Monday, October 27, 2008

A Jovie first...

So...last night was monumental...it was Jovie's first time sleeping through the night...and by that I mean she fell asleep at 8:30pm and didn't wake up until 5am!! And it's ONLY taken 8 weeks!! Sheesh. (I hope you're sensing my sarcasm)
Maybe it had something to do with the cute vintage dress her great-grandma got for her that she wore to church...

She is getting cuter and cuter by the day...I just love her expressions (both sweet and cranky)! It just makes me excited to see more of her personality! Yes- she still has the "concerned" face- as long as we are her parents, I'm sure that face will never go away! ;)

It's been pretty much impossible to capture her smile on film- yes, she's been doing it since about 4 weeks old...but as quick as it comes, it leaves even faster! I never have my camera at those moments!

Jovie has also been quite enamored by her fists...evidentally they taste fabulous, because every moment her binkie isn't in, I catch her sucking away on it! How can I not laugh when she gets all cross-eyed from looking at it?

Indianna's 2nd birthday...


I just LOVE my niece Indianna...she just makes me grin from ear to ear!! She can sing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" ...and that is just the beginning! She knows sign language, Chinese and even dabbles in Spanish! Maybe she'll work in International Relations some day!

We had a lovely time at her birthday party on Saturday (that was combined with my friend's son Christopher- who turned 12!!) Here is just some of the fun!


We got her this "Little People" Town set- let me just tell you it is an AWESOME learning toy!


Platte and Heather got her these cute "Piggy" slippers (which she could say in Chinese)My parents got her this dolly set...My mom really knows what little girls LOVE!



The most beautiful (AND delicious) ladybug cake made by Cori...make a wish Indi!


Indianna taking a nap in Dolly's pack n play.

Cousins- Isaiah and Jovie hangin...



We had so much fun with the kiddos! A big Happy Birthday wish to Indianna!

Halloween festivities...

Decrow and Wright really know how to throw a KILLER Halloween party... starting with the invitations...seriously- who is THIS creative! They amaze me!




We partied with the Reed's... I mean the Unibomber and Steve Jobs...



We partied with the Jensen's...I mean skeleton cowboy guy and fairy cowgirl?...




We partied with the Law's... from the cast of Juneau...


And we partied as Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head...we've done it before...we just couldn't get creative this year...my brain is like MASHED pototoes.


My brothers would love this costume...since they've (jokingly, of course) been threatening each other for years to put the other in a bodybag...


We had a grand ole time. Thanks for the invite! It was great to catch up with so many of you!

Starting off the preseason...

So Blake and I started off the Phoenix Suns preseason at the game on Thursday against the Oklahoma City Thunder (which is just the Seattle Supersonics relocated- since Seattle is a bunch of hippies that don't appreciate sports besides hacky sack and frisbee)...
I think the real reason Blake wanted to go to this game was to see their new uniforms...evidentally my husband is a metrosexual (he's really into colorschemes and such) which I don't have a problem with... I just thought it was funny. Sorry honey.

BTW- their uniforms are kinda rough. Judge for yourself. (They are in blue- in case you didn't know)Here is our view of the court from our seats...pretty phasing!It was really nice having date night with Blake! I got all sad though that Jovie wasn't there because a lady in front of us had a tiny baby- it made me miss her!

Overall I think this will be an interesting year for the Suns. Hopefully their new coach will bring them a little closer to success this year. Plus I hope the team keeps up their high energy pace- they seemed a bit more reserved at the game- hopefully they were just trying to take it easy, especially since it's just preseason. Either way...GO SUNS!

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Fall is fab...

Special Delivery... My fall faves...the skirt Kayleen made for Jovie...

candy corn...mmmm...
pumpkins...


gourds and all manner of squash...

leaves changing to hues of red, yellow and orange...


frankenstein and other ridiculous Halloween garb...

seeing your breath in the air in the early mornings...

fall wreaths...

sweater weather...

spooky ghosts and cobwebs...


the start of Phoenix Suns season....oh yeah....


and an inviting door.


and of course the "must have" fall issues of Martha Stuart Living... not that I have the time to do any of the projects she suggests...but I can at least appreciate them...

and especially when I lived in Utah I loved the fall because that meant going to BYU football games...there was nothing like cheering for a school (that I didn't attend) where fans were polite to others and didn't yell out obscenities...where you could ride to the games on scooters and freeze your buns off... and where your side of the stadium would proudly yell either "B", "Y", "U", or "Cougars".


I. LOVE. FALL.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Jovie warming up for the big fight...

I know it's probably just me...but I thought this was hysterical.
I love Blake...he's so good with Jovie! :) He just always knows how to make me laugh.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

The right stuff...

Well...I know this is going to sound cheesy, slightly wrong, and plain old lame...but I'm gonna say it anyways...

