All sun-screened up and ready to go....

We're off to the beach... first Laguna then Oceanside... Adios!

Monday

(Sunday Night Movies)

It felt like a busy weekend. Probably because we had to give talks on Sunday and no matter what I do to prepare, I never feel relaxed until it's over. Friday night we took Sophia to Pick Up Stix and frozen yogurt. There's something about going out as a whole family that I LOVE... even if Sophia is a little crazy, incredibly sticky, and full of mostly yogurt and very little chicken when it's all over. Saturday we went on a real date with our friends Ryan and Kodi to dinner AND a movie... a rare thing these days (fitting in both.) We had to start at like 4:45 to do so, but we got to see The Bourne Ultimatum which, to no surprise, we LOVED... and Sophia got to hang with, not just a babysitter, but also Kodi's two adorable little girls of almost 4 and almost 2 in their fun house with their fun toys. Felt like we all won.

So now it's Monday and I'm feeling like this week will fly by as quick as the weekend did. I had a dentist appt. this morning :( mostly because either I'm going through a pregnant/quarter life chrisis, or my teeth really are rapidly changing from straight to saber-toothed after enduring braces as a kid. Ahhhhh! So I found out that for a mere $700 I wasn't planning on spending... I could get some spring- something-or-other retainers that might help the problem. *Sigh*. If only I were under 20 and Ross' child instead of wife, insurance would cover a bit. I guess they figure, phsyically it's all down hill from here anyway so if I want to keep my smile I'll be willing to pay for it. (*Another longer sigh*.) What to do.

On a happier note, tonight I have a MUCH NEEDED hair appointment. Figured I was just hating my hair lately because of the twenty pounds that's probably managed to change even that (my hair.) But then I realized that I'd accidently gone about twice as long as I usually go for highlights. Maybe because it's summer and it's either in a bun going to the pool, or in a pony going to the gym. But I'll be so happy to be refreshed tonight. (*Good sigh*... like the kind after a drink of cold lemonade. )

Another piece of good news is that I leave on Wednesday to go to Laguna Beach to stay with my sister... Yay!! It's really about time, she's lived in this house for several months now and I've yet to even see her furniture in it. And with her decorating sense, that alone is reason enough to make a trip out there. So Sophia and I will have a couple of days to play with Melisa and Heath, and then Ross will come down to join us Friday night. Saturday we head to Oceanside to meet Ross' family for our week at the beach which I can't wait for since Ross will be off the whole week and the house is RIGHT on the sand which means pure convenience for all day play plus easy naps... etc. Not to mention a whole week with cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles for Sophia to play with, two nephews I haven't seen yet, a birthday to celebrate (Sophia turns 2 on Sep. 2nd) and hopefully Missy and Avery (and Devin??) will come meet us for some fun in the sun?!! (Without the triple digits.)

Lot's to look forward to. But wait, there's more. Remember how I live out in the boonies with NO shopping whatsoever. GUESS what's coming to my neighborhood? I'd never heard of it either, but the structure's up, and I saw a sign so I googled it, and I'm SOOOO excited.

Sleep

(The picture doesn't really have anything to do with the post. But it's cute, and sort of illustrates her sleeping- which does have to do with the post-- that is if she slept on the couch, and in a swim suit, and with her eyes partly open... well use your imagination)

It's 9 am. I slept in until 8 (I say that like it was a luxury but it's been pretty standard these days), now I've eaten breakfast, paid the bills, cleaned the kitchen, ordered some potty training paraphernalia off of Amazon, returned some emails.... and am starting a post, and my daughter is still sleeping. It's bizarre. She's really been sleeping later and later over the past several weeks, starting before Florida. But since we got back from San Diego it's been crazy. We still shoot for a bed time in the 7's but often it's a little after 8 because her nap is later. Monday was good but I don't remember, Tuesday she slept 'till 9, Wednesday was 10:30!!!, yesterday was 8:20 with a very code brown diaper requiring a morning bath so I think that got her up before she wanted, and here we are at 9:06 without even a rustle behind her door! I'm feeling guilty for all the morning free time! (Hence the list of things I've done made out to sound more productive than they really were.)

