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This morning I changed my Christmas countdown blocks to 26! YAY!!!

I am getting so So SO excited! Our Christmas cards have arrived, Brock is done classes on Friday, we're going to a Christmas party on Saturday and sometime soon we're going to take Trey to see Santa! All wonderful things....the only thing I am stressing about is the fact I haven't bought ANY Christmas presents! I need ideas.

I have sat down and tried to have a few "brainstorming" sessions...aaaaand- nothing. I blame pregnancy brain.

I need some ideas for Brock, and my parents. And our family's "Christmas name exchanges" gave us: my 16 year old sister, my 13 year old sister, Brock's younger sister and her husband, my sister's husband and my parents. 

I haven't ever been one to get all my gift's together before December 1st because I am usually pretty good with coming up with things- but I guess I should have started sooner this year...I do have some DIY ideas, but I maybe should have started those a couple months ago- darn.

Please share any {and all} ideas you come up with :)

HELP MEEEEEEEE!

our {great} weekend

Our little family had one jam-packed weekend.

We went with another couple {who also have a little one-year-old boy} to the temple bright dark and early Saturday morning. I will admit when the alarm went off at 4:30am I was not jumping out of bed to get going- but there is something so peaceful about driving when the rest of the world seems to still be sleeping. Sitting in the warm, white, beautiful temple was wonderful. So calming and beautiful. I love the temple.

That evening was our ward Christmas party. It's hard to put into words how much the friends we have made here have helped us to feel "at home" in our new home over the past year. It just felt like one big family dinner. 

And after a great day at church on Sunday there was a Christmas concert. Aren't choirs awesome- especially when they're singing Christmas music? I watched most of it from the back with the other moms with babies, who were up past their bedtimes. Trey loved the music and was dancing {waving his hands in the air} away.

And waking up this morning, to the warm weather and a smiley boy, just makes everything 1000x better.

"It’s so easy in life for us to receive blessings, many of them almost uncounted, and have things happen in our lives that can help change our lives, improve our lives, and bring the Spirit into our lives. But we sometimes take them for granted. How grateful we should be for the blessings that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings into our hearts and souls. I would remind all of you that if we’re ever going to show gratitude properly to our Heavenly Father, we should do it with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength—because it was He who gave us life and breath"

David B. Haight, "Were There Not Ten Cleansed?" 

I am grateful, that even when days seem a bit crazy, it only takes a moment to realize it is because of the countless blessing we have in our life.

{Trey "feeding" himself some yogurt}

{pregnancy} brain

If you've ever been pregnant, you know that "pregnancy brain" is absolutely a real thing. 

{don't believe me? read this.}

In the last few days I have had a few too many "moments" that I hope are the result of my decreased brain power.

I forgot what my phone number was when I was booking an appointment. Totally forgot. I had to call them back about 15 minutes later when I finally remembered. The other day I got myself a bowl of cereal, and then turned around to find an identical, slightly more soggy, bowl on the other counter- oops. Multiple times a day a walk to go get something I need and by the time I get there {we live in an apartment, so it's usually about 5 steps} I have COMPLETELY forgotten what I needed- grrrrrr! Good thing Trey has started pointing to things he wants or he might be starving right now.

Besides being really, really ditzy, being pregnant makes me pretty emotional {that's the nice way of saying it. Some most days I feel like a crazy person!} Those who know me, know that I cry very {very, very, very} easily...when I'm NOT pregnant. I'll just say this, one morning I started crying while I was putting mascara on- that was the end of my make-up days. Don't feel bad for me, it's not that my days are filled with so much sadness that I am just spilling over constantly- it's things like, dirty floors, weird smells, having to call someone, or discovering we're out of mustard- completely irrational, I know, but don't tell me that or I will start crying.

