16 months

Here he is reading me a book. While standing on a mountain of books.

He might be turning into a toddler, but he's still our little baby.

Weird Kid

Kids are weird. I was no exception.

I thought little people lived in the stoplights.

I figured they would look out to see who needed the green light, and would make the appropriate change. I remember trying really hard to show the little people that I understood. When we got a green, I would ever so slightly incline my head in thanks to the wee ones above us. When we got a red, I would close my eyes and nod my head humbly, in the attitude of understanding.

I. Was. A. Weird. Kid. Of course, I grew out of that.

I then thought there were cameras, and there was a guy with two huge (I'm talking HUGE) buttons (one green, one red) who would take care of switching the lights. Need I say it again? Weird kid.

I like to think that maybe I was just a super imaganiative person, and that I still am. For instance, while doing a karate/exercise DVD last week, anytime I got super tired, I would imagine someone coming to hurt my family, and it would give me the extra boost I needed. Normal? Not as much as you'd think. In the short 2 seconds I came up with this brilliant plan, I already had a story line set up in my mind.

Andrew and I are in Shoe Carnival when some guy with a goatee and a do-rag snatches him up. I throw down the shoes I was trying on and chase him to the door. With one arm, I'm punching the guy, which in turn knocks Andrew out of his arms, and into mine....

As if I could actually do anything that coordinated. I literally punched myself in the jaw shortly thereafter, and I have the bruise on my chin to prove it. Smooth.

So the point of this really long rambly post is, I'm a really weird kid. But I'm nice.

One Year

These pictures were taken within a year of each other. What a difference a year makes! Such a cutie, and he's definitely losing some of his "baby" features and turning into our funny little toddler. Love you, buddy.

Food for the Body and the Soul

Dinner tonight was awesome, easy, and really healthy! I just grilled some lean cuts of beef on the grill (actually Mike did that- thanks, honey), then in a non-stick pan cooked up some frozen veggies in just a little sesame and peanut oil (maybe 2 tsp.). I then added the steak so it would help season the veggies. I added some green onions, toasted sesame seeds, pepper, and crushed red pepper. I couldn't believe how good it was. I didn't have any brown rice, otherwise this meal would have kicked even more booty in the health department!

We watched General Conference on the laptop in Andrew's room this year. This is the result. Utter and complete chaos, including all the books and toys being dumped, staying in pjs all day, and Andrew sitting on our heads any time we laid down. It was worth it. Conference was amazing, and completely inspirational.

Walkie-Talkie

Walkie:
The other day at the library, we were walking to the play area, when he spotted a little girl, around 4 years old, that he apparently HAD to hug. He ran over to her and threw his arms around her waist. She was a little nervous and pulled back. Drew held on. His balance was in jeopardy, but he was bound and determined to give her the best hug she'd ever had. Then she started moving backwards. You'd think he'd give up then. But no. He held on, even while his little feet were limply being dragged back with her, his whole body slack except his arms which were still clasped tightly around her waist. I had to literally pull him off her. Luckily the mom of the little girl thought it was hilarious, and who could blame her? I still crack up every time I think about it.

Talkie:
Our wonderful little walker has definitely been turning into a talker. He's even started to combine words to get what he wants across (i.e. 'Mo dis' meaning more this. He'll say that when he's pointing at something he wants. Or "Bus Tees" Brush Teeth.). He's an adorable little genius. He still mostly jabbers on rather empatically and I'm not always sure what he wants, but we're getting there. It seems like he says a new word every day. My favorite so far? "Pup pup" Puppy. Could he be any cuter?

Updates Part 2

A picture of me, just to prove that yes, there is a face behind this blog. And her hair is getting really long. And it really needed to be brushed.Aren't these the most beautiful blueberry muffins you ever saw?? Yum, and so so pretty. I was pretty proud. Andrew was so happy with them. :)

Naughty baby eating Cheez-its on the couch. Gotta love those little legs...

Loving the visit with Grandma and Grandpa.

Updates Part 1

This kid loves to slide. He doesn't look particularly graceful doing it, but hey. It's in the genes.

He's also very pensive when it comes to swinging.

This one is entitled "Fancy Pants."

Andrew and I got to meet Michael's friend Lindi from school. She was so nice, and so funny! We all had a great time!!!

Here he is discovering he can control the puppets also! He was more than a little happy.

and tomorrow makes 40...

As of tomorrow I will have exercised for 40 days. I started this program more than 40 days ago, but when you cut out Sundays and the...ahem...days I "missed"(about 7 days total due to sickness or laziness), you have 40 days.
I've lost 8 1/2 pounds, 4 inches on my waist, and 3 inches on my hips. Wahoo! It would be nice if I could reach my goal weight in 40 days, but as that's not possible, I'll just be happy with my results! :)
I wrote a pretty long post about this, but don't think I have the guts to post it quite yet. So for now, I'll just say that I'm proud of my progress, and can't wait to see more in the weeks to come.

