shawn whitney berkley sovie

Memorable Moments

2011-11-16T21:39:00.001-07:00

Me: OK buddy, it's time for stories.

Berkley: No, no.

Me: Yes, let's go read some stories and take a snooze.

Berkley, grabbing onto his dad's shirt: No, daddy read me stories! Daddy stories!

Shawn: OK, I'll read you stories.

Berkley, looking at me, in a sing songy voice: na na na naaa na na.

Shawn and Whitney: hysterical laughing.

What's that? A moment for disciplining the little brat? Sorry, it was too funny.

Items found in my bedside trashcan this morning: $1, a pair of earrings, a necklace.

Berkley: Mommy, you love me?

Me: Yeah, I love you. Do you love me?

Berkley: Yes.

Berkley when Sovie wakes up from her morning nap: Sovie! It's good to see you.

Berkley: Mommy, I'm a monster, I'm gonna get you!

Me: Oh no, don't get me monster.

Berkley: No mommy, I'm not a scary monster, I'm a happy monster.

Berkley pointing at the window: Mommy, you see the ghost? (reflections)

I have no clue how his brain connects reflections to ghosts, promise he doesn't watch horror movies!

Anyway, don't know if you find these things amusing but I wanted to jot them down.

Yo Gabba Gabba Live!

2011-11-10T22:00:00.001-07:00

When I found out Yo Gabba Gabba Live was coming to SLC I knew I wanted to take Berkley...then when I looked into getting tickets and saw with fees and all they were $38 I knew it wasn't going to happen. Then when Groupon talked about a deal through Travelzoo for $15 total I thought, why not?

Berkley with Muno, he didn't know what was going on but he liked it.

Berkley and me and Stella and Lori. Isn't the big ol' Kia funny?

When they first came to life onstage one at a time Berkley offered a heartfelt, whoa every time. I thought we were in the clear and he was going to be in hog heaven...

Then the confetti canons went off...literal trembling ensued with a sincere, "Mommy, I'm so scared." Broke my heart! Luckily I got him to relax a little and started clapping to him and showing him that I was having fun. He even clapped and said "yay" at one point.

Holly and Kai (not to be confused with Kia) were a little late, but here they are.

At least I know he had fun, he was bragging to his dad about it when we got home and he's been playing with his Muno beanie baby all day. I honestly thought it was a fun show and I would totally do it again.

Trick or Treating

2011-10-31T21:52:00.000-06:00

We went trick or treating for the first time this year. We went down in Provo in my brother's neighborhood and got to go with some cousins...

Apparently I didn't have my camera out much because these are the only two pictures I took but we had a lot of fun. It was still pretty light outside and Berky took to saying trick or treat and thank you. He also kept saying Happy Halloween as he walked away. Pretty funny kid!

Aunt Amber Came to Town

2011-10-30T21:44:00.000-06:00

Aunt Amber came for a visit, which is always a good time. "Ambigger," made us yummy treats,

snuggled and played with Berkley, took mommy for a mani/pedi and disappointed when she left.

"Ambigger, you leaving us?" Yes, Berkley, she did.

Trunk or Treating

2011-10-29T21:37:00.000-06:00

Cock-a-doodle doo, bock, bock, cluck, cluck.

So the original plan was, a rooster, a hen, a chick and an egg...but then my friend Natalie said she had a chick costume. The problem was it fit my egg...and then another friend had a chicken costume that fit my chick. We did a few shifts and decided we could just be a chicken family...after all Sovie isn't in utero.

The neighborhood gang. The Braidhill Bandits...hmm...we've got to come up with a name.

That's my cute little chickie.

Stella was a super cute bee.

I love this action shot.

Getting both of these kids to look at the camera just wasn't in the cards...

Love the expression on Berkley's face in this one.

Berky was pretty stoked to be getting candy in his bat! Who knew all you had to do was dress like a chicken and people just give you candy for being so cute?

Luscious Locks

2011-10-23T21:25:00.000-06:00

What? Can't see it?

Oh, there it is! Beautiful.

October Festivities

2011-10-22T21:00:00.000-06:00

Oh the madness! Pumpkins, pumpkins, rice krispy treats. What a wild weekend. Bethany and Kaden came up and brought a few pumpkins with them because they have a neighbor with a pumpkin patch...we got pretty creative.

Bethany had the patience of a saint and sifted through all of the pumpkin guts to find pumpkin seeds. We baked them up for a super yummy, super salty snack

While we were outside carving pumpkins Sovie snaked an Oreo from her Daddy. Chocolate looks good on her, eh?

Shawn's pumpkin, a pirate monkey, which Kaden thought was a puzzel. My pumpkin, I did with a drill. I really liked how it turned out. Kaden's pumpkin had that cool wrinkly spot that he made into an old man's mouth. Good job Kaden!

Socks don't make the best breaks when going up and down the side walk with the help of a big cousin.

The grand display! They all turned out really well. The top left one is a robot that Kaden free-handed upon Berk's request. He did such a good job.

And for a delightful treat we shaped our Rice Krispys into Halloween things.

Pop Quiz

2011-10-15T20:50:00.000-06:00

What is this picture of?

A) a rip in the time-space continuum

B) the light at the end of the tunnel

C) a two year old who fell asleep with his light on screaming under his door

You only get to choose once, so choose wisely.

Family of Four

2011-10-14T21:47:00.000-06:00

For sure a favorite, but what's Berkley doing?

My friend Melinda took our family portraits this year. She shoots in film, which I love. There is just a certain richness and color quality you get in film that I don't see in digital...even well edited digital. Plus she's super talented. Her husband also snaps away during the shoot but he does in digital. Don't get me wrong, digital has some major good pros over film so that's why I'm glad to have both. Only I haven't seen John's yet so here are Melinda's. And warning, I tried to condense but there are still a bunch!

Not sure she wants to smile but she's a cutie!

Daddy and Berky are quite a pair.

Handsome men

Another favorite! I kinda like the full length.

Maybe Shawn and I should have had our fingers in our mouths too?

Uh, CUTE

Uh, also CUTE

Kind of random but I actually like it a lot...

Pretty eyes

Another favorite for sure, I love Sovie's hand on Berkley's arm

That lizard was in a tree at the park and it was pretty upsetting when we tried to take it away, hence it's in a bunch of pictures. I love this picture though, especially with the lizard. What a boy!

I like the gradual steps of our heads in this one

Just a few of us playing...

Super kids!

Maybe someday they'll want me written out of their lives...if so this is the perfect shot.

Amber, this one's for you.

While I think Melinda did a fabulous job, it is the nature of children that there aren't many with everyone looking! What do you guys think? Favorites?

Par-tay

2011-10-02T23:00:00.000-06:00

The whole reason for our California trip was for our friends Dale and Patricia's post elopement wedding party celebration. Shawn got roped into kicking off the karaoke madness.

Berky and Chip watching Shawn rock and roll...

Unfortunately I forgot to take many pictures but it was an awesome party. Chips and salsa bar, fire pit with a large s'mores bar. Seriously...you could make any kind of s'more you could think of. Plus I mean, there was rocking karaoke so what's not to love? We love Dale and Patricia separately and even more together!

D-D-D-Disneyland!

2011-09-24T21:58:00.000-06:00

We went to Disneyland! (And this is a super long post!) I gotta tell you, I was a bit nervous as to how well our kids would do...they're pretty little after all but they were ROCK STARS! Berkley loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse so he knows who all of the classic characters are and I told him for days that we were going to see Goofy, Pluto, Mickey and the gang. He was super excited to see Goofy, I think that's his favorite. He and I would giggle and say, "goody, goody, goody, " because that's what Daisy always says on the show. The first character we saw was the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland but then we got pretty excited to see Donald Duck in a pumpkin costume, Minnie Mouse dressed like a witch, Pluto, Mickey and then....Goofy!

There were crowds around all of them so we decided to just get a picture with Goofy and then head to some rides. Berkley didn't act scared at all which really surprised me.

First stop, tea cups! We didn't spin it all at all because we didn't want to get sick...

We were in California for some friends' wedding celebration so there were a bunch of us there but only Chip and Angela joined us in the happiest place on earth.

Here they are with us on the jungle tour.

When I went to go feed Sovie in the baby area (a great place with a section to nurse, a section with CLEAN highchairs for baby food feeding, great changing tables, etc...) Shawn and Berkley rode a rocket! Do you even know how much this kid likes rockets? No, you don't so I'll tell you. A LOT. As in whenever there's a rocket taking off on show we're watching he jumps up and down yelling "blast off." We're talking major excitement.

