Phase 3- "The Romantic Getaway"

So after Ross rejoined us in San Diego, we enjoyed one day of play as a family and checked out a brand new mall out in Eastlake right by my house. It's a gorgeous outdoor mall like the Riverwoods in Provo and as we're driving through, what do my eyes spy... but Anthropologie? In Chula Vista??? I didn't think we had one anywhere in San Diego (I found out later that we had for a while I just didn't know it) but in Chula Vista? This is where, growing up, the local shopping consisted of stores like Sears and Clothestime. Only the best. There were good malls a short freeway drive away, but not in town. Crazy how things change when you're gone for a few years. So anyway, I got some yummy soap and some cute bathroom cupboard knobs for my guest bathroom (we painted those white after the kitchen and the whole bathroom has looked too white.) So that was a good day.

Friday night we left Sophia with my parents and started our romantic weekend away by picking up frosted flakes, pop tarts (blaming the pregnancy, not usually that careless), and a movie and heading to my dad's "granny flat" in Coronado. He was in Mexico for the weekend so it worked out well. It was tiny and adorable, (the above picture is the only one we have in the house), and four blocks from the beach and from Orange Ave. Perfect.

The rest of the weekend consisted of:

-Sleeping in
-Walking around Coronado, exploring, and getting a pastry for breakfast (if 11:00 am and after two bowls of frosted flakes can still be called breakfast)


-Lounging at the beach for hours and hours and hours with a book and a bottle of water (ok so of course I sent Ross to get food, but the lack of packed necessities when you're kid-free is incredible. I felt like a teenager again.)
-Shopping downtown followed by a movie ("Next"- so so) in the gaslamp and dinner (that's right, in that order, we had to eat really late some nights if I'd eaten too late of a lunch and was still suffering from heart-burn... the joys of pregnancy.)

-Renting bikes and riding around Coronado (the highlight of the weekend) getting a slow and up-close tour of the gorgeous homes, The Old Ferry Landing, the city from the across the bay, and of course the beach.

-Dinner on the island, not the best food but the best company in one of what I think is the best places on Earth.

-Mostly just really enjoying my handsome husband.

This was Phase 3 of our 4 part vacation (I know I said three, but I lied, a day at the beach as a family on Memorial Day to come. If you're tired of my trip, too bad, I like to drag it out like birthdays and BFL free days.)

Phase 2- Mommy-daughter

So after Heath went home on Wednesday, we had a little mother-daughter time before Ross rejoined us late Thursday night. We went to Coronado to check out my dad's place and get the key (that's where Ross and I would stay for the weekend.) We had dinner at La Salsa and walked around a little bit and my little girl felt the oldest she's ever felt to me. We usually put her in a highchair, but at Nana and Papa's, it was much more convenient to just sit her on a stool, and it worked! So at La Salsa, we exercised the same maturity, and she sat in the booth like my date. We had what felt like our first real mommy-daughter date and I was in Heaven. She ate well, danced to the Mexican music, talked to the passers-by, and stayed within the confines of the booth, something I thought she needed a lap strap to do. Then, without a stroller, because I tend to forget things like that, we walked around for a little bit before heading home. We bonded.



Here's a little video of her jumping on my parent's trampoline. This trip was the best yet because she really got down the jumping thing and didn't need to be held or helped. There's just something so adorable about those short, chubby legs and that little, round belly jumping like nobody’s' business.

I have to say, a week in San Diego was exactly what I needed. For the past few months, feeling yucky, everything's seemed yucky. I felt like I couldn't keep my house as clean as I wanted and the chores never ended. I'm getting fatter with pregnancy, but probably mostly just with all the eating involved in combating the nausea, so it's my own fault which is worse. And Sophia was going through the most challenging phase yet, (enjoying very much her prerogative to scream and throw fits at the most inopportune times.) All I really wanted to do was lie on the couch, but being home would bore her to a state of crazy-toddler so we've been constantly on the go, contrary to my body's wishes.

