Sickie Ickie

Oh how I missed Bristol! She is back now, just as happy as before, or perhaps even happier. All day I’ll hear little fake laughter. She loves to make people happy!

Last week was a couch potato week. Thankfully Isaac and I celebrated Valentines day the weekend before. It started out last Sunday when right before I went to get Bristol ready to go to our late 1:30 church (horrible time for nap time btw) she puked. Initially I thought maybe she had just gagged and for some weird reason lost everything. But it quickly became apparent we would not be going to church. One of us would hold our sweet baby girl and the other would be on clean up duty. She slept in our arms and just wanted to cuddle, something Bristol hadn’t done since she was an immobile little girl. It ended that night thankfully. I got the same flu the next day, and Bristol still was not herself. She would hardly eat or drink, which she is normally a big eater. Tuesday we had a decent day, but both Bristol and I didn’t have much or an appetite. I made us a fancy dinner (best steak I could buy, cilantro lime sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, and broccoli with pine nuts in a lemon dressing… it was delicious). That night Bristol puked in her sleep, and must have gotten some in her lungs. By Wednesday night she had a fever and Thursday we found out our sweet baby had pneumonia. Bristol and I spent the rest of the week and Saturday morning lying on the couch cuddled and watching TV. It was so sweet to have my little one want me so much. Normally she wants her dad, Grandpa, Grandma, etc. over me when they are around, but this week Bristol has only wanted her mamma! Taking care of my sick little girl was a lot of work, who knew being a mom could be so difficult :), but it pays off to see how much your child loves you. I just can’t imagine when I have several bambinos running around and I have a sick one. (Don’t tell me, I’ll ask how to manage if that situation ever arrives) All week Bristol would be standing somewhere and just lay down right there and suck her thumb. There were several times I would feed my little girl while she would lay on the floor on her tummy. It was the only way to get food in her. Luckily Saturday night she started feeling better and she is now getting enough liquids in her and food. It is so good to see my Bristol again! She is back to laughing at who knows what, and smiling.

 

Eating lunch Wednesday of mashed potatoes.

Asleep on the couch with her blankies, bottle, sippy, teddy, and kitchen timer (she loves that when she pushed buttons in makes noise!).

It’s a…

The last week leading up to our ultrasound seemed very long! I was more anxious this time. Some reason this pregnancy hasn’t felt as real (besides being sick, and not quite up to my usual gusto). Perhaps it is because I have Bristol and she keeps me pretty busy, or perhaps it is because I’m not sitting in a office full of ladies who ask me about how things are daily, regardless, knowing that we are having a little boy has made it much more real and exciting. (did you like how I slipped that in there?) The week or so leading up to finding out I kept having feelings that he was a boy, in fact when talking to Bristol a few times I let slip the he/brother. So I became even more insistent that we were having a girl. Why? I don’t know, I think because I didn’t want to be wrong. I still didn’t care boy or girl with this one, but everyone feels the pressure to have at least one boy and one girl right? This way all pressure is off :)

Welp we couldn’t be happier.

This is the best ultrasound picture we have, and it came from the 12 week ultrasound. This last one our little guy would not hold still. And since I didn’t want to post the picture that shows his manhood or the creepy facial shot this is what you get. We can’t wait and we are almost half way!

Dear Bristol,

So my sister for each child’s birthday writes a letter to them. I always love reading them and I’m sure her children will appreciate them. So although it has been a month since her birthday I still want to write one.

Dear Bristol,

We were so excited to have a baby, but I was very nervous about having a little girl. The moment I held you I knew that everything would be just fine. You have taught me that girls are wonderful, and I would love to have more little girls.

Over the first year of your life, I kept saying how each stage must be my favorite. But now that you are one, I realize that I just might keep saying that every day, week, month, year, etc forever.

You have astonished me with how easy you have been. You are easily the happiest, most content baby ever. Even when you have been sick, unlike your mother, you are super tough and quite pleasant.

You are not a cuddly baby, and show signs of claustrophobia like me. But you have grown to really like to be held. Lately you have found a love for books. If I am ever sitting on the ground playing with you, you will bring me a book and want me to read it to you. You will hand it to me and once I take it, you will turn around and sit on my lap. I absolutely love it!

