Messina Moments

Birthday Time Again!

2011-09-01T21:20:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday Eleni!!!!

I can’t believe she is two already!!!

4th of July!

2011-07-15T12:47:00.001-06:00

We had a great Independence day here in Boise! We spent the day at my sister’s house where they had enough food to feed an army. Kalua pork, Fo’ou’s famous chicken, baked beans, macaroni salad, watermelon, rice crispy treats, cookies, I’m sure there was more.

Eleni was looking patriotic thanks to Tyler’s grandparents. Who needs a pool when you have a 40 gallon tub in the driveway. Looking at this picture makes me think we should have either taken her diaper off or put a swim diaper on her instead.

Eleni did much better than I thought she would with the fire works. She loved looking at them and and only showed some apprehension to the loud whistling and crackly ones. After showing her how much fun a 3 foot sparkler can bee she decided she could hold it on her own.

Next year we work on fire safety. Here she is coming straight at me to show me her sparkler

Here are a few videos of her with the fireworks and having some fun of her own.

Family Visits

2011-07-11T12:42:00.001-06:00

We had a lot of family come up in June. My sister Ellen and her boyfriend Danny came up at the beginning and I was HORRIBLE at taking pictures while they were here. This is the only picture I have of them and Eleni, it was the night before they left and Eleni wasn’t happy about it.

Then Tyler’s dad, step-mom, uncle and cousin came up for the last weekend in June. I did much better with the picture taking, as you can see.

They were here for three short days and we made the best of them. Friday we went and walked around downtown Boise. We went to the Capitol Building and walked around for a little bit. This is Tyler’s cousin Hannah. She is one of the only members of Tyler’s family that actually enjoys all of our animals.

We went to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things and while we were there Eleni found this ball. One of the advantages of being the only grandchild on one side of the family is that it’s hard for the grandparents to say no. We have a common area behind our house and when we got home we went and enjoyed the sun and the new ball.

We also took them to Zoo Boise and the World Center for Birds of Prey. Patrick and Cassidy were able join us at the zoo and everyone had a good time watching the two girls together.

At the Bird of Prey Center we were able to pet an Aplomado chick and John proved that grandparents will do just about anything to make their grandkids happy.

They were great visits and hope to see everyone again soon.

First Hair Cut

2011-07-02T14:20:00.001-06:00

Eleni’s hair has been in her eyes since about November of last year. I've been bugging Tyler to cut her bangs since then and he always said she didn’t need it yet. Well, finally one night after her hair had dried form her bath Tyler couldn’t take it anymore.

This is how Eleni’s hair would always be after a bath. She would constantly walk around like this, like there was nothing wrong. If we wanted Eleni to see the world without a veil of hair in front of her we would have to put it up. If you wanted to put her hair up you were in danger of starting WWIII. So, Tyler asked me for a pair of scissors and voila!

It’s great now because all we have to do is brush her hair (not WWIII but still a battle) in the morning and be done with it. Tyler now agrees that we should have done this MONTHS ago.

Hiking with Daddy

2011-07-02T14:00:00.001-06:00

Tyler wanted some daddy/daughter time with Eleni so on Memorial Day they went on a hike while I went to a Memorial Day program at the Idaho Veteran’s Cemetery.

Of course Tyler had to dress them in matching outfits.

Tyler said she did pretty good. She found her own walking stick, got nice and muddy, and even found a frog all by herself.

Easter!

2011-04-24T23:28:00.001-06:00

This year was a fun Easter. We went over to my sister Beth’s house for dinner and an egg hunt. Eleni is just old enough to understand what to do with the egg hunt, and difficult to get a decent picture of.

First we had a completely non-traditional but just as good and much easier dinner of pulled pork sandwiches. After we were done with that, Beth and I took her three kids and Eleni for a walk so the Easter Bunny could come over and do what he does best.

Eleni saw this ball and had to take it along on our walk. She stayed in the wagon for about three minutes and had to walk for the other 27ish minutes. In the next neighborhood there are a few horses so we decided to go and see them. I don’t have any pictures of it, but once Eleni saw the horse all she wanted to do was go and see it. Unfortunately we couldn’t get it to come to us.

As we were walking I saw this house with these red tulips and thought they would be a good background for a nice picture of her in her dress. As you can see she didn’t quite cooperate and this is the best I got. This other picture is another attempt.

When we got back, we were told that the Easter Bunny had hidden the eggs in three different difficulty levels. Hard for the two big kids, Ilai and Eden, a little easier for the middle kid, Anela, and obvious for Eleni. There were 105 eggs to find and it was a free for all to find them.

Eleni did better than I thought and we had to re-hide her eggs so she could keep hunting.

Over all we had a great day and only wish we could spend it with our whole family.

Happy Birthday Papa!

2011-03-29T12:01:00.001-06:00

I was able to go to Salt Lake City for the weekend with my mom and my aunt to see my grandpa for his 85th birthday. It was a quick three day visit but it was really fun. The last time I had seen him was when he went to California for his 80th. Papa loves all nine of his grandchildren and all 14 of his great-grandchildren. He tried so hard to hold Eleni all weekend but as you will see in one of the pictures she wanted nothing to do with him. She did let him touch her hand on Sunday so I think if we would have had more time with him she would have warmed up. I am so grateful for the chance I had to see him and wish I could see him more.

Papa’s marble game. The object of the game is to remove all but one of the marbles. He’s an expert at it and is able to do it almost every time.

This is at Chuck-A-Rama on Friday. One of the best buffet chains I’ve ever been to.

Here we are at our four generation photo shoot. I wanted one picture of the two of them together no matter what Eleni thought.

Lunch at the Nauvoo Cafe. Aunt Janet is demonstrating a happy face while Eleni is still working on a sad face.

The California people wanted pictures with the snow.

Here we are, four generations.

Toast!

2011-03-21T00:11:00.001-06:00

I absolutely love the way she eats her toast in the morning. Just picks the tasty parts then feeds the rest to the dogs.

And then there is the way she eats anything that is dip able.

Daddy’s Home!!!

2011-02-05T18:29:00.001-07:00

This happens every day. It is so fun to watch.

Young Love

2011-01-07T13:15:00.001-07:00

Our friends Pat and Shayna, the parents of Eleni’s best friend Cassidy, had a baby boy about two months ago. Shayna came over last night with with the babies and I think Eleni fell in love with little Sean. She kept trying to give him his pacifier, got upset when he started crying in her lap, and was VERY upset when I took him. Whenever Eleni wants you to sit on the couch with her she pulls you over there and starts hitting it. Whoever was holding Sean was given this treatment so she could sit next to him.

I can already tell that these three are going to be a handful. When Eleni wasn’t preoccupied with Sean, she and Cassidy were getting into EVERYTHING together. These next few years are going to be great!

Christmas

2010-12-28T13:50:00.001-07:00

Can’t believe it’s almost been two months!! Since the last post our computer crashed and I lost a lot of pictures so I lost my motivation to blog. But now it’s back, and here are some pictures of our Christmas festivities.

