Baby Test Drive...

Our friends Rob and Julie graciously lent us their beautiful 3 month old daughter Charlotte for a "test drive" yesterday evening. If our baby is like Charlotte we'll be a-okay. Here is a little picture summary of our evening. I didn't take a picture of her sleeping- didn't want to risk the waking up the determined sleep-fighter (Nathaniel ended up passing out before she did!).

Charlotte: not sure that she appreciates being our guinea pig.

Responding to goofy faces and noises by Nathaniel
Yeah- lovesac was not a hit.

Practicing sitting up!

Yes, Charlotte, we know you're adorable.
Some more playtime with Nathaniel.

...her shirt seems to say it all.
Before: Fun and high flying...
After: The spit-up goes flying.

I love us...

Nathaniel scored major husband points today. Most babies ages are counted in months until they reach about 24 months- then it's just "my kid is 2" "my kid is almost 2 1/2" "my kid just turned 3"... etc. Rarely will you hear someone say "my kid is 25 months." Today, my darling husband woke me up with "Happy 25 months, sweetheart!" *grin*. Later, when I was finally out of bed and up getting ready, in the bathroom I spotted a little "World's Best Wife" Trophy. I laughed out loud, but I was beaming. Finally, out the door into the cold air for work, and on the passenger seat of the car- a bag full of my favorite goodies and magazine! I am such a lucky girl. Happy 25 months Nathaniel, I love you forever!

belly

Here is is folks- Belly at 29 1/2 weeks. My face looks all funky b/c the flash made a shadow on the wall... but the point, anyway, is my belly.

"I like yo' baby."

My niece Sophia is just about the most adorable creature in the entire world (provided she's not hungry, tired, sick...). While we were all in Tahoe, Sophie would randomly come up to me and tell me, "I like yo' baby!" When asked "Where's the baby, Sophie?" she would say, "In your belly," and then touch my belly and say "oh! he kicked me!" This was a guaranteed conversation pattern. Little Sophia, you melt my heart.

Sophie showing us all where the baby is:

Giving her cousin kisses:

Baby Shower

My wonderful and generous Aunts, Uncles, and cousins hosted a family baby shower for baby and I! We had a wonderful time and I was excited to see so many of my family members. They spoiled us rotten! I am so excited!

Me and cousin Abbie- She's due the day after me!

Time in Utah

I've got this vacation all out of order, but oh well! Here are a few pictures from the time we spent in Utah!

Nephew- I'm sure his parents were delighted in our gift of a kazoo for him.

I'll hang out with this girl ANY time. She knows a doughnut is something to go full face into. Hancock family shot- minus John. We missed you John!
BYU game 1/2 time. The mascot game was entirely entertaning!

Tahoe!!!

Tahoe was fabulous. It was such great fun to be in one place with the ENTIRE family! Nathaniel and I were sad to not be able to hit the slopes on the fresh snow, but it was still so beautiful. Many thanks to all who made the trip possible!

Group Hug! Vicky, Tabitha, Charity, Madison & Fawni

Felicity and Sophia all tuckered out after church.

Wow... multiply and replenish, CHECK. The whole gang (except Olivia was sleeping).Nathaniel testing out our new baby Bjorn with Preston (who loved the free ride).
Grandma Fawni working her baby magic.
Olivia's first horsey ride!!
Sophia's on-command horsey (Madison) ride!

Before the trek up to Tahoe we stopped for lunch with Mimi. In a way (small way) this is a 4 generation picture!
Preston charming Poppy.
Poppy charming the grand daughters.

Charity and Tamar... posers.

'Twas The Night Before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh (okay, mercedes packed with gifts), and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick (or you know... my dad).

Healthy Second Anniversary

For our second anniversary my wonderful husband sought out the best. I told him no flowers since we'd be leaving 2 days later (though he did buy me some beautiful roses yesterday!), but other then that, no expense was to be spared. He selected several of the finest restaurants around, based off of co-worker recommendations, and then let me pick among the menus. I chose the Rooster Cafe. We pulled up to the "world class" dining establishment only to find it in a strip mall among a liquor store and a mini mart, and to be greeted by a hostess in her crocks and day clothes (come one! I was 6 months pregnant and put on heels!). Our faces were that of sheer disbelief as we saw a customer at the table next to us order a diet pepsi, then the hostess leave and come back with a 2 liter from the mini mart. World Class dining.... uh huh. They didn't hae the menu that I had picked from online, the salad was terrible, but the steak dinner was delicious. Not an worth an hour and 45 minute wait delicious, but delicious none the less... or maybe it was because of the wait that it was so good...