You can get pretty much whatever you want, and you know it. All you have to do is go find what you want and bring it to me. Lately this has been books, applesauce, and shoes! You love your shoes, probably because of what it means. I have often found you in your room with piles of shoes all around and you trying to put them on. You have also taken to bringing me shoes, and once yours are on you bring me mine and go pound on the door. I love it! It melts my heart and I give in every time!

You love to play outside. You like to eat/have things in your mouth while playing, so instead of letting you eat dirt, sticks, rocks and palm seeds I give you snap peas. It is adorable watching you walk around exploring everything eating your peas.

You like to put things in containers and bags. It is adorable to watch you carry your little purse that grandma Button gave you with your blocks in it. But once you see mine, you know better and want the “real” purse. It gives me hope that you will like things to be clean, after all the dishwasher is one of your favorites.

You are an excellent sleeper. I haven’t ever had to force you into a schedule, and only occasionally have I had to leave you to cry in your bed. You like your sleep. But if you ever are tired, you don’t get grumpy, you just need to be held. You have been so easy.

I never knew the depth of a mothers love until now. I would do anything for you. I am amazed how I can be so entertained just watching you play. I love having you as my little companion every day!

Love you with all my heart,

Your mom

I Love her faces in these pictures… She thinks cheesy smiles and crazy eyes are what you are suppose to do for cameras!

Happy New Year… and a few surprises!

Well the end of the year went far too quickly! One day early in December I made an attempt at doing Christmas cards, but that fell through. So this is as good as it will get this year! Next year I just might get it done!

We truly hope all of your holidays were fabulous, filled with family, friends, memories, good food (that didn’t expand the waistline too far) and of course games! Ours sure were. We had a wonderful year, Bristol was apart of our life joining us December 29th, 2010. That made everything fun! She is a delight, and the easiest baby. We went on many trips: Utah, Sedona, Washington, Oregon, Puerto Rico, and California, some we went to twice! Isaac got his first REAL job working at Chase bank doing merchant services (setting companies up to process credit cards). It keeps him busy so he is able to enjoy it, and it pays the bills and with our tight budget we are able to save! I get to stay home with Bristol and be a full time mom. I never really understood how anyone could stay home all day and not get bored, but trust me somehow I stay busy enough that my home is not always clean, in fact, major gross out, but until last night my floors had not been mopped in well over a month! I have picked up side jobs here and there. Currently I’m doing some medical billing for Rehab Arizona, it is temporary, but it is keeping me busy. I have complete respect for mom’s who work full time. How they keep it together is beyond me!

We do have some new additions to our family! Get excited guys cause it is what you think it is!!!

Isn’t Stella beautiful?! She is so much fun! Isaac is wearing my helmet in this picture, his hadn’t arrived yet and well he likes driving her a lot! This is why we are selling Isaac’s car, check it out here. Isaac We made the decision to buy Stella after Isaac learned his work would be moving to down town phoenix in the big Chase tower this year. He decided he would be taking the bus since it wouldn’t take much longer than driving. So he wouldn’t be needing a vehicle hardly at all. So a good old fashion looking scooter was the obvious answer. This hog gets 140 mpg, costs $50/yr to insure, and is fun to drive! You might just see us on date night taking Stella for a cruise! (for the record Isaac basically told me he was going to buy a scooter, I did agree because I like them and have always wanted one myself)

In other exciting news for the Button family… Bristol is going to be a big sister in July!!! That is what you all were thinking earlier when I said we had a new addition huh?! We wont find out until February if it will be a baby sister or brother. We don’t have a preference on gender,but I think it is another girl, Isaac a boy. Vote we will see who is right! Unfortunately I’ve been sick. I promised myself this pregnancy wouldn’t be as miserable as Bristol’s so I’ve been living on my Zofran (anti nausea medicine). I’ve been just as emotional, passionate about the littlest things, and embarrassing as last time, so please forgive me.

Isaac’s parents got home  from their mission the first week of December, after we visited them in Puerto Rico. We have been thoroughly enjoying every minute they have been home! It feels good to go over for Sunday dinner, Christmas, and just because! They leave again in February for the Dominican Republic for another two years. We will miss them, but promise to visit before December 29th, 2012. That way we only buy 2 tickets (Bristol will be under 2).

