Halloween

Here's lots of Halloween pics of Easton for those who just can't get enough. We did trick or treating at the law school (since it was cold outside) yesterday. Easton never did say "trick or treat" but was pretty good at saying thank you after he got the candy. Suckers are his favorite, followed closely by M&Ms and Rice Krispie treats.

Try as I might, I couldn't get him to wear the red bandana or the cowboy boots, oh well--what more can you expect from an almost 23-month old?

Happy Halloween!

Love, Woody

ETA for my own reference: Shirt--purchased long sleeve shirt and drew on buttons and red lines. Vest--purchased online, then taken in, fringe cut off and pull string added (shower curtain ring). Hat and holster purchased from Disney. Not worn--boots (even after 2 months of trying) and red bandana.

Family pictures!

I promised you a look at our family pictures. Here they are in all their glory! Our wonderful friend Carolyn agreed to take them the day after I asked her, and did it all while 38 weeks pregnant. She is superwoman!

I won't give you too much commentary, except to say that no one should live in Wyoming without getting some "in the wild grass" photos. It seems like an unwritten rule--no?

Surprisingly, after Easton was FREEZING, he really started to warm up to the idea of pictures. This little rock was his new best friend.

Classic Easton smile.

And then he found out that he could "jump" on this chair (which in Easton-ese means bends your knees and say "jump" while your feet never leave the ground) and all was good.

And if you don't want to marry this last picture, you just aren't human. That is all there is to it.

Reasons why today is a good day

Despite the fact that there is approximately 7 inches of snow on the ground with no sign of a break in the storm in sight, today is a good day because....

1. I got a close parking spot and therefore did not have to walk more than 100 feet through the awful storm (let it be known this only happens about once every 3 weeks).

2. Very hot hot chocolate was available to me the minute I stepped into my office.

3. I got to sleep in an extra 15 minutes (take what you can get people) and still made it to work on time.

And then I use bullet points

• While I like to believe that Easton is a good little boy when at other people's houses and shares without any issues, I found that sharing his own toys is a whole 'nother ballgame. We had the pleasure of watching one of Easton's favorite little friends on Saturday and let's just say that we all learned a lot about sharing.
• Man, that BYU game was just pitiful. IF I was able to wear my blue and white in the town I live in, it may have made me put it away for a while.
• We had some family pictures taken (I'll share soon, I promise) and it's safe to say that my concern about how quickly that pregnancy weight shows up on my face is justified.
• Is it rude to ask people what laundry soap/fabric softener they use? Sometimes the smell is lovely and different.
• It looks like Ronnie is not going to get a monster elk this season. With school/kidney stones his hunting time was significantly decreased. At least those cow elk are yummy to eat!
• I'm still feeling great. Not even any feet swelling yet (a miracle, and let's knock on wood). The pregnancy is flying by and I continue to love Taco Bell (new black jack taco? delish), anything with mayo, and chocolate pudding. Don't worry, I eat normal food too.

As if you didn't know too much about us already...

Ronnie is done with the kidney stones.

(I decided that sentence was the least disgusting of any I contemplated. You can thank me later).

Happy Halloween to me

If any of you read my sister's blog, you already know that she created two of these bad boys (one for her, one for my mom).

They were kind enough to let me have the left over fabric and so I went to work. It was one of those projects that I kept on putting off (I even considered letting it wait 'til next Halloween) because I thought it would be time consuming, but then it came together incredibly fast! Gotta love that!

The pattern and fabric was purchased at a local fabric shop. If anyone wants specific information I'll get it for you, but I don't have it with me currently.

*Ronnie update: he still has not passed that blasted stone. He hasn't had any huge pain attacks for the past 24 hours or so and so we continue to wait.

Oh, how things change

So, I was going to post about how after hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours...

...and hours of work

Ronnie's team won the trial competition they were in last week.

But then, Ronnie woke up with extreme lower back pain, we went into the E.R. and lo and behold, he has a kidney stone.

So, my day has consisted of hospital trips and waiting.

Not quite what either of us had planned.

Ronnie seems to be doing pretty okay. I'll update you all when things change--but for now, we continue to wait. At least Ronnie has a reference point for when I am in labor, right?

Ruffle Strip Quilt Info

So, several of you have requested a little more information about the quilt.

Here it goes.

Each base strip was cut 3.5" wide and the width of the fabric (44" standard). They were then sewn together with a .25" seam. I ended up trimming down the total width of my fabric, so it measures at 45"x38" currently.