I just re-read that, and I sound like a big Debbie-downer, but my point is I feel better! Just over 14 weeks, I think I'm coming out of it, and it just so happened to start in what I find to be heaven-on-earth. So I had a week of near bliss, not racing from my bed, dry-heaving at 6:00 am to a bowl of honey-nut cheerios, and enjoying the gorgeous weather I SO took for granted growing up. Sophia had so much fun, she didn't have time to throw as many fits and I realized this might be the hardest stage so far, but not without reward. It is by far the "funnest" stage as well....


My daughter is so cool.


This was phase two of my three-part vacation.

Phase 1 of the week away- Heath

So just a quick little beginning illustration of the trip... writing to come. I have so many pictures... I figure I'd better get started. These are just a few of Heath and Sophia. I wish I could have captured some of the best moments... but the camera was never in hand when Sophia decided to sit on Heath's lap and cuddle in, or the two of them were jumping on the trampoline together and grinning ear to ear instead of colliding and running for safety (ok maybe that was just Sophia, her trampoline skills are a little younger.) But they had a lot of fun together... and we miss Heath already!

Love LOST

And now, (as opposed to before- when I posted about frustrations with LOST), like it should be, love is the verb, LOST is the noun, instead of the other way around. Did you watch it? I still can't stop thinking about it. A couple of months ago I was almost over it... but they've got me back. Sophia slept in 'till 8 this morning and I laid in bed for 45 minutes thinking about what the next season will bring. I'll be counting down.

Blogging from Bonita

I'm at my folk's house. Mel and Mike are in Italy which means I've got Heath, and at the last minute, we decided it would be easier for me to do it at a house with less than 100 degree weather, a heated pool, a trampoline, and two energetic grandparents-- than ours. VERY good decision. My mom had offered to watch Sophia over the Memorial Day weekend, so we were planning on coming back next weekend anyway, so we decided I should just stay the whole time. This way I've got help with Heath, I'm in heaven on earth, and I don't have to make the drive twice. Good deal.

The weekend felt nothing like babysitting of course since Nana and Papa were home from work, and Ross was here to peg Heath with balls and rubber rockets all day while he jumped on the tramp (his favorite game.) I had it SO easy. Today's the first day on my own and so far so good. Sophia slept in until 8:30 so I was able to hold her off until Heath's nap time at 1:30 so I've got two sleeping angels right now. And even by my-currently-energyless- self, entertaining at this house is not a problem. It's the little things that make life so so happy here:

-Being able to leave the slider door open for them to come in and out as they please without heating the house with the lovely desert air.

-Hearing birds chirp all morning long (singing birds must share my disdain for the heat- I never hear them at home :( )

-Going for a walk and coming back sans bright red cheeks.

-Eating lunch outside with Heath while watching Sophia jump on the trampoline all by herself grinning and giggling and NOT dripping with sweat.

-Seeing Sophia in a hoodie- it will be months before she wears one again back home.

-Not having to lube the kids up in sun screen for simple backyard play.

-Eating my mom's cooking.

-The lovely humming bird and nest right outside the window.

-No pressure to cook.

-The smell of jasmine in my mom's backyard.

-No pressure to tackle my never-ending pile of laundry back home. (Ross???)

-Knowing the ocean is a short drive away.

The little things that are missing here:

-As of 6:20 this morning- Ross :(

-Pool day with the shallow entry (I've decided it's absolutely key with a pre-swimmer.)

-Great friends to join forces with during the day!

-The gym (a good time for me and Sophia.)

-Turkey/avocado sandwiches from Alcobar (thev've been a pregnancy essential the last couple of months.)

-But mostly Ross.

Some day we'll live where we can leave our slider open year round, hear birds singing in the morning, and have to wait for the dew to dry off of the trampoline. That's the goal at least... somewhere with dew.

I love San Diego.

