A week in pictures

What is he doing? Maybe we should get a closer look...

Ah... one of my favorite views. The one where I can see him doing the dishes. I remember after reading a book called "The Five Love Languages" telling Scott how he could always tell me he loves me by doing the dishes. He hasn't forgotten.

Us being unsuccessful at taking a picture of ourselves. This was one of ten tries and sadly, the best one we got.

Jeff decided he wanted to pose for this picture. I don't know how he got the whole put-your-hands-behind-your-head pose. Nate just goes along with what Jeff says most days.

I tried to catch all three of my boys, but Jeff suddenly decided he was done being a cute model for me and took off to jump on the trampoline.

This is Nate enjoying his new blanket made by Grandma Goddard. He is such a happy little guy and absolutely loves attention. He will giggle and laugh anytime I look at him. He is also super ticklish.

Scott was getting Jeff ready for bed decided to make him a turban. I don't know where he gets his ideas. Every time I turn around he has a new funny thing he is doing with Jeff. He sure is a great daddy.

And of course, he had to take his turn wearing the turban. I love it! Watching Scott be a daddy is one of the coolest things ever.

Three years

Boogy boarding on the Oregon Coast a few weeks before we got engaged

I feel like I have so much to blog about. But, most important things first...

Yesterday Scott and I celebrated our three-year anniversary. My only request for a gift from him was that he write me a love letter. Throughout our courtship we wrote many letters to each other and I grew quite fond of them. I have a little box I keep all of them in. It was through those letters that I finally got over my ENORMOUS (so big I often threw up) fears of getting married. I cherish them. I absolutely love the way my sweetheart writes. It's like poetry.

So yesterday Scott instructed me to drop the boys off at the babysitters house at 6:30 and then drive to the train station to pick him up. When I picked him up he he surprised me with dinner at a restaurant that I have been wanting to go to.

While we were eating our chips and salsa before our meals came, Scott took my hand in his across the table (while I hurriedly ate the chip I was eating and then gave my hand back to him). He looked me in the eyes (and I nervously looked away) and told me he loved me (I smiled awkwardly) and then he pulled the letter out from behind his back. I read my sweet letter and loved it.

Scott can be so romantic and I just kill the moment (not on purpose). The first time he told me he loved me I literally laughed at him. It was a few weeks before I finally told him I loved him. Thankfully, he doesn't hold it against me.

After that we went home, changed our clothes, and went to play tennis. It was so much fun! To finish the night, we went to B&R for some ice cream.

I realize that our celebration for our anniversary may seem pretty lame compared to some things people do. Cruises, going to places with warm weather and nice beaches, or going to a themed hotel. But I have to say, I was perfectly content to spend a nice evening with my best friend and sweetheart without too much fanfare. Maybe I'm simple, but I'm happy.

My birthday

I had the best birthday yesterday! Scott stayed home from work and we spent the day together. We went to a zoo that is close to our house. It is a small zoo and there were hardly any people there since school started and the weather is a little bit cooler. We practically had the whole place to ourselves.

They have a cute train that goes all around the zoo. Jeff was terrified of it until we went for a ride and then he was very upset that we had to leave because he wanted another ride. They have smaller animals that are low maintenance. The coolest animals to see were the spider monkeys and the cougars. The cages are so close that you almost feel like you get to interact with them. THE cougar seemed to think that Jeff and Nate looked like lunch.

Later that night we went to a sports store to get some things with my birthday money (form my in-laws). I got this cool gyro ball that you spin in your hand and it builds up your muscles in your arms. It is really cool and Scott and I spent the rest of the night playing with it. We also got another piece of climbing gear so now all we need is a rope and we are ready to go. I saved some of my money to put toward that purchase. Soon we'll be ready to go climbing outdoor with all our own stuff. I'm way excited about that.

When we got home we ate some homemade ice cream that I made earlier that day with my new machine that Scott got for me. I loved it and the ice cream was great!

All in all, a very happy birthday. Also thanks to all those that called/emailed/texted/etc. to wish me a happy birthday. It made my day!

26

Today is my birthday. The funny part is that I forgot. Thankfully other people reminded me. Is that a sign of old age or what?

Berry picking

Today I went berry picking. In New Jersey berry picking entails driving and hour, getting car sick, paying $10 for two small cartons of raspberries you pick, driving another hour, getting even more car sick, and then being worn out when you get home.

All in all, it isn't as bad as I make it out to be, but it sure isn't like the days when I would pick raspberries with Grandma Cheney. She had a raspberry patch in her back yard and often times I would get recruited to go pick raspberries with her.

First we would get all the garb on. Long sleeve shirt (usually one of my grandpa's old shirts) rubber gloves (the cheap dish washing kind), a big straw hat, and the picking container. The picking container was either a gallon milk jug with the top cut off and a piece of fabric strung through the handle or a juice pitcher with the fabric strung through the handle.

I kind of felt like I was going on a jungle trek or something. Grandma always had a five gallon bucket for a stool and we would pick and pick and pick. When I was young and lazy, I hated it. I would pick for about three minutes and decide I was worn out. Looking back, I am so glad my grandma was insistent that I keep on working.

My Grandma Cheney passed away about a year and a half ago and I still remember the many things she taught me. In everything we did together on thing was a constant. Hard work. My favorite part about berry picking today was remembering those special times with grandma.

Tennis and blah blah blah

So I think my approach to fitness is to spend some time each day doing something. Yesterday it was playing tennis with my landlady. She's not your typical landlady. Her name is Karen. She lives above us with her husband and they don't have any kids of their own. She actually comes down almost every day at about five to take Jeff out to play.... for almost two hours.

Jeff loves it, I love it, and Karen loves it. For her, it is the perfect way to unwind after a long day. For me too.

So, lets get back to the tennis now... I lack tennis skills. Luckily Karen is a crazy athlete (almost went to the Olympics in team handball but the USA didn't go that year for political reasons) and a great teacher. She worked with me on not hitting the ball over the fence at the unsuspecting people walking on the track. I'm happy to report that I almost beat her at one game last night. Out of five, I almost beat her in one. I think we'll try to go once a week so. I'm really excited about it.

