Day out with Mommy!

This post is kinda late and a little out of order but it is just  TOO important to be left out :)

I decided to take Kinsey out for a day of just fun and me and her time before I had Harper.  I had always wondered what the Tree House Museum was like so thats where we went!  We got up and ready for the day and headed out for some fun.  When we got there Kinsey was so excited!  She made herself right at home and played with everything!!!  I had a hard time getting down to her level to play with my full term belly and tight jeans (I should have worn my comfy sweat pants lol).  But I made the best of it and had a BLAST!  We played dress up, cowboys and Indians, made sushi, created quite the noise with all their musical instruments, and didnt have a care in the world.  I didnt care that the parents were looking at me funny as I chased her around lol I had fun and felt like a kid again!

cutest cowgirl i ever did see :)

she knows to wash her hands before she starts cooking haha

there were multiple stations with these phones and they had someone talking about each thing, well Kinsey  would pick up the phones and talk to the ppl haha

Harper's Birth Story

She is finally here!! It took a few tries but we now have our little girl here!  Wednesday November 30th I had a normal OB appointment and not much had changed since the time before.  I left feeling frustrated and upset that I wasn't going to have a November baby but we had decided to schedule an induction for that Friday Dec 2nd.  Brandon went to work that afternoon and I drank Mountain Dew and was going going going all day trying to get things moving along.  Well I started to contract hard around 430 and decided to start counting.  They were coming every 4-6 min!! I called Brandon to give him a heads up just in case and started to make dinner for Kinsey.  The whole time I was making dinner I was in pain from my contractions and that made Kinsey worried so she wanted to be held and wouldn't leave my side.  This made things 10x harder.. I then decided to call Brandon and tell him to get home and started packing our bags.  We got to the hospital around 730 pm and they admitted me into their triage room.  My mom met us at the hospital to keep Kinsey entertained :)  When they admitted me I was dilated to a three and they hooked me up to all the monitors.  After about 45 min of just sitting there contracting I had to get up and walk around.  Kinsey and I held hands and walked around the labor and delivery floor for about 20 min then the nurse told me she wanted to check and see if i had progressed.  I hadnt.... So she called my dr and he wanted me to stay and be induced that night but Mckay has stick rules about inducing before 39 weeks and I was only 38 weeks and 5 days!! 2 Days shy of being induced!!!!!! I wanted to chuck my cup of ice when the nurse told me I had to go home and come back if the contractions got more intense.  I bawled!!  My mom offered to take Kinsey back to her house for the night just in case my contractions did get worse later and I had to head back to the hospital.  I bawled even more when I had to say good bye to Kinsey.  Brandon and I decided to hang out at the hospital for a little bit longer just in case and he had a $9 salad and I ate a piece of pecan pie lol After we were done with that I was sick of that place and just wanted to get home and see if I could progress the labor.  I cried and cried the whole way home and for hours after we got home because I missed my Kinsey and I was pissed the nurse sent me home haha  My contractions eventually slowed down and I was able to go to sleep around 3am.  My dr called me the next morning to see how I was feeling and to tell me he tried to have the nurses induce me early but they didnt want to chance getting in trouble and it would have caused a BIG mess for him to dig out too.. He is really THE BEST dr!!  Oh and did I mention that earlier that day my drs nurse told me Mckay didnt have any avail spots for inductions on the 2nd so they scheduled me for the 3rd! ugh haha

Finally the day of my induction arrived and I had felt like I had been in labor for days!!! I was getting no sleep and it felt like she was going to fall out of me when I walked (TMI sorry haha)  We arrived at the hospital at 8am and sent Kinsey off with my mom again (tear!).  When we checked in the nurse told me they didnt have enough nurses on staff and to go sit and wait for a little bit while they got things ready!!! REALLY?!?!? I had waited enough already haha.  Finally around 845 they got me back into a room and hooked me up to all the monitors and asked me a million and one questions.  Then at about 10 am they started me on oxytocin to get me contracting!  When the nurse checked me she said I was only dilated to a 2!! I was so frustrated because I was a 3 on wed.. Was my cervix just deciding to close up on me haha.  The contractions started coming pretty strong around 1130 and I was having to breath and concentrate with each one.  When they started coming every 3 min they broke my water and thats when they really started to hurt!! No pain, no game right?! Around 1 pm I started asking for my epidural because I knew it would take about an hour to get it and I was not liking the pain.  I got my epidural at 145pm and was happy as a clam after that :) I LOVE modern medicine! I was dilated to a 5 at that point.  About 45 min after my epidural was placed I started to feel a lot of pressure (I dont like to be totally numb so I could still feel the pressure with each contraction) and I felt like I needed to push!  So I called in my nurse and asked her to check me and her eyes got HUGE!! She immediately said "your at a 10!!! I need to call your dr NOW!" haha so i hurried to call my mom since I wanted her in the room too!  My dr arrived very fast and the nurse informed me that we wouldnt be able to wait much longer if the baby's heart rate continued to drop.  I decided to start pushing even though my mom had not gotten there yet... After 2 short pushes baby Harper was in the world!  My dr even let brandon help deliver (he was hesitant at first but Randy was persistent and I am glad because how cool is that, that Brandon got to help deliver his daughter).  My mom missed the delivery by just min :(

waiting for the dr to come so I could have Harper!

Harper Lucille Kunz

6 lbs 15 oz and 20 inches LONG!

December 3rd, 2011 at 254 pm (my brother Colton's birthday!)

I decided to do immediate skin to skin with Harper and that was SO amazing!! They put her right on my chest and cleaned her up there instead of taking her away. I wish I knew about that option with Kinsey..  She was so perfect and reality then hit me that I am a mommy of 2! 

My dr Randy Alejo was AMAZING!!!  I am so glad I got to know him working at Ogden Clinic and I wish I would have met him sooner because I would have totally had him as my OB for Kinsey!  He treated me so well and I didnt feel like "just another patient!"  I had his personal number and was able to reach him 24/7 and ask him any question whenever.  He involved Brandon in the delivery and gave me a huge hug after Harper was born congratulating me.  Delivery was so relaxing and I didnt feel one bit of stress or anxiety :)  It makes me sad that this pregnancy is over because now I wont be seeing him or his staff as often.  They really are awesome!

BEST dr!

she has a GREAT pair of lungs.. lol

me and my girl :)

this pic just cracks me up.. this is how the pediatrition left her lol

Well its getting late and since I am a mommy of 2 perfect girls I need to get to bed... I will update more when I have a spare second haha

Thanksgiving 2011

Wow I am so behind on blogging its sad... I really NEED to get better about this..

Our Thanksgiving was perfect this year! We only went to one place and got to fully enjoy our day :)  We went to my mom's house and ate until we couldn't fit anymore into our belly's haha It was just a small family gathering so it wasn't too noisy and I feel like I got to visit with everyone!
Kinsey had a blast! We played outside and she learned how to throw a football (dad was proud), and made a mess of grandma's toy room. 

I am so thankful for my family and for all they do for me! I truly have the BEST life and I wouldn't have it any other way :)

Hope everyone else had a great TURKEY DAY!

