The Malzer's

Delivered

2012-01-26T15:26:00.001-07:00

(Written 1/7/2012)
Wow, it's been 3 weeks since Sydnee's D day. The busiest 3 weeks of my life!!

I live in a fog and thought I better write about that day before I forget everything! Let's start a couple days prior.

At 38 weeks (Wed.), I went to the appointment and left 3cm. dilated, 80% effaced and membranes stripped. Bring on baby! I had been having some good contractions earlier in the week, but the 2 days following- nothing! By Friday, I was more than a little bothered that I did not have any regular cervix ripening contractions. I was having sporadic hard contractions, but not regular at all. Possible interventions danced in my head. Andy had to meet some friends in SLC to pick up chairs we purchased, so we took the opportunity to walk this momma into labor. On this very cold night we bundled up the chillins and went to Zoo Lights. I pushed and pushed that heavy stroller up every hill as fast as I could. I had more energy than any previous day of this pregnancy. I couldn't tell if I was having any contractions due to the numbness from the cold. The kids loved the lights. Even though there is a specialness about lights at Temple Square, Zoo lights was more kid friendly and not nearly as crowded. I think Zoo lights will be a new family Christmas tradition. They even had a Santa that the kids could visit and we could get a picture (the 2 $10 gift cards to Macey's we got from Santa was a bonus too). Since most animals were sleeping and ANDY was cold, we didn't stay too long. A fun family night, but no regular contractions.
On Saturday (12/17), I was getting a little worried. My 2 weeks of Christmas break was slipping away with no baby. When I was pregnant with Titan, I cleaned to help bring on labor. Mopping, wiping and swiping seemed to work for the boy. This time, I simply did.not.feel.nor.want. to do anything of the sorts. I went to the beautiful world of facebook for some advice. I was told that the yoga ball would do the trick. I guess it helps make the baby lower to open up the cervix. I, though, do not have a yoga ball. A yoga ball pretty much supports a squatting position, so squat I did do. Not pleasant, nor pretty, I held onto the bathroom counter and did some squats. Who needs a yoga ball?!! I was getting so antsy. I could not sit still or stop thinking about labor. I decided a trip to the store for a real yoga ball would take my mind off labor and may help in the end. While at the store, my long-awaited-for hard contractions came back. Woop! I was talking to my mom and timing contractions at the same time. They were about 10-11 minutes apart at the store. I got my ball and left. When I got home I talked with Andy and debated what to do. To go or not to go? That was the question. By this time it had been well over an hour. I would have loved it if the hospital was just down the street and I could make it a quick trip to check my progress. With Zoe and Titan to care for, we did not want someone to have to come out to our house to watch them and it be for naught. We simply went off the fact that the contractions were coming mostly regular (9-11 min), at about a 7 pain scale. Andy made several calls and his mom was able to come out and watch the kids.
I get so nervous/anxious at this point. Is it labor? Could this be it? I timed the contractions all the way to the hospital, SO afraid they would stop. I finally felt confident when we pulled into the hospital and they were still coming.
I measured 5cm and was admitted!!!!!! Seriously, the best news. Our baby was coming.
It was about 4pm at this point. (It was about noon-1pm when I was at the store)
We made the necessary calls to our parents and got as comfortable as possible in our room. I really love this moment. This exact moment, before the arrival of a baby, but also before the hard labor starts is why I may just have one more child. I have a smile on my face, a faster heartbeat and a bit of excitement in me right now thinking of this moment.
Unfortunately that peaceful exciting moment doesn't stay peaceful. My labor was in full motion. About an hour or so after being admitted I got my epidural. That is a very tense 15 minutes. The room is so quiet during this. Slow movement, soft voices only when talking is necessary. I was VERY lucky I did not have super hard contractions during, but the chances.... I got a cough. You know that cough when your throat is so dry and scratchy you have to pretty much cough up a lung to remove the feeling. Horrible. Horrible. I tried holding it in, but the cough would not have it and I was pretty much convulsing instead.
With all the fuss and intensity of getting the epidural, the darn thing only lasted a little over an hour. (I'm kind of thinking that it is the anesthesiologist. Zoe's labor- not a bead of sweat was lost, not a breath was labored. Felt like an uncomfortable menstrual cycle. But this guy who did the epidural for Titan and Sydnee's delivery, both times I was not numbed evenly and they did not work.) Things did not go well from here. There was not Dr. at the hospital to break my water. I'm wishing I had the nurse "accidentally" take a pinch at it. Why do they not listen to m? Was my labor interrupting my doctor's Christmas party? I was at a 7, then an 8. If they would only break the water I could have his baby! My doctor would not come in to do it. If only..
The pain was getting intense and worsening my the moment. I got extra doses of the epidural, I could still feel and move one of my legs and the other was coming "back to life". Even the anesthesiologist was bothered by them not helping push things along. I did not get any other pain medicine. I was getting so mad that the doctor was not coming.
I waited another hour. It was almost 9pm. when I reached 9cm. Finally they could tell the doctor to come. So I sat and held that baby in for another 20 minutes. By the time the doctor arrived and broke my water (painful), I was ready to deliver, but I had to dilate just a bit more. At this time, I was having a natural childbirth. I felt EVERYTHING. I know women have does this since the beginning of time, but with today's options, I did not care but to deliver in comfort and numbness.
She came with the cord tight around her neck that the Dr. had to cut it rather than unwrapping her. She also came facing up, which led to a little more pain and extra force in pushing, and a smooshed face.
But She came out perfect. Literally, just.perfect. She was completely healthy and beautiful. No matter how long the 9 months of pregnancy, the endless discomforts and weariness, the pains of labor, it is all worth it and more to have the feeling of holding a new baby.

8:53 pm.
My perfect 6 lbs. 9 oz., 19.5 inch long baby with no name.
I love you baby Sydster!

Sydnee Kay

2012-01-26T15:24:00.002-07:00

Our girl with no name, born December 17, 2011 at 8:53 pm. She weighed 6 bs. 9 oz and was 19.5 inches long.

Her cute smooshed nose. It would take weeks before the nose is back to normal.

Andy stayed with me for a hour of so after I got settled into my room. He had to go home to be with Zoe and Titan. I was talking with my nurse about baby names when she noticed we had not yet named our baby girl. She mentioned to me that she loved the name Zoe and would use that name if she were to have another girl, even if she didn't have the intention of having another baby. She told me her daughter's name is Sydney. I didn't give it much thought until late in the night, while holding my new baby, did the name Sydnee creep into my mind. "Hmm... Sydnee. Sydnee." It fit. A name that is known, but not overly used, and a sweetness to it. That was my baby girl. Sydnee. I sent a quick text to Andy and waited until the morning to see if he would veto it. During the next morning's visit from Andy, we knew we had to decide. After 5 months of painfully searching for a name, in just a few hours we had it. Over the next few days I said her name over 100 times in my head to get used to it and to practice saying Sydnee instead of Cindy. I'm glad to say that today, at 5 weeks old, I finally got her name down. Zoe loves hearing her name while watching Nemo when talking about Sydney, Australia.

We love baby Sydster!

36 weeks

2011-12-01T22:46:00.001-07:00

Just a side note... I'm a horrible blogger!

Here I am, nearing the end of this pregnancy and I've barely even documented anything about it. I am 36 weeks and 1 day pregnant. I say that with emphasis, because I am making it through a day at a time. How in the world do so many women do it?? How do women have more than 1 child? It is completely unfair for someone to have to care for children whilst making one.

But as it is... I'm getting very excited to meet my new little girl. Bags are packed, hair is cut and colored, brows are waxed, and with a little push and extra effort I may even TRY to shave my legs. I'm ready to go! I went to the doctor today and am 1.5 cm dilated/70% effaced. A secret side of me was kinda hoping that MAYBE I would have high blood pressure, or MAYBE their would be some protein spillage, but nope... baby and I measured out to be completely healthy. No forced labor here. Patience. Don't have it.

Walking...slow and off balance

Bending...unattractive and near impossible

Mood.... I am momma hear me roar

Zoe must know Mom needs extra help, because she is extra persistent on me (not dad) saying prayers with her. Oh, how my little naughty 3 year old can put me quickly in my place.

Final countdown...

3 weeks before I can be medically induced

2 weeks before I have the doctor ....strip the membranes (I hate how that sounds...eww.)

Here is to baby girl helping the momma out by coming out on schedule! (my downside of being a business owner, no maternity leave!)

I can't believe I'm posting a picture of me... but I kind of regret not taking very many pictures with my first 2 pregnancies. So, I ask for kindness and no judging my 8 month pregnant largeness.

November

2011-11-26T11:30:00.000-07:00

On Thanksgiving we took family pictures. Not the ideal time for my 8 month pregnant largeness to be in a photo. Luckily we'll be redoing family pictures next month when baby girl is here.

October

2011-11-25T20:11:00.000-07:00

September

2011-11-25T20:06:00.000-07:00

He's a-MOVIN'! Finally.

2011-11-25T20:03:00.001-07:00

It was nice to have a stationary baby for 11 months. But on 9/10/11, his 11 month mark, Titan finally began crawling. He had been almost there for about 2 weeks. He would get up on all 4s but could not figure out how to move his legs. He has been a very content baby with not having the need or desire to get moving. It was a little more fun with everyone at our house for Zoe's 3rd birthday party. My little man is growing up.

My little 3 year old

2011-11-25T19:58:00.003-07:00

My once little baby girl is now a talking, walking, sassy three year old. We had a little Minnie Mouse party to celebrate her big day. At 3, Zoe loves the color pink, singing nursery rhymes, all things called "snacks", going to nursery at church, being a helper just as much as she likes not sharing with her little brother, and going potty on the toilet!! She can be quite the bossy little thing. We may battle daily, but I love this girl more than anything.

http://youtu.be/PvW6P_I0fnw

2011-08-18T21:46:00.000-06:00

We've been quite busy lately. Too busy, really. The basement is finally finished and is BEAUTIFUL! Andy did 99% of the work himself. And he did a fantastic job. With just a few short weeks before the first day of preschool we are working double time (well as much double time as a pregnant women can) to get the house and preschool room in order.

Titan turned 10 months this last week. But 9 months brought 2 new teeth. At his appointment he weighed about 20.5 lbs. His height and weight were around the 45%, with his head taking the lead registering off the charts. It had grown a whole inch since his 6 month checkup. The Dr. recommend an ultrasound to make sure there was not any signs of hydrocephalus. The results came back negative. But we are still watching its growth. Titan has just started showing interest in moving. He will not roll over, but sits up very well. He is starting to lunge and try to move to get toys his sister takes away from him. He is the sweetest little boy who loves to get tickles and kisses.