It's all a little more bearable {for me, and for Brock} the second time around. When I can honestly say I know "it's just because I'm pregnant" {over, and over again}

And I'm not the only one....right?!

a true mother

You would think that after 18 weeks {of being sick, doctor's appointments, hearing the little heartbeat a few times, an ultrasound and even feeling it move around in there} I would be convinced I am pregnant...but it still feels like a dream. When we decided to start trying to get pregnant again I would look at Trey and think, "we can make another one?!"  It's hard to imagine another little guy (or girl, maybe) around. Yesterday at church there was a newborn baby sleeping in her carseat on the bench in front of us, ALL Trey wanted to do was lean over at look at her, he just put his little hand on her blanket and whispered "ba ba" {baby} over and over. Yes, my heart was in a puddle on the floor.
I am so excited to have two little people to love, to love me, and to love each other.
Trey was eating lunch the other day and I went to get his milk out of the fridge, I looked at the ultrasound pictures hanging there and back at Trey. I felt so blessed. Blessed to be a wife and  mother. To be able to sit and play with Trey while I feel baby #2 swimming around- what a great feeling! Life couldn't be sweeter.
I read this quote a couple weeks ago and it has been on my mind a lot. The power that motherhood holds and the responsibility I have to teach and protect our children. I am striving each day to become "a true mother"

"The true mother, the mother who has the fear of God and the love of truth in her soul, would never hide from danger or evil and leave her child exposed to it. But as natural as it is for the sparks to fly upward, as natural as it is to breathe the breath of life, if there were danger coming to her child, she would step between the child and that danger; she would defend her child to the uttermost. Her life would be nothing in the balance, in comparison with the life of her child. That is the love of true motherhood—for children. … I have learned to place a high estimate upon the love of mother. I have often said, and will repeat it, that the love of a true mother comes nearer being like the love of God than any other kind of love." -President Joseph F. Smith 

a fun visit!

Last week and weekend Chelsie {Brock's sister} and her girls came for a visit. "Big deal." you may be thinking, but these were our FIRST VISITORS EVER {to this apartment, and since Trey was born...which feels like FOREVER!} I was so So SO excited! It was so fun to have someone, who is an adult, to spend time with in the day, and Trey had fun playing with the girls {we think} and Brock and I got a some good laughs from them- best quotes of the weekend:

Olivia- "Look! (pointing to a nutcracker on our Christmas Tree) it's a Cutnacker!" 

Olivia, after walking around the apartment for a while, "I just thought you had a pantry. You don't have wots of food."

Brigette's nightmare? at 4am "I want an appoooooole (apple)"

Brigette trying to say tortilla "co-co-atia"

Brigette after we had been watching the Lion at the Zoo for about 5 minutes, "Is that real?" me "yes" Brigette "OOOOOOOOOO!"

And a lot more. 

We went to the Zoo {it's free now that it's winter!} went out to eat, shopped, watched Christmas movies, and Chelsie aka Mrs. Handy-woman, discovered a way that we can get FREE! TV! She is so smart.

We LOVED having some company!

Come BaaaaaAACKkkkk! {said in my Best Dori whale voice}

{ I wasn't the best at taking pictures while they were here, but here's a few from the Zoo!}

{our home-made digital antenna, I know what your thinking....we were shocked it actually worked too! Plus we found a place for it where we get great reception, it's out of site, and out of Trey's reach- bonus! And did I mention FREE?!}

winter is here

When we woke up to snow Sunday morning I was so excited! The first snowfall of the season is purely magical! But as we start to slowly add more layers each time we go outside, I am remembering what winter means here. COLD! Today it's about -6 and it feels freeezing, I need to prepare myself for the

-46 tempuratures!

On another note, I've also been remembering some perks of living in an apartment in the winter time.

No shoveling! No chipping away at the endless crust of ice covering the sidewalk, or trying to push the {what feels like} 100lbs of snow out of your way. We wake up each morning to a nice clear path to the car- perfect!

Another awesome apartment advantage, we don't pay for the water in our building. You can probably guess where this is going- looooong HOT showers {guilt free}. Enough said. 

