Goodbye Summer!!

I love summer! I grew up at the beach and there is no other time more fun to live there then in the summer. The typical summer day was heading off to the beach near the pier where you would spend all afternoon laying in the sun, playing in the sand, and swimming in the waves. You would head over to the snack shack mid-afternoon for some strips and cheese, which is nothing more than tortilla chips with shredded cheese on top, but it was the hot sauce and the fact that you were at the beach that made it so good!! You would spend hours and hours and never get bored, sunburned yes, but never bored. Those were the best was to spend the summer!

Well, enough reminiscing. Those are so not your typical summers in Arizona! I think the best way to describe Arizona summers is like Utah winters. You stay inside as much as possible, you leave the blinds shut to keep your house cooler, you start your car to get the air conditioning cool, instead of blasting the heat, and you feel completely detached from the outside world. After a winter in Utah, when Spring finally rolls around after all those long and horrible months of freezing weather and icy roads, it barely hits the mid-60's and there are a million people everywhere! People washing cars, doing yard work, kids riding bikes, and it's only in the 60's.

It sounds ridiculous, but it's true. Any change, no matter how insignificant, is worth a celebration after months of hibernation. This was me this week. Except, I wasn't celebrating 60 degree weather, I was celebrating the fact that it had finally dropped into the 90's. How is it that our first summer in AZ there is "record breaking heat" and summer months having the record with most consecutive days over 115!?!?

I had been feeling so bad for Dax. He'd been cooped up for months already having been in Utah for the entire winter and moving out here in March where we barely had time to get situated in our new house before the heat began. This was his first official summer where he could actually enjoy going to the park and playing in the backyard. And up until this week, he had never really had the chance. This final stretch of AZ summer, where the rest of the world is cooling down and looking towards Fall, has been killer. I knew it would eventually come, at least I hoped, so I figured the best thing I could do to keep myself sane and give Dax one heck of a nice "summer" (even though it would be a few months late) was to spoil him...and spoil him rotten!

I went crazy on Craig's List and at garage sales hoping to find the best outside toys I could to make his first official "summer" the best ever. The only outside toys he has ever really had have been beach toys, which are nice for the beach and the park, but we needed something for the backyard. Lucky for me, I hit the jack pot! I ended up with a Spiderman Scooter, Tonka Truck bike, Cozy Coupe Car and a Fisher Price Basketball Hoop all for $20!! Even though we are in the process of finishing our backyard, Dax had the best time playing with his new toys! It was completely dark before we were able to get him inside. This morning when I got him up from bed, usually his first words are" Where's dada?", today it was "outside"--- thank goodness it's official! Goodbye Summer, hello Outside!

I won!!

I love long lost friends! Since being apart of this new blogging frenzy, which I absolutely love, I have ran across some great friends from the past! I love catching up on high school and church friends and college roommates and seeing them with their wonderful families and happy lives! Lucky for me, I ran across a sweet friend of mine from those fun days in high school who I have soooo many great memories with. On her blog she was putting her craftiness up for a special give-away---a homemade magnet board! The winner would be able to create a custom broad and choose the size of the board and the color of the frame and she would mail it to them....just because she is so great! All you had to do was leave her a comment by Tuesday and she was going to randomly select a winner using a "Random Number Picker". Well, her Special Friday Give-A-Way came and guess who won!? ME!! How exciting is that!! Here is the cute creation she came up with that I will soon be able to enjoy myself! Thanks Jenny!!

23 Weeks & Not Even Counting

I can't believe it. I am officially over the half-way mark and it has gone by so fast. I am feeling great and haven't even thought about the count down! Who knew chasing after an almost two year old would make you forget you are pregnant half the time!?!? But of course, there are all those other fun reminders that don't let you forget! :) I love having Dax around to talk about the baby with and see him point to my belly. He hasn't quite caught on what any of this means, and how it will change everything once the baby comes, but I know we will all adjust together. Dax is 100% in the "I don't know how to share phase" but I can happily say that he does love little babies and loves to share his toys with them---even if they are choking hazards! I'm just happy he's being nice and hope it continues when this baby doesn't go away.