Zoe is a month short of 3 and it shows. She is learning new things everyday. She is extremely shy when around strangers. I'm hoping preschool will help her interact better with other kids. After she warms up with other kids, she becomes quite the tease and instigator.

Aug 5th we had our ultrasound and got to see a healthy baby girl. She is measuring 4 days ahead of schedule. My plan is a birth on the 16th of December (org. due date is 12/28). Let's see if she and I can make that happen.I can't believe we are going to be a family of 5. I'm going to have 3 children. I'm still in shock.

Preschool room

The kids enjoying the new carpet. Zoe even made carpet angels.

I think haircuts are in order!

family room

The Forgotten

2011-08-18T21:18:00.001-06:00

pictures...
May 6- enjoying some lunch on the deck

Visiting Zoe's favorite place, Farm Country. May 14.

She's a pro. She did not want Daddy holding on to her.

Aug.8, 2011 Ember's Baptism picnic

Titan enjoyed his first chocolate chip cookie a little too much. He shoved the whole thing in his mouth. It made quite the mess.

Sleepy children.

Loving her candy necklace that she got from Jodie's BF, Ben.

My chubby, chubby baby.

The twin cousins playing in the water.

A little bit of May

2011-06-02T20:50:00.001-06:00

Sunshine! In May we forgot we lived in the desert and so on this day we enjoyed the rare appearance of the sun. (Titan at 7 months.)

I love Titan's silly grin.

She was being a stinker!

Cincinnati Zoo

2011-05-09T18:18:00.000-06:00

On our last day in Kentucky, Zoe had a day out with just mom and dad. It was the perfect day to go to the zoo. Zoe especially LOVED the little petting zoo. She even had a great conversation with this goat.

We enjoyed watching this sloth close up. The leaves were just out of his reach.

I asked Zoe to give the goat a hug. Close enough, I guess.

SUUPRISE!

2011-05-03T22:40:00.000-06:00

I can't believe I'm writing this post right now, but I thought I would share the news of a new baby Malzer who will join our family this December. Ooops-a-baby! Andy and I were quite shocked at this news. It wasn't in the plan, but giving it a week to set in has let the excitement trickle in. I'm really excited about the baby, but scared to death if I can handle 3 kids 3 and under. Titan and baby will be 14 months apart. Oh geeze. I can do this right? Maybe I can lose some of my teacher qualities to be able to handle a bit of a crazy house without losing my mind. I never thought that we would have an unplanned pregnancy. It is a little exciting that we created a child without doctor visits, counting the calendar, blood work and pills. Even though it wasn't in our plan, I can accept, love and be VERY grateful for Heavenly Father's plan for us.
I'm tired. Go figure. Must update in small quantities. Good night.

Lovely life happenings

2011-04-09T23:27:00.001-06:00

Lately I've been loving:

1. Year round school. Yesterday I tracked off for a whole month! I'm so excited to be just a mommy. To attempt potty training Zoe, and maybe get some spring cleaning done. I hope the weather cooperates to allow us some sun and exercise.

2. My handy husband. Andy has been working like crazy trying to get the basement complete. He has done most of it all by himself. Sad that is the circumstance, but glad he has the ability and smarts to do it. We are lucky that our tax refund will cover at least half of it. I can't wait for the space, my preschool and some organization! Looking forward to that.

3. Well behaved children. I would not have been able to say that 6 months ago. Zoe is turning into a sweet and loving little girl. I love her calm temperament and caring ways. She loves to heel owees with a "ikissitbetter", send love whenever she thinks mom and dad are down, and laugh with brother

Titan. I love how she counts everything, even though 4 and 5 do not exist in her world. I love that the dogs can keep her entertained longer than any toy or video.

4. Hard life lessons and true colors. These lessons allow me to lean on my husband for support and friendship. Sometimes at the end of the day it seems the only people we can count on are each other. I'm sure glad we have each other. I'm glad we are forced to focus and strengthen the family inside the walls of our home. I'm sure somehow these tears make me stronger.

5. Family Home Evening. I would probable love it more if I actually did it. Lessons from conference and relief society have reminded me to focus more on teaching my children the gospel. I have made a commitment to making it a priority to have FHE weekly. I owe Heavenly Father everything for blessing me with my children and I can not break the promises I made to Him.

6. My children. I know I'm not alone when I say I thought I would never be able to have any. Too many of us have struggled having children. I'm not sure why my prayers were answered with a yes and others are still waiting. But, it sure has made me a better mother.I'm so excited to spend all my energy on Zoe and Titan these next few weeks.

7. Airplanes. Not so much. I actually fear flying even though I have flown more times than I can remember. But to be home in KY in just a few hours is exciting. I'm hoping people won't look at me like I have a plague (their just children, people!) since Andy is flying with me. I can't wait to spend the week with my family and enjoy places where everybody knows your name. Simply and sweetly put, I'm going Home.

This next week I'll be loving Cincinnati Chili- yum, yum!, might not be loving road trips with small children as we drive to D.C., will/will not be loving that my lil baby boy will be 6 months old and will FOR SURE be loving some temple time as my lil brother gets married.

2011-04-08T21:10:00.000-06:00

Zoe sings the abc's ....n o p cute r s t u v

Now to just catch it on film.

2011-03-17T20:47:00.000-06:00

Titan 5 months: sits up with support, giggles, sleeps 10-11 hours at night, does not like baby food/rice cereal.
Zoe 2 1/2 years: talks a ton, loves to play and run free, enjoys outdoor time on the deck

2011-03-05T21:11:00.000-07:00

I realized that my last post was all about the kids. Andy and I do have a life even though it's not much of one. I am enjoying teaching, but am REALLY looking forward to working from home in the preschool next school year. My kindergarten class has been a real challenge this year. Individually they are all great kids, but as a whole....wow. I just think it is so wrong to have 23 kindergarten students, with a few of them having special circumstances, and no help. I've been completely overwhelmed with the individual demands that many of my students have. I love my students, but can't wait until this year is over.

Andy is spending his little free time in the basement. In the last week we got the framing done and the plumbing is just about complete. I can not wait to move all the extra stuff upstairs to downstairs. I'm excited to decorate, for Titan to move out of our room and get one of his own, to have SPACE! and to put the preschool room together. The end of construction can't come soon enough. I'm busy these days advertising the preschool and meeting with parents. I've got a good start, but can't wait until all my classes are filled so I don't have to worry about it anymore. What a waiting game I have!

2011-03-05T20:53:00.000-07:00

Ah, Spring is in the air. You don't even know how giddy I feel inside thinking about enjoying the summer with my 2 babies. I have been feeling very blessed lately when thinking about my children. I sure do love them. I was reading some blogs today and I really felt sad that I have not done such a great job with my own. I have a horrible, horrible memory. For instance, every time I watch a movie I watch it for the first time. I simply have the hardest time remembering details. Drives me NUTS. If I had a superpower it would be to remember every detail of my life. Especially my life as a mother. Where has time gone? My little Titan is growing up so fast. He went a few weeks ago for his 4 month check-up. Here comes my failed memory... have I blogged about that yet? I think so. Anyway, this boy just lights up my world! I could smooch his cheeks all day long. His new trick is figuring out how to use his hands. When they are not in his mouth, he likes to cuddle his blanket and sometimes grabs at toys in front of his face. Now there are many things Titan does not like. He does not like to be propped up, or to be in his jumper. He is SLOWLY adjusting to the bumbo chair. I'm thinking his head is t just too heavy. Sorry buddy.
Zoe is my little sweet heart. If we act sad she will tell us to "come here" and then wraps her arm around us to give us a hug. This is one of the only times I can get her to give me cuddles. Zoe loves to play with her doll house toys, my old carebear figures, and she recently became an artist decorating the walls and furniture in her room with a crayon. She thought it was pretty.
Some pictures from February:

Zoe playing with mommy

Trip to Ky. All 4 grandkids. Pay no attention that Zoe looks drugged.

Titan 4 months and ready for the Super Bowl!

4 months old

High 5!

Fall 2010

2011-02-19T10:41:00.000-07:00

Lately...

2011-02-19T09:59:00.001-07:00

** Memory Book note: Titan has been smiling since January (I think) but 2 nights ago he had his first giggle. We were sitting on the floor playing with a naked ( + diaper) Titan, laughing at all his rolls. I started giving him raspberries and Zoe thought it was so funny. After a few seconds Titan started giggling. He would look at Zoe and once she laughed he did. He is starting to notice and smile at his big sister. Zoe is starting to help with Titan without being asked. She likes to grab his bottle after he is finished eating and shove it back in his mouth. She will give him his bink while mom or dad is getting his bottle ready. She cleans up his drool. The funnies part is that she declares really loudly when she is done " I big helper!" Zoe is also talking A LOT more than she did just a month ago. She can sing her ABC's. Her counting needs a little work, "1 2 3 7 8 9 10!" She counts everything; a trick I use to help when cleaning up toys or messes. The other morning we were going to her babysitters house and while in the garage getting in the car she tells me, "No want to go Callie's house". (She really does like playing at Callie's house.) I was just impressed that she actually said a near sentence! About time! She is showing just a very little interest in potty training. I'm hoping in April when I have a month off work that she will be super ready and we can master it in a few days. Back to Titan, he is now 4 months old. He weighed 14.4 lbs and is 22 inches at his check-up. He struggles with tummy time and holding up his (large/heavy) head. Zoe had the same struggles. He can sit up with assistance, but his neck has a hard time getting complete control of his head. He is sleeping well. His bed time is becoming regular, between 7:30-8:00pm. He stirs between 2-3am when I have to lean over to give him his pacifier, multiple times!. (He is still in our room, until the basement is finished and his room is cleaned out) Wakes up 6-7 am to eat. And if I'm home he will sleep in until about 9am. Not perfect, but I'll take it!! What was meant to be a quick sentence has turned to a book. Now in the next post will be the pictures I've delayed in posting.

2011-01-22T21:18:00.002-07:00

My children make my life hard. My children make my life perfect.