So, going back the whole budget thing. I got a cheap racket from K-mart for $13. Add in the three quarters to turn on your lights... I think I just discovered he cheapest date night imaginable. It practically pays for its self in the long run. Sure you have the initial investment for the racket and the balls, but after that you get a $.75 date night.

And, just so ya'll know, I think we will splurge this year for the pumpkins. Oh, and another cool thing. A girl in my ward who live close by (less than 30 minutes unlike everyone else) needs help getting home from volleyball practice. So, (once we get a second car) I will pick her up from practice and she will come watch the boys for an hour while I go run, and then I'll take her home. And this wonderful service is provided by this girl FOR FREE!!! I offered to pay her as per mamabear's insightful comment on my running blog, but she refused. Sheesh, I have all the luck.
I realize I just covered about thirty topics in one post... I'm feeling a little scattered today. :) To add to the randomness, here's a picture of my adorable little brother Brett who gets home from his mission in a month. This was taken on my wedding day... not in my wedding dress.

The Budget

I'm pretty fanatical about our budget. I have a great program that I love (you can read all about it on ynab.com) and I am addicted to keeping it up to date and watching every dime that enters/exits our bank accounts online.

When Scott and I first moved here we knew we would have to be pretty careful with our expenditures because things would be tight for a while. We were so incredibly frugal/cheap that when Scott mentioned getting pumpkins to carve for family night I took one look at the budget and told him it just wasn't going to happen. Scott still wont let me live this one down.

Over the past year we have be blessed to have received a few raises that have made us feel like we didn't' have to worry so much about keeping to our budget as strictly. In short, we got lazy and started spending more and more money.

Well, Saturday morning I started telling Scott about all the fun things I wanted to buy and he promptly said we should go over our budget in our Sunday meeting. Ironically at Church that night (we had Stake Conference) or Stake President challenged us to do a few things, one of which was to set a date to be debt free and if we were already debt free to build up our savings. I knew for sure at this point that I probably wasn't going to get a new wardrobe or a super-nice minivan.

We went over the budget last night and we decided to cinch up our belts and work on living below our means. Our goal: to save up for a down payment on a house. Scott knows how to get me on the bandwagon. There isn't much I am more motivated to save for than a house. Except for perhaps enough land that we can get a horse to go with our house.

So, I'm still not sure if we will be getting pumpkins this year to carve or if we will look at the budget and decide it just isn't worth it to make memories with our family when we could put that $3.75 into our "house savings account".

What ways have you found to cut costs without cutting out the fun.

Something

Scott said that our plain 'ol black background was just not good enough. He said we need to have something a little more something. So, you may not recognize this blog at first, but it is still us. We are still the same people wearing the same clothes eating the same things for dinner. We just decided that something in our lives needed to change and I guess the blog got it. Let me know if you can't read it well with the new colors so I can change anything that needs it.

You know how if you say a word over and over again and look at it and then say it a few more times it doesn't' even seem to be English anymore. I think I just did that with the word something. What a weird word.

Running

I know most of you couldn't care less about my running schedule, but I am just so happy about my small steps of progress that I have to report about it. Plus, I feel like if I am announcing to everyone that I am running, then I will feel a stronger obligation to actually get out and do it.

I also thought, that if any of you out there are trying to start running (either again, or for the first time) you can know that you are not the only one out there that is struggling with it. I am by no means writing this post as a brag about my mad running skills, quite the contrary. I am writing this post to give others hope (an mostly myself motivation).

So, on Saturday I went out and ran for the second time since (I am sad to report) a few months before I found out I was expecting Nathan. So, that would make it well over a year since I have really done any consistent running. One of the biggest struggles to date has been finding a time when I can get out. Having two young children makes this feat a little tough. I run (no pun intended) into the problem that when Scott is home and able to take care of the boys, I want to be spending that time with him. I have decided that I can spare half an hour three or four times a week to get out.

I started my run at about 10 a.m. in 98% humidity. Wow, I was feeling like I had worked really hard because I was sweating so much. I ran a whole mile and a quarter. I ran on the track and that was nice because everything else here is a hill. It was hard. I was tired, and I got discouraged when old people kept passing me. But, I put my pride aside and lumbered around the track 5 times. I kind of wished I could have worn a sign on my back that said, "I just had a baby two and half months ago," just so people would know a little background story to why I was breathing so hard while going so slow.

On Monday, I went out and ran again. It was awesome! I went in the evening. It was a beautiful cool night and just barely dark. I ran a mile and a half. With my ipod turned up and the dark settling in, it seemed like the laps just flew by. I totally recommend running at night (but not too late, cause the Boogy Man will get you).

So, that's my running blog. Sorry if you actually read this whole thing. It really is for me. I hope you will forgive me for the wordy post about my struggle to fitness success. But, just to make things fair, what things have you done when you start up a new regime of exercise to keep it going. Oh, yeah, and tell me your struggles too, just so I know I'm not alone. :)

Temper Tantrum

I didn't really know that when my son turned two we would start experiencing temper tantrums... or rather, that I would be the one mood swings. I always assumed that he would be the one doing all of the screaming and kicking while lying on the floor of a supermarket while onlookers judged my bad parenting skills.

What I have realized is that I have had a few of my own temper tantrums. I don't kick and scream so much as I get frustrated. Frustrated that I am not nearly as good of a parent as I thought I would be before I had kids. Frustrated that I can't keep both boys completely happy all the time. Frustrated that sometimes I want to sleep instead of take care of my boys.

And then the next day comes and my little boys are happy, and they are doing everything right, and I realize that this parenting stuff isn't quite as hard as I thought it was the day before. In fact, I think it can be pretty easy. In fact, I can't imagine my life without them here showing me their beautiful personalities.

It all comes down to this... some days are hard and some days are easy. With parenting comes some of the toughest days I have known, but also some of the greatest joys I have experienced.

