Now that you're in the world

I never really mind being at the hospital, I had a view of the temple from my room, tons of treats, and I had visitors non-stop the first few days.  I was so thrilled that they were able to see and hold my baby this time.

Grandma and Grandpa Beckstrand were there first thing Tuesday morning.  My mom brought Ashton over early too.  I had been so excited for Ashton to come.  I was so excited for him to meet his new brother.  We had been preparing him for this for months.  I was sad that he wouldn't get to see him in person since he was in the NICU though.  When my mom first brought him to the hospital he was super happy.  My mom said they had been having a great morning together.  I was so concerned how he would react to waking up and not having us there.  But he had his Grandma and didn't really seem to mind.  In fact he completely ignored me when he got to the hospital, wouldn't even acknowledge me.  We took him down to the NICU where he could look in a window and see his new baby brother.  

He stood on the foot rests of my wheelchair and just watched. 

 I have no idea what was going on in his little head but he seemed to be excited.

Ashton warmed back up to me eventually and held my hand and laid with me in my bed.

That afternoon my Dad stopped by with my Grandma Liedtke and they got to look through the window too. Annalise, Alex, and Toni also came.  They captured some of the best moments with me as I was freshly dosed up on drugs.  I'm hoping the pictures they took never resurface...  I started having a reaction to the magnesium and my face felt as if I had the worst sunburn.  It was turning redish-purplish too.  The nurses said they had never seen it happen but that it can be a side effect, so much fun.  That combined with the crazy swelling I had I was looking like a whole different person.  They all got to be there when they brought our little baby (we still didn't have a name for him at this point) back into the room.  I was so out of it that I didn't trust myself holding him at all.  So they all got to snuggle him for me and Alex helped Jason syringe feed him.   Jason stayed with me that night and my Mom stayed with Ashton again.

Ashton was having a blast with all the excitement and attention he was getting.  Almost everyone who brought presents for the new baby also brought presents for him.  He looked so big to me, like he had grown up overnight.  My mom brought him back on Wednesday, this was the first time he got to meet his new baby brother face to face.  He wasn't too sure about him at first, but by the end he was very interested in every noise and movement he made, but he wasn't so sure about touching or holding him.

My mom went back home Wednesday night and Jason stayed with Ashton at home the rest of the nights I was in the hospital, but they came to visit lots.  Jason and him made quite the handsome pair.

Annalise, Alex and her husband Travis and Toni came back, as well as Aislinn and my good friend Stephanie Reynolds.  

My Dad also came back for a visit and Kayli came up and helped take some sweet pictures for me.

My last day in the hospital was Friday, they let me check out a night early.  Jason took Ashton for a father-sons day, while I got to fully relax at the hospital.  I had no visitors that day, just me and my babe.  We did skin to skin for hours.  Just snuggled together, something truly incredible.  While I learned a lot of strength from my experience with Ashton and even though my second birth wasn't perfect, I can understand now why women want to do it again.  

Those precious moment with brand new life is something amazing, something I can't describe.  

If only I could freeze time.  

Seven Peaks

We did the oh so amazing Pass of all Passes again this year.  Seven Peaks was so much fun with Ashton.  The kid loves to swim, especially after swimming lessons he lost all fear and just went nuts!  I'm always sad when the season is over and we can't go anymore.  

 One of his and mine favorite things is the people watching.  We are quiet good at it too.  

Jason was able to join us a few times, we also met up with my family and the Larsons.  

And we had a few play dates too.  Check out this handsome trio...

Ashton (21 months) Gage (2 years) Bennet (22 months)

As blessings would have it

Ashton and I started off our sunny day heading to South Jordan to find him a super handsome Easter outfit.  He was a super star shopper today.  We went to Jamba Juice for lunch and sat out side in the sun.  We were heading home completely happy and satisfied.  I looked back in the rear view mirror to see this.

 I thought, Today is perfect. This is one of those days that makes me want to quit my job and spend every second with this boy.

Coming around point of the mountain I heard the funny noise, I blamed it on another car at first.  But once we were getting off on our exit I quickly realized it was my car, and my tire, that was completely flat.  We made it off the freeway and pulled over on Timpanogos Highway.  Not the best place, but better than the freeway.  Jason was in Provo at school, I had a flat tire, and a sleeping baby who was bound to wake up any second.  After my mini panic attack everything started falling into place.  