And although we're having another boy, this pregnancy has been so different. That's how come I was sure it was a girl. What do you think that even means to have them be so different but both boys? Does it mean this baby with have fair skin, blond hair and brown eyes instead of olive skin, brown hair and blue eyes? Will he be left handed instead of right? Will he be a chunker rather than a skinnie minnie? I'm just not sure.

*With Dax I had to have apple juice in the morning, with baby #2, it has to be orange juice. It has to be. Sorry Austin...off you go to the store at 10:00p.m

*I couldn't even look at chicken when I was pregnant with Dax...I wasn't even sure I would be able to like it ever again. With this pregnancy, not only can I look at it, I can even cook it, which makes Austin happy, because that means a lot less salad he has to eat.

*I was morning sick every single day of my pregnancy with Dax. Yuck! Luckily with his baby, I stopped being sick at 16 weeks ! Hooray!!

*At the Ultrasound with Dax when we found out he was a boy, he yawned twice during the sonogram...it was soooo cute! At the ultrasound when we found out this baby was a boy, he peed in the ultrasound...sooooo NOT as cute!

*My "go to" meal with Dax was mac-n-cheese, with hot dogs of course. My go to meal with this baby is garlic and chives instant mashed potatoes...that counts as a meal, right?

*I have had placentia previa with both pregnancies. With Dax it finally moved at about 28 weeks, with this little guy, it was long gone at 18!

*Dax was so active and busy in the womb. This baby is so much more mellow. Do you think that means anything? Please say yes!

*The average temperature I endured when living in Utah and pregnant with Dax I am sure was probably in the 70's. So far, this pregnancy, the average I'm sure has been 114! No joke!

*Dax was a week overdue and I was in labor for 16 hours. With this baby, it better be none of the above!!

It is so strange to me that I am pregnant with another boy and it is almost opposite. With Dax we didn't decide on a name until about my 7th month. I hope we come up with someone before them; and we're taking suggestions! I am just so anxious to meet this little guy. Maybe, at 23 weeks I am counting afterall.

Dax 2005 below and Baby #2 2007 right

Mickey Mouse

We had been looking forward to a trip to Disneyland for almost a year, ever since my parents surprised us with a trip to Oceanside and a day at Disneyland for Christmas. Even with a season pass to Disneyland in high school, I knew this trip would by far be my favorite because of Dax. I thought he would be the perfect age to enjoy the rides & the atmosphere & the characters. But, Christmas last year didn't go to well with the whole Santa Clause thing, so I was determined to smother him with all things Mickey Mouse so we wouldn't have any screaming pictures like with Santa.

We watched Mickey Mouse Club, bought toys, coloring books, books, bouncy balls with Mickey Mouse's face (thanks mom), pancake shaped Mickey Mouse, anything! I even went as far as cutting his peanut butter and jelly sandwich into the shape of Mickey Mouse the week before the trip to try and get him familiar with him. I would quiz Dax too...

Mom to Dax: "Do you want to go to Disneyland?"
Dax: "Yeah"
Mom: "Do you want to see Mickey Mouse?"
Dax: "Yeah"
Mom: "Are you going to be scared of Mickey Mouse?"
Dax: "Yeah"
Mom: "No!! We're not scared of Mickey Mouse!"

I wasn't sure we had a believer yet, but the day had arrive for our trip and all in all it was fabulous!! I was able to go on every ride that Dax was, except I opted out of Dumbo, the Rockets, and the Tea Cups (no problem there) and we meet up with lots of fun characters.

He wouldn't go see them alone, but he didn't cry either, so I happily counted it as a success. I think he was star struck with Mickey Mouse....we couldn't even get a picture of him looking at the camera! You know they were friends when he gave him hi-five and bumps and waved good-bye!

At the end of the day, I knew the hard work paid off, because as we let Dax loose in the final souvenir shop with Disney Dollars from Grandma and Grandpa, he ran over to grab a Mickey Mouse practically the size of him. Austin & I decided there would definetly be a yearly trip to Disneyland, becuase just as we perdicted, we had the most fun than ever before watching Dax take in the whole experience! Thanks Mom and Dad for all the memories!!

Off We Go!!

