SOOO Big!

Here is our adorable Eliza at 6 weeks old. She is doing well despite fighting her very first ear infection. I guess that is what you get for having a cold for nearly 6 weeks. She is a real trooper though and weighted in at 12.2 lbs at the doctors yesterday! That is almost a pound a week since birth! No wonder I am so tired! :) As her new hair comes in--white--her old dirty blond long hair is disappearing but she still maintains her father's eye color. She is most happy when Xander is around, when she is outside or in the sling with mom. Despite the still sleepless nights, we really love her and are glad she is part of our family! Most of all though we are excited to head back to beautiful Northern California to meet lots of family--especially our Nana & Grumpy.

Siblings--Gotta Love 'em

I have been so blessed with a very tenderhearted son who loves to take care of everyone. Xander is doing so well with the addition of Eliza to our family--I hope it will always be this easy for the kids. After a trip to Costco and Trader Joes today Xander wanted heart quesodillas for lunch. (Quesodilla cut into a heart shape). Eliza had just been fed so I put her in the swing (even though the batteries died and so it doesn't move) to be entertained while I made his lunch. She started to squirm and act like she was going to fuss so I told Xander that she was telling him a story and to ask her about it. He did one better...he went and got his favorite book of the week (The Jungle Book) and brought it over and started telling her all about the animals in the book. She calmed right down and I was able to finish making his lunch. Oh that it were always so easy!

4 years ago today-Saturday

Lunch date with my Mom. I picked Ben & my Mom up and we went to Los Hermanos on Main in Provo. Mind you, I had 2 sisters currently living in Provo and I believe the only reason Tara had met Ben already was because she lived across the street from me and randomly stopped by. SO my mom had no idea what to expect. Turns out she was eager like my roommates to not let me let this one go. She loved Ben right away (who doesn't??). Lunch ended up being pretty long. When we finally finished, I offered to take Ben home so I could take my mom grocery shopping for my sister. Ben said he'd rather tag along. So we all went shopping--to the Super Walmart and to Costco...it was a 3+ hours ordeal. We had a great time though and my mom was completely impressed by this guy who had such a great time grocery shopping--it was his idea after all to buy colored goldfish for the kids. :) Anyways, we had lots of fun together and the only time my mom got freaked out was when we started singing to a song on the radio together and it turned out to be "Let's Make Love" by Tim & Faith. She asked us to stop...

So, that's the end of the beginning for us...more stories will come later this year as we get closer to more exciting things!! Needless to say but I"m glad I listened to my roommates (Jamie, Ida and Deserae) and my mom. I wouldn't be who I am without my loving and patient husband. I love you Ben...Happy #4 Valentines!

4 years ago today--Friday

Date Night...the plan was to go to the $1 movies with a few friends (I believe it turned out to be all guys actually plus Ben and I) and see School of Rock. Ben walked me home after class though and we were going to hang out until then. We were walking home with a guy whom we'd walked with several times, Brian, but this time we were holding hands. It took Brian 1/2 way home until he realized that we were and he was like, "Whaaaaat?" We just smiled. We went to my house...at this point Ben was living in what we affectionately call, "The Haz-Mat." Let's just say that after BYU Housing came in to do a report, the house was shut down. Men in suits-plastic suits- that is, arrived shortly thereafter. Anyways, we were hanging out at my house because it was clean and homey awaiting the time to go to the movies. I was sitting on the armrest of the couch and we were talking and OUT OF THE BLUE Ben kisses me. After sitting their a little stunned (I was in the middle of a "let's see how long I can go without kissing anyone" time--it'd been over a year) Ben looked at me and said it was time to go. JUST LIKE THAT! So I didn't really get to pay much attention to the movie--I was thinking about "the kiss." After the movie we went back to my house and hung out on the porch and the night ended with another kiss! :) The end of our whirlwind exciting week is coming...don't miss out on the afternoon with my mom!

BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!!!!

We are going to take a break from our story to announce some great news...2 times this week, while out in public, (at the gym and the library) Xander has asked to go to the bathroom! And he has made it to the toilet to do his business. After 7 months of him using the toilet at random times, this consistency is great! Way to go Xander! 1 less bottom to diaper=more time & $30 a month in diaper expenses! Let's hope that this continues!!! IF you have any potty training secrets, now would be a great time to share them!!! :) Here is a current pic of our studly son!! (I have to admit, he is going through a phase where he looks and acts just like his cousin Nathan!! Aren't genetics fascinating??)