37 and 38 weeks prego!

Well this will be a combined post because I totally didnt have time last week to blog about my last appointment and then I had another one today so I will just put it all into one!!

Last week was my appt and I was 36 weeks and 5 days.  Everything went really well like it normally does and Harper is growing so big VERY fast!  He measured her weight at 6lbs 14oz... YIKES! I was a little freaked out about those numbers because they gain about a pound a week and if i still had 3 weeks left that meant she could be over 9lbs.  Then he checked to see if my cervix was doing anything and the result was NOTHING!! It was still very long and I was only dilated to a finger tip.  I was so discouraged but just kept telling myself that she is just not ready and to just relax. So as soon as we got home I was on the move.  I didnt sit down and was up doing something just trying to get pressure on my cervix so I could make some progress.  And that brings me to my excuses as to why I have been so bad at blogging  for the past week!  Blogging means sitting down at the computer and there was no sitting down this past week.  I raked my yard (which is not an easy task due to the fact we live on a corner and have a HUGE tree!)  I caught up on ALL laundry and even got all Harper's clothes, bedding, and car seat stuff washed, I deep cleaned my whole house, washed walls, baseboards, scrubbed both bathrooms, vacuumed every inch of my floors, re organized Kinsey's room and got her twin bed, painted an antique dresser that i found on KSL for Kinsey and put that in her room, finished the nursery with all furniture, and lots off other little things ALL while chasing around a toddler, taking care of a puppy who had surgery, and having fun! It was a very busy week but it was good!

Then at my appointment today things were exactly what I wanted to hear! Harper is doing fabulous, her heart beat is amazing, I have lots of fluid for her, she is now 6lbs 15oz AND my cervix is almost fully thinned and I am almost dilated to a 2!!!!! wahoo :)  All that hard work def paid off lol  He even swiped my membranes so I hope that helps get things moving a little bit more so I can have her this weekend (after my Turkey dinner and Black Friday shopping of course hehe) 

Wish me luck! I would really like to have Harper this weekend because my Grandma and Grandpa from St. George will be in town and that would be perfect to have them here!!!! :)

1st Hair Cut.

Wow I have been such a blog slacker!! I have great excuses though I promise ;) 

I finally worked up the courage to schedule an appointment to have Kinsey's hair cut.  She was sporting a sever mullet and because of the wonderful callic she got from me, it looked like she had a tail.  So I made the appointment with the guy that cuts my hair, my moms, and pretty much my whole family! I knew I could trust him because he has done several fixes to my hair that other ppl had messed up!
Well I dreaded that day because I knew this meant she was one step closer to being a big girl :( I didn't put her hair in any pony's or pin it back because I just wanted to enjoy the last few days of her crazy mullet!
When we first walked in, Grandma Kristy was there as well for support and we tried to sit Kinsey down in the chair but she just wouldn't have it.  So Dad was the hero and sat in the chair with her on his lap and she was just fine.  Then the nice ladies that were all there to watch gave Kinsey a sucker! (pampering for a toddler haha)  She did such an amazing job sitting so still just eating her sucker and looking around.  We were able to make her hair look so much better and didn't have to cut much off! YEA!!!!!!!! Just a little trim of the bangs (I'm trying to grow those out so not much was trimmed off) and then some off the back to make it more even.  I even got her hair that was cut into a little baggie.  YES I am that crazy mom that wants to save everything but how could you not save hair from the first cut?? lol

I love her new hair cut and I LOVE styling it everyday. 

when it rains, it POORS!

So the past 2 days have been HELL for me! To keep it short, I will just say that if something will break, or go wrong, then it has happened ALL in the past couple days.  I am just blaming it on bad luck ha...  Yesterday was tough because Kinsey was so off schedule do to the time change.  I tried keeping her up a little later the night of the change and she slept in an extra hour so technically she got up at the same time she does everyday, between 730 and 8am.  Well 1130 rolled around and she was so cranky and ornery and I discovered she was hungry. So I fed her lunch and then she went to her room for a nap like we do everyday.. Well it was only 12!! She doesnt nap until 1 on usual days!! I attempted to keep her up for a half hour but that just backfired on me, she only slept for 1 hour then was up and only in a good mood for about 30 min then she was a tantrum throwing very upset little girl.  Nothing Brandon and I would do made her happy so we just let her cry most of the day... That got to my nerves and I tried so hard to be nice and pleasant but its hard when your pregnant lol
That night Kinsey went to bed very good, probably because she was so worn out from throwing tantrums all day, and I headed to bed earlier as well.  All I could do was sit there and think of all the things I needed to get done and to top it off, my eczema would not stop itching!! I know it just makes it worse but its all over my hands and palms so its SOOO hard not to itch it.  I tossed and turned for about 3 hours then finally was able to fall asleep.  This was the first night in a very long time that my neighbors didnt keep me up (their back deck is close to our bedroom window and they are LOUD smokers that take smoke breaks until 430 in the morning!!) So I was frustrated that I was not getting good sleep when I could be.. Then that morning at 630 Kinsey decides to wake up! I had only been sleeping for a good 3 hours and was at the point of exhaustion.. I went in and tucked her back in and told her she needed to play quietly in her bed until Mommy came to get her. Well that lasted until about 7am when Brandon had to get up to get ready for work.  As soon as she heard someone walking around and in the bathroom, she had to get up.  I knew I wouldnt be pleasant so I let her play and do her thing while Brandon got ready.  He was even nice enough to cook her breakfast while I laid in bed bawling my eyes out for no reason (most likely because I was not ready to get out of bed or be awake!)  Then I decided to eat breakfast and get some energy going.  Well I put my two pieces of toast in the toaster and the dang thing wouldnt work!!!! Our toaster was BROKEN!! WHY?!?!?!  Toast is the only thing my belly can really handle in the morning besides oatmeal (we were out of milk so i couldnt make me any of that ha).  So I buttered some bread and put in the oven to broil.. well that doesnt work as good as a toaster so the crusts were burnt and my toast was not very good...  Then THANKFULLY my mom called me later and asked if her and Rob could come over for lunch.  I couldnt be happier to have them come over and bring Kinsey and I lunch!!!!!  While getting ready, well just presentable because I could care less what I looked like today ha, I dropped my foundation in the sink and it shattered!! I dont buy the cheep stuff cuz that is just not good to my face so I sat there looking at my tiny 30 dollar bottle of foundation running down the sink drain. YEP it was fantastic... I got the idea to get a small container and a piece of card stock and scrape and salvage as much as i could.  Finally my mom and Rob showed up and that was so nice!  I needed to just be able to have adult interaction and have someone help me with Kinsey for a little bit ha  Soon after they left Kinsey was ready for her nap at her usual 1 o'clock! I was THRILLED :) and to even add more positive to my day, she slept for the usual 2 hours!  I was able to get some cleaning done, clip all my coupons and rest! When she woke up we played and waited for Dad to get home.  The day was getting better and better :)  As soon as Brandon got home I left for the grocery store.  I took my time and just enjoyed myself as much as possible and didnt rush.  When I got home Brandon hurried to unload all the groceries and then told he me had to hurry and go!? I was so confused until he told me he had school!! I totally forgot today was Monday.. I got home at 550 and he had to be to school at 6pm.. HORRIBLE wife award!  He left and I was stuck putting all the food away and making dinner and having Kinsey climb all over me.  She thinks its funny to sit and hold onto my legs while I walk around lol It gives me quite the workout.  I had all the ingredients for our chicken tacos in the mixing bowl and reached for the Pam to spray in the baking dish and right when I opened the cabinet, my huge thing of olive oil fell.. I dont know what caused it to fall because there is not much in that cabinet.. well it hit the edge of my mixing bowl and chicken tacos went flying EVERYWHERE!! all over me, all over my freshly moped floor, all over my kitchen rugs, all over my appliances that I had polished that afternoon, and pretty much just everywhere! ha.. I started bawling again (for the millionth time today) and called Brandon begging him to just come back home.  On a positive note to this story, there was enough left in the bowl to make Kinsey a couple tacos.  I put what was left in the oven for her and started cleaning up the mess.. Kinsey was such a sweetheart and handed me all the towels she could find and even went to her room to grab some of her blankets to offer to help clean up the huge mess!  I just looked at her and she gave me the biggest hug and put her hands on my face and kissed me! I needed that so much :)  after she ate dinner we went downstairs to eat flipps (our favorite) and watch Aristocats.  She snuggled with me and was such a perfect little girl all night thank goodness :)  Then we did our normal night routine with reading and then bedtime.  and now im blogging because I am afraid to do anything else because I dont want to end tonight on a bad note lol