Back in Shape

So, I haven't mentioned this on the blog yet, but Scott and I are doing Weight Watchers. We aren't going to meetings, but rather having our own little meetings on Sunday nights. We weigh in and do measurements. We put all that data into a spreadsheet in the computer and we get to see how well (or not so well) we are doing.

We have been going for four weeks now. Last week wasn't so good for me. In fact, it was pretty much terrible. But this week I have been doing better. I have been keeping track of what I eat more, and have been staying under my Points allotment.

In addition to a change in our "style" of eating, I am trying to exercise more. I saved up my budgeted "play money" for a few months (plus a little extra from the "household" budget because I got impatient) and got an ipod shuffle. I got a few songs off of itunes and tonight I had my first run with my new gear. It felt great! I ran a little over a mile (uphill both ways) and did a round of crunches on my exercise ball.

I am by no means and Olympic athlete, but I have ambitions to be able to run in a race next summer. It is called The Ragnar. You can look it up if you are interested. Scott and I are on a team to run 180 miles. There are 12 team members and we each run three legs of the race. All three legs (of the race that is) combined will be about 13 miles. It usually takes about 24 hours for a team to finish and we go all day and all night. I guess you literally run, sleep, and drive your shift of the team van. We are totally unprepared and excited! So, hence begins the "getting back in shape" adventure.

I don't now why, but I have been using an abundant amount of quotation marks. I think it is out of my system now.

So, what are you all doing to be/get in shape. Any encouraging words? Words of wisdom?

A picture update

The two boys in the buff being buff. Look at the definition on that double chin Nate's got going on there. Besides that, look at the precious smiles both have... oh man, just looking at them makes me melt.

He's got the kid potty, the reading material, a positive attitude... but no poop on the potty yet.

Oh man, I just can't get over how cute this kid is. Especially when he has "I love mommy" plastered on his chest.

And that smile... it melts my heart just as much if not more that the little boys' smiles. Life is so good because of that smile. Wow, what a hotty!!!

This is one of Jeff's favorite hats (aka a tub toy). He has started a stage that whenever we go somewhere, he has to wear a hat. It has been tricky to convince him that we don't wear hats to church. The other day he tried to go outside with his shoes, a diaper, and a hat. It didn't happen. He got stuck with a few other items of clothing too.

I realize that my kids are naked in 99% of the photos I have posted here. Just know that we are doing okay financially and we do have clothes for our kids, we just choose to live life a natural.

Memories

This sounded like fun. Play along if you like!

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, if you feel inspired, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you.

New Post

So, I just can't have that spider post up anymore... but I don't have anything to post about really. So, what should one do in a predicament like this one? I guess all you can really do is blab on and on about nothing until there is enough text to justify a post. I don't think I have quite reached the required quota so I will tell you more useless and uninteresting things for a bit longer. Ah, that just might be enough. Hope you are all doing well and that you had a great weekend.

I hate spiders

My entire life, back to as young as I can remember I have been afraid of spiders. I blame it mostly on my sissy sister (she's not really a sissy, she had four babies without an epidural) because she would always make me go down in the root cellar to get bottle food because she was too afraid of the spiders.

Over the years I have wondered how much I really am afraid of spiders. Mostly, I thought I kept up the attitude I was afraid to give my darling husband a way to protect me. It was fun to let him take the lead on taking care of any of our eight legged, not so much friends.

Well, last night I learned that my fear of spiders is alive and well. As I was sitting on the futon in the spare bedroom feeding Nathan at 3:30 in the morning, I noticed a big bug crawling around on the floor. I thought it could be a spider, but the lights were down low so I wasn't sure. Once I got done feeding Nate I decided I could handle this guy. As I got close, I realized that it was a big hairy spider. I thought, "I'll be a toughy and kill this thing". I tried, but thankfully he got away. I was a little freaked out that I didn't know where he was so I told Scott when I went back to bed that he would have to get Nate if he started to cry.

Not too long later Nate needed help so Scott got up to take care of him. I could see into the hallway from my bed and I kept an eye out for that big nasty thing. He came out! I yelled to Scott and he grabbed a shoe to squish it. I came closer to make sure he killed it real good. He nailed with the shoe, and then the thing EXPLODED into millions of baby spiders. At this point, I gracefully sprinted back to my bed, jumped in, curled into the fetal position and began bawling my eyes out.

It was more than an hour later before I was able to calm down enough to go back to sleep. Before I got out of bed this morning Scott swept up the spider carcases (he killed all the babies he could), threw away the broom, used pine sol and a sponge the clean up the floor, threw away the sponge, and took out the garbage.

So I figure out that it was a wolf spider and they are unique in that they carry their young on their abdomen. NASTY!!! I think I can recover with time and lots of therapy.

Here is a picture so you can see how hideous this thing is. I hate spiders.

Pioneer Day

For the 24th of July Scott took the day off work to celebrate our pioneer heritage. We took a little family trip to the Delaware Water Gap. It is on the boarder of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Simply beautiful! We want to go back soon.

"Pioneer children sang as they walked and walked and walked and walked." He hiked up these stairs all by himself and even used the handrail.

"Here comes the ox cart oh so slow" We found a trail that worked great for our jogger. Nate is the little lump of blankets on the right side. :) He is such a trooper to go on all these adventures with us as such a young age. He never complains.

Scott and I are trying to learn how to do the self-photo thing. This is the best one after many attempts to not cut off the top of Scott's head. We'll keep trying.

This is about as pioneer as we get. We have a garden this year... It is so fun to watch it grow. Jeff loves to water it. He also enjoys eating suckers. We put the two together and it is a great combination.

For Christine

My friend Christine loves to wash her car. She probably does so once or twice a week. She even believes that she gets better gas mileage when her car is clean so she never goes on a trip without first washing her car.

I washed my car on Saturday. Our car has not been "technically" washed in about a year. But, let me just say that it rains so much here that you don't have to wash your car so much. So, I don't feel like I have been losing out on better gas mileage.