Pool Days, jeans, and such

So it's officially pool season and every Thursday a group of moms get together for pool day at one of the local country clubs. I've been twice after this morning, and those have been the best two mornings of my mother-of-a-toddler life. There's a huge shallow entry so she walks around happily, dunking here and there, while I have conversations with adults, for over an hour before she decides to venture in to the deep end and make me work a little harder. I thought my days of lounging in the sun were over for a while, but I actually. get. to lounge. There's so many kids, toys, and snacks, she doesn't know what to do with herself and completetly forgets her normal form of communication as of late--- the scream. It's wonderful. She's happy. I'm happy. She gets comfortable in the water, I get sun on my pregnant legs (doesn't a tan make you look 5 pounds thinner or something??) I'm really hoping for some magic.

I just found out a local boutique is selling Serfontaine maternity jeans for half off. (Must confess, I hadn't even heard of Serfontaine but saw them on an adorable pregnant friend and they were SUPER cute).. And they're normally the kind you spend your year's jeans budget on. Is it bad that that helps me believe they're cute? I'm a sucker for NOTHING designer, but jeans. Half off? We're totally going after her nap.

I've gained six pounds. Six pounds in the first trimester that last time I maybe gained a pound in, and even then I knew it was only because I was eating the world. I don't know why I'm confessing... but six pounds, and I've got over 27 weeks to go. Hmmmm... I just ate pancakes for lunch. Who makes pancakes all alone for lunch? *Sigh*

The latest

So it was a busy week/weekend. The weekend consisted of a drive to and from San Diego in one day for a friend's wedding in the SD temple. It was beautiful and so worth the drive. Especially because we got an all-day sitter with Shad and Lizzie and made the drive with them, toddler free! We enjoyed a leisurely lunch at CPK afterwards, with very little food thrown, worn, or spit out. Food actually tastes so much better without those sorts of distractions. Go figure. Then we drove by the beach and the cove, just to feel a little of the ocean air, but didn't have time to get out... had to start back for the reception back home. It was a relaxing drive, what with the lack of pirate’s booty soaring through the air, Little Einsteins in the background, and constant fetching of the sippy cup and binky... not to mention of course the sweet sound of repeat tantrums. But we missed her to death, seeing as we had to leave at 7:30 in the morning and didn't get back from the local reception until 11 pm. It was a long day. And picking her up from the crib at Lizzie's house to bring her home was the best part of it. (It might have helped that she was half asleep which means SO cuddly and sweet.)

The other pictures are just cute ones of Sophia and her new flip flops, a fun day at the pool... and breakfast with my sweet friends for my birthday last Wednesday. That night Ross took me to Haleiwa Joes for a yummy dinner and gave me some thoughtful gifts. He's really good at the gift thing... and he stocks up of course so he'll have some left for Mother's Day as well. I got a couple of cute tops, a white skirt from Anthropology! (He knows I love it but will never pay the money, so he just picked me out a skirt... guts huh), a couple of CD's and a grill pan. That was between the two holidays. So now it's Tuesday, two days after Mother's Day, 6 after my birthday, and 12 after our Anniversary... and I'm feeling 'em. The post-holiday blues. My month is over. Sigh.

I have a secret.

My complaints have probably given it away for anyone who thought much about it. I'll be avoiding pictures of myself for a while now for obviously LARGE reasons. And it's been really hard for me to think of anything to blog about for a while because the thing that has been consuming my thoughts was not legally bloggable yet (I don't know, I figured, if there were rules- that would be one.)...If anyone is still scratching their heads... we're pregnant! The little tasmian Biesinger #2 is on it's way. Just past 11 weeks, I had an appointment yesterday and decided I'd break the 12 week rule and blog it today... because I wanted to. We're due by c-section in mid-November, we're SUPER excited, and will be even more so when the nausia fades and I feel more like myself. It's been a bit rougher this time around (the unfortunate reason I didn't go to DC afterall.) So I've been feeling a little better lately... I'm getting chubbier and chubbier and just hoping that with this one, soon enough people will know that there is indeed a reason for the added lumps and bumps. Oh the joys of being pregnant. I'm sure I will have plenty a post about that in the future. There is just too much to share. Boys, read with caution.

