M&A Reynolds Family

Sleeping Boys

2011-09-02T10:17:00.000-06:00

Enjoy the movies!

I guess we wore the boys out this summer. Here are some of the different ways they fell asleep.

Just too tired to get the Animal Crackers clear to his mouth

He insisted he was hungry but fell asleep before he could eat.

Zeke usually reads himself to sleep each night

He fell asleep with gummies in his mouth. It was a very sticky mess

Both boys did a lot of this on our trip to and from Utah.

Snoozing with Daddy

Look how well daddy can multi-task.

Here are some of the adventures we had this summer. I need to do a lot better at remembering the camera though.

Both boys are little fish, they LOVE the water.

Here is Zeke's Batman pose.

The boys usually have a great time playing together. Zeke is a great big brother and tries to keep Corban out of trouble. Corban always has a smile for his big brother and tries to do everything he is doing.

Here is our little vampire. He went quite a few weeks with just these 2 teeth.

Corban quickly discovered the stairs and mastered going up them. Coming down is a different story.

Just chillin' at Nana and Papa's

Corban and his crooked grin

Corban takes after his grandma Raine. He couldn't get enough black licorice.

A box turned in to hours of fun for Corban.

Yesterday night was the first craft group night that I started for my ward. The plan is to have a quilt set up each time that the ladies can sit down and work on if they want and then they will be donated to local charities and such. Well I was worried that people would show up expecting there to be a quilt this week. We asked the sisters to donated the fabric but no one had yet so Yesterday I whipped this twin quilt top together. In the end I realized I had no batting for it. Luckily those who came to craft night brought things to do. Now that the quilt is done I am tempted to keep it since we don't have any twin blankets for our two twin beds. I think I have enough material to make another blanket that we can tie for craft group in two weeks. We will see how it goes.

Corban was lulled to sleep by the sewing machine and stayed that way till Zeke came to help.

Zeke was a big helper with the quilt and wanted to cut and sew everything just like mommy.

I know, I know its about time!

2011-05-27T07:39:00.006-06:00

Zeke didn't like watermelon until.....

he found a cool way to eat it.

This is Zeke with his friend Robert at gymnastics. What little monkeys!

They were proud of themselves for standing and walking on the uneven bars.

Miss Annika is Zeke's teacher. Zeke's shirt is soaked from playing in the drinking fountain. lol!

Here are some video's of Zeke's Gymnastics performance a little over a week ago.

Great Recipe

2011-03-22T19:33:00.004-06:00

Microwave Chocolate Mug Brownie Serves: 1

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter melted

2 tablespoons water

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 dash salt

4 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions:

In a 12 oz coffee mug, add water, butter, vanilla and dash of salt. Whisk well.
Add cocoa powder, whisk well. Add sugar, whisk well. Add flour, whisk well.
Microwave for 60 to 90 seconds. Center should be slightly molten. Careful not to overcook.
Enjoy with a spoon. Careful brownie will be hot.

Pictures and videos

2011-03-15T20:00:00.006-06:00

Its to late to write tonight.....

Way Overdue

2011-02-02T18:49:00.012-07:00

Tired after 11:30 church.

Corban found mommy's shoe.

When we visited Aunt Tamie Zeke had fun playing in the cats house.

Both boys loved Finding Nemo

Reading their nightly stories

I opened our dvd/vhs player and look what I found.

All the boys chilling together

I'm so cute!

We had family pics taken this month, here is what we got. I was a little disappointed with our photographer but they're still cute.

Here are some cute movies of the boys.

Porch, 2nd Birthday, Who-ville

2010-12-11T20:06:00.004-07:00

Zeke loves being a big brother!

Here is our new patio thanks to our parents help.

We left the end uncovered as a sandbox. It is one of Zeke's favorite places to play.

Zeke's favorite way to sleep.

Zeke's 2nd birthday cake, He loves trains.

Our ward Christmas party was a who-ville theme. Since Zeke and Dad were in need of a haircut anyway we gave them who-ville Mohawks. Zeke looks so cute we are thinking of leaving it for a while.

Mommy's who hair-do

Waiting in line for Santa. (we were able to braid Matt's beard :D )

Zeke had to sit on Santa's lap twice! He thought it was awesome.

Corban looks really relaxed in Santa's arms.

Cronilogicly backwards

2010-11-11T14:08:00.008-07:00

Do they look like country boys?

This is how we found Zeke after a nap one day. He had taken off his clothes and diaper

There is pic of Zeke in this same outfit on our blog (2008) do you think they look alike?

Thanks great g-ma Selman for the outfit!

"hey dad we are trying to watch TV"

Diaper Buddies (hopefully not for too much longer)

Halloween!!!

"look mom people just gave me this candy"

Teddy Bear

"Tool Man"

Blessing Day!

Taken a snooze together.

Being a big brother is hard work!!!

Where are all the pictures?

2010-11-03T15:33:00.002-06:00

Well to answer the above question they are still on my camera and I would love to show them to all of you but I can't find the cord that connects the camera to the computer and the card reader on the computer doesn't want to work. Thus no pictures but I will work on getting them on ASAP. I also need to give an update on how our family of 4 is doing but I have to go check on the boys so it will have to wait as well. Sorry.

Pictures!!!!

2010-10-07T20:19:00.005-06:00

Matt took me to a nice restaurant. I wanted to dress up nice and a dress from a high school dance was strechy enough to cover my big tummy. I felt kinda funny but we had a great time out. (this was a little over a week before Corban was born)

New New Born Picture

Proud Daddy

Zeke is so excited to finally have the baby here. Now if he would only call him Corban instead of just baby. :)

I love this picture. Daddy did a good job.

Getting ready to go home.

Corban is here!

2010-10-06T09:04:00.004-06:00

So I had finally accepted that Corban would not be born till my scheduled enduction on the 11th (next week) and now here he is. Monday morning a friend had a baby shower for me and I starated having some strong contractions but I have had them before and it was nothing so I thought nothing of it. But as soon as I got and put Zeke down for a nap I took a warm ginger bath to see if that would calm them down. Well they only became worse and then started getting painful. So I called Matt who left work early and Jill who picked Zeke up, and we were soon at the hospital checked in around 4pm. The doctor and nurses thought we would have a baby in an hour or 2 but 4 hours later still no baby. After a little help from some drugs and not very much pushing from mom Corban was born at 9:45 pm on 10-4-10.