Eleni saw us putting the lights on the tree and decided to help with one that had died.

Here she is enjoying a Christmas classic after dinner. She isn’t normally nekkid, I think we had pasta that night.

Her Christmas pretties.

She wasn’t too happy about meeting Santa.

Mmmmmmmmm, lasagna on Christmas Eve.

Milk and cookies, check. stockings hung by the entertainment center with care, check.

Eleni made out like a bandit. I think three or four of those are for Tyler and me.

We went to my sister’s house Christmas night and I completely forgot to take pictures except for the group picture. So here is the Boise half of my family.

Say What?

2010-11-04T00:30:00.001-06:00

Now if only we knew what she was saying.

Halloween

2010-11-02T18:02:00.001-06:00

Eleni’s first year of participating in Halloween was really fun!

First we carved pumpkins.

Then we got ready for “trunk-or-treat” at my church.

Lastly, we enjoyed the spoils of the night.

I forgot my camera when we went real trick-or-treating, but was able to get a picture of this house at the end of our cul-de-sac. This family has nine blow-up yard ornaments, a ghost on the roof, Halloween movies playing, and in the garage they were giving away popcorn and hot chocolate. I hear their Christmas decorations take up the entire space above their garage and they also give sleigh rides. This should be a fun time of year!

Mrs. Texas Ranger

2010-11-02T13:26:00.001-06:00

We officially have a walker. She no longer prefers to crawl. Hopefully this transition in our lives will go as smoothly as the others.

RRRRR!

2010-10-13T13:27:00.001-06:00

Just something we have been working on lately.

California Gurl!

2010-10-05T13:03:00.001-06:00

We Drove down to California about a month ago to celebrate Eleni’s birthday with our family down there and to go to the North American Reptile Breeders Conference and Trade Show. Eleni was awesome on the car ride, sleeping most of the way. On our way down we made sure to stop at the LA Zoo. It is one of our favorites and we brought our friend Brian with us who had never been.Here is Tyler Showing Eleni the meerkats. Tyler, Eleni, and Brian looking at the Komodo Dragons. We had to go back and look at them a couple of times.GO-RIL-LA! (quoted from Tarzan)Of course there was her party. (For more pictures, see previous post)

All she wanted to do at the show was touch all the animals. John got her this snake and she was fine after that. She refused to lay down without it.

I was able to go to Camarillo and spend a few days with my dad and his wife. It was a good few days. Eleni got to go to the beach for the first time. She was pretty good about it. She thought it was funny to walk in the dry sand but wasn’t too keen on the cold water hitting her feet. She liked watching it go over mine while I was holding her though.

Dad had a set of dominos that he would stack and Eleni would knock them over. It was hours of entertainment.

She did great on the flight home. Slept the entire first flight to Phoenix, then had a good time on the flight to Boise. We had an entire row to ourselves so I took advantage and had her sit by herself. She was flirting with the flight attendants and all the people sitting around us. She got many compliments on how well she did.

It was a great trip and I can’t wait to go back.

Party Time!

2010-09-22T22:27:00.000-06:00

Eleni had two birthday parties for her first birthday. Here are a few pictures from both.

Boise Party 8-29-2010

View Full Album

California Party 9-11-2010 (Eleni’s Due Date)

View Full Album

Both parties were a lot of fun and it was so fun seeing both of our families in California. Here is to another year of fun and memories!

One Year Old!!!

2010-09-01T20:45:00.001-06:00

It’s hard to believe that my little baby girl is a year old today. I can’t believe how fast time has gone by. We love her more and more each day and can’t wait to see what she becomes. Here’s to another year of great memories and happy days.

Like Father like Daughter

2010-08-12T23:54:00.002-06:00

I don’t think this kind of love can be taught.

A Couple New Tricks

2010-08-10T14:01:00.001-06:00

Ok they aren’t exactly new, I've been lagging.

She has more I need to post but the batteries in the camera died.

I also think she has a secret desire to be a vampire.

BBD 2010

2010-07-20T18:45:00.000-06:00

Ever since I can remember, there has been an annual camping trip the weekend after the Forth of July. My family and I would go to some destination and camp for an extended weekend. This year we treated it as a family reunion since four of the eight kids now live out of California. So instead of picking somewhere that is a threeish hour drive from everyone, we went eight hours and went to Fallen Leaf Lake about a mile or two south of Lake Tahoe. Eleni normally wakes up around 3:00 in the morning so we decided to leave when she woke up. She slept most of the way there and Duke did too. After checking into the campground and parking in our site, we noticed a bunch of people standing in a little parking lot a few sites away. This is what they were looking at. After a day of trying to keep Eleni clean, I decided to forget it and let her have her fun. At first she did pretty good at staying on the mat but soon became braver and braver and eventually found the dirt.

At least she didn’t do this.

We were lucky to have our sites close enough for us to be able to walk to the lake. I think of the 30+ people there in our group, some went everyday.

Duke’s first trip to a body of water big enough for him to swim in.This is Tyler sampling the cuisine. The water was a little cold for total enjoyment but once you got in it was nice. These were the two youngest campers. Lilly and Eleni are 8 months apart.I took Eleni to the showers with me once and that didn’t work as well as I had hoped so we did this instead. The drive home was not as pleasant as the drive there but Duke helped keep Eleni entertained.These were the best times of the drive.

Can’t wait until BBD 2012!!!

A Visit From Family

2010-07-18T22:50:00.002-06:00

Gamma Wanda and Uncle Sam came for a visit at the end of June. It was a great week filled with a lot of fun stuff.

Sam got in touch with his inner child.

We went to Blue Cow Frozen Yogurt then went to table rock.

And Sam got to see the gibbons in Gibbon Alley at the zoo.

I was horrible at taking pictures during their visit so I’m sorry Wanda for not having any of you and Eleni. We also went on a taxi ride to the mall, got Eleni’s nine month pictures done (one month late), and had many fun nights just hanging out at home. It was a wonderful visit and we can’t wait to see them again.

(i downloaded a new way of posting on my blog, i kinda like being able to use my own fonts instead of the five they give you.)

Independance Day

2010-07-05T17:52:00.004-06:00

Hope everyone had a 4th of July that was as great as ours!

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T19:00:00.001-06:00

Happy Father's Day to all the dads in my life. I love you all and thank you for everything you have taught me over the years.

Lunch Time!!!

2010-06-15T23:43:00.006-06:00

I've been letting Eleni feed herself a lot more lately. Some of her favorites have been:

spaghettiand avocado.
It's fun for her to try, me to watch, and Daisy to clean up after.

Uh-Oh

2010-05-25T15:03:00.003-06:00

Hi, my name is Eleni and I don't like to be held like this very often anymore because...

I can do this.

I also like giving kisses.