We celebrated our little girls birthday with family last week. I didn’t do any fancy cute party, she wouldn’t remember anyway right?! So we ate cake and ice cream with family! Bristol loved her cake. Here are some videos of her.

CAKE!

Happy birthday!

This little girl loves her grandpa!

“What are you doing?”

”OH thank you!”

This smile is for dad and the camera, not for her presents. She didn’t figure out presents this year, maybe next!

So the cousins helped!

Doughnut cake!

Birthday girl brushing her teeth!

We did oatmeal cake with the Button’s the night before so Emily, Mike, Sadie, and Rowan could be there. Then Krispy Kreme doughnuts with mom and dad on her birthday. And then we got German Chocolate on Sunday that she shared with her almost birthday buddy Grandpa Crittenden. She might be a sugar junkie now, but it was fun celebrating with her. Bristol accomplished all her goals this year: Sleep 8 hrs solid at night, roll over, sit up on own, crawl (not truly accomplished until she started walking), eat solid foods, walk, and be cutest baby ever! She also gives kisses, says: dada, mna-mna (rarely), and dah (dog, or any other animal but primarily dog), plays her xylophone, goes down the slide by herself, smiles for the camera, loves to play in dirt and water, dances (sometimes for no apparent reason). Bristol weighs 18 lbs, is 28” tall, and has a big head. Although they don’t mean much, below 10% for weight (movin up) just about 10% height, and 80% for head :). My mom calls her a little peanut, she thinks Bristol is too little to walk. Bristol has been a joy. She is easy, happy, and loves to make people laugh! For her birthday and Christmas she got a bunch of toys. We should have gotten her more toys sooner. She loves them and keeps herself entertained for hours! Most of her toys from us came from Goodwill or the clearance section of Fry’s, but she loves them!

 

She is so cute when she doesn’t know someone is watching!

Then she sees the camera and it is all smiles!

I have this super cute video of her clicking her tongue… but you tube seems to be unable to load it. So until next time imagine Bristol clicking her tongue for you, it is super cute!

Ichabod is itchy…

And so am I! (Dr. Suess)

Wow where did November go? We got back from Puerto Rico and I have too many bug bites. Unlike mosquito bites these keep itching even after they have been scratched raw! Not cool! I’d take a picture but the sunscreen worked a little too well my legs are not tan enough.

Since November came and went before I could catch my breath here is a quick recap.

I made a wreath to help us enjoy the fall spirit.

I made cookies for a friend, and had them all ready to go in a bag. I set them down on the ottoman for a moment so I could grab something. I came back to this!

Look at those eyes! She was in a sugar coma! Little stinker! I was hoping her first sugar would be her birthday cake (23 DAYS!!! AH! she is too little to be one!)

Bristol is a very obedient child and started taking steps in Puerto Rico for her Grandma and Grandpa.

Tuesday she started being brave and taking them without being coaxed. Here she is today.

Walking

Bristol is the size of a 6 month old… The number of comments about how little she is for her age might go up.

I started painting my kitchen cabinets white, now I just need to distress and seal them. My kitchen seems so much bigger, and cleaner! Pictures to come when totally completed. Hopefully, this month not next. But here is how we kept Bristol away from the freshly painted cabinets.

 

Boxes and empty tape roll! Don’t worry Bristol will actually get some real toys for Christmas. But really the best gift ever is easily a big box. I think I’ll make it a Christmas tradition in our family to get a giant box to play with. I’m keeping our water heater box for when Bristol can enjoy it!

This was a different day but she was so proud of herself for getting up on top of it! She just might be a climber.

My garden finally can be considered a garden, and it has already produced cucumbers!

We all came home from Puerto Rico exhausted! Especially Bristol who had only 2 official naps the entire week! This is how she took them the rest of the time.

She came home and was extremely grumpy! So because I was irritated I dressed her up super cute, then thought I ought to take a picture of this girl being grumpy since it is such a rare occasion… This what she did when I pulled out the camera! Seriously moments before she was whining!

We have finally recovered after our busy first weekend of December, and have finally accepted that it is December. But PLEASE SLOW DOWN! This is one of my favorite months of the year I want it to last!