He looked so small weighing only 8lbs 1oz and 20in long. I say small because his big brother was 9lbs 1oz. But like his big brother he didn't have a lot to say when he came out even with the 3 nurses many attempts to get him to cry, because of this it took some time to get his lungs cleared out and him breathing normally. Besides that he was perfect.

I have tried to upload some pictures but the hospital internet is not letting me so I will have to try again at home.

My Belly

2010-09-19T18:11:00.006-06:00

I have finally taken some pictures of my growing tummy. Zeke is showing you where mommy's baby is. If you just ask him where the baby is he will point to his own tummy. :)

Elephants, elephants...

2010-09-10T15:29:00.004-06:00

We went to the circus last night and Zeke really enjoyed himself. His favorite things were the tigers and the elephants.

This video is of the main elephant and if you listen you can here Zeke in the background.

Pictures!!!

2010-09-09T09:27:00.014-06:00

Here is a bunch of random pictures of mostly Zeke. Hope you enjoy!

Most things can become a hat if you are creative enough.

Just trying to lick out every last bit.

This is how much I enjoyed it!

Such a big smile!

Climb and slide, climb and slide, climb and ...........

Zeke peeking out of a toy at the park.

Zeke was a big help in makeing daddy's fathers day gift. The frame ended up saying "Super Dads have Super Kids" then we put a picture of Zeke with superheros at 6flags

I tried to be a seamstress and make pioneer outfits for Zeke and I for the 24th. Since I didn't have any patterns I think it went well and it could also work for a pirate costume too.

Here is all of us dressed in our pioneer costumes. The stake 24th activity was fun but it was outside and it was over 100 so to say the least we didn't stay the whole time.

Zeke loves his pudding especially chocolate!

Pheobe became jelouse when Zeke and his puppy took over her crate, luckily I had washed and vacumed out the crate and bed earlier in the day.

Week 30... this is going so fast!

2010-08-04T08:49:00.004-06:00

That's right I am in my 30th week of pregnancy, only 10 weeks (or less) till we have a new baby in the house. I have washed all of the newborn and 0-3 months clothes and made room for them in Zeke's dresser. Most of them I think will work with the weather since both boys are fall babies even though it doesn't get near as cold here it feels cold with the humidity. We bought a bassinet off craigs list and its set up in our bedroom. Mom is making bedding for the crib and it should be here in the next few weeks. The new double stroller is sitting in the garage and Zeke can't wait to use it. I have a few things to get out of storage like the car seat, bouncer, swing, ect but I think we are about ready for Corban to come. Well one think I really need to start working on is his blessing outfit, who knows how long it will take for me to finish that.
We went to the OB yesterday for the start of the every two week appointments and she said that if we wanted she is willing to induce me around a week early as to prevent a 9lb baby. This is comforting in two ways; first Corban will hopefully be smaller then Zeke was, and he will be here in time for his baby blessing. Everything at the appointment looked good. I was scheduled to take the glucose test to check for gestational diabeties but as I got 3/4 of the drink down it all came right back up. My doctor isn't worried about me having it so we are just going to skip the test. If you are wondering yes I am still having problems with nausea and morning sickness but only throw up around once a week.
Zeke has started to take gymnastics once a week on fridays (just like Jonah). He has had 2 classes and really enjoys them. It is actually one on one with the coach right now for around 1 hour. We are looking for a friend to join him but no luck yet. Anyway it is a mommy and me class but since Matt is still on break he comes too. On the ranch I work on they built a small gym for the owners boys and hired a coach to work it. No we don't get a discount but it is very reasonably priced.
Zeke's new interest seems to be trains, we saw Thomas the Tank Engine last saturday on TV and ever since then he goes around the house saying "choo choo" well and there is also dinosaur train on every morning. He has also discovered there is a train in a few of the books we read and they are now the ones he asks for at bed time. Maybe we can get him a train for his birthday.
I have taken pics and video to put on here but the laptop is in the shop and the desktop doesn't like to upload from the camera so once I get the laptop back I will load some pictures. Zeke is getting sooo big as well as my tummy.

Wonder Pheobe!!!

2010-06-16T07:34:00.002-06:00

Long story short she alerted us this morning around 5AM of someone trying to get in our back door (that was left unlocked) by barking which she rarely ever does at night while in her crate. Matt went down saw someone out the back door and we called 911. The barking must have scared them off because by the time the police came there was no sign of anyone or any damage. We think it was a teenager up to no good. Yeah for Pheobe!!!

Welcome to the Boys Club

2010-06-15T07:12:00.002-06:00

It is official I will be out numbered 3 to 1 come October. Congrats for those who guessed correctly. We had thought it would be a girl but are very excited for a boy. We are starting to decide on a name and I think we have one but when we decide for sure I will let you all know.

Thanks Morgan and Tanya for telling me about the Half Tee's I will be hosting a party for them around the 24th of this month. You can order from my party it is a little cheaper then online but the shipping would be the same. Also if you already have one I want to know what you think.

Zeke has been sick recently with a high temperature (the thermometer wouldn't work and by the time I got to the store to get another one the fever was gone) I am guessing around 101 or 102. He was miserable and developed what I believe to be a heat rash ( he gets those easy here) he also has the worse diarrhea ever. Well the fever left and a rash came and he acts normal now. Roseola has been going around here so that is what we believe it is. Now that the fever is gone he isn't contagious so we can go out again.

Zeke has discovered morning cartoons and loves them!!! We have started getting up at 7AM for the summer so he gets to see some he has never seen like Super Why. It is funny to watch him laugh at things he thinks are funny or if someone on the tv laughs he joins in too. When a show or commercial has music in it a lot of times he will jump up and start dancing to it. He is becoming quite the dancer, especially now that we watch so you think you can dance. He tends to pick up some of the moves he sees.