Mother's Day (two weeks later)

2010-05-25T07:47:00.006-06:00

I had a great first Mother's Day. Tyler and Eleni took me out to lunch and then we went to the zoo. Eleni enjoyed this trip much better than her first. She loved looking at all the animals and was sleeping before we left the parking lot on the way home.

If your head fits, these ears actually work. I don't think Eleni Cared too much.

She loved looking at the animals. She would make this face, kick her feet, and bounce up and down every time she was able to see one moving.

The zoo farm is new. This is where you feed the goats and the sheep for a quarter.

It was amazing to see that Eleni was the same size as this lion's head.

She also loved watching the penguins zip around in the water.

Big Girl Things Part II

2010-05-10T12:54:00.006-06:00

So here are some of Eleni's tricks and cuteness at 8 months old.

She holds her own bottle.

And she finally has her first tooth!!!

Reptile Adventures

2010-05-07T15:03:00.006-06:00

So Reptile Adventures made an appearance at the Pet Expo this year. For any of you who don't know, this is our side job. We take all of our reptilian friends to birthday parties, schools any other gathering of brave souls. Tyler would love make Reptile Adventures his only job and we are slowly working toward that.

That is our friend Brian showing off one of our corn snakes.
Tyler with his #1 employee.

She had a good time I promise. We actually got a few kids that were scared to touch because the baby wasn't scared of them.

Here are the boys with Tiny, Idaho's largest snake (as far as we know, this is a true statement). She is 17 feet long and weighs upwards of 200 pounds.

Our booth was pretty busy the whole time and it was fun getting some people over their fears and making some moms mad at us for having their sons come up to them and ask for a snake as a pet.

Dinner Time!!!

2010-04-22T23:16:00.002-06:00

Once Eleni got the hang of eating off of a spoon, there was no stopping her.

And when you do, this is what happens.

Just For Fun

2010-03-27T20:04:00.004-06:00

Best Friends Part II

2010-03-18T22:59:00.009-06:00

Five months ago I wrote {this} about Eleni's best friend. Well here they are now at 5 months and 6.5 months old.

Rub-A-Dub-Dub

2010-03-18T22:43:00.003-06:00

Eleni and Rubber Ducky in a tub.

Big Girl Things

2010-03-04T23:14:00.004-07:00

Eleni two steps closer to being a big girl.

She is eating big girl food.

And she is sitting up.

It's hard to believe that she is six months old. I'm looking forward to all the milestones that are coming up but don't want them to come at the same time. She is at a great and fun age right now and I wish I could bottle her up and keep her this way forever.

California Dreaming

2010-02-25T15:05:00.007-07:00

Eleni went on her first plane ride for her first visit to California. She finally got to meet the WHOLE family even though I only have pictures of Tyler's family. Our camera was acting up and I'm still waiting for pictures to be sent from some grandparents.

Uncle Sam

Uncle Tony

Gampa (she's seen him before)

Gamma (seen her before too)

Great Grandma and Grandpa Conner

On the plane on the way home.

She did great on the plane. She only complained for a few minutes on the way down but other than that she was either sleeping or playing. Hopefully she will be that way on all the plane rides.

A Few Of Her Favorite Things

2010-02-02T20:34:00.005-07:00

Eleni is now five months old, I know, hard to believe. She definitely has favorite things at this age though. She loves her pets. If it has fur and is within eye sight, then she will watch it until it goes away. The cats love it cause she "scratches" them while trying to grab their fur and the dogs just grin and bear it.
She also loves her fingers. If she doesn't have her tootser (pacifier) then it's the fingers that are in the mouth. (Don't worry we wash them after an encounter with the animals.)

She also loves her "jump-a-jump". you can put her in that thing and she will stay and jump for a good half hour. If you leave her alone for too long she will voice her displeasure but as soon as you turn the corner she is smiling and jumping again.

Photo Shoot

2010-01-15T15:00:00.000-07:00

Here are some new pictures. If I don't keep them coming then some people get upset.

I was also able to get two pretty cute videos of her. In the first one she is talking to her "friends" as she plays with them and the second is her kind of laughing.

Gramma is Here!!!

2010-01-12T20:48:00.002-07:00

Eleni finally got to meet Gramma #4. After three months of being treated for cancer (which you can read about here) my mom was finally able to come up and see Eleni and the other seven grandchildren that she has up here. It was a great visit and I'm so happy that it finally happened. It was a long hard road for her and I can't think of a better reward.

Christmas!!!

2009-12-25T16:33:00.010-07:00

Today was Eleni's first Christmas! I'm glad she isn't old enough to realize what is going on because Tyler and were able to sleep until 9:00. Even then we weren't rushed to get her dressed (even though we stayed in our jammies), eat a little breakfast, and pass out the gifts. As you can see she got a good amount of gifts and those are mainly from grandparents. We wrote a letter to Santa to only bring her a couple of things since she has no idea who he is or what is going on.

She "opened" a couple of gifts then started to get fussy so Mom and Dad got to open the rest.

Here she is enjoying one from her Great-Grandma Conner.

After we opened gifts and Eleni took a nap we got ready for our Christmas hike. Last year we did it on Christmas Eve but Tyler had to work yesterday. We broke out the jumper today as a gift and she hung out there while we finished getting ready.

As you can see Tyler was excited to take her on her first hike. She did really well until the last 10ish minutes when she started to get tired again. And I'm sure the cold had something to do with it.

I had to get a picture of the cherry nose and cheeks. Just don't mind the spit-up.
Here they are in all thier glory. The dogs had a great time and we even found a pond that was frozen over for them to try walking on.

Here is a gift for all of you. We were finally able to get a good video of her talking.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and hope a fantastic new year is on the way for all of us.

Juicy

2009-12-15T17:41:00.002-07:00

I think it's safe to say that we have a drooler on our hands.

Winter Fun

2009-12-12T18:45:00.003-07:00

Duke and Daisy have a new purpose in life now that there is snow. Our neighbors were the guinea pigs.

Three Months!!!

2009-12-10T16:50:00.004-07:00

I can't believe Eleni is already three months old. Tyler and I are having the best time with her and love her so much. She is smiling like there is no tomorrow but has yet to laugh. I think she has maybe once or twice but I don't know. She is starting to reach for the toys on her activity mat and loves sucking on her hands and fingers for fun and the tootser (pacifier) for calming down. She is talking all the time now and has even had a 20 minute conversation with me. We are looking forward to her laughing and starting to roll over but I must say I am pretty happy that she is immobile.

We had her pictures taken at JC Penny and while we were at the mall we visited Santa. She may not remember it but we have proof it happened.

Monkey Bread

2009-11-29T17:54:00.006-07:00

Ever since I was little, Thanksgiving always started on Wednesday night. That's when my mom would break out the mixer and start the five hour process of making Monkey Bread. I don't know how old I was when I started helping but every year I would. Even after I moved out I would try and make it over there to help. Now that I live in Idaho, I make it on my own and hope one day Eleni will want to help me.

