The Spamdrew Family

Painting a Bird House for Grandpa Bob, Angie's Second Haircut

2011-09-01T22:02:00.000-07:00

Angie and I love getting little birdhouses from the dollar section at JoAnns and painting them. For some reason every time she says she wants to paint them for Grandpa Bob. We will see how many end up collecting in his yard :)

I love how she is so focused on painting.

I tend to be a very clean person so sometimes I make sure to let go and just let her get dirty.

I was very impressed with her painting skills this time. She focused on painting each side a different color.

I love that sweet smile.

Washing her precious hands when done.

In the reflection you can see baby Daniel in the sling. It was the only way I could get him to sleep that day.

Later when Daddy got home Danny got some more cuddle time in the Bjorn but he got to face forward for the first time, at least until he fell asleep.

We felt it was time for another hair cut for Angie. She was going to start preschool and needed a nice clean cut.

We bribed her with marshmallows to get her to stay still. I love how she looks scared in the picture.

She wasn't scared though, just silly.

Here I am trying my hardest to focus and get Angie to stop moving. I am a perfectionist and always worry that I will just keep cutting and cutting her hair to "even it out". Thankfully that did not happen.

The cutting in action. I suppose I will need to learn how to do boys hair cuts eventually as well.

The finished product!

In a Line

2011-08-31T08:03:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it is nice when Angie is so clean and sometimes I worry about her not being able to "let loose". Today she insisted on putting our shoes "in a line".

Angie wanted to play nap time with brother. I love seeing them play nicely together.

Danny's First Play Date

2011-08-30T23:22:00.000-07:00

We went to the park where Danny had his first play date with Kaleb and Austin.

I still think he is cute when he is crying. I love how Kaleb is looking over to see what is wrong.

While Danny was playing with his buddies Angie was having fun playing with her friends on the playground and then in the water splash pad. A very fun park for hot weather.

Birthday Breakfast and Cowboy Party

2011-08-27T23:20:00.000-07:00

My sweet family took me out to breakfast for my Birthday a day early.

After nap time Angie went to her friend Aiden's Birthday Party. It was a the local Cal Elite where they teach dance, swimming and gymnastics etc. Lots of fun things to jump and play on.

Angie was excited to play with her friend Raegan.

I love those big blue eyes!

Angie and Raegan hug while the boys next to them make silly faces.

The whole group of kiddos!

Angie saying "cheese" and looking at the camera.

Claudia really goes all out when throwing a party!

Angie, Raegan and Jenna enjoy eating together.

Birthday boy Aiden enjoys some juice.

Max and Zach eating together.

Lizzie and her brother Weston. Lizzie's smile make me smile every time!

Aiden is eying his Birthday cake.

Aiden, Claudia, Sofia and Matt are such a cute little family. What a fun Birthday themed day!

Two Months Old

2011-08-26T23:20:00.000-07:00

Took some two month old photos of Danny. I love how he has baby camouflage with this outfit on his blanket.

Angie was happy to get in on the photo taking fun.

They were not all smiles.

Danny loves to stand and interact with Angie.

Two months has gone quickly. This little boy fits right into our family. Cannot imagine our family without him.

They are growing

2011-08-22T13:26:00.000-07:00

Angie had her 3 year doctor apt and Danny had his 2 months old apt. She seems so grown up standing on the big scale!

Angie and Danny stats at their check ups today...

Angela at 3 years old
40 inches tall (95%)
She grew 5 inches since last year
34 lbs (85%)
She gained 4 lbs since last year

Danny at 2 months old
24 1/2 inches tall (95%)
He grew 3 1/2 inches in two months
13 lbs 8 oz (85%)
He gained 4 lbs 10 oz in two months

Angie would scream when on the scale as a baby but Danny is such a content little guy.

Danny enjoys a good laugh with Daddy.

Love my happy boys!

Danny had his first set of shots. He was so brave and only cried for a second.

He did cry when sister put her pink girly sunglasses on him though.

Aunt Darby and Stephen stopped by really quick while driving through. It was so fun to see them and Tristan again and to meet Lily for the first time.

Aunt Darby had fun playing with a more interactive baby Danny.

Angie had fun playing with Tristan and Lily just plain had fun playing.

Tristan was very interested in baby Danny.

Aww, sleepy boy. Such a fun day. Very grateful for my healthy children and my family!

No Dolls Please

2011-08-21T23:19:00.000-07:00

Angie was nice enough to share her dolls with Danny but he apparently is not happy about playing with girly dolls.

Angie's 3rd Birthday Party

2011-08-20T22:55:00.000-07:00

With the wonderful help of Grandma Kathy and Grandpa John, Angie's 3rd Birthday party went well as planned in spite of my surgery a couple days prior.

Angie with her friends Lizzy and Rae.

More of Angie's friends Wyatt and Aidan.

Angie had fun opening presents.

Then everyone had fun playing with some of the presents.

Lots of fun on a beautiful day.

Danny enjoyed a nice nap on Grandma Kathy.

Fun playing in the sand.

Angie and Rae playing in the sand.

Andy and his mommy having fun in the water.

Grandpa John enjoys a nap in the shade.

After his nap, Danny enjoys some fun with Grandpa Bob.

Mmmm, frosting!

Angie checking out the frosting on the far side of the cake. I guess the frosting is always better on the other side.

Grandpa Bob loves his Grandbabies!

What a charmer!

Silly boy, your shirt says surf dude not surf dud :)

These two had a very fun day together.

Happy 3rd Birthday to my happy little Angie!

My Crazy Body

2011-08-19T22:19:00.000-07:00

Warning Female Medical Content

When I went to my six week postpartum appointment I was still bleeding pretty heavy. My doctor told me if I was still bleeding in two weeks to call her. Well two weeks later I was still bleeding pretty heavy so they scheduled an ultrasound. I arranged for a babysitter for both kiddos and expected this to be a quick appointment. Well the ultrasound tech says she wants to go and show something to the doctor and asked me to wait. Well....okay? I waited a while and the doctor comes in and wants to do the ultrasound and exam. It appears that there is something in my uterus. It might be leftover placenta, blood clot, fibroids or worse. The doctor tries to get to it with the exam but is unable. That was painful. She gives me the option of taking a medication to cause contractions to try and get it out or to go in for surgery. We decided to try the medication.

The ultrasound was on Monday and Tuesday I went to baby Ruby's funeral. So heartbreaking to see my dear friends go through the loss of their baby. You can click here to see their blog. After the funeral I started the medication. It was physically painful but thankfully Angie was down for a nap and Andy got home from work early to help out. I kept taking the medication the next day which was Angie's Birthday. Thankfully Grandpa Bob came over to help out. He is a life saver! The medication was supposed to cause some bleeding and then the bleeding was supposed to stop. The bleeding continued. So exhausting!! I called the doctor and she said the next step was surgery. Angie's Birthday party was planned for the weekend. We planned to have the surgery done on Thursday afternoon so that I could be somewhat up to Angie's party that weekend.

We arranged for a babysitter. I was nervous to leave 8 week old Danny with a teenage babysitter but really had to have the faith that everything would be fine. She really is a wonderful babysitter and now thanks to us has experience with little babies. If any locals want her number just ask. Went in for surgery and the good news is that the object in there was just some blood clots to big to come out on their own. The bad news was that they punctured a hole in my uterus and had to make a unplanned incision in my belly to repair it.