I went to see NKOTB (New Kids On The Block) with my friend Kristen on Monday at Jobing.com Arena...and I'm just gonna say that I was pleasantly surprised. (And I even got a little bit phased!) Really, you ask? Well, for one, I wasn't the only 29 or 30 something girl there (unlike the time when Kristan & I saw NSYNC-besides, I was 22 at the time), for two, Kristan wasn't the only pregnant one in her 30s, for three, we weren't the only ones singing every lyric we knew...

"I'll be loving you for-everrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!! "
"Step 1- we can have lots of fun....Step 2- there's so much we can do......."
"You've got the right stuff....baby....love the way you turn me on...."
"Please don't go girllllllllllllllllllll....you would ruin my whole world"

etc.
etc.
etc.

I was really tempted to hunt through my old boxes and locate my giant "I heart Jordan" button and other random NKOTB paraphernalia from when I was 11- and wear it to the concert with my hair up in a side ponytail, keds, and shirt with the belt-loop-tightener-at-the-bottom-thingy...but I refrained. I thought to myself....I'm going to have fun regardless of what I am wearing so I will just be the me of "now" instead of the me of "11 yrs old". Here is what I remember Jordan looking like at my age...

I was pretty astonished that this is how he has aged...





Uhhh...yeah. I know.
So this is the poster (amongst many) that were hung up in my room when I was 11.
And this is the poster I will hang up in my room now....haha, yeah right. You only wish I was that cheesy. They have each changed for the better, I'd have to say.
In other news it was also pretty cool that Natasha Bedingfield was the opener for the show. I didn't know she would be the opener- and she's got some pretty sweet tracks. And since Blake has a little crush on her I called him so he could listen to "Pocket Full of Sunshine". Aren't I nice?! She was very pretty and sounded pretty good- I'd have to admit!

I am going to say that I didn't prep for the concert and buy the new NKOTB album that they put out before they left for this tour- but some of the songs were likeable and definately had a cool groove you could dance to. For me-sometimes a song's lyrics don't matter as long as you can dance to it! So, I'm not all hard core NKOTB or anything- but I will say I did get a little flushed and giggled like a little girl when Jordan popped up from the back of the stage with wind (practically) ripping his white shirt off (to see his lovely sculpted upper body) and singing " Baby, I Believe In You " to the croud. It was nice. To say the least.

I know you're dying to see that...so, here you go...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFKKXkae000

Anyways...back to reality...it was nice to come home to a sleeping baby and a husband who (only in his head) is embarrassed of his wife for fulfilling a dream to see the New Kids at her age.
Blake's "got the right stuff!"

Saturday, October 11, 2008

I'm turning 80 quicker than anticipated...

Well if you're familiar with an earlier post about losing my back molar due to...well...the dentist didn't really know...it was some kind of freakish incident. That doesn't make me confident about the future of those pearly whites left in there.


A disclaimer...

[What you will see next is graphic in nature and may be disturbing to children. And babies. And Adults. Heck, it's just plain gross. Proceed at your own risk]



Yes, this is what my tooth looked like when they pulled it out. No, the hole wasn't there when he pulled it out- the Dentist was poking around trying to figure out why my tooth was basically imploding- he found the source and poked through- it was kinda nasty to watch, but glad I didn't wait long enough to actually start feeling pain from the tooth (Counting my blessings). I also offered to donate it to science...he appreciated my offer and said he was going to ask if he could keep it anyways just to use in the rare instance they ever see this happen again. He suggested I take a picture, print it and put it under my pillow to collect from the tooth fairy.


Well...I did that...and guess what she gave me???


You'll never guess...

Still trying to guess???




ok...I'll tell you....




But First...Another disclaimer....



Again... [What you will see next is graphic in nature and may be disturbing to children. And babies. And Adults. Heck, it's just plain gross- much more gross than that nasty tooth. Proceed at your own risk]




(photographed with hardpod- my iphone- on the right side of my body under my arm(pit))


What the ______.... UGHHHHH...

She gave me shingles. Shingles? For rill. What ARE shingles, you ask?? Believe me, you aren't the only one with no clue..my response to the doctor after he said I had shingles was..."don't 80 year olds get this?"... "No, that is just a myth- for the most part," he said. For a textbook definition for ease of understanding- here you go.

Shingles: a painful viral infection of the nerve roots. The virus moves along the nerve fibers and affects cells of the skin, resulting in a skin rash. Caused by the same virus behind childhood chickenpox, the virus is never fully cleared from the body and shingles occurs when the virus reactivates. Pain, itching, tingling, burning -- these are all symptoms of shingles that may occur before the outbreak of the rash. Starting as small blisters on a red base, with new blisters continuing to form for three to five days, shingles is painful.

