It's a BOY!!!

IT'S A BOY!!! Okay, most of you already know this, but I thought I'd finally post it on our blog.

I spotted "IT right away. Girls are hard to see- not boys. I asked the ultrasound tech, "Is that it?!" Her response was, "Yep, there's his (boy part)." I looked at Garret, struggling to keep two little girls happy (Sydney, 2 1/2, and the little girl I babysit, Avery, 14 mos.), and asked, "Did you hear that?!" He said no, so I got to tell him, "It's a BOY!" And, people, you should have seen the look on my husband's face! It was a look of disbelief and shock and absolute JOY. (Next time we will make sure he can enjoy the experience as much as I did!)

It's probably no secret that I originally wanted another girl. Girls are so much fun to dress and doll up, and, I know girls. I grew up with just sisters, lots of girl cousins, and only a handful of boy cousins. I do not know boys, that is, not yet! As soon as I found out it was a boy, I started envisioning this rough-and-tumble little boy, bringing bugs and lizards and mud the house. (I didn't envision snakes- he will be taught to stay away from them completely!!) I also thought of scouting, sports, camping, him getting the Priesthood, going on a mission, etc., etc., and I feel so blessed as I anticipate Garret and I raising a boy to a man, and to experience both boy and girl stuff with our children.

We cannot wait to meet this little guy. And, I've had lots of fun already preparing for him. We decided on a sock monkey theme, and I found the cutest fabric for it! I'll post on his room when it gets done, which better happen pretty quick. I do have 13 weeks left, but there's a LOT to get done!

Baby #2 On The Way

I'm so proud of myself, taking this picture all by myself, while a squirming child fell asleep on me, which is one of the few times Sydney has done that. Even as a baby, she didn't let me cuddle her- she just wanted to be laid down to fall asleep. I guess that's a good thing. But, on this special Sunday afternoon, she was extra tired after church and fell right asleep on me, and I enjoyed every moment of it! I will miss these days with just me and my Sydney-Sue. She's my sweet and crazy baby girl, my little pal, and I just love being with her. But, things change, and she will thank us later for giving her a sibling to share life's experiences with- we hope!
We found out not too long ago that we are expecting another baby!!! I am about 14 weeks now, and things are going good so far. Sick as ever, but lately it is lessening a little, which I am so grateful for! So, if all goes well, we'll have a baby join our little family around Jan. 6, 2011. The kids will be almost exactly 3 years apart, since Sydney was born on Jan. 11.

I personally think Sydney's going to make a great big sister. About a month ago, I found this little line-up of dolls in her room, all diapered and sleeping. She loves taking care of her babies. I've even caught her nursing. When I asked her what she was doing, she said, "I'm feeding my baby with my boobie." She's talented, too. She can nurse while walking around the house.
She loves real babies even more than dolls. She can't get enough of her cousin Lyla who's 4 months old. I really have to watch her so she doesn't maul her, though. She'll start by just holding her hand, but it quickly grows into a bear hug with lots of kisses, and no respect for personal space.
We went up to Courtney and Justin's for the July 4th weekend, and Sydney was all over Lyla. Cute, but scary. One afternoon, Lyla was taking a nap, and Sydney just jumped over the side of the crib and laid down next to her. Luckly it looked like she hadn't landed on Lyla and broken a rib or something, because they were just laying there smiling at eachother. Like I said, cute, but very scary!!! I know, I will have my hands very full pretty soon, but we are so excited for this new addition to our family.

Our Pimped-Out Pool

Now, don't be jealous. Our pool is pretty dang awesome, I know.
Sydney was nice enough to share her pool with Garret one afternoon, and they were having so much fun I got the camera out.

She made him work for his stay though. At least they were staying cool in the summer heat. Poor child had to fill the pool back up when dad left, but she sure loves her daddy. She's getting more comfortable with water, too, which is nice to see. She now lays down in the water "like a mermaid" all by herself. It's not much but she's getting there.

2010 So Far...

2010 so far has been full of some hard experiences for our family. Luckly, Julie's side has been generally alright other than a few surgeries (my dad & step mom, Tish) so far. However, Garret's side started 2010 off with the very sad passing of our brother-in-law, Bret Blakey, Britney's husband. They have a beautiful little boy, Dylan who at the time was 1. Bret died on Jan 9, at the age of 28. We took a trip up to Utah for the funeral and to be with the family. Here are a few pictures of our time there.

At the gravesite, Devin (Bret's brother and our other brother-in-law) led us in a toast to Bret with his favorite drink, Mountain Dew. It was such a cool sound to hear all the pop cans open at the same time in honor of Bret. He has so many friends and family that love him and will miss him dearly.

It also happened to be Sydney's 2nd birthday on Jan 11, so the family made her an awesome elephant cake and we had a little party for her. She loved the cake and all the attention. Thank you Grandma Toni and family for making her 2nd birthday a special one!

Bret's funeral was followed by Monica having surgery to remove her appendix, Dylan had tubes put in his ears due to ear infections, Mary had surgery to alleviate some swelling in her brain, and a few weeks ago, Dale also had surgery. (Now, am I leaving anyone out?!) Also, last Thursday, (Garret's cousin) Damon's wife, Corrine, who was almost 8 months pregnant with their first child, was in a major car accident, and they lost thier baby girl. Corrine was listed in very critical condition, and sustained many injuries, but she is is doing better, and we hope and pray she pulls through and fully recovers. Our hearts go out to our family members who have been through- and are going through- some really rough experiences, and we continue to pray for them. We are so grateful for the knowledge that we will again see those who have passed away. FAMILIES ARE FOREVER, and we love each and every one of you so much!!! Hopefully, the rest of 2010 will bring happier times and added blessings.