4 years ago today-Thursday

So, Ben & I were now dating. What exactly does that mean though? I mean, are we dating exclusively or not? Relationships are so tricky. So today, Ben tried to play it cool--I don't think he wanted to be overbearing. Plus my sis had a brand new baby and my mom was in town. So he called me and asked me out for Friday night. I said sure. And then I decided that I might as well throw him into the fire and asked him if he wanted to join my mom and I for lunch on Saturday--ha ha ha...WHAT A WEEK!

4 years ago today--Wednesday

My nephew Ryan was born! And so I spent the day with my nephew Nathan and went to the airport to pick up my mom. While we were driving back from the airport I decided that I had better warn my mom that I was hanging out with this guy quite a bit--since I had not yet mentioned him. My mom was happy for me but unsure as I had had quite the devastating 2 year fling. I called Ben later that day to ask him to take good notes because I wasn't going to make it to class. He did one better--when I finally got home for the day, he came over and tell me all about class. While we were talking and working on stuff he got a call from his mom. Who asked what he was doing. He told her, "I'm hanging out with Wendy." (Mind you, I'm sitting right next to him on the coach and can hear every word.) And her reply was, "The same Wendy from Sat, Sun, Mon and Tues?" And he said 'Yes." And she said, "Oh, are you guys dating?" So Ben looks at me and says, "My mom wants to know if we are dating." Not what she was expecting probably but totally Ben. A little confused and shocked I said, "Sure, I guess." So that settled that. No DTR's for us. Thank you mom! I think I made dinner for Ben again on this day too with the leftover pork chops he had made...and the night ended in a hug...

4 years ago today- Tuesday

Back to school & work we didn't see each other until class. I think Ben walked me home but we couldn't hang out for long because it was my nephews 2nd birthday. But at the party I told everyone about Ben (And even though I knew full well that his name was Ben, the name Greg slipped out a couple of times. Pretty embarrassing, especially since my sister's husband's name is Greg! And because my sister's totally made fun of me for the slip, that was the last time I ever made that mistake).

4 years ago today- Monday

Today we went on a lunch date to Bajio. As most of you know, lines in Provo can get pretty long. And since it was a holiday, this was no exception. Well, I started to get tired on my feet so I started swaying. Ben thought I was "leaning into him." So, what did he do? He put his arm around me--what a great guy, always holding me up. Afterwards we studied for our class lecture the following day. And the night ended with a hug...

4 years ago today-Sunday

Yes, it was the next day...Ben called and said he forgot to pay me for the food. I told him he could bring it by as I was home (it was Sunday after all). He showed up just as I was getting ready to go and play games at a friends apartment...having been lectured by my roommates NOT to mess it up with him (they thought he was perfect for me but I, in an anti-dating fit refused to think of anything of the sort) I invited him to come with me. He came and we ended up hanging out for awhile afterwards. Ben asked me when he could take me on a real date...and then proceeded to ask if I could go out for lunch the next day as it was President's Day). I said Yes. And the night ended with another hug at the door...

Valentine's 4 years ago...

So I got this idea from my friend Stephanie...

4 years ago today, I went on my first date with Ben. How in the world did we end up having a first date on Valentine's Day? Well, 1) it wasn't per-se a date and 2) it was planned a couple weeks in advance with an "in 2 weeks" notion. You see, we were both American Studies majors at BYU and were in a class together, "History of San Francisco and the American Imagination." We sat next to each other in our seats because I had a friend in the class (ok, a crush) whom I sat next to and he was friends with this gentleman. We talked a bunch before/during class and despite the fact that I thought his name was Greg (I'd even saved his number as Greg in my cell phone), I thought he was a decent guy. But he thought I was dating my crush. After having one of the other guys in the class do re-con work, he stepped up the flirting a little. One day the lecture in class was on the French Influence in San Fran. And the teacher had lots of slides about French food. Since the class was from 4pm-5pm we were all drooling. Ben was verbal about it though and so I said, "I could make that." And he asked, "What would I have to do to get you to make me something like that?" And I said, "Buy the food." So, our French meal got planned for 2 weeks, Saturday. I brought Ben a cookbook and had him pick the menu. The next day I cooked dinner: Cotes de Porc Sauce Nenette, Green Beans, a Baguette and Garlic Mashed Potatoes. For dessert I made cream puffs & chocolate sauce. Ben showed up with red carnations--of which he says I did not fully appreciate as I sat them down on the counter. I still maintain that I was in the middle of cooking and was going to get to them as soon as I finished. Dinner was fantastic--so that I wasn't alone & things didn't appear like a date, I had my roommates join us for dinner. Since I didn't know if Ben was going to stick around afterwards I had planned to have a bunch of people over for a movie. Ben did stick around and watched the movie with all of us. The night ended with a hug at the door...

