♥ 4 years of wedded bliss!

Wow. I can hardly believe that Jake and I have been married for FOUR years! 4!!!
Don't get me wrong, it's not that I didn't think we'd make it or anything like that.
It's just that it doesn't feel like 4 years... ya know?
The whole statement of

"It feels like it was just yesterday..."

rings true. It does feel like yesterday.
We've been through alot in the past 4 years of our life. Let's see:

126,230,400 - seconds we've been married
2,103,840 - minutes we've been married
35,064 - hours we've been married
2 - number of beautiful children we have
2 - number of states we've lived in (Utah & Nebraska)
9 - number of times we've moved
13,591 - number of pictures we've taken with our camera(s)
188 - number of trips to Orem to visit with my family
3 - cars that we've owned
5 - pets that we've owned
4 - Christmas's we've celebrated together
4 - New Years' that we've celebrated together
4 - Thanksgiving's we've celebrated together
5 - cell phones we've had (between the two of us)
2 - surgeries we've helped each other through (Jake's ACL Reconstruction & my cesarean)
3 - number of times I've seen Jake cry
831 - number of times Jake has seen me cry
9,213 - number of times Beckham has cried
1 - number of a strong, everlasting, never-breakable marital bond

I love you Jake, Happy Fourth Anniversary! May we have MANY, MANY more to come!

♥ Sydney

Baby Einstein

I love Baby Einstein! If it weren't for the single
Baby Van Gogh tape that I have downstairs,
I would have never gotten laundry done last night!
It was Holden's first time watching it, he was crying,
wouldn't eat, wouldn't fall asleep, so finally I decided to put it
into the VCR, and laid him down on the end of the bed,
hoping he'd see it and maybe be enthralled with it,
even if just for a few minutes! Sure enough, he stopped crying...
and started kicking his feet and moving his arms and making little noises.
I loved the few minutes of time I got.
(Even if it was to get some much-needed laundry folding accomplished!)

The scoop on us

We've been busy! (Well, Jake has!) He just got a new job. He now works graveyards at the Larry H. Miller Megaplex 20. It's been tough on him, he had 2 hours of sleep between Friday and Sunday. I know it's worth it, and he is always reminding me why he's working both jobs: "So you guys can have a good Christmas." or "So we can have more food in the fridge." It breaks my heart. I sometimes feel guilty that he's working so much and I do nothing but sit at home and play with the kids. I know that's how it's meant to be, it's just difficult. I am very proud of him for getting the second job, and it's tough, cause we rarely see/talk to one another. We are making it work though. :D He's my rock and I am so proud of him!

The kids are doing great!

Beckham is 34 months (on the 5th of December) now and he's such a wild child! He's an absolute busy body. Always into things, ruining things and always going, going, going! 100 miles an hour! There is so much he can do. So much he knows. It's insane how smart he is. He amazes me each and every day. I can't wait to see the look on Beckham's face when he opens his gifts on Christmas morning! He's at such a fun age this year. :)

Holden is 7 weeks as of yesterday! He's smiling allllll the time. He coos every now and then too! It's precious. We're trying to wean him from breast feeding, my Dr. said he's a baby that would be better off on formula, both for him, and for me, because he is making my body barely able to hold on to it's weight. It's tough. We just got formula added to our WIC checks, thankfully! I don't know what I would do without it. Yesterday, for 2 cans of Similac, it was just over $30.00!!!

I'm doing fantastic! I am just trying to work on getting my business running more smooth. I haven't had the chance to sit down and re-vamp my blog or get all my posts and pages in order, but hopefully I will soon! I am going to do a family photo shoot tomorrow and I am VERY excited! It was my Brother-In-Law, Mat that was going to take them, but he couldn't make it, so he asked me to take them for him! I was completely taken aback, so honored, and so completely stoked! I can't wait! We're doing the photos at The Mayan, a jungle-themed restaraunt, before it's opened up for the day. Jake and I are planning on purchasing a Nikon D90 with our tax refund, so this photo shoot will really help me get my foot in the door!

Caught an adorable smile on camera...

I just had to share.
I was snapping away, and caught this one, by total accident!
I love my little man. He's getting so stinkin' big.

Holden's First Professional Pictures!

We took Holden to my old work (Kiddie Kandids) to get his very first professional pictures taken! He is 5 weeks old. We did Beckham's @ Kiddie Kandids too, when he was 6 weeks. We'll go back next week to do some Christmas pics of the two of them, but for now, here are Holden's 5 week pictures! They turned out adorable!