Christmas

2010-12-30T21:21:00.000-07:00

I think Andy and I were more excited about Christmas than Zoe. She does not quite get the concept of Santa bringing presents. She does get the idea of presents and enjoys opening them more than getting the toy that is revealed. Santa went a little overboard, along with Zoe's grandma, so she had tons of gifts to open Christmas morning. Our family Christmas gift was a new stereo and DVD player and GPS system in the car. We are getting ready for our big road trip to DC in April. It is a pricey gadget, but well worth it when we don't have to hear Zoe whine in the car. She was not a great traveler, no matter how far we went. To celebrate Christmas this year we went with our friends Sam and Devron to see the lights at Temple Square. Zoe whined the whole time, probably due to being hungry. I think next year we will go to the zoo lights instead with a double stroller instead of a single. After the lights we filled our bellys full at a buffet. Finally there were smiles on everyone's faces.
On Christmas Eve we went to the Malzer house to visit and open our family's gifts. Andy had to work Christmas day, so we celebrated that evening with him. It was a fun evening with family and pizza. On Christmas day, Andy was allowed to bring the ambulance and park it in our driveway so he could celebrate with us. We opened presents and had breakfast. Zoe gifts from Santa: Mickey Mouse couch/fold out bed, car track thingy, Mickey Mouse sippy cups, finger nail polish, bracelets, clothes, and an elmo hat, elmo and cookie monster dolls. She was spoiled by all her grandmas and aunts. Titan got a big fluffy football/sleeping bag, and jammies. His grandma's gave him some fun toys that I'm sure he will appreciate in a couple of months. Right now Zoe is loving them. Andy left us at nap time to go back to the station while we went to the Malzer house for Christmas turkey dinner. Yum. Yum. We had a great time visiting with family. Zoe played with cousins, while Titan was adored by all the girls. We missed our family who we could not be with this day. Including my family in KY and Aunt Leann in Idaho.
We have had a very blessed year with the planned, yet still surprise of Titan, and the good health of the rest of our family. My whole year was spent being sick and pregnant, and then being a tired new mom. I can't wait for the fun of 2011 to begin with my beautiful family of 4.

A little about December

2010-12-30T21:01:00.000-07:00

I went back to work after Thanksgiving. I am happy to be back at work, but miss my babies when I'm gone. My class is a big challenge for me this year, which has not made the transition very easy. I made it 12 weeks of nursing. It disappointed me that I ended so soon. I wish I could have done it longer, but my job is not ideal for taking breaks to pump. I was tired. I was hurting, physically. So, I gave it up. It was an emotional decision, although I was happy to have the break.
Zoe is growing up so fast. She talks more and more everyday. She came to me the other day and asked, "Wherestheremote?" Me: "I don't know, look under the blanket". Zoe then goes and gets the remote from under the blanket, hands it to me and says, "Mickey Mouse? Okay!" while shaking her head up and down ensuring that the right answer was yes. Any time she wants Mickey Mouse, which is ALL day, she will bring me the remote for me to turn it on. Zoe loves: to give "knuckles", jump, Mickey Mouse, books, her new "movie" in the car, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, chasing the dogs, washing hands, baths, Elmo, babies, and can do without Titan. The newness of him has worn off. She loves her little people toys and cars. She is beginning to build with big legos. Enjoys puzzles. Can count to 3, and then goes to 5,7, 8. She can hold up two fingers when I ask her how old she is. We are working on her answering the question of "What is your name?" If I ask her to be a "helper" she will usually do what I ask. Other times she runs in the other direction thinking she is being so funny as she defies her mother. She is getting so big, and growing up to be a beautiful little girl. We love our Zoe Rose.
Andy has been busy at work and Mr. Mom when I'm at work in the morning. Zoe has some separation issues with her daddy, and cries whenever he leaves the room. He grudgingly took the position as Santa for our city's tree lighting ceremony and as the Santa on the fire truck as it drove through Eagle Mountain. He insists, "NEVER again!"

Titan 2 months old

2010-12-30T20:44:00.000-07:00

*Pictures will be added later, when time allows*
Titan is currently 11 weeks and 4 days old.
Titan turned 2 months old a couple of weeks ago. He is a fast growing chunk-uva-boy. Andy was super dad and took the 2 kids to Titan's Dr. appointment all by himself. Titan weighed in at 10lbs. 10 oz. about the 30th percentile, 22.2 inches, 25th percentile. To compare, Zoe was 9 lbs, 9oz and 21.5 in. at 2 months. Titan is still small, but catching up fast. At 2 months he is actually staying awake for a small time period, but spends the majority of the day sleeping. He loves his swing and his mommy. He gives cute smirks and an occasional giggle. He likes to lay on the changing table to watch his mobile. He coos when happy with a full tummy. Titan is eating about 5 oz every 3-5 hours. Sleeps 5-7 hours at night for the first wave, and then wakes up every 3-4 after that. He is adding an extra feeding in the evening, so my fingers are crossed that sleeping through the night is coming soon. Zoe slept through the night at 13 weeks. My sanity depends on this even happening very soon.

Forever

2010-11-21T22:15:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad they have each other!

Thanks to my great and dear old friend Megan for taking these adorable pictures. You should totally hire her to take your baby's pictures. She does them at your house where your kids are comfortable and the cutest! THANKS Meg!

My growing babes

2010-11-21T21:34:00.000-07:00

Titan's Baby Blessing

2010-11-21T21:21:00.001-07:00

I had hoped for Andy to bless Titan on the first Sunday of November when my mom was here. It took all week to convince Andy to get up the nerve to do it. I stopped pressuring him, and allowed his mom and my mom to do the convincing. It wasn't that he didn't want to do it at all, he just didn't give himself time to get used to the idea to calm his nerves. FINALLY on Saturday he said he would do it the next day. I quickly called the Bishop's secretary to find out that there was an extra, "special" Stake Conference scheduled that day. Seriously?! After the progress of getting Andy to commit, it wasn't going to happen after all. Since family had all been told we were going to do it this day, and I wanted my mom to be here for it, we decided to gather family together with a member of the bishopric to perform the blessing in our home. Andy lucked out and got to give the home blessing he wanted to do in the first place. It was a nice intimate setting where the spirit was brought by our family. I kind of missed the "baby attention" a mother gets when her precious newborn is displayed before the ward. Not necessarily important, but it was a moment I envied most during those many years of trying to have a baby. I would daydream about it being my turn to be the proud mother in the congregation. Even though it wasn't my storybook event, I was still grateful for this little family Heavenly Father blessed me with. I never thought I would have one child, but now I have two beautiful babies.

Labor Day 10-10-10

2010-11-17T16:25:00.000-07:00

Now, I'm writing this to help me remember all the details I can about one of the best, worst, scariest, yet happiest days of my life. We all love to share war stories, in this case labor story, so that is why I'm posting this blog entry. Read if you like, don't if you don't.

It all started on Thursday, October 7 at my 37 week appointment. The doctor asked me if I would like to have a baby in a couple days. Really? It made me so nervous and excited. Without Andy there to help me make the decision... I just went for it and said "SURE!" I really had mixed feelings about it. I was afraid to miss out on the surprise of going into labor on my own. Was I being selfish taking Titan too early? I know I was tired of being pregnant, sub plans were made for work, and I was...just....tired. Later I'll question my choice as inspiration or a bad choice that Heavenly Father helped fix. Either way the decision was made and now I just had to wait. The doctor stripped my membranes. Which it wasn't as bad as some people have said it is. It was definitely uncomfortable, but it only lasted about 10 seconds. Doctor was very sure that this would put me into labor "probably not tomorrow, but most likely the day after." Sure enough, he was right.

Something happened to me after I had the "procedure". I turned obsessed with going into labor. I waited and waited for contractions and when they did not come I turned really grumpy, maybe even a little angry and upset. It wasn't helping that I was reading stories online how stripping membranes did not help for so many women. I had my mind set on having this baby that weekend and I was getting impatient when that wasn't happening.

On Saturday I tried really hard to stay busy. Not to keep my mind off of labor, HA, like that was going to happen, but I was hoping to put myself into labor! I was EXHAUSTED, but I vacuumed, cleaned the kitchen, did the dishes, even jumped a couple of times to get the contractions coming. I'm not sure if my antics worked, but Saturday evening around 5 or 6 I started to get contractions. Not painful, but lower and tighter than the normal braxton hicks contractions. By 6:30 I started timing the contractions. They were happening, but still not painful at all. At this time Andy was talking to his sister, Jodie. We had her on standby to come and stay at our house with Zoe if I went into labor. I insisted we didn't need her, because the contractions weren't painful. The doctor's instructions were for me to come to the hospital when contractions at a pain level of 7/10 were 10 minutes apart for only 30 minutes. Jodie insisted on coming to stay the night at our house anyway. Inspired? Maybe! By 7:30-8:00 ish my non painful contractions became very regular at 5-6 mintues apart and had been so for an hour. I called the doctor's after hours line and they were...no help. They didn't really have an answer for me, and told me the only thing to do was to go in to the hospital to get checked. Jodie had made it to our house by this time, ready to spend the night. I went to the restroom, (and to keep the story clean- I'll keep out the details), but I KNEW it was a good idea to go to the hospital at this point. We packed up as if I would be admitted, and off we went.

We got to the hospital about 9ish on Saturday night. The nurse checked me and I was only a little over 1 1/2 cm dilated. Oh, bad, bad news! I was totally deflated. I was 1 1/2 cm on Thursday. No progress made over the last 2 days. A big bummer. The nurse checked to see if my water had broke... and whala- it did. Hmm... I sure didn't know it had broke. But now I was officially in labor and not going anywhere until my tiny Titan joined us. I was all monitored up and calls were made to the family. The bad news, I still had 8 1/2 cm to go.