As a side note, on our way to meet up with the boys again Sovie and I ran into Mary Poppins who shockingly didn't have a crowd around her. She approached us and talked to Sovie and told me how beautiful she is and that "her bow is holding on for dear life, isn't it?" I just thought, that's really amazing. I mean, all of the employees there are amazing but to take the time to say hi to a baby who wouldn't know the difference is just going the extra mile. Plus I love Mary Poppins so I was thrilled! On our way we saw Cinderella, Snow White, Alice, the Madhatter, but sadly no Ariel...I'd have loved to bring Shawn back to her for a photo!

I got there just as they took off and then they "landed" right in front of me, great photo op! Berkley was yelling at me as they stopped, "Mommy! I'm on a rocket!"

This kid was talking about the popcorn he saw all day so we grabbed him one after lunch. He just shoved his face right in, no hands and had popcorn everywhere. Cracked me up.

Here we are in front of It's A Small World. Whenever we tell people about Disneyland Berkley will say, "Saw Goofy, and Mickey Mouse, and Donald Duck and Pluto and ride a boat." Lots of the rides there are on boats but this is the boat he is talking about. I know that because when I was showing him these pictures he pointed to us in front of this ride and yelled, "ride a boat!"

Berkley tried to sneak Sovie some popcorn before we headed into the tunnel...he and Sovie were both enamored with this ride. You gotta love Disneyland and the fact that the whole family can go together AND be entertained.

After this Berkley couldn't take it anymore and fell asleep in the stroller. These kids were real troopers I tell you! We went into a nice cool restaurant and let him sleep while daddy and Sovie fought over a teether. And right after that Chip and Angela were nice enough to take our kids to see the parade while Shawn and I rode our one big kid ride of the day, Space Mountain. Shawn said he kept waiting for us to go outside. The thrill of that ride is all about how dark it is.

On our way out of Disneyland to head over to California Adventure we decided it was worth it to wait for a picture with Mickey. I mean, it's Mickey Mouse afterall!

It was so cute, Mickey was totally playing with Sovie and making kissing noises at her and she was laughing and Berkley was laughing. It was precious. The kind of priceless moment you'd hope for from Disney.

Chip and Angela meeting Mickey.

Sovie and her daddy riding the Ferris wheel.

OK so this might seem weird but in the spirit of full disclosure I'll tell you why I had Shawn take this picture. For a year or more I've had a recurring dream that involved me going into an amusement park and seeing a big Mickey Mouse head on a Ferris Wheel and a big classic-looking roller coaster behind it. I honestly don't know anything about California Adventure and I don't remember ever seeing a picture of it but that doesn't mean I didn't and it wasn't burned into my subconscious. That being said it was still really cool to see this Ferris Wheel and the big classic-looking roller coaster behind it (that you can't really see in this picture.) Chalk it up to a deja vu/being in the right place at the right time type of experience.

Disneyland was all done up for Halloween. Pretty cool, eh?

And you can't leave a place like Disneyland without something super bright and flashy to give you a seizure. Well, Walt Disney you son of a gun, you did it again. Another happy family!

It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's A Super-Bat

2011-09-20T21:15:00.000-06:00

Look at that flexed muscle pose.

Not only did this boy get a scooter and a helmet for his birthday but I made him a cape.

One side Super Berkley...

one side Bat Boy. It's pretty cute to see him run around in his cape...especially in nothing but a diaper.

Cheers, 2 Years!

2011-09-19T21:10:00.000-06:00

Berkley Aaron is 2 years old! This poor kid woke up at about 11:30 the night before his birthday and started puking. He didn't stop until about 5:00 on his birthday, thus we decided to celebrate the next day. I mean, we gave him presents on his birthday but the poor kid who would have been super stoked to see a scooter and a helmet (his love for helmets is quite comical) could only muster a marginally excited, "oh."

The next day however he couldn't wait for the party to start to sneak a little sliver of cake and since his birthday was so miserable we obliged.

Opening presents was fun this time because it was the first time that he really grasped it. As soon as I showed him that the paper ripped and he got a peek of something exciting inside he was all in.

At 2 years old I feel like the list of things he can do is never ending! The kid talks non-stop. Full sentences. He repeats everything we say. He cracks us up all the time. He's starting to show an imagination and play pretend. He sings the theme songs to Spiderman and Batman, he requests that we sing the Alphabet song to the "Super Why" tune instead of the classical tune, he loves Ring Around the Rosies and Once There Was a Snowman. He certainly wants what he wants and gets pretty angry when he doesn't get it...but I guess that's his age? I sure hope so or we've got a few trips to Juvy in our future.

Berkley we love you! Thanks for being part of our family.

Roar

2011-09-13T20:57:00.000-06:00

While we were in the gardens taking pictures of Sovie, Berky was having a good time playing with dinosaurs.

Can you believe this kid is so big?

Can you believe I put him in this sweater? I thought it was a boy sweater but when he has it on it looks kind of girly...thoughts? Save it for Sovie?

1/2 a Year

2011-09-13T20:51:00.000-06:00

What was life like without this sweet angel girl? I can't remember. Here she is at 6 months wearing the same dress I wore for my 6 month photos...also she is playing with the same Raggedy Anne that I have with me in my 6 month photos. Perhaps I should scan in a copy of that...we'll see about that.

At 6 months she rolls front to back but not back to front. She sits up, eats baby snacks and baby food, thinks her brother is the funniest thing around and is still a mommy's girl. We all love her to pieces.

Stop Growing!

2011-08-24T19:45:00.000-06:00

Can you believe my girl is going to be 6 months old tomorrow? My oh my! I thought it was pretty funny watching her sweetness chew on a dinosaur, her tongue flapping all over it.

And then I thought, why not document her newest trick. She's a real good sitter! Doesn't it seem like after 6 months they're no longer an infant? Guess it's time to announce...absolutely nothing! muahaha

She's a Blankie Girl

2011-08-08T19:00:00.000-06:00

My mom says she started this as an intended gift for Berky but didn't finish in time so she made it for Sovie. I love it and think it is beautiful and usually leave it hanging over the rocker but I stuck it on her one night when her legs felt cold and the blanket and the Sovie have been inseparable ever since.
To put her to bed all you have to do is put that blanket within arms length and she smiles and snuggles it up to her face and sucks her thumb and closes her eyes. It's so sweet! And then of course if you keep snapping photos...
she wakes up. Go figure.

Day of Play

2011-08-03T18:55:00.000-06:00

These two really make each other laugh. It is so cute now that Sovie is interested in him...
...he's pretty much always been interested in her...
...but now that the feeling is mutual it's nice. I mean, you can't really leave them alone unattended for longer than it takes to pee or you come back to him riding her like a pony but, oh who am I kidding, he mounts her before I'm back from a pee.

Sovie's First Cereal

2011-07-24T18:50:00.000-06:00

Sovie had her first cereal at 5 months. I wasn't in any rush to start spoon feedings because that's pretty much my least favorite baby phase. It's just a lot of work. Messy work. But she had gotten pretty grabby and very interested in what we were eating and Shawn was feeding her Otter Pops against my will anyway so it just seemed like time.
She was willing and pretty interested in what was happening. Didn't make any funny faces at all.
Then her brother really wanted in on the action, we got some funny videos of him feeding her. It was hard to convince him to give the spoon back.
I can't believe my baby girl is old enough to be spoon fed! Where has the time gone?

Lindseths Take Over Missouri

2011-07-17T22:01:00.000-06:00

In July we had the Lindseth Family reunion in Missouri. Hot, hot, hot, hot, humid, miserable Missouri. And somehow we managed to have a good time.

Sovie baby was a hit, here she is playing with her Uncle Chris.
One of the highlights for Berkley was turning the water on and off in the tub.
We went on a Duck Tour which was pretty hot and miserable.
The kids got to take turns driving the boat though, so that was fun.
Berky blowing on his duck whistle.
Pretty happy to be out of the heat and at Sonic waiting for some icy refreshment.
Lots of fun with cousins, here he is coloring with Emily.
Aunt Kathleen made these awesome shirts for everyone, grankids 1-11...who's next?
The Lindseth originals without Peter. We hope he makes it next time.
Sovie loved cuddling with Aunt Gretchen! We can't wait until we all get together again.

Thanksgiving Point Gardens

2011-07-09T22:23:00.000-06:00

A family outing...sometimes I forget that my own family might actually enjoy going to the Gardens. This was Berkley's first trip to the Children's Discovery Gardens. I think he really enjoyed it.Sovie enjoyed sucking on daddy's finger.
She's growing soooooooooooooo fast.

After that fun we decided to venture into the main gardens and feed the koi.
Berkley loves feeding them and I must admit Shawn and I do too.

Those things swarm! They get so noisy when they're eating too. If you ever want to go with us just let me know, you can get in for 1/2 price!

Independence Day

2011-07-04T22:09:00.000-06:00

When our plans fell through we did a makeshift BBQ at our place. Aunt Amy and Uncle Luke came.We played with balls in the backyard.

