Long Day

Well, it's 8:06 pm, Jake's been sleeping for 30 minutes (after whining for two hours) and John still isn't home from work. Last time I talked to him was at 6:45, he was leaving West Covina heading to Lancaster to de-install a home. I hate Saturday's like these... especially when I spend all week looking forward to Saturday so Daddy can spend quality time with Jake (and I can get a little break). But, once a month John has to work Saturday... and today just happens to be a really long day. He left this morning at 10 (after doing computer work for 2 hours) and should arrive home sometime after 10 tonight. Ugghhh! At least tomorrow's Sunday, he'll definitely be home tomorrow...

Jake... Sparrow

It's official... swim lessons are over. According to the "Skills Checklist" Jake now knows how to:
*get wet (doesn't this automatically happen when you get in the pool?!)
*enter the water (yes, he can do that.)
*explore the pool (ummm... not sure exactly what this means...)
*front float (with mom holding him)
*front glide (see above)
*leg action on front (if mom kicks his legs while holding him)
*arm action on front (only to make splashes while sitting on the steps)
*back float (while screaming, crying, and clawing mom)
*back glide (not a chance!)
*leg action on back (see back float)
*underwater exploration (1, 2 ,3 dunk! is that exploration?!?!)
*rolling front to back (never would he do this... he hates the back!)
*rolling back to front (to get off of back... yes, he can roll)
*exit pool (to get away from swim teacher...)
*using side of pool, steps, or ramp (see above.)

I'm glad we took the lessons, even if Jake pretty much cried through them. He still loves the pool when we go with friends. But now I know a few specific things I can help him learn.

Tonight we had a real date night! We dropped Jake at Gramma's and went to dinner at this hole-in-the-wall Mexican place called Betito's. It is soooooo good and John loves the salsa, which for him is the sign of a good Mexican restaurant. After dinner we went and saw Pirates: At World's End for free... thank you Albertson's. It's a good thing it was free, I don't think I would pay to see it.

Who's This????

Anyone ever had the experience of waking up one day and having a totally different child in your house??? That was my day today. I am seriously A.M.A.Z.E.D. with Jacob today. He seems to have grown up overnight... I'm not kidding. For the first time ever he watched Sesame Street, he even interacted with it: dancing to the music and pointing at the balls, characters, and babies. I was in awe. His words are getting clearer as well as his understanding and comprehension. How'd this little boy get here... and where's my baby??? This afternoon on our way home from the grocery store I complimented him on how well be behaved in the store and he smiled the biggest, cheesiest smile he could muster and squinched up his little nose in an "I know I'm the best, cutest boy around" kinda squinch. It was adorable! And he really is the best, cutest little boy around. Even tonight as we were leaving Gramma's as soon as I said it was time to go he started waving and throwing bye-bye kisses to Great Grandma. I love this little boy, although I miss my snugly little Jakey, I am amazed at the boy he is becoming...

Six Years Old Already....

Happy 6th Birthday Sterling!!!

Sterling is such a happy and helpful boy. He is the oldest cousin on John's side and he takes his responsibilities seriously. He always makes sure everyone is safe and having fun. He is a very smart 6 year old and just finished kindergarten... all day kindergarten! He also loves to swim-- he's turning into a little fish-- and soccer --he's so good at it! Today he is having a cowboy birthday party, it completely fits him... he's a Texas cowboy now!! Happy Birthday Sterling! We love you and wish we could be there with you to celebrate... Miss you!!

da Anderson's... Via Chicago

Today Jake and I met my dear friend Liz and her husband, Kevin, and daughter, Lauren, for lunch in Burbank. Liz and I taught together at Highland for a couple of years. She is such an amazing woman. I had forgotten just how much I enjoy her company and miss seeing her on a daily basis. She and Kevin moved home to Chicago just after they found out they were expecting a baby. And who can blame them... wanting to be near family?! They've been there now for 3 years -- it's hard to believe it's been that long already. They're in LA visiting family and friends for the week and we were lucky enough to get to see them!

Liz and Kevin are probably the nicest people I have ever met. They are genuine and fun, kind and honest. They are always so positive and have a real love of life. Being around them lifts me, I've missed that. Their little Lauren is following in their footsteps. She is such a sweet little girl. Knowing them and loving them as I do it's hard to believe that they are total head-bangers... true 80's teenagers! I love that fact about them.

At Highland students would always get Liz and I confused. Then they started asking if we were twins (funny since Liz really is a twin) or sisters. When we said "no" they wouldn't believe us so eventually we just said "yes". That got them off our backs... for a little while at least. If I ever had to be confused for someone, I'm glad it was Liz.

Thanks for lunch today guys! It was so good to see you... let's not wait another three years. But, if that's what it ends up being... I'll take what I can get. LOVE YA!

The Big Three 0!!!!