35 weeks and the count down begins!

Well this Friday I am 35 weeks!! I cannot believe it... Where has the time gone?! But on the bright side, we ALMOST have everything done :)  My appointment was yesterday and things went well..  I was a little stumped when we left but at least I know Harper is doing well and loving it in my belly for now ha.  I have only gained 1 lb in the past 6 weeks but somehow Harper now weighs a little over 5 lbs!!!! Someone please explain to me how this happens haha  That means she has gained almost 3 lbs in less then 3 weeks.. So I guess that means all my resting and lack of heavy work has payed off and she is now gaining weight like crazy!  My fluid looks great and I am only dilated to a finger tip!  I sure hope she comes at 38 weeks because I dont think my body can handle a 9 lb baby.. My plan is to go into labor after I do my black friday shopping lol (if only i get so lucky?!)

Some things that I have been experiencing is LOTs and i mean LOTS of Braxton-Hicks contractions.  I get worried sometimes but my Dr says its ok as long as I dont have more than 6 in an hour.  I have gotten to 6 but never more.. I have even had a few very painful ones that knock me on the floor haha but that only happens when I move way to fast or if I havent sat for a long period of time.  I sometimes forget that I am pregnant, as weird as that sounds, because I am not nearly as big as when I was pregnant with Kinsey so I think I can do things like bend over while sitting down, or squeeze between a tight space, then soon get reminded that I have a basket ball under my shirt lol  Harper moves non-stop!  she is always kicking or punching and sometimes my belly just looks like a big jell-o mold that was shook haha And it never fails every night right when I lay down to go to bed she gets the hick-ups.  Its quite funny for the first 5 min then I just want them to stop so I can go to sleep!  I have also been feeling queasy lately.  Its almost like I am back in the first trimester.  Certain smells or even sounds (nose blowing), makes me gag!  I have had to take my Zofran quite a bit lately and I hate when it comes time to cooking because I dont know if the smell will make me sick or not!  Kinsey still doesnt quite understand that there is a baby in my belly.. she just thinks its funny to poke at my belly button (which is herniated by the way ugh!!!) and she LOVES to lay her head on it while watching TV.  For all I know she just thinks I am getting fat but she doesnt judge! haha

My next appointment is in 2 weeks and I am kinda scared to see how much Baby Harper weighs.. Lets hope she has gained weight but not more then a pound or so lol

Halloween 2011

Halloween was SOOOO much fun this year!! It was a weekend full of fun stuff :)  On Saturday I had a Baby "Sprinkle" with close family and got lots of little things that I will need for Harper and a few BIG things as well!  My mom got me a swing (a must have in my opinion when you have 2 kids) and my Grandma and Grandpa Sullivan got me a double stroller!!!! I am so excited to go on a walk with my 2 cute girls and bright green stroller ;)  Then of course I got lots of diapers (main reason for having a "sprinkle") clothes and fun stuff.  My family is the best and spoils me always.  Then that evening we went "trunk-or-treating" at the church by our house.  We got there kinda late so most of the people had left but Kinsey still got to go to a few cars and get candy.  It was also a good practice for what was to come on Monday :)

Then the day of Halloween was fun as well!  Kinsey and I played and did our usual thing, then when Dad got home we ate yummy soup and headed over to the mall to trick-or-treat there.  In my opinion, the mall is the BEST place to go because its warm, you dont have to walk far, and you can browse in the stores lol  Kinsey made out like a bandit!  Then we went home to pass out candy to the kids and waited while Brandon went to school for a little bit LAME! But I cant complain.. at least that shows dedication.  Then as soon as we got home we headed out again for more candy.  We only went to the houses on our street and by that time her bucket was pretty full! (our neighbors dont mess around lol)  Then Brandon took us to this house he saw on his way home that had music and lights and the whole shabang! As soon as we got out of the car and Kinsey heard the music she immediately started dancing lol  She stood in front of that house dancing and watching all the other kids dance for a good 15-20 min!  She was even dancing in the car as we were leaving that street haha

Kinsey had a blast and so did I this Halloween! It was so much fun making her Lady Bug costume and dressing her up :) I am already planning on what my girls are going to be next year!

Painting pumpkins

Trunk-or-treating

My Bestest Friend EVER!

Kinsey and Leo

She was so excited to go get more candy!

Dancing the night away..

Kinsey loves her music lol

Attempt #1

Since the day Brandon and I moved into our neighborhood we noticed cars drive pretty fast around our corner and in our neighborhood in general.  We have quite the mixture of ages in our area from retired to young couples like ourselves, and there are a lot of new teen drivers as well.  I would even hear my neighbors across the street complain about how fast people would drive and we even made it a joke that we were going to all sit in our front yard and spray the cars that were going too fast with our hoses haha.  I knew it was just a matter of time before something happened... and it did early Saturday afternoon.