Christine, this post is for you. You can be proud that I am on the road to washing my car twice a year. :) All in your honor.

Hill Cumorah

The boys and the campfire.

The amazing stage from the third row (yep we were spoiled, our friends hooked us up)

Jeff loved the pageant. He got so excited he would clap with joy. He stayed awake through the whole thing.

This is a great photo Katie took of the Sacred Grove. I only wish I could get it to rotate so it isn't sideways... but you can still appreciate the beauty. :) Just turn your head ever so slightly (read 90 degrees) to the left.

All in all, we had a great trip to Palmyra. It was our first camping trip with Nathan... and Jeff for that matter. It went so well, we might go camping for the 24th of July too. We are determined that even with little kids, we will enjoy the great outdoors and anything else that would be fun.

Jeff's Birthday

Jeff turned two years old on July 10th. We had a little family party for him. Nothing like the parties most easterners have for their kids, but at least he got a cake... right. :)

This is my first attempt at doing a "cute" cake for a birthday. I used Jeff's Elmo as my inspiration. You can't really tell in this picture, but the eyes and nose are 3D. Yay for me and trying to become a cutesy mom. :)

We went to Central Park and had a picnic. Cousin Kate had never been yet, so it was a fun little trip into the city.

Jeff got a trampoline from us for his birthday. I thought since he was constantly jumping off the couch, he would love it. Today he has spent most of his time jumping on and off the couch, so we'll see if he starts jumping more on his tramp soon.

Jeff got tagged

Okay, so this will be fun. My friend Dallas tagged Jeff (really me) to write eleven things about him. So, here we go.

1. Jeff naturally attracts people to him. At church he has a following of other kids that just love to play with him. Young men in the ward will pick him up and play with him, kids just older than him will play with him. They all love him. I am still trying to figure out exactly what it is that Jeff has or does that attracts so many people to him. I have had many people tell me they would watch Jeff anytime because he is such an easy going kid to have around. I hope to one day bottle whatever it is that Jeff is doing to sell to business professionals who want to do networking or something.

2. Everyone thinks Jeff has an unusually sized head for his age, but I just want to set the record strait and let you all know that he is in the 50th percentile for head size... which equates to perfectly normal. :)

3. Jeff had the be the cutest baby ever born. He had a full head of long hair that was light brown with blond ends. It was sticky out in every direction. He looked like a little surfer boy.

4. Jeff is my Grandpa Cheney's 76th decedent. He keeps track of his numbers pretty closely. We were hoping to get the 75th slot, but we missed it by one. Jeff even tried to do his part to get the number 75 by coming a month early, but it didn't quite cut it.

5. Jeff absolutely loves being a big brother. Every morning he comes out of his room and looks for Baby Nate. He looks in all the spots he could be to see if he can find Nate. He also tries to nurse Nathan. A little worrisome, but I think he has stopped. He has never shown any amount of hostility toward Nathan. Once, I thought Jeff tried to hit Nate, but then I realized that he was giving his bro a high five.

6. Jeff eats like crazy!!! I will feed him his breakfast and then when I get mine, he wants to eat part of mine too. Then Scott will come out and eat his breakfast and Jeff will want part of his too. He just loves to eat. Thankfully he has his dad's metabolism so he isn't too chunky. ;)

7. Jeff loves to run and play and jump. He is pretty fearless and very capable. He loves to throw balls, kick balls, and play catch. Sometimes he doesn't wait for others to catch and that causes a few problems. Especially for unsuspecting kiddos in nursery.

8. Jeff doesn't like to have dirty hands. He hates weird textures on his skin. I hope he outgrows it because beach going is a little crazy when he wont play in the sand.

9. Everyone says that Jeff looks just like Scott. EVERYONE!!! Sometimes I feel like I had nothing to do with getting the kid here because he is "all Scott". I only really see it when he smiles, but apparently he is a mini Scott.

10. In his two short years Jeff has lived on the west coast (California) and the east coast (New Jersey). He also had a 10 month stint in Utah. Poor kid is almost a military brat.

11. Jeff (and now Nathan too) is the light of our lives. He brings so much joy and happiness to us. We are so grateful that he is a part of our family.

Nathan's Blessing

Scott blessed Nathan today in church. It was a beautiful blessing. Here are some pictures of Nate in his blessing outfit provided by Grandma Goddard. He looked pretty handsome in his white baby tux. Everyone was disappointed Scott didn't lift Nate up to show him off after the blessing.


And, here are some pictures of our little family that is growing so much. I can't believe I am the mother of two incredible little boys.

Saturday at the Lake

We spent Saturday at a really fun lake about 40 minutes from our house. Its called Greenwood Lake. It is partway in New York and partway in New Jersey. It almost felt like we were at Bear Lake in Idaho/Utah. It was awesome. It had the small town feel that we miss so much being here so close to NYC. We went to the beach, dinner, ice cream, and then fireworks. It was a great day to spend as a family and I am pretty sure we will go back because the creamery we got ice cream at was awesome.

Jeff took a while to decide it was okay to get some sand on his feet.

Our little family, with our addition. Nathan loved the beach... actually, he slept right through the whole visit to the beach part of the day.

This was just a cute picture of Jeff. Man, he has the cutest little smile.

Jeff putting his feet in the "big foot" tracks that Katie and Scott made in the sand. By this point he was okay with getting a little gritty in between his toes.

Jeff loves his daddy, but this picture doesn't show it so much. :) He is gripping onto Scott's nose so he doesn't fall when Scott leans back.

My Scott

I just don't post enough about my Scotty. He does so many incredible things and since he is too humble to tell anyone about them, I get to. :)

So, as many of you know, Scott has to take these grueling exams for his profession as an actuary Between work, family, church, and studying for exams... he doesn't have too much free time. For a while, this was Scott's schedule.