Zoo Boise

2009-11-17T23:38:00.005-07:00

Surprise, surprise the Messinas went to the zoo. But this was Eleni's first time going so we had to document it in some way. It was a good day, the weather was nice, it was in the high 40's and the sun was shining. Eleni was only awake to see the lions but she had a good time anyway. Zoo Boise is a neat zoo, it's small so you can walk around and see everything in about 2 hours and they have some pretty good animals: Lions, tigers, bears (oh my!), giraffes, snow leopards.... Anyway, here are some pictures from our day.
Eleni and me in front of the gibbons.

We were there close to closing so the keepers were trying to get the last lioness into the back. Thats why she is crouched the way she is, the door is right in front of her.

Here she is gazing up at her daddy. I think this is my new favorite picture.

Two Months Old

2009-11-11T18:31:00.004-07:00

Picture taken 11-4-09, Tyler dressed her

Eleni had her 2 month doctor appointment on the second and she did really well. She got three shots which she did cry for but I had a bottle ready and waiting and that calmed her down right away. She was sore that night but didn't get a fever or anything so it was a pretty easy night. Here are her stats:

Height - 23" - 75th percentile

Weight - 11.7 pounds - 75th percentile

Head Circumference - 15.9" - 90th percentile (hence the C-Section)

Aunt Ellen ad Danny

2009-11-11T18:20:00.006-07:00

My sister Ellen and her boyfriend Danny were able to come up for a weekend visit to see Eleni, and everyone else. On Halloween we all went to a pumpkin patch and that's when they got to hold her for the first time. It was a great visit filled with fun, food, and Mah Jong and we can't wait to see them again soon.

A Name and a Blessing

2009-11-06T13:29:00.007-07:00

In the LDS Church it is a customary thing to give a baby blessing. The purpose of the blessing is to celebrate new life as well as introduce the child's name into the church and bless the child with certain strengths and attributes to help them throughout life. Eleni's blessing was on November 1st and it was a wonderful day. I have seen a bunch of blessings, 10 of which were my own nieces and nephews, but it's a completely different feeling and experience when it is your own child. I want to thank Chip (my brother-in-law) for giving her the blessing and everyone who was there physically and in our thoughts, for making it such a wonderful day. Her dress was made as a gift by my friend's mother Alaura. It was absolutely perfect and all I had to do was show her a picture.

Here she is with Uncle Chip. Our bishop's wife made the sweater.

Here is all the family that was able to attend. Ellen and her boyfriend Danny were able to fly up from California for the weekend.

As the primary song goes, "We are a happy family."

Halloween!

2009-11-03T20:05:00.009-07:00

We had a good Halloween this year. We had a spider theme with our decorations.
We were able to carve pumpkins with Patrick, his mother and aunt.

Eleni got to wear two costumes. We bought this one and she wore it during the day.

And this one was given to us and was worn at night because it is much warmer.

We didn't end up buying any candy because we didn't think we would be home, so when we did get home in time for trick-or-treaters, we opened up the garage and let everyone take a tour of the animals. It was a big hit and I'm upset I didn't get any pictures of it.

Gamma Wanda

2009-10-26T23:50:00.006-06:00

Tyler's mom, Wanda, was able to come up and meet her first grand baby. She was able to come and visit for two weeks and Eleni never had it better. The only thing Wanda wanted to do was stay home and hold Eleni and we were happy to oblige. We were able to go on a couple of dates and Gamma got to babysit. She really helped us out a lot and we couldn't thank her enough. It was a great visit and we can't wait to see her again.

First time holding Eleni
Wanda brought this and the green turtle outfit up for her.

Best Friends

2009-10-23T14:58:00.004-06:00

Tyler's best friend Patrick has a habit of copying what Tyler does. For example:

They will both randomly change their hair (on their head or facial) without telling the other and will end up the same cut the next time they see each other.
Have worked at the same place on at least three different occasions.
Moving to Idaho.
Finding out they were going to be dads within 6 weeks of each other.
Finding out they were both going to have girls.
Both of their significant others were planning on a natural childbirth but ended up having c-sections for the same reason, not fitting.

So after six weeks of waiting, Eleni got to meet what will most likely be her best friend, Cassidy Margaret Collins.

Look What I Can Do

2009-10-20T13:09:00.008-06:00

Eleni has been smiling for two or three weeks now but every time the camera comes out to get a picture, she is either to interested in that to keep looking at whoever is making her smile, or she decides she is done smiling. Here are a few that I was able to get.

p.s. Kimi Davenport, if you see this, it isn't fair that you can see my blog and I can't see yours, just sayin :)

And So It Begins...

2009-10-03T16:57:00.007-06:00

It had to happen sooner or later. Tyler and Eleni fed some of the reptiles together and then it turned into a photo shoot*. Tyler had her onesie made and this is the first opportunity she has had to wear it since we didn't have any pants that went with it. We found the leggings in the dollar section at Target and she is the cutest member of Reptile Adventures.

Here they are feeding Beast.
And Douglas.

Better than a pony ride!

There are no words...

*No babies or animals were harmed in the taking of these pictures.

Gramps and Grammy

2009-09-29T12:57:00.005-06:00

Eleni got to meet two more of her seven grandparents this last weekend. This time it was my dad and step-mom's turn. Eleni is the 13th grandchild for them and the first that my dad didn't get to hold within hours of birth, but he made up for it over the three days he got to see her. It was a fun weekend filled with family dinners, sporting events, and hanging out.
Holding Eleni for the first time.

Proud Gramps and Grammy.

Three generations of "Meuniers"

Hope to see them again soon!

Faces of Eleni

2009-09-20T20:49:00.007-06:00

First Bath!

2009-09-20T20:28:00.007-06:00

Eleni is now able to have real baths! In an effort to keep this post "G" rated, we only have pictures of her hair being washed but they are cute just the same. She did very well. Because of the hammock thing that is in her tub she didn't actually get in the water but she liked it just the same.

She was awake, I promise.

All clean!

Eleni's First Visitors

2009-09-13T14:48:00.006-06:00

Tyler's dad and step-mom were Eleni's first visitors. They were going to wait until few weeks after she was born but after seeing a picture of her, they couldn't wait. Eleni was born on a Tuesday and they were here on Saturday. John is still trying to get over the fact that he is a grandfather at 44 (sorry John) but I think he took to it very well. I'm glad they came and got me out of the house. We took a couple walks around the neighborhood and there was a rib cook-off going on that weekend at a park behind our neighborhood that we went to. All in all it was a great visit and we can't wait to see them again.

Tyler had (and still has) a stuffed monkey growing up and John tried to find the same one for Eleni but had to settle for this one.

Here is Lily holding her granddaughter. I'm upset I didn't get a picture of John, Lily, and Eleni together but that's the way things go sometimes.

Here is three generations of Messinas.