Matt has started teaching summer school and is really enjoying himself. He has a wider range of deaf children to work with and his hours are 8-12:30. He wishes that every school day was like that. He will be teaching for this week and next week Mon.-Thurs.

I am starting to work more hours at the ranch and being the "bread winner" for the summer as Matt puts it. They are being really probably overly careful with me cause of the pregnancy but its nice not to be bombarded with a ton of stuff. I officially have a tummy big enough that people are starting to ask what I am having. Thanks to a very generous birthday gift form my boss I was able to buy some new maternity clothes that better fit this hot weather as well as a double stroller for the boys. Thanks Grady!!!

Any Guesses?

2010-06-05T12:56:00.000-06:00

We have an appointment for an ultra sound on Thurs the 10th, if the baby cooperates we shouild find out if it is a boy or a girl. I am interested to see what you all think.

PS. Please tell Grandma Selman that we will find out on Thursday and I will call her. I have told her this a few times but I don't think she remembers cause she wrote in my birthday card about how I already know and need to call and tell her. Thanks!

Some Recent Pics

2010-05-18T10:57:00.004-06:00

This is Zeke's new swimming suite and water shoes. We were trying it on before we left for South Padre Island for the weekend.

On our way to South Padre Island Zeke enjoyed some chocolate.

Zeke loved playing in the water with daddy and jumping in from the side. He had no fear in the water!

Zeke decided to get a tan while out swimming.

We went to 6 Flags Fiest Texas with the cousins and Zeke enjoyed all the rides. Here he is riding with dad in the Looney Tunes Bus.

Here is our new dog Pheobe just lounging on the couch.

Zeke LOVES his new puppy and Pheobe is getting used to all the attention from him.

Laundry Tips

2010-05-13T07:14:00.002-06:00

#1-Check ALL pockets before washing
#2-Double Check pockets before washing
#3-If some how an orange crayon still ends up in the dryer with a large load of whites GOOD LUCK!

This was a frusterating experience. With a little 409, Spray N Wash, and a lot of time scrubing with a tooth brush I was able to save some of the clothes but not most of them. I think I will hang up Zeke's white church shirt in the laundry room as a reminder to follow my first 2 tips.

Yesterday we bought a bunk bed that can also be used as 2 twin beds. We will first use them as two beds one for Zeke and one as a guest bed in the computer room. I showed him the boxes last night and he wanted his new bed not his crib, lukily he was tired and soon fell asleep in his crib anyway. When we have them put together I will take some pictures to post.

As most of you know I have had awfull morning sickness since we found out we are expecting. It has gotten better but I still have days where nothing will stay down. The doctor was hoping this would end with my first trimester but it hasn't. I think she is concerned that I only gained 1lb in the last 4 weeks and am still not up to my original weight before all the morning sickness. I have developed a tummy and now look pregnaunt instead of just chubby, especially after I eating. We will find out if we are having a little girl of boy on June 10th it would have been sooner but this way Matt is done with work and can be there for the appointment.

If it is a girl her name will be Avalon Raine Reynolds and if it is a boy it will be Blaire Codie Reynolds. When we asked Zeke if we were having baby Avalon or Blaire he started saying baby Avy over and over so I guess that is his way of saying we are having a girl. If you ask Matt and I we would have to agree with him. We will find out in less then 4 weeks.

We have been shopping for a new couch since all we had were two small loveseats it drove Matt crazy that we couldn't lay down with out either elevating our head and legs or all curled up. Well a few weeks ago we found a huge sectional for a great price at Best Buy. It is very comfy and big enough we can all lay down at the same time with no problems.

Another new thing we recently purchased is a dog. Yes we are going to try this one more time. As you may recall this is dog #4 for us since we moved here in October. We rescued 3 others and things just didn't work our with each of them for one reason or another. Well this dog is very different from the others. Her name is Pheobe and is a 3yr old wiener dog. We got her from the shelter I sometimes volenteer at. We have had her since Saturday and things have been great. She is house broke and is used to sleeping in a crate at night, she is a lap dog and stayes by my side most of the day. She learned fast that the upstairs is off limits and is normally quite. She does bark at a man that comes over to deliver papers to my for work but other then that no barking. She is good with Zeke, I don't know how much experiance she has with kids but if Zeke does something she doesn't like she turnes around and licks him. One thing I have been trying to work on is when she is woken up or started she jerks around with her mouth open like she is going to bite. She doesn't but it is a habit I don't want her to have just in case. Also she ran out of the front door the other day and Matt had to chase her up and down the street but came back to me when I went outside. We are woking on her not going for the front door unless she is leashed and invited she is going much better.

Well Zeke is awake I will try and post pics during his nap time later.

Dressed to impress

2010-02-13T14:05:00.004-07:00

What to Say?

2010-01-25T20:36:00.003-07:00

I am really feeling spoiled with our weather lately. It has been in the 70's for over a week now and I am loving it. We had to go buy Zeke some sandals cause I couldn't bare putting socks and shoes on him when it is so warm. I wish it could just stay like this all year but I have been warned about the 90's that will soon be coming. Well at least we have A/C now.

I was having a rough time this morning doing my hair so I decided to cut it. Lol I know just because it is a bad hair day doesn't mean you need to chop it all off. It was fun and I like how it turned out. It is short and choppy looking I will have to take a picture of myself and show it off.

This weekend we are going to try and visit Aunt Tami and Whitney in Houston to Whitney's birthday that is on Thurs I think. We haven't seen them for a while and we have never been to their house so this will be a fun adventure.

We are all pretty healthy except for a head cold/Sinus infection that I seem to be getting. Hoping it won't stay around to long. With all of the drooling Zeke has been doing lately I think he is cutting some more teeth; this would also explain the cranky mood he has been in. As soon as I can see how many and what ones I will let you all know.

Matt and I are both staying busy with our jobs, Zeke, and our church callings. We have been going out with the missionaries a lot lately. We have met some great people and hopefully we will have a few baptisms soon. Also this last Sunday we had 2 deaf members show up for church. Both have been attending other Deaf Congregations (1 catholic 1 baptist, i think) but now they are going to start coming to our ward since we are able to interpret for them.

