What can you do?

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! It was a nice relaxing day for us at home. As Andrew opened every present, he said, "Mack the truck". We were happy when he finally did open Mack! He was also very happy!

This was a quieter Christmas than most, I am used to being with family and am sad that I couldn't join everyone in DC this year. But it's not like anyone was going to let me on an airplane at this stage of pregnancy.

So, I am overly anxious right now waiting for this little girl to come. Anyone have any predictions as to when she will make her appearance in the world? You can also make name predictions, if you are bored enough.

Lastly, I should mention that Andrew started acting really sick Christmas night. Yesterday he ASKED me to take him to the doctor because his ear was hurting, so Tom and I took him to the doctor to find out that he not only has an ear infection but pneumonia too. He's now on some strong antibiotics and is acting a little better. I'm just grateful my little boy asked to go to the doctor, since I wouldn't have brought him in yesterday if he hadn't asked! Please pray that Andrew will recover soon!

Greenie

We would like to give a warm welcome to the newest member of our family, Greenie! While visiting the mall yesterday, I decided Andrew needed some spoiling before the baby comes, so we went to Build-A-Bear. Andrew picked everything about his new turtle friend himself, including his name, Greenie. Andrew is already attached to his new friend and is even taking a nap with him right now.
What do you think of Andrew's new friend?

Andrew and Santa

Andrew was so excited to go see Santa today. He could hardly wait to tell him he wanted Mack the truck for Christmas. Unfortunately, once we actually went to see Santa, Andrew became very nervous. He couldn't muster a smile for the camera, but he was at least willing to sit in Santa's lap. It's fun that Andrew is finally old enough to understand what Christmas is! Christmas morning will definitely be more exciting for us this year than it has been in the past. Of course, having another bundle of joy in the family could make it the best Christmas ever! That is my Christmas wish this year!

Straight No Chaser - 12 Days

My friend sent this over and I really enjoyed it. What do you think?

Haircut

Check out Andrew's new haircut:It took many months to finally convince Andrew to sit down and be still long enough to have his haircut. We had to promise him ice cream and a ride up and down the escalator when he was done in order to get him to semi-cooperate. We're glad our bribes worked!

Who did it?

Who brought a permanent marker in our house and gave it to Andrew? Honestly, I had no idea we had a permanent marker anywhere in our house, so I know someone must've given it to him. °Ü° Come on, admit it, it was you! °Ü° This is my zebra boy. He is obviously quite proud of his art work! °Ü°

I can't believe it!

I waited so long to be tagged and now I've been tagged so much that some people may be getting sick of these posts. Ha! Oh well. At least it gives me something to write about.

Here are the rules:

1. Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself.
3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know that they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. My long lost friend, Shelly, from our Manhattan days tagged me.

2. Seven Random Things about me:

A. I shop almost exclusively online nowadays. I even buy groceries from an online vendor. (o: The two main reasons I shop online are that stores smell and Andrew can only be cooperative at stores about 50% of the time. Plus, I can ALWAYS find a coupon to almost any retailer that will give me discounts and free shipping every time I shop. And on the subject of shopping, I should add that I finished ALL my Christmas shopping long before Black Friday.

B. I love to find great deals whether it be for household items, exotic vacations, or even a place to live. I never pay full price for anything. I've found priceline to be a fantastic place to name your own price on hotels, car rentals, and sometimes airline tickets. I'm always happy when I can save money! I've also converted Tom to my way of thinking. And in my family, when you give a gift it is often important to mention how little you paid for it. (Yes, my family is only happy if you are cheap! HAHA!)

C. Tom and I enjoy arcades, especially if there is laser tag. (sad to say, I haven't played laser tag in awhile. We'll go again after baby # 2 arrives.)

D. I don't read as many books as I should. I know I just offended many people by admitting this. The reason I stopped reading is that when I start reading a book I like, I can not stop, therefore it becomes all consuming and I can't do anything else. The last books I read were by the authors Bodie and Brock Thoene, whom I really like and recommend to others if you are a fan of historical fiction.