38 Weeks, 4 Days

2009-09-12T11:47:00.004-06:00

OK, it's not Wednesday but I figure I have the time now so I'll post. Here is the picture of Eleni next to a quarter as requested by my mom. She was one day old and the nurse gave me a weird look when she walked in and saw me taking this picture.

This is the morning we left for the hospital, and the picture below is a day or two before.

Our Baby Girl

2009-09-07T12:14:00.007-06:00

Eleni Jean Messina
September 1st, 2009
2:03 p.m.
8 pounds, 21 inches Perfect c-section head.

She looks like her daddy in this picture but we are getting mixed reviews.

Tyler had to go home every night to take care of the dogs. He had a hard time sleeping knowing we were in the hospital and not home.

And lets just face it, its hard work being a mom.

Eleni came after two and a half days of contracting with hardly any progress. I only made it to one centimeter. My doctor thought her head might be too big for me or that I might be too little for her so she suggested we have a c-section. So on Tuesday, September 1, 2009 Tyler and I made our way to the hospital. After waiting in triage for about an hour and a half, we were on our way to the O.R. at 1:30. Eleni was born at 2:03 and both the doctors that were doing the surgery and the anesthesiologist were surprised by the size of her head. Her cord was wrapped around her neck twice so she needed a little extra oxygen and was a little pale but other than that we had a healthy baby. Because of her size the nurses needed to check her blood sugar before her first three feedings and she passed all three times. We were able to go home on Friday and it's been a roller coaster from there but all is getting easier day by day. Tyler and I are in love with our little girl and couldn't be happier.

Baby Shower

2009-08-26T21:46:00.007-06:00

On August 22 my good friends Sonya Anderson and Jeanine Richens threw me a baby shower. I had a good time, there were friends, family, and games. One of the games was a nursery rhyme fill in the blank. Another game was they passed around eight jars of baby food and you had to guess what they were by sight only, no smelling, no tasting.
For the third and final game everyone had to guess how many toilet paper squares around my belly was (11.5).
After the games it was time to open gifts. I don't have any pictures of me actually opening them because my camera died but here are some pictures of what I received that I took the next day.

Thank you to Sonya and Jeanine for the WONDERFUL shower, I had a blast!

Fun Stuff!

2009-08-22T16:57:00.008-06:00

During our childbirth prep class last week Tyler got to wear an Empathy Belly. It's supposed to try and simulate pregnancy for a man. If you click here you will be taken to the site that explains what is in the belly and how it helps a man feel pregnant.
The first step is to constrict the breathing.

Here is me and Tyler, he said the worst part was the breathing.

He was a little excited to be able to take it off.

36 and 37 Weeks

2009-08-19T21:52:00.003-06:00

36 weeks crenshaw melon 37 weeks swiss chard

I am officially full term. It's hard to believe that in less than a months time she will be here. In our child birth classes we have learned about different positions that are good for laboring and pushing and also about the use of drugs, c-sections, and anything else that would make a delivery not natural. We have taken our tour of labor and delivery at the hospital I'm delivering at and so now we are pretty much waiting. At my last Dr. appointment I was checked and she said that I'm not dilated at all but I might be effaced a little and Eleney is still high. I have my next appointment on Tuesday so we will see if that changes.

(I will post a picture of me as soon as I can get it taken.)

35 Weeks

2009-08-06T23:19:00.004-06:00

5.25 pounds and 18 inches long

I am doing pretty good for being 35 weeks along. Mother Nature has decided to take pity on me this week and it shouldn't be hotter than the low 90's this week. I am starting to have pain in my sciatic nerve (my butt) so it is sometimes hard for me to walk faster than a stroll. I feel sorry for Tyler because he will get ahead of me sometimes then remember that he needs to slow down. We started our childbirth prep classes on Monday and we pretty much watched a video on the stages of labor, learned a good way to breathe through contractions, and the nurse had us do an exercises that helped us figure out what kind of touch was relaxing for our partners to do during a contraction. Tyler was taken by surprise during the video because they actually showed a woman giving birth, he was ok with it, just caught off guard. Tyler and I plan on doing a belly cast in the near future so I will let you know how that turns out.

The Graduate

2009-08-06T11:39:00.008-06:00

Since for the next month and a half or so Tyler and I don't have any kids to brag/blog about, I am going to do so about the "kids" we do have, our doggies. When we got Duke back in February he was a bit of a wild child. He was a 15 month old St. Bernard that acted like he was 5 months old. The lady we got him from only used him as a breeder. He had no training what so ever and that can be kinda dangerous with a 100 pound (at the time) dog. So with me having just found out I was pregnant, I told Tyler that Duke needed to learn some manners. Not long after, a man from A Better Pet Dog Training came to Tyler's work and gave a presentation and offered a free group training class to all the employees. On August 5, 2009 Duke graduated from Basic Obedience. In order to graduate, he had to do certain tasks:

He had to "sit, stay" for 3 minutes (in this picture he got tired so he laid down), he also and to "sit, lay down, stay" for 5 minutes,

he had to "heel",

and then he had to prove he knew how to "come".

Here is Tyler and Duke getting their diploma from Jim the instructor and owner of A Better Pet Dog Training. He studied animal behavior in college, he is certified to test and pass dogs that are trying to become police dogs, and he is a court appointed expert on dog behavior. He is also a really nice guy.

34 weeks

2009-07-31T22:10:00.005-06:00

34 weeks, wow. In just three short weeks Eleney will be considered full term. I guess technically I could go into labor any time now which is a little unnerving. I am more than ready for her to come physically, sleeping through the night is only done a couple times a week and I don't like going up stairs because I can feel my stomach on my thighs. But, I am using this pregnancy as a learning experience for future pregnancies, no conception between the months of September and January (we will see how it works out). Tyler and I start our childbirth classes through the hospital we are delivering at on Monday so I will have other things to update you on starting next week. Hopefully that will help the next 6 weeks go by faster.

32 & 33 Weeks

2009-07-22T23:10:00.005-06:00

33 weeks. It has been in the 100s here in Eagle and our air is not working, that should be enough said. But, to quote my mother, "if this is the worst thing to happen" during this pregnancy, I will consider myself blessed. As long as we still have a shower I can jump in, or a hose to wet my hair in when outside, I will survive, I have no choice. I am starting to be unable to sleep through the night now. Either my bladder wakes me up or, the pressure that is put on my ribs while on my side causes them to hurt, and that will wake me up. I just might start sleeping in our big arm chair at night just so I can stay upright. I think I have dank more water in these past 2 weeks than I have in my whole life (which doesn't help the bladder situation). Tyler does almost anything I ask him too so he has been wonderful, and my neighbor has said I can go to her house just to sit in the air when ever I want. Here is to hoping that these next 7ish weeks go by quickly and she comes early.

