January Happenings

The first week of August we were experiencing some fantastic weather. Almost too fantastic. I was sweating at the park with my little people. But Parker got to fly his kite and Rayleigh got to work on her climbing skills. We made it a goal to go to the park more often!

Everything is a necklace- even nun chucks.

25 weeks!

Ummmm, I love her.

The tambourine is a favorite necklace. I think she actually believes this musical instrument is really a necklace. When ever she sees it she places it around her neck. Silly girly girl!

Teething toys are too a fun accessory. I think brother was playing the harmonica here- she's not a fan.

The second Saturday in January we picked up my mom for a little outing to South Coast Plaza. We ate lunch at ZTejas and shopped around. Of course we let the baby ride the merry-go-round! And we were surprised at how many Sees Candy Stores were at South Coast- mostly because we stopped for a free sample at every one.

She loves to throw her food all over the floor. Me,  not so much.

This day marked a particularly trying day for me. I was soooo tried and probably a little too hormonal for the world. I tried to hide in the kid's tent but they found me. I texted Tanner to come rescue me. That didn't work either. But he DID send me flowers. Probably because I flipped a switch and was crying. Ahhhh, pregnancy.

 So sleepy....

 She loves to bring me toys and books and sit in my lap while we play. Since I was laying on the floor her little sticky blocks got stuck in my hair! Oh no!

An eventful school pick up. Nothing happened. Some kid must have pulled the fire alarm but it was quite exciting!

More glorious sunshine and more park exploring

Whenever the weather climbs above 70 we like to get wet! So we busted out the water table and let Rayleigh play while I helped Parker with his homework. This kid needs a pool. The next thing we knew, we looked over and she was STANDING in the water table!

January 17th we had a plan. Tanner went to the LA Temple with the EQ at 4am. When he get back the plan was to go to Ikea and eat lunch and buy stuff. Go paddle-boarding in New Port. And spend time with my parents. Well, the Ikea trip was excellent but the paddle-boarding didn't quite work out. We are still trying to figure out how to do this as a family. All of the great paddle-boarding spots don't have the best, cleanest beaches for the baby. So we ditched that idea and just went to the Montage. And who did we randomly run into? My brother! He was there with the family and we had a blast hanging out! It was a beautiful day!

 The baby is obsessed with the beach. She squeals with delight, chases birds, runs straight for the water (fearless) and loves to play in the sand. She's sooooo cute!

That night my parents had Stake Conference so we took the kids to Del Taco for dinner and to play. We had the place to ourselves and man, this is the way to have dinner. I think ALL restaurants should have a play place.

26 weeks

The next morning Tanner made this super awesome breakfast! He watched a video online about whipping up egg whites and baking them. Yum. It was delish! I'm grateful for a husband who loves to cook breakfast! CUZ I SURE DON'T!

We had a super fun Martin Luther King Day! Since all the kids had the day off of school I invited all the cousins over for a play date! No one had seen the house since move in day so it was fun to give everyone the tour! The kids were amazing. They played so well and had so much fun! They all brought snacks to share and played hide and go seek. It was adorable and I know everyone left happier than when they came. Family is the best! We were all having so much fun that I didn't snap any pictures! So I tried to get a few before everyone took off....

 The kinds were winding down and playing the Wii after hours of running around.

My brother, sisters, mom, and I chatted so hard that we didn't even sit on the couch! We just plopped right down on the floor and didn't even attempt to get comfy. It's all about laughing and talking!

This chick is getting so big. She can reach the door handles now and will soon figure out how they work. Her favorite past time is playing in the toilet so we have to keep all the bathroom doors shut at all times. So gross.... But she's the cutey wutest!

She fought sleep all day this day and I had to wake her up to get Parker from school at 2:40!

Spaghetti face!

She can't seem to figure out when and where to sleep... ha ha jk She's a cuddle bug.

I had my 28 week check up/yucky glucose screening test on January 21st. I booked Rayleigh's 15 month appointment for the same day. We dropped Parker off at school a little early and booked it to Laguna for our appointments and luckily we were on time to everything! I was worried about her measles vaccine since we were at Disneyland on one of the days when the outbreak occurred. There's been a roaring comeback on measles lately due to all of the idiotic unvaccinated morons running around. As you can tell,  I'm a little more than opinionated on the subject. But luckily she's recieced it at her 12 month check up. She received 2 more vaccines at her 15 month appointment but the crazy cool thing was her stats! Rayleigh is in the 92nd percentile for weight, 98th for height, and 95th for head circumfrence! I don't know why my children are so huge but they are definietly healthy and that's all that matters. I am so thankful that out of Parker's almost 8 years of life he's only been on antibiotics 3 times: once for a slight ear infection in one ear, once for strep throat, and once for his UTI the day Rayleigh was born. My good friend from college just learned that her son, who is no older than 12, was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. My heart is breaking for her and I pray for her constantly. Never take god health for granted. Our bodies are our own personal temples that require the upmost attention and care. Additionally, they are very sensitive and fragile and we must do all we can to protect ourselves and give thanks for health. My appointment was uneventful aside from the fact that I had Rayleigh in tow. She was a wild woman who needed her nap. Thankfully, my mom came to the rescue before my blood draw.

This past Friday I took the kids to the park after school.  It was another glorious day. They played their little hearts out and Parker, of course, made friends. He rode a skateboard at the skate park and now has a new obsession. ;-) We returned our books to the library and then decided it was probably a good day to drive through Wendy's. What a treat! We seem to have the best Fridays! But nothing compares to fun family Saturdays!

  Looking so big!

Squishy

I guess I have to do more to get this chick's wiggles out! She loves to snuggle with me but the problem is, she's got energy the other 22 hours of the day and I don't! ha ha Parker get a month off from school in just a week and we'll play harder when he's on break, for sure.

Hello third trimester! 28 weeks! Baby Jack is getting bigger every day! Seems like just yesterday I was saying hello to my 3rd trimester... oh wait. It WAS! 18 months is not that long people! But we are getting super excited for #3s arrival!