E. I hope to be able to adopt someday, as I can not imagine suffering through another pregnancy. I know I'm a wimp, but I would love to be able to give a child a chance at a normal life, who might not have had that opportunity otherwise.

F. I am really close to my parents and siblings. I talk on the phone with several members of my family almost every day. I consider my family members to be some of my closest friends and I am so grateful for them!

G. I used to be deathly afraid of dogs as a child. I have gotten over the fear, but still consider myself a non-pet person. Maybe someday we'll get some fish. That's me in the purple dress at 2 1/2 screaming because there is a dog in front of us.

I hope I didn't bore anyone too much with all these random facts.

3. I tag anyone who wants to be tagged. Have fun!

What to write about?

Since I can not think of anything to write about, enjoy a couple new pics of Andrew:

This is Andrew scowling at me. This is a common look for him when he hasn't gotten enough sleep. (o:

I love this video!

I was searching through old pics on my computer today and came across this video and just had to share it. It is one of my favorites!

This is when Andrew was 5 or 6 weeks old and we were still living in Manhattan. Make sure to turn up your volume.

Yes, even at an early age Andrew knew how to make his mommy feel like a million bucks! Enjoy!

Poor Andrew!

It's been a tough week for Andrew. His cold took a turn for the worse on Monday and then both of his ears became infected. This picture pretty much sums up how Andrew has been feeling most of the week: The good news is he is finally feeling mostly better. After Andrew vacuumed under our couch cushions today, he decided to see what the vacuum hose would do to his stomach and clothes. He thought it was pretty funny.

He also decided to wrap himself up. It's good to have our little boy smiling again!

My Big Helper

Can you tell that Andrew helped me bake cookies tonight?The first 2 people to comment on this post I will bring or send cookies to!

Huh?

Where did he come up with the idea to hang socks from the chandelier? Hmmm...

Sometimes I wish I had a camera to follow Andrew everywhere he goes. He can be so mischievous at times! HA!

My Turn

Mommy told me it's my turn to write again, so I will tell you about my favorite activities:

1. I love to climb. I am capable of getting on almost anything and my mom doesn't like it very much. (my specialty is the kitchen counters so I can look out the kitchen window or get something high up in the cabinets that I'm not supposed to have)

2. Once I climb and get on something really high, I love to jump off.

3. I love books! I normally sleep with at least 10 books every night, sometimes more.

4. I am an artist. You can see my drawings all over the dining room wall.

5. I can always find a crayon even if my mommy thinks she threw them all away.

6. I love long hot showers. I normally stay in the shower until the hot water runs out.

7. When taking baths I like to dump whole bottles of shampoo in the water to make lots of bubbles. (Why doesn't my mommy just buy me bubble bath?)

8. I love to take off all my clothes even if it's cold in my house.

9. I love to make as big a mess as humanly possible no matter what I'm playing with.

10. Although I've slept in a toddler bed for a long time, I love to climb into my crib so I can jump, jump, jump!

Doesn't my life sound exciting? Come see me sometime and we'll have lots of fun!

Touchdown!

We try to teach our children young in our family to be big BYU football Fans. You can see what I mean from these posts in my family here, here and here. Andrew has also been taught from an early age how to signal "touchdown" and say "Go Cougars!". Tom hopes that someday Andrew will play on the team. We'll see. This is Andrew's first ever BYU football game at 8 months old. Obviously, he was quite enthralled by the game! I actually think Andrew has taken a nap at every game we've taken him to, including the most recent one in September.
Go Cougars!

EARTHQUAKE!

After having lived in the Bay Area for over 2 years now, I finally experienced my first ever earthquake tonight. It took a few seconds to realize what was happening as our house rattled. I wondered if a big freight train a few blocks away was going by, but once car alarms started going off it hit me what was really happening. The earthquake didn't last long, I'm guessing less than 30 seconds. The USGS said it measured 5.6 on the Richter's scale, but the epicenter was 30 miles away and located at a depth of 6 miles. I think I can continue to live in California as long as the earthquakes stay far away and deep in the earth.

Kick Baby, Kick!