The New Resident

2009-07-13T12:01:00.005-06:00

One of the cool things about Tyler's job is that he gets to see some pretty cool animals sometimes. And, being known as the "Reptile Guy", he gets to take care of anything that isn't a dog or cat. This little guy was brought in because it fell out of it's nest and couldn't be returned due to the height of the nest. Tyler brought it home because we happen to have a supply of mice we can feed it. It still has some baby feathers and we don't think it can fly yet. Tyler is trying to convince me that we need a hawk for a pet. I'm trying to convince him to take it to the Bird of Prey Center.

Independance Day

2009-07-10T13:19:00.006-06:00

This year for the 4th of July Daisy and I went to my sister Beth's house . Tyler had to work and we weren't sure how Duke would do with the fire works so he got to go to work with Tyler. When I got there there was a bounce house in the driveway, the Schultz family under the canopy talking with some of the neighbors and Fo'ou was getting the BBQ ready. We were able to eat Fo'ou's famous chicken and meat, potato and pasta salad, cupcakes, brownies, and all other types of goodies. When it came time for the fireworks Daisy and I sat down at the end of the row of spectators and she was a trooper. She didn't like and of the fireworks that sounded like firecrackers but other than that she was good.
Beth enjoying the bounce house with her girls.

After getting this picture, Eden wanted to get in one with Daisy. Daisy likes to lick and the following picture happened.

Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th!

31 Weeks

2009-07-10T13:06:00.004-06:00

I think the four oranges has more to do with weight than length
So, 31 weeks down and only 9 more to go. It's a shock to only have single digit weeks left. I'm definitely starting to feel more uncomfortable, especially after I eat. The fun part though is being able to play "Name That Bump" as she does her twists and turns. I have yet to have any Braxton Hicks contractions which is a little disappointing, I was hoping feel what a contraction (even if it is only practice) feels like before the real thing. I had a doctor's appointment this week and everything is going great. Eleney is making harder and harder for the doctor to listen to her heart because every time the doctor finds it, she moves. It took a good 5 minutes of hearing it for a few seconds the losing it to be able to hear it long enough and clear enough to get a heart rate.

Weeks 28-30

2009-07-01T16:15:00.000-06:00

28 weeks 29 weeks 30 weeks

OK, so I've been slacking. But it's hard to come up with new things to say when nothing new is happening. I did have my glucose tolerance test over the last two weeks. The way this works is you drink a very sugary drink (mine tasted like a melted orange otter pop, only sweeter), wait an hour during which you can't eat or drink anything, then you get you blood sugar tested. I failed this one hour test only because my doctor told me to eat and drink normally before drinking the glucola. I had some fruit juice about half an hour before drinking it and that raised my blood sugar even more. So then I had to go for a three hour test where I had to fast before, good thing i was able to get in early in the morning, they had to draw my blood before I drank the glucola (twice as much this time), then every hour after for 3 hours. On the last draw the nurse had a hard time getting my veins to cooperate so I ended up getting stabbed a total of 7 times. Fortunately I passed this time so I don't have to worry about gestational diabetes.

I'm feeling more of her movements now instead of just the kicks and punches. It's been fun to try and feel a body part when pushing on my stomach. My toes are becoming more nimble as I use them more to pick things up and I'm finally starting to see my belly button through my shirts. Swimming is becoming more and more enjoyable every time I go and as soon as we get the new carpet in the nursery, we will finally be able to finish it.

Two Trimesters Down...

2009-06-11T17:20:00.005-06:00

2 pounds, 14.5 inches long

OK so I'm late posting again, but Tyler and I had some reptile shows this week and last week that kept my mind a little preoccupied. Anyway, I can't believe I'm in my third trimester. It's slowly becoming more real that I'm actually going to be a mom and have to take care of this thing 24/7, not just for a few hours then give her back. The ground is getting farther and farther away, I find myself grunting more than I would normally, which has Tyler constantly asking if I'm OK, and I'm starting to walk slower. Some of the good things are that I am still feeling great, no back pain or anything along those lines, total strangers are starting to ask about due dates and names (I'm sure this will get annoying, but it's still new), and I have yet to receive one stretch mark.

One Year Ago

2009-06-07T12:42:00.005-06:00

26 Weeks

2009-06-04T17:46:00.004-06:00

I know, I know I'm a day late. Everything is still going great. From what I've read on some of the forums I've been looking at I've been pretty lucky so far (knock, knock). I pretty much feel normal except for having a larger stomach and a need to pee more frequently. Hopefully I'm going camping this weekend so we will see how that goes and if I'll be doing any more camping this summer. I'm nearing my third trimester which is pretty surreal to me. Even though I love being pregnant, I can't wait to to hold Eleney and see her face. These next 14 weeks need to go by fast.

25 Down 15 To Go!!!

2009-05-27T18:22:00.003-06:00

Well, I really don't know what to say about this week, everything is still going good, I'm feeling Eleney move more and more, and it's getting harder to get comfortable in bed. I went swimming in a friends pool and realized the moment I got the water level above my stomach (it was a very cold pool) that swimming is going to be one of my only saving graces this summer, that and air conditioning. It's been pretty warm here (8o's) the last few days and I've been ok but we will see how it goes when it gets into the 90's and 100's.

6 Months!!!

2009-05-20T22:13:00.002-06:00

Wow, saying it in months makes me sound like I'm so much farther along than saying 24 weeks. I have a little comfort knowing that at 24 weeks, if something were to happen, there is a chance that with all the miracles of medicine she would be able to survive. The emails I am receiving are now emphasising that I make sure I know the signs of premature labor which is scary but it's not at the front of my brain. I've been feeling well. I had a doctor's appointment today and she said that everything is looking good, I'm measuring fine and her heart rate is in a normal range. I just realized that I haven't said what her name is on here yet. Well Tyler and I have decided on Eleney Jean, she is named after one of my sisters (Ellen) and Tyler's mom whose middle name is Jean.

23 Weeks!

2009-05-13T22:00:00.004-06:00

Well, another week has come and gone. I finally feel like I'm obviously pregnant. The painting in the nursery is, for the most part done. We still have to do the trim and the doors but that shouldn't take too long. I managed to get a free changing table this week which is awesome, that means that all the major furniture is either in our garage or we have been told by people that they want to get it for us. The only thing we need but don't have to have (if that makes sense) is a rocking chair/glider and hopefully we can get that this weekend. Our neighborhood is having a neighborhood wide garage sale so hopefully we can find something. I have a doctor's appointment next Wednesday so I'll update everyone on how it goes with the update next week.

Twenty-Two Weeks!!!

2009-05-06T21:23:00.006-06:00

This week has been another good week. Yesterday we went and bought paint for the nursery and today we started painting. We should be done painting in the next day or so, so I'll pictures when it's done and as we get the other things we need in there.

I'm feeling her move more and more but she seems to know when Tyler's hand is on my stomach and stops. He has felt her, just not as often as he would like. I'm definitely needing to eat smaller meals more frequently now and find it rather annoying.