Park

FYI I started this over a week ago!

As many of you know I watch my niece and nephew Maryn & Brycen a couple times a week. We sometimes just need to get outside and go on little adventures. Have you ever been to the Phoenix Children’s Museum? That has been one of our adventures that we love. But since the weather has been so incredible lately, we have been going to the park. Monday was one of those days where everyone had way too much pent up energy, and I needed out as much as they did. Problem was it rained that morning. I knew that the park of canals on Horne had wood chips so we could still go and not get all muddy like we would at home, or at other parks. It is an awesome park! I like the wood chips much better! The kids don’t get all dirty! This park reminds me of the parks in Washington with the awesome gyms and wood chips (totally makes sense why they do it). Anyway I brought my camera and caught a few of these kiddos that are adorable!

Yup that picture is totally truth! Bristol goes down the slide all by herself! Only the twisty one, but it was quite amazing. I didn’t even help her! Bristol LOVES kids that do stuff she can’t. She will sit there with huge smiles on her face just watching. Apparently after a watching Brycen and me race down the slide she thought it was her turn… as I was going down I watched her head after me head first! She quickly learned that turning around was better. By the end of the day Bristol will climb all the way up the gym and go down the slide all by herself. Maryn has even become more brave after watching Bristol, she no longer needs any coaxing. We love the park!

Here is a video of Bristol going down the slide later that night when we came with Isaac to show him her tricks!

Bristol conquers the slide

We also put her in the swing… She loves it! She will giggle and squeal the entire time.

Hand-me-Downs!

Are the BEST!! Especially this one! I once wore it and now it is Bristol’s turn!

Vintage Dress VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

She was so sweet in this soft pink dress. Truly a little princess!

I just loved this little outfit so I had to snap a few pictures of such a cute little girl. Whenever she wears something cute and only Isaac and I see her in it I get a little sad. So sometimes I snap a picture so I can share it with someone. This outfit my amazing sister bought her… She finally fits it!

Yesterday before church we get Bristol all ready and then put her down for her nap. That way she gets maximum nap time. Isaac went in to get her. This was what he found. When I heard chuckles I came in to see. She was dead to the world and so we took this picture! Some things are genetic… perhaps this is one of them, no names! JK JK I’m pretty sure we are both guilty every once in a while of sleeping like this!

Halloween Festivities!

The moment you all have been waiting for! Well maybe not, but after talking about it for a year, and spending so much time on them a two weeks ago it feels like a momentous occasion. (I got the idea from Josh and Shauna last year. It inspired me and I wanted to make some)

 

Like I said in the previous post we stayed up late one night working on these. Well primarily I was working, but Isaac was my support. (He was not feeling so hot)

We died laughing after we put together Bristol’s costume for the first time… See below, maybe you will too!

We made the teeth smaller and gave her a bow. Then when it is on her it is a lot less scary and more cute! We didn’t have time to get interchangeable parts that store in our butt flaps. YES we were complete with storage butt flaps just like the real potato heads!

At Paul and Emily’s house warming costume party Friday night!

When I was making them, my mom kept telling me to do things simpler, but that always meant not being as legit. I scolded her and told her what I was told so many times in my youth, and is now my motto. “A job worth doing, is a job worth doing well”. If I was putting in any sort of effort it was going to be 100% and it was going to be awesome!!!

We had fun dressing up! I was never a big fan of dressing up until I got married and had someone to dress up with! We always make our costumes (something I hope I always have the desire for) and try to be creative! Our first year we were green army men.

Yes I frequently got mistaken for a man, but it was worth it because of how awesome we looked!

We love dressing up and seeing others dressed up! We are not huge fans of the creepy crawly aspect of halloween, but it is one time every year that you get to dress up and be a kid again!

BTW not sure if you noticed the boots… I got those in High School. Some of you may recognize them. I do my best to bust them out once a year. Best $10 I ever spent! You can’t imagine the comments and stares I get because of them! Isaac snapped a picture of me in Five Guys before going to Paul and Emily’s. I had them on, without my costume…

Isaac found it amusing to ask me to keep getting up to get things so everyone had a chance to get a good loot at my boots… It took me a while to realize that he was doing!