Andrew loves his soon-to-be born little sister. As I've mentioned in an earlier post, Andrew often talks to her, pats her, kisses her, and loves being close to his little sis. So, the question begs to be asked, how well does my 2 1/2 year old actually understand that there is a little baby in my belly? I think I got the answer yesterday. I told Andrew to come put his hand on my belly so he could feel the baby kicking. Andrew immediately ran over and did as I asked, then he started kicking and said, "baby kicks mommy!". Yeah, so I'm not sure he really gets it. What do you think? My sweet baby boy

My Favorite Recipe

2 slices Pepperidge Farms bread
1 Tbs. Jif peanut butter
1 Tbs. Smucker's raspberry jelly

Place bread into toaster on medium heat for 2 minutes. After bread is golden brown, slather one slice with peanut butter and the other with the jelly. Sandwich the two slices together for a delicious treat.
Serve warm with apple slices and orange juice. Makes one serving.

***I think it's time to change my password again, since although I enjoy a PB & J sandwish now and then, it's definitely not my favorite recipe. Thanks Lara for the new posting and at least you picked an easy recipe that everyone can enjoy!

Andrew's Day Out

Andrew and I had a great time at the pumpkin patch and the beach today.

Please click on the slide show to see the pictures bigger.

Which one do you like better?

Andrew and I took a trip to Old Navy today to check out their maternity section and while we were there Andrew saw a Halloween costume that he insisted he had to have. Yes, Andrew already has a Halloween costume, but since they were half off, I thought I would get it anyway. He should be able to wear the one next year that he doesn't wear this year.

Which one do you like better?

I'm IT again!

Thanks for another easy blog topic Liz!

4 Jobs I've Had: (These are my first 4 jobs)
1. Subway Sandwiches (all through High School)
2. Kent’s Market
3. BYU Bookstore Candy Counter
4. Provo Library

4 Places I've Lived: (it’s very hard to limit this one to 4, since I’ve moved more than 30 times, which included 9 states and 3 countries)
1. Germany
2. Russia
3. Minnesota
4. New York

4 Favorite TV Shows:
1. Heroes
2. Extreme Home Makeover
3. Chuck
4. Numbers

4 Vacations I’ve been on:
1. Israel
2. Backpacked across Europe
3. Hawaii
4. Alaska

4 Favorite Dishes: (when I’m not pregnant)
1. Chicken Cordon Bleu
2. Anything Milk Chocolate with caramel and nuts
3. Pecan Pie
4. Pizza

4 Places I'd Like To Be:
1. In the hospital delivering
2. Somewhere close to family
3. At a spa getting a massage
4. Disneyland

4 People I tag:
1. Aitch
2. Timbo
3. Marisa (when she finishes her blog)
4. Anyone else who feels like doing this!

Pudding Fun!

Tell me what fun would eating pudding be if you ate the whole thing with a spoon and didn't dig in your hands to scoop up the last couple drops of pudding and smear it all over your face?

Helpful Reminder

It's been a really hard few days. I've about had it with morning sickness, excess saliva and all the other little issues associated with pregnancy. I'm now a couple weeks into my 3rd trimester and keep questioning if I can survive the next couple months of pregnancy. I've even pondered if hibernation is an option for humans, because sometimes I just want to go back to bed and not deal with all the traumas. After some not so happy test results from my doctor this morning, (don't worry it's nothing big), I finally gave into the pregnancy hormones that wreak emotional havoc and sat and cried for a long time. That's when the needed reminder of why I am going through all this came. The moment Andrew saw me crying, he ran over to me, jumped into my lap and gave me a big hug and a couple kisses. He stayed in my lap until I stopped crying. He not only helped me to feel better, but he also reminded me why all these physical trials are completely worth it in the end, even if the daily task to get there is a difficult one. I love my little boy so much and we can hardly wait to welcome a new little baby straight from Heavenly Father into our home in a couple months!

Life is good and I am so grateful for such an amazing little boy who knows just what to do when his mommy is sad!

Happy Birthday Adam!!

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY ADAM DEAR!
Now it's time to wake up and have some cake!