Happy 30th Gretchen!!! We hope you have a great day and year ahead!

Gretchen holding our neice Hadley

(why is it that every picture I have of you you're holding a baby?!?!)

100th Post: Swimming & Wii

I made it! I wasn't sure if I'd keep up with this whole blogger deal, but here I am at Post 100. Hurray for me.

Today was a whiny cranky day in Jakey-land. Not my favorite kind of day. Thankfully Gramma came with us to swim lessons and kept him entertained for a while-- thanks Mom!! She also took a few really cute pool pics...

Last night Heather invited us to dinner, so nice of her! We had a great time with Miles, Heather, Christian, Hadley & Ella, as well as Kirby, Trish, Max & Sadie. The bbq was yummy and the potato's, salad, and watermelon were the perfect summery sides. And the chocolate pie -- delicious! After dinner we all played a little Wii... so fun!
Jake and Ella decided they were bored with video games and found something a little more sophisticated to do...

Happy 2nd Birthday Elijah!

Two years ago today our special little nephew Elijah David was born. He is such a sweet boy. He loves to play and laugh. He has a great arm and is definitely going to be an athlete... the kid is great at every sport he tries. It's truly amazing! We love you Lijey!!! Happy Birthday Little Buddy!!!

(btw- photobucket really bugs me... it won't let me use all the pictures i chose for this slideshow... if anyone has any suggestions, i'd sure appreciate it!)

I Love To See the Temple...

... I went there today. We walked around the grounds and enjoyed the quiet peace of the spirit there... and Jake enjoyed running on the big lawn and really wanted to play in the fountains. It was a really nice afternoon.

I think Jake's favorite part of the trip was when he got to play in the front seat of Mommy's car while Daddy fixed his car seat!

After the temple John took us to Bob's Big Boy for dinner --- yuuummmmm! Love that Big Boy Combo, although the dessert is no longer served with it! I grew up on Bob's so it's always a special treat when we head there for dinner. On our way home we stopped at Krispy Kreme for some donuts for John's Sunday School kids and Jake was able to watch the donut maker... he loved that!

I've also started reading New Moon... I'm 400 pages in and lovin' it too!

Speed Reading...

I finished Twilight today... less than 24 hours after I started. It was really fun, easy to read, and a real page turner -- all 498 pages-- I like that kind of book. Now I need something else to read!

We also had swim lessons again, this time there was no crying-- yeah Jake!! He also went swimming with Ella, Hadley, & Christian. He loves the water I really don't know why swim lessons are so terrible.

Jake discovered our shoes a few days ago... now he walks around the house wearing them. Today he chose my black slides... he's silly. He's laughing at himself all the time now. It's really fun to see his little personality and what he finds funny.

(Oh, you can see his new hair cut in these pictures too... I haven't posted any after pictures.)

Wii Had A Fun Day!

This morning started with a great 6 mile ride then a stop at Heather's to bowl on their new Wii--- soo much fun! Jake and Ella were so cute patiently watching us play.

Then it was home for a nap, lunch and then off to the pool. While Jake napped I started reading Twilight. I was ok with skipping the pool so I could read... seriously, I can't put it down! But we went anyway... and once we got home John was here so I could continue reading :). He even made dinner... spaghetti and garlic bread. yum.

After dinner I went to book club where we discussed Papa Married A Mormon and choose A Tree Grows In Brooklyn for next month. (I just finished that one so I can feel good about reading the sequel to Twilight next!!)

Wednesday Wanderings

Swim lessons went... better. Jake still cried a bit, but nothing like he did on Monday.

Our afternoon was spent getting birthday packages ready to mail, hair cuts for the boys, a yummy dinner (which includes hosing down Jake and the patio since we've been eating outside), and then a trip to the post office to send the gifts off. Tonight I watched my favorite summer show -- So You Think You Can Dance -- and John finished up work for the day. It's now 11 o'clock and I'm tired................... off to bed! Goodnight.

Oh, I finished A Tree Grows In Brooklyn today while Jake was napping. It was fabulous! How have I missed it the past 31 years???? Tomorrow I start Twilight by Stephanie Meyer... and after that... I'm taking suggestions.

Seriously Amazing, WOW!

That's the Boy I Know...

So we tried swimming again today with Flynn and Kyle at our pool and guess what... Jake loved it! He got into the water, no problem. He kicked and paddled, jumped off the side of the pool, threw the balls, played with the bucket, floated with me, and even dunked his head under the water several times... all without crying. That kid yesterday at swim lessons was not my child. Hopefully Everyday Jakey arrives tomorrow at our lessons and not Monday Jake. Here's hoping...

Meme and Norah met us at the pool too and then came home with us to hang out for awhile. We love when they come...

Oh.. and I almost forgot: Heather & I rode (along with Jake & Ella) 7.5 miles today! Yahoooo!