7 a.m. leave for work
7 p.m. get home from work and eat dinner
8 p.m. start studying
11 p.m. stop studying and go to bed

As you can see, it was a tough time for all of us. So, we were pretty excited for the day when Scott took his exam and didn't have to study any more. It has been awesome to have him all to myself (except for work and church). So, we were a little disappointed when Scott felt pretty certain he had not passed his test. But, all that disappointment vanished a few days ago when Scott found out HE PASSED!!! So, all those hours without him paid off.

I asked Scott if I could tell everyone how smart my husband is, but he only gave me permission to tell people he passed. So that's all I'm going to do. :)

The boys

We had our pediatrician appointments for the boys today. Here are the stats on the boys and their growth.

Jeff
Weight: 50th percentile
Height: 90th percentile
Head: 50th percentile (for all of you who have ever seen Jeff's head, this may surprise you)

Nate
Weight: 95th percentile
Height: 95th percentile
Official doctor's comment: "Wow, this kid is growing like crazy".

Just so you all know, Nate has already gained a pound. I mentioned to the doctor that he hardly ever poops. She said it looks like he is absorbing just about EVERYTHING he can to be growing as fast as he is.

Other things we learned... Jeff has a slight heart murmur but the doctor said not to worry too much about it. She also said Jeff is a little delayed in his speaking but way ahead of the game for his fine and gross motor skills. She also mentioned that he is a pretty good flirt too. As far as the speech delay, we are planning on ignoring it for a little bit longer. I am going to work on talking to him more and narrating my day to him. I'm also supposed to read to him. I know I should read to him... but the kid wont sit still long enough to get through a small board book, let alone 20 minutes a day of reading.

So, that is the update on the boys. They are healthy and happy for the most part. I am so thankful they are such healthy kids. I know it isn't always like this, so I am very grateful for a good doctor's appointment.

P.S. Jeff got three shots. He cried until they brought the lollipops and then he was all smiles. Its amazing what a little sugar will do for a kid.

Nate

Here is a cute photo of Nate. He is such a good baby! He only cries when he's hungry or if he pees on his own face. He has successfully caused diaper changing drama three times. The kind of drama that ends up in a washer full of messy pillows, clothes, sheets, and blankets. It is pretty comical. But look at that face... he can pee and poop all he wants with a face like that.

Two boys

This morning, I was sitting on the couch looking at my new beautiful son when my other beautiful son came to talk. He patted his little brother on the head, put his blanket on him, whispered in his ear, talked to him, and kissed him three trillion times.

As I got up to eat a scrumptious breakfast that my hubby made for me I mentioned to him that I didn't know what people were talking about when they said it was such a big step to have two kids instead of one. I think these were my exact words, "having two is fun".

While I still think this is true, I have to say that after making that comment the morning changed. Nathan struggled with his next feeding which made him fussy. Jeff seemed to react to a sad brother and started wailing and was inconsolable. It seemed my entire blissful morning was completely shattered.

But, after a good feeding for Nate and a long nap for Jeff, the blissfulness of two came back. It is wonderful! I know there will be frustrating times when two will seem really tough, but I also know that there will be many sweet moments when I can look at my boys (Scott included) and be thankful for how lucky I am to be sealed to them forever. As I sit here writing this, I can't believe how I could have stepped into such a wonderful situation. Saying "yes" to Scott has made my life incredible.

I just have to add this, because I feel when you feel grateful you should express it. Scott was and has been incredible through this whole delivery/recovery experience. He was my rock during the delivery. He was the perfect support team all by himself. I could never have done it without him. All week he has been cooking, cleaning, changing diapers, and waking up in the middle of the night to take care of Nathan and up in the early morning to take care of Jeff... I could tell you more and more, but I don't want to brag too much. :) Lets just say Scott is my hero, and I get to have him be my hero forever.

So, now that the pregnancy posts are over, you get some fun post-pregnancy posts. :)

Big Brother

Jeff is enamoured with his new brother. He is gentle and loves to give him kisses. He knows it is his baby and says it over and over again. Scott and I were both surprised because we didn't know if he really understood that he was getting a new buddy.

This is the first kiss from big brother to little brother. We caught it on camera by some stroke of luck. I'm sure there will be many more kisses between these two who are fast becoming best friends. :)

Here is my cute niece Katie, who is here in New Jersey with us playing nanny... without much pay. :) She is holding down the fort with Jeff back home and is doing a splendid job at it too. She is so awesome to come out here and help us. We also have lots of plans for her while she is here. All of which involve having fun!!

Oh yeah, the official name is Nathan Klyn Goddard!!!

Baby Boy Arrival

Well, we had our baby boy this morning. Here are all the details...

1:00 a.m. I woke up to a contraction, but I wasn't sure.

1:30 a.m. I nudged Scott, I nudged Scott a little harder, and he did wake up eventually. :)

2:30 a.m. We called the doctor to tell him that I had been having contractions for an hour, four minutes apart.

3:00 a.m. We got to the hospital. I was dilated to a 4 and 90% effaced.

5:00 a.m. I got my first epidural.

5: 15 a.m. My water broke.

6:00 a.m. I got my second epidural because the first didn't quite work.

6:47 a.m. Our little boy joined us after I pushed for 17 minutes.

He is:

20 1/2 inches long

8 lbs 9 oz

healthy

blessed with a full head of hair (thanks Scott)

So, there are all the details I can think of so far. Scott was an incredible coach. I could have never done it without him. Really, he was incredible. He could coach labor and delivery with the best of them. I almost forgot, as soon as the baby was born he peed all over the doctor. I think that means he will either be a Doctor or a Lawyer. Either way, it was pretty comical. :)

We will try to keep the blog posted. Thanks for all the support and prayers from our family and friends. We feel very blessed!

Tummy Talk

People have begged and pleaded for this photo... so here it is. :) Okay, so maybe begged and pleaded is an overstatement, but nonetheless you get a glam shot of me at more than nine months pregnant. I haven't seen myself from this angle really, so it is probably as much a shock to me as it is to you. I

can't believe how big I am. It must be the black shirt against the white wall. But then... isn't black the slimming color. Oh man... I guess I will just have to face the music and realize that I am just big. As a side note to some who have not seen me in a while. This pregnancy not only added an enormous bump to be front side, but also turned my hair more red and curly too. Pregnancy does weird stuff.