Shawn had a real nice time.
Our next door neighbors came over for some...

Ice cream and...

cake!

These pictures got out of order and I'm too lazy to fix it but Sovie pooped out her first red, white and blue ensemble.

We finished off the night with some fireworks...

Or pop its...they still count as fireworks right?

Sovie Jane: 4 Months

2011-07-03T21:47:00.000-06:00

Want to give me your opinion on which one I should hang on my wall? I'm going to number these too so Grandma's can pick which one/s they want me to print out.

12
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
Did I forget to mention there are a bunch? Oh, there are a bunch. I think my favorites are 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 13 and 21...

Memorial Day in Vegas

2011-06-01T22:02:00.000-06:00

For Memorial Day we went down to visit my brother's family and my sister who came to town from D.C. Berky sure kept his cousins busy.
I actually gave this hat to Amber for her birthday...she thought it was a little much. Lindsey enjoyed it.
I don't think Sovie's hat was big enough to block out that Vegas sun. Poor baby couldn't keep her eyes open.
Pretty cute swim ensemble though, right?
Cousin pool time.
Playing in the pool with Aunt Amber.

We had a great time!

Zany Zoo Summer

2011-05-13T21:39:00.000-06:00

There's no excuse for my long blogging absence...I'm just going to play some catch up and if you just look at the pictures it's totally understandable. Know that we are alive and well and in good spirits and that I've been checking up on you even if I've been a bad commenter...

We decided to get a zoo membership this year and we've been several times. These pictures are from our first trip as members back in May.
I love having the membership because there's no obligation to stay all day.

And because both of our kids are still free so we qualify for just the couple's membership.
And because Berky and I both love the elephants. I'm pretty sure they're my favorite...and maybe his too. Although, he has recently discovered a love for the zoo's carousel so that might have all of the animals beat.

Blue Baby Booties

2011-05-04T21:58:00.000-06:00

On May 4th I thought my girl was looking pretty sweet in her blue bow and booties so I snapped some shots. What a tiny princess!

Easter: A Marathon of Pictures

2011-05-01T20:53:00.000-06:00

The bunny delivered...bubbles and candies and toy dinosaurs, a tricycle and a handmade hair accessory organizer, even new church shoes for daddy!
The kid was not sure what to think...
a bit nervous to even touch it.
Forget the tricycle, the $1 dinosaurs are where it's at.
Is that image not the epitome of little boy? Dinosaurs in the back of his tricycle?
If Sunday best is the best of the week, than Easter best of the year.
Family portraits with 4 people are a lot trickier...
Yeah, maybe we'll stick with the first one.
A lesson in pedaling...which he still hasn't grasped. That stupid thing says its for 1 1/2 to 3 years but I'm beginning to think the people at Radio Flyer are LIARS.
You gotta admit the bow tie is to die for, right?
I wanted to take some pictures of Sovie by her loot (by which I mean, the candy Shawn and I were to consume) but that Berky just can't resist her!
Here she is! Wearing a dress that was mine!
The sweetest baby girl in the whole world! She's also wearing some booties my mom made, you can see them in the family photos.
Easter Egg hunting outside with some help from Daddy.

We had a wonderful Easter. Hope you did too!

A Day At Home

2011-04-24T21:40:00.000-06:00

I broke out the camera for some tummy time shots of Sovie. She's hit or miss with tummy time, sometimes she screams, sometimes she falls asleep and sometimes she barely lifts her head. Oh well, at least we try right?

While we I was distracted Berky snaked my drink...notice him in the background of this picture? I didn't.

Here are some sweet brother sister shots. Berky seriously loves her. He is always aware of where she is and hugs her and kisses her without prompting. He says "aw" whenever he sees her. It's pretty cute...and sometimes rough and frightening.
Sovie is a GREAT baby. It's a bit ridiculous. She sleeps through the night, 7-9 1/2 hours at a time. She is growing way too fast! I'm just trying to soak in every minute of her tininess.

Let's Paint Some Eggs

2011-04-23T22:09:00.000-06:00

Traditional Sunday before Easter, Egg painting.
When you think about it, painting eggs is a pretty strange thing to do.
I wonder why we do it???
I should look it up.
The good news is Berky had a pretty good time doing it this year. He kept trying to eat them though since I let him eat one right before we painted. I think the shell was a bit confusing for him.

Hope you all have a happy Easter! And remember why we celebrate.

Easter Egg Hunting

2011-04-22T22:01:00.000-06:00

Sovie was chillin' in the stroller...
Berky was laughing as he ran from his mom.
Doesn't he look like such a big boy?
We had a cute neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt that the cub scouts put on.
Everyone brought 15 stuffed eggs and the Scouts played games with the kids while the men "hid" the eggs.
Berky with our next door neighbor, Kai.
It was a great day and we all got rosy cheeks...including Sovie. I'm a terrible mother.

Dinner Time Antics

2011-04-21T21:56:00.000-06:00

We had spaghetti and while Shawn was tending to Sovie and I was up getting a refill Berky reached and reached and grabbed the strainer.
After eating the rest of the noodles out of it he had a really good time.And for good measure, here's daddy tending to Sovie just like I said.

These kids get cuter everyday!

18 Month Skills

2011-04-20T21:22:00.000-06:00

Berky is now 19 months old...and to celebrate I'd like to post a list that I made on his 18 month birthday of all his words. But first, his funny statistics...

Weight, 22 lbs 5th percentile

Height, 31 inches? 40th percentile

Head, big, 90th percentile

Words:

thank you

bye bye

uh-oh

oh-no

da da

mama

kitty

Cricket

April

night-night

ball

sister

doggie

shoe

amen

what's that?

right there

whoa

front door

meow

hiss (like a snake)

howl (like a wolf)

fishy

fake snoring (he doesn't say this as much as do this)

ho ho ho

bubble

vroom

peek-a-boo

growl (he does this for most animals)

turtle

rare words:

I love you

soap

sock

yellow

blue

As I look this list over I'm amazed at how many more words he's learned in a month, and how many more animal sounds. My favorite is lobster, he clicks his tongue and makes pinchers with his fingers.

What a cute kid!

Where's Berky?

2011-04-19T21:34:00.000-06:00

Crazy Aunt Amy buried Berky. This is fun...
Now it's kind of freaking me out.

Is anyone else getting an E.T. vibe?

It's Cold Out, Eh?

2011-04-18T21:30:00.000-06:00

Thanks to a cold, snowy spring these boys got to be hat twins. They look pretty silly...and pale. Good thing spring is coming!

A Blessed Girl

2011-04-17T21:24:00.001-06:00

On March 10th Sovie was blessed by her daddy.

We decided to do it on a Thursday because my mom would still be in town and Shawn's parents came into town so it was really nice for 3 of her grandparents to be there.
Shawn gave Sovie a beautiful blessing and everyone there surely felt the spirit. She is a special girl and we are definitely lucky to have her in our family.

Who Doesn't Love A Hat?

2011-03-22T21:09:00.000-06:00

This kid seriously loves them...even premie sized pink ones.

Going Home!

2011-03-20T20:20:00.000-06:00

The fact that I'm allowing you to see that photo of me proves how close I think we are.

Pretty Girl

2011-03-19T21:07:00.000-06:00

(for some of these my ISO is way too high and they're pretty grainy. sorry)

Brother Meets Sister

2011-03-19T20:52:00.000-06:00

At the hospital Berkley didn't really care much about sister at all.
There were much more exciting things to see and do.
Boy was he mad when he couldn't take that stethoscope home.
Aren't we cute? haha...sure seems like a real family when you've got multiple kids in there.
At home Berky paid her much more attention. Helping with the binkie.
Laying his head on her and saying "aw."
He even gave her a kiss!
Sometimes he gets a bit jealous or rough...

but generally he just loves all the cool new stuff that's around the house. Nothing like reading a book in a bouncy baby seat we always say!

Plus, he can share his daddy once in a while.

1st Bath

2011-03-19T20:48:00.000-06:00

Not so much a fan. And basically every bath since not so much a fan. I have faith she'll come around. What girl doesn't enjoy a good bubble bath.

Sovie Jane (and all the gory details)

2011-03-19T19:46:00.000-06:00

Sovie Jane arrived at 11:58 am on Friday, February 25th weighing in at 8 lbs 1.6 oz and measuring 20 inches long. What a big girl! I mean, compared to her 6 lb brother. And let me tell you...she was definitely more difficult to get out because of it!

