was really stellar. Chase played in the water fountains at Gateway and had a blast.
-And most recently- we rented a beachhouse in Huntington Beach, CA. Since we just barely got home, I think I will try to blog about that later this week.

So life is busy, but wonderful. And I will try to be better about blogging.

As for Chase, he is just 1 week shy of 18 months (hurray! Nursery!). He's cutting four molars and not very happy about it. This week we've been living on popsicles and chewable motrin and it's been pretty miserable. His favorite things are: cars, dogs, water, rocks, balls, Mickey Mouse, fish, Pooh, and the moon. (haha, random, I know). He communicates really well, although I think me and Tim are the only ones who understand a lot of what he says. He is insanely active and I am constantly trying to keep up. He likes to run around and climb, and this is one reason we decided we need a house. I really wish we had a backyard for the little guy to go crazy in. We did finally get him a haircut although it is still pretty long. Oh, and all I can get him to eat is cheese. At 15 months our pediatrician told us we could skip his 18 mos. appointment and just come at 2 years, since he was already meeting all the 18 mos. milestones. But Chase has recently developed eczema on his arms (which I know nothing about) and we switched insurances so I can no longer go to our wonderful SHC pediatrician. So if you know anything about eczema, or have a recommendation for a great pediatrician in the utah valley area... let me know!

Free the leash children!!

So I am feeling a little hypocritical because I used to belong to a Facebook club called "Free the Leash Children!" You know- the kids on leashes at Disneyland. When I was 19 I thought this title was very clever. And I was an anti-leash advocate. I would never be a Mom who'd put her child on a leash!

So here we are a couple years later...

We are taking Chase to Disneyland this summer because we'll be only 15 minutes away. Also Tim and I can't go within a hundred miles of the place and not go. And Chase is free. So why not take him for a day or two? There are only NINE rides in the entire park he can't ride!! Anyways... I'm starting to get nervous about him running off in the crowds or getting trampled. He's just so crazy ACTIVE!

So...

(you know it's coming)

I am thinking about bringing a leash...

I am still not really a big fan of the idea. Mostly because I don't want to feel like I'm walking a dog. Also I don't want to deal with all the dirty looks I get, saying "Your child is NOT AN ANIMAL!"

Hopefully I won't have to break it out, but it might be nice to have... just in case. If it keeps him safe, whatever works, right?

Is it any better if I promise to get him one of the leashes that is a little monkey or puppy backpack?

I mean... those are kinda cute

A bit crazy

Things have been a bit crazy at our house this last week. We got new carpet installed and had to move everything we own into the kitchen and dining room so they could come do it. Of course it was snowing and Chase and I had nowhere to go. Our house was a disaster zone for awhile but the end result is so worth it. The previous owners had 3 kids and had had the same carpet since the place was built (10 years ago). If that wasn't reason enough to get new carpet... there was actually a HOLE burned a hole through the carpet in our master bedroom in the shape of an IRON. Anyways, since we don't know if we'll be moving next month, or next year, we figured it was time to get some decent carpet in case we have to sell sometime soon. I am glad we'll be able to enjoy it for a little while as well.

Chase had a blast playing in all the huge messes. Particularly this box of styrofoam:
This is where Tim and I slept the night before the carpet was installed: (please note that the ground around our bed is all just boards and nails)
Here is our living room and dining area. Do you see why me and Chase had nowhere to hang out? Not fun with a 15 month old.

On Thursday I had my wisdom teeth out because they were starting to come in. I only had two and it went really well. I decided not to do the IV sedation and go to a dentist I like better but who only uses laughing gas. I was so glad I did. He had both my teeth out in under 8 minutes, and I got to watch The Office while they did it. According to him I laughed the whole time he was pulling my teeth out. Tim took off the last two days of work to take care of me and Chase, and my sister came down to help as well. I am SO grateful for them!! Only one of my cheeks got bruised and swollen, so my face looked kind of funny; but it was really minimal and I am feeling a lot better now.