He smiles!

At 4 weeks old, Holden has been smiling off and on when I put my face right next to his...
Last night, I finally caught it on camera:

The Boys' Halloween...

So, this year was fun, we went to quite a few houses,
Beckham loved the whole concept of
knocking on the door/ringing the doorbell and getting candy!
He was so polite, saying "Candy please!" and
"Thank you so, so much!" at each and every house.
It was cute! He was a cowboy this year, and Holden was a play-doh guy....
those ones where you twist the seat and their hair grows.
(I will have to post a link just in case people don't know what I'm talking about.)
Anyways, here's a few pics.
I wish we had a better one of the two of them, but we don't. :(



Holden, our hair-growin' play-doh man:



Beckham, the rootin', tootin' cowboy:



The only shot we got of the two of them.
(I guess I should always check the camera
when it's Jake taking the pics!)



Our first house:




And some bonus (aka: not Halloween themed) shots
because Holden will be 3 weeks old tomorrow!


He's getting such strong neck muscles!


Snoozing on the office chair:


Visiting Dad's work:


His "I'm annoyed with being on my tummy" face:


Hanging out on the couch before his bath:

My new absolute favorite picture of the little munchkin:


Watch for another post with some hilarious
pics of Beckham! I feel pretty bad, because it seems
like I never take pictures of him anymore! :(
Bad mom award my way...


♥ Sydney

My Favorite Website is www.BabyTalkBio.Com

So... some of you may have already seen/visited BabyTalk Bio, message boards for mommies and moms-to-be. I frequent the boards, and have been a member since '05.

One of my friends, Lee, has posted a contest on her blog (www.MySentimentsExactLee.com) to win a 1 month subscription to this awesome online community.

Please go check out the contest on her blog, and then go check out the boards!

(You can find my profile/information here.)


♥ Sydney

Pictures of our new little bundle of joy...

I know I haven't really posted many pics of Holden, I keep forgetting!
So... here is a handful, and if you'd like to see more you can visit my Facebook.

Tender Moments

Just wanted to share a few tender moments
I captured a few days ago between Beckham and Holden.
Beckham is such a good big brother, he's so kind and loving
when he's around the baby.
It's really cute how much concern he has for his little brother.

Sweet Kisses

The Lemon Wedge

We ate the yummiest herb-crusted chicken and steamed cauliflower
(the way my daddy makes it, with butter and breadcrumbs, it was yummy)
for dinner a few nights ago, and we had lemon for the cauliflower.
I asked Becks if he wanted a taste, usually he says no to lemons...
this time however, he said yes:

14 days until our Cesarean day!

Oh boy. We have a mere 14 days until we're going to be the parents of not one, but TWO boys! I'll be the mom of a 2 1/2 year old and a brand-new baby! Eeeeek!

Yep, 14 days is also:

• 1,209,600 seconds
• 20,160 minutes
• 336 hours
• 2 weeks

remaining as a family of three. I'm scared...

Jake got a new job!

Oh my goodness! I can't even believe that I forgot to share that Jake got a new job! He got hired on at the Boys & Girls Club for Heartland Elementary School! I am so stoked! So is he. So far, he likes it alot. I will post more later, but I have to get back to the kiddo. :)

Six Signs that Labor is Within a Few Weeks or Days:

I'm pretty sure I've been nesting the past few days, and I just feel "off". Sick kinda, lacking motivation to get out of bed, no appetite, can't sleep. Contractions on and off, they kept me up a few nights ago. So... I decided I needed to look up some signs that show labor is on the way. Here is what I found at the American Pregnancy Association Website:

1. Lightening:
You can breathe again! This is an indication that the baby has dropped, settling deeper into your pelvis and relieving some of the pressure on your diaphragm, so you are not so short of breath. You may feel increased pressure on your bladder, which means more trips to the bathroom. Others may comment on your changed appearance, although you might not be aware of it at all.

2. Bloody show:
Loss of mucus plug. During pregnancy, a thick plug of mucus protects your cervical opening from bacteria entering the uterus. When your cervix begins to thin and relax, this plug is expelled. Some women think the plug will look solid like a cork, but it is actually stringy mucus or discharge. It can be clear, pink or blood tinged and can appear minutes, hours or even days before labor begins. Not all women notice this sign.