She does always wake up at some point in the 7's and talk or hum for a few minutes... but we've always let her talk for a while before going in, and apparently she's learned to fall back asleep. Is there anything wrong with this?? With letting her sleep so late? She still takes her nap by 1 usually--- oh yeah and the nap! They used to be 2 hours or less and lately, 2.5- 3 for sure! Then she goes down, like I said probably at 8 after waking from her nap at 4. ( I know I'm doing the two many details thing again.) She couldn't get enough food in her yesterday, and she's been looking really skinny to me the last few days (I know many of you who commented on her perfectly protruding belly in the last post are scratching your heads, but really... she's been really skinny in the mornings.) So I'm wondering if she's just hit a growth spurt and needs a bunch of sleep and her skinniness is because she's getting taller. Or perhaps she's still sleeping off the sickness you heard all too much about. Or perhaps she just doesn't want to leave her bed because she knows that's the only place she gets her binky now. That could be. I don't know-- but by writing this, I'm reminding myself to SOAK IT UP. Because I'm sure this happy sleepy phase will be over before I get comfortable with it.

Speaking of sleep, I've been reading Babywise again in prep. for the new one. Been feeling pretty nervous at the idea of starting back at square one. What if it's all completely different this time? What if Sophia really was just born a good sleeper and the next one just isn't. That's very scary to me. I think I'll let myself believe the book until I'm proven wrong, at my wit's end, and venting on here all about it. Until then if anyone's curious, I think Babywise is a good one if you're having your first little one and need direction in the sleep dept.

I'm writing too much-- too much about nothing. Pretty sure nothing exciting has happened. Ross and I have to give talks in church on Sunday and because we have of course, procrastinated, there's our weekend.

Oh and I bought a cute big-girl bed for Sophia off of Craigslist. I haven't seen it in person yet since I found it in San Diego-- so my dad went and picked it up this morning. Cute white sleigh twin bed. I'm SUPER excited for her to be in a big bed, because the room will be cuter, but I'm TERRIFIED to mess with her sleep right now. So many transitions all of a sudden! I feel all this pressure to potty-train, de-binky, and move her to a big-girl bed... when part of me just wants to keep the sailing as smooth as possible through the baby coming and not change a THING. So... I just very well might have a crib sleeping, diaper wearing, binky using three year old along side my 1 year old. And I'm not sure if I care yet.

9:36: And she just started singing.

Tuesday

I hate thinking of titles all of the time. Perhaps I'll just write the day of the week.

We are of course back from our weekend and what kind of blogger would I be if I didn't report? It was just what I expected: three incredibly well-behaved, self-sufficient kids willing to play with and entertain Sophia...and Ross all weekend long. Yes I think this was one of Ross' favorite weekends. To be busy from sun-up to sun-down with swimming, soccer games, park play, and (ahem) game cube, may be just what my big kid needs to be utterly happy. :) Sometimes I feel like such an old lady next to him, especially being pregnant, what with me wanting nothing more than a nap and some time to read. I guess that makes us a good team. Well... I guess that just makes me really lucky since he allowed me to nap and read while he went non-stop. Sometimes, I will admit, like most of us, I focus on the good stuff on my blog, so it sounds like I have only the BEST things to say about my PERFECT husband. Well obviously there's more :), but this weekend, he really was, all 'blog superilatives' aside, super-husband, super-dad, and super-uncle. I felt like one big, tired, lucky, pregnant woman.

Saturday afternoon we were joined by my dad and Mary Beth. My dad soaked in the hot-tub for what seemed long enough to cook a man of normal size, (but since he is a Frisch, he came out alright.) We got pizza and watched Teenage Mutan Ninja Turtles with the kids and soaked up each-other's company. We don't get enough of it. Since we didn't get a picture together on my camera, I'll have to improvise... (here's one of my Dad and Mary Beth from Ian's wedding last year.)The one very un-fun bump in the road: Sophia got sick. After a day in the sun, she seemed to be running a fever. After some motrin, pizza, and ... icecream (only the best for my poor, little sick girl)... we put her down. A couple of hours later we went up to find her super hot, whimpering, and shaking like I've never seen. It freaked me out so I laid her on Byron and Kim's bed next to me while Ross went down to find a thermometer and some more medicine. After dozing off for a few minutes, she sits up abruptly, coughs, and then.... duh duh duh... vomits. Yup, on Byron and Kim's beautiful bed. I scooped her up as fast as I could to run to the bathroom, but all that meant was we extended the mess from the bed, through the length of the bedroom, and bathroom, to the counters and sink. It was awful. I've never seen her throw up- she spit up a bunch as a baby, but never real throw-up. She was so horrified and kept wiping her little tongue like "what is this?!" (Is this far too graphic and disgusting for the blog??) It just broke my heart. Especially because I think there are few things worse in life than throwing up (Sarah, if you're still reading through the details, I know you're nodding your head in emphatic agreement.) Eventually, it subsided, and her and I jumped in the tub while Ross started the very lengthy late-night clean-up. Evidence of both the super-husband and super-dad.