I called my friend Casey who just happened to be up the road getting lunch.  He came to save the day.  Ashton slept almost the entire time, which is a miracle right there.  Jason had called a head to a tire place a few miles away and told them we would be coming and arranged for the right tires.  We started up the highway, but couldn't get going past 30 mph.  My traction control kept coming on and then the great Prius decided to just shut right down.  We didn't even make it half a mile. 

 Long story short, the Prius is lame, if the tire goes out in the front, you are suppose to switch it with a back tire and put the spare on the back, otherwise it trips the traction control and shuts you down.  

Casey had to be to school, we couldn't get the car started again even if he had time to switch the tires.  I called my visiting teacher, Natalie, who came and picked Ashton up off the side of the road, while Jason arranged for a tow truck.  By the time I picked Ashton back up it had been over a four hour ordeal.  Great day turned crapy right?  I was annoyed but as I was sitting at the tire shop I started seeing all of the amazing blessings.  

One, Ashton slept most the time. 

Two, Casey and Natalie coming to help us and them even being available.  

Three, that I didn't have any appointments at work that day (something that rarely happens).  

Four, Jason happened to be on a break at school when we first got the flat tire, otherwise we would have never been able to get a hold of him.  

Five, as we were driving home from picking Ashton up, I was a little emotionally exhausted and starving.  I thought in my mind "I just really wish someone would bring me dinner tonight".  Ten minutes later we were outside putting the car back together when Jaimie, (the people we live with) came outside with dinner for us.  I couldn't believe it.  Someones in tune with the spirit. 

This is another me post.  A post to help me remember that even with the littlest of things.  God is always watching me and making sure I'm taken care of.  Feeling so loved by him and his angels today.

Tiger Love

Halloween is officially my favorite holiday now.  Be prepared for an overload of pictures, because honestly, I just can't get enough of this little tiger!

The weekend before Halloween we met up with the Larson's (Jason's sister's fam) and went to the Pumpkin Parade at the Shops at the Riverwoods.  

They had trick or treating in the stores, petting farm, wagon rides, a headless horseman, balloons, bounce houses, games, and lots and lots of pumpkins.  The whole event was awesome.  I love having a little one to give me the excuse to play again. 

Ashton's cousin Everett is just a few months older than him.  I love that he has a cousin so close in age and I love that Brittany will hang out with me.

Little animal bums.  Ashton has a thing for bounce houses,

and I have a thing for the Waffle Love truck.  It's just delicious and genius. 

Love these two boys with all my heart.

I had all sorts of plans for the actual day of Halloween, but little Ashton decided a nap was more important.  Instead we stopped by Blue Lemon to say hello to our favorite people and did some quick trick or treating at the mall.  Ashton picked out his pumpkin bucket about a month before Halloween, he saw it at the store one day and wouldn't put it down.  It's actually made quite the entertaining toy. 

This time Ashton understood a little bit more the whole putting candy in his bucket thing and would hold it out to people rather than just stare at them blankly.
We met up for dinner with Ashton's buddy Mack, and Brent and Krista.  On the way home I had set Ashton's candy bucket on the seat next to him, not thinking he'd be able to reach it.  He was being awfully quiet on the ride home and when I looked back to check on him he had half eaten about every piece of candy in his bucket and was a sticky mess, covered in partially opened suckers and half eaten tootsie rolls.  The kids a sugar monster I tell ya. 

I've decided that little kids should be able to dress up like this year round.  Seriously does it get any cuter?

The Happy Fourth

I've always loved The Fourth of July, mainly because of the memories I have of spending it fishing and watching fireworks with my Grandparents in Idaho.  Also I really love fireworks, there is just something magical about them that I can't get over.  

This year was perfect.  We went to a pool party at our friend Aislinn's house in Provo, had the yummiest food and swam and played.  

Aislinn spoils Ashton and I think he loves her for that.

That night we went to another BBQ and watched Fireworks at Brent and Krista's.  They have a little boy, Mack,  just one month older then Ash.   Brent and Jason were best friends growing up, so they are destined to be buddies too. 