Zeke has developed a scream that hurts the ears. He uses it when he is upset and or frustrated with something. It drives Matt and I crazy! We have tried a few ways of "punishment" but he ends up thinking it is funny or no big deal and doesn't work in changing his bad behavior. Any suggestions?

So it looks like we will be making a short trip to Utah towards the end of May for a family function. Matt doesn't have many days left to take work off so we will see how we can work around that. Zeke and I will hopefully be in Utah for a few days longer then Matt but time will tell. When I buy or airline tickets I will let you all know when. We are hoping they go down some before we have to buy them.

New Adventures

2009-12-22T07:10:00.003-07:00

Hello all! Sorry it has been so long since we have posted. We have been to Utah to visit family and busy with life and work. First let me say what a blessing my part time job has been. It has allowed us to have a little less stress in our lives. I wasn't looking for a job and the Lord put it right in my lap. So far I have been able to do all of my work work at home with Zeke with me, no day care needed!!! Also my boss was very gracious about my trip to Utah and things. The ranch is in the process of building some offices, one for me so working at home all of the time may be ending sometime next year, but as far as I know having Zeke there shouldn't be a problem as long as I can keep him entertained there a few hours a day.

Now for those of you who don't know we no longer have BluBell. We found her a home with two home schooled children, other dogs, horses and 5 acres to run on and dig up. I am sure she is lonving life. But luckily a few days after we found her a home Matt found me a puppy!!! A teacher at his school found a pregnant dog abandon by their farm. The dog had 3 puppies and now one lives at our house. His name is Stewy. He is a purebred Heinz 57, and a very beautiful one at that. We belaive he has beagle, a shepard of some sort, and blue healer in him. He has been doing pretty well with potty training but his need to chew on things he shouldn't is driving us crazy. He I guess gets board of the things we bought for him to chew on and goes in serach of something new. Mainly Zeke's clothes, toys, and any power cords. With time things will hopefully get better.

Being the only LDS members in my neighborhood has been a new experience. For Christmas most of my gifts tended to be more related to Christ then in the past. We have given out plates with Jesus' hand signing I love you, as well as DVD's of Mr Kruger's Christmas to non-members friends (yes Dave we do have friends) and neighbors. I hope they enjoy their gifts.
Zeke has grown sooo much. Everyone kept commenting about it while we were in Utah. He about 13 months old and wears 24 month clothing (well the pants are rolled up for his short legs). He has also put on the weight. He is about 27 lbs currently and feels like much more after you have been holding him for very long. He started to really walk while we were in Utah and just keeps getting better. I thought he was into everything before!

On Christmas Eve will will be going to a friends house and eating appetizers. Then we will go look at Christmas lights with Matt's sister Jill and her family. Christmas day we will open presents in the morning at home then spend some time with the Cardon's then in the evening our wards 2 full time missionaries are coming over to call their families.

Since Matt was called to be Ward mission leader we have been able to spend more time with the missionaries and have really enjoyed it. We often go out on disscusinos with them. Lately I have been going with them to a recent converts house. After they teach a lesson I teach everyone a bit of sign language. This women is VERY hard of hearing and has a lot of trouble in church understanding what is being said. We are hoping that she will get to a point that with the help of Matt and I interpreting for her she will be able to "hear" it all.

On Sunday I was asked to do sign language for a few of the songs in out Christmas program. I was very happy to do so and it went really well. After the meeting some brothers came up and told Matt and I that there is actually a deaf man in our ward. He used to come to church and a lady from another ward would interpret for him. but he hadn't been coming for a while. I don't know why they didn't tell us this the first time I did sign laguage in sacrament meeting weeks ago!?! Anyway after church Matt went and visited this man and his family and he said he would come to the ward starting in January. He is married to a catholic women who is also deaf and have been attending her brothers ministry. The Lord keeps showing us different reasons he put us where he did. We wondered at first but we trusted in him and now we are starting to understand.

We hope everyone has a Merry Christmas, and remembers what this holiday is all about!!!

A New Camera!

2009-11-14T18:58:00.009-07:00

Here are some pictures I took this week with the new camera I got for work. It is a Nikon SLR camera and takes great shots. Now I need to learn what all he setting do and the pictures can be even better. The first pictures were taken at Kenna's soccer game which they won 3-0!

Zeke loves rocks...

...and the dog's water...

..... and unrolling the toilet paper.

BluBell is still living with us but Rosco has found a home at the Ranch that I have started working at.

The kids

2009-10-27T13:08:00.008-06:00

My first ravioli dinner!!! I loved it, can you tell?

I found mom's box of chalk. Happy Halloween?!?

Just playing.

Zeke sometimes gets so frustrated that all he can do is scream. Here is an example.

We got a dog. Her name is BluBell. She is a lab mix. She is about months old and full of energy. Zeke loves to try and play with her and chew on rawhide with her. I think we should just buy Zeke some dog toys because he plays with them more then his own.

BluBell waiting for Zeke to feed her from his try. Something we have tried to stop but Zeke doesn't want to listen.

This is Rosco. I found him in front of our house yesterday looking for food in a neighbors garbage. So I have been trying to find his home. He has no tags and is not chipped. So for now we have two dogs and BluBell is loving it.

They love to play tug with each other. One will grab a sock and take it to the other. Then they will grab on and tug.

The house

2009-10-27T12:44:00.006-06:00

So I have been slowly cleaning and getting all the boxes out of the house. Here are the rooms that I have finished. Hopefully soon you can see the rest of the house.

This is the front room. I just rearranged it today we will see how we like it.

Here is the kitchen. Not sure where the dog crate is going to go exactly but it his here for now.

This is Zeke's room. It is really plain right now. Hopefully soon I can find stuff to decorate with.

This is Zeke's bathroom. I think I am going to add some more color to the curtain.

This is the master bathroom. We need to get more storage for this room sometime. I just love the rugs in the bathrooms. I found them all at Ross.

Pictures!!!