3. Rupture of membranes:
Your water breaks! Only 1 in 10 woman experience a dramatic gush of the amniotic fluid and even then it usually happens at home, often in bed. Sometimes the amniotic sac breaks or leaks before labor begins. Your uterus is sitting directly on top of your bladder, which can cause you to leak urine. Sometimes it can be quite difficult to distinguish urine from amniotic fluid.

If your membranes have ruptured and you are leaking amniotic fluid, it will be an odorless fluid. This can occur with a sudden gush or a constant trickle. If you notice fluid leaking, you need to try to determine if it smells like urine or if it is odorless. If it does not seem to be urine, you would want to contact your health care provider.

Until you see your physician or midwife do not use tampons, have sexual intercourse or do anything that would introduce bacteria to your vagina. Let your health care provider know if the fluid is anything other than clear and odorless, particularly if it's green or foul smelling, because this could be a sign of infection.

4. Nesting:
Spurt of energy. For most of your pregnancy you have probably been fighting the urge to take a nap, so you'll know when you experience this. One day you will wake up feeling full of energy! You'll start making a long list of things to do, things to clean, things to buy and everything you've put off doing will become a high priority. In all your preparations, don't forget that “Labor Day” may be just around the corner so save some energy.

5. Effacement:
Thinning of the cervix. Usually in the last month the cervix begins to stretch and thin. This process means the lower segment of the uterus is getting ready for delivery. A thin cervix will also allow the cervix to dilate more easily.

Your health care provider may check for effacement in the final 2 months of pregnancy. Effacement is measured in percentages. You may hear your helath care provider say,“You are 25% effaced, 50% effaced, 75%...” The Braxton Hicks contractions or “practice contractions” you have been experiencing may play a part in the effacement process. You will not be able to determine your effacement process, this can only be done by a health care provider's exam.

6. Dilation:
Opening of the cervix. Dilation is the process of the cervix opening in preparation for childbirth. Dilation is measured in centimeters or, less accurately, in “fingers” during an internal (manual) pelvic exam. “Fully dilated” means you're at 10 centimeters and are ready to give birth. In the same way that your health care provider may be checking for effacement in the last 2 months, your health care provider may also tell you how many centimeters your cervix has dilated.

12 cents for 4 bags of cereal and 5 two liters of pop?!

Check out this receipt, we got 4 bags of Malt O Meal cereal and FIVE 2 liters of pop.
For TWELVE CENTS!



We'd heard that the Malt O Meal bagged cereal @ Albertson's was going on sale for $1.00/bag.
You buy them 4 for $9.00 and then $5.00 gets automatically taken off at the checkout stand.

Well, the cashier that we see nearly every time we go, let me know that if I could find the $1.00 off coupon
from Malt O Meal, that we could get the cereal for free! So... I went through bunches and bunches
of links and searches online and stuff, finally finding and printing 4 of them.

Got our cereal, went to the check stand, got them all rung up, and I already was all giddy, because
I couldn't believe we were getting 4 bags of cereal (let alone Malt O Meal brand!) for just the cost of tax.
THEN, the cashier says, oh, and did you forget the ad? You guys can pick out 5 of these items, 2 of these items, or 1 of these,
for free! I was like, what?! So she showed me the ad, and sure enough... you buy your cereal, then get $5.00 to buy whichever
group of items you'd like.



I couldn't believe it, I just had to share! Twelve cents! A flippin dime and two pennies!
For FOUR bags of cereal and FIVE 2 liters of pop!

A little update on us...

Life has been a little bit manic here at our household.

Jake had his ACL Reconstructive surgery on the 3rd of September.
It went well, they repaired a small tear in his meniscus as well as the ACL.

I have some pics on the camera, I'll post those soon! He's still in alot of pain
(1 week, 2 days after) and is so ready to be pain-free and able to walk on his own!
Poor guy has a hard time making through the house, up and down the stairs, in and out of cars, etc.

I just recently got done with a 4 day stay at the hospital thanks to Pyelonephritis, due to a kidney stone. It was pretty horrible. I am still in some pain, but feel MUCH better than I did even 2 or 3 days ago! While there, I was also having some contractions, they're still bothering me off and on, but I'm 34 weeks, 6 days and only have 4 weeks to go!
I am currently dilated to 2 (maybe 2+) centimeters and 70% effaced.
Baby's head is nice and low @ -1 station.

My Handsome Boy

Just a picture..
(At least until I have something to blog about!)

Mom and Becks (a pic)

Picture time!

♥

I just came across this pic in my photobucket account.

It's from March '08. He melts my heart!