Kinsey and I were upstairs.  She was playing with her baby dolls and I was preparing dinner to put in the crock pot for that night when I heard a very weird noise.  It sounded like a soda can was crushed but 10x louder..  I ran over to look out my front windows and saw something that NO ONE should ever have to see in their life!  A boy was laying in the road right in front of a truck... I ran to put my safety gate on my stairs so Kinsey would be safe and dialed 9-1-1 as a ran out my front door.  When I got there the boy was crying (I was soooo relieved to hear him cry!) and I continued to ask him questions like his name, age, thing like that too tell the dispatcher.  It seemed like forever before anyone else came to the scene and once there were a couple people there I handed my cell phone to one of them and went back in my house to keep Kinsey safe and I didnt want her to see that poor boy laying in the road.  Soon the paramedics arrived and the scene was cleared up and I went to get my cell phone back from the nice man!  I was so shook up from the whole thing because this is the second time I have been in the front row seat of a automobile and bike accident.  The first time was when I was driving to high school and a man was hit and it actually took his life.  I was affected by this for a very very long time and I still get clammy hands and nervous when driving near cyclists.  Brandon thinks I am phyco when I yell at him when I think he gets to close to someone on their bike.  I am just so so THANKFUL that the little boy was responding and will be ok.  I have had nightmares since Saturday evening and it plays in my mind all the time.. and now that I am a mom I am more scared to see it happen to one of my kids.  I just cant even imagine!!!!

So Saturday after I laid Kinsey down for her nap I got on my phone and made multiple phone calls.  My plan is to get our yield signs changed to stop signs, and those signs that say "slow, children at play" or something to get more people aware that there are LOTS and LOTS of little kids in this area and to slow down!! I called UDOT and spoke to a really nice guy who gave me a ton of information on what I needed to do.  He directed me to call Layton City and talk to them.  Well, they were closed since it was the weekend so I had to wait until today to get ahold of anyone.  When I called, I got the administrator who then transferred me to her boss, who then transferred me to the police department, who then transferred me to the sheriff, who then transferred me to the traffic engineer and thats where I left a message.  I will NOT stop until something is done!! I am so frustrated that something hasnt been done sooner... So today is attempt #1 of getting something done and I will keep you all updated to how many more attempts it takes me!  I WILL NOT GIVE UP!

32 Weeks!

is it just me or is time on super fast mode lately!?!?  I feel like I have only been pregnant for a couple months, and in reality I could have this baby in as little as 6 WEEKS! Im stressing out trying to get everything done on time and so far I am on a good pace to be done by Thanksgiving :) I will be done with finals at the end of this month and Harper's room should be done in the next week or so, then I just have to worry about getting the carpets cleaned, finishing up her crib bedding and a few other little things.

My appointment was yesterday and everything went pretty good.  I have not gained 1 oz in the past 4 weeks and that worries my Dr a little bit, but Harper has def grown and is right on track so I think my body is giving its "extra" weight to her and I am TOTALLY fine with that lol.  I eat at least 3 times a day, usually 4 but I have a very active toddler and a big house to keep clean all day so I burn lots of calories!  Everything else looks perfect and I have lots of fluid so I know she is happy :)

Things are getting a little bit more difficult for me now with my bigger belly.. Sleeping is a JOKE! I move so much and can hardly get comfortable.  And when I finally do get comfortable I have to get up to go to the bathroom, take care of a crying puppy, help Kinsey get tucked back into bed, or take some tums because my heartburn is killing me haha.  Its a never ending cycle and I know I wont get much more sleep when I have a newborn so I am just thankful for what I do get :) Simple tasks are no longer simple... I struggle with scrubbing the bathroom (especially the tub), picking things up off the floor is 10x harder then what it used to be, and chasing after Kinsey is quite funny because she can usually out run me now lol  I also have a very hard time rocking with Kinsey :(  Sometimes she needs to just have a few min of my undivided attention so we rock in a rocking chair and since my belly is in the way she has to snuggle up with it instead of me! Another thing I have realized it my energy level is not as good as it normally is. I painted 95 percent of my house all on my own and in about 2 months plus had Kinsey to watch.  I got it done and felt fine.  Then when it came around to me painting the nursery that was a different story!  I would do one wall and have to take a break and not get back to it until the next day usually lol.  Lets just say it has taken me 2 weeks to paint that one room!  Its almost done though!!!!!  I am feeling great and enjoying every second I can with just Kinsey and I because I know when Harper arrives, my life will be 3x as busy :)

tin tins!

I LOVE family traditions and wanted to start a bunch once I had my own family! So one of them we started this year was going to a pumpkin patch, ridding on a hay ride and picking out our own pumpkins. This totally beats going to the grocery store to pick out pumpkins that have been picked over a million times haha. We went to Black Island Farms this year in Syracuse. They have the largest corn maze in Utah and have a huge field full of perfect pumpkins, and a ton of stuff for kids to do. I cant wait to take Kinsey back there when she is a little older so she can play the games but she def had fun this year. While we were standing in line, Beatleguise came over to talk to us and Kinsey wanted to keep a nice 10ft distance from him haha She was totally fine if she could see him and he wasnt too close, but as soon as he would get closer she would hold onto Brandon tighter and tighter. We managed to get a pic with him though haha! On the hay ride Kinsey had a BLAST! She saw cows and just enjoyed everything about it, then when we got off to pick out pumpkins she was even more thrilled. She was right along side her dad while I was trying not to fall haha. Being pregnant and walking on very unstable ground that sinks in certain areas just isnt a good mix! we got her a smaller pumpkin and she was very proud! She even helped me carry it to the car and she wouldnt let us forget about them when we got home. Now every time we go out our front door she grabs her pumpkin and says "tin tin!" I LOVE it! :)

she was just a little unsure about him..

happy girl with her tin tin :)

Drum Roll!!!

Well folks we have decided on a name for our little girl!!! 

Harper Lucille Kunz

Let me just say this has been one of the HARDEST things Brandon and I have had to do.. I have no idea how we agreed on Kinsey's name so fast lol.  I have liked the name Harper from day one.  (I got the name from the Beckham's)  But Brandon would always say it sounded like "hopper" and wasnt a very girly name.  Anyways, we went back and forth from name to name and the only name we could agree on was Aspen.  Well we soon remembered and found out that there is a little girl on Brandon's side of the family named Aspen and she just turned 1 a couple months ago.  They would be too close in age and that just wouldnt work out having them with the same name lol So it was back to the drawing board!  We came up with Elizabeth and a few others but I just wasnt crazy about them so I guess you could say I was the picky one.. We would also come up with other names like Lucy, and a couple other names ending in "y", but I didnt want to have my girls have similar names and since Kinsey was already a "y" name we couldnt have another lol 

Then one night I finally told Brandon we had to agree on a name before we went to bed!!  We spent a couple hours talking about names and to be honest I just didnt like ANY of them.  (girl names are hard!) Then Brandon told me he didnt mind the name Harper, but still wanted to see what else there was. (this was the first time he actually had something positive to say about that name lol) So after a long time later he came up with the idea to flip a coin!  We did best out of 3 and I called heads and WON! The deal was if he won he had to name her but the name had to go with the middle name Lucille, and if I won her name would be Harper.  After I won Brandon seemed just fine with it :) and I am SOOOO happy! 

Her middle name is our Great-Grandma's name on Brandon's side and she passed away not too long ago from pneumonia.  She was truly an amazing woman and I felt like I knew her my whole life!  We never saw her out of her nice dresses and her hair and make-up was ALWAYS flawless.  She was very conscious about her health and had the best body I have ever seen an elderly lady have.  When you would ask her what her secret was, she would tell you she exercises everyday (thats the truth!) and eats all low-fat ;).  I love her and miss her everyday and wish I got to spend more then the short 5 years knowing her.  I am so excited that our little girl is going to carry on her beautiful name :)

Well there you have it! Thats one less thing on my "to-do" list and now i have much more stuff to do!  I started to paint the nursery and her quilt is almost done.  So I hope I can stay at a good pace and have everything done by Thanksgiving!!!