2009-10-13T14:06:00.003-06:00

Zeke Loves our coffee table. Its a great jungle gym.

This is Zeke on his first set of wheels (well Thayne's)

We have conquered the Stairs!!!

I am soooo cute

Way tooo cute!

The Entertainment center is another fun lace to climb.

I fell asleep at the Zoo

Showing of some teath

The petting zoo at the Zoo only had goats but we had fun anyway.

Ok ok ok here is an update

2009-10-13T12:26:00.002-06:00

So much for the weekly posts. We have moved into our new house. There was a little bit of trouble before closing and we were not sure everything was going to work out but it did. :) My mom and dad drove all of our stuff that was still in Utah as well as my car. It was a long trip for them but we are sooo grateful they did that for us. THANKS AGAIN. While they were here they were able to unpack the kitchen for me so it made it easier. After that we went site seeing to the Wildlife ranch, the Alamo, River walk, and the Zoo. It was a lot of fun. Since they have left not much more unpacking has been accomplished but I started back on that today and hopefully I can get a lot done this week. The downstairs looks pretty good. I need a few more frames and such; oh and finish painting the table and chairs, I think that is about it. The bottom shelves on our entertainment center are going to stay empty for now cause Zeke pulls everything he can reach off. I hoping to come up with a solution for that, any suggestions?

Matt has had a few days of trainings and things so I have had the opportunity to Substitute his classes. It, for the most part, has been enjoyable. Also it is nice for a little extra income. So we have lived here a few weeks and had neglected our lawn, first of all cause we don't have a mower and second cause we were busy with things inside. So I cut some of the waist high patches of grass with scissors as well as did the edging around the lawn. But when Matt saw me starting to cut the rest of the grass with them he drew the line. I told him that I was proud of being a hick and the neighbors we bound to find out sooner or later. He didn't think that was very funny. LOL. I was able to borrow a mower from the neighbor, actually 2 mowers from 2 neighbors.

Next door is a cute family Bryan, Michelle, Elizabeth who is 3, and hopefully another child in June. Oh and their dog Lilly she is a boxer. Anyway Michelle and I get together at least once a week and go to the library or just hang out at someones house. They offered their mower it is not a gas mower but a hand push mower. I started on the front lawn and the neighbor next to them saw me. His name is Gus and moved here recently from New York and until this moment we had never met or even seen him. He offered his gas mower. I mowed the front with his mower and the back with Bryan and Michelle's mower as to not to use up all of Gus's gas. While I mowed Matt made the neighbors brownies.

We have actually made several treats to take to neighbors since no one has come introduced themselves to us. But we have only met a few of them cause no one is ever home when we go over. Oh well more for us. Bryan and Michelle on the other hand are always there. Each time I go there they say "baking again huh?" or something like that. It is kinda a joke between us now. I am really going to enjoy having them as neighbors.

What else? I have been volunteering at a dog shelter. It is huge they have over 200 dogs and then a ton of cats. I go and walk some of the dogs. I have meet some that I would love to bring home and some that I am glad I only have to walk them. It is sad to see the condition that some of these dogs come to the shelter in. Humans can be so cruel, but then you see wonderful people coming in an adopting some of these animals that you think will never get a home.

So in all we are settling in here in Texas well. We are making friends in the ward and the neighborhood. Slowly getting things for the house. And hoping everything continues to go well.

I know everyone wants to see pictures of the house, and Zeke but I am having problems loading them but I will try again later. Sorry

We got it!

2009-09-02T10:28:00.002-06:00

Well if you have not heard we got the house. We should close on Sept 14th as long as everything with the loan goes smoothly. I have been bargain shopping for some furniture to put in the house and an awesome deal. I bought 2 matching love seats, 3 padded chairs, a small hutch for the kitchen for a total of only $50. They are all practically new. Now we need a washer/Dryer and a bed set but that can wait a while.

Zeke got his first hair cut last week. It was becoming a mullet, and too long for this hot humid weather. Despite the heat Zeke loves to go outside!!! We don't stay out as long as I can stand it but it is never long enough for Zeke.

Zeke has discovered stairs and loves them. He can go up them wonderfully but coming down is a little tricky for him. But if Zeke disappears for a sec you will probably find him on the stairs.

Life is going good just waiting till we have our own place again. This weekend we are going to a party for a lady Matt works with who is deaf so we will meet a lot of the local deaf population. Then on Sat we will watch Whitney play soccer in Austin.

First Offer

2009-08-12T10:13:00.006-06:00

Here are some pictures of the house we just put an offer in for, hopefully it all works out.

Here is the front of the house, it does only have a one car garage but that is something that we can live with. Now we just have to decide which car gets to be in the garage. Isn't the blue front door cute! :)

This is the front room and looks into the kitchen. Having it so open is such a nice feature and there is going to be lots of cabinet space for all my kitchen stuff. Also all the appliances stay even the fridge.

Here is the Master Bedroom and bath, nothing too fancy. This house has 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. Also the laundry room is upstairs with the bedrooms which I am very excited about.

Here is our little back yard. It is bigger then some we have looked at. At least there is enough room for a swing set or something. Also we figured Jill just lives a few minutes away and Zeke can play with the kids in her back yard.

UPDATE:

It looks like there are 3 other offers on the house as well. This is so nerve racking!!!