Here Nathaniel's face shows his enthusiasm for the "fine dining" atmosphere- probably while we could hear the water gushing in the pipes next to us:

Laugh. That's all you can do. Plus, I was with my sweetheart, what more do you really need?
After dinner Nathaniel took me out to the mall to buy some fun goodies and icecream! On our way home he took me to see a Christmas light display! I am a sucker for all of that holiday junk. Here is the final light display... not happy, but Healthy Holidays.

Second Anniversary

I know, we are the most adorable couple ever. December 18, 2004 really feels like much farther away then 2 years. Marriage is great- I highly recommend it!

I love our Christmas... Tree?

Once again Nathaniel and I are headed out of town for almost 2 weeks for Christmas. This fantastic (not to mention needed) vacation plan leaves us, once again, unable to get a live Christmas tree for fear that it will burn down our house mid party with the ornaments while we're away. Getting a fake tree has been proposed, but storage space is a definite problem in our little house- so, this year we've come to have a Christmas tree/banister. And what better place to hang the stockings too?!

Winter

Hooray! Winter is here. Too bad the winter out here in MD just means COLD, not necessarily snow. In any case- good timing to bust out those huge warm sweaters to cover my expanding...everything.

Belly (after 3 pieces of pizza and a bowl of icecream).

This weekend cousin Zerelda and baby Joseph came to hang out with us. The ambitious adventure of the weekend was to trek to Ikea to buy a new bookshelf to organize all of my crafts, etc. in the 2nd bedroom closet. I'm thrilled. I can actually see all of the yarn, scrapbook stuff, books, etc. that I have AND get to them all easily. It's fantastic.

Sweet Joseph "helping" to assemble the new shelf.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was loads of fun and food. I spent the morning putting in a turkey and setting the table- then watching the macy's parade and knitting. Nathaniel spent his morning out on the football field in the annual ward turkey bowl playing with a serious knee brace. Success. He scored a touch down AND didn't get hurt. What more could a girl ask for?

Cousin Dan supervising the carving of the turkey

What would a gathering be without a game of Settlers? (congrats to winner Robert)
Later that weekend things got crafty. Charity in action:

I am a knitting machine

I love to knit- it's just a relaxing and productive way to pass the time. Here is the latest project: Our Christmas stockings. The pictures didn't come out very well... But you get the general idea.

I had to put "mom" and "dad" on the stockings instead of our names because "Nathaniel" would have wrapped around the other side of the stocking! So... it was either "Man" or "Dad". "Dad" won because I didn't particularly want "Woman" on mine.

On my stocking, I need to go back and fix it. "Mom" looks more like "HOH"... that just won't work....

A girl and her toolbelt

You could probably ask me to do just about any "handy" task, and I'd be happy to oblige, so long as I could wear my pink toolbelt! This particular task ended up being a lesson learned. For literally months, Nathaniel and I have been dealing with a running toilet. We're all familiar with the line "just jiggle the handle!" and goodness- how many times this toilet has had it's handle jiggled- one knows not. FINALLY- upon the wisdom of a wise and all-knowing friend (BJ) we went to Home Depot, and dropped the whopping $5 that it would cost to solve our problem.
Toolbelt on, part in hand- and voila- 30 seconds later- silence! The lesson is: Get a friend like BJ. That, AND, (the lesson that Nathaniel threw out there that would work for a talk) sometimes we let a problem seem like more then it is- drag on for months, when it is really a quick fix. Whatever- so long as I get to wear my pink toolbelt.

Removing old part. Cute toolbelt- see my hammer?!

Putting in new part. Cute toolbelt.

You tell me...

In response to MANY a question "are you showing yet?!" Nathaniel and I took some pictures at the temple this Saturday- you tell me... am I showing? haha. We're 5 months pregnant (20 weeks)! I'm so happy time is flying by. He likes to kick me every now and then- especially to let me know that my pants are getting to tight and they're restricting his growing environment. Maternity clothes... It seems like such a scary realm. I think I'll continue to put it off until absolutely necessary...Can't I just wear pj's to work?

I don't look all that super in this picture- but you can tell we're happy- so. that's good. :)

Growing girl... and boy.

My goodness, he is a HANDSOME man.