On Friday we had the teenage babysitter come to be here to help out while Andy's Mom was on her way for the weekend to help with the party. It was really nice to be here and give our sitter some hands on knowledge of how to care for a little baby. I was also grateful for Andy's Mom coming and helping to ensure a fun time for Angie's Birthday party.

I love my little boy and would go through this all over again if I had to for him to be here but this has really been a difficult recovery. Physically with all this bleeding and mentally/emotionally as well. I seem to have developed some postpartum anxiety issues. Although I am able to function okay they are still very difficult to handle and sometimes I feel paralyzed inside. I wish I could just snap out of it. I watch people like my friend who just lost her 7 month old baby and have such bigger problems than me. These crazy hormones stink! I feel so weak for not being able to just make this problem go away.

Angie's 3rd Birthday!

2011-08-17T22:44:00.000-07:00

My sweet little girl is 3 years old! She requested pancakes for breakfast.

3 year olds love blowing out candles so I put some in her pancakes to give her an extra chance to do so.

Her hair has grown like crazy this last year and I can still get lost in the blue eyes.

Grandpa Bob came by for a special Birthday treat. I love watching these two together.

Brave Daddy

2011-08-15T22:30:00.000-07:00

Angie got a gift card for her Birthday from her GG Lee. It was fun watching her run around and choosing what to buy.

Andy was very brave and took both kids out on a walk to give Mommy a break.

Driving Lessons

2011-08-13T23:19:00.000-07:00

I took Angie out for some driving lessons today. She sure looks good in those shades.

Don't Bother Me, I Am Sleeping

2011-08-11T23:17:00.000-07:00

One neat thing about little babies is they can sleep just about anywhere. This picture seems to say "don't bother me, I am sleeping."

Here is a picture of "Jazz Hands" for my sister Darby who loves them :)

Angie Gets Danny "Some" Toys

2011-08-09T23:15:00.000-07:00

Angie is such a great big sister! Just look at how many toys she got for him to play with :)

Precious Hand and Footprints

2011-08-08T22:04:00.000-07:00

We went to Precious Hand and Footprints to capture Danny's little hands and feet prints in ceramic.

Danny was not too happy about the feel of the cold clay.

Aww, pouty face :(

A Blessed Day

2011-08-07T16:30:00.000-07:00

We are so grateful that Danny was able to get a name and a blessing at church from Andy. I am very grateful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I feel blessed to be married to Andy and that he is a worthy holder of the Priesthood.

Daddy is really good at getting giggles out of Angie.

A picture of the family after our church meeting.

Not quite sure what Angie is doing in this picture??!?

A picture of Danny's cute little white outfit Grandma Kathy made for him.

I sure love these two children.

I love this little boy's smile!

Angie had fun playing with Grandma Kathy.

Just look how happy Angie is :)

Pretty blue eyes.

Angie loves to do anything to help with baby brother.

I really love these three!

Not sure if these kids could be any cuter!

Grandma Kathy and Grandpa John were excited to give Angie an early Birthday present. They just must not have realized that she was not 16 yet ;)

This cute little car has lots of zip and Angie had a blast driving it. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa! Now we just need to teach her to steer and our toes would feel lots better.

My Reverent Baby

2011-08-05T23:00:00.000-07:00

My sweet little baby already knows how to fold his arms and be reverent.

No More Braces!

2011-08-03T15:59:00.000-07:00

My sister has had her braces for two years and the time has come for them to come off.

What a beautiful smile :)

Nice and close up!

Darby and Daddy.

I love my sister. I am happy she was able to get her braces off. I am also sad at the same time. She came down to visit every 6 weeks or so to visit her orthodontist. Now she will not be visiting as frequently :(

Sunday Traditions

2011-07-31T13:05:00.000-07:00

I can't help but think he is the cutest baby boy ever!

I love that my children have Andy's gorgeous blue eyes.

Angie's preferred routine on Sunday's is 1) Go to church 2) Have chips with cheese (nachos) with Daddy and 3) Eat Mac n cheese with hotdogs for lunch.

Angie loves to read and is working on passing this love onto her baby brother as well.

Andy's Birthday and Visit to Menifee

2011-07-30T11:55:00.000-07:00

My cousin Elisa was visiting from Japan so we headed down the Ortega Highway to visit. Andy and I spent much of the drive doing this, holding hands :)

Baby Danny spent most of the drive sleeping.

Angie spent most of the drive watching Curious George. That is probably why she started feeling car sick. Poor little girl.

Aunt Darby spent the drive scrunched between two car seats and sympathizing with Angie's car sickness.

I am glad that my cousin Elisa was able to meet Baby Danny.

Angie had fun using Grandma Kris' yoga mat as a blanket.

We learned that Angie likes to eat marshmallows. They even let her take them home. She does not have much of a sweet tooth so this new discovery is very momentous.

Grandpa holds Baby Danny.

I could get lost in those blue eyes!

With the help of a tripod we got a family picture. My sister Darby, cousin Joe, cousin Elisa, Me, Danny, Angie, Andy, Grandma Kris, and Grandpa Bob.

We have to get a silly photo!

Father and son :)

Angie had a great time running around in the backyard. Here she is running between Grandpa and Grandma's very fruitful apple and pear trees.

Angie really enjoys playing with her Aunt Darby.

How often do you see the men congregate around the baby. I love it!

The race is on. Good luck keeping up with Angie's never ending energy Darby.

Angie explores the tripod.

Danny is happy to talk to and smile at Grandpa Bob.

It just melts my heart!

We celebrated Andy's Birthday. He got an air rifle. I love how he looks like a little kid. I also love how he was willing to drive all the way out to my family's home even though it might not be his first choice on his Birthday.

Aww, sleepy baby.

This may be one of the last pictures of my sister Darby with her braces on.

My family has a touch of music in their blood. I am happy to see Angie get exposed to music as well.

These are fun instruments from GG Lee.

Elisa teaches young children in Japan and has quite the touch with little kids.

Angie left the candles rearranged. We had a nice time visiting. I am glad we were able to see my cousin who only visits about once a year or so.

Dr Evil

2011-07-29T11:50:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not this was not posed. I couldn't help but take a picture of my mini Dr Evil.

Ahhh, Holding a Sleeping Baby

2011-07-28T11:47:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it is just nice to stop in the quiet moments and hold my sleeping baby instead of putting him in his crib.

Grandpa Feeds Danny

2011-07-27T11:43:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Bob loves a chance to feed Danny a bottle. We enjoy another visit together.

Garden Progress

2011-07-22T11:31:00.000-07:00

Some zucchini from our garden.

Love our strawberry plants. Angie love to find a red ripe one, pick it, wash it and eat it.

The only herb that did well was the sage in the top. At least I have lots of fresh sage for my homemade meatloaf.

The zucchini and tomatoes are doing quite well. I have yet to get a bell pepper. Every time one starts growing it mysteriously disappears overnight. I hate to think what kind of critter is helping themselves to my garden. Sadly the watermelon, carrots and beans have not done well.