Oh yeah, with all this tummy talk, I almost forgot to say that I went to the doctor today and he told me I am dilated to 3 cm and am 50% effaced. It made me happy. The best part, I haven't felt anything. Nothing like progress without pain. :)

These are a few pictures of Jeff and his beloved measuring tape. He doesn't leave home without it. He doesn't go to bed without it either. He has had it in his little paws for the past two weeks and the only time I can pry it out of his fingers is to give him a bath. (I don't want it to rust). I'm not sure which he is more attached to, his tape measure, or his blanket his Grandma Goddard made for him.

Jeff loves the missionaries. Here is a fun video of him sharing a piece of cake with one of our favorite Elders serving in the ward. Elder Rodriguez is awesome, he is from Brazil and has only been a member for a few years. He is the hardest working missionary and will knock doors all day long because he knows how much people need the gospel from his own changes. He and Jeff have a special bond. They better if he will share his cake with Jeff.

This is a video of Jeff being a little Brett (my little brother who is on a mission in Belize). He is measuring stuff with Karen (my landlord) and then has to take a phone call on his cell. If any of you know my little brother... this is him to the "T". He is a farmer who spends most of his earnings paying his cell phone bill each month. It just cracks me up. Those farmer genes are strong.

I have started going to the grocery store on Saturday mornings at about 7:30. This way, I can get there before it gets too crazy with Saturday shoppers and I can go without Jeff thus avoiding the huge bumper car shopping cart that is all but impossible to maneuver without taking out a few cute grandmas.

Last week was the first week and it was great! This week... was not so great. The problem really doesn't have anything to do with grocery shopping at all. It has to do with me.

It all started in the dairy isle. I decided to get a bunch of the single serving cups of yogurt instead of a one of the big cartons. There was one fatality as I was putting them in my cart. The employee who had to clean up the mess kind of glared at me as he scooped up all the strawberry yogurt from the floor. It was like in slow motion watching the yogurt slip out of my hands onto the floor.

Then, as I was leaving the store somehow my grape tomato packages slipped out of my cart and spilled all over the floor too. Okay, so now in one morning I have successfully dropped two things on the floor. You would think I had filled my dropping quota... not so.

At home, I was emptying the dishwasher and dropped one our plates to its shattering death on our tile floor. I almost started to scream because I was so tired of dropping things. Scott quickly made me feel better by explaining that I am pregnant and it isn't my fault.

So, along with getting a baby within the next week or so, I am really excited to get back my ability to hold onto things and stop dropping everything and anything that gets into my hands. Hopefully this transition takes place before I hold the baby for the first time.

Just in case any of you are skeptical about it not being my fault... the paragraph below is from BabyCenter.com which is as reliable as The Bible. :)

Is it normal to feel clumsy during pregnancy?

Yes. Many women feel ungainly when they're pregnant, particularly in their last few months.Clumsiness comes as no surprise when you consider what your body's going through: You're carrying more weight, your center of gravity has shifted with your growing uterus, and hormonal changes can cause your joints to loosen, including those in your fingers and toes. You'll get your balance and dexterity back after you give birth.In the meantime, protect yourself by remembering that you're not at the top of your game when it comes to muscle control and coordination. Try not to put yourself in situations where you have a high risk of falling — like climbing a ladder or standing on a chair to change a light bulb.Put your high heels away for now and wear stable, comfortable shoes. Take special care when walking on wet, icy, or uneven surfaces and when going up or down steep steps. Take it slow and use handrails whenever possible.

It's amazing that a kid can go from this...

To this...

In as little as a year and a half.

I am continually amazed by the human body and all that it can do. I remember sitting in my anatomy and physiology class in college and just being completely in awe at what the body is capable of... in fact, I was so in awe that I pretty much didn't understand 50% of it. Incredibly, I still passed the class. As I think about having another baby and all that takes place to make that possible, it just gets even more magnificent. It is another testimony to me that there is a God. We are created by him in His image. It really is amazing!

Random Pictures

Here are just some random pictures to give you a taste of our lives this past week.

Jeff stretching with Scott before Scott went for a run. I realize this is a bad picture because you can't see anyone's faces... but I have to be sneaky when I try to catch anything Jeff does on camera. He likes playing with the camera more than posing for pictures.

Jeff wearing his favorite outfit.

Scott and Jeff sitting on the steps of NYU after we ate at PB&J and Co. It is a crazy gourmet peanut butter and jelly sandwich place in the city.

Me, Jeff, and the big belly. It is hiding behind Jeff mostly, but you can still see it.

Here is Jeff doing some more stretches with Scott. He cracks me up. Such cute boys I have. :)

My babies

So, I decided we needed a post that wasn't about pregnancy. :) So, you get to hear all about my babies.

I decided to plant a garden this year. I started my little seedlings inside the house and watered them. And talked to them. And put them in the sun when it was out. And did all I could to help them become big and strong.

Then came the day to put them in the garden... outside. I have to say that I think this will be a big preparation for me when it comes to sending my boys (or girls) on missions. It was one of the hardest things to do. Putting my sweet pampered little seedlings out into the cold cruel world.

Some of them died. Some of them are still alive. I hope some will grow up big and strong and bring me lots of (I almost wrote grandchildren) produce. I will probably post some pictures later. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if you don't get to see pictures of Jeff for a while because my life will be consumed with my babies (the plants that is).

So, there is my non-pregnancy post. :)

Thoughts of the prego

I know you have all probably been anxiously awaiting the next "pregnant lady vent" post. And now you can rest easy, because its coming your way. :) Let me forewarn you that you might want to skip this post. It really is just me thinking and typing all at the same time. Its not so much a vent as it is... well, I guess it is a vent. I just have to talk about my thoughts and feelings relating to the new addition we will have soon.