Four Years

Today is our anniversary. I love anniversaries. I love reminiscing with Ross on so many wonderful dating and wedding day moments, and in the process, every year I seem to discover a new favorite memory of his that I've nearly forgotten. I think someday I'll write it all down-- can't bear the thought of forgetting a single moment involved in falling in love with this man.

Last year, on our three year anniversary, I made this video for Ross. It starts with dating and goes through Sophia's birth. So it's missing a year, and it's 14 minutes, far too long to watch... but I'm posting it anyway because it's my anniversary. I won't be quizzing on it or anything, no pressure to watch- although the weight fluctuations and bad hair stages make it rather interesting. (Warning: full frontal pregnant belly shot- the morning of her birth... belly size: huge; shock value: high.)



A few things we've done over the past four years:

-Learned to cook and eat; food is even better together
-Lived in one apartment in Provo where our mattress (thanks Christy) was on our living room floor so we could watch "Friends" re-runs at midnight.
-Worked our first real jobs out of college- me as a Marketing Executive for Marriott Vacation Club, Ross for Merrill Lynch. His stuck of course.
-Lived in our second apartment in Palm Desert and loved it, went swimming every night
-Bought our first house when the market was goooooooood.
-Did way too many home projects on our first house- laid the floor, baseboards, mouldings, painted walls, cabinets, furniture- learned tons. Hopefully we won't have to do it all again.
-Got pregnant
-Went to Europe (my first time)- Paris, Switzerland, Venice, Florence, Rome.
-Had mold problem in new home and moved into hotel for three weeks RIGHT before Sophia's birth.
-Had Sophia. :)
-Took plenty of trips to San Diego of course, Newport, Florida, San Francisco, Arizona, Utah, and Hawaii.
-Livin the good life- me, home with Sophia, Ross building a true business. We just might be in this "oasis" for a while.

How wonderful to know so surely that the last four years have been beyond the best of my life. That our lives aligned just long enough for us to fall in love and thanks to that, we have this beautiful little girl. How wonderful that I get to know that we'll be together for the rest of the years and beyond. I thought Eternity was kind of a terrifying concept until I knew I'd be spending it with Ross... now I just feel like the luckiest girl alive. Happy Anniversary bebe-- I love you.

Mama B.

She's tiny, and humble, and consumed with service, temple work, and others. I think she's only on this Earth for the rest of us because I'm fairly certain she's done. She's learned all those lessons that make you kinder, more selfless, less judgemental, and more obedient. I can't imagine she could possess an ounce more of any of those traits. She's sent all four of her boys on missions, (Ross was the first and I'm pretty sure she cried for two years... but she did it.) And has enjoyed the temple marriages of her first three children (again, Ross was the first and she may have cried for another year or so... but she let me have him and has treated my like gold ever since.) She taught her boys to be both strong and gentle; SO respectful of women; designed to be fathers. She is her daughter's best friend and has been throughout her life. She makes motherhood look like what it is: divine. Yesterday was her 60th birthday. Happy Birthday Mama B.!

Pool days

At this very moment, at 2:10 in the afternoon, for no apparant reason, I'm eating directly out of a pint of full fat, Private Selection moose tracks icecream. They were $10 for 10. It is the chaser to a chinese chicken salad from Trader Joes. You might think I'm confessing, as I do that sometimes. But not today. Today I'm simply boasting.

These are of course, pictures of our day at Lizzie's pool. I know most are inside... but they just have so much fun together, I had to throw them in. Tanner is genuinely Sophia's best friend right now. When they get together they just laugh and talk and chase and mimick and hug.... Super cute. The pool was great and I even got a little burnt. Not the goal anymore, I know... I've been noticing the smile lines don't go away these days. Are you allowed to worry about smile lines at 26? Well I believe in sun screen- that's my point. She's awake. Break's over.