Halloween night

Isaac got home and we headed over to RehabAZ where we both worked when we first got married until Bristol. They all dress up every year. Little did we know that they all took off a couple hours early! Marsha and a few people were downstairs. Marsha was a cave woman and when we went to let her hole Bristol… Well it was a similar experience to the witch we saw in Sedona (see two posts ago). Then we went upstairs and all the ladies I use to work with were there minus Jen. It was good to see them!

We quickly stopped by Matt and Alisa’s to show them our costumes and see Brycen the pirate and Maryn the spunky princess all dressed up. They were adorable!

We then went to our ward party! It was fun to see people and their costumes! The kids are adorable!

Bristol was tired after our party, but we had to go visit a few people. We made it to Great Grandma and Grandpa and my parents! It was a fun night!

I hope you all enjoyed Halloween as much as we did!

PS. if you ever want to borrow them, or any of our costumes just let me know! Too much time and effort and love goes into them to let them sit without being used each year!

FYI

My sister got a virus from clicking on a video she saw on my blog. I did not post it. So for future reference, it I do not mention a video, or other link, don’t click. I will make sure I always mention them.

Also if that ever happens to you, please let me know asap!

Thanks!

Day trip

For the past month or so one of the three of us have been slightly sick. Not really sick, just “not on top of your game” sick. So the Friday before Halloween Isaac decided he needed a break, so he took it off. That meant Thursday night we had to finish our awesome costumes… we stayed up late together, then woke up early Friday. We started our day off with Pumpkin Waffles and Apple syrup (my favorite, Isaac would prefer regular, but this time of year I just can’t help myself and make pumpkin A LOT!). After a good breakfast we got ready and headed out to go have fun up north!

Bristol got in the car and slept till we got to our first destination. We had wonderful conversation. It is times like that, that remind me how wonderful it is to be married and know someone so well and feel so comfortable with them. We decided since we have made the trip along the 17 so many times and never stopped at that place called Montezuma’s Castle, today we would do it.

Bristol has come to life so much the past two weeks… I know I have said that so many times before, but seriously. She LOVED the backpack! Every time she got in it she was all squeals and smiles. But then again it could also have been because she was outside. She is our nature girl, just check out those pictures with her nature headband.

What a little model.

This picture of her is adorable, even with her heavenly gaze : )

Montezuma’s Castle was not nearly as cool as we imagined. You could only view from afar. We both when younger had been to a similar cliff dwelling that we remembered being bigger and you could actually walk through.  But it was cool to see and learn a little about the people who lived in and built this. (later I asked my mom about it, the one we went to is bigger and you can go through it. Our memories served us right! It is near Roosevelt lake. We plan to take another day trip out there soon!)

Our next stop was Sedona to see the leaves! Isaac is so thoughtful and sweet. He saw somewhere on the internet that the leaves had begun to change and thought it would be fun to take me and Bristol (thus inspiring him to actually take work off! Oh the wonders of the internet. Seriously if used appropriately the internet makes life amazing).

Before going on to see the leaves, we stopped at Wildflower Bread Co. for some sandwiches. We both got a half sandwich half soup. It was delicious and warm! Sedona since it was a Friday instead of Saturday was packed with older people. They all loved Bristol! Who wouldn’t love to see such a cute girl standing in the booth as her mom and dad fed her some of their sandwich, soup, applesauce, and apples.

We quickly looked in a few shops. In one that we went in, a lady was dressed as a white witch… Bristol was a little scared. That happened a few times the rest of the weekend : ).

Then we were off to the leaves. It was beautiful! My pictures do not do it justice… Which is why next year we have taking Rachel with us to do family pictures!

This may be a Christmas card picture!

At the beginning of the trail there are these ruins covered in ivy. (the ivy covered ones are not pictured, but these were some of the ruins none the less)

It was not really a hike, just a nature walk, but extremely gorgeous and popular. Next year we will need to hopefully find a less popular trail with the same color.

After our short walk we turned around and headed home for the beginning of the weekends festivities!

There were a bunch of other places that we drive past all the time and want to go to. We decided we need to enjoy the state we live in a lot more than we already do. This is our first adventure of hopefully many here in the beautiful state of AZ!