Rochester New York Part 2

 Do you guys recognize this cute girl??!!!  

I probably shouldn't be blogging when I feel this yucky from the raspberry growing inside of me, but I need to photo document this awesome trip that we were able to take to visit Hermana Weber out in Rochester New York!  We had an amazing time surprising Brooke (yes, she was surprised and it was GREAT!) and visiting all the church sites that I had not seen before.  We went to Peter Witmer's Farm, the Smith Farmhouse (SO cool! Took a picture by his bed where Angel Moroni visited!), the Sacred Grove (SOO special and spiritual!) the Hill Cumorah (of which we saw the infamous Hill Cumorah Pageant) and probably other places that i am forgetting to mention.  Just keep in mind I am fighting back dry heaves while writing so this post and subsequent posts for the next several weeks will stink.

 Peter Witmer's home

 Hermana Weber with her companion to her side, Sister Thomas and a couple of other sweet sisters.

 Malia did a lot of this in the car since she did not sleep very well in the hotel room.  First trip where I almost lost my mind with her.  She wouldn't sleep in the crib they provided!  She got up a bunch in the middle of the night!  She was TOTALLY off schedule and screamed and was terrible on the trip!  I ended up only getting like 4 hours of sleep a night since the only way she wouldn't scream was if I was holding her.  I had to sleep with her on my chest.  And if I wasn't getting sick on this trip I might not have minded so much.  Geesh, how's that for venting.  Now that that's off my chest, back to the awesome trip!...

 This was the picture I tried to capture of when we first saw Brookie!!

 My wonderful family and my abnormally cranky daughter (again, Malia was replaced by her evil twin this trip)

awesome churchy stuff

 and more awesome churchy stuff

spying on Hermana Weber when she was talking with someone

 Do I not have the cutest and most angelic little sister in the world??!!  I do, she's practically going to be translated.

Oh look.  Malia's having a tantrum in the visitor center.  How lovely.

 I love these special ladies so so so so much!

 Brooke got to meet her niece for the first time this trip!  How weird that I was pregnant when she left for her mission.  Too bad Malia was not giving a good impression while we were there.  I think she was having a wonder week and plus she's getting another tooth.

 She enjoyed the wide open country of Rochester to explore.  Very different from the New York everyone thinks about.

This is the cute house where my sister is living right now.  Darling, huh?

 The airport had a place for kids to play.  That was nice for Malia to make friends

Thank you so much to my parents for the awesome trip! Thank you dad for the flight and everything and mom for helping me with my pre-toddler child.  I couldn't have done it without you!  We had fun, it was awesome and the next post has more cool pictures.  Enjoy!

Rochester New York Part 1

The Smith house #2

My sis and I enjoying a bonding moment leaving the Sacred Grove.. ahhh!

My family.  They are so awesome!  They took us on this amazing trip and I love em!

Malia and her Nana

We had lots of pacifier time (we are trying to wean Malia of this and only use at night) while on the trip.  It was like "whatever it takes to make her happy!" 

Smith Farmhouse!

Do you guys recognize this bed??!!  Is it so famous in pictures or what?!  This is where Angel Moroni appeared to Joseph!

Malia tried Sour Patch kids for the first time this trip and loved them.  Hmm, shocker, she loves everything!

Lake Ontario Beach Park was fun!  It's kinda like a beach except it's muggy, no waves, no floatation devices, no swimming past the buoys.  And no offense, but the people there are all over weight.  Not like Southern California where everyone looks like a model on the beach.

Beach crowd

They had a nifty Carousel at the beach park.  Malia enjoyed herself.  Mom got a little motion sick

The houses along the lake were rad!  All custom, all large with big open lots. 

And poor miss Malia was just trying to survive this trip.  We love her to pieces but it was tough with her there.  I am sure that the next trip will be better for her. 

We miss you Hermana Weber.  See you in November!!!

Malia at 12 months! (1 year people!!!)

Our princess bubbalubbachubba (as affectionately coined by her parents) is 1!!!!!

She is the light of our life and is turning into such a big girl!  Our pediatrician said she was a beautiful "toddler" since she wasn't a baby anymore.  Really?  I have a toddler now? 

We had a super spectacular birthday bash for this darling that I will have to post soon, but for the meantime, here are Malia's new stats!