Just a little rant...

I am an opinionated person. I know this. I have very distinct feelings/opinions about my family, my religion, politics, raising my son, and a host of other things. I don't share most of these on my blog. I'll pause a moment so you can all thank me..................................You're welcome.

So I really get frustrated when people share their opinions in such a way that it makes people who don't share that opinion feel like idiots. For example - I believe in homeschooling. Let me re-state - I love homeschooling. I think it is a wonderful thing we can do for our kids. BUT, I'm not about to say that it's the right choice for every child and every parent. It's not. Some kids thrive in public school. Some parents can't/don't want to home school their children. Michael was home schooled, I wasn't. I think we both really turned out well.

Yes, I do have a point. I don't like when people state their opinion using words like 'this horrible practice' or 'if you love your kids' or 'the only right choice'. If I've done this, I really apologize. I know it's hard when you feel strongly about something not to say it strongly. I do. But I also feel it's wrong to not consider that what you're saying may make others feel they're bad people, bad parents, bad human beings for believing a certain way.

OK, so in trying to make a post about not getting emotional about your opinions, I have done that very thing. Shoot. And in case you're wondering, nothing big happened that spawned this post. It's just something I've been thinking about. I promise the next post will be cute pictures of the kid.

New Harry Potter trailer!!!!!! ------CLICK THIS!

I. Can. Not. Wait.

Smooshy.

Yep. We know how to have a good time.

Oh Daddy's Boy

Andrew loves his daddy. A lot. He runs to the door as soon as he hears Michael coming, cracks up at anything he does, and tries to imitate everything he does.

Here he is trying to help Michael fix the drain. He kept running up to him, patting him on the back and saying, "Daddy. Daddy."

Did I mention he cracks up at everything he does?

Little Poser. They are so cute together. It's so nice that my two favorite guys are such good buddies!

S'mores

Last Saturday we invited some friends to the park to make S'mores. It was fun! We even got some additions/uninvited guests to our party, including none other than a little girl who narrated Michael starting the fire (step by annoying step- seriously the kid wouldn't be quiet) and the homeless guy who proclaimed himself to be a "homeless kind of guy and a daddy day-care kind of guy." Not quite sure what that meant, but he was nice enough.

Andrew enjoying his first marshmallow. Yes, the entire thing in at once. That's how he rolls.

Almost everybody. I think we're missing 2 little guys and my husband.

None other than our very own Natalie Bell, extremely excited by her marshmallow skills (which were far superior to my own). And yes, that's my husband in the background, and no, he wasn't trying to push the pregnant girl into the fire.

Oh, and the homeless guy was playing, "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash in the background. Very fitting.

The Five Foods I'll Meet In Heaven

1. White Chicken Chili.
I love this stuff more than I should.
2. Carmel Brownies.
Whoops. Drool.
3. Pizza.
Pizza is amazing. So many different flavors, and different variations. I especially am obsessed with Papa Murphy's.
4. Tomatoes, straight off the vine, sprinkled with a little salt.
So delicious.
5. Mangoes.
Juicy, sweet, and so awesome.

I'm a Loser.

4 inches total on my waist
1 1/2 inches on my hips

See ya, jerky inches. Never to be seen again.

What is required?

I had an aha! moment today. First off, I love the story in the Book of Mormon of Lamoni and Ammon and Lamoni's father and Aaron. How much cooler can the scriptures be, what with all the arms getting lobbed off, the guys fainting for days, oh and of course all of the teaching basic principles about the love of God and all that. For those of you who don't know the story, I highly recommend you read it. It starts in Alma 17. Click here. http://scriptures.lds.org/en/alma/17

After some misunderstandings and a great conversion on Lamoni's father's part, he says,(edited down for space) "What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day? Behold, said he, I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy.

So, I'm thinking...that would be hard. Giving up EVERYTHING. And I'm wondering, would I be so strong as to give everything up for God? Then Aaron tells him that he just has to repent and bow down before God, etc. Then comes the clencher. Here's the King again.

Alma 22:17 &18 - And it came to pass that when Aaron had said these words, the king did bow down before the Lord, upon his knees; yea, even he did prostrate himself upon the earth, and cried mightily, saying: O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day.

So first off, I know I have to be willing to keep both feet planted on solid ground and keep my eyes and heart focused on Heavenly Father. But the AHA moment came when I realized that the king was WILLING to sacrifice all. It wasn't required that he do so, but the Lord blesses us when we are WILLING to sacrifice all we have for Him, His kingdom, and His children. And if we do it whole-heartedly, when we are called on to sacrifice our time or whatever, we will be more willing to do it, and then we will be more blessed.