The peas did okay. A few to harvest. My garden did better than last year but still not that great. I am proud that with having a new baby I have not killed everything in my garden entirely.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

2011-07-21T11:25:00.000-07:00

Cute monkey, I think YES!

Angie likes to mimic us and wanted a turn using the baby Bjorn with her baby doll.

Tummy Sleeping Dilemma

2011-07-20T22:58:00.000-07:00

Sleep at night has been very little lately. My dilemma is he sleeps so well on his tummy but studies have shown that sleeping on the tummy increases the risk for SIDS. What to do???

One Month Old Danny

2011-07-20T10:45:00.000-07:00

Danny is one month old today and everyone is ready with their cameras to document. Angie loves the camera that Grandpa Bob got her last Christmas.

Danny is much more awake these days.

He loves to watch people and interact with them. He looks you straight into your eyes and to your soul.

I am happy to actually get a picture with my baby.

Angie at work taking pictures.

A half smile picture with Grandpa Bob.

We are truly blessed to have Grandpa Bob come over about one day every week to help out and play. He is a wonderful Grandpa and Daddy!

I had to throw in one fussy picture. A bit of reality, he is not always smiling.

Looking deep into Grandpa's soul.

Awww!

Danny already loves to stand.

Angie has decided that she does not like to have her picture taken. I have lots of pictures like this one.

Danny's head and neck are getting stronger.

Danny is looking at Angie in this picture. I love to think of the sibling bond they are forming!

A rare picture of Angie :)

Angie playing at her kitchen that our neighbors were so kind to hand me down to us.

I love the look in his eyes in this picture. He looks very mischievous.

We tried to recreate one of the poses from his newborn session but both of them were too wiggly. I love to see what a beautiful girl Angie is turning out to be and how proud she is to be a big sister.

Cute little baby feet and skinny legs. I must document this before he changes. He is growing way too quickly!

All tuckered out from his photo session.

Grandpa happy to get some sleepy cuddly time.

My Two Happy Children

2011-07-19T22:57:00.000-07:00

It is fun to watch Danny in his play "baby gym". I can just see in his eyes the desire to explore and he even tries to bat at things with his fists.

Danny will now smile when awake. One of his favorite things to smile at is his big sister Angie. The two of them makes me smile.

Danny's First Night in His Crib

2011-07-18T10:31:00.000-07:00

The time has come to move Danny from Daddy and Mommy's room to his own room in his own crib. He looks so peaceful!

Company Picnic

2011-07-16T00:17:00.000-07:00

Andy was so excited to show off his TWO monkeys at his company picnic. Angie loved the bounce house in the background.

After being pregnant for 9 months it is kind of nice seeing Andy carry around the baby :)

We had a great time. Andy really works with a great bunch people.

Getting Angie to smile and look at the camera is rare. Enjoying it while I can, she is such a pretty girl.

Baby Acne

2011-07-13T21:27:00.000-07:00

Sweet little Danny likes to smile in his sleep. He is a happy sleeping baby. Poor guy has his oil glands kicking in and is having the baby acne. I still think he is cute!

I had to take a picture of Angie's pants for her Aunt Darby. Have you ever seen Portlandia? Well her pants reminded me of an episode and made me smile.

Grandpa Bob enjoys some time with Danny awake.

Sweet little Daniel looks tiny next to Grandpa's hand.

Sleeping Newborn

2011-07-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

My sweet sleeping baby. I love the little baby noises he makes and wanted to record the memory on picture and video.

Loving Our Sleepy Newborn

2011-07-10T22:39:00.000-07:00

A sleeping newborn is most precious! Love to hold this little guy!

Cow Appreciation Day 2011

2011-07-08T22:55:00.000-07:00

We had fun at Chick fil' A Cow Appreciation Day. Love that you get free food for dressing like a cow. Here is a picture of our darling little cow.

Baby Danny Rolls Over

2011-07-07T22:30:00.000-07:00

Baby Danny is already amazing us by rolling over at 17 days old! At first I thought it was just by accident but he did it 3 times today.

Fourth of July 2011

2011-07-04T21:36:00.000-07:00

The Three Musketeers Jenna, Rae and Angie.

Angie and her friend Becca playing at the park.

Angie and Danny were so cute today dressed in their patriotic clothes. We had a wonderful day starting with a breakfast and program in the park with our church friends. Later that night Daddy and Angie went to the local fireworks show with our church friends while Danny and I stayed at home. I am so grateful for where we live and the freedoms that we have. I am grateful for those that have and still do sacrifice for these blessings. Happy 4th of July everyone!

Grandpa's Outnumbered

2011-06-30T22:04:00.000-07:00

Angie really loves her baby brother.

Angie holding Danny who starts to cry. I love how she is looking around for a binky to help calm him down.

Look at Danny's little skinny legs.

Grandpa Bob loves to come and visit each week. The kiddos love his visits too and I look forward to the help and company. Grandpa was outnumbered for a little while today while he watched the kiddos and I took a nice uninterrupted shower :)

Caught a Sleeping Smile

2011-06-28T22:54:00.000-07:00

I caught a sleeping smile from Danny while enjoying holding my sleepy baby. So fun to see him be such a happy boy :)

Newborn Photo Shoot

2011-06-26T21:01:00.000-07:00

My very talented and patient neighbor took Danny's newborn photos. Sorry about all the photos but I could not really pick and choose, they are all adorable!

So sweet and pure.

I love this face!

This one makes me think he is a cute little Canadian hunter.

Our first family photo with Danny.

My precious silly little girl.

She likes to bite her lower lip for pictures lately.

Daddy got this cute smile out of her :)

She is so proud to be a big sister.

I love how they are both smiling in this picture!

Oh, my sweet baby!

My handsome boys!

Angie is so cute trying to feed baby Danny. I love how she loves to help. Whenever Danny needs a diaper change she is right there getting the wipes and a clean diaper for me.

My First Time Away From Danny

2011-06-25T20:34:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Bob and Grandma Kris came over to play with Danny. Angie has been having some behavior issues with having to share the attention. Andy was working so I thought it would be a good idea to have Grandpa and Grandma babysit Danny while I spent some one on one time taking Angie to her swimming lessons.

Grandpa Bob loving it!

Baby Danny was actually awake.

Newborn baby noises and sleepy smiles are so sweet.

It was nice for Danny to meet Grandma Kris. So happy and comfortable with her.

It sure seems like he lost his newborn look quickly.

I was a little worried that Danny had not gone poop in a couple days but he must have felt nice and comfortable with Grandma Kris because he gave her his first diaper blow out.

A picture with Grandpa Bob showing the size of the impressive diaper blow out.
Getting ready for swim lessons Angie loves to be independent and get a drink of water on her own.
I think this is one of her favorite parts of the swim lesson. She has no hesitation jumping on :)I am very glad that we have been able to have Angie in swim lessons. It is an important skill to learn.

Angie learning to throw a Frisbee.

After Angie's swimming lesson she got to play with Grandma and Grandpa outside with the Frisbees and making pretend snacks with the leaves while Mommy got a much needed shower. Thanks Grandma Kris and Grandpa Bob!

Danny's First Pediatrician Appointment

2011-06-24T19:05:00.000-07:00

Danny was not too happy about getting on the scale at his first doctors appointment. Can't say I blame him. I would be super unhappy if I had to be naked on the scale at the doctors as well.