Let's Go For A Swim...

It was the first day of swim lessons... and you know how there's always that one kid who cries the whole time while everyone else has fun playing in the water??? Yea, that kid was Jake. I couldn't believe it! This is the little boy who loves the water -- in the bath, in Gramma's spa, in water fountains around town -- absolutely loves it! And he cried and clung to me for dear life the ENTIRE 30 minutes. Unbelievable. Seriously. Here's hoping Wednesday goes a little better...

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to the most amazing men in my life! I love you. Thank you for being the father's you are. Enjoy your day.

Who Wouldn't Wanna Be Me?

What a fun Saturday I had!!! My mom picked me up at 9am to do a little birthday shopping down at the Beverly Center. We planned to shop our little hearts out at Steve & Barry's with the Bitten line (sarah jessica's new line) only to be completely disappointed! (so sad, I know!) The clothes fit weird and honestly, I wasn't all that impressed with the selection either. So, I suppose we weren't Bitten. But... we did discover H & M is in that mall now and went hog wild, crazy shopping!!! Seriously, I came home with 7 shirts, two bracelets, and a necklace for like $125! THANK YOU FOR THE CLOTHES MOM!!! I sure love you.

Once we got home, mom took Jake and John & I headed to the Staples Center to see Keith Urban! We had sooooo much fun! He has so many great songs, we just sang along and completely enjoyed the show. We had great seats, they were practically ON THE STAGE! I mean really, look how close he was! Only... that's totally trick photography, we were really far away but they had a huge screen behind the stage -- John says it was HD -- and it made it feel like you really did have front row seats. It was such a good show. Thank you Johnny for the fabulous Mother's Day gift. I love you soooo very much!


Here are pictures and a video so ya'll can feel like you were there too!

This one's especially for my brother, Ben, and Lisa. Every time I hear this line of the song I think of you guys and driving from the ATL to Chattanooga... truly the prettiest country from Georgia to Tennessee... and sometimes I get a little teary-eyed.

Oh, and Bird -- did you get the message? I wanna love somebody like you!!!

Ode to Bob Barker

It's a sad day in t.v. history... Bob Barker has retired from The Price Is Right. I watched today in honor of his last show --and they gave away great prizes! If only we had camped out for a week to get into the studio! :)

During my years at Utah State, Bob was a much loved guy in our apartment. Melly even wrote a poem once titled, "Ode to Bob Barker" it was hi-larious! If we're lucky maybe she still has it and will share in honor of his retirement.

No longer will we get to hear, "Come on down!" and find Bob standing on the stage waiting for us to give our bid... someone else will be there. That's sad, but I suppose after 35 years as host he deserves a break.

When I moved back to Southern California a group of friends from my ward went to The Price is Right. I was surprised at all the waiting we had to do, but once we got into the studio... oh my goodness... the excitement was uncontrollable! And the curtains... never have I been thrown back in the 70's, wow. That studio is soooooooooooooo ghetto-fabulous! It was awesome! And when Jimmy heard those famous words, "James McBride, come on down!!!" we all thought we were going to jump out of our chairs and run down! (Actually Elizabeth & I did jump out of our chairs!) And when he got on stage with Bob, we were crazy! And the disappointment that came when he missed the price of the Cherokee by one number-- we all felt that loss. BUT when he won cash money in the spin by landing on 100, we seriously went crazy... and then when he landed on the 5... nuts-o-crazy! It was such a fun day! Jim even treated the rest of us lame-o's to a fabulous Italian dinner that evening, since he was the big winner... what a guy!

We had the best shirts I have ever seen on the show... come on "Still Lookin' Good" with classic Bob in a sweater tied over his shoulders... hands down, best shirt ever. Bob even commented on Jim's shirt when he was on stage... ya'll can thank Ruthie and I for those shirts, thankyouverymuch. You know what's funny, John still has his name tag from the day on his shirt and it's hanging in our closet. Wanna know something else that's funny... we went to the show a year before John and I started dating, but now we get to remember the experience together anyway! Fun!!! :)

You've Gotta Be Kidding Me!

Paci Update: Well, I'd love to be able to tell you all that it's going well... but that night before going to bed... Jake was playing... John & I were watching him run around the house having a great time... he turns around and smiles at us... and that dang kid found one somewhere! I searched and searched for that thing ALL DAY LONG to no avail and he finds it -- amazing! I swear he was hiding it from us. So.... needless to say, he's still using it for sleepy times. The weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth is happening - just not as he puts himself to sleep, instead it's when we get him out of his crib and we don't let him bring it with him. I've even found him trying to climb into his crib to get it! I know... some of you think we're total wimps, and maybe we are, but we don't mind him using it to fall to sleep so we're ok with this arrangement for a little while longer.