I think I'm ready for this week now.

15 months

Little Andrew is now 15 months old! Today the Primary presidency was talking about kids going into nursery by next year, and I realized our little guy was one of those kids!! I can't believe it. He's only getting more fun with time, so we're excited to see what he does next. (We just hope he doesn't do it while standing on the table or ripping apart dead flies.........anymore.)

"Hi. I'm innocent. Now look away for awhile and don't suspect a thing."

Such a happy little friend.

A wrestling match with the blankets must have exhausted him. (This is his preferred sleeping method.)

This is what we get when we say to smile at the camera.

We love our little guy.

Fish, Loaves,and Me

Lately I've felt a little "stretched-too-thin." Between taking care of the house, taking care of Andrew, taking care of my family in general, and getting some time to myself, I just have been feeling like there just aren't enough hours in the day to do what I need to do, let alone what I would like to do. I felt frustrated.
Then on Sunday, the kids at church were watching bits of "Finding Faith in Christ." When the miracle of Christ feeding the 5,000 came on, I had some personal revelation (that I'm embarassed to admit I hadn't thought of before). If He could divide those few fish and loaves of bread, he can (and will) certainly help me divide my time. I might not be able to do everything, every day. But He can also help me prioritize so that I'm happy with what I can do.
It doesn't seem like much, but it has really helped me to feel more organized and calm.

Shoo.

Here's what I say to those 3 1/2 inches I've lost off my waist. Yeah, that's right. I'm awesome.


Don't come back. I never liked you that much, anyway.

Shoo. Go away.

Inches, inches, go away. Don't come back another day.

Ciao. Sayonara. Adios. In plain English - Get outta here, Jack.

Singing and Dancing in the Rain

Best Daddy. Ever.

I've just discovered something super fun!!! At www.goodreads.com, you can rate books you've read, and look to see what your friends are reading and what they enjoy. I know I've seen books on other people's blogs and stuff and thought how much we have in common in things we enjoy, but it's hard to share that. But I really really like the idea of this website. You can even keep a list on there of books you want to read. That way, when you're wondering what you should read next, you can just consult that list. Awesome! Ok, so I don't actually have any friends on there. So, if you like it, please let me know and we can be friends. :) Woohoo for reading!

Anyone else think so?

A few things that always make me pause.

1. When people get makeovers on t.v. and their relatives start bawling. "Was I really that bad before?"

2. When people on magazines or t.v. say, "I ballooned up to ___ pounds" and it doesn't really seem that huge. If I ended up looking like a supermodel and went on Oprah or something, I would only go if they promised to not use that horrible phrase.

3. When you have a dream and it makes you mad/sad/happy/confused all day. What's up with that.

Ok, that's it.

Five.

Five years ago, Michael and I were married. It's been five wonderful years that have passed so quickly, and we've enjoyed every moment.

Love you, Mike!

And FYI...Apparently I have no photos of the two of us together, nor do I have any wedding photos on the computer. Nice.

Talking is a good thing..........right?

"Andrew, go get a book and we'll read it together!"

"No."

Thoughts

There's really no theme here, just me thinking. I give you permission to daydream if you get bored.

1. Isn't it weird that you can be shy, but not shy? Like, I can get in front of a group of people and speak, sing, act, whatever. I can meet new people and not be scared. But it's really hard for me to approach people, and to try to get into a conversation or something. You want more info on this oh, so exciting topic? Okay, I thought you'd never ask. I have friends, and people I talk to at church and spend time with sometimes. But I would really like to have playgroups and hang out with other moms during the day and stuff. But there's no way in HECK that I'm going to try to initiate that. I really don't know why. I really find it strange.

2. Exercise. It really isn't that bad. I mean, afterwards, even though you may feel gross and worn-out, ultimately you always feel good about taking care of yourself. Mike and I both started working out this week and even though I feel sore, I'm really glad I'm doing this. For myself, and for my family. Also, I really want to wear cute turtleneck sweaters and that box labeled "Fit-less clothes" is dying to be opened.

3. I really, really, really love my family. I can't believe how blessed I am. I'm not just talking about Michael and Andrew (even though of course I do mean them). Nor am I just talking about my Barnard family (see previous parentheses). I also mean my in-laws. They are so special to me, and I really appreciate every one of them. They are warm, funny, open, and so wonderful to each other, and to me. I'm a really lucky girl.

4. Aren't toads cute? We have seen quite a few lately, and those little hoppers are so little and cute.

And on that intelligent note, I bid you farewell...until the next post. :)

Oh, the things he can do....

He can always find a way to crack us up.

He can be inventive with his dinner, and make a mess while doing it.