Angie loves to hold baby brother.

She is still amazed at this new little baby and it is setting in that he is here to stay.

Fresh Fruit, Visitor and First Sponge Bath at Home

2011-06-23T18:55:00.000-07:00

My sweet friend brought us a homemade fresh fruit bouquet. Yummy!

Angie's babysitter Ainsley was excited to meet baby Danny.

Danny was not too happy about his first sponge bath at home.

Heading Home Sweet Home from the Hospital

2011-06-22T18:21:00.000-07:00

We were anxious to head home sweet home and were grateful that everyone was healthy and well to be able to go.

I am not sure why we did not get a family picture of all 4 of us at the hospital. I regret not doing so. Here is the only picture of Andy and I while at the hospital. Usually one of the two of us was behind the camera.

Angie looking cool in her new shades from her baby brother.

Here we are packed in the car with our TWO children to go home. Andy really wanted to head home from the hospital with both of our kids in the car.

Here I am, tired but ready to go home and sleep in my own bed.

Sweet baby Danny buckled in and ready to go.

Grandpa Bob took video of our arrival home safe and sound.

Once we got home Angie wanted to introduce baby George to baby Danny.

Grandpa Bob was happy to welcome us home as well.

Aww, baby Danny's first night sleep at home in the bassinet in Daddy and Mommy's room.

Day 2 at the Hospital with Danny

2011-06-21T18:03:00.000-07:00

Here is Danny during his hearing test. When we got the bill it made us wonder if this is essential. Seemed like a lot of money to tell us our baby can hear just fine.

Angie had gone home with Andy the night before and Aunt Darby stayed in the hospital to help me out since I was still pretty lightheaded from the blood loss. Thanks Aunt Darby! Angie was happy to see us in the morning.

Me and my TWO children!

A close look at Danny.

Andy and Angie admire baby Danny.

I love all three sets of these blue eyes!

Our next set of visitors were Grandpa Bill and Grandma Yumiko.

Danny's First Visitors

2011-06-20T23:36:00.000-07:00

We went to bed at midnight and I woke up at 2:00am to go to the bathroom. I was having contractions and could not really sleep afterward. At about 4am I felt what I thought was my water breaking. I went to the bathroom and then told Andy to start getting ready. I called my sister who was driving down from Portland Oregon at the time to see how far away she was. Thankfully she was only 30 minutes away. I jumped in the shower and got ready to leave. As soon as my sister Darby got here I gave her a big hug and Andy and I headed to the hospital. So grateful for that great timing!

It was confirmed that my water had broken. Contractions continued to get stronger and I progressed. I went from 6cm to 10cm from 12pm to 1pm! This labor went faster than my first. Thankfully after about 30 minutes of pushing Danny was delivered safely. We quickly learned about his very strong lungs and cry.

I was so grateful to have my healthy baby boy here safe and sound.

Daddy was quite happy as well to have his baby boy here.

Father and son bonding time.

Danny has already left his print on his Daddy.

Daddy getting Danny ready for his first visitors.

A little rest before the visitors arrive.

Andy was very excited to introduce Angie to Danny and wanted her to be his first visitor. She was happy and excited as well.

Here is Angie, Danny's very first visitor.

Angie was very sweet and gentle with her baby brother.

She was very curious as well.

Angie explores her new baby brother.

Angie thought Danny's "kisses" were silly.

Aunt Darby was happy to hold a new baby.

Grandpa Bob has Danny wrapped around his finger.

Danny gave Angie some presents including a Sleeping Beauty book. As soon as she got the book she wanted to read it to her baby brother.

Angie loves books and I am so glad she wants to share that love with her baby brother.

Newborns are so nice and sleepy.

Grandpa Bob was happy to now have a grandson to add to his collection :)

Angie sure is the BIG SISTER!

Uncle Cameron meets Danny.

We had wonderful first day with our new Danny. Now Danny says "peace out" and goodnight.

Daniel Clayton is Here!

2011-06-20T13:47:00.000-07:00

Daniel Clayton

June 20th 2011 at 1347
8lbs 14oz

21 inches

Happy Fathers Day 2011

2011-06-19T21:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Fathers Day. Andy loves being a father and is a great daddy! I did my best to spoil him with meals, rest and a nap. His Sunday tradition with Angie is after church having "chips with cheese" as Angie calls it, nachos to everyone else. They cuddle and share them, then most times we have mac n' cheese with wieners for lunch. I am very grateful for my wonderful Daddy and for Andy who is a wonderful Daddy to our child, soon to be children. Happy Fathers Day everyone!

False Alarm

2011-06-18T22:45:00.000-07:00

I was busy nesting and feeling stressed about the delivery and recovery when I realized that I had not felt baby move for a while. This had me worried because my mother's second baby was still born at 39 weeks along with no know cause but suspected autoimmune attack from mother to baby. I called the on call doctor who advised me to come into the hospital to get checked out. We got Angie into bed for the night and called my brother to come over and watch Angie while we headed to the hospital.

Of course baby finally started moving once we were headed to the hospital but I was also having regular contractions so we decided to still go in. They hooked me up to the monitors and actually had a hard time keeping track of baby's heartbeat because he was moving so much (little stinker). The ultrasound showed plenty of fluid around him to move about. My contractions were regular every 3-5 minutes and lasting for about one minute each. When the nurse checked me I was no further dilated than I was at my previous doctor appointment.

So it was determined that baby was healthy and safe but labor had not yet started. We were sent home. Bummed about no labor yet but grateful and relieved baby is looking healthy and safe. Thankful also to my brother for watching Angie late at night and last minute. So the journey continues.

Angie's First Big Girl Corn Dog and Bedtime Chart

2011-06-17T21:10:00.000-07:00

We ran some errands this morning and ended up being out for lunch. I decided to let Angie eat her very first big girl corn dog. She actually ate the whole thing! This girl sure has a bigger salt tooth than sweet tooth. She was actually a good girl up to this point but once my contractions started getting worse she would no longer listen. Isn't that how it always is? I finished the errands and got her home for nap. Phew!

I love watching Angie and Andy interact together. Here they are reading a bedtime story.

Angie has been getting worse at listening lately. I assume this is natural and that it will only get worse once baby is here and she feels her world is being turned upside down. We decided to pick the bedtime routine to work on since this is consistently a time when she will not listen. We made a chart of the things expected of her (Go upstairs when asked, take your clothes off and put them in the hamper, get on the potty and in the bath, help get your jammies on, brush your hair and teeth, be reverent for prayer time and lay down in bed). She gets to put a sticker on as she accomplishes each task. Her other reward is she gets a bedtime story and songs. Tonight things went well. She was very excited to put the stickers on and was very obedient. UNTIL it came time to actually lay in bed. She got in bed and was excited to put the sticker on but once the sticker was on she got up and started jumping around. Andy removed the sticker and she started crying. I gave her a kiss good night and told her I was not going to sing her songs if she would not listen. Andy stayed, calmed her down, got her back in bed, sang her songs and let her put the sticker back on. He has much more patience than me at the end of the day. It is my opinion that she needs to learn right away to obey to get the reward. Either way she did much better tonight and we are hoping things continue for the better.