I feel so much better about this delivery as apposed to Jeff's. I know I have mentioned before that the first delivery was hard. I have to say that a lot of it had to do with circumstances unrelated the actual arrival of Jeff.

Here are a few:

1. We had to change Doctors and hospitals last minute because of communication errors about where our insurance would work. As Jeff came early, we didn't have a Dr. that delivered at the hospital we had to go to. Thus, we ended up with a Dr. I had never met who was pretty ticked that he had to deliver my baby.

2. We didn't understand that we could say "no" if we didn't want a certain procedure done. We basically did what we were told and therefor had a few procedures that we plan on avoiding at all costs this time. I will spare the details just in case I have a male cousin or someone reading. :)

3. I don't want to trash on the care I received, but let me just say that about five days after I had Jeff and I was recovering at home, I discovered that the nurses/doctors forgot to remove some gauze from inside of me.

4. I was also pumped full of drugs to induce me because my water broke and had to deliver within 24 hours. I hear that contractions can be much harder when pit is introduced and when your water breaks.

Okay, so enough of the complaints. I have to say there were a lot of great things about my past delivery. As I said my water broke in the middle of the night. When Scott and I got home with our baby from the hospital. We found our apartment completely cleaned. Yep, my visiting teacher and dear friend and come over and washed my "water broken on" sheets as well as done all my dishes and turned on the AC a few hours before we arrived. How amazing it was to feel so loved.

Also, I was able to get some great help from a breast feeding clinic that didn't charge a thing. It was incredible. They did jaundice tests, weighed Jeff before and after I fed him to make sure he was getting enough to eat, and helped me learn how to nurse. They were also the ones that made the call to my pediatrician to tell her that Jeff probably needed to be readmitted to the hospital.

And I can't leave out that we got the cutest little boy on the planet. I still can't believe he has any of my genes. He is just too cute!!!

So... all that being said. I have to again say that I feel this time is going to be a much smoother ride. I have a good Doctor. I have a great hospital that has complimentary valet parking. I have a great husband who is the best birthing partner I could ask for. I have experience from the past that will help me plan a better birth this time. And I just feel good about it. I am also focusing on having a positive outlook because I think it can make a difference rather than expecting the worst.

Okay, this is a super long post. You don't have to read it. I will try to avoid future vents as a pregnant lady. Just lots of thoughts going on in my head and I had to type them out. Its therapeutic.

I wonder if some therapists recommend people blogging (even if no one reads it) to work things out in their minds. Huh... I'm feeling a new book I could write. "Baby steps to Blogging" (If you have ever seen "What about Bob" this will make more sense. :)

Logger Jeff

This is Karen (our landlady) who Jeff absolutely adores. Karen doesn't have any kids of her own and she is wrapped around Jeff's little finger. He watches out the window for her every day. He never lets her leave after her visits until he gives her a kiss. She is great. I have to say we have the very best landlords anyone could ask for. They have been doing tons of fixing up in the back yard. Sawing down trees, digging post holes, and planting grass have been a big part of our lives these past few weeks. Jeff loved wearing the saw helmet and ear protection. The best part of all this backyard renovation is that we get a fully fenced in yard for Jeff to play in. I have a feeling he is going to be spending many hours outside this summer. He is such an outdoors kid.

The Winner!!!

Well, Daija, you are the official winner of the bread recipe, but I couldn't only give it to you because this recipe is just that good. I think that you are the type that would like to share the wealth.

Amie, you lucked out, but just an FYI this isn't my mom's recipe, but it will become one no doubt.

Christine, your confidence just didn't bring in the winning answer, but you can still have the great bread.

Okay, so here is the best bread you will ever eat.


Oatmeal Wheat Bread

1 1/4 cups warm water
1 tablespoon yeast
1/2 cup oatmeal (old fashioned or quick, it doesn't matter)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/8 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 or more cups all purpose or bread flour

Combine ingredients in order and add the flour until the consistency is just right (not sticky, but still all together in one clump). Then let cover it with a warm damp cloth and let it rise until it is double in size (about a 1/2 an hour). Then squish all the air bubbles out of it and shape it to fit your bread pan. Place it in a greased bread pan and let it rise again covered with the damp cloth until it doubles (again, about a 1/2 and hour). Then bake it at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

I have found that if I let it get just a little too dark, then it has a better consistency. If you can keep in in the house long enough, and you want to soften up the crust over night, just put it in a plastic bag after it has cooled and by morning it will be nice and soft.

Scott's Exam

So I was going to do a post giving you an example of one of Scott's problems from the actuary exam he will take on the 15th. I was also going to offer a TI 89 (code for super cool calculator) to anyone who could come up with the right answer. I ran into two problems.

1. I don't have a TI 89 to give out to the winner.

2. Apparently the computer doesn't have any way to do math equation symbols that I need to be able to type to give you the problem.

...Oh boy, oh boy! Are you in luck. We found one without funny looking lines and Greek symbols that I can post. Here we go. And since I have already admitted I don't have a TI 89, I will give out the most amazing bread recipe to the person who gets the right answer. Good luck. Oh, and trusts me, you will at least want to take a stab at it cause this is seriously the best bread EVER... and its healthy.


CRAZY ACTUARY EXAM QUESTION SAMPLE

Which of the following statements in incorrect?

1. The Sharpe ratio will increase if the risk-free rate decreases.
2. The Sharpe ratio will decrease if the expected rate of return decreases.
3. Assets whose prices are not perfectly correlated cannot have the same Sharpe ratio.
4. The Sharpe ratio equals the risk premium of an asset divided by the volatility of that asset.
5. The Sharpe ratio will decrease if the volatility of the asset increases.

Hint: this has to do with option prices (like with stocks).


Oh, and just for the record... I don't have a clue what any of that I just typed out means. I guess if I truly were a supportive wife I would try to understand what my husband is spending so much time doing. Sadly, I only know he is taking a test, and I am jealous of all the attention those books are getting.