The ruffles are two 2.5" strips sewn together so that in total they are each 88" long when flat. Each long edge was hemmed (with a #69 Bernina rolled hem foot) and then I used my longest stitch length down the center of the strip and pulled to ruffle them.

Ruffles are then pinned and sewn on.

I can give more information if anyone is really going to attempt this sucker. Just know that while the base strips come together really quickly, the ruffles take about 30+ minutes per ruffle.

As far as cost, just in fabric (which I do have expensive taste in, unfortunately), this quilt cost me $70 (please say Ronnie is not reading this) add in the batting and the cost of taking it to get quilted and I'm looking at probably $100. If anyone would like me to make them one, it would be about $175 total (to pay me for time). I know that is more than most people want to spend on a little something for their little someone.

You know, that stuff I do in my spare time

So, my sewing machine has been kept busy this past little while. Some of you may remember that I bought a quilt kit online when I was pregnant with Easton since I was just barely getting started on this quilting stuff and was a bit nervous. You can see the post with the finished project here.

Now, I'm a bit braver and knew that I had lots of scraps to use up and the simple quilt top was perfect.

First I did a girl, flowery one.
And then I decided that a boy one needed to be made.

And finally I used some more vintage-y fabric for this one--that I love!

And, I finally decided on a pattern for the quilt that will coordinate with the crib bedding I am making. I saw this done once in a quilt shop about 4 years ago, but couldn't find a pattern I was satisfied with, so I just made one up. I know I'm a little biased, but I love it. It turned out exactly how I imagined it. I call it my Ruffle Strip Quilt.

See? You love it too. I know you do.

But now for the part where I need some help. I can't decide how I want to finish this puppy. Should I do a border* around it and then the binding**? Just a binding so the ruffles really shine?

Please help!

A little vocab help for those of you (like me 2 years ago) who had no idea what any of those fancy words mean.
*The three simple quilts above all have a border. It is the "frame" of the quilt so to speak.

**Binding is that really thin finished edge that you can see on the two quilts in this post.

Guess What?

We had the big ultrasound today.

And....





we're having a boy or a girl.

That's right, I held out through the entire thing.

Bring on the next 19 weeks.

22 months

{warning: this post will not have any pictures--I apologize}

On Saturday, Easton turned 22 months old. He is turning into more and more of a little boy everyday and is even starting to string two or three words together! While I love being able to understand him better (and the tantrums have decreased a bit) there is always that part of me that just wants him to stay little, darn it.

Let's start with some words that he has mastered: durtee (dirty), pull, dog-dog (doggie), box, rock, buuuhrp (burp), Tuh-ner (Turner, from Handy Manny), pill-doe (pillow), Doc (from Cars), boy, geeeerl (girl), loon (balloon), jump, Pat (from Handy Manny), pun-tin (pumpkin), kitty, rog (frog), coe (cold), haaa (hot), and no? (snow, always said as a question).

As always, I'm sure that I have missed some. I may have to stop these word lists all together, since he will try to say pretty much anything you say to him (and this is when I realize my swearing habit has to end. Kidding, just kidding).

Easton loves nursery, but I think all of the leaders really wish our church was at a different time. It's hard to entertain kids from 1-3, when they normally go down for naps at 12:30.

With the few snow storms lately, Easton seems to have gotten over his initial fear of the white stuff. He will step in it now, but I don't think he's ready for a dive into it or anything like that.

He also loves the clay-mation movie "Rudolph" and will watch that more than anything else right now (so strange, I know). My mom has a book called "Big Pumpkin" that came with a sing/read-a-long tape from Scholastic many years ago that he listens to daily about 10 times in a row. If any of you want to hear the book in its entirety, you can call my mom, or Sarah. They have it memorized.

In general, Easton is such a happy boy. We seem to have solved the sleep problem. Naps are going splendidly, but at night-time there is an occasional 2 minute cry session, and then he goes right to sleep. Thank goodness, driving him to sleep wasn't going to be an option when it is below freezing outside.

I promise more pictures soon.

Sometimes, I just love people

My drivers license was set to expire this year.

I knew that if I waited until closer to the expiration date, I would have a pregnancy-fat face staring back at me for the next 5 years, and I couldn't accept that, so off to the DMV I went.

It was slow (thank goodness) and I was helped right away. As the lady verified my identifying information, I realized that because the last thing I had done was a name change, my weight had not been updated in close to 8 years.