Going Swimming

2011-06-14T18:09:00.000-07:00

Trying to make the best of things in this hot weather. I took Angie to the pool for hours today. She had a great time and I enjoyed being in the water. I did learn the hard way that Angie is not that great at getting sunblock on Mommy's back. Ouch, wish I could fit in my rash guard and not have this issue.

39 Weeks

2011-06-13T11:13:00.000-07:00

Had my doctor appointment. I was hoping that labor would have shown to have progressed since I want this baby out and I have been having contractions. Strangely when doctor checked me I was 50% effaced and 1/2 cm dilated. I found this odd because last week I was 60% effaced and 1 cm dilated. Is is possible to go backwards???

Doctor measured me and guessed the baby to weigh about 9 lbs now. This time I had questions prepared for her and asked again about being induced early to avoid him getting too big. She again refused and told me that if I knew someone that would induce me to go ahead and go to them for a second opinion. She said right now if we induced I would have a 50% chance of a c-section and there was no way she would induce me before the due date period.

I tried to reason with her that I thought my due date should be earlier since baby was always measuring bigger and reaching developmental milestones early from the beginning. She again said she would not move my due date from the calendar due date even thought there was no way we even would have gotten pregnant according to the calendar but would have to of been 5 days prior to that. With PCOS I never ovulated like everyone else. Again that did not matter with her and she treated me like I was not an individual but "by the book".

I am so worried and frustrated. I want baby and I to BOTH have a healthy delivery. If baby is too big by my due date and I "must" have a c-section then what is the issue with trying to induce earlier and hoping for a 50% chance of a vaginal delivery before baby is too big to cause as much damage as my first baby? Wouldn't there be less chance of baby's shoulders getting stuck if he came out before getting too big?

How do I even go and get a second opinion this late in the game? I feel worried, depressed and deflated. I no longer feel comfortable with my doctor and would rather go into labor after hours or on a weekend and have a different on call doctor take care of me. I am thinking a change in doctors will definitely happen at least by my post pardom appointment but not sure if I can swing it before delivery. Any suggestions on Saddleback Hospital OB's?

Bouncy Seat Assembly

2011-06-12T23:06:00.000-07:00

We are working on getting ready for this baby to get here. Baby's GG Lee got us this lovely bouncy seat. Angie was very happy to "help" put it together.

All put together. It is now being used as a place for Angie to put her baby dolls. Lets hope she allows baby brother in it when the time comes.

Later that night my nesting drove Andy to put together the bassinet for the bedroom. It is a little bigger than I would like but it is only temporary. This is where baby will first sleep when he gets home. For as long as I have to wake up so frequently and can stand to try and sleep listening to every little baby noise. I think Angie was in our room for a couple of weeks. It is just so hard for me to sleep when my Mommy ears hear every little noise from baby. Okay baby get the hint? Your bed is ready for you. Come on out now!

End of Year Seminary Party

2011-06-10T22:02:00.000-07:00

Andy wanted to have an end of the year party for his seminary students that he teaches. It was my goal to stay pregnant long enough to allow this to happen. We had a bunch of fun teenagers come over for pizza and soda. It was very entertaining watching them play Just Dance 2 on the Wii. Although having Andy teach has been a challenge I am glad he was able to do so. He really had a great bunch of students this year.

Okay now bring on this baby!

Dinner at Wasabi

2011-06-09T23:04:00.000-07:00

I did not feel like cooking and I find it better to go out to dinner on weeknights than weekends, it is less crowded. We decided to try and new restaurant in town Wasabi Sushi and Teppan. I thought it would be fun to expose Angie to something new and entertaining as well.

It was entertaining after a little bit of a wait for a chef to become available.

Angie was entertained but did get squirmy after having to wait so long for things to get started. She ate lots of rice and could not get enough of Andy's salmon. It is still hard to get her to try anything "new" but at least we are trying.

Big Baby Boy Ultrasound

2011-06-06T22:30:00.000-07:00

My 38 week doctor appointment included an ultrasound to check baby's size since Angie was induced and born at 42 weeks weighting 10lbs 1oz. It was so fun to see baby on the screen again. He was being nice and active. Got a good view to confirm that he for sure is a boy. Everything looked great except he is already weighing 8lbs 4oz.

Afterwards we met with the doctor. When we were first pregnant this time I made sure to ask her if we could induce earlier this time since I was able to be induced and deliver Angie naturally and she was so big. She was agreeable at that time so I totally expected her to want to schedule an induction date for me sometime closer to the due date. To my surprise she was not willing to do that, saying she could not because baby's belly was measuring bigger than his head. She told me that we will just have to go into labor naturally and if we don't we will do another ultrasound on my due date. If he is bigger than 10lbs 6oz then we will just have to do a C-Section. She told me the only thing I can do is to diet and cut back on my calories.

I was shocked and did not know what to say. I am pretty sure that Angie's belly was bigger than her head and I got her out just fine. Also, why should we just wait until he is too big? Baby was always measuring further along on the ultrasounds starting with the very first one at 5 weeks where he already had a yolk sac but the due date was never adjusted. I feel frustrated. I want both baby and I to have a healthy delivery and do not know what to do. Any advice?

Ward Talent Show 2011

2011-06-03T21:59:00.000-07:00

Our Ward Church Group had a talent show for the kiddos to display their talents. It was super cute and fun. I wish we had been better at taking pictures. This picture is Angie's friend Max and his big brother Nathan showing off their karate moves.

Angie was super excited to hang out with her friend Raegan. They were super cute mimicking each other.

Raegan's baby sister Kensie was there to have some fun too.

Cookie Helper

2011-06-02T21:57:00.000-07:00

Angie loves to help in the kitchen. She is helping me roll the almond butter cookies in sugar. The cookies were not as sweet as the little helper I had.

Poor Sick Little Girl

2011-06-01T22:21:00.000-07:00

Angie woke up this morning crying and saying her back hurt. Giving her back a kiss did not make everything all better so we suspected this was a real pain. She had a slight fever in the morning which turned to 102.5 by the afternoon. After an early nap she woke up and asked to go to the doctor. Having no other symptoms I decided to take her to the doctor, I was worried about a bladder/kidney infection.

Her regular doctor was on vacation so we had to spend 3 lovely hours at an urgent care. After 10 minutes of this super pregnant Mommy squatting I finally got little Angie to pee in a cup. It appeared to be a bladder infection with a possible kidney infection. Angie actually fell asleep on me at the doctors office which never happens. He ordered antibiotics so off we went to have the filled. Andy had prior plans to be at a work sponsored Dodger game so us girls were on our own for the day and night.

When we got to Target to get the prescription I asked Angie if she wanted to sit in the cart and she said she wanted to lie down. I put the shopping cart protector in and laid her down as seen in the picture. The poor girl slept while in the store.

When we got home it was getting late. I tried to get her to eat dinner and then gave her the antibiotics. Her fever was still high so I gave her Tylenol as well. I put her to bed and she went right down without a fight. I checked on her an hour later and found that she had thrown up all over herself and her bed and was sleeping in it, the poor thing.

So now 9 months pregnant I am bathing Angie late at night, changing her bedding and getting it all washed. This was after an already long exhausting day. I call Andy in tears and he decides to leave the game shortly before it ended. They were playing horribly anyway.