Finally, after a trip to California and lots of requests/ pressure, I have decided to start a family blog! Hooray!! Austin, Dax and I just returned from an amazing end of summer trip to Oceanside, CA thanks to my parents, and I thought highlighting some of the fun would be a great start.
But, first, to invite you into our little world down here in the HOT summer sun, maybe I should introduce you to my wonderful little family…that’s growing! With Dax at 22 months, there is never a dull moment, and with another little boy around the corner, we couldn’t be more excited.
To know Austin and I, is to know Dax. He is our pride and joy and the greatest blessing. He makes us laugh, and sometimes cry, and we are so proud of him and love watching him grow and learn. He is such an active little boy and keeps us on our toes, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. Here a just a few of the many reasons we love Dax, and a little glimpse at his fun personality.

-Dax loves music and dancing. Since we are fairly new in Arizona and our ward, the first Sunday that he clapped after a song in Sacrament made me want to close my eyes and hide. But after hearing some encouraging laughter and seeing smiley faces, he picked up that what he was doing was, if anything, funny and now it’s our struggle to try and get him to stop (even though I secretly don’t want to!)

-Each morning, when I go into Dax’s room to the calling of “moooommmy” he throws out everything in his crib. This includes his Tigger pillow, lion, Snoopy, and most recently, over sized Mickey Mouse and his blanket and does the highest seat drop in the middle of his crib. You know, the one you do on a trampoline when you jump straight up and land in a seated position with your legs straight. And by high, I mean he even bounces a few more little ones from the spring the mattress gives him.

-He LOVES trucks, we point them out where ever we go…diggers, dumpers, graders (I’ve even impressed with my growing knowledge of them). Luckily for Dax, twice a week our garbage gets picked up and all morning long, whenever we hear one, we get to go running all over the house to figure out what window we can see the garbage truck from Unluckily for me, this is also the reason we are up extra early on these mornings.

-I’ve always loved spare change. Kinda a weird thing, but I have. Even though I don’t have a cute or fun spot to put it in, I always like it when I find it lying around or on the street. When Dax came along, I figured what better thing to do with the change then to get him a piggy bank. He loves to add the change to the piggy bank (did I mention it's actually a hippo) by himself, and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, each time before putting the quarter in, he looks at the picture of George Washington and says, “Jesus”. What to do?!?!

- Walks!! Of course! Before we moved out here, we were cooped in during the Utah winter and now we’re cooped in because of the Arizona summers. That being the case, our walks consist of going to our mailbox about the distance of 8 driveways. My favorite thing about this though is the way Dax’s smells the flowers as we go; and by flowers, I mean trees, plants, weeds & tumbleweeds. He must not enjoy the smell, it’s tumbleweed for heaven’s sake. The trick is on me though---I think he is trying to draw out the experience as long as he can while I sweat.

-I can remember getting in trouble by my teacher when I was in second grade for holding my pencil incorrectly…but I never corrected it and still to this day I hold the pencil between my middle and ring finger. The thing I love lately about Dax is he is really into coloring, and the thing I love more, is seeing him hold his crayon the exact same way as his mom. Would I be horrible if I didn’t correct him??

-I don’t get to take Dax to nursery, because I have my own little nursery class to teach, but I have figured out when his singing time is and I sneak a peek each week. Without fail, while everyone else is sitting during singing time, he’s standing in the middle dancing and doing ALL the actions....don’t forget the clapping after the song!

-Dax, for some reason, knocks on things when he can’t open them---including bags of M&M’s…how can I resist even if it is dinner time!

-We have a little tiny piano and Dax has a little chair he loves to pull up to it and hunch over and pound away on it. I finally figured out why it looked soooo cute and so familiar. He looks exactly like the piano playing Peanut’s character on Charlie Brown…Schroeder.

-Thanks to Grandpa MacGillivray, Dax has a baseball tee and a little Easton baseball glove. He is great and catching and throwing and would blow you away if you saw him hit off the tee. The thing we can’t figure out is how he's convinced you run the “bases” after you throw the ball, but not after he hits it off the tee?!

-His favorite movie is Cars. He loves everything about it, that is until the part where Mack falls asleep on the highway and Lightening slides out of the truck on the highway and gets awaken by all the screeching and honking. I better be sure I am in the room for that part because he is basically in hysteria every time he watches.

I know I need to cherish all of these moments with Dax, because we all know, they change so fast and are on to the next thing in no time....and, like I said, off we go!!