(I just love this picture of these two best friends with their little babes.)

Yes I made everyone dress in matching clothes and pose for a picture, you can just tell how thrilled both boys were for this idea.  But, hey your first Fourth of July is a special day.

Summer???

Not quite sure where Summer went this year...  I don't feel like we got to enjoy it like we wanted to and I'm sad to say that our Bikes didn't even make it out once all season.  We will blame this on the crazy amount of Credits Jason took this summer and on the 40+ Weddings/Dinners/Luncheon I put together.  Not to mention, I was feeling quite "under the weather" up until the end of July.  So what did we do besides work and school?

Tin foil dinners in the mountains with friends. A little bit of St. George. Celebrated Jason's Birthday.

Miniature Golf with the Fam.  

Go Karts. Lots of Ice Cream this summer. Played like little kids in the arcade.  

We did make it to the pool once or twice.  4 Wheeling for the 4th.  Fireworks, Fireworks, and more Fireworks.  

Massive bon fires (thanks Dad).  Some kayaking and cliff jumping at Causey.  Hiking at Sundance.

 Jason spoiled me, as usual, for my birthday, which led to a quick trip to Vegas. 

Where we explored every free form of entertainment possible, walked the strip till I couldn't walk anymore and lounged at the pool as much as Jason would let me.  (This has definitely been my whitest summer yet!) 

 Bowling, movies, BBQs, cabin trips with friends.  We got to walk for a cure and visit the amazing Make A Wish. 

Oh and did I mention I gained 9 pounds this summer? 

Ya, seriously.

So I guess we weren't exactly bored this summer.  But heres to a hopeful boating trip next year! :)

Meet Marci

I met Marci about 4 years ago at one of those awkward  Singles Ward Activities.  They were going to the Jazz game and I got talked into going.  Probably one of the only activities we both ever went to.  So I think it was fate.   I didn't know anyone and she was new.  

A few months later we were bonding big time in the beautiful Cayman Islands.  Creating enough inside jokes to last a life time.

By the end of the Summer we were roomies livin the life in Sugar House.  Loved these days.  Laughing all night long on the couch.  Talking about real life.  Swapping music and dancing at all the shows.  Watching a million episodes of The OC and Arrested Development.  And of course hanging out with the best neighbor ever, Jason. 

Jason and I officially adopted her in February. 

And then we moved and I cried and cried because I missed her so much.  But then we moved home and I was so excited to have my friend back.  We may not have been able to hang out as much as we used too.   But our monthly dinners were my favorite.  

One day Marci decided to go on a Mission.  That is what I love about her.  She is so brave and strong and has such a huge testimony.  Having the opportunity to be there with her when she went through the temple was amazing.  I cried.  We got to go to St. George for her farewell and meet up with some other good friends.

We were all roommates (and tan) at one point in time, even if it was only for a few days.  

Marci,  I want you to know how much I love you and how proud of you I am!  You are going to be an incredible missionary and I am so excited to hear all of your stories and see the amazing difference you are going to make in this world.  Thank you for the example you have set for all of us.  

Love, Pop-Pop and Gangy 

Craving

I'm craving a vacation right about now.  For all those Utahn's you know the feeling.  Winter is long, and the sun is cruel and teasing right now. 

warm. cold. warm. cold. sunny but freezing.  

Ever since I was 11 and we moved from Washington to Arizona I would save up all my money all year long and go back to visit every year (except the year they came to visit me).  

Then when we moved to Utah, and I went back to Arizona as much as possible.  

I loved traveling. 

I loved the independence of getting on that airplane all by myself and having time with just my friends.  

My first year of college I was way too poor to go anywhere.  Then I found Nannying.  Traveling and getting paid for it.  I was off to New York, then California, best job ever.

The year after I graduated from USU was the best traveling time of my life.  In a years time I had gone to California (5 times), Cabo San Lucas, Cayman Islands, and New York.  Not to mention all the mini va-kays around Utah.

Needless to say, it's been a while... 

I'd love a day on the beach with this guy.

Or a night out exploring with these girls.

How much longer til we're done with school????