By the time I was admitted to the hospital the painful contractions started. I was given pain medication to help me get some sleep. Andy got some sleep on the makeshift bed and I watched horrible late night TV. ( Why must I always go into labor during the night?) I had to have 2 rounds of antibiotics before I could have pitocin to help get things moving. During this time contractions stopped and so did the progress. It was about 3:30am when I was given the pitocin and the call was made for the anesthesiologist to come. This is where a mistake was made. *Get epidural BEFORE getting pitocin!!* I waited and waited, huffing and puffing and wanting to die. The nurse kept coming in trying to convince me the Dr. was coming any minute. A whole 45+ minutes later he shows up. They turn down the pitocin so I could sit still during. Mind you, my prior experience to giving birth was a blissful, no hiccup, smooth ride experience. Too add to the WONDERFUL time I was having, this doc made me sit sideways on the bed, Indian style. He had me drop Andy's hands (which I was squeezing at the moment) to lay them lightly on my lap. I wanted to SHOOT this idiotic man, who clearly has no idea what it is like to have a big baby between your legs. What woman in labor can sit INDIAN STYLE on a shifty bed while having contractions! I couldn't hold my huge self up! (Prior experience, I set on the edge of the bed while leaning into Andy to help control contractions=blissful). I start shaking from having to hold myself in position. My body just wanted to unfold and flop backwards off the bed. Oh wait, it gets worse. Not only did I do a supreme job of holding still for the FIRST epidural, I had to sit still while he redid the epidural. Apparently this has never happened to him in his 25 some years of doing this, but he thought he got a vein. To give him a bit of credit, I was grateful he redid the needle thing, because sending numbing juice throughout my whole body, killing me, was not my ideal.
Huaaaaahhh! I could relax. The pitocin was hopefully bringing the end in sight and I was able to breathe through contractions again. Andy was awake by now, but still tired. I was not happy with him. I didn't tell him, and nor was it his fault really. But he sat quietly with his computer and I sat in bed crying. There was really nothing he could do, but I wanted something, not sure what. Maybe I wanted him to feel the pain, I don't know, just something.   Oh did I mention, that shortly after the epidural and the catheter was inserted, an intense burning pain started. I was probably 3-5 cm by this time, I don't remember. My wonderful nurse, whom I LOVE, tried to figure out the problem. I was all numb, but still felt a horrible pain. It was coming from the area near my bladder so we assumed that each contraction was pushing on the catheter. NOTHING made this pain go away. I had to breathe slow, but hard in and out to be able to breathe at all. The minute I stopped concentrating on breathing I cried uncontrollably and hyperventilated. So many emotions and hormones! This lasted for several more hours. Every contraction felt like my insides were burning from inside to out. About 10 ish in the morning I finally made it to 7cm. My doctor was called to come in. By 10:10am I was holding this baby in. In just a few minutes I was ready to deliver this baby. I had the oxygen mask on and was breathing intensely. I watched as my room filled up with people. Two nurses holding each of my feet, CNA setting up the room for the doctor, and a nurse and doctor for Titan. We were all waiting like this for 20 mintues. The nurses telling me to breathe, giving encouragement (which, oddly I was grateful for someone giving me credit for what I was going through). I remember yelling out that I was TIRED of breathing, literally, I just wanted to stop. The nurses told me to not to push, but if I HAD to, they were ready to deliver without the doctor, if needed. Something in me held that baby back, the doctor was going to deliver this baby. The room was tense. The minute my doctor walked through the door, we was gowned, gloved and ready to go. And the pain! So much for epidural. After a push or 2, I was told to stop. Experiencing an out of body experience at this moment I couldn't contemplate what was happening. I heard someone say the cord was wrapped around his neck and body- don't push! Yikes. Not an easy task, but I was so concerned for my baby Titan, I held on as tight as I could.
Finally it was over. After my doctor took care of Titan, and a couple more pushes, Titan was born at 10:43 am. He was taken to the Pediatrician and nurse. I wasn't quite sure at the time why he wasn't given to me, but I was so exhausted I didn't mind. I have never been so relieved. It was over. I could breathe and now the only pain I felt was the stitches (thanks, epidural!).   While I am relaxing, I overhear the pediatrician come over to my doctor (while he is stitching me) and say: "that was a close one" "how bad was it". Funny, I was finally relaxed I didn't think much about it. Not until later did I realize how bad things could of gone. What we learned is that the burning I was feeling during labor was due to the cord being wrapped around Titan. Every contraction sent Titan further down the birth canal, which made the shortened cord pull at the placenta. The horrible burning I felt during labor was the placenta being tugged apart from inside me. Sometime, luckily towards the end of labor, I had placental abruption. Let me just say- VERY LUCKY. It was just a slight abruption and Titan, nor I bled out enough to cause any concern. Titan was given a 9 on the apgar scale. Just near perfect. His blood sugar keeping him from a perfect 10. Shortly after, Titan and I were reunited and finally life was perfect again.
     It was only later that I thought about how serious things could have been. Titan or I could have died if things were worse. Most maternal fatalities happen from this very thing. It makes me wonder if things worked out for a reason. Maybe I should not have had my membranes stripped. Naturally going into labor could have made it more easy on me. Maybe Titan wouldn't have been wrapped up in the cord. Or maybe he would have been wrapped up, and with 3 more weeks in utero, he would have been bigger and could have shortened the cord even more. I like to think and do owe credit to personal revelation and Heavenly Father watching over us that I have a healthy baby boy and that I am here today. I won't know what could have happened if different choices were made, but I do know that we were watched over anyhow. I know that both of my children are great blessings and I owe all of me to Heavenly Father for giving them to me.

Titan at 2 Weeks

2010-10-27T15:25:00.000-06:00

(Its sideways...deal w/ it.) Titan and his froggy on his 2 week mark.

Seriously, doesn't this face scream "cuddle me!"

Spending his snooze time nakey in front of the window. He beat out the yucky bilirubin all on his own. Shew! That was a close one. We almost had another "baby in a box".

1st real bath. I think his face tells you how he felt about it. Isn't he cute in pink?

Jump Jump!

2010-10-27T15:00:00.000-06:00

Fall Walk with Zoe

2010-10-25T21:23:00.000-06:00

I had scheduled Titan and Zoe's pictures to be taken last Monday when I totally spaced it and got the wrong directions to the studio. So needless to say I had 2 kids all dressed up and we missed the appointment. I was so mad at myself. It was a lot of work getting out of the house- all for nothing! I wanted to cry! Sometimes I get so made at myself when my brain does not function. It seems to be happening a lot more lately. I don't think there is anything so frustrating. Andy was not looking forward to getting pictures taken. To make it worth all the fuss we decided to just head to lunch at the Pie- yum.yum. Utah's best pizza. Since Zoe was looked mighty cute, her and I went on a little fall walk when we got home to get some pictures. She sure is cute!!

Titan 1 Week Old

2010-10-25T20:54:00.001-06:00

Week 1:

1Week Old:

Titan sleeps and eats... a lot. He is a very content baby who loves to be bundled up and cuddled. He eats every 3 hours at night, which is wearing out his momma. He is loved very much by his big sister.

Zoe's Birthday

2010-10-25T20:21:00.000-06:00

I forgot to post about Zoe's 2nd birthday in September. We had a family party. I think Zoe had fun. She gets a little overwhelmed by lots of people. We were very grateful for those who came to celebrate Zoe's special day with us. Zoe at 2: has a sweet heart, loves animals and all things cuddly, is saying 3 word phrases, sleeps in her big girl bed at night, takes 2-3 hour naps, is a very picky eater, favorite food is applesauce and "gotguus" (otter pops), is a BIG daddy's girl, loves weewoo's and going to the weewoo house.

Fall Family Day

2010-10-25T18:07:00.000-06:00

October 14, 2010

We took advantage of the warm fall weather and headed to Cornbelly's with Andy's mom, sisters, and brother in law. Zoe had a blast playing with her cousins. It was a great fall day with our first outing as a family of 4.

Wyatt and Ember

Zoe and cousins playing in the corn box.

Still can't believe we have 2 kids!!

Zoe is my little angel.

All 6 Malzer grandkids. We are excited for #7 in May!

We are a family of 4.

2010-10-13T10:39:00.000-06:00

Titan and I all cleaned up and ready to go HOME! We were released on Tuesday morning. That morning was a busy one with the final pokes and checks being done. Poor little Titan had his boy surgery that morning, but I hear he handled it like a champ. Titan was perfectly healthy when he was born besides his blood sugar. He wasn't able to keep it above the 50 mark, so had to be tested before every meal. With the help of formula and a breastfeeding coach he was able to eat and regulate his sugar for long enough to be allowed to come home on Tuesday. SHEW! I was thrilled that all his other tests were normal. No baby in a box this time! (bili levels low!)

We have adapted well since we've been home. Zoe is doing wonderful! She loves to rub his head and give him air hugs and kisses. She pretty much leaves him alone when he is sleeping in his swing. She does very well with following mommy and daddy's directions with baby Titan. I was very nervous about the first night with Titan. He stayed in the nursery during the night while at the hospital. 1st night went very well. He still has the newborn slumbers and sleeps for a long time. He woke up to eat at 11, 3 and then at 7:30. Not too bad. He is happy as long as he is bundled up and warm. We love our baby Titan!

My babies..

2010-10-12T06:33:00.000-06:00

Do they look alike?

Zoe 9/15/08

Titan 10/10/10

He is here!

2010-10-11T22:11:00.000-06:00

Our little Titan has arrived! After a long, helluva labor, he was born on Sunday morning, October 10th at 10:43 am. He weighs 5 lbs. 15 oz. Just one ounce more than Zoe did. And just like Zoe, he is 18 inches long and absolutely perfect. The helluva labor story will be told later. For now, here are some pictures of the handsome little guy.

3 generations of Malzers

Zoe loves her Baby Titan. She likes to point out all his facial features.

36 weeks

2010-09-30T16:43:00.000-06:00

I started my weekly appointments this week. The doctor was a little surprised at my progress so far... 1 1/2 cm dilated, 70 % effaced. He said the 2nd time should go a little faster than the first. I hope so! I've been feeling pretty sore lately and I don't walk well. I looked back through my posts to right before Zoe was born. 1 week before I had her I was 1 cm dilated, a couple of days before she came I was 2cm and 80%. My guess and hope is a baby in 2 weeks- right after my last day of school. But if history can give any clues, this baby could come sooner.

Baby Update

2010-09-04T23:05:00.001-06:00

I haven't really blogged a whole lot about baby boy. I am 32 weeks pregnant and carrying a very active, heavy boy. All sickness is over, but I hurt more than I did the first pregnancy. I'm really, really sore by the end of the day. Walking just plain hurts. I am going every 2 weeks for check-ups. This week at the Doc's, he said the baby is about 4 pounds and measuring right on schedule. Zoe always measured a little small. We'll know closer to due date if he will be little like Zoe. Hopefully not. I talked with the Doctor about inducing a week early. We won't set a for sure date until about 2 weeks before the baby is due, depending on the hospital's schedule. That is, if he doesn't come earlier. Zoe was 11 days early. I'm just a little nervous about going into labor while Andy is at work. Then again, being induced makes me nervous. The Doctor also said that Andy could assist in delivering the baby if he wanted to. That REALLY makes me nervous. Ah, just kidding. I am really getting anxious for the arrival. I can't wait to hold a teeny tiny baby again. We are prepping Zoe right now. I can ask her where mommy's baby is and she will pat on my stomach and say "baby ti-an". She loves to give him hugs. She doesn't understand much more than that. 7 more weeks until we are a family of 4!