29 weeks!

Well I am almost to the 30 week mark!  This pregnancy is going by way way way too fast and I am a little worried.  I have so much to get done and do before our second princess arrives and I am afraid it might not all get done.. OH WELL!!

I had my glucose test over a week ago and I have yet to hear the results.. Usually no news means good news so thats what I am hoping for :) Oh, and the fruit punch flavor is just as nasty as all the other ones! It gave me severe heart burn (weird...) and I didnt eat anything the rest of the day besides drink water.  My stomach was so upset!  Whats funny is that drink has the same amount of sugar in it as a candy bar and can of soda!  I KNOW I could easily eat those two things without getting sick ;).  Maybe its because you have to consume the whole thing in 5 min or less...  My dr has been out of town so I am really hoping he doesnt call me when he gets back to tell me any bad news... I REALLY REALLY dont want to have to do the 3 hour long glucose test!

Some things that have been going on with me:  My belly is HUGE now.. I seem to bump it on everything and it gets in the way a lot!  I have no new stretch marks but I still do have those wonderful "mommy marks" from Kinsey that are noticeable.  I only have them around my belly button!!! of all places, WHY did they have to show up in the most noticeable place haha.  I have totally lost my appetite.  I only eat because I know my baby needs it but I just cant find anything that I enjoy eating.  I have splurged a lot and had me some caffeine... Not good, I know, but I have been so desperate lately because of my lack of sleep.  I have also been one DE-pressed preggo women.  That is not a good combo, I feel bad for Brandon lol.  I love my life and I love being a stay at home mommy, but I have NO life!  I have no friends that I go do things with, and I only have a few people I can call on the phone to just chat.  So other then that my life is consumed with cleaning, taking care of a toddler and puppy, and going to school.  I am constantly busy and on the go.. so I dont know when I would find time to do anything for myself.  That starts to wear on a person when you have no change and its always same ole same ole..  I have decided I am going to fork out whatever money I have to once this baby is born to get me a Gold's gym membership and take all those fun classes I used to take all the time.  "Exercise gives your endorphins, endorphins make you happy..." Famous words from Elle Woods haha (I love Legally Blonde).  Back in the day when I danced and worked out everyday I felt so good about myself and loved how I looked. and now I will have 2 kids and I DO NOT want to look like some moms I see that just let their baby lbs shed off over a 5 year span lol  I will be back to my pre preggo weight and I will even get my nice abs and toned body back within 1 year!! Thats my goal.  Along with this depression comes severe anxiety.  Ask anyone of my family members and they will tell you I have let stress get the best of me since I came out of the womb lol.  Something so simple can throw me into a panic and I let it effect me for way too long.  I am just glad I have Brandon to knock some sense into me when I get like this.  I am hoping I can survive the rest of this pregnancy without too much more stress and depression cuz it just aint fun!
I havent had any weird cravings much.. When I was pregnant with Kinsey I craved ice all the time and I loved the smell of wet cement!!  I soon found out that my iron was extremely low haha  so any food cravings this time around dont seem out of the norm. and I am sure to eat enough iron rich foods so I dont go around wanting to eat rocks and lick the wet cement hahaha
My belly is constantly moving from this little girl!  She moves around so much it makes me wonder if she ever sleeps.  Any time my belly gets bumped or Kinsey pokes it, she goes crazy!  The dr told me last time she is no longer breach but I think she is moving around so much that she goes from head down to breach everyday lol.  She is very strong as well.  She has dislocated a couple of my ribs from her powerful kicks/punches and I wouldnt be surprised if I end up with a broken rib one day!  I am glad she is having fun in there and is moving around lots :) Thats the best part of a pregnancy is feeling your baby move around inside you!

shes getting bigger and bigger :)

Well my next appointment is the first week of October so I will update you all then if anything new happens or changes!

I may be a young mom, but I am NOT a stupid mom..

Well here we go again with another venting blog post.  It seems like I am doing more and more of these lately so sorry if I seem to be an ornery, pissed off beast all the time haha.. it is just the pregnancy hormones (hopefully).  And blogging is such a perfect therapy for me right now :)

I will just cut to the chase and start by saying I am so over hearing people questioning my motherly skills.  I know most people are just trying to help out and give me some advise but the advise I am getting lately makes me think they think I am stupid or something!  I  have never once put Kinsey in danger physically, mentally, or in any other way.  I am her mom and it is MY duty to protect her, BUT she is a toddler and growing and learning everyday so of course I cant prevent those little bruises she gets because she was spinning in the living room and fell and bumped her head, or the scrape on her knee she got from running down the sidewalk!  I let Kinsey learn and explore in anyway she can.  Sometimes that means she gets a little taste of dirt, or gets so messy with frosting while trying to decorate cookies that we have to take a second bath, or she is attempting to ride a scooter and falls and scrapes her knee.  These are all normal things that kids SHOULD experience.  And I feel that as long as I am there to watch her and make sure she is not in extreme danger (playing in the street for example) and is not putting her health in danger, and guiding her in the right direction when she NEEDS the direction, then everything is just fine!  I am def not the mother that is keeping her child spot free, and wrapped up in bubble wrap to play outside or explore.  Some people think I am crazy when Kinsey falls and I dont run over to her to dust off her bum and see if she is ok.  I let her learn what pain is on her own and if she does cry or say "ow!" I am right there to check her out and comfort her, but if she gets gets a little scratch and gets back  up and plays, what is the point of making a big deal of something so little.  She is a tough little girl and the first scratch she got on her knee she didnt even cry, and it was bleeding from her knee to her foot!! She cried when I made her come inside for a minute so I could wash it up and make sure it didnt get infected.  Then when we went back out she was right back doing what she was doing before, BEING A KID!!!  We didnt have a huge cry session with her milking it for all she could because obviously it didnt hurt her that bad.  Then there was the time she touched the lawn mower after her dad had told her several times not to, and she got burnt.  We knew she was hurt because she kept telling us "ow!!!" so thats when we were right there to comfort her and meet all the needs she needed, and give her that EXTRA attention. 

Other things we get those little annoying comments about is potty training.  Yes she is only 19 months and we are working on potty training.  Kinsey is so smart and is always letting us know when she is pooping or has a wet diaper so why not try potty training right?  So what if she doesnt go everyday.. practice make perfect and if we can have her potty trained by the time her sister comes that will be a HUGE plus!! and if she is still practicing, then no big deal!  It is a work in progress and she never gets in trouble, or feels bad for going in her diaper, but she gets a huge treat for going in her big girl potty.  I just dont see the harm in what we are doing!!!!! Another thing is YES she is not yet 20 months and we have moved her to a toddler bed.  Most kids start sleeping in a toddler bed when she start crawling out of their crib, and Kinsey is now to that point where she could crawl into it, but not out.  So to prevent her from falling out of the crib onto the floor we did the change now.  She LOVES her new bed and is so proud of herself when she can climb in and out all by herself.  I am TOTALLY aware she can now climb out and get into things, so I have rearranged her room to prevent her from climbing on anything and now all she can really do is play with her toys.