I love Grandma and Grandpa-Part 2

Andrew had the best weekend! Andrew has spent a lot of time with my parents, but this weekend Andrew had the opportunity to spend quality time with Grandma and Grandpa King. Andrew has met Tom's parents on several occasions, but this weekend he was able to spend enough time with them to get past his super shyness. And as you can imagine, Andrew fell in love with Grandma and Grandpa King. Grandpa spend a lot of time reading to Andrew and teaching him new words. The saddest part of the weekend was Andrew having to say "Goodbye" to Grandma and Grandpa. Andrew bawled his eyes out for a long time and kept insisting that he should be going with them on their trip. Sorry Andrew, maybe next time. (o:

Yearning for winter!

I miss the cold, icy winters of my youth in Minnesota. I'm ready for a good dose of snowballs, sledding, turtlenecks, hot chocolate, and snow angels!

Male Bonding!

What is it with little boys and their daddies? There must be something about male bonding that I just will never be able to fully understand. While Andrew's attachment to me is strong, Andrew has always preferred spending time with Tom and even directed his first, "I love you" towards his Daddy...which was a little sad for me!

Maybe it's something about the way Daddy's time is spent on activities which are far more appealing to a little boy than my own . I guess, who can blame him? Wrestling, video games, and sports watching are just a tad more exciting than scrubbing, straightening, throwing up, answering calls and emails, and throwing up again.

Whatever it is, they have developed a strong bond over not only watching football, which Andrew has dubbed "daddy-ball"...but even more specifically BYU football. Andrew loves to get decked out in his BYU garb and hang out with Daddy while cheering on our beloved Cougars. Lately it hasn't been quite enough to wear his own BYU clothing and hang out with Dad...it's way more fun to wear the exact same thing as Dad! So as not to perpetuate the stereotype of men not helping as much as they should at home, I need to add that Tom also participates in less exciting activities too! He often is the scrubber and cooker now that every smell sends me running for the closest W.C. And on that note, my in-laws are coming to town tomorrow, anyone want to come help me get my house ready?? (o:

Look who's talking!

My sweet boy has turned into a little talker. He's learning several new words each day, and I totally love having this new glimpse into what's on his mind.

Being the little boy that he is, he is well-acquainted with potty words such as, burp, toot, and poop. And apparently his listening skills are not lacking, as he's recently taken to calling his Daddy, "Tom-hunny". And if you can believe it, last night he told me he wanted to move to Virginia so he could live close to all of his cousins, especially his buddy Ellie!

Chugga Chugga Choo Choo

It was no surprise what Andrew wanted to be for Halloween.

How does he look? The second picture shows how cool Andrew's hair can look after taking off the hat!

Little Extra Help

The last entry might have lead you to believe that Andrew isn't very helpful, but truthfully he can be quite helpful when he wants to be! For instance, he loves to help me wipe off the table and cabinets. He also spent his whole bath tonight dipping his washcloth in a cup of water and scrubbing everything in the tub. It was quite funny. Luckily, the tub was already pretty clean or I might've stopped him from cleaning while bathing! He's a funny little boy.

This is Andrew playing football with his daddy. He's getting really good at catching the ball! He's also showing off his cool new slippers.

Ever Wondered?

Ever wondered why your double roll of TP doesn't seem to last as long as it should? Well, if you have a child like mine, you may have your answer: At least he picked it up when he was done unrolling the roll all over the house. The big wad is now sitting under our armoire in our family room. THANKS for being so helpful Andrew. (He also helped sweep the floor this morning after dumping out a bag of food. You can only imagine how clean our floor was after our 2 year old managed to spread the food with the broom to every square inch of the dining room and kitchen.:o)

Hooray for something to blog about!

As I perused through a few friends' blogs today I was very surprised to find that I had been "tagged" by Gretchen, a long lost friend of Tom's from engineering school. For the record, Tom refers to Gretchen as one of the smartest people he knows. Gretchen also graciously volunteered lots of information about Austin as we were contemplating a move there recently.

Thanks Gretchen for giving me something to write about!