Summer 2010

2010-09-04T22:40:00.001-06:00

I failed this summer to do things really cool, except stay in my house where it was cool. Here are a few occasions when the Malzer's got out and I actually took a couple of photos to prove it.

Brendalyn's Wedding

Poor Zoe

2010-07-30T15:42:00.001-06:00

Picture I stole from Megan's blog!

But she is such a trooper. I feel horrible that I have not taken her to play outside very often this summer. I simply cannot take the heat. After a rain, the weather cooled enough for Zoe to take her baby outside to play this week. I'm in the hunt for different indoor, super cool, super inexpensive places to take Zoe to play. Yesterday I met with my good ole' friend, Megan at the mall for our kids to play at the tree. It was a little crazy, and not a great place to be able to sit and keep an eye on Zoe the whole time. She had a great time playing with Tate. She loved the slide and drinking fountain and boy, a mess she made! Zo went the whole day without a nap. After a quick visit to see daddy (after 4 days) we got home at 5pm. I put her down for a quick nap and she didn't wake up until I went into her room at 10:00am the next morning. She is now sleeping again. Sometimes I wonder if she is sleeping too much.

Ember's Birthday Party

2010-07-17T21:44:00.000-06:00

Today we spent a very hot day at Ember's 7th birthday party. I can't believe I didn't take pictures of the birthday girl! I was trying real hard to keep this pregnant woman from overheating! I did get some pictures of 2 very cute girls!!

Elora and Zoe

Zoe likes the idea of water much more than actually playing in it. Her word for water is "wawer". Here is Zoe and her buddy, cousin Wyatt, playing in the wawer.

Zoe's cousins Mikaila and Ashlyn eating some ice cream and birthday cake.

2010-07-16T13:10:00.000-06:00

Zoe at the splash pad. Burr.. that was a cold summer day. She sure did enjoy watching the other kids get wet.

Car seat cover I made for the new baby.

My little cowgirl

2010-07-16T12:42:00.000-06:00

July 8, 2010

We took our family outing to Farm Country. I think this is Zoe's favorite place to go. It was hot and a lot of the animals were hiding in the shade. Zoe loved the plastic cow that let her give as many hugs as she could. This is Zoe's 2nd time at Farm Country. She has become quite the horse rider. She could ride in circles with them all day. Getting her off the horse brought tears and sad goodbyes. The day before we had taken Zoe to her 3 month late 18 month doctor appointment (she's 25 lbs. and healthy as can be!) The shots made her legs very sore and she walked funny for a couple of days. You can see in the picture with Andy her little sideways limp.

4th of July

2010-07-16T12:09:00.002-06:00

To make catching up on my blogging a little easier, I am going to go in reverse.

Zoe LOVES fireworks and anything fire related. Not surprising. She calls fireworks "wow". We had a few friends over on the 4th for hotdogs and smores. I unfortunately was sick with food poison from the day before and could barely move. And worse, I missed out on all the yummy food!

Where there is a daddy, there is a Zoe nearby.

And I couldn't

2010-06-06T21:34:00.001-06:00

leave you without a post about Zoe. Here are some pictures from the last 2 months. Being silly while modeling her swimsuit.

Swinging with daddy on Memorial Day.

19 weeks

2010-06-06T20:56:00.000-06:00

I made it to 19 weeks! The biggest day next to the actual delivery is finding out the gender. I have a hard time really grasping the idea of the upcoming baby until i find out the gender. It helps put an identity to our child. Last Friday we had the long awaited ultrasound. The radiologist went right to "the spot" and I could clearly see that we are going to welcome a little boy to our family! We are so excited. I even teared up just a tiny bit. I can't wait to go out and buy cute little boy outfits.

As of name... we have not finalized the name, so no announcement until my mind is firmly set. But I do, or I should say WE do have a name in mind. *Hint: you can not find this name in a baby name book.

2010-06-06T20:30:00.002-06:00

I have so many updates! That is what I get for waiting so long to blog. I struggled the past few months with the lack of desire to do ANYTHING. They talk about postpartum depression, but is there such a thing as just partum depression? I wasn't a sad kind of depressed, but I truly lacked any energy/desire to get out of bed, shower, shop, cook, clean, etc, etc. Of course I did it anyway, but I lived by doing the bare minimum. Luckily I was able to fake it enough for Zoe. The good news? I'm out of it! It lasted until about 14 weeks.

So, what have we been up to? A lot. We flew my dad out the 1st of May to start the backyard project. We worked him like crazy. He dug the whole for the patio, was the brains behind the construction of the wall and patio. It looks fabulous. For the rest of May and now into June, any free moment that Andy has is spent working on the backyard. Including trenches and sprinklers, topsoil and sod, and now the deck. I am so excited for this project to be over so we can enjoy our new beautiful back yard.

The before and after.

No one said it was easy...

2010-03-17T20:47:00.000-06:00

And boy, it is not! How did I forget how pregnancy feels the first few months? Don't get me wrong, it is very much worth it, but I'll think about that later. The memory of 2 years ago, when I was pregnant with Zoe, is all coming back to me now. I was MISERABLE! And here I am again. The past week has been 24 hr/day nausea. I am very glad yesterday's migraine is now gone. Pregnancy sickness is very bittersweet. The sickness gives me hope that this pregnancy is going well. At least I know the hormones are there! I was concerned when I wasn't sick at all the first couple of weeks. Ha! The symptoms this 2nd time around are hitting double force. I am hoping that this doesn't mean that there are double babies!

Zoe turned 18 months this week. What a big girl she is. I have been such a lousy mom lately. Andy is having to step in and be super dad to make up for it. I'm gonna try to rest it up the next couple of days to gather the energy to take some photos of Zoe to post. I joke with Andy that it takes a lot of energy to make 5 babies!

I REAALLY want a snow cone right now! My body temp is so high lately I can't get enough of super cold beverages. Darn it for living so far from Sonic!

It's me, Emily. Remember me?

2010-02-14T13:20:00.005-07:00

This is Zoe. I love her.
I feel like I have neglected my blog the last couple of months. I actually feel guilty blogging knowing all the school work and homework I need to do. Here is a quick update of the 3 of us:
Andy: is busy finishing up his last semester (besides a math class) of school. He spreads his time working at Eagle Mountain, Pleasant Grove, teaching classes, homework and spending time with me and Zoe. I am really grateful for his job. It is nice that most days I work he can be home with Zoe. This only means we don't see him much on the weekends and evenings. Another plus is that he loves his job. Good thing.
Emily: I am busy being wife and momma, my top priorities. And then I have to squeeze in teaching and school. I am currently taking a class at SLCC to get my early childhood license. This will allow me to be a "highly qualified" (thanks No Child Left Behind) Kindergarten teacher. I love my job, but sometimes don't think part time pays enough for all the time I still have to put into my job. Good thing I love it, and my students!! Work is a bit stressful. The district is in big financial trouble and 250 teachers may not have a job next year. Sadly they are probably going to start cutting the newest teachers ( which does not mean the older teachers are any better at their job, mind you!). A preschool business may start sooner than expected! Other than work I am completely enjoying being a mother to Zoe the troublesome toddler! Okay, she really is not all that troublesome, but the toddler monster does make an appearance at times. Wait, I was supposed to be talking about me! Sadly, there is not much to me right now but work and Zoe. Waiting for time to do things I love: crafting, blogging, and working on my memory book. (A little secret: back on the clomid. Fingers crossed.)
Zoe: 17 months old (1 more month until nursery!!!) She is a gabber, a whiner, talker, giggler, mover, a picky eater. She loves her babysitters, outdoors, and dipping (ketchup, ranch, anything really). Has been labeled by stangers as a Dakota Fanning look a like. New found love of babies.
Here are a few pages that are a little late:

Thank you Aunt Fran, Uncle Alan, Aunt Debbie, Uncle Tim and girls.

Sweet 16

2010-01-15T19:55:00.005-07:00

Oh, my sweet angel is 16 months old. She is quite the character. Some of her recent accomplishments:
*gracefully falling down the stairs - coming out alive and a little rug burn nose. I earned the worst mom award.
* "no, no, no" said with a mischievous grin
* loves to feed herself. meals consist of ketchup or ranch with a side of chicken
* still loves her "PUPPIES!"
* Zoe loves books- more than any toy
* explores, runs, bounces- she loves adventures
words:
* nkie = blankie
* ummy = yummy
* nigh-nigh = night night
* mommy
*daddy
* tanta = santa
*hi
*tank-too= thank you
*puppy!
*tree

I love this girl!

2010-01-04T16:50:00.002-07:00

P.S. Really loving my memory suite right now. These pages are sooo easy.

Christmas- Phase 1

2010-01-04T14:08:00.003-07:00

2010-01-04T00:53:00.002-07:00

My sis n law, Brendalyn let us borrow her keyboard. I have to prove to Andy that I will use it before I get my own piano. It is a great babysitter when I need to distract Zoe for a few minutes. I love how she is so delicate when pressing the keys. It is never too early to start raising my lil' Mozart.

Frost bite... not really

2010-01-04T00:47:00.003-07:00

FYI: If you can't see.read it, click on it to make it bigger.

I resolute....

2010-01-04T00:13:00.003-07:00

This is a start. I'm going to resolute this year to journal more frequently. My big thing this last year was to make memories, now I just need to make sure I document them. A friend of mine chooses a word that she focuses on throughout the year. So I have decided that this word will be mine:

I want to appreciate and.or show appreciation to:

* my family
* my husband
*my daughter
*my job
*the "things" I have, and being content
*time
*moments- funny, sad, happy or frustrated
*blessings big and small
*trials that make me stronger
*all the simple things

I hope by doing this I can in some small way slow down time and realize the important things. I'm just gonna be happy!

My Lil' Snow Angel

2009-11-22T20:25:00.004-07:00

This is just a test

2009-11-21T22:05:00.002-07:00

To tackle a lack of time and well... my laziness, I think I'm going to try to first scrap my photos first and then just post the scrapped page on my blog. So, this is me testing the photo quality of my scrapbook page.

If Anyone is Interested

2009-11-20T17:28:00.005-07:00

I have an extra My Memories Suite digital scrapbooking software to sell. I have it and love it. I take my blog entries and put them on scrapbook templates so I can make a book of my blog. I am also going to make it into a DVD to send to family who does not get to see Zoe all of the time. This program is perfect for this. It sells for $60, but I'm selling it for $50.
You can check out their website at http://mymemoriessuite.com/.
Let me know if you are interested. If no one I know wants it, I'm just going to put it on amazon.