I went to bed that night around 10 and woke up at midnight with a contraction...I ignored it because I had been having painful contractions for about 4 weeks. Plus I like sleep...and I was tired so I contracted with my eyes closed for a while ignoring them and sleeping as best I could. At 1:30 after getting up to pee, I woke Shawn up and said "I've been having contractions, " naturally his response was "how many? how close together?" "I don't know, I've been sleeping." I only really woke him up because I had bloody discharge which I knew wasn't my mucus plug because at my Dr.'s appointment that week I had already been dilated to a 3 1/2. So, we decided to time them. They were very irregular none closer than 10 minutes apart but the next time I went to the bathroom there was more blood. I got a little nervous because it was definitely fresh blood so we decided to go in and get checked out just in case something was wrong. My mother stayed with Berkley because I didn't think it was labor and figured we'd be back home in a few hours.

When we arrived at the hospital and got checked out the nurse wasn't really sure if I was in labor either. I was 4 cm dilated but not having regular contractions. She told us to stick around for an hour...walk the halls, see if we could get some really good contractions going. Then after an hour she'd call my doctor and see if they thought I should be admitted. When the time came she checked me out...now not quite 5 cm dilated yet very irregular contractions. My doctor would be there soon anyway for rounds so she admitted me (the student girl tried 3 times for my IV!!!) and we waited for him. (They didn't really want to wait around for me too much because I was + for group B strep and needed to get the antibiotic going) By the time he checked me I was 5 cm dilated and it was about 6 am. Since I still was having irregular sometimes strong, sometimes hardly noticeable contractions he wanted to break my water. Holy river! So different from when it burst like a balloon on is own with Berkley. It just kept coming and coming.

After a while I was at a 7...all the while not really feeling like I was in labor...sure some of the contractions sucked but generally they were no big deal. My doctor said I should get my epidural if I was going to because we might run out of time. So I got it. It felt strange getting it to me because I didn't feel like I was in enough pain to warrant it but I didn't want the opportunity to pass me by!

And then we sat...and sat...and sat...and I was still at a 7. I never wanted to have pitocin but things were progressing so slowly and my contractions seemed to be slowing so in came the drip. And yet...my contractions really never regulated. The pitocin did its job however, giving me more contractions and dilating me more and more. I was feeling pressure so I called the nurse in, she checked me and I was not quite a 9...but I really felt pressure. As soon as she was done checking me I felt even more pressure! I told her I felt tons of pressure so she checked again and said within those 5 seconds Sovie's head dropped about 3 stations and she went to get the doctor knowing it wouldn't be long. By the time he walked in and checked me we were ready to go.

I felt it. I mean...maybe it would have been worse without the epidural but wow I sure felt what was going on down there. Sovie was turned to the side a bit which we think is the reason the labor progressed so strangely, the doctor helped out and turned her and I pushed the living daylights out of me. Once her head was out and I looked down I knew she looked just like her brother. The cord was around her neck...I'm 2 for 2 on that one. Berkley felt so easy and with her I just was giving it all I had. It felt like forever. When I told the nurse that after she said it had only been 16 minutes from first push to delivery. (And with the contractions still being irregular I had a good 5 minute break in there where we were all twiddling our thumbs looking at each other waiting for the next contraction so I could push. During that break I can't even tell you how it felt having her head down there so low, you can just feel yourself stretching its so weird and painful. It was kind of cool to feel though, honestly.)

She arrived! She laid on my belly for a few seconds before they started examining her. She had fluid in her lungs and they had to break it up with a hammer thing on her back and keep suctioning but after a little while we got to have her. We are so lucky, she's such a sweet girl and a good baby!

Ho Ho Horror

2010-12-18T16:18:00.001-07:00

Not even a balloon in one hand and a candy cane in the other could calm him. Oh the humanity!

Do I Look Pregnant Yet?

2010-12-14T21:32:00.000-07:00

Just a tad...that there is 100% pure woman.

Here I am on Sunday December, 12th...29 1/2 weeks pregnant with Sovie Jane.

Yup, Sovie...with an "o." We decided to change it from Sauvie to make her life a little easier. Everyone who asks her name already thinks its Sophie, Sofie or if I really enunciate the "v" Sylvie. All great names, none of them are her name. Anyway, we feel good about it and we are now committed. (My mom called and said it was about to go on her stocking so you don't get much more committed than that, its hand knit!)

From what I can tell, she's a mover and a shaker and resides mostly somewhere around my heart. I have had some crazy dreams lately. One about her being born about a month old and smiley and super cute with thick, dark hair. We shall see! I can't wait to meet her. I can't wait to not be pregnant anymore.

Comet and Cupid

2010-12-13T21:19:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we hitched up the wagon and headed out for a Friday family night on the town. Thanksgiving Point has two Reindeer, I think Comet and Cupid, available for a free pet and gander. We decided to head down since Berkley LOVES animals and have a little dessert from the Deli as well.

We had a good time AND none of us were mauled by antlers (I was pissing one of them off when I scratched its back and it almost took off my face with its rack.)

A Christmas Story Anyone?

2010-12-03T21:07:00.000-07:00

This kid was bundled up good!

On Thanksgiving night we had our nephews Kaden (Shawn's side) and Easton (my side) over for a sleep over. These boys love to play together and they sure get crazy. To burn off a little energy Shawn took them out to sled, they took off before I could get their picture but I had to get some of my boy all warm and cozy and crippled by over stuffed clothes.

If you're thinking that's a lot of snow, its nothing compared to the 8 more inches we got Sunday! Ay, ay, ay!

Lots To Be Thankful For

2010-12-02T21:02:00.000-07:00

Like super sweet babies who shovel in their Thanksgiving Dinner shirtless (because even though I packed two pies, two kinds of sweet potatoes, a crock pot, a roaster oven, 4 folding chairs and a card table, a pack and play and a diaper bag I still managed to forget a bib)
And Shawn being silly with his cousin, the two of them were cracking themselves up making fun of poor JaKie's dinner rolls that didn't rise. I think the line of the day was, "I've sprinkled bigger things on my ice cream."
And spending time with family who both Shawn and I together and live out of state!

We had a lovely Thanksgiving, I hope you did too!

Best Friends

2010-12-01T20:58:00.000-07:00

Usually Berky starts out with all three aliens in his bed and sometimes in a fit of rage he throws them all out, along with his blanket to protest going to bed...
On this particular night he was apparently too tired to finish the job and this guy landed on top of him. What a silly boy.

Take Out Night

2010-11-30T20:54:00.000-07:00

One night, while feeling particularly pooped, Shawn volunteered to make dinner. With waffles on the menu it seemed like we couldn't lose...

And now we know what happens when you don't spray the waffle maker. Maybe you're not laughing but I sure was. Take out it was.

Fresh Green Tomatoes

2010-11-29T20:15:00.000-07:00

We had a very warm late October, early November and our tomato crop kept cropping. One day we were hanging outside and I gave him all of the little sweet orange tomatoes (sun sugar tomatoes, they're ripe when they're orange) and when they were gone he didn't seem to understand why I wasn't giving him anymore. He was going to town on these green ones and it kind of cracked me up.

Don't you just love the green seeds stuck to his chin?

A Hamburger Halloween

2010-11-29T20:04:00.000-07:00

Getting a descent photo of a mobile hamburger is harder than you might think. For example, here he is with his monkey cousin Jackson. Believe it or not, this is the best shot I got of the two of them.

I confess that the reason I didn't get a better one is because I kind of forgot about my camera this Halloween and the next two were taken as an after thought once the kid was in his jammies and ready for bed, hence the garlic press to keep him entertained...problem with that was he was squishing his burger...
And finally we have the whole kid, facing forward and the whole costume...keep in mind I never promised he'd be happy about it.

Pumpkin Carving/Chewing

2010-11-29T19:44:00.001-07:00

Pumpkin carving with a one year old is a whole new experience, pretty fun though. He was a little apprehensive about the guts, I thought he'd be really into it but not so much. He was however pretty into looking into the hole and gnawing on the rim.

Why We Eat Chili Naked

2010-11-05T19:47:00.000-06:00

Columbus Day the Lindseth Way

2010-11-04T19:34:00.000-06:00

Once again, I'm behind. Shocker.

You know what's great? Government holidays with my husband off work! For Columbus Day we decided it'd be fun to go up the canyon, have a picnic and look at some lovely fall foliage.

It was considerably colder in the mountains than in the valley, go figure. But we shivered our way through our food and when we were moving around and playing we had a gay ol' time. Berky loves the outdoors and he was really loving the crunchy leaves.

1 Year Pictures (part one)

2010-10-11T20:21:00.000-06:00

I realize his face is fuzzy in this first one but I just love it so much I had to put it up. I'm still adjusting to digital so auto focus kinda lead me astray here...

I did a little photo shoot with my boy and my friend April came along and took some pictures too. These are from the ones I got, when I get April's I'll post hers too.