Still here

2009-08-09T21:07:00.002-06:00

Hello everyone, no we havn't fallen off the face of the earth but close. We have moved to Texas. j/k. Matt drove one of our cars pack to the cieling with esentials down Thurs and Fri. Zeke and I flew down on Sat. Since Zeke hates car rides we decided this would be best. We arrived in Texas with no problems and are bery greatful for this.
For those of you who don't know Matt was offered a job in San Antonio teaching in a deaf classroom in a hearing school. Actually he will teach half a day high school and half a day elementary school. He is really excited. Tomorrow he will start with the new teacher oriantaion and school starts in a few weeks.
We are curently living with Matt's sister Jill and her family till we are able to find a place of our own. Her willingness to take us in has been such a blessing. We don't want to wear out our welcome so tomorrow morning Zeke and I are going to meet with a realtor and see about buying a house. The area we are looking at is in the North East side of town and close to Jill's house. This seems to be a good area to live in as well as close to family.
So right before we left for Texas Zeke became sick with an ear infection, pink eye in both eyes, and a sinus infection. Thankfully he was free of symptoms by the time we left. Oh by the way Zeke got tubes in his ears about a month ago but has had two ear infections since. However it is easy to know when he has one now because his ears just start draining.
The weather here in San Antonio is hot and humid but I think I will be able to adjust rather quickly especially once fall gets here and the temperature goes down some. One thing that I think needs to be fixed sooner then later is the AC in both our cars. An open window works well if we are driving on the freeway but around town it just isn't sufficant.
Now that we are in Texas I am going to try and make myself sit down at least once a week and let you all know how we are doing. You may have to call and remind me sometimes. :D

growing up

2009-05-27T12:21:00.004-06:00

zeke's blessing outfit. I didn't do to bad thanks to all mom's help.

great grandma Selman made the booties. So cute!

Matt's attempt to make Zeke look like a gangster

Playing at Nana and Papa's house

A time to eat is a time to make a mess

Finally something new

2009-05-25T22:01:00.003-06:00

Here are some cute pictures of Zeke taken by a new upcoming photographer and good friend of mine, Meg Allen.

He wasn't very happy by the end of the photo shoot,

until he got his binky that is.

Todays Adventures

2009-04-01T20:52:00.004-06:00

Making faces at mommy before my bath.

I am so excited for my bath!!!

During my bath this morning mom noticed my hair was finally long enough to do something so I got a MOHAWK!!!

Eating cereal for the first time. Yum, Yum!

Toys Toys Toys

2009-03-27T17:03:00.002-06:00

TATTING

2009-03-26T17:33:00.004-06:00

This is my first completed project using Tatting (a way of making lace). My mom and I recently learned this beautiful lost art and I am really enjoying it. These 3 Butterflies are not perfect but are an improvement. I mounted them on this towel and will now give it away at a RS service auction tonight. Next I think I will try tatting a maple leaf and put it on a towel too

Look what I can do Daddy

2009-03-25T19:44:00.002-06:00

Long Distance Chatting

2009-03-16T10:11:00.003-06:00

Picture Time

2009-03-11T15:45:00.004-06:00

Not sure if he likes riding the horse

Zeke and Toby being The Diaper Duo. (Tobby didn't seem to mind)

Sitting around being a big boy

Zeke's picture face

Got Binky?

My voice!

2009-02-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

RSV cause me to loose my voice for a while

Overdue Update!!!

2009-02-28T10:04:00.004-07:00

So lately I have been lazy and only posted the scrapbook pages I have done, and pictures. Sorry, I hope I can remember all the things that have happened since Zeke was born. Wow three months has passed already.

Well after Zeke was born we lived with his Nanna and Papa in Pleasant Grove till Christmas Day. During that time Matt finished his student teaching in SLC early and was able to substitute teach there for 2 weeks. I think he enjoyed his time there but was eager to get to Texas to finish his degree. The Sunday before Christmas in the middle of the night as I was feeding Zeke I had a stabbing pain in my stomach. To make a long story short we ended up at the hospital for a few days and had all sorts of tests done including a ct. I had a bad kidney infection and they think I may have had a cyst pop but they don't know. They sent me home on antibiotics and pain meds.

On the day after Christmas we moved in with Mamaw and Gaga in Tremonton. In January Matt finished some tests in Logan and then headed out to Texas. He drove with Lacy who is also student teaching in Texas. Matt was able to make it to our nieces baptism in San Antonio before he started teaching. Matt is in a 5th grade class in the deaf school in Austin. Matt really didn't get to help the wrestling team as much as he wanted but enjoyed the few times he was able to work with them.

Back here at home at Zeke's 2 month appointment the doctor found a heart murmur. She sent us for a echo cardiogram a few days later. Since he was so young they didn't give him any meds to help him stay still but he did really good for an active 2 month old. After the tests my mom and I were getting more concerned about the cold Zeke was getting. It ended up being RSV. This was the week before we planned on heading to Texas. This was the thing getting me through being away from Matt.

Thanks to a priesthood blessing and many prayers Zeke was well enough for us to go. The trip to Texas made for a long day! We had a 4 hour layover in Denver. Zeke was a trooper. Thankfully we had the whole row on both flights, so if we bothered anyone I couldn't see:). By the end of the last flight we were both tired and happy to see daddy. I even got a pink Carnation, lucky me:D! It was so nice to be together as a family again even if it was only a few days.

While in Texas we stayed at Jill and Randy's new house in San Antonio. We had a great time with all the kids and I think they loved having Zeke there too. Matt and I were able to go out to lunch on Valentines Day while they watched Zeke for us. It was wonderful. The weekend ended too soon. before we new it Zeke and I were back on a plane. The layover was thankfully only an hour. Zeke was a little more irritable but still did great.

The doctor called me before we left for Texas and said they thought Zeke had a Pulmonary Stenosis; meaning his pulmonary gland didn't open like it should. So they sent us to Primary Children's for more tests. We had an appointment this last Monday. They did a chest x-ray, EKG, and blood pressure. The doctors and technicians thought he was so cute and a great baby. Zeke seemed to like them too, he kept talking and smiling at everyone all day. It was nice to have such a happy baby.

The doctor concluded that the murmur should go away by the time he is 6 months. Yay!!! big relief. We go back in 3 months to be sure. Also we found out why Zeke was an unhappy baby for the first two months. The chest x-ray showed that Zeke had had a broken collar bone. My doctor thought it had broken at birth but the nurse assured him it hadn't multiple times. Anyway it has healed fine and now Zeke is a much happier baby, and I am a much happier mom.

Well I think I covered everything. If not I will add it later. I am getting pretty good at typing with one hand while Zeke sleeps in my other arm. lol

Me & Daddy

2009-02-19T14:47:00.001-07:00

me & my puppy

2009-02-19T13:30:00.001-07:00

Zeke the Bear

2009-02-19T10:55:00.002-07:00

Texas

2009-02-14T09:47:00.004-07:00

Zeke and Mom are visiting Dad in Texas for a few days.