The clean freak in me also likes the fact that, even though we walk up 3 flights of stairs to get to our little home, by that time the mud, and snow, and yuck on our shoes has
melted off, equaling cleaner floors {that might seem lame, but I truthfully appreciate it}

We've turned up the heat, put up the Christmas decorations and brought out the Cocoa Latte' {I can't

live without this in the winter- BUY ONE}.

Mr. Winter, we're ready for you!

butterflies

sometimes butterflies in your tummy is a wonderful,
wonderful thing.I can't believe how fast this pregnancy is going- I guess that's what happens when you already have a little one with you all day :) We are SO excited to see this next little bundle-I am positive it will be a boy {that of course looks just like Trey} I thought the second time around I would be used to everything, but when I'm reading about all the changes happening to our little babe {currently the size of an avocado} I am so amazed that all of that is happening inside my body- AGAIN!
We can't wait to meet our little"spring chicken"! {e.t.a. April 22nd}

{I didn't take a picture of my belly until I was
28 weeks with Trey...so here's my sad attempt to do better this time}

Baby Wilde #2- 16 weeks 

my {mini} man

I don't know if it is pregnancy hormones or if Trey is just that sweet...but lately everything this little man has been doing is just melting my heart!

He's getting to be so grown up.
And I am loving all this little-boy-goodness.

I need to write them down before I forget them- because I know that is because of pregnancy hormones!

He's figured out how to point at things, and by things I mean everything. Who would have thought I could love a little pointer finger so much?!

He got a little train to ride on for his birthday and he sits on it and watches "Thomas and friends"

He loves to dance, {this song is our favorite lately} he sways back and forth and claps his hands, and thinks Brock and I are the best dancers around :)
Trey's started to WALK! eek! He's record is five steps, and everytime it happens I squeal with excitement- which cause Trey to squeal and then we both get really excited and he tries to run- which doesn't end so happily. He's got a few bumps and bruises, but still trying!

We've discovered the best way to have a successful "grocery shopping trip"- The carts at Safeway with the kiddie cars attatched to the front of them?...they are a workout to steer around the aisle's, but he sits perfectly still in there with one little chubby hand holding onto the steering wheel...I think he thinks he's really driving.

We started giving him a spoon to use at supper, the first few times, he would look at the spoon, then at us and just giggle, like he was thinking "you're letting ME do it??!"

I feel like his little face shape is changing into more of a "big boy" and when he does his big
cheesey grin you can see the dimple in his chin.
When we ask him where is mama or where is dadda, he points to us and says,
"my mama" or "my dadda"- it's so sweet, I cry everytime.

His favorite game is "catch" and for some reason he has chosen the 2lbs medicine ball as his favorite ball, he has to lift the ball over his head each time before his throws it, and sometimes it totally over-balances him-hehe!
{is it mean to think that's funny?} 

Every mother knows the indescribable feelings of love you feel for your child, and for those who don't, it's so, so, so, SO much! When I see this face my heart literally is bursting with joy! :)

hair.

I never would have thought that in having a BOY I would have to think or fret over HAIR! Trey's hair has been out of control from the minute he was born

{first bath- 3 days old}
{wondering about the cast- click here}

forEVER it would only stick straight up, NO matter what we tried!

 and it just kept getter longer...and taller

 We gave Trey his first {little} haircut when he was 7 months- just a trim in the back and around the ears.

And since then we have had to cut his hair about once a month, and lately I've been trimming it a couple times a month. It's starting to feel like a barber shop around here. 

 This boy has got his Dad's appetite and his Dad's FULL head of hair.

Don't get me wrong- I love combing it and playing with it {I have put ponytails in it, but I'll save him the future shame and not post them} But a full on buzz may be in order soon!

{if we ever have a girl she'll probably be one of those babies that's bald until they're 2!}

 {that's one cute mop!}