Birthday All Day Long

2010-10-10T21:49:00.000-06:00

You only turn one once and in Berkley Aaron's case it was an all day affair. Shawn and I blew up 50 balloons for him the night before so that when he came downstairs in the morning he'd be greeted with a special birthday surprise. He loved them. We have some videos I'll have to try to remember to load later.
After that we took him to Farm Country at Thanksgiving Point. This boy loves animals and he was pretty excited to be there. He got to see donkeys, cows, horses, pigs, ducks, geese, rabbits, goats and lamas...and even though it was crowded with other kids, it seemed like whenever we neared an animal pen they walked over to see us. Maybe they knew he was a birthday boy.

Later that evening we had a shin dig at our place with aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. Berky was spoiled rotten by everyone and really surprised me with how into all of his new toys he was, and still is for that matter. Plus he got a whole new fall wardrobe! What a lucky kid.

His party was puppy themed because Berky gets so excited around dogs, and I don't think we got any pictures of the decorations! What a shame. Courtney was the photographer for the event because my hands were busy elsewhere and my friend April took tons of pictures and gave me a disk I have yet to go through so maybe there are some decor pictures on there...who knows. Anyway....there's the cake. Not exactly professional or up to my sister Amy's standards but its my first baby's first birthday cake so we'll call it a success.

He ain't complainin'!

To be honest he was getting sleepy, but he did start to get messy and I know April's got some good messy shots.

I really can't believe I have a one year old. He is such a cute boy! He cracks Shawn and me up every single day. He loves to snuggle things like balled up blankets, pillows, and his huge stuffed frog that his Aunt Bethany got him for his birthday. Sometimes we lay our heads on this frog and make cooing, snuggly noises and he cannot resist. He stops whatever he's doing and comes to snuggle the frog with you, its so funny. He's a big boy who sleeps through the night, most nights, takes two naps a day, drinks his whole milk cold from a sippy cup, and uses his 2 1/2 teeth to try anything we stuff in his mouth. He's a walkin' fool who insists on going everywhere on foot. He points at everything so I'm hoping that all of the repetition of telling him what he sees will pay off with a first word soon! He loves to clap his hands to, If You're Happy And You Know It, and stick out his tongue and grunt along to, If All The Rain Drops Were Lemon Drops And Gum Drops and sometimes he'll even touch his head for Head Shoulders Knees and Toes. He also likes to comb his hair with the comb, put shoes on his feet, his, Shawn's and mine, and put the thermometer up to his ear. Isn't he a genius?!? We sure love him and can't wait to see what fun lies ahead being his parents!

A Yummy Surprise

2010-10-09T20:01:00.000-06:00

Berky saw this tomato ripening on the vine and thought it looked like a really fun ball to play with. He picked it, and like all toys, it went straight to his mouth. I think he was a little surprised to find out it was juicy. This boy loves food and I love that he's not a picky eater at all. I mean, how many kids will just sink their two little teeth into a tomato and go to town.

Zoo Begins With Z

2010-10-08T17:21:00.000-06:00

We kicked off our Labor Day weekend with a Friday trip to the zoo. Shawn had the day off and so did Aunt Amy. Berky LOVES animals so it was fun to see him watch them and point.
We got a picture of Berky by some turkeys because we call him Berky Turkey all the time.We also got to see the baby elephant that was born last year in the zoo. I thought she'd be adult size by now because that's usually how things in the animal kingdom work but I guess elephants grow at a more human-like pace. She was super cute!
We had a fun day. Thanks for hanging out with us before your big hair appointment Aunt Amy!We can't wait to go back, I mean, look at the joy on his face!

Why We Eat Spaghetti Naked

2010-10-07T19:50:00.000-06:00

The Woman Who Started It All

2010-09-14T15:39:00.000-06:00

You might not be aware of how Shawn and I met so I'll tell you. We were set up on a blind date. I was living with a friend, Jodi, who was a personal trainer and she became really good friends with a woman in our neighborhood that she trained. This woman's name is Danelle. Danelle would have us over for dinner all the time. She was in the middle of moving to North Carolina and her husband was already there. We'd hang out all night long. Danelle through getting to know me really wanted to set me up with her husband's cousin Shawn. She talked about how similar our personalities were and how much she wanted us to meet. She even had her brother-in-law and me over for dinner at the same time so she could have him, Aaron, talk Shawn into letting her set us up. Aaron and Danelle worked their magic and here we are, an eternal family with our second child on the way.

Sadly, Danelle did move. Only after Shawn and I had our second date. She had never even seen us together...until a few weeks ago. She and her family came to town and we had a family dinner on Sunday and then Monday while Shawn was at work I hung out with them all day long. We went to lunch, went to Sundance and rode the lift and had a great time. Danelle's daughter Mariah was the photographer for the day so here are a few shots.

...And I Just Can't Hide It

2010-09-12T15:35:00.001-06:00

So...I've been trying to play catch up chronologically but I'm interrupting our previously scheduled broadcast to bring you a gender announcement!

It's a GIRL!!! As in, sugar and spice and everything nice. As in, ribbons and bows and flowers and pink.

Can you believe it??? I know I can't. I REALLY thought it was a boy. I feel SO lucky to have one of each. Not that I wouldn't have loved another boy because, come on, but I'm just really excited. I feel connected to this pregnancy now more than I have so far! It was hard for me being sick and everything to feel very excited but I sure am now. I'll have to scan in some ultrasound pics to add to this post later, since I'm sure you're all dying to see a set of legs with nothing dangling in between.

Oh yeah, and a name...here's the one we're most likely going with unless we have a really strong feeling she's a Jezabel.

Sauvie Jane (pronounced so-vee)

Sure people will think she's saying Sophie or read it Saavie her whole life. We don't care. We like it.

It comes from the place Shawn's dad grew up. An island outside of Portland called Sauvie Island. It's some French guy's last name but I think it makes a rather cute girl first name.

The Face of Frustration

2010-09-11T20:11:00.000-06:00

He does this face a lot but I've always had trouble catching it on film. It is definitly the face he makes when he's mad at me. Too bad for him I LOVE IT! Ha ha. It's pretty hilarious. Watch as the frustration at me for not giving him my camera mounts.

Itsy Bitsy SpiderSSSSSSS

2010-09-10T20:03:00.000-06:00

Imagine this, you're in the midst of morning sickness and your husband takes your baby downstairs in the morning to allow some extra rest. When you rouse yourself from your bed and walk down the stairs you feel as though all you can do is collapse on the couch and watch them play. As you're about to collapse on said couch you notice a few little black specks...you look closer...the specks have legs...eight legs to be exact. You grab a wet wipe because that's what's available and start to pinch them to their death one at a time...then you look down the couch, more specks you pinch and pinch and your eyes travel around the couch WAY more specks...to the back of the couch, even more after you've pinch killed 47 little buggers you flip the couch over trying to find the source of these miniature demons. Behold:
Lucky for me, I'm honestly not afraid of spiders and I handled it just fine. Now if it had been a nest of pincher bugs, pretty sure my couch would have been on fire in the front yard before I had much time to think.

I Turned 28

2010-09-09T19:45:00.000-06:00

A month and a half ago. I'm a little behind. BUT I had to show you the cake Shawn got me because its great. I am a big fan of the site cakewrecks.com. If you've never heard of it or looked at it, you're in for a real treat. Sometimes, when the sun is shining and my mood is just right, the fits of giggles it leads to bring me to tears.

Anyhoo...in honor of cakewrecks Shawn got me this treasure:

I also got a Cricut from my dear husband which I'm super excited about but I've honestly been a little too sick to really do anything with...but all that's about to change because I'm starting to feel like a human being again. Still pretty tired but not nauseous! Hallelujah!!!

Being Pregnant is FUN!

2010-08-28T18:14:00.000-06:00

Sarcasm. Lots and lots of sarcasm.

I am very thankful for what I have. I love my family...I just don't love being an emotional, nauseous, exhausted mess every single day. Go figure.

I am 14 weeks pregnant and by week 16 last time I was feeling much better so at least I have that to look forward to! It still doesn't feel very real to me. I can't believe that I'm going to have 2 whole children to take care of but I am excited for it. I'm excited for them to be buddies. I'm excited to have a newborn to snuggle and smell.

My husband is marvelous. He never makes me feel stupid for all the crying, emotional ridiculousness of it all. What an amazing man.

Berky is walking! Not super steady yet but he takes as many as ten steps at a time now. He has been taking a step or 2 for a few weeks but in the past few days his balance has really improved.

All in all life is good. I'd really like to focus on the positive and not think about being sick. Soon I'll have 2 beautiful children and maybe enough energy to clean my house again. In the mean time, if anyone knows any maids who'll work for food send 'em my way.

But What Does It All Mean?

2010-08-09T16:16:00.000-06:00

So far today I've had...

A blueberry bagel with cream cheese

A handful of cinnamon Life

A turkey sandwich

Some mango

A Fresca

Some garden fresh tomatoes

A cheeseburger and fries and root beer

A turkey sandwich (not a typo...this is all chronological)

A lemon bar

This is all what I had before 3:30 today...but what does it all mean?