As expected, she seemed to feel much better after the purge, and slept in until 9 or so... she seemed to be totally out of the funk within a couple of days. Here's a cute one of her on Byron's quad when they got back from their weekend in Mexico.

Thank you Byron and Kim for letting us enjoy your beautiful home and for treating our little mishap like nothin', and thanks Colton, Chloe, and Soren for a fun weekend! We miss you already!

Gone for the weekend...

As payment for this table: We leave for San Diego today to watch these kids:

And sleep in this room:

And swim in this pool:

All the while enjoying La Costa's 77 degree weather as opposed to our 112 degree weather.... hardly seems like payment eh?

Tuesday's Free Movies

Thank you Regal... one more place to go to stay out of the heat. Not exactly the crowd I want Sophia hanging out with... (the second picture) but fun nonetheless. She lasts really good for a half hour or so, (if I bring popcorn), after that it gets a little tricky, what with her running away from me in a dark theater, with nothing but her giggles for me to track her by. (Exaggeration... I wouldn't actually lose her if she stopped giggling, that would be scary.) But the best part is just seeing her sit there in a real movie seat, eating popcorn and watching a "show" on the silver screen. I really love movies myself, so there's just something really cool about it. One more thing that makes me realize she's just a miniature version of a whole, grown-up person I guess.

Since we can't be in the pool ALL of the time, I am so grateful for one more way to fill a summer morning. And I'm SO glad that by the time the new baby comes, the weather will be nice, and a simple walk to the park, or backyard play-time might actually suffice. Oh, were it fall...

Tagged

This is for Missy....

Jobs I’ve had:
1. Hot Dog on a Stick- Highschool (I don't want to hear it- I swear it was cool then.)
2. Receptionist at Gastric Bypass Surgery Clinic- Highschool
3. Water Park in Chula Vista- for about a day
4. Law Firm Receptionist- summer between semesters
5. Waldenbooks-BYU
6. Good Earth -in Provo- BYU
7. Club Tan- (yup) -BYU
8. World Gym in Spanish Fork-BYU ( I guess I switched jobs about as often as apartments- not sure what that says about me??)
9. 24 Hour Fitness in SD- Between semesters
10. Marketing Executive (Time Share hawk) for Marriot Vacation Club- post college/marriage- out here in the desert.

Places for a Weekend Getaway:
1. San Diego
2. Idyllwild (we talk about going some weekend, never have.)
3. Anywhere that could take us out of the heat

Movies I Can Watch Over and Over:
1. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
2. Devil Wears Prada (I feel like I'm copying you Missy, but honestly, these are the only two movies I've ever ASKED for- I'm not usually a movie repeater)
3. Little Mermaid- well it's not really up to me, when a little girl says "memae memae memae memae" enough times, you just start it again.

Guilty Pleasures:
1. 9:30 icecream (even if dessert was a part of the night at some other point) icecream with milk (thank you Sarah) and cereal (has to be corn based: flakes or chex are best) , and sometimes banana- is still a must.
2. Sleeping in as long as I can stretch it- (sometimes Sophia talks in her crib for like an hour... no I don't let her cry so I can sleep in, just talk)
3. Buying whatever I want at Trader Joes (especially those sparkling grapefruit drinks in individual glass bottles)

Places I’ve lived:
1. Sacramento, CA
2. Corpus Christi, TX
3. San Diego
4. Laie, HI
5. Provo, UT
6. Lihue, HI (on Kauai if 2 months counts for living)
7. Palm Desert, CA
8. Indio, CA

What I First Thought When I Saw Ross:
1. Really cute boy- must sit at his table (in library) looking incredibly cool and nonchalant
2. Second thing I thought as he walked away from table: oh crap- he's short. (He's 6'3", I think it was his pant/shoe ratio, or a too-big backpack, or possible tapering, but we still argue about it.)

Places I’ve Been on Vacation:
1. Big Bear- it was our snow vacation growing up
2. Utah- if that counts- lounging at Ross' folks' is TOTALLY vacation
3. Pismo Beach- ate my first Coldstone icecream cone there as a kid
4. San Francisco- I'm with you Missy, one of the greatest cities (though I haven't seen the East coast yet) also where Ross proposed so I'm a little biased.
5. Hawaii- Big Island and Maui in High School as a babysitter for 2 little girls, Kauai while at BYU-H and as a nanny later, Oahu finally with my sweet husband last year.
6. Cabo, Mexico- on our honeymoon. :)
7. Europe- Paris, drove through Switzerland, Florence, Venice, and Rome. Wow.
8. Lots of San Diego
9. Some AZ
10. A little Vegas
11. Florida- Well you know all too much about that one.