Here are pictures of the Cardon cousins and Zeke.

We are having a great time!

Makena & Zeke

Rylee & Zeke

Ciara & Zeke

Thane & Zeke

Scrap booking

2009-02-10T15:55:00.003-07:00

Look what Mommy did.
Aunt Morgan was right it really wasn't to hard

I am getting so big!

2009-01-24T19:34:00.004-07:00

Hello!!!

Thanks for the dimples Gaga Chris!

Kiss Kiss

I love my bath

Taking a nap with my pal Toby

and more

2009-01-16T17:48:00.003-07:00

Me and my dad before he left for Tx

These are pictures of me in my favorite outfit!

Finally

2009-01-16T17:01:00.003-07:00

Ain't I cute!!!

Me and Cousin Matt taking a bath

Brittney wanted to join in on the fun!

Who needs Santa, I've got grandparents

Other then the red eye I think it turned out cute

Camera Happy

2008-12-14T20:07:00.001-07:00

Smile!

2008-12-04T20:20:00.000-07:00

Pictures

2008-12-03T18:26:00.001-07:00

2 weeks early? Don't think so!

2008-12-03T15:08:00.002-07:00

Thanksgiving Day was the start of a exciting weekend. Matt and I were with my family getting ready to sit down to a wonderful feast when my contractions started to become more severe. I really wanted to eat and then go but decided it would be better just to go.

After I was examined in labor and delivery I was afraid they would send me home because I hadn't really dilated any more then I was at my appointment on Tuesday; but since the baby seemed to be on the bigger side and this was my 3rd visit into Labor & Delivery they decided to keep me. :) I was very relieved.

They started me on medicine to get things moving along faster. It did help speed up the contractions but that is about it. Next they brought in a doctor to break my water. That was an interesting experience. Anyway this helped move things along a little. My contractions started to become very painful; sad to say but I yielded and got an epidural. This allowed me to relax and that's when things really got going and I was fully dilated and effaced.

Pushing for about 2 hours followed. I was so tired by the end I didn't know if I was going to make it. But after all that Zeke came into the world at a whopping 9lbs 1oz. The look on the doctors face was unforgettable. With wide eyes he said, "I knew he was a big baby but not that big." It is true he looked huge! He measured 20 1/2 in long oh and did I mention that it was 1:11 AM on Friday the 28.

He is a healthy big boy and we feel so blessed to have him in our family. I am hoping to get some photos on here soon but we will see. He is keeping me pretty busy and tired.

He's Coming

2008-11-19T13:28:00.003-07:00

Well at my last doctors appointment yesterday everything looked great. I am measuring 38", 2cm, 80% effaced, and his head is way down. The doctor said the baby could possibly come this week but we just have to wait and see. Since the baby is now full term there should not be any premature problems, yeah!! To be on the safe side I am staying in Tremonton so that I can be closer to the hospital.

Right now I am still trying to figure out what I still need to buy. There are so much stuff I am afraid I am forgetting something important. Well we will find out soon enough.

What to do?

2008-11-05T10:18:00.003-07:00

So I thought that I would enjoy all the free time I have before the baby comes; but I am so bored!!! I can only handle so much TV, Internet, and reading every day. So if any of you have any great suggestions for me that would be great. You just need to keep in mind that we have no income right now and I am living at the in-laws in Pleasant Grove oh and I am 34 weeks pregnant. That can really narrow things down.

Anyway I want to make sure everyone knows about my little nephew Jonah. Right now him and his family need your prayers. There is a link to his site on the right side of my blog under family and friends blogs. Right now Zeke (our unborn child) weighs more than he does and he is 2 months old. Your thoughts and prayers would be greatly appreciated.

Same old Same old

2008-10-27T15:16:00.002-06:00

Well I think we have finally figured out what we are doing for living arrangements. We will be living in Pleasant Grove with Matt's parents while Matt is student teaching in SLC. The SLC house we were planning on living in just didn't work out like we hoped.

Matt is enjoying teaching and being in the school. He has taken over one subject and soon will be a few more to that. He is always coming home with stories of his students. It is good to see him enjoying this so much.

I am still having contractions but I am getting used to them. My next doctors appointment is this tues so we will see how things are going. Other then that nothing new really happening. Just waiting for Zeke's arrival.

Oh, my family is having a baby shower for me Nov. 8 if you are interested. I will try and get a copy of the invitation to put on here. If you have any ?s let me know.

Moving

2008-10-10T14:10:00.003-06:00

So tomorrow is the big day. It feels weird that it is already here. The big question is will we be ready to move??? And as of now I cannot give a definite answer. lol. We have most things packed but there is still more. And also we need to figure out what goes to the storage unit and what needs to stay out.

So our living arrangements are still kinda up in the air. We are hoping that by the end of next week we can move into Matt's parent's rental house. But we are still waiting for the previous occupant to vacate. So until we can settle in there were will be at the parents' homes. Matt starts student teaching on Monday at JMS, but since it is UEA next week he will only be there for three days. Then he has to come take his last test here on campus!!! All that should be left is the months of student teaching.

Everyone keeps asking about the contractions and how I am doing. Well, they are still pretty regular but the doctors don't seemed to concerned right now. I think part of it is that I am switching doctors. Since my old doctor is not getting the money for the birth of the baby he really isn't interested in dealing with me now. But that is ok I have an appointment next Tuesday with my new doctor. So we will see how things are then.

Most of the time I am doing just fine just tired of and my stomach is sore from all the contrations and the continual growth of Zeke. He is starting to really develope his muscles. All along the top of my stomach feels brused inside from his kicking. I am starting to understand the pregnaunt waddle, I keep catching myself doing it and just have to laugh at myself. Also I never knew how good ice chips were till recently. That is my favorite thing to snack on right now. The biggest problem is that we do not have any ice trays so I only get it when we go to a resturaunt or if Brittzy brings me some from here house.

So that is what a contration is!