What I Was Doing 10 Years Ago: I was trudging through 5 feet of snow in -40 degree weather while serving a mission in the "most contaminated spot on the planet" in the town of Chelyabinsk, Russia. The locals used to say that they could see us in the dark because we glowed with the spirit. Given the history of Chely, I'm not so sure that's why we were glowing...

What Was I Doing 5 Years Ago: I was engaged to the world's most wonderful man. I was living in Northern Virginia working at a Real Estate Development Company. I lived in a really cool brand new townhome with my sister and another roommate. We had a crazy neighbor whom I had to threaten in order for him to leave us alone. (Yes, my threat worked, as he never spoke to any of us ever again and actually turned around and went the other direction if he saw one of us headed his way.)

One Year Ago: We lived in a condo a town away from where we are now. We loved the town we lived in because it was very family friendly. There are parks and trails everywhere and we were really close to church, which helped us to be on time more often than we currently are. We were pretty much doing all the same things we are currently doing. Tom was starting his second year at his law firm. I was working in Real Estate and still liking it. (Yes, I am admitting that I am now sick and tired of real estate. Someone needs to remind me why I am willing to spend so much time on something I make so little money at.)

Yesterday: Do I remember what I did yesterday? Oh yeah, we took a train last night down to Palo Alto to eat at PF Changs. We took the train because that was the only thing Andrew had wanted to do all day. We had a very enjoyable trip, other than the crazy conductor who felt the need to lecture Tom and me for several minutes about why we shouldn't ever let Andrew walk up the 3 stairs to the train all by himself. Hmmm....all I can say is that you don't have a career like that because of your people skills...

Five Snacks I Enjoy: Depends on the day now that I'm pregnant and my aversions and cravings seem to change on a daily basis, but generally I like:
1. Crepes
2. Cereal (granola or grape nuts are my current favorites)
3. Toast
4. Powdered Donuts or the creme filled Krispy Kreme donuts (this is only a craving during pregnancy!)
5. Carrots and Ranch Dip

Five Things I Would Do With 1 Million Dollars:
1. Pay off all of our student loans
2. Buy 1/3rd of my dreamhouse in CA.
3. Buy furniture that I really like, rather than buying whatever has the lowest pricetag--mainly used items from craigslist! (our bedroom furniture was the only time we made an exception to this rule). We like it:)
4. Pay off Mom and Dad's house, so they won't have to worry about it anymore
5. Help AL, Timbo, and PP pay for the rest of their schooling

Five TV Shows I Like:
1. Heroes
2. Extreme Home Makeover
3. Numbers
4. Ugly Betty
5. The Office (Yeah for Jim and Pam!)

Five Things I Hate Doing:
1. Dishes (especially when I'm pregnant because dirty dishes stink)
2. Changing Diapers-this is also a smell issue
3. I hate doing anything somebody TELLS me to do. If you ask, I will most likely say yes.
4. Laundry (it never ends)
5. Andrew waking us up in the middle of the night complaining of growling outside his window, then he wants to sleep next to mommy. (we think he's having nightmares)

Five Biggest Joys Of The Moment:
1. Having a Clean House
2. Andrew in a good mood
3. Getting a good night's sleep
4. Keeping down all food for 1 whole day
5. Having Tom cook for me (which he does regularly, since I think my kitchen stinks no matter how clean it is. )

Five People I tag:
1. Aitch
2. Lara
3. Matt and Karey
4. PP and Mika
5. Mandy my cousin who hasn't updated her blog in months

Good Times!

I love Andrew's facial expressions! He definitely has a gift for showing how he feels! The open mouth, wide eyes, raised eyebrow smile always cracks me up!



This is Andrew having a great time playing with one of his best friends, James.

Who Would've Thought...

That you would see such a thing in your driveway in the Bay Area? Andrew loved watching the deer and kept waving to them. He also repeatedly asked me what sound they make a "neigh" or a "moo" and truthfully I don't know. Does anybody know what sound a deer makes? (o:

"Baby Owie"

Andrew really likes to talk to the baby in my belly. He often comes over and pats my belly and then waves and says, "Hi baby". He also likes to kiss my belly to say Hi. It's really cute.