I love my daughter more then anything and hate seeing her get hurt and never want to see her in pain.  But there is a HUGE line between sheltering and not letting them do anything, and letting them learn and explore.  Toddlers learn by example and thats just what Kinsey is doing.  It is constant "monkey see monkey do" around here so Brandon and I make sure our actions are safe for her.  Kinsey knows how to have fun and get dirty, and she also knows how to be a girlie girl.  I try to be a perfect mom every day and if their is one thing that I can say I am perfect at, it is being a MOM!  I give Kinsey all the love she needs plus some, I provide a safe environment for her, I direct her to what is correct and what is not ok, I feed her very healthy foods for her growing body, and I cater to all her needs and even most of her wants!!  So when I get those little comments or advise that makes me feel stupid, it just get angry!  I am aware of what is good and bad, safe and not safe.  I have a lot more common sense then most... 

Well enough of that venting.. I dont know if that all makes sense or not, but I dont care because I feel so much better now haha!!

yuck...

just a quick update because i have a few seconds to spare for once in my busy day..

tomorrow is my dreaded glucose test!  i say dreaded because the drink is NASTY and i got lucky enough to drink it twice with Kinsey because i didnt pass the first time. i have tried the orange, lemon lime and now this time i am going to try fruit punch... i got so sick with them last time and i am hoping i dont feel the same tomorrow because it will make for one LONG day!  i know, i know, all im doing is complaining but unless you have had this sugar drink you have no idea how nasty it is.  i am thankful they check for gestational diabetes because i want my baby girl as healthy as can be.  so i will just "woman" up and do it for her! :)

this pregnancy is going quite well.  i will be 28 weeks on friday and i cant believe she will be here so soon!  i havent really done anything with the nursery which is scary because i have a huge hole to patch, tons of prepping to do to all the walls, paint, find bedding that i like, and get the carpets cleaned, get new blinds, and decorate.  and on top of that, i have decided to make Kinsey a quilt for her new "big girl" bed she will get when her sister arrives because i just cant find any bedding that i cant live without for her room.  plus it will be fun to say i made it for her :)  I have never made a quilt before so wish me luck.. PLEASE!  sleeping at night is getting quite fun, NOT!  the other night i slept like a baby though and the only reason i think is because i slept on my back all night!! i woke up to feeling so dizzy, light headed, and had sever vertigo because of the lack of blood flow from being on my back, YIKES!  i usually have pillows all around me supporting everything so i dont know how this happened but it did.  i have been feeling really down lately as well because of my weight gain.  i should be fine with gaining weight because its for a good cause, but i can no longer fit into my favorite jeans (yes i did cry when i realized it), and nothing is comfortable to wear besides sweats!  i hate not having a cute outfit to put on and make myself feel all pretty :(  i get ready everyday with my hair, make up and all then to top it off i put on my sweat pants and t-shirt.  it just isnt fun lol  i am hoping my dang butt doesnt gain any more weight so that i can at least have a couple pairs of jeans to wear this winter.  if not, i will have to cave and buy me some maternity pants...

now onto a happy note :)  Kinsey is doing amazing!!! she is now singing her ABC's and if you start singing with her to help her out she puts her finger to her lips and says "shhhh" so she can finish lol  my favorite part is when she says l-m-n-o-p.  its all slurred together and it is the cutest thing EVER!!  she is quite the diva and if things arent her way, its the highway.  we have had several melt downs the past week where she puts her hands over her face and fake cries, or thows herself to the ground and peeks to see if anyone is watching.  it is so hard not to laugh because she is so DRAMA!!! but if  you laugh it just makes her even more upset so i usually have to walk into another room lol  one example was this morning for her morning snack she wanted string cheese so i got one out and i tear it in half because thats all she eats anyways and ends up throwing the rest away but she didnt like that! she through her half at me and sprawled out onto the kitchen floor and screamed!!! i dont ever give into her or let her act that way to get something so i had to walk into another room and act busy while she was out there screaming in furry haha it lasted about 15 min, NO JOKE!  then she realized she didnt get anything so she came to me, gave me a hug on the leg, and asked for her string cheese.  when i gave her half she looked at me and said "dank you" and acted like nothing ever happened lol i am very, very, very scared to see what she is going to be like as a teenager!

i have been so busy lately since school started and it is def paying off! i am on my 4th week of the semester and i am already half way done! i have worked my butt off to get ahead and finish by nov. 1st because i am due the week of finals and my professors have worked with me to get ahead and they will allow me to do finals early!  my eczema is killing me from all the stress but it is so worth it haha i am so glad i am able to be a stay at home mommy and focus on my kiddos and school.  brandon works so hard for this family and i feel like i dont thank him enough!  he drives about 2 hours each day to and from work and never complains.  he is such a dedicated employee and manager to his employees, and i know the main reason is because he knows he has this family to support.  brandon has also helped me out a TON with kinsey.  he will watch her from the time he wakes up to the time he goes to work so i can get some homework done.  he even watches her most the day on his days off so i can be glued to the computer or up on campus taking tests.  he is such a great support to me and i LOVE it!  i couldnt have gotten this far already if it wasnt for him :)  and i wouldnt be where i am today if it wasnt for him!  i am happy and so releived to say he is MINE, all mine, forever and ever! I love you babe!

well i will update you all when i have have another spare min after my appointment tomorrow :)

3 years, and many, many many more to come!

On August 28 Brandon and I celebrated our 3rd year wedding anniversary!! I cannot believe it was 3 years ago that we got married.. time does fly by when you are having the time of your life! :)  We wanted to keep it simple this year since we do have a baby on the way and all, so Brandon took me to my favorite restaurant, PF Changs, and we just enjoyed going on a date night!  We are totally different people than who we were 3 years ago, and we have grown closer and closer and I didnt think it would be possible, but I love him more now then I have ever loved him!  I got told I was "too young" and "what are you thinking?!" and "are you sure you want to get married already?".  I was engaged in high school and I knew that we would be together forever.