Well, you could say it means that sometime around February 24th Berkley Aaron is going to be a big brother.

Wipe Away Those Tears...

2010-08-07T21:13:00.000-06:00

...I'm actually blogging! And let you know what's been going on...which isn't much...Berky has all kinds of tricks, most of which lead to messes like books and DVD's being spread around the floor. He crawls, he pulls up to stand, he stands on his own and he talks to us about all kinds of stuff that we don't understand. He's silly and fun and we love him.
Shawn went out of town for 2 weeks in July and Berky and I took cousins Courtney and Aubree with us to go down to Vegas and visit cousins Cole, Dylan and Brock. We had a good time.
Berky LOVED his Aunt Lindsey and he would get so excited every time we entered the room she was in. Don't be too jealous Aunt Amber.
Sometimes we swing, but often times its too hot do do anything except for...
Take a nap. Look at these cute twinner boys taking a snooze together.

And that's what we've been up to in a nut shell...well we've been up to something else too which I'll tell you in the next post because this one is covering a large time frame.

I'll Tell You, If You Tell Me

2010-06-16T17:21:00.001-06:00

I've been wondering a lot about this since becoming a stay at home mom (a.k.a. the best job in the world.) What you ask? This...this the greatest of all questions...

Why is every one's house cleaner than mine?

And then I get all philosophical and think, they can't be...they just can't. I clean, I vacuum, I dust, I sweep, I mop, I scrub toilets, I wipe down sinks, counter tops and tables, I place items in their "homes," and... AND I only have one child so clearly not every one's house is cleaner than mine. I think my mind plays tricks on me. Like how I look in the mirror and see obesity and then see a girl walking down the street and think, is that what I look like to other people and Shawn who sees me eyeballing said girl (without me saying a word) looks at me with a furrowed brow and says with a tired tone, "no, not even close." I really do think that my mind plays tricks on me, I think other people's dirt is invisible to me because while I used to think they were just better house keepers I'm starting to think the more likely scenario is that I'm delusional.

So I ask you this...is it invisible to you too? Do you guys see other people's dirt? Do you feel like everyone else's house is cleaner than yours even though they work full time and have 17 children? Or is your house really, truly immaculate all the time and if so, how much time do you spend cleaning? Actually, even if not so I'm curious, how much time do you spend cleaning?

I feel like I clean a little everyday but the job is never done. If everything is vacuumed and swept and put away and neat and tidy I start to notice that he floor boards need to be dusted or Heaven forbid the blinds. Don't get me started, don't even get me started.

I realize things are only going to get worse as my family grows. I saw on a local talk show the other day some "expert," an expert on what I have no idea, saying that it is impossible to raise happy children and have a perfectly clean house. Expert or no, I want to believe. (Believe that she is right that is, so that when my house is filthy I can think to myself, "Wow, what an incredible mother I must be!")

So incase you care, here's a list of things I try to do once a week:
Vacuum
Dust
Sweep (more like everyday with my child's experiements in sending Cheerio's into flight)
Mop
Bathrooms
Laundry
Wipe mirrors and glass

Every 2 weeks-ish:
Vacuum Stairs
Organize something like a closet

Even less often:
Wipe base boards
Windex windows

Never:
Blinds

How about you?

Jail Bird

2010-06-08T20:47:00.000-06:00

We went to check on the boy before we went to bed a few nights ago and this is what we found. This pathetic little kid has his arms through different bars like he was stuck in prison. Maybe he was reaching for a book or something...he's been pretty into books lately, into eating them that is.

Balloona Palooza

2010-06-07T20:41:00.000-06:00

I blew up some balloons the other day and this kid thought it was the most fun.
Enjoy some shots of my blue eyed sugar pie.

(fuzzy shot, but pretty funny)

Forgotten Photo

2010-06-07T13:14:00.001-06:00

Somehow I just realized that I didn't include my favorite Hawaii picture in my Maui post.

This is on our hike, he looks like a little jungle monkey boy. I love that silly kid.

Maui!!!

2010-06-03T13:19:00.000-06:00

I know, I know...we were in Maui a month ago. When I take a million pictures I usually stop blogging because the thought of sorting through them all and finding just the best ones to post is overwhelming. I'm giving in though and just posting...you might not get a carefully chosen selection but "I just can't take it anymore." (Cue me ripping off my glasses to fake drown.)

Maui was, oh what's the word...AMAZING! So good. Everything I ever dreamed it would be. It was warm, it was sunny, it was salty, it was sandy, it was America, it was expensive. Oh, maybe that should be on the con list?

Berkley was a trooper. I really mean it. He was great on the flights both coming and going, he was an angel on the beach and in the car and sleeping wherever we were whenever he got tired. I really can't say enough how great he was. He did suffer a little jet lag so we took EARLY family walks on the beach, but it was also kind of great to be by ourselves on the beach like that.

We swam, we snorkeled, we ate, we played, we hiked. On my first snorkel experience, I'm not going to lie I was nervous. I don't know why but it kind of freaked me out, but once we got started it wasn't so bad. We saw lots of fish and 3 sea turtles. The second time, at a different location I saw another sea turtle and 3 SHARKS! For real. 63 and Larry were beckoning April and Marisha and I to come look at something and there they were, 3 sharks in an underwater cave. I didn't get too close so I was telling people they were 3-4 feet and 63 and Larry who were practically making out with the beasts were like, no Whitney, those were bigger than you, they were easily 6 feet. YIKES. Glad I didn't realize that until I was out of the water.

We took a ferry over to Lanai one of the days and that was awesome. Clear blue water, dolphins jumping out of the water, schools of brightly colored fish underneath us as we snorkeled. We walked around the 4 Seasons resort there. Amazing, the gardens there were beautiful and their Koi made the ones at my work look like tadpoles. And that's saying something.

We drove to Hana and hiked through a bamboo forest too. It was beautiful! Well those are the highlights and in an effort to keep this somewhat brief I'll leave it at that. Mission Maui was definitely a success.

The Cutest 7 Month Old You Ever Did See

2010-04-20T17:00:00.000-06:00

A special thanks to Baby Gap for, the cutest cowboy hat you ever did see.

Goodness, Gracious, Great Blocks of Blue

2010-04-19T16:28:00.000-06:00

Some of the girls that I used to work with and I get together officially once a month (unofficially, more like once a week) to do something. This month that something was crafting some blocks. Chynna found them on a craft blog, its a certain combination of 4 letters per block on ten blocks and you can make tons of words out of them. It's actually a really fun game to try and make words, a little puzzle every time.

So whether you're feeling festive:

older:

or motherly:

You can change your blocks accordingly.

I still need to get a list of all of our word options but so far, just from playing around I know you can do:

Shawn
Whitney
Berkley
Christmas
America
American
Lucky
Funky
Easter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
and other randoms...but I know there is supposed to be a word for every holiday...

The Easter Bunny Cameth

2010-04-06T19:39:00.000-06:00

And his visit was a success.

There was even a little candy in there for mom and dad.

And that silly rabbit surprised me with some Easter Lilies!

I hope your Easter was great, too.

(The entire cast of Glee is going to be on Oprah tomorrow, set your DVR's!!!)

Blend It Up, Smoosh It Up, Way Up

2010-04-05T19:17:00.000-06:00

Cool title, eh? hahaha

So my friend Chynna and I decided it would be a great idea to make some baby food (and our friend Tiffany came and wrangled the babies) for my Berky and her Crew. Now that I'm on the other side of it, I'm not sure it was...but it was a fun day nevertheless.

It just took a lot of time, a lot of effort, and an amount of money that leaves you wondering...did I save anything at all??? I mean, some of the things were cheaper, but some seemed to be more expensive which makes me feel like I did nothing but break even. It is a good way to introduce new flavors that the baby food companies don't make though.

Bottomline: Sure, do it if you want to, if you feel like you've got time on your hands and nothing better to do sure. In my humble opinion your time would be better spent vacuuming or crafting.

The Colorful Weekend Continues

2010-03-30T20:02:00.000-06:00

It wouldn't be Palm Sunday for a Sechrist without an Easter Egg Extravaganza. Berky wasn't exactly thrilled to do it but at least we got one picture that made it look like he was interested.

Look at cutie Jackson! He was pounding the table for his dad to just let him paint his egg.

In true fashion, the egg Berky did ended up going right between his lips. He was only green for a second because he had a nice good coat of drool to guard his skin.