And, I hate to admit it, but I weigh more now than I did 8 years ago.

So, I corrected her with my current weight.

She looked at me and said, "But honey, you don't have to put down baby weight."

I could have kissed her.

Bless her for thinking that my high school weight was accurate.

She completely made my day.

It just took a while

Let's go way, way back to 2007 when my doctor's office forced me to get a flu shot, but then before they actually gave me the shot we realized that I was allergic to the preservative. Story told here.

Last year, I got a live-virus nose spray and was good to go.

This year, with my pregnancy, the live-virus is not safe and I was sure that I would be unable to get a flu shot (even though all of the stats of what can happen with pregnant women scare me to death).

But then...

My doctor's office actually had shots without thimerisol in them and I got my shot last night.

Hallelujah.

And now my arm is really, really sore and I feel like whining all of the time. (Hence I am sharing this very lame story with all of you).

I guess now I understand why Easton is so grumpy after his shots.

Make-up

It happened.

Easton found the make-up. I should clarify and admit that I was completely aware that he was in my make-up bag, since I was standing right next to him doing my hair. He usually just plays with my brushes and paints the wall (very good for them, I know), but today he tried to use a little eye liner.

He knew where it went, but got his vertical and horizontal lines confused.

Silly boy.

Ronnie is really hoping this is a one time occurrence.

20 weeks

Halfway done!

I'm feeling great. Energy is back (plus some it seems) and I am still able to sleep. Easton still thinks that my belly button is called "baby" and doesn't get it at all. I still want Taco Bell all the time (bean and cheese burrito and a crunchy taco) but other than that I eat and crave way less than I did with Easton. In fact, I haven't gained a single pound so far (which is safe for my pre-pregnancy weight, in case you were concerned).

Baby is moving all of the time (though not consistently) and I'm starting to realize that I really am pregnant.

Because I am a giver*

I'm assuming that a lot of you readers out there are kind of in my boat.

Busy.

Must make food for family.

And if you are in my exact boat (which is an awesome boat by the way) you cook because the family has to eat, not because you love it.

But if you love it, more power to you.

So, I'm going to share my tried and true, quick and easy, delicious recipes with you.

Just click on this little link and you will be taken to a document you can print.

If you have a few to add, please leave them in the comments. I'm ALWAYS looking for new recipes.

*The giver reference is for my mom. She claimed the other day that I was not a giver (in the ingredients I put into my pasta salad--I make it the way I like it and make Ronnie pick out a few things) and I'm trying to prove that I am, in fact, a giver.

I'm back

and almost recovered. Now how about some bullet points?

• The work event went well. I had the help and company of a great friend that was very appreciated.
• I realized that people not cleaning up after themselves when it is very obvious that I will be doing all of the cleaning (and not some invisible wait-staff) may possibly make me more mad than I have been in a while.
• However, having said friend to vent to while we cleaned up dirty paper plates (that could have been thrown in the trash can not even two feet from the table) really helped.
• The older generation loves, and I mean LOVES that I am letting this baby be a surprise.
• Apparently this pregnancy makes me even more opinionated than I normally am (which may lead to some serious issues if I don't check myself).
• Also, the only thing I want to eat? Taco Bell.

I think that's it for now. I'm sure I'll have more interesting stuff to post soon! (like quilt tops).

I wasn't going to share this

Mainly because I feel like you all get sick of me talking about work.

But, nonetheless, it is time for another tri-annual work meeting. Which means that my life gets a little more crazy.

Gotta love it.

This one is in Denver, and unfortunately Ronnie and Easton can't come along this time (bummer!).

The good news is that I'm sure I will have some great stories to share next week, when I am back to the real world.

Peace out.

Easton has a great love for this train hat. He puts it on himself--hence the sideways, one ear in, one ear out look.

Easton also has a real love of golf, which Ronnie would normally love, except that it is FOOTBALL season now and we don't want to watch golf all of the time. Every time we are watching sports Easton asks for "doll, doll" (translation: golf, golf). He also thinks anything is a golf club, as evidenced by this video. That thing he is using? It is a mirror like the dentist has that came from his veterinarian kit. Also, please note that he knows what the camera usually does and just doesn't get it when mama (me) is not making the flash go off like normal.

For all you grandparents, who just can't get enough Easton, I have 4 more videos, which can be accessed on Youtube here, here, here and here.