2008-10-01T20:55:00.003-06:00

Well Last night I learned what a contraction felt like. I started noticing them about 7:30 as I was driving home. First I had a sharp pain in the top of my tummy. By the time I got home (3-5 min later) I noticed that the contraction we really contractions. At first I just thought it was the baby pushing out hard but after some advise from Morgan I figured it out. After 15-20 min of contractions every 5 min I called the hospital. I was told to wait 30 min more. If it was still happening to come in.

So Matt and I stayed in the hospital last night. At first they were coming pretty regularly and I was starting to dilate. They were able to stop the contractions and get everything stable. I got home about 10:30 this morning and have slept most of the day. My doctor recommended that I not go back to work till at least on Monday. This will hopefully give me some time to get in some much needed rest.

But since we are moving next week that means there is a lot of packing still needing to get done. I had already started but now I worrying about all that is left. There are some RS sisters coming over to help tomorrow hopefully this will help things out.

Also to top it all off it looks like Matt is coming down with something. I think the stress of the cont rations and the stress from trying to finish up school so he can start student teaching early is no help to the matter.

FROM 3 TO 1

2008-09-11T17:08:00.005-06:00

Well as most everyone knows I am now the only pregnant sister in the family. I am feeling a little left out but I am glad Zeke is waiting till closer to his due date. Three months seems like a long time, I don't know how much more my stomach can grow. I already feel like I am ready to burst. Today, a patient at worked told me I looked ready to pop, she was surprised I still had 3 months left.

Well so far here is kind of what we have learned about the baby. Zeke is a very active boy. He enjoys kicking his mother in the ribs, stretching out as far as he can, oh and don't forget using her bladder as a trampoline. Sometimes he pushes himself out enough you can see the outline of his little body, its cool but not so comfortable for me. He has a big appetite and lets mom know when it is time to eat. He doesn't enjoy sharing his space with anyone or anything. If something is sitting on my stomach he hits or kicks at it like the dog, Guinea pig, or even dad.

Matt right now is going to school 2 times a week and working 2-3 times a week. He is keeping busy especially with all of the homework the professors tend to dump on him. Recently it was made official that Matt will be teaching in SLC starting in Oct and in Austin, TX starting in January. We are pretty excited to start our adventure of moving and moving and moving hopefully being able to stay in the last place at least a few years.

My life right now is pretty much sleep, eat, and work. I have about 3 weeks left at my job til we move. It is exciting not to have to go to work everyday, but I don't know how I will fill my time now. Maybe I will have to try and make something for the baby, lol, that make take more then just 2 months.

Royal Tobbious the Great

2008-09-09T15:44:00.003-06:00

Here is our newest addition to the Family. His name is Tobby, he is a black toy schnauzer and about 4 months old. Right now he is living at my parents house since the land lords said we couldn't have him in the apartment. But someday we will all live in the same house.

He is so far a very good dog. We took him outside and he stays right with you unless there is another animal close by, but he comes right back when you call his name. He is a cuddle bunny too. He loves to snuggle up and chill with you and doesn't lick faces.

When we first got him he really didn't understand how to play with humans. But by the end of 3-4 days he started to play fetch with us. Playing with other animals is another matter. When his cousins Reese, Jaxston, and rusty came over he had a good time being chased and chasing the big dogs. He even tries to paly with the cats and kittens. They just don't seem very interested. The kittens i think scared him with all there hissing.

Well right now my mom is falling in love with Toby, she says if and when we take him away she is going to have to get one for herself. He is a very sweet dog. I look forward to the day that we can live under the same roof.

Baby, baby, baby

2008-08-18T14:39:00.003-06:00

No the title doesn't mean we are having 3 babies, still just one, lol. As of our last doctors appointment he is "perfect", but would you expect otherwise from such amazing parents j/k. He is actually measuring 11 days earlier than we thought; meaning it wouldn't be a big surprise if he came the end of Nov instead of around Dec 11. That would be nice as long as he wasn't too early.

Matthias (our nephew) came a month early and everything was great with him so I wouldn't mind something like that. Oh by the way Morgan is due the end of October so we could be getting our first niece on the Selman side any time!!! Poor thing though she will be the only girl to who knows when. Tanya found out that she is having a boy, SURPRISE, and is still due the end of Dec.

So now when someone looks at me they know I pregnant instead of just a little chunky, at least I hope so. Today a stranger asked me when the baby is due, so that is a good sign. But this means my clothing options have become limited; so I go shopping once a week and check for any good bargains. I do end up finding a few but I am learning I need to be willing to pay a little more sometimes or I will never have enough to wear. lol I guess my days of $5 for a shirt and <$10 for a pair a pants has to be put on hold for a while.

Matt is enjoying his time off. He finished summer school a few weeks ago and is relaxing till school starts next week. He will be attending classes for about 6 weeks and then start student teaching in SLC area, we think. This means we will be moving around the middle of October to his parents home in Pleasant Grove for a few months. So this is most likely the time period when little Zeke will make his entrance. Right now the plan is to keep the doctor we have here in Logan and just do some commuting for appointments and hope he isn't in to big of a hurry when he decides to come.

Then when he is finished student teaching in SLC we will relocate again to my parents home in Tremonton probably the first part to middle of December. Then Matt will again have to move this time to Texas to student teach. He will be leaving in the middle of January and will be there 3 months. Then he will have his masters!!!!

A Wreck of Good Fortune

2008-07-10T17:33:00.004-06:00

Hey all if you haven't already heard I accidentally ran "Pedro" ( my Camry) off a dirt road into a ditch the last friday in June. Matt and I were on our way up to the Porter Family Reunion. Other then a flat tire the car was fine, and other then my nerves Matt and I were OK.

When I got back to work on Monday some of the girls I work with talked me into going to see my OB just to make sure everything with the baby was alright. So I was able to see the PA that afternoon. Matt left school early and met me at the office. They did an ultra sound and guess what we saw?!?!?!?

Its a BOY!!!! The technician says that unless "it" falls off it will stay a boy. Anyway we are very excited to have found out at only 16 weeks. So in the end the wreck gave us the opportunity to support our suspicions that little Zeke was on his way.