Adorable? You better believe it!

2009-11-15T23:39:00.006-07:00

Okay, so here are a few pictures of my little Zoe. The weather was so nice this last week that we spent time playing before I had to go to work. Zoe loves the new found freedom that walking gives her. Too bad she is enjoying the outdoors just in time for winter ( Don't worry that isn't a problem- stay tuned for another post about this). The first place she heads for is the road. I bark at her and she steers herself down the sidewalk. She is getting so good at walking that she almost runs. It's more like a quick shuffle. Zoe looked adorable this day so i took tons of pictures. I love her facial expressions. I can't wait until she is a little older so she will actually pose for me. Zoe loves giving raspberries.
She is off!

A Cute Lil' Witch

2009-11-15T22:45:00.006-07:00

Picture overload! Yay!
Here is the costume I made Zoe. It was nothing fancy, but homemade- which is all that counts. I already have plans for next year's Halloween.

There she goes. She finally got the hang of it.Trick or Treating with Grandpa MalzerElora and Zoe

October- Part 1

2009-11-15T21:42:00.009-07:00

We had a very busy October. I had the first 3 weeks off of work. The first 10 days we spent with my family in Kentucky. We played with Grandma and Grandpa, went to the museum, and played a ton with Carter. Zoe and Carter got along so well. Carter played great with Zoe. Zoe went to her very first football game. I went to Empress Chili at least 3 or maybe 4 times. YUM. We also stopped by the pumpkin patch to get pictures before the long trip to the airport. Here are some pictures from our trip.Zoe being silly with Grandma's glasses.

Fun times at the Cincinnati Children's Musuem.
Fun times at Great Granparent's house.
It started out innocent.Then Uncles mad Zoe mad by trapping her in.

Out came Zoe.In went Carter. What a cute kid.
Zoe with my brother, Nate.Great Grandma Rosie playing with Carter and Zoe.
Zoe and Great Grandpa Alan
Playing piggy back on Grandpa's back. I know there are pictures of us as kids all piled on my dad's back. Carter was so sweet to Zoe. She misses him a lot!Sleep over at Grandma's house. Here you can have popsicles for breakfast.
Zoe insisted on sharing with Carter.

2009-11-15T21:16:00.004-07:00

September continued

Zoe's last night as a baby. I held her close and rocked her.

Spending time with Daddy at the fire station.

Riding in her very own firetruck.

Err. Please ignore the underlined font. Darn blogger.

Oh my!

2009-11-09T23:51:00.003-07:00

overwhelmed, over-booked, under pressure, unprepared, unsuccessful. These are words to describe me this past month. I can't catch up. My list grows and grows and fewer things are being checked off. I thought I would add a brief update with what the family is up to. I really want to catch up, but spare time this week is being spent studying for a state test i have to take Saturday.
SO...
I work.
Andy works.
Zoe works to keep me busy. She will be 14 months in a few days. She is such a crazy! She is climbing, running, dancing and twirling. She loves books. She loves to make messes. She does not like to sit and eat. She does not like to eat. She still loves her milk during cuddle time. She gives kisses. Open mouth. And sometimes a slip of tongue. She loves her puppies and "puppies" is actually the clearest word she says. She seeks adventure. Cries when she falls. Gets back up and does it again. And cries. I ignore that. She sits forward in her car seat and whines the whole time. I think I will reverse her- so what if her legs are folded up and cramped. Zoe does what I call 'happy feet'. She will twirl around and do a little cha-cha. maybe she likes the squeaks her squeaky shoes make. She has 3 teeth. One on top, two on bottom. No new appearances in the last month. I hope this means they are going to be super strong when they come out. She giggles and giggles. LOVES tickles, but not on her feet. Little Miss Independent. A toddler, I'm sad to say. Smiles- a lot. Thinks it's funny when mom says "no". Loves to undue, to destruct, to empty. Bookshelves, cupboards, laundry, wipes, tissues and even the trash can is not safe. All of these things must be emptied or she is not satisfied. Hoping she will love to put things away. soon- for my sanity. Loves her firetruck and cars. They go "vroooom". She loves animals. Any kind. And I love her. Her smile tickles my heart.

zo-zo, zoes, rosey, zo-ro, boo, pumpkin

1st Birthday Celebrations

2009-09-20T19:57:00.011-06:00

We started birthday morning with a balloon and signing! Zoe opens a birthday card from Grandma Judy.I love this face. She looks so grown-up.

Andy and I took Zoe to the zoo. It was a beautiful day. Zoe was much more aware of the animals compared to 4 months ago. She would reach out and try to touch the animals.

Yummy lunch!

Zoe was unsure of the kitty cats. She whined every time we tried to sit her down to get a picture.

Zoe's first carousel ride.

The Birthday Party! We had a little party for Zoe Saturday, the 19th. A lot of things didn't go as planned. But I tried to look past it and make it a day for Zoe. We tried to have a pizza picnic at the park near our house. BUT the WIND! It was ridiculous! My salad blew off my plate. It was horrible. About 1/2 hour later came the lightening and rain. We saw it coming in the distance and had time to clean up to finish the celebrations at the house. What a joke. But in the end, it turned out okay.

Zoe loved having her very own piece of pizza. YUM.

Grandma and Grandpa Malzer, Wendy and the girls, Angela and Wyatt were able to come celebrate with us. Coleman and Xochi met us at the house.

Zoe's cake and cupcakes.

I LOVE watching cake decorating shows, and I have come to the conclusion that I am in no way an artist. But that's okay. Zoe still thought it was yummy!

Happy Birthday to You!

She was very gentle. Boy, do I love her!

She took a couple of bites and then threw the rest on the floor.

And then... she found a spot to hold her finger.

Presents! Zoe is very spoiled! Here she is in her very own firetruck. She got a book reader whose main character is a little pig tailed girl named Zoe from Grandma and Grandpa Malzer, Jodie, Brendalyn, and the Andersons. Ang and Wyatt got Zoe an adorable interactive purse and toys. Cole and Xochi got Zoe a cute pink BYU hat. Zoe got a lullaby glow worm and firetruck from her mom and dad. In the end the day was wonderful; Zoe was loved and that is all that matters to me.

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

2009-09-15T21:32:00.002-06:00

Journaling for my memory book. Pictures will come tomorrow.

My baby is a toddler! AH! This is such a bittersweet moment. I miss my teeny cuddly baby, but I LOVE seeing Zoe change each day. Her personality is so distinct. It is hard to describe. Ever since she was just a teeny thing, she has interacted with people. At times she seems older to me than other babies I see her age. She is very aware of the world around her. She is observant. I think she is going to grow up to be very compassionate and nurturing to others- family and strangers. She is unique- my Zoe is one of a kind!

Zoe is a nut! She loves to laugh. She makes herself laugh all the time. She will do silly faces in the mirror and then crack up laughing. She moves constantly around the house pounding her hands against anything that makes noise. Her latest game is stopping mid-crawl and banging the floor with her hands and giggling. Tonight she was crawling. She stopped, put her butt up in the air and her head on the floor. Don't know why, but she did it over and over and thought it was the funnest game ever.

She loves the dogs! She tries to play with Dax, but the minute she gets close he runs away. Harley, on the other hand, loves to get in Zoe's face. Zoe has never laughed harder than when playing with Harley. He'll chase her around and she spills in laughter.

Zoe is talking more these days. She does pretty good with repeating sounds that you say. "Hi" and "WOW" are the words that are the most clear.

We are days away from independent walking. Hopefully before the Ky trip in 2 weeks. She lacks the confidence in doing it on her own. She likes to have someone near her, holding her hand. She walks best for Andy. That's probably because she will do anything to be with him. She ADORES her daddy.

Zoe Rose,
You turned into a big girl today! I wanted you to know how much I love you. I waited a long time for you. I'm so glad that the prayers I cried this last year were for gratitude that I have you in my life. Everyday I am grateful that you here and I realize the miracle you are. I hope I can be the best mommy I can be, for you. You are a choice spirit, and I hope you always remember your worth. You will do great things one day. I love you, sweet girl.
Momma.

One year ago...

2009-09-11T23:12:00.001-06:00

today it all started. The first contractions.

Do you have a time machine I can borrow?

2009-09-02T22:55:00.003-06:00

I am having quite the emotional night! Zoe turns 1 in less than 2 weeks. The days go by so fast that I can't get enough of Zoe. I wish I could grab time for just a minute so I can sit and absorb every second with my little girl. I love my job, but hate the time and energy it takes from me. I am glad for my break in 3 weeks. Hallelujah!

2009-08-31T21:51:00.008-06:00

Oh, I am SO behind. For blog book reasons there are going to be a lot of pictures. Don't like it? Don't care. It's my blog! Ha. Why do people always apologize for a lot of pictures? I love pictures!

August 15-25. My mom came to visit and watch Zoe for me while I worked. We played at home a lot, went swimming, shopping, ear piercing, and took a WILD ride through AF canyon. Zoe QUICKLY fell in love with Grandma Judy. I fell in love with a live-in nanny.

This is our trip to Cascade Springs.Zoe didn't like the ice cold water, but held out long enough for me to get a picture. So after the lovely walk around the springs, Andy decided to take us on a car ride through the canyon. This picture describes how I felt about it:I am the BIGGEST chicken and am deathly afraid of cliffs, heights and curvy wurvy roads. I literally freaked out. Anxiety, hyperventilation, thoughts of death filling my head. We spent a WHOLE HOUR driving on unpaved roads. The roads jumbled Zoe to sleep,
mom was tousled very close to death ( bumpiness=blurry picture),

which resulted in me giving Andy "THE LOOK". A map? Really? I was definitely ready to go home. But Andy was set to explore. I lost this 'discussion'.

SO, I took more pictures. I tried to get some of the huge ol' drop offs, but even looking in that direction freaked me out. So here is a shot of the tops of trees that were at eye level and me NOT looking.

Don't worry. We didn't go off the cliff and die. Although Andy did manage to put the car UP on the side of a cliff on 3 wheels. My mom and I were for sure we were going to roll the car and end up going off the road and down the huge drop off on the other side. Traumatic, very traumatic. I will be scarred for life.

SO Perty!

2009-08-19T20:17:00.005-06:00

Last night Andy, my mom and I took Zoe to the mall to get her ears pierced. I had planned on doing it for her first birthday, but decided now will be a great time to do it since my mom is in town. Now I have her to help take care of Zoe's ears throughout the day. Andy hadn't minded getting her ears done when we talked about it months ago, but when the day arrived he had issues. Not that she is too young, but that it would hurt. Me on the other hand, say, Ah! No big deal! I had mine done when I was around a year old as well. Some people have their own feelings about ear piercing, but I'm glad I get to say "She's mine, and I'll do what I want!" Okay, so maybe I got a little thrill out of doing it, because people said I shouldn't. Oh well!