Whole Wheat Lifestyle...Gone Overboard?

At the beginning of this year, after Eliza was born, Ben and I decided it was time to makeover our diets. Our goal being that when Ben graduates and we take a HUGE trip withOUT the kiddos, we look super hot wherever we go. So, we dumped the white flour and sugar and have been trying our best to eat whole grains etc. So on Sunday morning when Xander asked for a dutch baby, I pulled out the whole wheat flour. And it turned out! It cooked slightly different than a typical white flour one but it was good! YEAH! Here's a snapshot--of course this is after it deflated...but it was puffy like they normally are at first! :)

Swim Season Has Arrived!

The weather has officially decided that it is time to heat things up! We have had a beautiful week--although due to the month prior with highs in the upper 50s and low 60's, we all felt like we were melting. But Xander and I made it into the pool on Tuesday! I have to admit, it was a little difficult, keeping Eliza happy in her carseat (which she naturally hates) and keeping an eye on my studly son who thinks he can swim. Luckily I have lots of friends who kept an eye on him too. We had a blast though and hope that these mild temperatures will hold out!!

New Baby!!

I know, I know, Eliza is 1 month old. But I tell you what she is a totally different person this week!! From the time we brought her home, the poor little girl has been sick and fussy. First it was a cold that made it really difficult for her to breath and thus sleep and eat. Then it was gas so bad that she would wither in pain as she tried her best to sleep. It was even impossible for Ben & I to sleep. Out of sheer desperation, I started looking around the internet for ideas on how to help gassy babies--the things we'd used on Xander just weren't working. We'll after reading about "hyper-lactation syndrome" we changed how I was nursing--and that helped some. But then we read on and on about this stuff called Colic Calm--a homeopathic remedy. Willing to try anything, I ordered some. It arrived on Wednesday. After two days of 1/2 doses Eliza slept calmly and peacefully for 3-4.5 hour intervals. Last night she only woke up once between 10:30pm and 6am! And she has been such a happier baby since. Thank you colic calm!

Eliza's Photo Shoot

For some AMAZING pics of my daughter go to: http://pettyphotography.blogspot.com. Jen did a fantastic job! Eliza is the Feb 2nd entry.

Baby Wearing

How did people raise children 50 years ago? Even 10 years ago? I mean first of all, ultrasound couldn't even tell the gender, so you were guessing up until the time the little one made a debut. And second, they didn't have the cool swings that change which way they swing, or a boppy, or pacifiers, or car seats that double as strollers!

Well, I have somewhat of an answer--they wore their babies! Or at least that is what the marketing department wants you to think when you are thinking about buying a sling. I have to admit though, at times when Eliza or Xander will hang out in the sling--I really do get a lot done. Here is our family modeling our wonderful slings made by my wonderful friend and visiting teacher, Paola!!

As you can see it is invaluable if Dad wants to make dinner. And it really does make Xander feel special...he has his very own sling like Eliza. We're still learning how to wear them properly and to remember to pull them out...but hey, if we get the hang of it, we will definitely be cooler! And Ben needs some support out there: Jason & Josh-let's see some more sling wearing huh?? It really is sexy.

My oh so righteous son

During Sacrament Meeting, our greatest fear is having one of our kids make a spectacle. (Yes, I am sure everyone knows what I am talking about.) Well, yesterday was one of those times. As a new mom, I was in the mother's lounge nursing Eliza when I heard what sounded like my son...and sure enough it was. When I finished nursing, I asked Ben why Xander was so upset. Turns out--he had decided that he wanted to bear his testimony just like everyone else and Dad said No. I mean, what are you going to say? We can barely understand him! But he was determined that he should be allowed to bear his testimony. So determined that he had to be removed from the Chapel for awhile. I am sure the angels heard his sweet testimony and know the intent of his dear sweet heart. I hope that this doesn't become a monthly struggle!