My favorite four

places I go
1. the library
2. the grocery store
3. the church
4. the doctor's

people who email me
1. brett
2. my mother-in-law
3. my RS president
4. the primary president

favorite foods
1. cafe rio (there is not in jersey... so sad)
2. steak
3. fresh fruit
4. smoothies

places i'd rather be
1. visiting friends and family in idaho and utah
2. wherever scotty is
3. hanging out on the farm
4. in a home that i own

movies i could watch over and over
1. return to me
2. the princess bride
3. home videos of jeff and scott
4. home videos of me when i was little (i know, i'm so vain)

people i think will respond
1. amie
2...
3...
4... i don't think there are too many bloggers out there that haven't already done this.

The update...

So, thank you to everyone who was worried about me. At about 5 a.m. things slowed down and I was able to go back to sleep. I went to the doctor and he said I was not dilated and that if I were to go into labor, it would be okay. He seemed to think the baby would be fine.

When I had Jeff my water broke and I missed the whole "going to the hospital" dilemma. Now I am scared to death of going too late, and scared to death of going too soon. I voiced my concern to the doctor and he told me that I should go to the hospital when the contractions are about four minutes apart for more than an hour... which is exactly what happened last night. So... his explanation didn't help at all. I called my well seasoned mother of four (not my mother, but a friend who is a mother) and asked her what she thought. She said to wait until I couldn't talk through a contraction to go. My hospital if 15 minutes away so we should be able to make it okay. My other friend is "on call" to meet us at the hospital to get Jeff when the big moment arrives.

I still need to pack my special little hospital bag. Last night I was frantically writing down all the things I should throw together in case we ended up heading the the childbirth center. You would think that I would have packed that silly bag this morning... nope. I mostly slept. :)

So, anything you would recommend I pack in my little bag of tricks? Any advice on when to go to the hospital? Any tricks of the trade that any of you are willing to share with me would be greatly appreciated. I know this is my second time around and I should know what the heck is going on... but alas... I don't.

Okay, I'm done now. This poor blog has become less of a brag blog of Jeff and more of a place to share with the world all of my craziness. I will shape up soon enough, I promise.

Why am I awake?

So, its 2:30 a.m and I am wide awake writing a blog. "Why", you may ask. Well, I'll tell you...

I am having contractions. I'm still trying to decide if they are real or just braxton hicks. I have been having braxton hicks since about 25 weeks. The difference is these are more frequent, and they are accompanied by lower back pain. I got online to find out what kinds of things to do to stop/slow down contractions and I came up with, "drink water". So, I'm sitting here, monitoring my contractions, drinking water, and writing a on my blog.

I'm not too super concerned right now. I'm 33 weeks. That is right at the point when it could be okay to go into labor. Mostly I am just relieved that if this is "real" that my water hasn't broken like last time. That was an abrupt beginning to labor. I would prefer for a nice slow entrance. I was 36 weeks when that happened. I'm not sure if I just come early or if this is just a little bump in the road on the way to a regular full-term delivery.

I'm going to take a little trip to visit the doctor in the morning if nothing else happens tonight. Just to check in and make sure everything is on the up and up.

So, thanks for listening to me. I know it is super exciting to listen to every ache and pain of a pregnant lady. Oh, and since I have you here. I will also share with you how often I have had a contraction.

2:06
2:10
2:15
2:17
2:20
2:25
2:27
2:31
2:35...

I know, you're thinking... those are pretty close together. That's what I'm thinking too. But, I also think might just be dehydrated. I think... I'll keep you posted. :) For now, I'll wait to see if my little stomach cramps get longer, stronger, and closer together.

Have a great day!

Without

So, our home computer crashed a few weeks ago and I am trying to get by using Scott's work laptop at night while he studies. It was going okay until we discovered that it took four hours just to check my email. For some reason his computer would act perfectly at work and then throw a temper tantrum when he brought it home. It has been driving me crazy. I had no idea how much I have come to depend on these little gadgets of modern miracles.

So, today Scott told one of his coworkers about it. His name is Joe. I know I shouldn't say this... but I could just kiss Joe right now. For some reason he knew that you had to write some DOS program to tell the computer that it didn't have to search for the drives that he has to use for work. Mostly because when he is home the computer can't find them and that is what was prompting the tantrums.

So, I am back online and happier than ever. I think I will forgo kissing Joe, for many reasons... but I will probably send him a little thank you through Scott.

Farm boy

The neighbors were having some work done on their yard. This meant that we had huge backhoes and dump trucks right out our back door. Jeff absolutely loved it! He watched them out the window for a solid half hour. He didn't even look back at me after the camera made the flash noise. That is truly a miracle. I think some of those farmer genes from my side of the family must have made into him. I think we will have to plan to send him to farm with my dad each summer. But not until he is big enough to drive a backhoe of his own. If he is anything like my little brother, give him two more years. Yep, four years old. CRAZY!!! That's just what farmers do when they need a helping hand. They put a child/toddler behind the wheel of a huge piece of machinery. I think I was more around the age of 10 before I started into all that. I must not have the gene as strongly as my little bro... or Jeff it looks like.

Just a side note, these pj's look to be that same John Deere green. He is so stinkin' cute in those things. I wish I could let him wear them every day for the next year.

Last Summer

This is a picture of us hiking as a family last summer. A friend of mine just sent it to me and it made me happy... so I wanted to share it. We have had the worst luck with losing pictures. It was nice to get these. Thanks Brandon!

Just for the record, Jeff did have a good time. I think by this point he was getting tired. If I remember right, he fell asleep in his backpack on the hike back to the car.

We hope to have some fun events this summer too. It will be a little tough with a newborn, but we are determined to still do fun things even when our kids are small. I just can't give up all the years that we will have small kids to sitting in the house.

One thing on our list to do is go camping and go to the Hill Cumorah Pageant. It should be awesome! I just hope that I can do it. We will have a one-month-old by that time. Scott let me plan it with the understanding that I might not be able to go if I have a hard recovery or if the baby has any problems or stuff like that. This just might be a good way to kick-start my pioneer spirit. :) At least I'll have a month instead of a few hours.