Before she knew what was coming:

We thought it was all over... but the backs weren't on! That was probably the worst part.

The overall experience wasn't horrible, but their was crying involved. Zoe's tears and MAYBE one or two from Andy.

Zoe also got to have her first sucker. Hmmm... we probably should have given her the sucker to begin with.

All I can say is that I'm glad my mom was there to help hold her. I don't know if I could have done it with just me and Andy.

Can you believe this?

2009-08-14T22:47:00.002-06:00

So, I call my dear husband today to let him know some exciting news about lil Zoe. In the end my bubble was burst and I find that men's lives, or maybe just mine, do not revolve around their child. It all started when I picked Zoe up at Andy's parents house. Aunt Jodie was telling me about the day and how Zoe wouldn't eat and was very clingy. The first thing I did was check her mouth for teethies. And owwa! There was a sharp little toothie pointing out. I was SO excited. Not about my baby growing up to be a big girl, just for the excited-ness of a milestone. On the way home I called Andy to let him know the news. He informs me that this is NOT news and that when he was home with her the other dat, he felt a tooth. WHAT!!!!?? He did not text or call me immediately to tell me? Or at least tell me when I got home? No. I found out three days later! I was quite disappointed. I have tried to make it a point to call Andy when he is working and tell him if Zoe has done something new or learned a new trick. I just don't want him to miss out. Well I gave him a quilt trip so he better not let something like this happen again. Better Not!

While we are talking about milestones. Zoe can cruise around the furniture finally. She also can take a couple of steps from Andy's hands to mine. Oh yeah, and she is getting more beautiful every day. And boy, does this girl have charisma! She can have a whole conversation with you by just using her facial expressions. Mooowah! Love you baby girl! Happy 11 months tomorrow!

I Need to Update this Thing!

2009-08-12T22:46:00.002-06:00

I have had absolutely no motivation to blog lately. What has happened to me? Oh yeah.... I went back to work. I have been super busy since school started. I fill all my extra time with Zoe so I don't feel quilty when I go to work. By the time bedtime comes around, I'm exhausted too.

I am loving Kindergarten. The kids are wonderful and well behaved. Plus, with only being with them for 3 hours a day, I don't have time to get sick of them! I don't think I can ever teach a full day again. Its wonderful! So far, so good. I miss Zoe a lot, and wish I had a free schedule to do what I wanted, but I know she is in good hands hanging out with family.

I have a lot of pictures to prove all the fun we have been having. My goal: Post Friday by 12:00am. My mom comes Saturday so I have a lot of cleaning to do, fingers are crossed for time!

10 Months

2009-07-21T20:45:00.003-06:00

Last week Zoe turned 10 months old. The exact day that she started crawling. Zoe is such a sweetheart. She still loves to smile, giggle, and interact with others, especially kids. She is becoming a picky eater- its a fight to get her to eat anything, bottles included. I don't think it will be too hard to wean her off of them when she turns 1. She LOVES her daddy. Her hands and legs go-a crazy when daddy comes home. She cries when strange men talk to her- like random men at the grocery store (weird and uncomfortable for everyone). She does not cry when other people hold her while the momma is near. Maybe when I go back to work she will miss me and cry for me too. Nap time has become erratic and not fun. This is due to the new mobility she now has. She will crawl around her bed until she literally FALLS to sleep. Andy and I will go in and find her where ever her head hit when she went down. She has the cutest little baby butt that sticks out while she crawls. She loves tickles and giggles. She will squeak at me until I tickle her and make her laugh. Zoe gets compliments daily, hourly, by the minute of how cute and well behaved she is. Really? I do believe she is cute, but those whiney squeals do get old! I must be spoiled, if that is considered "such a good baby". That is my Zoe. Love love loooooove her.

Summer Shots

2009-07-16T16:07:00.002-06:00

July 14 Happy 30th Birthday Andy!

2009-07-16T15:00:00.005-06:00

4th of July 2009

2009-07-16T14:45:00.005-06:00

Idaho June 25-27

2009-07-16T14:11:00.006-06:00

Zoe and I went on a trip to Idaho with Angela, Linda, and Wyatt to visit Leann, Andy's sister, and her husband Sid. A long car ride, but Zoe did wonderful! No crying at all :) My baby is perfect! Here are all the fun things we did:

Rose Garden in Boise

My little Zoe Rose.

Boise Zoo where Zoe did a lot of this-

We had a great time going to parks and shopping! Lots of shopping! Thanks Leann and Sid for letting us come visit!

What do you think?

2009-06-29T23:33:00.004-06:00

I want one for Zoe's birthday. Which one?

I want to buy one to copy the pattern so I can make my own. But can't decide which one, bright pink, or pink/brown. I need opinions here people!

Pillowcase Dresses

2009-06-21T22:21:00.004-06:00

I have been looking online for a Halloween Costume for Zoe. I know it is a little early, but I want to get pictures of her in it when I do her 1 year pics. I can't find anything I like. There is not a big selection of cute costumes for babies. My search ended up finding these adorable dresses that are super easy to make (at least that is what they say). They are pillowcase dresses. My idea is to make her a Halloween costume in this style, but make it a little witch/fairy-ish. I think I can add some layers, ribbon, tulle and leg warmers to make it pretty darn cute. Well, the image is in my head. The task for me is to make it to match. My project now is finding chic/trendy fabric I can afford to make Zoe some summer dresses and start working on her Halloween dress.

I love this cute dress. Make it or buy it? Hmmmm....

Saturday at Strawberry Days continued..

2009-06-20T21:20:00.008-06:00

I love Pleasant Grove Fire Department. They are VERY family oriented and do a lot to bring the families together. As an honorary family member of a PGFF, we got great seats to the parade. At the station, of course. I am regretting right now that I did not take more pictures. Errr. Ang and Wyatt rode on the fire truck in the parade while Linda (Andy's mom) and I watched. The fire station was a perfect place to watch the parade. While everyone else was getting pelted with rain, we sat nice and dry in the bay of the station, still with great views of the parade. (Anne post that picture you took so I can have it :] ) Zoe was such a sweetheart. She did wonderful during the 5k and snuggled on my lap during part of the parade. Before I knew it she had fallen asleep in my arms. Aww, melt my heart. She hasn't done that in FOREVER! I have hope that she will be a cuddly! After the parade we had the annual PGFD family picnic and honored those who are retiring. Yummy yummy food. I love BBQs!

Zoe loves Wyatt. He'll sing to her and she just cracks up laughing.

Strawberry Days

2009-06-20T20:45:00.005-06:00

I LOVE this time of the year with all the carnival fun. Too bad the rain has been ruining most cities' celebrations. On Thursday, Zoe and I went down to Pleasant Grove to visit Andy while he was working. I was looking forward to some yummy-not-so-healthy carni food, but was already feeling sick before I could even partake. My body sure isn't liking me much lately. I would like a digestive system transplant, please.
Anyway back to carnival fun. We walked around, browsed the booths and talked with friends.

Saturday was the big day. I woke up at 3:30am to take Coleman to the airport. Hurried home to shower and get child ready to head to Pleasant Grove for one of my favorite days of summer. I had committed myself earlier this week to doing the 5k. I was regretting it this morning. Andy already paid for it and Ang was coming to do it with me, so I was in. The ambulance took us up to the starting point and Zoe decided to spill out of her diaper (STUPID HUGGIES, you have let me down, AGAIN!). So, I hurried and changed her on the grass at the church. Ugh. That alone wore me out! Ang and I made our way to the rear of the crowd as we eyed our competition. There were some hard core runners who actually do this because they enjoy it. In this life I will never understand it, but thumbs up to you crazies! The race started downhill so we jogged the first bit to get a lead on our fellow walkers. WE WERE NOT GOING TO BE LAST! The cloudy day paid us a beautiful visit and sprinkled us with lovely rain juice. SO, in the end, we finished. Ang pushed me along (remind you I have not done much walking/running the past 3 weeks since I've been sick). For some strange reason I thought it would be easy pushing Zoe along. WHAT was I thinking? I give myself a little credit for pushing all the extra weight that her and her gear made up. Those inclines, even though slight, kicked my butt. Andy came to meet us after he finished; we had about 1/4 mile or less to finish. He took Zoe for me and AHHHHH!!!! Relief! Ang and I finished in 50 mintues. So we walked an average 16 minute mile. Not great, but not bad on our first 5k EVER. My feet are torn and tathered, but we are SO glad we did it. We are now planning our second 5k.

Stray Cats

2009-06-18T12:05:00.002-06:00

I didn't know my fears were justified.
When we first moved here I was always scared to take the dogs out at night. I was afraid some wild animal would be hiding in our backyard and try to eat me and my doggies. It had always crossed my mind, but I didn't know how likely that could happen. Until now...

Here is Andy (on the far right) watching the wildlife guys go after the mountain lion.

Now that we have a fenced in yard, Andy doesn't want to leave the dogs out unattended. He is afraid that Harley is going to be eaten. Oh, brother.

Before and After

2009-06-18T00:20:00.005-06:00

Here is 9 months of change.

This is the silly face that Zoe makes when I pull out the camera. She is preparing herself for the flash. She is quite the chunka-monk!

Just Pictures

2009-06-17T18:24:00.004-06:00

The many faces of Zoe.

By Request

2009-06-17T17:01:00.005-06:00

from my mom, I'm supposed to post a picture a day. I'm not saying that this is going to happen, but I sure will try. And yes, I do take a picture of Zoe just about everyday. These are a few of the pictures that I have taken the past couple of weeks. I should be good for posting for the next month now.

Happy 9 Months

2009-06-15T14:26:00.002-06:00

Zoe! Totally cliche, but is has literally flown by. Why is it that time flies when you are having fun? I am glad to say that I have no regrets to how the last 9 months has gone. I have tried so hard to not wish the days away and enjoy every second with Zoe. I look forward to tomorrow, but absolutely LOVE today. Zoe had her 9 month check up this morning. The Doc said she is very healthy and strong. She weighs 18.5 lbs - little under 50% and she is 28 inches long- somewhere in the 80 percentile. I would say that is pretty good. I hope she can keep that ratio for the rest of her life. I'm working on taking 9 month shots of her, so stay tuned...