Closer to the End Than the Beginning

2009-04-29T20:38:00.005-06:00

This carrot is 10 1/2 inches long. If you missed it last week, measurements are now being done head to heel. According to the weekly emails I receive, her eyebrows and lids are present now and I'm realizing that if you are wanting to feel her move, it's best to wait until the night time or until I am laying on my back. I got GREAT news from my doctor at our appointment a couple weeks ago about sleeping. As long as I'm not in labor, I can lay any way I want!!! Front, back, left or right side it's fine as long as I'm comfortable. When I go into labor, the left side is best. I'm still feeling great. It's starting to get uncomfortable to bend over while sitting and I am officially only wearing maternity pants/shorts.

This is the first time I'm not holding the shirt back or have it tucked in.

Half Way There!!!

2009-04-22T23:07:00.004-06:00

This banana is 10 inches long. Measurements are now from head to heel.

I can't believe I am half way done with this pregnancy. This last five months has gone by pretty quickly but I imagine the next 20 weeks will be a bit slower with all of our anticipation. This was a big week for us; Tyler felt her move, not a kick but she was doing some rolling, we found out the gender of our little girl, and we have an idea of how the nursery is going to look. At the doctor's appointment we found out that she weighs approximately 12 ounces and we still have a September 11 due date.

It's A ...

2009-04-21T12:07:00.011-06:00

The Chinese Gender Predictor said BOY.

Face

The Ring On a String said BOY.

Foot

Ultrasound from the doctor said most likely a GIRL.

Profile

You decide!!!

Our First Easter!!!

2009-04-17T13:45:00.005-06:00

Another first has come and gone. One of the funnest things about Easter is the dying of eggs. I don't know what it is but I always enjoy it. This year is was good cause it was only me and Tyler, two adult who knew what they were doing. No major messes, no cracked eggs from dropping them in the dye too hard, just a fun and creative atmosphere.
We waited until I got home from church since we weren't supposed to be at my sister's house for a few hours. I tried to get fancy with some rubber bands, Tyler got fancy with the wax crayon, and this is what we came up with.

After dying our eggs, I was off to my sister's house. Tyler had to work that night otherwise he would have been enjoying the festivities as well. My mom, brother, sister, and her kids were all here visiting for the week so it was a special treat to have them here for Easter. We ate ham, potatoes, salad, and asparagus for dinner then went out for our egg hunt.

After the hunt was over all the kids went out front to ride bikes and scooters until about 9:30 when it was time to go home. I was a fun day filled with family, just the way it should be.

19 Weeks

2009-04-15T16:42:00.003-06:00

Heirloom tomato, 6 inches

Here we are, a week away from half way. I can't believe how fast this has gone. I'm feeling terrific and have finally realized how big I actually look. I'm feeling the baby more and more, Tyler has yet to feel it. I think that will be one of the most exciting days for him, along with finding out what we are having and the actual birth. We are going to be setting up the nursery soon so that will make things more real for us as well.

Spring Has Sprung in Idaho!

2009-04-12T22:20:00.008-06:00

AND I LOVE IT!!!

18 Weeks Along!

2009-04-08T22:02:00.003-06:00

Here we are at 18 weeks! I've had two people that I don't know ask me when I'm due so I know I'm looking preggo. I'm still not big enough for all of my maternity clothes but I don't see that as being a problem for too much longer. Tyler is patiently awaiting the day he will be able to feel any movement and I am patiently awaiting my next appointment which is 12 days away. I'm running out of things to tell you guys so let me know what you want to know each week.

I Got Bored.

2009-04-06T13:50:00.005-06:00

So this is what I do when I'm bored and Tyler is at work. If you remember this post, my mom was the only one to respond. I had just finished making her something the night before so I was feeling a little restless so I went online to see what patterns I could find. There was no point to making scarves or beanies cause they wouldn't be used until next winter, then I remembered a pair of slippers I had when I was little with a pom-pom on the toe. Those were knitted and I don't knit so I looked for a similar crochet pattern. After a few minutes I found this pattern and after a few adjustments, voila! They are very comfy and most importantly, they stay on!

Labor and Delivery

2009-04-03T14:57:00.020-06:00

So I found this website that predicts your birth experience. All you have to do is answer about 10 questions for Madame Zaritska and she supposed to tell you what the birth of your child will be like. Here is what she said for me:

"The day you deliver, outside will be stormy. Your baby will arrive in the early evening. After a labor lasting approximately 10 hours, your child, a boy, will be born. Your baby will weigh about 7 pounds, 11 ounces, and will be 22-1/2 inches long. This child will have light amber eyes and a little patch of black hair."

I'm really hoping she is right about the weight of the baby because both Tyler and I were somewhat big babies. I also don't believe that the kid will have black hair but we will see what happens in about 5 months. If you are interested in the site then click here.

Day 119

2009-04-01T19:01:00.005-06:00

So here we are at 17 weeks, a turnip, 5 inches long (crown to rump) and 5 ounces heavy. Over the past week I have officially felt the kid move and it was so cool. Tyler doesn't want me to tell him when it's moving because he can't feel it yet so I'm cooperating, kinda :). The hardest thing so far is finding a way to sleep. I usually sleep on my stomach but that is out, I like laying flat on my back while reading and that is also out. I'm tempted to go buy one of those inner tubes that the kids use while swimming so I can put my stomach in there.

Four Months!!!

2009-03-25T17:57:00.005-06:00

I can't believe that I am four months along. This past week Tyler and I had to clean out the closet so I could put both my maternity clothes and my non-maternity clothes in there. Slowly but surely my non-maternity clothes are making their way their storage cabinet where they won't see the light of day for another 6-7 months.

If your wondering what is going on with the baby this week, it is about 4 1/2 inches long and weights 3 1/2 ounces. The toenails are beginning to grow and it's heart pumps 25 quarts of blood every day.

Our next doctor's appointment is on April 20th and that is when we will find out what I'm carrying.

15 Weeks!

2009-03-18T16:52:00.006-06:00

We are now at the size of an apple. The official size is about four inches. I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and everything is fine. My doctor said I'm measuring good and the baby's heart rate was at 150 which is normal so we have a happy baby from the sound of it. My picture is a little different because Tyler got called into work before he could take it so I had to find a door with something across from it that I could put the camera on. I also have a different white shirt on because I don't have to pull this one tight and the pants I normally wear are in the wash so I got as close as I could. I've had a few people that know I'm pregnant say I'm looking pregnant but I think Istill look like I've packed on a few pounds (which I haven't by the way!).

14 Weeks

2009-03-11T16:25:00.005-06:00

I am officially in my second trimester. It feels so good to be able to finally say that. I'm not sure what to write about without being redundant. I'm still feeling great and don't expect that to change anytime soon. I went through the maternity clothes I got from my sister and separated them by clothes I can wear now, and things that just look ridiculous on me. I guess things I am waiting to have happen next are actually looking pregnant instead of bloated or fat, feeling the baby move, and finding out the sex of the baby.