What Causes Shingles?
After you've had chickenpox, the virus lives in your nervous system, "sleeping" in the nerve roots. In some people, it remains asleep (dormant) forever. In others, a weakened immune system may cause the virus to "wake up," reproduce, and travel along nerve fiber to the skin's surface (OF COURSE THIS HAD TO HAPPEN-ADD THIS TO THE REST OF WHAT'S BEEN ON MY PLATE). The result: Shingles. When the virus becomes active again, it can only cause shingles, not chickenpox.

Who's at Risk for Shingles?
Anyone who has had chickenpox is at risk of developing shingles, although it occurs most commonly in people over the age of 60. (SEE- I AM GETTING OLDER!!) Weakened immune systems (DOES A NEW BABY FIT THIS MOLD?), emotional stress (DOES A NEW BABY AND SCHOOL FIT THIS MOLD?), and cancer (UH, LET'S JUST HOPE THIS ISN'T ALSO IN THE EQUATION) can all cause the virus to reactivate.

How Long Does Shingles Last?
The cluster of blisters that form with shingles fill with fluid, pop, then start to ooze (OMGosh- I THINK I JUST IRPED IN MY MOUTH). Eventually the affected areas crust over and heal like the rash shown here. The whole process may take three to four weeks (NO FREAKING WAY! THAT IS JUST RIDICULOUS) from start to finish. Once all of the blisters are crusted over, the virus can no longer be spread.

Is Shingles Contagious?
Yes, shingles is contagious. The virus can spread to anyone who hasn't had chickenpox (OH CRAP- JOVIE IS WAY TO LITTLE TO BE CATCHING THIS), through direct contact with the open sores of an infected person, as long as that person has new blisters forming and old blisters healing. Instead of developing shingles, the newly infected person develops chickenpox. Once they've had chickenpox, they can't catch it again, though they do now have the potential to develop shingles later in life.

What are Complications from Shingles?
Generally, shingles heals well, resulting in few problems. A more worrisome complication is when shingles affects the forehead and nose, which may spread to the eye and lead to loss of vision. (OK REALLY, FOR RILL?? THIS IS NOW JUST GETTING PLAIN RIDICULOUS)

How is Shingles Treated?
There is no cure for shingles (OH...GREAT. SO I'M GONNA WALK AROUND SCRATCHING MYSELF FOR A MONTH AND BE IN TOTAL PAIN? AWESOME.), but treatment may help you get well sooner and prevent problems.

Thanks to WEBMD for supplying you all with info on my disgusting disease.

P.S.- I didn't mean for this post to be so lengthy. I guess it will be a nice reminder of what I went through for my first born. Hopefully it will be a good lesson when it's time for baby#2.


Dear Jovie,

Don't think that I won't hold this over your head when dad and I want to go out for date night and I need you to babysit your siblings. I know, it's a long way off- but you know, moms have great (selective) memories.


Forever with Shingles

Love, Mom
Besides...I love you EVEN when you're cross-eyed, losing hair on top, and have squishy cheeks. So cute!

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

The draft...

I think Blake's new obsession with fantasy basketball (yes honey, it is an obsession- not just a hobby) is borderline comical, but I am glad he fills his spare time with real people in a make believe, dream team sort of setting. See what I mean? Borderline comical.
On a more real note, Blake's company got season tickets to the Suns games and the seats are AMAZING! So Sunday night we went over to the inlaws and divied up the tickets...1/3 of the home games we get to go to. So we layed out all of the home games...


Let the strategy begin...let's start the draft!!


We got some awesome games to see this season so this will be a real treat to be out of the house a few nights a month enjoying some basketball with Blake!!


The team I am most excited to see live will be Suns vs. Spurs on Jan 29, 2009!! If anybody knows me, you'd know my complete DISPISE for the Spurs. No, I don't hate them because they're good (just in case you're wondering...) I hate them because they are DIRTY! Their whole roster (Tony Parker is the exception) is filled with total chucks...for example...


Manu Ginobili- the BIGGEST faker and flopper ever brought to the NBA.



Then there is Tim Duncan (aka...THE BIG FUNDAMENTAL) I can't even look at the guy without wanting to punch him in the face (and believe me- I'm not a violent person). He just stares at everyone with that puppy dog look on his face like- "Who me? I fouled that guy? No way...it couldn't have been me." ---when it was CLEARLY him. See, he gets me crazy.


Then there is Robert Horry (aka...BIG SHOT BOB)... when push comes to shove (literally) you have to watch your back or he'll get cha. When you try to take out Nash you are automatically on my naughty list!


And last, but certainly not least...there is Bruce Bowen...I'm not sure if he has a nickname...but if he did it might be something like "The Nutcracker". That guy seriously defends his opponent no further than one foot away from them. He's the weakest. Seriously, just BACK OFF! There's nothin like seeing dirty ball played live and up close!

What this game will be like =

I am just so grateful for the opportunity to go to the games and for Pops for pulling the trigger and getting tickets!! Muchas Gracias!!



GO SUNS!!