We asked Andrew the other day what we should name his little sister and he replied, "Baby Owie" since she always makes mommy's tummy hurt. What do you think people will say if we name our new baby "Owie"? Good one Andrew!

Sea World

As part of our trip to SoCal we decided to take a little trip down to beautiful San Diego. We really enjoyed our day in San Diego. The weather was perfect, the scenery was gorgeous and the city itself was lovely and modern.

We spent most of Monday at Sea World, which was a treat (although more expensive than you would think it should be. At least Andrew was free). It was funny to watch Andrew’s reactions to the different animals. Generally speaking, Andrew was a little nervous about getting too close to any of the animals, even those behind glass. We had a hard time getting any pictures of him with the animals, since he would run away when we tried to put him close enough to get a good picture. He was even a little scared in front of this stuffed bear! HA!

Just on a side note, Andrew calls all fish “Nemo”, which makes us laugh. (He does know how to say fish!)


Andrew wanted us to buy this hat for him so bad, but we didn't give in to his persuasions and instead we just took a cute picture of him wearing it.

The shows at Sea World were definitely my favorite part of the day. They really put together some pretty amazing shows, which should be apparent in the above pics.

Go Cougs!

We met up with part of my family in LA this weekend to watch the BYU vs UCLA football game. The game was exciting, although disappointing. BYU held it’s own against the #11 ranked team in the country, which was exciting. I could name all the reasons BYU lost, but those of you who care, watched the game and already know why they lost! It was fun to be surrounded by several thousand BYU fans in SoCal!

Am I showing yet or what?

I love Grandma and Grandpa!

Hi, It's Andrew again! My mom doesn't know what to write about, so she's leaving it up to me to spice up her blog.

It was so fun to take a trip with my mommy and daddy! We got to see so many wonderful people and places. I got to meet my Great-Grandma and Grandpa in Oklahoma and they sure are nice. My Great-Grandma even gave me a really cool cell phone that I use all the time to call my friends and Grandma and Grandpa in Utah. I also got to meet some great-aunts and uncles. Everybody was really nice to me. I really liked playing pool at Bobby and Mary's house and being able to show off my amazing somersaulting skills!

I also had a wonderful time with my Aunt Karey and Uncle Matt. They were so much fun! I can't wait to see them again! Please come visit me soon in California!

The last part of my trip was spent in Utah with my Grandparents, Uncle Tim and Aunt AnnaLisa. Their house is so much more exciting than my house in California! I wish I could live there.

I also saw my cousins Lauren and McKenzie, who I affectionately refer to as the "babies". After the babies flew back to Washington DC, I was so sad and spent the whole day looking for them. I loved jumping on the trampoline and playing at the playground with them!


I think my Grandma and Grandpa will be really excited about the pictures I choose to include in this post! Sorry they are so old, but my mommy doesn't use her camera as much as she should on vacation.

How to travel, by Andrew K.

Hi, this is Andrew. I want you all to know that, although I do not talk as much as my parents would like me to, I can type.

I went on vacation last week. It was great. Instead of sleeping by myself in the back of the car, I had a friend join me. That's my uncle Tim. I like him, because he's not afraid to sleep in a car or have a picture taken while he sleeps.

Grandma and Grandpa's house was fun. They have a lot of stairs, and I like to climb them. I especially like to drop things down the stairs, then go down and pick them up so I can climb up and do it again. One morning I got up before anybody else and went downstairs, when I opened a door, I heard a really scary, loud noise. I couldn't move or make a noise I was so terrified. Luckily, my mom heard the alarm and came and saved me!

I also like Tux the cat. I follow him around a lot and shared all my toys and food with him. Tux doesn't like pretzels as much as I do.

And one of the greatest things about being at Grandma and Grandpa's house is the neighbor's trampoline! I could jump and do somersaults all day if someone was willing to stay out in the hot sun all day with me!

It's a...

Can't you tell? Ok, maybe not. It's a girl! We are so excited! Woo-hoo! I can hardly wait to go shopping for cute little girls clothes!