Favorite Foods
1. icecream (surprise, that's what-- the third mention of it so far?)
2. fresh mex
3. good seafood
4. chocolate: brownies, cake, icecream, or straight (the pound plus bar from Trader Joes is the best milk chocolate for everyone dipping strawberries or making candy of any sort.)

If I’m In a Jam With Ross, Tactics I Use To Get Out of the Doghouse
- I could actually really use some help with this one- I seem to have a problem with pride- With any "attempts", I usually end up extending my stay in the doghouse.

Websites I Visit Daily
1. blogs
2. potterybarn kids/land of nod/babystyle/mini boden etc... (since there is another one coming soon and Sophia needs a big girl room.)
3. email

First Kiss Locations
1. W/ Ross? on the porch- at the La Jolla condo

Places I’d Rather Be:
With Ross, Sophia and a great job, and a great house?
1. San Diego
2. Bay Area
3. Hawaii
4. Pretty much anywhere near the coast with warmish days, cool nights, and sporadic clouds.

People I Tag…
Lacy, Brooke, Marie, Lindsay, Lizzie, Michelle, Marnie (you're the only ones I don't feel bad committing, (DO IT!) anyone else have time?-- share-- share.

Sophia and Grandpa B.

...on a quick visit from him and Nana last weekend. We wish you guys could pop in like that more often!

Off-Line

For four whole days. Something's been up with our computer for a couple of weeks and it finally got so bad I decided to have the geek squad clean it. Little did I know doing it over the phone would not take a morning, or even a whole day, but essentially every morning and afternoon from Wednesday through Saturday. All during which I was instructed not to get online. Night. Mare.

Then today, because of a little over-protection by one of the anti-virus programs they downloaded... no internet again. All very frustrating. I'm happy to be back.

P.S. Today's my brother-in-law Joe's birthday. Lacy did a really cute video for him... click on either of their links to see it.

P.P.S Our good friends Marnie and John had their beautiful BABY boy over a week ago and they've finally started a blog. Check it out. Mac is aDORable.

I'll regret this later

I'm slightly terrified at the thought that I'm literally posting a full body, bathing-suit-clad, 23-week-pregnant, looking-36-week-pregnant, solo shot of myself. Especially because, just by doing so, my ever ego-boosting friends will feel obligated to tell me that I look great and am all belly. Which everyone knows only happens to Angelina Jolie who should have died of starvation during pregnany if she were human. But I'm still doing it, posting the picture. Some of you have commented on how you'd like to see my expanding size, and I know I always do of other pregnant women, so I am... delivering. And the swim suit? Well it seems to be what I'm wearing most days this summer, and it might in some ways be less offensive than the hugeness that amounts when you put a billowy peasant shirt, or something of that sort, over this body.

So I went to the doctor yesterday, after spending that week in Florida with Lacy and Joe who enjoy food almost as much as I do, and I did indeed, suffer consequences on the scale. I've debated what's the lesser of two evils. Now that you've seen this picture of me, is it better that I let you believe I haven't gained much at all, that I'm terribly lucky, or better yet disciplined? But then you think my normal body is not a far stretch from this one. Hmmm. Or do I admit the vast increase and by doing so, admit my utter lack of self-control and disregard for normal-sized servings of icecream? It was a tough call, but I decided on the latter.

At 23 weeks pregnant (5 1/2 months or so)

Weight gain: duh duh duh... 18 pounds!

Size of uterus: soccer ball

Size of baby: carrot (but last week it said banana and the week before said coconut, is my baby getting smaller or is BabyCenter growing there own crops of tiny coconuts and huge carrots?)

Movement: She kicks me all the time, Ross can feel it on the outside if he's patient enough to leave his hand in one spot for long enough, apparantly it's hard sometimes to touch your wife for that long when you're trying to watch a show... Just kidding Ross.

Complaints: Sigh. Where do I begin? Just kidding, I'm really to the stage where I'm loving it. The heartburn is the worst consistent discomfort, but nothing a constant fix of Zantec can't help. :) Feeling ligament pains on my sides, thought I was just constantly in a state of over-eating, which might be part of it, but I think they are officially the ligament pains. Various back pains, but those seem to be part of my life regardless and 18 pounds can't help. Lots of trips to the loo (sp?), a few calf cramps, but mostly I'm just grinning all day as a second little girl kicks lovely rythms in my belly. I LOVE that part. Where you lie in bed after your husband falls asleep and realize you're just hangin' with this very wakeful baby in your belly that no one else can feel or really know yet...

Motherhood. Even considering the nausea, weight gain, heartburn, breakouts you never had in highschool, looking like an idiot in your yoga class, etc... we really are lucky.

And I know, since Florida, I'm far too blog-happy.