Hare Krishna

2010-03-29T20:08:00.000-06:00

Every year the Hare Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, Utah has The Festival of Colors. I'm not sure if they do it everywhere, but they do it here and its a lot of fun...a little different with an infant but still fun.
We met up with Shawn's sisters Amy and Bethany and our nephew Kaden to celebrate spring and throw colored, chalky, powdery goodness around. Berky was even pretty excited about it. He was talking and screaming at people, I think because they were very brightly colored and looked pretty silly. Towards the end he got tired and we took off but still, it makes me feel good when I'm able to get out and do things. Sometimes it feels like I can't do anything with a baby but that's not really true. Last Saturday Berky flapped his arms at Johnny Depp's portrayal of the Mad Hatter and this Saturday he became a cultured Hare Krishna boy. What's next? Stay tuned for first baby in space...

To The Left, To The Left

2010-03-28T18:56:00.000-06:00

Maybe you won't find this as amusing as I do but I think its quite silly.

Lately when I give Berky a toy, he takes it for a few seconds and tosses it to the left. Today two different times I kept doing it until we were out of toys and snapped some shots.

I wonder if this means he'll be left handed? I smell a Major Leaguer (that's baseball Shawn...they like lefties.)

Abara Ka Dabara

2010-03-26T20:41:00.000-06:00

For Shawn's birthday last May I got him a TV. For the kitchen. See, Shawn wanted a TV on our main floor and I didn't, so for his birthday I gave in...kind of. I mean, I couldn't have it in the living room, could you imagine?

In truth, its been great. Great except for the fact that its sitting in the window cut out from our kitchen into our living room so we get a lovely esthetically pleasing view of the back of a TV in our living room. No more! After trying to cover it up or mask it with plants, vases, Christmas decorations and more I finally did something about it.

Now you see it

Just purchased a single picket (I'm assuming its called a picket) fence slab from Home Depot, had the kind man there cut it into four pieces and with a two coats of paint and some hinges I have a mini-screen and a somewhat permanent solution. Voila!

Now you don't.

Just ignore the cords ok...I'm not that crafty.

6 Months, Are You Kidding Me?

2010-03-25T21:21:00.000-06:00

How is he 6 months old already? Insanity...don't say it...don't say it...they grow up so fast...aw man, I said it. It really is crazy how much he's grown. He was barely 6 pounds when he was born..the 10th percentile and now:

Weight: 15lbs 12 ozs 25th percentile
Height: 26 inches 50th percentile
Head 17 1/2 inches 80th percentile

Uh oh, someone got the Sechrist curse! Do you see his head in relation to his other measurements? Madness.

Berkley:

-smiles a lot at mom and dad
-loves to eat mom's face
-laughs when you tickle his thighs, armpits and chin
-loves bath time and splashing
-grabs everything
-rolls over, this is kind of a new trick because even though he rolled over at 4 monthes, he didn't again for a month and then a few weeks...and just very sporatically only the past few days has he begun doing it every single time he's put on his belly
-laughs out loud at goofy dances and noises
-startles super easily (he's always stated very easily)
-sleeps 12 straight hours through the night
-doesn't like strangers, he mostly just stares at them with his mouth hanging open

Who Doesn't Love Spring?

2010-03-24T21:09:00.000-06:00

Berky and I have been living it up! We're loving this weather. With the swings, and many long walks and just playing in the yard. I really think he likes it, more to look at, nice breezes to tickle his face and he gets to watch mommy dig in the dirt.

I've clipped and cleaned up my flower beds and even planted some seeds, not the mention the ones I have started in my top secret Greenhouse location. I'm so excitied for my things to grow.

Here's Berky outside playing while I was gardening. I thought he looked cute under the umbrella...I'm gonna have to watch that rosy cheeked, auburn haired white boy. Just bought some SPF 70 and swim trunks with a long sleeve rash guard. I hope his skin stays healthy!

More Fun Than A Barrel of Monkeys

2010-03-23T20:57:00.000-06:00

A special chair, that bounces and spins and is surrounded by toys???

That Santa Claus sure knows how to make a baby boy happy.

What a cute little chunk!

That Daddy, he's always trying to steal Berky's toys.

All of this fun talk has me thinking...these things should come with a warning, I mean, maybe its just my baby but man, this thing sure does bring on the poops. Almost as soon as he gets in it he starts pushing, and its always a disaster because every time he poops in his saucer he shoots straight up the back due to the pressure. Oh Santa, what have you done?

A First Time For Everything

2010-03-22T20:37:00.000-06:00

For making funny faces for the camera on purpose...ok not on purpose.

For sucking a pointer finger in a swing.

Oh yeah, for being in a swing period.

For being super cute in a swing.

And for telling mom with a glare that's enough pictues of me in the swing.

What We Do Part Deux

2010-03-21T20:25:00.000-06:00

We eat fingers...

We try again, ever so hard to get that big black thing mom puts in front of her face...

And we steal 3rd class mail right out of Mommy's hands...oooh Ulta is having a sale.

What We Do

2010-03-21T20:15:00.000-06:00

We hang out at home, and work on our sitting skills, which we are getting pretty good at. We don't mean to brag but we're talking like, 15+ seconds without falling. Another thing we're getting GREAT at is grabbing anything and everything...like Mommy's camera, Mommy's drink, Mommy's dinner...you get the idea.

Sugary Fried Dough and A Lot of Snow

2010-03-19T20:35:00.000-06:00

So in early February Berky and I left on a jet plane and headed to the Keystone State. We went for the ever-so-important holiday of Faaschnacht Day. Debate the spelling if you want but I'm only reading what my dad wrote and if anyone knows, its him.

What is Faaschnacht Day you ask? You know Ash Wednesday? The beginning of Lent? And how the Tuesday before that is also known as Fat Tuesday, well where I come from, where the towns are small, the Walmarts are hopping and where the "o's" are pronounced long and hard it is Faaschnacht Day. Some say a Faaschnacht is merely a doughnut but we, the few, the proud, the Pennsylvania Dutch, know better.

First you make some dough using a recipe with measurements such as "3 handfuls of flour" and have Grandma Sechrist remind you that her mother had large hands, then you roll it out, then you slice it up with a generations old Faaschnacht cutter and make a slit in the middle, then you fry it up in lard, Crisco or some other hard fat, never oil...and then...then you place it in a brown bag o' sugar and shake shake shake, shake shake shake, shake your booty.

And here's the real test people...what you do next determines who you really are. Do you choose powdered sugar, or granulated?

Wrong, you chose wrong. The correct answer is granulated.

It might sound like unhealthy madness, and in truth it is, but its a family- nay, a cultural tradition and a fun one at that! It had been nearly a decade since I dived into these delectable treats but don't worry...I made up for lost time.

And then of course, there was the quality family time. We were all forced together under one roof when the first big snow fall of 2010 came. It was great to see that much snow come down...it doesn't snow like that in the valley where I live. Mendy, Michael, Laura, Adam, Amber, Alex and I all went sledding that night while dad dragged us around with the tractor. Good times.

On the inside of the house the cousins were doting on Berky like mad. He had a good time with them but I think his favorite "new" family member he met would have to be his Great Grandma. Berky and GG got along like old friends, he talked her ear off and I think she loved to listen.

What a fun trip. Thanks for the good time everybody!

It's Not Bragging...

2010-03-14T22:16:00.000-06:00

...it's gratitude.

I've been married now for 2 years and 1 1/2 months and let me tell you what...I'm lucky. Now don't stop reading just because you think this is going to be a mushy tribute about Shawn its not...

(I mean he's great, I love him, he's changed my life in so many ways and given me the gift of an eternal family and the cutest baby in the whole entire world...except for yours of course, but)

... because of my husband I am able to cross about a zillion things off of my mental bucket list.

I remember being tagged a while back and one of the things was list a certain number of things you want, I know I listed small things and things I never thought would happen, wreaths for my windows, a Nativity, a Wii, new basement furniture, a baby, a car with both working air conditioning and a stereo, a trip to Egypt...and these are just the things I remember because I have them. Now again, this isn't bragging...I mean the basement furniture was passed about 12 generations and 15 families down and it showed and the car, did you see what my requirements were? I think they speak for themselves. Egypt I'll give you. That was a super bonus and its a pretty awesome stamp in my passport. And now we're going to Hawaii in May. Who hasn't always wanted to go to Hawaii? Sometimes it seems like I'm the only person who never has.

Why then am I concerned with the "baby" item on my list coinciding with the Hawaii trip? It's going to be ok right? I'll still love it right? Tell me I'll love it.

Giggles and Squeals

2010-03-10T22:16:00.000-07:00

Some silly videos of Berky. Some of him freaking out over right cereal and him laughing hysterically over looking at some new clothes of his. Mostly this is for the grandparents, and to get Shawn off my back so I'd post them.

Don't go expecting any James Cameron type cinematography though, we're talking cell phone cameras here.

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

2010-03-09T22:05:00.000-07:00

So I haven't posted in a decade. It all started when I went to PA and forgot my SD Card for my camera and then had to use my dad's and he still hasn't sent me the pictures and I like to blog chronologically. Alas, I still have no pictures and I'd love to blog about Pennsylvania and Berky meeting new relatives and Fastnacht Day and everything but it just ain't happenin' yet.