Thankfully she did not throw up again and the next day she was feeling much better and seemed to be all better the day after that.

Newport Beach Day

2011-05-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

Angie's friend Raegan and her family invited us to go the the beach with them. The weather has been warmer and so off we went to Newport Beach. When we first got there Angie was so excited she kept running around Raegan squealing.

Angie did a pretty good job getting sand everywhere. Other friends came too and we had so much fun playing in the sand, running away from waves and finding sand crabs.

Angie awake and smiling while wearing Mommy's hat.

Seconds later she was fast asleep. Like I said, it was a great day at the beach.

Monkey Backpack Duo

2011-05-27T22:18:00.000-07:00

We went to the local farmers market with our friends. Angie and her friend Raegan have the same monkey leash backpack. It was so cute to see them running around holding onto each others leash.

Planting the Garden

2011-05-23T18:46:00.000-07:00

My Dad and Brother decided to give me the service of helping plant my garden. I am not sure when we (meaning Andy, poor guy is so overbooked already) would be able to get to it otherwise. Being hugely pregnant it was not something I was going to do on my own.

We don't have a huge garden space but a nice little space. About all I can handle for right now anyway.

In the planter box on the back row is watermelon, yellow beans and green beans. The middle row has two different types of carrots. The front row has a tomato plant, orange bell pepper and zucchini.

One box has sugar snap peas and the other has bush peas.

This is my little herb container. I have parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, cilantro, basil, oregano and chives. I also have two other containers filled with strawberries.

We had a great time and really appreciate the help with the garden and giving Angie love and attention. Thanks Daddo and Cameron!

Kate's Birthday Party

2011-05-21T18:08:00.000-07:00

Angie's sweet friend Kate was having a Birthday so I decided to try and make a crafty present. The top flower is a hair clip.

It was a beautiful day. Sweet Kate has a baby sister that is going through some serious medical problems (click here for link) so I was glad we could go to her party and help her feel special for her Birthday.

The kids played pin the princess kisses on the frog.

Kate, Raegan and Angie used to do a weekly playgroup and are great friends.

Angie enjoys a good bounce house :)

Then it was pinata time. Raegan takes a swing.

Angie got a good hit.

Mmmmm, time for Kate's princess Birthday cake.

We had a great time. As with most parties Angie does not sit to eat until all the fun to be had is over. Happy Birthday Kate, we pray for you and your family daily!

Swimming Lessons

2011-05-21T17:44:00.000-07:00

I don't know what Angie will decide to do for fun sports or art when she gets older but Andy and I feel it is important for all of our kids to learn how to swim. We decided to sign her up for swimming lessons at CalElite. I like it because it is not too expensive and the pool is heated and indoors. No need to worry about the weather or rushing to get sunblock on before her lesson.

She is doing well. She jumps out to her teacher Jessica, puts her face in the water, kicks and floats on her back. She is still to afraid to dive for the rings on the bottom, she drinks the water (YUCK) and has a hard time sitting still when it is not her turn. All these things are fairly normal and we are very proud of her progress.

Bath Time for Tristan

2011-05-20T17:26:00.000-07:00

Poor little Tristan was having some allergies to something (who knew dogs had allergies), so Darby decided to give him a bath. He looks so submissive and miserable.

Angie was happy to "help" give Tristan a bath.

Cute little all clean Tristan. Later this night Darby and Tristan had to drive back home. We were super sad to see them leave and that the drive home was so miserable for them. We really appreciate them visiting.

Fun with Aunt Darby and Tristan

2011-05-19T22:17:00.000-07:00

While Aunt Darby and her puppy Tristan visited I am not sure which one Angie enjoyed playing with more. It was nice to let Angie and Tristan wear each other out. Here Tristan is not sure he wants a new bunking buddy though.

Angie loved to follow Tristan everywhere. On a side note I dressed Angie in size 4T clothes today expecting at least the pants to be a little bit long. They were not long at all! This sweet little girl is only 2.5 years old, what is she thinking fitting in size 4T??!!?

Sometimes You Just Need to Read

2011-05-18T17:28:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just need to read. Actually listening to her she is pretty accurate.

Grandpa Bob's Birthday 2011

2011-05-17T22:16:00.000-07:00

We were so excited for Grandpa Bob to come over for his Birthday. Angie was happy to cuddle with him and watch some Curious George.

Angie gives Grandpa Bob a Birthday kiss.

Tristan shows off his tricks.

Mmmmm, who does not like a strawberry?

Aunt Darby reads Angie a nap time story while Tristan catches some Z's on the Elmo chair.

Then Tristan moves to the couch for a nap time with the Birthday Boy.

We had a yummy dinner of appetizer foods and then as a special treat Darby had made a homemade coconut cream pie at Grandpa Bob's request. YUMMY! I will let others eat their cake, I will take the pie!

Fun with a relighting candle :)

Angie enjoys a piggy back ride with Daddy. We had a fun day with Aunt Darby, Grandpa Bob and then Daddy, Uncle Cameron and Grandma Kris later in the evening. Happy Birthday Grandpa Bob!

Our Baby Boy Shower

2011-05-16T17:10:00.000-07:00

My sweet friend Leslie gave a baby shower for me at her home. It was so fun to get together with everyone.

My friends Suubi, Sunny and Meredith.

Cute decorations!

Carol, Jenny and Emily. Carol came all the way from LA!

Andrea and Lisa.

Sarah and Robyn, who just had babies themselves in the last couple of months.

My friend Jenn and her daughter Natalie took a break from fixing up their new home to be with us.

Meredith, and Hayley with her daughter June.

A cute pirate onsie made by Meredith.

There were so many delicious desserts!

Suubi, Me and Coco the three pregnant girls in order of due date (July, June and June).

I am so glad that my sister was able to be there!

A great big thanks to Leslie for organizing everything and letting us invade her home.

Fun with Tristan Visiting

2011-05-16T05:36:00.000-07:00

Darby's dog Tristan makes himself at home with his toys.

Angie had fun playing Tug O War with Tristan's new toy.

Tristan enjoyed "helping" me make Angie's new blackout bedroom curtains.

Suubi's Baby Shower

2011-05-14T16:44:00.000-07:00

My beautiful friend Suubi is expecting her first baby. We had a wonderful little shower for her.

Okay I am not thrilled with how I look in this picture. First off I am one month further along than Suubi and second she is like two feet taller than me. I am still happy that I was able to spend time with Suubi celebrating her upcoming baby boy.

They are going to name him Elisha and call him Eli. I love it!

Last Day at Disneyland with These Passes

2011-05-12T21:11:00.000-07:00

Okay I guess May is the month of Disneyland. This is the last night our Disneyland passes are good. We have decided for now to let them expire because baby boy is due next month and summer is right around the corner plus Angie turns 3 in August and we would have to get a pass for her. Next time we have the itch to go to Disneyland we will look into getting passes again. Maybe in the fall.

The traditional Buzz Lightyear ride.

Angie loves to go on Pirates and was very giddy and cute in line. She is really at a fun age for things like this now. Angie really wanted to go on It's a Small World so we did. Andy really wanted to see if she was big enough to go on the Matterhorn but by the time we got out of Small World things were closed. I think Andy's heart was broken. We took her up to the marker and found out that you have to be 35 inches tall. Angie was 36 inches tall when she was just barely 2!!! I can't believe we missed out on that opportunity.