We met in high school through some mutual friends.  He was actually dating/hanging out with my best friend at the time and I was doing the same with one of his friends.  Brandon and I talked all the time and I would tell him guys I wanted to go on dates with and the "type" of guy I liked (which by the way, Brandon didnt fit any of the categories lol)  I told him I liked dark skin and hair and not really into "white" boys hahaha I still can remember telling him that and I still laugh to this day about it!  I was young and only a sophomore in high school so give me a break!  Well I guess the whole time I was spilling my heart to Brandon about a "certain" guy I had so much feelings for, he was secretly falling for me.  Then one night I was hanging out with my girl friends during spring break and we decided to go to a party we were all invited to.  I had called Brandon to see if he wanted me to pick him up and he said yes.  We went to the party and had so much fun and from that day forward I had lost feelings for that other guy and was really into Brandon.  Not a day went by that I didnt talk to him or see him.  We would walk each other to class while in school and then sometime down the road it became official that we were boyfriend and girlfriend :)  I am a huge fan of Rascal Flatts and one song I always listen to says "God blessed the broken road, that led me straight to you!" and that exactly what happened with Brandon and I :)

Over the past three years here are some things Brandon and I have been through and accomplished
In our first year:
*our first place was a tiny tiny 700 square foot one bedroom apartment (we thought we were going to KILL each other the place was so small and we could never get a min to ourselves haha)
*we worked 50+ hours a week and had money to spare and do whatever we wanted!
*we got a pleasant surprise and found out we were pregnant!
In our second year:
*we moved out of our tiny place into a really nice town home with 3 bedrooms and 1.5 baths AND a garage!
*we both changed jobs.  Brandon lost his job thanks to the economy at Alert Cellular (t-mobile) and started at Qwest.  I quit working at Pine View Trans Rehab as a CNA/therapy aid and went to work with my mom at Ogden Clinic.
*Kinsey Paige Kunz came into our lives
*I quit my job at Ogden Clinic to be a mommy and Brandon got a new job with corporate T-mobile in Sandy
*We bought our first home in Layton, UT! 4 bedrooms, 2 full baths, and 2000+ roomy square feet :)
*we found out we were pregnant again with our second bundle of joy!
*learned that owning a house is a lot of work especially when you have a huge yard to care for
*realized how expensive life is when you are a one income family!

Money is not around like it used to be when we were first married, but we have so much more now!  A happy marriage, a beautiful healthy daughter with another one on the way, and we are both continuing our education.  I would say we are doing pretty dang well for being married at 18 and 19 :)

I love you Brandon Lee Kunz :) and I cant wait to spend the rest of forever with you!

August 28,2008

My Best Friend.

Her name: Kinsey Paige Kunz

Me and this little girl are the best of friends and I have no clue what I would do without her!  I thought the first 20 years of my life was great, but the past 1 1/2 has been even BETTER!!  We do everything together, and when I say everything, I really do mean EVERY THING!  I dont go anywhere without her..  We get ready in the mornings together and that is the funniest time of the day most days lol.  She will usually jump in the shower with me and pretend to wash her hair like me, then when we get out she likes to wear a towel on her head like me, and then she even puts lotion on with me.  Then the whole time I am doing my make-up she will sit on the toilet or stand right next to me and as soon as I am done with whatever I have I have to give it to her to "put on"!  She knows exactly what to do with all my make-up stuff :).  After that she will stand next to me with her head upside down like mine and we blow dry our hair together. She is too dang smart!  We even brush our teeth together every morning! 

Kinsey and I eat at least 3 meals a day together and always have an afternoon snack outside under the tree.  This is when she likes to watch all the kids playing outside and will yell "HI!!" or "HEY" to ALL of them lol.  We love to go shopping and I know she will be honest and let me know what she likes and what she really doesnt like.  She holds my hand in the mall and it makes me feel like such a proud mommy :) i love it!  She even goes grocery shopping with me and pushes her own cart.  I have to watch her closely though because before you know it, she will have a cart full of fruit snacks and gold fish!  Every time I put something in her cart she looks up at me and says "Thank  you!"

We cuddle all the time and sometimes just lay in bed talking while I tickle her arms, legs, belly or whatever she feels like having tickled (these are my favorite times).  Kinsey is such a great sharer and will share anything and everything with me!  I love going to get her up for the mornings or from her naps because she ALWAYS has a smile on her face and instantly greets me with a "hey!" She loves to give me big hugs to the point where I hold my breath because I cant breathe she has such a tight grip around my neck!  Sometimes she even grabs my chin and insists on kissing my cheek :)

My life revolves around this little girl and I wouldnt have it any other way!  I would do anything for her, and I know she would do the same.  We are what you call "TRUE BEST FRIENDS!!"

NOT the best pic of me lol this is what 21 hrs of labor looks like.. But this is the day we met!

I LOVE YOU KINSEY!!!

24 weeks.. and counting!

Well sometime last week I hit the 24 week mark.. for those of you who have been reading my previous posts you know my due date has moved about a zillion times! So I just know that by Friday I have def hit a new week lol  Anyways, I had my appointment on Thursday and everything went swell!  Baby Girl is still moving around a ton, gaining lots of weight, and the heart beat is nice and strong.  My dr estimated she weights about 1lb 9oz now! When it came time to get the ultrasound she was being a little turkey and kept her hands in front of her face.. and she wasnt moving much.  So we were unable to get any good pictures but at least we have it all on video.  I try to remember how much Kinsey moved around when I was pregnant with her and its hard because I worked 40+ hours a week and was always moving around busy with other things so it seems like she only moved later at night.  But this little girl is going constantly!!!! I swear her favorite thing to do is use my bladder as a kicking target... We were at the Davis County Fair a couple days ago and she hit me so good I literally thought I was going to pee my pants (TMI.. I know lol) and to make matters even worse, we could only find one out house that was so full I didnt dare to use it.  Thankfully Brandon found other public restrooms.  This is not the first time this has happened either!! Another thing she likes to do is stretch out and that is quite painful!

I have been feeling pretty good so far.  I have had a few nights and days where I experienced the "morning sickness" stuff but thanks to my friend Zofran I was able to go about my day :)  I am extremely tired and cant seem to get enough sleep.  I sleep as much as Kinsey most days and that just doesnt feel like enough.. I have even snuck in a Dr. Pepper to keep me going through the day! I didnt have one ounce of caffeine when I was pregnant with Kinsey or the whole time I was breastfeeding so that just proves how gosh dang tired I was.  My belly is definitely noticeable and strangers are even starting to rub it (AWKWARD!!).  I dont even like people I know rubbing it unless I really like them haha. And once again, my belly button is now an outie and you can even notice it when I have a shirt on! I read in a magazine that its referred to as the "turkey timer" that "pops" way before the turkey is done haha kinda funny..  Kinsey has started to notice my belly even more and still likes to lay her head on it when watching her morning cartoons.  I will lift my shirt up and let her rub lotion on my belly and explain to her that her baby sister is in there and she will hug it and even kiss my belly! Then she laughs at my belly button and shows me hers lol. So far so good on everything and I hope it stays that way :) Next time is the dreaded glucose test.. UGH! I failed and had to do the 3 hour test with Kinsey so cross your fingers I pass this time around!

24 weeks! I know I said I would start posting my belly pic on here but there is never anyone around to take my pic when I want it taken lol.. I will work on it! :)

18 Months!

I know every time I post about Kinsey's age I always say "where has the time gone?" But until you have a little one of your own you really dont realize how fast time flies or how fast little ones grow up!  It seems like just the other day I was waddling around pregnant with Kinsey and anxious to meet her,and now she is 1 1/2!!!  It has been the best 18 months EVER and I wouldnt trade any of it for the world.  The love you feel for a child of your own is so strong and the best feeling ever! 