Chase is going through a stage where all he wants to eat is string cheese and bananas. I can say he's definitely not a baby anymore, even if I still count his age in months. He totally looks like a toddler, and I chat with him all day and I swear he chats back. He responds to my questions and can tell me what he needs. He throws tantrums and if this isn't the Terrible Two's, I don't want to know how much worse it gets!! He's suddenly such a big kid. I never realized the "baby" stage passed so quickly. I do miss it! But I also LOVE having a toddler. It is difficult because he's so insanely active; I can't even take him to the grocery store by myself. But it is so much fun! He gives me hugs and keeps me company when his daddy's gone and always wants to play some game or another. He likes to take all the DVD's off the shelf (we have like 400) and pick out the ones with animals on the cover and bring them to us. (Annie, Dennis the Menace, Bolt, etc.)

Yesterday I asked him to bring me his Crocs so we could go "bye-bye". He ran into his room and started calling me. He had no shoes in hand and was standing there just pointing at his valence. I was totally confused until I realized he was pointing at one of the animals on it- a crocodile. I have NO idea where he picked that up. Maybe Tim is teaching him words behind my back. He really is so smart. He can hear a word once and weeks later recognize the same thing and remember the word. It blows my mind. He turns 15 months tomorrow. We love our little guy!

Chase

This week chase learned to walk backwards and spin on the spot. It is so funny to watch. Thought I'd post some pics of bath-time. Sorry there are a million... I can never decide which ones to post.

Thank Goodness

Thank goodness the mall has a playground...


Thank goodness we had nice weather last week...




Thank goodness Chase can entertain himself while I get ready...

Lucky

So, this week has been one of the worst in recent history for me. You know when you have a bad day and it turns into another bad day, which turns into a week of bad days, etc. etc. etc. I would like to blame my bad week on March, a month which I have never liked. Unfortunately, I know it's not really March's fault (except for the bad weather which has only added to my frustrations). I'm not going to vent here, because I spent all last night venting to my wonderful husband. But I was reminded again how LUCKY I am to have him. I think sometimes I take for granted what a sweet, loving, caring guy he is. I forget how much BETTER life got just by marrying him and getting to spend all my time with him. I feel like as long as I have him I can get through anything. So I decided I wanted to make a list of things I love about him. Writing it reminded me I really am the luckiest girl in the world. Being married is the best. I love having my best friend by my side for ever and ever. I love having that support, that constant, in everything. Writing my list really brightened my week.

Some reasons why I love my husband:
-If I'm having a bad day he comes home for lunch- even though it takes 40 minutes round-trip to do it
-He lets me vent his ear off for hours and hours and just hugs me and makes me feel like everything will be okay. Even if he really doesn't have the time to listen to me whine
-He lets me drive the "good car"
-He's not competitive, arrogant, or holier-than-thou
-He screens my phone calls for me
-He'll let me have the expensive anesthesia for my wisdom teeth if I want it
-He admits when he's wrong
-If I'm craving chocolate at midnight he drives to the store and tells me to go take a bubble bath while he's gone
-He cleans the cat boxes out; although I'm pretty sure when we got our first kitten, I promised to do it
-He never gets mad. I mean... never.
-He truly wants to understand how I feel. Even if I'm being irrational.
-I forgot to do my calling the other night and when I remembered he went out in the freezing snow at midnight and did it for me. He left me home tucked in our warm bed.
-When I've had a crazy day with Chase and I'm about at my wits end; he takes Chase out to run errands with him- even though it will take twice as long and Chase will shriek the entire time. And I get to relax and read a book.
-His every action is geared toward making me happy.


I know we probably all feel like we married the best guy (or girl) on earth. But really, isn't it refreshing to just sit down and think about how LUCKY you are? I know it makes me more appreciative of him and it makes me so much more patient, caring, and loving toward him. Especially when I'm having a hard week.

Adding to the family

I'm pretty sure everyone is expecting us to announce that:
a) we're having another baby
b) we've adopted a new pet

Fortunately, neither is the case. But we did add this to the family over the weekend:




This is basically my dream car. I LOVE it. We have been looking for one forever. It has heated leather seats (i am obsessed with this feature), a sunroof, a premium sound system and 10-disc cd changer, and even buttons that record mine and tim's seat positions so we don't have to manually switch it every time we switch drivers! It's in amazing condition and we spent quite a bit less on it than we were expecting.

We're getting a dvd player installed for Chase next week, and I'm pretty sure you won't be able to drag us away from it. Maybe we will live in it... Especially if it takes awhile to sell the Taurus. I'm not sure we can afford insurance on 3 cars.