They ended up closing the park a little early to make it available for some Grad Night parties. This is the emptiest I have ever seen main street.

We had some ice cream and Angie enjoyed a water fountain that was just her size to be able to drink without any help. That is why she is pouting, because we took her away from the water fountain for a minute for a picture. She really did have fun!

Princess Day at Disneyland

2011-05-11T22:14:00.000-07:00

I decided to take my little princess to Disneyland to visit the princesses. The line was LONG but Angie did a great job playing with the other kids in line with us.
The first princess was Snow White. She is not Angie's favorite but I think she was the most animated of the princesses we saw today. It was nice that they take time to talk to the kids.
A smile from Snow White and paralyzed look from my princess.
The next princess was Sleeping Beauty. She is Angie's favorite princess so I am glad she was there.

Sleeping Beauty was talking to Angie about her Mickey Mouse friends and Angie was talking about her friend Raegan.

The third princess was Jasmine. Angie has not seen the movie and was unsure of her. She was the least animated of the princess.

After the princesses we went in the castle and on the Snow White ride. Don't know why they make some of these rides so dark and dreary?
We finished the day going on Winnie the Pooh and Pirates. We were both pooped when we got home but we had a great time and I am glad we went.

Friday Night at Disneyland

2011-05-06T21:06:00.000-07:00

Our Disneyland passes days are numbered for now. We decided to have a fun family Friday night at Disneyland.

Grandpa Bob gave Angie a fun kids camera for Christmas and we decided to have some fun with the characters.

Who needs to wait in a long line at Disneyland to get a picture with the princesses?

If only I could get our princess to look at the camera.

Angie was excited to get the magic feather and take Daddy on Dumbo.

Here Angie is very excited to get ready to go on the Dumbo ride.

Time to Fly!

Mommy and Angie pose with Dumbo.

Next we went on the Casey Jr Train ride.

The only family photo from the night.

No trip to Disneyland would be complete without a ride on Buzz Lightyear.

Angie is pumped to battle Zurg.

Mommy got to ride solo, well I guess baby boy was there too.

Daddy and Angie battled well together.

It was a little crowded but not bad for a weekend night. We had a great time!

Angie's First Dental Visit

2011-05-04T14:44:00.000-07:00

After watching Daddy and Mommy have their teeth cleaned it was time for Angie's first dental cleaning. She requested that Daddy hold her for the cleaning. Daddy was happy to help.

Stephanie the hygienist did great with Angie, calling the tools cute things like Mr Tickle and Mr Thirsty.

Angie did a great job. I was very impressed.

Angie did great and had a good time exploring while waiting for X-rays.

Should I be concerned that her fingers and toes are still exposed?

Then Dr Jon the dentist who happens to be Angie's friend Max's Dad came to take a look. Everything looks great. Great job Angie! Keep up the good work.

Dinner with Andy's Cousin Aaron

2011-05-01T17:32:00.000-07:00

Andy's cousin Aaron was here in CA for a business trip. We were lucky enough to enjoy a Sunday dinner with him. He and his family live all the way over in Mississippi. His kids had made cute little letters about themselves. Angie enjoyed listening to Aaron read them.

They also made a cute homemade notebook and pen for Angie. They made one for baby brother too. Angie loved it and felt like such a big girl to have her own notebook and pen.

We had Grandpa Bill and Grandma Yumiko over for dinner too. It was nice to visit with everyone.

Cousins. Nice to keep up connections to family.

I Like These Treeeeeeeessss

2011-04-30T08:09:00.000-07:00

Okay, I will admit that not all the videos I post may be interesting to everyone. We as her parents love them simply because well, we are her parents. This video however is a must see! Even the grumpiest person will get a smile on their face after watching this one :)

We had moved Angie's seat from the middle of the car to the side to prepare for baby brother's car seat to fit in. This apparently made Angie able to see more outside the car, including trees. This is a darling little song that she made up all by herself. I love hearing how she sings loud and then soft for dramatic effect.

Day at Disneyland with Mommy

2011-04-25T22:37:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful day and I felt I had the energy for it so spur of the moment I decided to have a morning at Disneyland with my Angie. Angie is getting to be a fun age for Disneyland. She can now recognize many of the Disney characters. Lately she has had a fascination with Dumbo. Here she is so excited to have a turn.

She loves to do buckles. I couldn't compete with the buckle for a picture.

She LOVED the ride!

Next she choose the "horsies" or carousel. Did you know that Walt Disney wanted the carousel to have all horses, unlike many of the carousels of the time that had various animals on it?

Her balance on the horse has come a long way since her first ride. We also had fun at Sleeping Beauty's Castle. Sleeping Beauty seems to be her favorite princess at the moment.

Then one of our favorite rides, Buzz Lightyear. The photo actually turned out this time! We had a great time and a great nap afterword. So glad we live so close to this fun place :)

Easter Sunday 2011

2011-04-24T22:29:00.000-07:00

We had our friend and neighbor take some quick family shots of us on Easter Sunday. Thanks Leslie :)

It is fun to try and coordinate our outfits every once in a while.

We went light on the Easter basket this year. Here Angie and Mommy are working on a fun but difficult princess puzzle from the dollar section at Target.

It was a great day with Church, naps, and a nice walk. Here Angie is giving baby brother a kiss. She always answers that baby brother is in Mommy's tummy but does not really understand how her world is going to change. She is very sweet with babies though and I look forward to seeing how great of a big sister she will be.

We decided to have fun decorating some Easter eggs. Angie's apron from Uncle David and Aunt Becca makes a nice protector of clothing for art projects as well as cooking. Thanks Uncle David and Aunt Becca :)

Angie is so independent that she reluctantly lets Daddy show her how things work.

She used all sorts of art media including crayons.

She took her art very seriously and very much enjoyed it.

Sometimes it can be fun when she has an opinion. Like what color she wants next.

Here she is showing off her creations. We had a wonderful Easter spending time together as a family and remembering our Savior and his sacrifice for us. I am so thankful for Him and that I have the opportunity to know what I know and feel what I feel.

Easter Egg Hunt at Daddy's Work

2011-04-22T22:26:00.000-07:00

Angie loves to visit her Daddy at work. When Andy found out that they were having an Easter egg hunt at work he asked if his "Little Monkey" could come.

For some reason Angie was not in the picture taking mood. This was as good as we could get. Everyone at Andy's work loves to see Angie and shared much of their hunting spoils with her. If only Angie was not so shy when we visit.

Okay here is a baby bump picture at 32 weeks.

Tree Huggers

2011-04-21T22:13:00.000-07:00

Angie loves her neighborhood friend Rae. Here they are hugging a tree in the park across the street. We just love where we live!

Beautiful Homemade Dress

2011-04-17T22:11:00.000-07:00

Grandma Kathy made some beautiful matching homemade dresses for all her granddaughters for Easter. If only we could gather everyone for a picture.

This girl sure loves to talk on the phone.

She is just cute!

Dialing another number. Strange enough she is better at talking on the pretend phone than the real phone. The touch screen on my iPhone is too sensitive for her and she accidentally hangs up on people most of the time.