Hill Air Force Air Show

2009-06-08T11:47:00.003-06:00

After church on Sunday we headed up to the Hill Air Force Base to watch the free air show. This is the second time that Andy and I have gone. Our fingers were crossed that it would not rain.

Angela (Andy's sister), Chris, and Wyatt came along with us. We were so glad they came. We
have been wanting to do more family activities. Hopefully this is the start of many more.
Andy really wanted to see the Thunderbirds. The time before we didn't stay long enough to see them fly. It was SUPER hot, Andy insisted we arrive at the beginning of the show, and of course, they flew last. We were burnt to a crisp by early afternoon and left. We didn't know if we were going to see them this year, either. After walking around and seeing the planes we found a spot to put out our chairs and watch the show. It was early afternoon and we had a little girl who did not get a full noon nap and was heading into the time for the second nap of the day. It never crossed my mind that it was going to be super loud. A plane came barrelling over head of us from behind and about scared the crap out of me. I screamed- Zoe screamed. Uh-oh. I put my hands on tight over her ears- Zoe screamed more- Andy went to find ear muffs to buy. We both thought that we'd have to head home early. We couldn't let the poor child wail while loosing her hearing. Andy came back with these huge ear muffs. It was my job to spend the rest of the afternoon distracting her so she wouldn't pull them off. Ugh. This was not going to be fun- for me. The big loud planes (don't ask me what they are called- I can't tell them darn things apart) went away for awhile, while smaller planes did their twists and turns. I was able to feed Zoe lunch and by pure miracle the un-napable-when-not-in-her-bed child fell asleep! There is truly nothing more beautiful then a sleeping child. Zoe did not budge an inch while roaring jet engines, loud enough to rumble your insides, flew over for the next half hour. Zoe did not budge an inch while rain pelted down on us and halted the show, while we guarded our young as the hail pinged us in the heads. My beautiful child slept peacefully as the only dry person at the whole base. Gladly the storm blew over within about 10 minutes, the show went on once the clouds let the mountains be visible again. We were drenched. But the show was fantastic! Loved, loved, loved it! The storm definitely made this a memorable event. Would take rain over scorching heat anyday. I love making memories!

Saving Lives- My Husband the Hero

2009-06-02T22:55:00.002-06:00

Andy is not thrilled with me posting this. He is embarrased, but I am proud. They got a call today for an injury at a bike park. It just so happened the news was there talking about the new bike park while a boy with no helmet got hurt. What timing. Andy is the bald one.

http://www.fox13now.com/news/kstu-boy-injured-at-new-eagle-mountain-bike-park,0,1691752.story

Little Miss Independent

2009-06-01T20:29:00.002-06:00

(*Warning: pictures of a big girl- Don't cry, mom. )

Zoe wouldn't have it any other way. She is not the easiest child to feed. We have 2 options: 1. she feeds herself, 2. I feed her in her room, only. Everywhere else there are too many distractions, and she usually throws a fit for anyone but her momma. This new independence has helped me get so much done throughout the day. Oh, I love it! Seriously, this saves me 20 minutes in the morning. She will feed herself while I shower and get ready. 20 min. -extra sleep- Y U M! I love this girl more everyday. I'm sad to see my baby slowly not be a baby anymore, but I'm super excited to get to know this little person.

Summer Equations

2009-06-01T17:50:00.005-06:00

Summer + Heat= Swimming
Swimming + Zoe= Tired baby

Tired baby = Great nap

Great nap = me happy

I set up Zoe's pool today. Even though the water was ice cold, Zoe loved it. She could play in water all day long. I plan to spend many summer days at the pool. Zoe loves water, I love tanning- perfect! I love how splashing in water drains all her energy. She is sound asleep now while I blog. Need a swimming buddy? Call me up- we never turn down a chance to go!

Fireman's Breakfast

2009-06-01T17:33:00.003-06:00

On Saturday, Zoe and I went to Pleasant Grove to eat some yummy breakfast made by PG's finest. They had a great turnout. The place was packed all morning. Zoe and I spent most of the time outside out of the crowd. We were soon forced to leave as Zoe was traumatized by the super loud siren that little sticky finger kids kept pushing. I guess I can't blame them. We were at a fire department. ButI will fight for the happiness of my child over other's. Andy spent most of the morning cooking, but once he saw a teary eyed Zoe, he couldn't resist. She has become quite the daddy's girl. She cries for him, which he loves.

Zoe Goes to the Zoo

2009-05-29T10:02:00.003-06:00

The family took a trip to the zoo on Memorial Day weekend. Probably not the best day to go to see animals, but a great day to see people. So, Zoe was in heaven. She enjoyed seeing all the people more than the animals. It was great going out as a family.

Splish Splash!

2009-05-18T23:48:00.005-06:00

Today we took Zoe swimming for the 1st time. She was so cute in her little swimsuit. Zoe loved splashing in the water. I wish we got more pictures, but I'm sure we will have plenty of chances this summer.

Here is a clip from a couple of weeks ago. She is so silly!

Andy and Emily Update

2009-05-16T00:15:00.003-06:00

Our blog probably gets very repetitive as I share my adoring love for my child. So here is a quick update of what Andy and I are up to. Andy- works, works, works. We both are cracking down and trying to get into shape. It has been 2 months of no yummies for me, and Andy just started this week. I lost 24 lbs so far. But losing weight ain't what it used to be. I think I will forever have the mark of motherhood on me. How come the place where the child sat for nine months is the hardest place to get rid of inches? Is it fair that women still have to look pregnant long after delivery? Errr. I guess the blessing of children must come with a sacrifice. So from now on all pictures will be head shots. Again, Errrr. For those of you mothers who look like they did when they were 18, stop reading my blog. I am for sure I will receive blessings for caring this mark of motherhood.
Besides dieting, I decided to look for a job for next year. I am actually going to teach afternoon kindergarten at my old school. I am excited and nervous. I'm nervous about Zoe. We'll have to find a sitter for a couple of days a week for a couple hours. Andy will be home at least every other day, so I'm hoping it won't be too bad. Other positives- I teach afternoon= Zoe naptime (hopefully), I get 3 weeks off every 9 weeks (year round school), I get a paycheck!!, I only teach 3 or 3 1/2 hours a day, and I can get my early childhood endorsement while working. The main focus now is trying to find someone who will love my little Zoe while I go to work. Any takers?

The Best 8 Months

2009-05-15T23:43:00.004-06:00

Where did the time go? Little Zoe turned 8 months old yesterday. I can't believe how big she is getting. Her personality continues to bloom. She is so funny. She definitely thinks so. Her favorite toy is still the mirror. It now goes with us where ever we go. She will sit for the longest time talking to herself, smiling and laughing. She is her own biggest fan.
What can Zoe do now?:

*sits up on her own

*says da, ga, ba, ma

*spits constantly, especially when she is bored or frustrated

* smiles TONS

* is VERY ticklish and giggles when tickled

* eats everything! Loves to gnaw on baby crackers

* grabs everything in sight

* tries to pull herself up- not quite there yet.

* still not a on-her-belly fan. She is doing better staying on her tummy a little longer while grabbing for toys, but rolls over as soon as she can.

* LOVES watching people and interacting with others. She is definitely a people person.

* Her hair is growing- slowly, but growing nonetheless.

* Is the best sleeper!!!!!!

* Has chubb, chubb, chubb!

* The cutest and smartest baby in the world!

We love her more than we could have ever imagined.

I want to go wake her up and give her kisses just thinking of those chubby cheeks.

Slacker

2009-05-08T21:33:00.008-06:00

I have been a huge slacker on the journaling part of my blog. And no, I'm not going to do any journaling now either. Andy and Zoe got me a cute little laptop for Mother's Day and I hope to be able to be more diligent in recording our lives. In short - Life is going well. I'm on a job hunt for a part time teaching job for next year. UGH. Hate this process. Zoe is beautiful. Andy and I adore her with kisses everyday. I wanted to post some more shots from the trip to KY since that was a whole month ago. Here ya GO!

1- Carter gives Zoe a hug.

2. Zoe falls down. Zoe not happy. Carter thinks it would be fun to fall.

3. So he does it over and over. Zoe still doesn't think it's funny.

Zoe takes a ride.

Great Aunt Jeanie and Zoe.

Mom, Zoe, and Zoe's second cousin, Sammy.

Easter

2009-04-26T14:05:00.004-06:00

Zoe's Easter Basket from Grandma

4 Generations

Grandpa and Grandma Nagel + Zoe

For Easter, Zoe and I went to Kentucky for a week. We had a great time. As usual, it was hard to leave. Andy missed his little girl tons. We spent a lot of time visiting family. We tried to get some cute pictures of Zoe and Carter, but waited too late in the evening when there was not a lot of cooperation from either of them.

Last Week

2009-04-26T13:31:00.004-06:00

A couple of days ago Zoe started saying different sounds. Up until now, her language was a squeals and la-las. She nows says da-da and /vvvvv/. Andy loves that she will yell at da-da, even though she hasn't put meaning behind it. It is still sweet to hear. I hope to catch it on video. She refuses to perform once she sees the camera. These are some pictures from this last week.
Zoe loves looking at herself in the mirror

I took Zoe on a walk around the neighborhood this week. We don't have a whole lot of grass in our yard yet so we stopped by the little park to bask in the sun.
This is the view from our kitchen/deck. I love the mountains at sunset.

Spring Time FUN

2009-04-22T11:43:00.005-06:00

YEA! The warm weather has arrived! Isn't it amazing how weather affects how we feel? I feel so giddy inside! Andy is being super husband this week and working NON-STOP, literally. Zoe and I went to visit him at the fire station so he could have some dad time. While we were there Andy got a fire call. Not a big fire, but a fire nonetheless! It was a brush fire that was getting too close to a house. Andy went through training to become an Engineer* and he got to use it for the first time. *Engineer is the one who controls the water flow and stuff. A lot of physics and crap that I don't understand. Who knew it was so involved? While on call I took Zoe on a little walk around the fire station and park near by. She is adjusting to the stroller and the new view. What a big girl!

We stopped by the park and Zoe had her first ride in the swing. She loved it!

Look at those eyes! What a beautiful girl!

Cousins

2009-03-24T15:08:00.004-06:00

This is actually from a few weeks ago.
Elora and Zoe are 1 week apart.
Elora invading Zoe's space. Maybe she could teach Zoe to MOVE!

Zoe's first piano lesson from Brendalyn. I hope some of Brendalyn's talent rubs off on Zoe.

Baby Talk