• She's still got a big head.  90% for that one
• She's still really tall 31 and some odd inches
• She's not gaining much weight these days, 21.3 lbs  

Doc says she looks great and is growing so nicely.  She's not gaining much weight right now because she NEVER stops moving!!  

Here are some other interesting facts about this little lady:

• Did I mention SHE'S WALKING????!!!  I will have to post the video that is currently on my facebook page.  It's awesome!  Not walking all the time but definitely putting 5+ steps together at once.
• She crawls quick and still loves scooting.  We like to play tag and chase.  She usually wins since I am slower these days.
• She is LOUD.  She is a talker (still) and is bossy (shocker) and has some pipes that she unleashes when she is upset.  I still need to grab some ear plugs.
• She is eating EVERYTHING.  She LOVES food.  She's not picky either except she is so OVER baby food.  Don't put it near her.  Among her favorite foods: scrambled eggs and avo for breakfast, blueberries and string cheese for snacks, strawberries, peaches, pears, grapes, spaghetti, meat, salads, and gosh, anything off of our plate.  It amazes me the stuff she is down to eat!  She likes salad and tomatoes!  She inhales home cooked food!  She likes spicy food and pickles and lemons.  She is funny.
• She is hitting now.  This is not a good thing that we are working on.
• She climbs and explores
• She goes to almost anyone.  No stranger anxiety.
• She is down to 2 bottles and is on formula still just because I have some left.
• She still loves to be swaddled for bedtime and has to have her blankie and binkie.  
• She has 4 1/2 teeth.  2 on top, 2 on bottom with another one on the bottom coming in as we speak.
• I had to cut her bangs because she has straight Japanese hair and it gets in her eyes.  She prefers I not touch her hair or put things in it.  Bummer there.
• She tans so nicely:)
• She is wearing mostly 18mo- 2T clothes and size 4 diapers.
• She gets occasional eczema which runs in our family.
• She loves her walks, beach days, water, kids, adventures, reading, playing and singing
• She's funny and we love her.

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The low down on being knocked-up

Hi.  Okay, so really fast I need to update the blogging world about this blessed pregnancy that I get to experience again! I really need to finish packing and take a shower and get ready since we are leaving to for New York in a little while to go see the Hill Cumorah Pageant, the church sites and (shhh!!!) MY SISTER!  I sure hope Brookie isn't reading this blog right now or else I would have just blown my cover!

Okay, so back to being pregnant.  We are so grateful and feel so humbled that Heavenly Father has given us this chance to have another baby.  We really weren't expecting it to happen so fast since it took almost 2 YEARS to get pregnant with Malia!  I am sure you guys all remember the fertility visits, the acupuncture, nasty herbal teas..it was all horrible!  I had assumed it would take at least 6- 12 months to get pregnant again so we decided to go off birth control.  Later that month I was late.  I kept telling Kirk, "I'm late by 2 days now.. I'm late by 3 days..I'm late by 4 days.."  Finally at 5 days late I bought a 3 pack of EPT's (I buy in bulk because I always end up taking a few if I am pregnant just to make sure) and sure enough, an instant + sign.  

I cried, I told Kirk and we hugged and laughed/cried and celebrated this fun surprise.  

The tentative due date is March 2nd, which is also my sister's birthday!  Funny fact:  Malia's due date was my brother's birthday, and this baby's due date is my sister's.

So it everything goes well with this pregnancy, we will have a 20 month gap between Malia and baby #2.  This pregnancy is already different than Malia- I want to eat all the time, my face is completely broken out, I am not really sick (yet).  So maybe it's a boy?  Who knows!  Stay tuned!  I don't go to the doc until later this month.  And that is yet another thing that is strange, I don't feel the anxiety like I did with Malia.  I was so paranoid that I was going to lose her or do something wrong to hurt the baby that I did nothing.  Now, I am drinking a dr. pepper here and there to settle my tummy, surfing and running around, carrying way too many things and eating and sleeping when and what I can!  I even sometimes forget a pre-natal vitamin from time to time.  I often forget that I am pregnant until someone congratulates me or asks how I'm feeling.  I have a feeling this pregnancy is going to go by really quickly.

So at 6 or 7 weeks things are good here and Malia hasn't a clue that she will be a big sister within the next year.  We do already, but I am going to savor every minute with her since her time as the only child now has an expiration date.  

Bye for now!

Yup! We've done this drill before! :)