We decided to re-seed our backyard lawn and Angie loves to help her Daddy water it.

Birthday Party for Max

2011-04-15T08:14:00.000-07:00

Angie's friend Max had a birthday party. They had the most fun water slide! I only had my iPhone for pictures and video so my pictures are limited. Angie's memory is not limited however and she continues to ask if we can go to Max's house and play.

It took a little while for Angie to warm up to it and figure out how to climb up but once she did there was not stopping her. She did not want to leave!

Our Last Day in Portland

2011-04-10T07:52:00.000-07:00

Our last day in Portland we went for a walk along the river walk with Aunt Darby, Tristan and his friend Gunner. The trees were beautiful with blossoms! When the wind blew it was like it was snowing blossoms.

We tried to sing "Popcorn popping on the apricot tree" but Angie has this new thing where she decides if singing is okay or not. You can hear the little stinker cutting off their singing by saying "No singing!"

A little cold but these trees were beautiful.

A family photo courtesy of Aunt Darby.

Then the slowest train I have ever seen went under the bridge. Andy and Angie watched with amazement for several minutes.

Here is Aunt Darby with her lap full of puppies. We had a fun time visiting, Darby, Tristan and Stephen. It was nice to see where they lived and Angie loved getting to know Tristan. After a very difficult last nights sleep I was happy to get my pregnant belly back home to my bed however. Home Sweet Home.

Fun in Portland with Daddy

2011-04-09T21:36:00.000-07:00

Andy arrived in Portland the night before. We went out to breakfast to a fun "hippie" restaurant as Andy would call it named Jam. You can tell by the look on Andy's face how much he likes to diverge from his "normal" eating habits. Angie however was super excited to use a princess cup. I was a starving pregnant woman and was just happy to finally get some FOOD! Then realized how yummy it was. Thanks for splitting with me Darby so I could enjoy more variety.

This cute little girl rarely gives a normal smile for the camera anymore.

After breakfast Andy, Angie and I went to The Children's Museum. We gave Aunt Darby a break. Guess we were wearing her out ;)

Here Angie is admiring the biggest George she has ever seen!

Angie is happy to once again be able to put the moves on George.

Andy and Angie did some golf.

Then they helped George clean some windows.

Play with some wheels to spin things.

Angie admires George in Space.

Angie loves animals and decided to be a veterinarian for a little while.

Checking the X-Rays.

Off to play with the magnet board.

Daddy helped her make a dinosaur.

Playing at the light table.

This was too cool, it was a huge light bright!

I would have loved to play at the light bright longer but we had to leave because Angie was having trouble sharing.

Next Angie and Daddy played in the water area. They have nice water jackets to wear but Angie refused. I told her then she cannot complain if she gets wet. Later she came to me all wet and asked for her jacket because she was cold. Mmmm, maybe next time listen to Mommy?

Despite getting wet Angie and Daddy both had fun playing in the water :)

Don't forget to brush your teeth.

It is not very often you get the chance to brush an alligator's teeth.

Then we went to the restaurant area. I was happy to sit down and Angie was happy to serve me some play food. I loved that she pretended to wash her hands at the sink before handling the food.

Some grocery shopping needed to be done and Angela was happy to do it.

Angie loved being the grocery checker too. Look at all that delicious play food. My respect goes out to the employees who have the endless task of putting everything away all day long!

Angie loved the beeping noise it made when she scanned things. I love how she pretends to type things into the register.

A quick family photo before leaving The Children's Museum

That night we took some close up pictures of Angie's art she made the day before.

Angie was very proud of her art.

Mt Tabor Park and Chap Art in Portland

2011-04-08T22:11:00.000-07:00

Our second day in Portland was spent at Mt Tabor Park in the morning.

It was fun taking time playing with Angie.

She loves exploring new places to play.

They have things here that we don't at home, like a Merry Go Round.

Pardon our singing but we did have fun. It took Angie some warm up time to get used to the Merry Go Round. She would not go on when other kids/people were on it.

We had fun learning about see saws.

Then Angie decided to go exploring. She loves steps so was magnetically drawn to them.

I think she was trying to put me into labor. It was seriously like 10 flights of stairs!

Angie had fun on the swings with Aunt Darby.

Nice mountain view from the park.

We don't have trees like this at home.

Angie's self portrait while in the car.

After nap time we went to one of my favorite things from the trip. It is called the Chap Art Factory. For only $5 per hour you can come in and paint on anything except the windows and the floor.

Angie loves to paint and went right to work making art for people.

They said paint anywhere so why not the ceiling?

It was fun to spend time together making art, especially where I don't have to clean up :)

What used to be old and used up is now a fun piece of art.

Angie had loads of fun painting this car. It was hard for her to get used to painting "outside the lines" but once she figured out it was okay she had fun. I realized I need to be less rigid with her and allow her creativity to flow more often. I wish we had something like this closer to home.

Aunt Darby was a great help.

Fun painting the cardboard city.

Aunt Darby gets in on the fun too.

I sure love this cute little happy girl!

More art to take home and give away.

They had paint, markers and glitter glue with all sorts of fun things to glue onto your art.

One last fun ride before we had to go. I wish we could have spent more time there but we arrived just one hour before they closed. Super fun, I highly recommend it if you are ever in Portland.

Wind down with some fun watching the two little ones in the evening.

Fun in Portland and then to Salem for Family Dinner

2011-04-07T23:40:00.000-07:00

Our first attraction was Voodoo Doughnuts. They have some unique doughnuts to choose from. One the size of your head, some with crushed oreo on top, captain crunch, fruit loops...

... and yes that is a maple bar with bacon on top!

Angie's doughnut experience has been very limited thus far in her little life so she picked the classic sprinkles. It took her all day long but she finally finished it. First time ever!

Darby picked frosted with marshmallows on top.

I picked one with miniature M&M's on top.

After eating our doughnuts we took some pictures in a photo booth. Apparently Angie is not a fan :,-(

Angie was a fan getting back to her new best friend Tristan who was impatiently waiting in the car.

She is a lover of animals. Every time we got in the car she would beg saying "Twistan sit on my wrap". She loved having Tristan sit with her in the car.

We found some sunshine and went to the park. We had fun on the see saw. Angie did get jealous of the other dogs at the park playing with Tristan.

The park must have really worn these two out!

After a wonderful nap time we headed down to Salem to have dinner with Angie's Great Grandma Cindy, Great Grandpa Richard and Great Uncle JJ. Before dinner Angie and Tristan had a wonderful time running around outside in their beautiful yard. They were so cute, I am sad that I did not get video.

They had a wonderful dinner waiting for us. Angie kept asking to blow out the candles. Silly girl.

Angie loves spending time with these two.

After dinner GG Cindy took Angie down stairs to meet her furry children.

Angie gets more hands on time with animals. She loves it!

Angie gives Aunt Darby the sneaky look.

We took pictures in rounds since we wanted pictures with everyone. Here is Darby, Tristan, GG Richard, Angie, Me, and Great Uncle JJ.

Darby, Tristan, Me, Angie, Great Uncle JJ, and GG Cindy.

Darby, Tristan, Me and Angie.

Great Uncle JJ and Tristan.

GG Cindy and Tristan. It was a wonderful evening and I am very grateful we were able to visit.