So, while my home fills with the intoxicating aroma of cinnamon swirl bread from the oven, I'll post some pictures of my son...which come to think of it were taken before the Pennsylvania trip. Huh...

2 Down, 2 Zillion To Go

2010-02-02T21:39:00.000-07:00

January 26, 2010 was our 2nd anniversary. We were lucky enough to have Shawn's sister Amy volunteer to babysit for us to go to dinner and a movie. SO EXCITING!!! I'd never been so excited for dinner and a movie in my life. A date was certainly in order. I mean, we have people who say, call when you want a sitter...but I kind of feel awkward asking.

Anyway, Happy Sumo and Sherlock Holmes might as well have been The Rainbow Room and Phantom of the Opera as far as I'm concerned.

I love you Shawn, you are the best thing that ever happened to me and that's the truth. He is constantly telling me how much he loves me and he actually means it and I've seen enough crappy men to know I've got a super duper rare GREAT one.

Rice Cereal and then...The World

2010-02-01T21:24:00.000-07:00

On January 20th we went in for Berky's 4 month check up and vaccinations. All was well, he's healthy as can be but the Doctor asked how he was sleeping. Through the night I informed him, and so he said there was no need to start solids yet. He told me that sometimes when babies are ready to start solids they'll start to wake up in the night because they aren't getting enough calories during the day. Well, Berkley must have been listening because that night he woke up about 4 times...and every night after that until we started rice cereal. Here are some fun shots.

All things considered he did really well. He didn't push it out and right away he was opening up for more, all good signs that he was ready I'd say. It sure is crazy how fast he's growing.

A Day In The Life...

2010-01-29T20:19:00.000-07:00

Some of my friends ask me what I do all day now that I'm a stay at home mom. I honestly don't know what I would do if I were a working mom because I keep myself pretty busy and still feel like there are a million things to do. Dusting, vacuuming, laundering, folding, scrubbing, wiping, de-fingerprinting, windex, pledge, dirt devil, tide and you know the sad thing...my house isn't that clean. Then there's the baby tending. Doesn't that keep one busy enough? I mean, there are days where we go through 4 outfits before lunch.

Anyway, on the days when I pretty much just don't feel like it...I don't...but I do succumb my little cherub to a photo shoot or two. Enjoy the fruits of my labor...no pun intended.

3 Month Pictures

2010-01-21T21:24:00.000-07:00

Yes, your math is right Berk did just turn 4 months old...I'm trying to play catch up one post at a time.
I think this picture is funny...not necessarily good but funny.
This boy is a drool factory!
Oh how he loves the tub!
He splashes like a maniac.
Sometimes so hard he freaks himself out when he gets water on his face.
Sweet little profile, if I do say so myself.
We love our munchkin.

Berkley's First Christmas

2010-01-21T19:58:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Detroit at about 1 am Christmas morning due to a flight delay, therefore we had the latest start to a Christmas morning I've ever had. I think it was like, 9:30. Anyway, we had a good time with Shawn's parents, sister Tessa and brother Peter. Later that day sister Sara, her husband Kirk and their kids, William, Reagan and Kaylee joined us. Our time together was spent hanging out, watching movies and playing with the kids and the dogs...oh the dogs. Shawn's favorite living thing in the world is Riley the dog and Sara pleased him to no end by bringing him along.

It was a great Christmas to be sure with a Kitchen Aid for me, new jammies for Berky and a Macbook for Shawn. (he needed it to further pursue his animation career.)

I'll Be Home For Christmas, If Only In My Dreams

2009-12-19T20:53:00.000-07:00

So, I'm behind. I still haven't posted anything from our Thanksgiving in Vegas and Christmas is less than a week away. I'm happy to report that all of our gifts are purchased and wrapped...except for one that is still being shipped.

This really is the most wonderful time of the year but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little sad to be spending the Holiday away from my mommy and daddy. I'm a big baby when it comes to Christmas. I like traditions. I like my traditions. I'm 27 years old and every Christmas I can remember was spent at 96 Raypaula Drive. I'm 27 years old and every Christmas morning I wake up bright eyed (its the one day a year that happens) excited to see what surprises Santa has in store.

This year is going to be different, I'm sure it will be great, but it will be different. I'll be with Shawn's family. I 'm excired to spend Christmas with them, there's no one I love to tease more than my father-in-law but I won't be with my mom and dad. I won't be with my sister. I'll be seeing Christmas through the eyes of a mother for the first time and that will be really fun but also different.

I guess its just sad because I have to grow up a little and as the baby of eight, that can be hard to do. People always say the magic of Christmas is for children but I've always felt defensive about that. Christmas is for us all and I love the magic of it.

So Mom, Dad, Amber, have an extra special time opening presents on Christmas Eve, reading Luke 2 until you sing Glory to God all together, wake up to Santa's loot and a yummy funnel cake breakfast. Me? I'll be seeing a whole new world of traditions...and trying to keep Jack the fat cat from wondering in to sleep with me.

I hope this didn't bum anyone out, it wasn't meant to, just my thoughts. For a heart warming experience look at my sweet baby with Santa!!! Now that's a new tradition I can get behind.

Blessing Day

2009-12-06T21:58:00.000-07:00

These are Berkley's Great Grandpa Udy's baby booties (so 95 years old).

In our Church we don't do baptisms until a child is at least 8 years old, we believe that children are born without original sin therefore they don't need to be baptised until what we call "the age of accountability." That being said, we do have one religious rite of passage I guess you could call it, that infants have, its called a Blessing, and Berk had his today.

I look absolutely disgusting in our family pictures from today (as Shawn's cousin's son put it this afternoon, and I quote, "good luck losing all that fat from being pregnant" without the conversation being even close to the topic) so all you get is a bombardment of pictures of Berkley Aaron.

Berky's forte...spit bubbles.

Seriously, is he not a doll???

Sweet smirk.

Playing with Aunt Bethany.

Nothing Says Happy Holidays Like Poisonous Decor

2009-11-23T13:29:00.001-07:00

Oh Christmas Tree, oh Christmas Tree, you're tiny cute and so cheap
Oh Christmas Tree, oh Christmas Tree, so cheap I bought 4 of you

With plans to sting you up with lights,
and on my porch you'd glow all night.

Oh Christmas Tree, oh Christmas Tree, please don't try to kill me.

And it is with that little introduction I bring you this:

Exhibit A:

Seemingly harmless harbinger of seasonal joy and symbol of everlasting life. Purchased just after Christmas last year for the extremely small clearance fee of $.50.

Exhibit B:

The tag I only just noticed after "handling the plastic used in this product."

WHAT THE WHAT??? Is this legal??? Is this America???

I mean, I really do just want to put them on my porch cutely adorned with shining mini lights of merriment. Is that a crime? Should I just throw these away? But what if some Christian homeless person rifles through my dumpster and finds himself a fun sized tree just the right height for his shopping cart? I don't know if I can live with that kind of guilt.

Can it really be that bad if these things even made it to store shelves? Target, oh Target what have you done?

Matchy, Matchy

2009-11-17T20:38:00.000-07:00

I forgot to take before pictures, but my coworkers went in on an unfinished wooden high chair for me as a shower gift. I wanted something to match my kitchen and I knew I wouldn't find one...actually I looked and I didn't find one. The only wooden ones I saw were brown and my kitchen is black. I just didn't want something cartoony because everything else that has to do with baby screams baby and as a piece of furniture I thought it'd be great to scream, oh wow it matches. Yeah...I'm a dork.

So, I painted this bad boy black and whipped up some little cushions for Berk's tush out of the same fabric that I reupholstered my kitchen chairs in.

The result is super cute if you ask me...even if the back cushion turned out a little narrow.

Happy Halloween, Merry Christmas

2009-11-12T19:08:00.000-07:00

The most wonderful thing about Tiggers, is Tiggers are wonderful things, their tops are made out of rubber, their bottoms are made out of springs...
Here's Berkley's second Halloween costume. Grandma and Tessa Lindseth sent this cute little costume to us, size 0-3 months and when we got it we laughed out loud knowing that it would never fit him. Well, it mostly does now...and only 2 weeks late. The good news is, he makes an adorable Tigger.

My friend Tiffany is a crafty crochet queen and she made Berk a cute little blue brimmed hat as a shower present for me. Then she came by to visit today with this gem:

Moo I mean, Boo

2009-11-04T21:26:00.000-07:00

Berky is a cow, we're supposed to be farmers, but you can't really tell that we're farmers. I was in a big ol' flannel night gown to look like I went out to milk the cow, but mostly people looked at me like I was crazy. At least Berk looked cute, right?!?