On another note:: My soapbox continues... (if you're tired of reading --you can stop now)... so I was talking to a friend who works in our local hospital as a labor & delivery nurse the other day and she was telling me that the new Ob/Gyn "policy" around here is having their pregnant patients see a Physicians Assistant or Nurse Practitioner for the first 37 weeks of pregnancy. That's right... THIRTY-SEVEN weeks. Meaning, you don't see an actual doctor until you are due. There goes ANY chance of having a relationship with your delivering doctor. There goes discussing any concerns about pregnancy, labor or delivery. There goes perfect proof that it really is all about the money and NOT about the women or babies. I was in complete shock when Kathy told me this -- as was she when she learned of the new policy. This really frightens me for these women. I mean really... is it only about how many faceless women you can get in and out the door in the quickest time possible?? How can this be ok? How can women tolerate this kind of treatment from their doctors? Am I the only one who wanted to see a doctor, establish a relationship with him/her, or want to discuss my fear/expectations about labor and delivery? I can't be. Really?

Hearing this new policy makes me:
1. so happy I left this particular medical facility and went to Marcia, who spent at least 30 minutes with me at each and every appointment - listening to my concerns, helping me understand what was going on and how I can help make things more comfy and better for me and the baby, she cared about me as an individual, as well as me as a wife and soon-to-be mother, who also took time to get to John and what was important to us in childbirth and life in general.
2. pray with even more faith and determination that this whole mess with Marcia ends quickly and that she is practicing midwifery ASAP! There's NO WAY I will be bringin' another sweet baby into this world at our local hospital... and I really don't want to do that with anyone other than Marcia anyway!!!!

Jake & Norah... becoming friends...

We spent the afternoon with Meme and Norah having lots of fun. I think Norah and Jake are becoming great friends...

"Can I see her Mommy, please?!"

Norah must know something Jake doesn't.

I love his little hand on her shoulder.

Adorable!

"Wait, she moves?! Holy cow, totally wasn't prepared for that!"

Missing: Reward? I'm not so sure!

His Pacifier.

We've been wanting to "accidentally lose" it for months, but it appears that today is the day... and it's really gone. We've searched high and low to no avail. The weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth has officially begun. Nap time was a nightmare... for me. Let's hope this process goes quickly and John & I survive. Pray for us, please. :)

Pregnant in America

Another documentary about the big business of childbirth in the U.S. You should watch this... it's interesting. It provides some information that I don't think is common knowledge in America.
Pregnant in America Trailer


I know I've been posting a lot about this stuff lately... and well, I suppose it's 'my blog, my soapbox' but having recently gone through the decision of how we wanted to give birth to Jacob I did a lot of research and was amazed at the statistics I found for c-sections, episiotomies, and other interventions. Then after having such an incredible birth experience with Marcia and now seeing her go through this mess it's only made my passion stronger. I didn't realize it at the time, but I've come to realize that my decision was making a political statement... and all I initially intended was to bring my baby into the world in the safest way.

Women should be given choice in how they want to bring their children into this world. Childbirth is as old as time. Women have been giving birth at home, in fields, etc. with the help of other women forever... why must that stop??? Why is it that only in the United States has it stopped? Because we have the latest and greatest medical technologies??? Pleeeeaaaaaaaaaase. No, it's because our doctors and insurance companies are the greediest. They have boats to pay for and homes to buy. It is NOT because they are doing what is best for laboring woman or their babies. Research shows (even research done by their own medical boards) that the most common childbirth practices such as induction, episiotomies, and c-sections should only happen in rare, extreme circumstances... NOT routinely because the doctor thinks labor is going "too slow".

It is my hope that these two new documentaries (Pregnant in America and The Business of Being Born) will bring some of the horrible "routine" practices of childbirth in America to light. American women need to see how their birth experiences have been completely different than they should have, that most of the complications that took/take place are BECAUSE of the doctors interventions.

Not everyone will want a non-medicated birth experience, I understand that. But, we should all be educated in what each intervention does : the pro's and con's. I truly believe that we are all daughters of a Heavenly Father who loves us and wants us to make educated decisions. He gave us these amazing brains that think and reason with. He doesn't expect us -- or want us -- to go on blind faith, but to study, pray, and ponder about the "truths" presented to us... and I believe this applies to bringing children -- His children -- into this world as well. So... if nothing else I hope these documentaries will encourage women to prepare and educate themselves before going on blind faith because, "he's the doctor" and take control and personal responsibility for their birth experiences.

Ok, that's where I'll stop for now... I do have more to say, but I'll save it for another day. But think about. REALLY.

Good Times!

Jake has a new trick...

Apparently he thinks he's 14 years old... (and we know he needs a haircut!)

We had such a nice evening. Jake and I went to see Meme & Norah and while there Ruthie and Erin showed up too. Good times!

Foxy meeting Norah