He can feed himself yogurt with a spoon....and without. And don't forget the making a mess thing. He's an expert.

He can find a comfy seat anywhere he goes.

.................. etc etc etc.

Baby Boom

No, this isn't an announcement. I've just noticed a lot of pregnant people in my life, and it got me thinking about the past little-over-a-year or so of my life. Every mom and every baby are different, but just going by my experiences so far - here's a little something I like to call

"There Will Be Times."

1. There will be times where you ignore the poopy diaper in the hopes that you husband will notice it and you won't have to change it.

2. There will be times when you feel you can't get enough pictures of your kid, because they are just too darn cute and funny. You will feel that no picture can truly capture your sweet little one.

3. There will be times when you literally feel yourself going insane. This can be either from lack of sleep, lack of intelligent conversation, or lack of food.

4. There will be times when all you can do is laugh while looking at your child freaking out because you won't let him play with the electrical cords.

5. There will be times when you worry about the future of your child, hoping they never have to suffer some of the struggles and trials that you and others you care about have had to endure.

6. There will be times when you cry, purely because you love your child so much and have no outlet for your immense happiness.

7. There will be times when you cry, purely because you just don't want to take care of the kid right now and you feel guilty.

8. There will be times when you make yourself feel guilty over really stupid things.

9. There will be times when, no matter how much you hate that you're doing it, you succumb to using the electronic babysitter.

10. There will be times when you realize that no one (not even your spouse) wants to hear one more "my son" story.

11. There will be times when you hold your sleeping baby and marvel at your amazing blessing.

12. There will be times when you get frustrated and sound meaner than you mean to.

13. There will be times when you can't wait for someone to babysit your kid.

14. There will be times when you can't wait to see him again.

15. There will be times when you miss them while they sleep.

16. There will be times when you compare yourself to other mothers.

17. There will be times when you want to scream, "Hey, Lady-in-the-Grocery-Store, I know how to raise my kid!!!"

18. There will be times when you and/or the kid haven't bathed in........awhile. Especially when they're newborns. You will stink. They will stink. It will stink.

19. There will be times when you are counting down the Sundays until the kid's in nursery.

20. There will be times of frustration, times of trial, times of joy, times of anger, times of reflection, times of laughter, times of tears, times of playtime, and times of sadness.

But mostly, there will be times of motherhood.

And I can't think of a greater time than right now.

Bookworm

I've really been enjoying reading this year. I've read a total of 40 books thus far, and have really enjoyed expanding my mind just a little bit more. Here are a few I've really enjoyed so far.

Little Women, Little Men, and Jo's Boys - I don't think I'll ever read it again, but it was nice to be able to see how they all turned out and to spend some more time with my friends. :) Little Women and Little Men are to me two of the most amazing books written. I love them!

The Secret Garden - I enjoy this book. It's kind of magical and yet interesting. It gets a little too flowery sometimes, but overall it's really enjoyable. Harry Potter Series- I wouldn't necessarily say that they are the best written books of all time, but especially when I get into the 5th, 6th, and especially the 7th books, I literally don't want to put them down. I've read them more times than I probably care to admit, but I really like them. I read them in anticipation of the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 coming out in November. Big mistake to read them so early in the year. I now honestly cannot wait to see it.......

The Hunger Games and Catching Fire- I was pretty skeptical to say the least about this book series, but I pretty much went without sleep and let the house get into complete shambles while reading these two books. The third book comes out later this month, and I already have it pre-ordered. Seriously seriously can't wait.
Those are just a few of the books I can think of off the top of my head that I've been reading. What are you reading? Any suggestions for me?

Trip to St Louis and Columbia Move

We recently went on a little trip to St. Louis. Due to some poor planning on our part, all our family out there was pretty much out of town! :) We did get to visit Mike's grandparents and that was wonderful! We also stayed in a hotel, which is one of my absolute favorite parts of travelling. (We didn't do it as kids very much so I guess it's still a novelty!) Andrew had a blast running around and pulling the toilet paper off the roll.

Here he is sitting on his high chair.

Here we are seeing the stingrays at the zoo. They are so soft, it's amazing! Andrew didn't realize there was anything in there until right at the end when one flopped up out of the water. His face was so priceless!

We bought a tart at a French pastry shop here in St. Louis for Bastille Day. It was soooo good!

The three of us at the Art Museum. It was so freaking hot outside that it was nice to be able to be in the air conditioning for awhile!

We brought his harness, and boy were we glad we did. Andrew likes it, and it helped us keep him from running away into the priceless peices of art. That's a good thing.

Now on to Columbia. Andrew was sooo excited to help Michael put his crib up. It was adorable.

Sleeping soundly. We tried to move the blanket, but he kept pulling it back up, even in his sleep.