Be a Winner

2009-03-11T00:57:00.002-06:00

Ok, so my mom has put this on her blog and I thought I would do it also. So, the first five of you to respond (and follow all the other rules) to this will be hooked up.Here's the rules:The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make for you!

2. What I create will be just for you.

3. It'll be done this year.

4. You have no clue what it's going to be.

5.The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must re-post this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. The first 5 people to post this same thing on their blog and leave a comment on my blog telling me they did will win something homemade by me! Let's keep the chain of love going around!! So what do you think? Sounds interesting and fun doesn't it?

California February 18-25

2009-03-08T16:57:00.006-06:00

I'm so mad at myself for practically forgetting to take any pictures while we were in California, but I might as well write about it anyway right? We had a very busy week mainly visiting family. The best part was that we were able to surprise Tyler's parents with our visit and with the pregnancy. They were both very surprised on both occasions. We got to meet our newest niece Lilly who was born in January and we were able to get in some practice before September. We saw most of Tyler's family and they surprised us with this cupcake cake.

We were able to visit Prehistoric Pets and see some old friends there and quickly say hi to friends from the animal hospital where Tyler worked. Of course we had some In and Out, Tyler's request was California Pizza Kitchen and it's true what they say, absence does make the heart grow fonder.

All in all it was a pretty good week but there is no place like home.

13 Is a Lucky Number

2009-03-04T15:14:00.005-07:00

Ok, another week down, only 27 more to go. This week is also significant because it is the last week of my first trimester. I know mathematically I am already in my second trimester but I think it has something to do with the fact that the first two weeks of your pregnancy there is actually no baby. I am going to start including a picture of myself in these updates. I plan on wearing the same thing and taking the picture in the same place every time so my growth will be easier to see. I am wearing a maternity shirt that is too big right now so I am holding it tight. I am still feeling great and our trip to California was great also, my next post will be about that.

3 Months Down...

2009-02-26T17:34:00.002-07:00

We are now at the size of a lime. That would be just over twon inches long head to rump. My jeans still fit but they are more comfortable if I don't button or zip them. I am pretty sure I'm lucky and am done with being sick. Thanks to my sister Jody I now have a maternity wardrobe, although I did put on a shirt this morning and I definatly need to wait a bit before it looks like the shirt actually fits.

Dr. Appointment @ 11 Weeks

2009-02-17T17:06:00.004-07:00

(I am posting this a day early because I am off to California bright and early tomorrow morning)
So I had a doctor appointment today, and come to find out I've been adding a new week on the wrong day. I am supposed be a new week on Wednesdays, not Fridays as I had previously thought. We were also able to hear the heartbeat(!!!) and got new pictures of the kid. I guess it was doing some pretty awesome acrobatics because she lost the heartbeat and couldn't find it again. She had to pull out the big ultrasound machine to get the heart rate.

So for those who don't know what this fruit is, I didn't, it's a fig that is 1 1/2 inches long. I am finally feeling bigger, like I've gained weight in my mid section. Clothes still fit me, although I haven't put on my "pre-pregnancy jeans" (the only pair of jeans I have that fit me pretty perfectly) in a while.

10 weeks 6 Days

The head is on the right and it is looking at you.

10 Weeks!!!

2009-02-12T19:02:00.003-07:00

Here we are at 10 weeks of gestation. Knock on wood I've felt pretty normal this week except for the tiredness. I was laying on my side on the couch feeling my stomach and I think I felt my uterus. There was a hard something or other that I'm pretty sure wasn't my muscles. I was pretty excited. This is a kumquat. It's a little over an inch long. From now on, this will be the size of the baby head to rump. So put arms and legs on the future foods and there you have the kid.

Tagged

2009-02-10T18:09:00.002-07:00

I was tagged my sister Tracy to post the fourth picture in the fourth album of my pictures. This is from August of 2008 when Tyler's little brother Sam came up for a two week visit. We had only been here for 2 months but for Tyler and Sam it might as well have been 2 years. This is right after Sam came down the escalator at the airport from the Arrival gate. It was a fun visit, we went to the fair, float the Boise River, got a backstage tour of Zoo Boise, among other things.

Let Me Know

2009-02-07T12:29:00.005-07:00

So I found this Chinese Gender Predictor online and was wondering if it really works. If those of you with children would be so kind and go to this website and find out if it is true with your kids that would be great!!! All you have to do is put in the age at which you conceived and the month you conceived and then it tells you if you are having a boy or girl. Thanks in advance!

http://www.thebump.com/calculators/ChineseGenderChart.aspx

McCall Winter Festival

2009-02-05T21:23:00.008-07:00

On Tuesday we, along with a couple of friends from Tyler's work, went to McCall for their annual Winter Festival. McCall is the cutest little town. For you California folk it's a lot like Big Bear or Arrowhead. During the 2 hour drive up, we rocked out to the Grease Soundtrack, New Kids on the Block, and a few other oldies but goodies.

One of the things they do is they have these spectacular snow sculptures. There were 34 this year and we were able to find almost all of them. They ranged in size to the two that are pictured here to a six foot tall fire hydrant in front of the fire station.

If you were to walk over the bridge and through the door on the right the next picture is what you would see. Now I have no idea what happen to the queen's head but I graciously supplied one for her. Maybe she got into an argument with the Queen of Hearts?

This sculpture was AMAZING. It was the Grand Prize winner. The first thing we saw was the top of this castle, over the top of the building it was built next to.

The bottom of this sculptures is a bunch of trees. When you look through the trees, you see a block wall but the most amazing part was that all the trees had faces.

McCall is such a small town that there was only one stop light. In order to cross the street they have these orange flags attached to the street lights. When you want to cross all you do is grab a flag on one side of the street then carry it to the other side.

New Week New Number

2009-02-05T20:57:00.004-07:00

If the weekly thing is too much let me know because I can do a monthly thing if that's better, but here we are at nine weeks. Mr. Morning Sickness has been kind to me this week. I'm still queasy everyday and I'm expecting it to be this way for another three weeks and hopefully for only three weeks. Tyler has been great so far. I think he is more worried about me than I am. Whenever I have a slightly different look on my face he asks if I'm ok, he helps me out of cars, makes sure I don't slip on ice, much more attentive than usual. I think I'll tell him I'm always pregnant.

Two Months Down

2009-01-31T22:36:00.003-07:00

Ok, so Mr. Morning Sickness (and I say Mr. because why would a woman put another woman through this) decided to show up at 8 weeks of gestation. Today was the first day of wearing my Sea Bands all day and to top it off, this morning, I got sick. Not fun. I suppose I am lucky though because there are those women that can't keep food down. Hopefully come February 27th (the first day of my second trimester), I'll be done with this.

One more thing,

Every day I put on my jeans and every day they fit. For most women that's a good thing but not for this one, I want them to be too tight!!! I can't wait for the day that it becomes uncomfortable for me to lay on my stomach. I want to feel this kid moving. Is that too much to ask?