Holden's coming home outfit!

We got Holden's coming home outfit at the Carter's store.
It's so cute! It's got trains on it!


The onesie


The top


The pants


His little booties



The whole outfit

The ACL is GONE...

Jake had an MRI done yesterday, and we went this morning to look
over the results of it with the orthopedic surgeon. Turns out, Jake's
ACL is ripped. Shredded to bits. Not just a teeny tiny tear, but completely gone.

So... surgery is set for September 3rd and then we just kinda go from there.
I am scared to death! He was really clammy and shaky after the Dr. told us the news.
It's a scary leap. I know that it's just a routine surgery, however, I can't help but worry
about what will happen, what will go wrong. We'll need lots of thoughts and prayers
in the coming weeks!

A cute costume for the new baby!

I've found the perfect Halloween outfit for Nixxin!

I was looking online at Babies R Us and came across this:

I think it would be absolutely perfect for a newborn baby!



The description says:

Perfect for Halloween or a photo opportunity,
this 100% cotton jersey knit 3-piece Pumpkin Hoodie/Pant/Bib Set from
Trend Lab, LLC includes a hooded onesie top, pants and matching bib with
"Trick or Treat" screen print.
Sized for 0-3 months old babies, this item is not intended for sleepwear.

I'm a cripple

Here is the very first post from Jake:

So on Wednesday night I played not one but two soccer games. I played one at 5:30 and if we won we played again at 7:30. The earlier game was great! We played really well! And won 4 – 0 so we stayed and played another game. About ten minutes in to that game I got hurt. I believe we had played that team before and I remember them being a physical team, witch by the way I absolutely love. About five minutes in I was down in a corner with a lady that was probably five feet tall and maybe 110 Lbs. And she out muscled me! It was amazing. Anyway, I was tracking down a loose ball just over the half way line and I got to it first with a struggle of course, and I was putting my body in-between him and the ball and I think my cleats grabbed the ground wrong. The second I looked at the ball to see where it was I saw me knee, it looked like my knee cap had moved over the outside of my leg and bent in half. I rolled a couple of times and yelled a lot and probably said a couple of choice words. My wife and my baby weren’t there, thankfully, so she had to be called to come and pick me up. That’s a whole story in itself.

Two Mondays before these games my dad went to the hospital for a surgery. The hospital that he was at was literally a half mile away. In between my games my wife for some reason got mad at me and took Beckham, our son, to the hospital and she of course walked. It’s a good thing my mom was at the hospital with her car when the county called my wife so that she could bring my mom’s van. So she came and picked me up.

Before I talk about it any more I have to give a shout out to Jed and Levi, Some of Mike’s friends that happened to show up and watch these games. These guys helped me with everything! They lifted me up to sit in a chair and watch what I could and most importantly they carried me, not just let me limp beside them, carried me to the van that me wife brought to pick me up in. They are amazing. Thanks guys! They are for sure going to heaven!

So I got to the hospital and the first hour was horrible! We asked for ice and it came eventually but we had to ask for it a second time! I was getting nauseous and light headed and my life was crumbling right before my eyes! I finally got some ice and finally got into a room and the time I was in the room and got x-rays and everything was probably 45 minutes! Less time than when I was waiting to get back into a room! They stuck me on crutches, gave me some pain pills and said “Call a surgeon and make an appointment” and I was on my way.

The next day I had to call my Navy recruiter who actually took the news a lot better than I had expected. And that night I had to go to a meeting. A DEP meeting. Delayed Entry Program Meeting. It’s to help me get ready to go into the Navy. It was kind of sad when everyone had to do push ups but me. But oh well. What can you do?

Anyway… Thank you Syd for being there for everything even though you are 8 months pregnant and aren’t supposed to do anything! You truly are amazing! I bet you go to heaven too just like Levi and Jed! Thanks to my team for getting us that far! To the Final game! You guys are amazing too! But I think only a few of you will make it to heaven! C-ya later!

The Little Green Bug

10.13.08

That's the date we've set for our scheduled cesarean for

Nixxin's birth! I am so freakin' excited!
It seems so far away, but I know October will be here before we know it!
Nix was measuring a bit tiny (well, my fundus was)
so we had an ultrasound today just to make sure
everything was looking good. He's measuring right on!
Here's the pictures from the ultrasound as well as a few belly pics!




28 weeks, 2 days pregnant... don't mind my silly face!


29 weeks, 5 days preggo - Tryin' on an adorable swimming suit.