Kinsey is doing AMAZING like she always is :)  Her growth is doing well along with her growth charts.  She is 20.4 lbs (she is little!!) which puts her in the 5th percentile for her weight, and her height is in the 40th percentile and her head is the 25th.  I have been so worried about her lack of weigh gain but her Doctor reassured me today that is is SUCH an active little girl and is burning calories faster then she is consuming them.  He is not the least bit worried about her weight so I guess I wont be either.  She is a GREAT eater and is always willing to eat haha so I know she is not going hungry ever!  We eat very healthy (usually) and are always moving around and outside any chance we can so I guess that explains everything!

-Dancing is one of her most favorite things to do.  All you have to tell her is "dance" or "go-go-go" and she immediately starts shaking her hips, moving her arms and just dancing lol It keeps Brandon and I entertained for hours!  She also dances the second she hears any music haha

-She is talking so much now its hard for me to think of all the words she says... we are currently working on getting her out of the habit of saying "uh-uh" when she wants something and saying "please" instead.  Other than that she pretty much tells me what she needs or wants and I love it :)

-Not only does Kinsey dance, she also sings... All the time!  It sounds like the same song every time but I dont quite get the tune yet or any of the words.  All I know is it is the cutest thing EVER!!  She will hit high notes and shake her hands and get totally into it haha

-She is a total outside girl.  When she is in a bad mood (not very often) I take her outside and she is Miss happy go lucky lol She is NOT afraid of bugs or getting dirty either!

-Kinsey goes to bed between 830-9 pm and wakes up anywhere from 730-8am.  She is only taking one nap that is about 1.5-2 hours long.  She is still an amazing sleeper and loves her crib!

-she loves to wear necklaces and you will often catch her running around when we are at home with beads around her neck

-she is drinking from a normal cup (she spills every once in awhile) but you can tell she is so proud of herself that she is such a big girl :)

-I often call Kinsey my little fish because she LOVES the water or anything to do with water.  She will lay in her bath until all the water is gone and soak up every last min she can lol 

-Kinsey is also discovering how to put her own clothes on.  She will pick up a shirt (its not always hers though lol) and put it over her head or try to put sock on her feet! She is a smarty pants!

I love being a stay at home mommy and watching Kinsey grow and learn new things every day!!!!

One-hundrend AND ten degrees!

People thought we were crazy when I would tell them we were going to St. George in August.. and now I can see why!  It was 110 degrees most of the days we were there, except for a few when it was a cool 105 ahah.  We are just so thankful we had a nice and cool house (never warmer than 72 degrees) to come home to after being out in that heat!

My grandparents moved from Washington to St. George a little over 3 years ago and we even stopped by on our way home from our honeymoon to visit them just about 3 years ago.  Thats when they were signing the contract on their BEAUTIFUL home they now live in.  It had been way too long since we had been down there to see them (thank goodness they come up to northern Utah to visit frequently).  So we didnt care if we were going at the hottest time of the year, because it had been just too dang long and thats the only week Brandon could get off work.

I was a little worried to take a 5 hour long road trip with a 1 1/2 year old who never likes to sit still for more than 10 minutes, but she proved me wrong in so many ways!  We were able to drive non-stop other than a quick break for lunch and to stretch our legs on the way there.  And on the way home we only stopped once because a certain someone was using my bladder as a soccer ball and I was miserable lol  She sang songs, ate lots of snacks, took long naps, read books, laughed at me singing to Brandon and dancing in the car, and just had fun!  It was some serious bonding time for all of us and I LOVED it!

she didnt like the sound of being in a car for 5 hours..

my goof ball hubby..

gotta have the junk food!

We took it easy in St. George because of the heat and made sure each day consisted of playing in some sort of water!  We did go to Zion and hike there one day as well!  Brandon and I have been there before but it was so long ago that we hardly remembered it.  We even got to splash around in the Virgin River and that was def Kinsey's favorite part.  Most of the hikes were pretty easy for us.. it did take me a little longer than the average human simply because I am PREGNANT lol I didnt want to overdo anything and wear myself out too fast so I just took my time and enjoyed every min!  Kinsey was lucky to be able to sit in her stroller when she was tired or walk when she felt like hiking with us.. What a LIFE! :)  Its hard for me to pin point my favorite part because I enjoyed all of it!  One part, though, that really stands out to me is the hike to weeping rock.  That was a "butt-kicker" for sure since it was straight up and down, but it was so so so worth it!  The rock is constantly "weeping" water that is said to be anywhere from 700-900 years old!!!  It was amazing to see all the different plants and flowers just growing out of the rock because of the constant water supply.  We also drove through what used to be the longest tunnel and when you would come out the other end, you had totally different scenery!

the Virgin River

SUPER DAD!

Kinsey and I at weeping rock

Daddy and Kins at weeping rock

These are the plants I was talking about, how cool is that!?

The rest of the trip was mostly us just relaxing (we were on vacation and all lol) and playing in water.  St. George has a community swimming pool thats indoors that we played at for a few hours... We left kinda early because I over heard ppl talking about me in my swimming suit and preggo belly (BITE ME) and some weird dude kept staring at us haha But we still had a blast and Kinsey got to go down her first water slide with dad! and she LOVED IT!  We took a tour of Brigham Young's house and that was pretty cool.  I was a little disappointed because the only original things left in the house was Amelia's chest, and Brigham Youngs hat and walking stick.. We even got to eat almonds off the almond tree in the front yard :).  One of Kinsey's favorite things to do while we were there was to play in the river and fountains in St. George.  Whoever had that idea was a genius!  It is just a shallow river with a few water falls and they even have fountains that shoot water every so often.  We went their two days because it was so much fun!  Another great thing we got to do was leave Kinsey with Grandma and Grandpa for a few hours while Brandon and I went to have fun and actually have time together!  We went to an arcade and played miniature golfing, lots of games (that I beat Brandon at every time lol jk) and Brandon even played in the batting cages! It was so fun and we knew my grandparents and Kinsey were having a blast as well :)

first water slide!

first time at the river..we didnt have her swimmng suit but at least we had the swimming diapers lol

having a BLAST!

relaxin..

While we were there we got fed 3 meals a day plus some, and felt at home from the second we walked in the door!  My grandma Becky has always been my closest because I lived with her for a long time with my mom and she just understands me! I LOVE IT!  Plus she is married to the perfect guy and is nothing less than a grandpa to me.. I think deep down he has always been my grandpa lol :)   We were spoiled rotten and had the time of our lives!!  I was able to do a lot of venting, Brandon got lots of "guy time" with my grandpa, and Kinsey was the main entertainment and melted our hearts everyday!  This was a true vacation and never a dull moment thats for sure :)  We ate lots and lots and lots but laughed so much I think we burned all the calories we ate each night lol  We were so sad to leave and missed them the second we pulled out of their driveway, but we just keep telling ourselves, "we will see them for the family reunion in September!!".  Thank you so much Grandma and Grandpa and we can't wait to see you and cant wait to come back to St. George and visit again!!!!!

Kins and Grandma :)

Kinsey sure does love her Grandpas!